Page 115 of Falling for Brody

Brody kepttrack of Gabriel with the Find Family app in his phone, but that didn't keep him from searching the woods himself and kicking himself for not taking Chip out in the woods and talk about safety.

It was something they'd done as kids. When you lived that close to the woods, it was a skill to have. And a skill he'd teach Chip when he was found.

He'd do it before he ever let Chip out of his sight ever again.

"Chip!" He called out and then he stopped and listened, training his ears on the woods around him.

No. Nothing.

He moved on, stopped a minute later.

"Chip!"

* * *

Chief Hill wasat the curb in front of the house when Rhea pulled up.

He jogged over to open the door and helped her out. "Rhea, let me fill you in-"

"You haven't found him."

The chief dragged in a breath and shook his head. "No. Not yet."

He took her arm and walked her toward the house.

"Beatrice was hurt, we believe she was trying to stop him from being taken."

Rhea pressed a hand on her chest. "She's alive?"

The chief hesitated for a moment, and she looked up at him, her eyes demanding an answer.

With a hard exhale, he told her. "They put her on a life-flight to a Trauma 1 hospital."

Her knees went weak.

It was only the chief that kept her on her feet.

"We have reason to believe that they're both out in the woods."

She swallowed hard and looked up at the crowd on the front lawn.

People were lining up to sign in and search.

A tent had been pitched up and people were organizing under it.

Rhea felt useless in that moment, utterly useless.

There she was just staring at all of these people who were lining up to search for her baby.

She wanted to cry.

She wanted to shout.

And then she wanted to throttle someone.

That someone.

"Chief?"

---