Page 57 of In Pursuit of the Truth

Bailey cradled her son’s sweet face in her hands. “You’re doing a great job, Jordan. Where is Seth? Do you know where he went?”

“The bad guy chased him. To the Hidden Barn.” His chin quivered, and Bailey pulled him close again.

Nate reached down and helped her stand. “Take him in the house and lock all the doors. Stay inside.” He gripped her arm and met her gaze, his own fierce with determination. “I’ll find Seth.”

All she could do was nod before he took off at a run, his gun in one hand and the radio in the other. “This is Nate. We have Jordan, but Seth is being pursued by a man near the old barn. I’m heading that way now, and I need backup…” His words faded as he disappeared into the brush.

“Come on, baby.” Bailey scooped him into her arms and ran for the house. As soon as they were inside, she closed and locked the door, then made sure the same was true for the front.

Minnie started licking Jordan’s arms and face as soon as Bailey set him down. The little boy wrapped his arms around the dog’s neck.

“Honey, I’m going to get you a glass of water, and then I need you to tell me everything that happened.”

Nate was thankful he’d gone for a walk on this path the other day because he knew exactly how to get to the old barn. He ran, his boots pounding the rock and dirt path until something above the trees caught his attention.

Smoke. It filled the sky. “Jenny, this is Nate. I’m seeing a lot of smoke ahead. The barn may be on fire. We’re going to need support from the fire department ASAP.”

“I’ll make the call.”

“I’m almost there. Going radio silent.” Nate didn’t wait for confirmation before he turned his radio off as he approached the bend in the path right before the old barn. Officers were on their way. With his gun drawn, he approached the barn cautiously. He needed to know where Seth was, and he had no idea whether Jeremy was armed or not.

He crouched behind a tree where he could see the barn. There were no visible flames, but smoke, dark and oppressive, billowed out and up. It probably didn’t take much to get the old wood burning.

“Let me go!” Seth’s voice came from the other side of the barn.

Nate ran in a crouch across the space between the tree line and the side of the barn closest to him.Please, Lord, help me get to Seth in time. Keep him safe.He proceeded down the length of the barn until he came to the corner.There, he stepped out just enough to see what was going on.

A man gripped Seth by the upper arm and jerked him close, causing the boy to flinch. “Shut up, kid.”

“You don’t have to do this, Jer,” Rachel pleaded. She was standing on Jeremy’s other side, her arms outstretched. “Let Seth go. Give him to me. I’ll make sure they let you go before I give him back.”

Jeremy laughed, the sound forced and gravelly. “It’s too late now. Do you really think the police would trade my freedom for this brat?” He shook Seth. “You promised they would never find out. You said I should trust you.” He looked to his right at the burning building and laughed. “There’s no way out of this now.”

“Please, son. I did everything I could. Think of Rose and the girls. An accident in the past is one thing, but if you hurt Seth, you’ll lose everything.”

Nate gripped his gun, but there was no way to get a shot off without the risk of hitting Seth if things went wrong.

“I already have, thanks to you.” He backhanded his mother, who stumbled and nearly fell. At the same time, Seth threw himself in the opposite direction, causing Jeremy to lose his grip on Seth’s arm. Without hesitation, the boy sprinted toward the barn entrance. He skidded as he ran between the falling doors and disappeared inside.

Nate had to get him out of there before the fire caused it to collapse or Seth got himself lost inside.

Nate stepped forward. “Jeremy Price, put your hands in the air.”

Jeremy started to raise his hands then reached over and jerked Rachel to her feet so she was between himself and Nate. “You’re going to let me walk out of here.”

Rachel’s eyes went wide, a red welt beginning to form on her right cheek.

“You know I can’t do that.”

The sunlight caught on something behind Jeremy, and Nate noticed Paris and Baker approaching. No doubt there were other officers within sight. He kept his eyes trained on Jeremy.

“If you want to see that kid alive again, you will. He’s probably baking in there already.” Jeremy grinned as though the idea appealed to him. “You can take me on, or you can rescue the brat. The choice is yours.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Nate saw Paris give a single nod. Nate re-holstered his weapon and held up his hands. “You’re right, Jeremy. You’re free to go. Just let me get to Seth. You don’t want the murder of a little boy on your hands.”

Jeremy sneered. “Good luck.” He shoved Rachel away from him and turned to run.

Nate was barely aware of Paris shouting, “Destiny Police Department, put your hands in the air.”

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