Page 51 of So Insane

Faith caught up to him and put her knee in between his shoulder blades. Turk released him, and she holstered her weapon and cuffed his hands behind his back. “Your hands are cuffed,” she told him, “in case you couldn’t tell. So don’t get stupid when I stand you up.”

“Please,” he said, “I’m just looking for my daughter.”

Faith’s eyes widened. “Your daughter?”

He nodded.

She picked him up and turned him to face her. Tears welled in his eyes, and he said, “Frankie and Shawna run a podcast where they investigate haunted places.”

“Yeah, I heard that,” she said, “I know why they’re here. Why are you here?”

“I’m Frankie’s father,” he said, “I’m looking for her. Please. I just want to find my little girl.”

“How long have you been down here?” she asked.

"I don't know," he said, "I left Brightwater as soon as Bridget told me the girls didn't check in. I've been looking through the tunnels ever since. I found their fishing lines cut, and I just… I have to find them. They could be in danger. The police think there’s a killer down here.”

Faith pressed her lips together and didn’t confirm or deny his suspicion. “Look, we have a professional search party looking for your daughter and her friend.” That was a bit of a stretch, but it felt better than saying a few cops and two FBI agents. “I’m sorry, mister…”

“Cole. Gary Cole.”

“Mr. Cole. I’m sorry, but you’ll only get in the way down here. The best thing for you to do is go back up to the surface and wait with the officers there. Do you have ID on you?”

“I do.”

“Okay. Good. Do you know how to get back to the surface from here?”

“Back that way,” he pointed behind Faith. “Turn left at the first cavern, right at the second, then follow the fishing line.”

“Good,” she said. “When you get to the surface, come out with your hands raised and call out your name to the officers. Tell them you ran into me, and I sent you up there. Turk and I will find your daughter,” she said, “I promise.”

What she didn’t promise, what she couldn’t promise, was that she would find Frankie alive.

“Okay,” he said. “She’s a good girl. They both are.”

Faith wished she could think of something to say to comfort him, but what comfort was there to a father knowing his daughter was probably dead?

She uncuffed him and made him repeat the directions to the surface, then sent him topside. She and Turk continued deeper into the tunnel.

***

Faith checked her phone from time to time as she navigated the cave system. It felt as though she had been down here for hours, so she was surprised to find that only a few minutes passed each time she checked Michael’s location. They had only been underground for an hour or so.

Michael, according to the location sharing app, was two hundred yards behind Faith to her left. He was still moving, which was good in that it meant he was alive, bad because it meant he hadn’t found anything yet.

Faith kept her flashlight beam pointed low as she walked, illuminating only the ground in front of her. She wasn't sure if that would do much to hide her position, considering her footfalls echoed through the cavern like cymbals, but she did it anyway.

The tunnel she was walking grew narrower until it was barely wide enough to pass and Faith had to shimmy sideways to continue. She nearly turned around when the tunnel opened suddenly into a cavern about ten feet wide, six across and seven high.

She heard Turk start to growl, and her hand flew to her weapon. "Who's there?" she cried. "I'm armed."

A soft voice answered, weeping. “Please help me.”

Faith swung the light toward the voice. It fell on the dirty, terrified eyes of a young woman. Her clothes were tattered and covered in dust, and bruises covered her exposed skin.

But she was alive.

Faith holstered her weapon and said, “It’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you. My name is Faith Bold. I’m an FBI agent, and I’m here to help you.”

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