Page 90 of Legacy of Lies
“No idea. But right now, we need to find Zach.” He tapped on his cell phone and put it to his ear. “Nope. No answer from Hank. Went straight to voice mail.”
“Did he mention anything to you recently? Anything that seemed ... different? A clue?”
“I haven’t seen him for a few weeks. A while back, he’d gotten wrapped up in a long-distance relationship that went south six months ago, so he was off in Salt Lake City a bunch with his lady friend. He’d been seeing her since around this time last year. After that, he mumbled some about a mission or a calling. Like he found religion. But not exactly.” He rubbed his jowls. “I’m sorry, Garrison, I had no idea he’d do something stupid like this.”
“Pardon me if I don’t believe you, Butch.”
Garrison grabbed the man’s wrist and unleashed the power of his surreal lie detector. The power burst out of him, harder and more determined than it ever had manifested. Butch stiffened as Garrison’s mind invaded, expanding like a bubble to surround the other mind. Then the sphere shrank and confined the essence of the man. As Garrison hijacked the man’s thoughts, an animal groan slid out of the man’s gritted teeth. Butch in pain? Couldn’t care less.
He pushed past the polite veneer that formed Butch’s public persona and looked at the inner self. Only a bright red aura, truth tinged with anger. No blackness, no deception.
Butch Brand had nothing to do with Hank’s actions. That was a good start.
“What the hell was that?” Butch rubbed his temples.
Garrison mirrored his movement. “Nothing, man. Forget it. How are we going to find Zach?”
“Well, we need to contact the police. It’s getting dark. God knows where he is. We need to start a search.”
“Agreed. But where should we start looking?”
Butch rubbed his forehead. “Heck if I know. Listen, I’ll call the police and get things moving. Then I’ll run home and see if my family knows anything else that would help us find Hank.”
Find. They had zero direction to begin a search, and by now, Hank could be many miles away from Copper River.
Garrison snapped his spine straight.
Find. That was the key.
The Taggart family might just have a miracle for this situation.
“Fine. Do that, Brand. I don’t have time to stick around.”
Garrison stormed out of the school, flung himself into his truck and flew back to the ranch, where he parked the vehicle and pounded up the stairs and into the house.
“Shelby! I need you now! Help! Shelby!”
The sound of multiple running footsteps on the floor and down the stairs preceded everyone’s arrival. Shelby paused at the bottom to catch her breath, her shoulders folding over with jagged coughs. When Eric raised his eyebrows, she glared at him until he scooted over to a wall and crossed his arms, a hand clenched over his opposite bicep.
Their father shuffled from the living room and leaned on the banister. A stiff breeze could blow him over.
Kerr entered the foyer last but hurried in his own way. Christ, his brother looked like he’d just woken up to an Afghanistan ambush. A twinge of guilt sliced through Garrison, but damn it, he needed to focus on the task at hand.
Shelby coughed into her elbow, then lifted her head. “What is it?”
He filled them in on what he knew.
“Zach’s out there?” she said, her lips whitening.
He nodded.
“What about Sara?” she asked.
“We’re done.” The words tasted sour. “She left a message saying it’s over. Which was weird, because when I went to the school to look for Zach, her purse and coat were still there, but I never saw her. Maybe she was just avoiding me until I left.”
Kerr absently rubbed his right thigh. “What time did she call you?”
“I don’t know. Maybe a minute after Hank called.”
