Page 19 of Flashback

No. She couldn’t go there.

Dakota leaned toward her. “Hey, we made it. We’re okay.”

She bit down on her lip and nodded. “Yeah. We did. But…Scout.” Her voice cracked. “Belle was right.”

“About what?”

“I kept Scout at a distance. I should’ve tried harder. Done better with him. I can’t really blame him for running off?—”

“No way. We’re gonna find Scout. He’s got amazing instincts. He’s gonna survive.”

“Well, I’m not leaving until I find him.”

He gave her shoulder a light squeeze. “I’ll help you look.”

After bouncing down the rutted dirt track, the truck turned onto a more level gravel road and eventually wound its way to the highway. Before turning onto the paved road, they stopped.

The older man in his red flannel shirt and pants stained with ash and soot came around to the back of the truck. He wore suspenders and work boots, almost like a lumberjack version of Santa Claus. “Where you folks need to go?”

“The campground?—”

“The hospital.” Dakota spoke over her. “You and the boys need to get checked out first. I’ll tell the parents to meet us at the hospital.”

He was right. Jen would be worried sick. But with their injuries, it was a good call.

Allie turned to the stranger. “Would you mind?”

“Not at all. I can’t stick around, but I certainly don’t mind dropping you off.”

“I’m Allie. This is Dakota.” She motioned to the boys. “Nolan and Ethan.”

“Nice to meet you folks. I’m Henry.”

“Did you happen to see a black Lab? My dog was with us, but he ran ahead, and we lost him.”

“I didn’t, but I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for him.” With a quick nod, he was back in the truck, and they were on their way to Ember.

Dakota radioed his team, and Allie called Jen, telling her to meet them at the hospital. Afterward, she passed a water bottle and protein bar to the boys. Nolan eagerly ate and within minutes, fell asleep against her.

Dakota chugged his water but took his time with the bar. “Thanks.”

She gave him a weak smile. “I should be thanking you. Not that a smashed bar and some tepid water is much of an appreciation gift. The boys and I never would’ve made it out of that forest without you.”

Dakota shrugged as if saving people’s lives was no biggie. Then he turned to Ethan.

“Ethan, who is the scary man you said you saw on the trail?”

The boy stuffed another bite of his bar into his mouth. The wind blew through his sweaty blond hair, and his blue eyes narrowed. He looked from Allie to Dakota, almost as if assessing them.

“We want to help you,” Allie urged him with smile. “Dakota was a police officer, remember? And I work with law enforcement all the time. I search for lost people.”

Ethan released a shaky breath. “Last time we were camping, Nolan and I went for a hike. I was looking for a blue grouse for my Boy Scout badge, so we went off the trail even though my mom told me not to. We walked for a long time. Then we heard guys shouting. We hid. We were by that cabin you found, because I remembered that funny roof. And this man—” Ethan swallowed hard. His eyes welled with tears.

Dakota stilled. “What did he do?”

“The other man…the one with a necklace…he tried to walk away, but the tall man with the ponytail shot him in the back. He fell down, and then he shot him in the head too.”

For real? They’d seen amurder?

---