Page 81 of Chasing Wildflowers
Your Wildflower
Protecting me from what?
I had the GPS tracker pulled up before Vic had even ended the call. Praying she was still somewhere on the property. That she just couldn’t sleep and went for a walk.
But the blinking dot told me differently.
Lane is about forty minutes from my parents' house; in the opposite direction of where we will be landing, on what looks to be a back road.
What if we don’t get to her in time?
No.
I shut that thought down.
I will make it to her on time. I have to, because I can’t live in a world where she doesn’t exist.
We just found each other. Just started to build something real. She can’t be ripped away from me. Not before I get the chance to give her the life she deserves.The life we deserve.
“Jameson,” Miles says, pulling my attention from the blinking dot to him.
“Did you find something?”
“Her phone is wiped clean.” He turns his laptop around, showing me an aerial view of the house where Lane is. “Looks like it's abandoned, no neighbors, and I doubt that road sees much traffic."
My eyes land on Vic, needing his expertise, we have one shot. If we fuck this up, I lose her forever. “How should we do this?”
He points at the screen. “I’ll park here and keep watch of the driveway.” His fingers trail over the surrounding wooded area. “You and Miles will go in through the woods coming out here,” he says, tapping aspot at the edge of the property that will give us the perfect view of the house and driveway.
“We don’t know if he’s alone, so stay vigilant. You go in through the front while Miles keeps watch at the back. Clear the first floor before moving to the second.” He looks toward me, his eyes sympathetic. “We don’t know what we are walking into, and you need to prepare yourself for what you’re going to find.”
“She’s alive,” I grit out, my eyes returning to the blinking dot on my phone screen.
I’m on my feet and moving the second the jet touches down, Vic and Miles right behind me as we tear down the steps and sprint toward Vic’s truck.
After what feels like a fucking lifetime, we turn onto a neglected stretch of gravel, the steady crunch beneath the tires the only sound in the cab. Sharp and jarring against the heavy tension pressing down on us. A few minutes later, Vic eases to a stop and kills the engine.
Without a word, Miles and I climb out of the cab, and make our way through the dense forest. The moon’s bright glow cuts through the trees, providing little light as branches snap beneath our feet. We reach the edge of the property and I lift a pair of night vision binoculars to my eyes.
An old, rundown house, probably abandoned for decades. I sweep the perimeter. No cameras. Nobody keeping guard. Mom’s SUV is parked beside a dark sedan.
I lower the binoculars. “All the windows are boarded up. Limits his options to escape, and he’s less likely to see us coming. If I’m not out within ten minutes, you come in.”
He gives me a nod, pulling his gun from the back of his waistband, and moves quickly through the night toward the back of the house. I pull out my own gun and creep toward the front door, keeping both my eyes and ears alert.
Pressing my ear against the door, I listen for any voice coming from within. Nothing. I ease the door open slowly, and step inside. A dim light flickers from the corner, casting a soft glow around the foyer. I listen again. A floorboard creaks above my head.
Lane.
I creep up the stairs, the rotting boards groaning under my weight. My eyes snag on a soft flickering light down the hall as my boots hit the top step. I don’t hesitate. I move down the hall, to the open door; gun held in front of me, trigger finger ready.
Nothingcould have prepared me for what I find.
Lane is tied to a chair, her face bruised and bloodied, her terror filled eyes locked on mine. Byron stands behind her wearing a smug smile. One hand is pressed over her mouth, the other holds a gun, pressed against her temple.
Thirty-five
Lane
