Page 116 of The Whispering Girls
“Okay,” said McGaven. “Devin is bringing something we can use to carry or drag the chief to his property and then he can take him to the hospital.”
“Cisco and I are moving on,” she said.
“No.”
“Yes. There’s no arguing about it. John is still missing.” Katie could barely say it without a crack in her voice and bursting into tears.
“Katie, we don’t know where Jack is. He could be tracking us and ready to ambush us at any time.”
“John’s life is more important.” Katie couldn’t look at McGaven. “Let’s get this door open while waiting for Devin to get here.”
With a bit of figuring, the detectives were able to open the door enough to be able to get the chief out.
“I have to go. We’ll meet up with you back at the first big tree grove,” she said.
McGaven obviously didn’t want to admit it, but he knew Katie was right.
“I’ll be back after we get the chief into some heat and sent on his way to the hospital. I’ll be as fast as I can.” He looked at his partner. They both knew how the other felt.
“I have to go now if John has any chance,” Katie said.
“It should be less than an hour to and from Devin’s house…”
They knew it would take longer.
“We’ll be fine,” she said. Katie couldn’t look at McGaven as she and Cisco headed north.
FIFTY-ONE
Sunday 1950 hours
Katie felt more alone than at any time in her life. It was complete darkness now with only the subtle outline of trees and surroundings. There weren’t any twinkling stars or a full moon to help light their path. She and Cisco stopped for a minute, camouflaged between trees to rest and recoup their strength. They both drank some water and had part of a natural energy bar. She wasn’t going to use the flashlight unless absolutely necessary.
Katie readjusted her pack and made sure her layered clothing, beanie, heavy scarf, and gloves were doing their jobs. She felt warm enough right now, but didn’t know what to expect.
She kept thinking about the chief shaking his head about Jack, as if to say he didn’t do it, which didn’t make any sense. He’d drugged them and taken the chief and John to die a slow death out here.
The question was…did Jack commit the murders, and if he didn’t, why was he so intent on silencing the chief and John assome type of witnesses? Things still weren’t adding up, but either way her first objective was to find John. She didn’t want to admit it, but there was no other reason than Jack took John to lure her and McGaven out here. This type of behavior and the behavioral evidence at the crime scenes indicated two different types of people. Jack didn’t exhibit a split personality, but Katie wasn’t a doctor or psychiatrist. Perhaps it was just very well hidden.
Katie glanced at her watch, noticing that there was a solid hour before she would even think of meeting up with McGaven. Prepping herself was key to be able to make quick decisions and staying alert to everything around her.
She and Cisco began another track and this time it seemed to be different with Cisco's change of demeanor. She didn’t know if that was a good thing or not. There wasn’t any way of reading the dog at this stage, to know if he was reading scent for a live person—or deceased.
The team made its way around clusters of trees, past several small structures that were dilapidated and seemed empty. John was Katie’s priority, but she had to remain vigilant of Jack’s presence. She hoped he had gone back to his vet office to spin some kind of story of where John had gone.
Katie still kept Cisco on the long lead and the dog’s pace started to accelerate, which was a good sign. She kept a jogging pace in the snow, which began to wear her energy down rapidly. The terrain was difficult and the snow made it even more challenging.
Cisco kept his nose down, seeming interested in a specific area. Katie’s heart pounded as she followed him, and she began to perspire, sweat rolling down her forehead, the cold turning her skin icy and uncomfortable.
Cisco sat, alerting Katie to a section.
She ran up to the dog and dropped to her knees. Assuming it was another buried building or storage, she began to clearaway the snow. The opening was completely covered as if it had been disguised recently and in a hurry.
Katie kept Cisco away from the opening, not knowing what to expect or if it was dangerous—or even a trap. She took a good three-hundred-sixty degree scan of the area; it was quiet and clear. There were a couple sets of trees on either side of her, which helped to protect them. About two hundred yards away were nothing but clusters of trees and it would be easy to hide among them. She kept that in mind.
“Platz.” She told the dog to down; it would keep him in a safer position.
Cisco obeyed and kept his sights on the area as well as Katie.
