Page 33 of Twice Missing
Noah sat up slowly, blood trailing from his nose and split lip. Bruises were already blossoming across his face. Callie helped him to his feet, steadying him as he swayed slightly.
He glanced at his mangled Bronco and muttered, "Great."
"That can be fixed," Callie assured him. "It's you I'm worried about. You should get checked out."
Noah patted his pockets frantically. "Where's my phone?"
"Probably in the vehicle. You can make a call later."
"I need to do it now," he insisted, his voice rising. "They threatened my family. I need to get Ray to swing by and pick them up."
As Noah attempted to stand on his own, he stumbled. Callie caught him, her arm wrapping around his waist to support him. At that moment, two more cruisers arrived, their lights piercing the gloom. They swerved to a stop,and Detective McKenzie emerged from one, hurrying towards them.
"What happened?" McKenzie called out.
"He was ambushed. They knocked him off the road," Callie explained quickly.
McKenzie's eyes narrowed. "We got an ID on the vehicles?"
"Not exactly. A green truck. A black snow plow," Noah mumbled.
"Well, that narrows it down," McKenzie said sarcastically as another deputy approached, setting out cones and managing traffic control.
Within minutes, the wail of a siren cut through the storm, and an ambulance arrived on the scene. EMTs rushed to Noah, performing preliminary checks and peppering him with questions as they guided him to the back of the ambulance.
Seated on the ambulance's rear bumper, Noah made a call to his brother while the EMTs continued their assessment. Callie overheard snippets of the conversation, her concern growing with each passing moment.
"Ray. I need you to collect Ethan and Mia," Noah said into the phone, his voice tight with worry. After a brief pause, Noah nodded. "You're working?"
Callie stepped forward, offering, "I can get them. I'm scheduled to take a few days off work anyway, so I can look after them."
Noah's response was immediate and sharp. "No. That's your time off."
"It's fine," Callie insisted, taken aback by his vehemence.
"No, I'll ask Kerri," Noah said firmly before returning his attention to the phone call.
Callie watched as Noah's frustration mounted. He snapped at one of the EMTs, brushing away a latex-gloved hand from his face. "I'm okay!" he insisted before focusing once more on his conversation with Ray.
"They told me to leave the Emily Carter case alone," Noah explained, his voice low and intense. "Showed me a photo of Ethan and Mia. It looked as if it was taken while they were with Kerri. We may have to get them to safety too."
As Noah ended the call, he handed Callie's phone back to her. "Ray's handling it," he said curtly.
"You know I would have done it," Callie said, hurt by his dismissal.
Noah ignored her comment, his eyes scanning the scene until they landed on McKenzie. "McKenzie. Let's go. You can drive."
The detective looked confused. "Drive where?"
"To the Ashford estate," Noah replied, his voice cold with determination.
"Wait, Noah. Hold up. Why?" McKenzie asked, alarm evident in his tone.
Noah's response was immediate and filled with barely contained rage. "It's pretty fucking obvious why. That asshole is behind this."
As Noah moved towards McKenzie's cruiser, Calliereached out, grasping his arm. He shook her off violently. "Get off me."
"McKenzie, speak to him," Callie pleaded. "He's not thinking straight."
