Page 79 of Twice Missing
"What?" Abel said with a frown.
"You said you didn't like to call it man camps because some of your workers were women," McKenzie said. "Soyou hire good men and women. By the way, how many women do you employ?"
Abel's frustration was palpable. "We vet every single person we hire. There are no parties here. Maybe the guys like to drink a little on the weekends but that's no different than anyone else. But come Monday morning, they are all out there, working hard. They know their job and they don't let anything interfere."
"Or anyone,” Noah said.
"Or anyone.” Abel nodded. "Now I'm sure Lawrence County would be more than willing to clarify any other details you might have around the disappearances of both women but let me make this very clear to you. If we had anything to do with it, you can be certain they would have discovered it by now. It's been ten years since Selena was found dead, and eight months since Kayla went missing. Not a single officer besides yourselves has visited us. So unless there is something you know that we don't, I think I've answered your questions. Now if you don't mind, I'm very busy."
Noah stared back. He rose from his seat and extended his hand. "Thank you for your time." As he went to walk out, he paused. "Oh, um one last thing. You mentioned your involvement with Selena. What was that in regards to?"
"What?"
"Well you said that the connection with Kayla was because she wanted to be a liaison for her community. A go-between. What was Selena's interest in you?"
"I told you. We were seeing each other."
"Right. Yes. That's right," Noah said. "So she would have frequented this place too, yes?"
Abel nodded.
"Enjoy your day," Noah said, exiting with McKenzie in his shadow.
Outside as they walked back to their car, McKenzie piped up. "I'm not one for speculating but that guy is full of shit, isn't he?"
"He's holding back. That's for sure."
They climbed into their vehicle, Noah acutely aware of Abel watching them from the trailer window. As he started the engine, his phone rang. The caller ID displayed Rishi Gupta's name.
"I've got something," Rishi said without preamble. "You ready for this?"
32
It was astonishing how a single piece of evidence could unravel an entire case —whether it was DNA, a fingerprint, CCTV footage, or even a straightforward witness statement. The discovery of Kayla's phone represented the breakthrough they had been desperately seeking.
Rishi had spent hours meticulously combing through the data transferred from the three phones. While Marcus' personal phone and burner offered some intriguing contacts and a history of calls to Selena and others, it was the third phone, belonging to Kayla, that held the key.
Among the usual array of photos one might expect — family gatherings, snapshots with friends, scenic views — there were a couple of videos that caught Rishi's attention.
"I'm uploading the video to the server now," Rishi's voice crackled through the phone, tension evident in his tone.
Noah waited, his pulse quickening with anticipation. When the video appeared on the State Police server, he clicked play, his eyes fixed on the screen.
At first, the footage was confusing — darkness punctuated by the sound of heavy breathing and the distinctive hiss of truck brakes. A gruff voice cut through the night, "All right. Get them out. Hurry up."
The camera shifted, momentarily focusing on Kayla Bravebird's face as she checked the recording. Then, with deliberate movements, she lifted what appeared to be a tarp, her phone capturing the rear of a truck laden with equipment. Noah leaned closer, recognizing the Sunrise Power Systems logo on solar panels.
Kayla's movements were cautious but determined as she slipped out of her hiding spot and onto the gravel below. In the darkness, illuminated only by her phone's light, she recorded a chilling scene: a line of women being led through a wooded area, flashlights bouncing toward the glow of distant lights filtering through the trees.
The footage became shakier as Kayla hurried through the woods, her breath coming in quick gasps. The scene that unfolded next sent a chill down Noah's spine — the women were being herded toward a large cabin near what sounded like a body of water.
A man's voice, filled with barely contained anger, rang out. "There were supposed to be twelve."
"Two never made it. That's all we got," came the reply.
"Tell him I will be in contact. This cannot happen again. Take them into the cabin."
As Kayla zoomed in, trying to capture a clearer image, a flashlight beam suddenly illuminated a man's face. Noah's finger jabbed the pause button, his heart racing. "That's Nathan Carter," he breathed, disbelief coloring his voice.
