Page 53 of Ranger Belief
“I know, but it’s the only lead we have at the moment.”
Her cell phone rang, the name flashing across her dashboard. Brett Morrison. He’d likely heard about the kidnapping and was calling to offer to help. Laney normally appreciated his get-to-it attitude, but it was times like this that his need to impress her was a challenge. Instead of calling her, Brett should be following protocol and phoning the staff line, which Zoe would manage.
She nearly let the call go to voicemail, but a whispered instinct told her to answer it. “Superintendent Torres.”
“Hey boss,” Brett’s words were whispered. “I found Mitch Caldwell.”
Her heart stuttered, and she let up on the gas. “What?”
“I spotted him driving a Jeep through the park and followed it. I was careful…hung back so he wouldn’t see me, you know. The Jeep is here on a dirt road near Bear Creek. I’ve parked my truck down a ways and am heading through the woods on foot?—”
“Don't take another step!” Laney commanded, her tone sharp and unyielding. “Mitch Caldwell is a wanted criminal. He’s possibly armed and dangerous. Head back to your truck immediately. I’m on my way. Send me a pin so I know your exact coordinates.”
“You got it, boss.”
He hung up, and a second later there was a text message with his coordinates. Laney braked completely and navigated to the location. “This is on the outer edge of the park boundaries. There’s a well-used hiking trail that overlooks the limestone bluff and the creek, but not much else. It’s the perfect place for Mitch to be hiding out.”
“How close is this location to the area Garrett indicated on the map?”
“It’s near, but it’s not the same.” She forwarded the pinned location to Jonah, as well as the other Texas Rangers. Scout whimpered from the backseat, picking up on the tension. She glanced behind her. “It’s okay, girl.” But there was worry buriedin her dog’s eyes. Was she concerned about Laney? Or had hearing Brett’s voice over the car’s speakers upset her?
Laney inhaled sharply as an idea jabbed her. “Oh…Jonah. What if we’ve been wrong this entire time? What if the killer is someone who wasn’t on our suspect list at all?”
His head swiveled to face her. “What are you talking about?”
“Brett.” Her mind raced. “As the front desk clerk, he interacts with everyone on staff, including the volunteers. Everyone goes through the visitor center. He checked in Ava and Tyler, along with Lisa and Nolan. His cologne smells the same as the killer’s. Scout nearly bit him when he got too close to me. He was in the lobby on the day Alli got hurt…and now he just happens to spot Mitch driving through the park at the same moment we’re searching for Alli…”
She’d never quite bought Garrett’s involvement in the murders. It made logical sense, but there had always been a niggling doubt she couldn’t quite dislodge. “Brett knows Garrett. They’re buddies. He may even know where Garrett’s boat is kept and what the combination code to the lock is.”
Horror sank into her as she realized too late what she should have known all along. “Brett could be the killer.”
TWENTY-FIVE
Darkness pressed against Jonah, the pitch-black woods alive with prey and predators.
He pulled a bulletproof vest from the back of Ryker’s SUV and carried it to Laney, who was shifting through a backpack of supplies. “Put this on.” His own was already in place, and in one hand he carried a rifle. Night vision goggles would’ve proven helpful, but weren’t part of the standard equipment Texas Rangers carried. After this, he intended to add several sets to his vehicle.
Laney took the Kevlar and slipped it over her head. She attempted to attach the straps, but they were tangled. Jonah laid his rifle down in the back of her SUV and reached around her slender waist. He separated the straps, bringing them around and securing the Velcro. Touching her, even like this, sent a longing through him.
There was so much he wanted to say. Time wouldn’t allow it. And so, once she had her vest on, he took her hands and bowed his head. “Lord, we ask that You watch over us and Alli. Help us bring this little girl to safety, and give us the wisdomand strength to capture everyone responsible for these horrible crimes.”
“Amen,” Laney whispered.
Jonah raised his head, and their gazes met. He couldn’t see her eyes clearly in the darkness, his vision only able to make out the contours of her face. Rising on her toes, she took him by surprise when her mouth brushed against his. The kiss was nothing more than a whisper. Petal soft and tender. Full of promise.
His heart pounded against his ribcage. “Laney…”
“No time, Foster.” She jerked her chin toward something behind him. “Ryker, Tate, you guys ready?”
Jonah turned to find his teammates standing nearby. Like him and Laney, they’d suited up in bulletproof vests underneath lightweight rain jackets. Each carried a rifle and wore a backpack filled with supplies, like water, basic first aid, and protein bars.
“Let’s do this,” Ryker whispered. They’d parked on a side road hidden in the trees. The sheriff’s department and the state police were sending additional reinforcements to their location, but it would take an hour for them to coordinate.
Alli may not have that much time. It was a serious risk they were taking, but each of them agreed it was worth it. Jonah had never been prouder to serve alongside such dedicated law enforcement officers. This was why he'd chosen this path, and what his family could never understand. Moments like these. When everything else fell away except the mission: protecting the innocent, pursuing justice, standing in the gap when no one else could.
Laney shrugged on her backpack before grabbing the evidence bag with Alli’s blanket. Scout, already dressed in a SAR working dog vest, pranced in the dirt with excitement. She knew it was time to work.
“We need to get closer to the Jeep,” Laney said. “Scout needs a starting point where Alli's scent might be present. The blanket will help her know what to look for, but we need to be in an area where Alli has been.”
