Page 141 of Beyond Protection
Marcus stood by the window. Matthew and Miles sat at the dining table, not talking. Their partners had gone home—safer that way. The house was still too full.
Minutes stretched. 8:45 became 9:02.
Ma abandoned her knitting. She moved on to reorganizing the coffee table—magazines stacked, coasters aligned, and remote controls arranged by size. Claire gave up on pretending to read. She sat with her hands folded, spine perfectly straight, eyes fixed directly ahead.
9:06
My phone rang. Seattle PD number.
"McCabe."
"Mac, it's Clairmont. We're at the cabin."
I tensed.
"And?"
"She's not here."
It took me a few seconds to comprehend. "What do you mean she's not here?"
"The cabin's empty—no vehicles and no heat signatures on the thermal. We've cleared the interior. She's gone."
"Gone where?"
"Unknown. But Mac—she was definitely here. Recently. Fresh coffee in the pot, still lukewarm. And—" She paused. "You needto understand what we're seeing. Restraints are built into the bed frame. Climate control systems. Photography equipment. A schedule posted on the wall with your name on it."
"Where is she?" My voice rose. "If she's not there, where the fuck is she?"
"We don't know—"
The realization washed over me, and I shuddered. "She's here," I said. "If she prepared that cabin and she's not there—she's coming to get me."
Silence on the line.
"We're two hours out," Clairmont said quietly. "Maybe more in this weather. But I'm doubling your patrol presence. You stay inside. You lock every door and window. Do not open for anyone except uniformed officers you can verify. Understood?"
"Two hours is forever."
"Mac, listen to me. Police surround you. Your family's there. Eamon and Michael are en route. You stay inside."
The line went dead.
I told my gathered family members. Every word. The empty cabin, the equipment, the conclusion.
When I finished, no one spoke.
Then Claire reached for my hand. Her fingers were ice-cold.
"We wait," Ma whispered.
Two hours. Maybe more in this weather.
Marcus moved first. "All right. We're not sitting here like targets. Miles, check every window. Matthew, walk the perimeter inside. Mac—" He looked at me. "You stay in the center of the house. Away from windows and doors."
"Marcus—"
"Do it."
