Page 148 of Lethal Danger

Going through the front gate wouldn’t be a good idea since he couldn’t possibly convince the guard on duty there that his supervisor was a violent criminal. At least he couldn’t do so in a few seconds, which were all he would be able to afford before searching the grounds for Rebekah.

He looked at the massive fairgrounds. “Lord, where do I start? She could be anywhere.”

A flash of lightning illuminated the sky.

Movement caught his attention. A vertical, dark shape climbed upward. It looked like the outline of a dragon.

The Flying Dragon ride was running?

He leaned toward the windshield, the wipers clearing a portion of glass for him to see through. But with the lightning gone, he couldn’t see that far, and the ride’s usually green and orange lights weren’t lit.

Nothing should be operating this time of night.

Hawthorne’s jaw clenched. He had no idea if or how the ride could be connected to Rebekah’s whereabouts, but it was an anomaly, and that’s what he had to look for.

The Flying Dragon was on the east side of the fairgrounds. He could drive all the way around to the east parking lot and entrance. But getting out and running, taking some of the shortcuts he’d found while on patrol, would probably get him there quicker. And it would enable him to keep his eyes peeled for Rebekah and Butch as he went.

Not wasting another second on deliberation, he jumped from his car and dashed through the rain to the north entrance. It didn’t usually have a posted guard at night but was covered by cameras and locked.

Using his keycard, he got through the unmanned gate quickly and jogged up the narrow path that connected to the main one.

Rebekah didn’t know the fair well. From what she had said, she’d never been there in her life. So it wasn’t likely she would have deviated from the main thoroughfare.

Unless someone had forced her to.

The thought spurred his feet faster, and he picked up speed, scanning the rides and booths on both sides of the path.

If he hadn’t seen the Flying Dragon in motion, he’d head straight for the Logboat Adventure ride. That’s likely where Rebekah would have thought to go first, looking for clues about Sam’s death.

But the Flying Dragon shouldn’t be operating. And his gut said there was something very wrong in the fact that it was.

Sweat broke out on his forehead as he pushed faster, reaching the east side of the grounds.

Another lightning streak brightened the sky. He stopped and looked up, trying to spot the Flying Dragon above the food stands in front of him.

The same dark dragon rose high in the air.

Wait. Something small and white toward the top of the gondola caught his eye before the sky went dark.

Was that a person? Rebekah?

Adrenaline surged through his limbs. He took off at a sprint, praying all the way.

Jazz clenched her muscles, bracing for the upward movement of the dragon to carry them past vertical until they were upside down. And fell to their deaths.

A muffled scream came from the girl beside her.

If only Jazz wasn’t tied, she could reach over and comfort her. But if she were free, she could save them, too.

At least Jazz wasn’t afraid anymore. Not of dying alone or living alone. Because either way, she had God now. She belonged to Him, her Father. Forever.

The gondola climbed higher.

She held her breath.

It stopped climbing.

Jazz’s insides froze. Was it malfunctioning? That would probably only kill them in a different way. Unless they managed to survive with injuries instead of tasting death.

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