Page 35 of Operation: Discovery

“What?” Dee yanked off the road and skidded to a stop. “They’re gone?”

“There are no cars here and the building is locked. I can see where three cars were parked. I found a recently tossed cigarette butt, but that’s it. There’s nothing here. Without proof that anything was going on, I can’t get a warrant to check inside and there are no windows to look through.”

“Did you see any cars going toward town as you were on your way out there?” Brendon asked, turning to look behind them again.

“No. The road was empty.”

Dee bit her lip. That meant whoever those people were had followed her. She glanced behind her, but saw no evidence of pursual. No dust clouds or engine noise disturbed the quiet of the pastures to their right and left.

“Why don’t you both come back here, and we can talk about what you saw,” Nixon suggested.

“Good idea.” Dee didn’t like sitting out there when people who might be in league with human traffickers could be out looking for them. Sticking close to the officer was the best option. “We’ll be right there.”

“Sounds good.” Nixon hung up.

Dee quickly turned around and headed back toward the little building. “Where do you think they went? I didn’t see anywhere for them to turn. I literally went around the country block.” She leaned forward in her seat, closer to the windshield, to get a better view of the whole area.

“I’m not sure. They could’ve gotten right in their cars and followed us from a distance, then went straight instead of turning. They might be looking to avoid us as much as we’re looking to avoid them. That’s only bad because they’re also avoiding the police. I don’t really want them breathing down our necks.”

A car headed toward them at the cross street where Dee was about to make her final right turn to head back to the alleged church. “Brendon? Isn’t that one of the cars?” She kept a squeak from her voice, barely.

“It’s a dark car, and dusty, but I can’t tell for sure.” Dust floated between the cars as they both pulled to a stop at the intersection.

The passenger window slowly opened, and a black barrel appeared, glinting slightly in the sunlight.

“Dee, go!” Brendon reached for her like he could protect her from a bullet while she drove.

She floored the accelerator, but her car only kicked up gravel at first. Life seemed to slow to a crawl for the span of a few seconds.Lord, we need to move!Her mind cried the prayer where her own lips couldn’t form the words.

Her car found purchase in the gravel and gunned forward as the sound of a shot cracked through the air. She tried not to think about the fact that if she heard it, she must still be alive.

“Brendon?” Had he been shot? Where had it hit?

“I’m not hit that I can tell. Were you?” He searched her over quickly as she sped toward the church.

“No. Will they follow us the whole way?” She hoped so; then Nixon would believe there had been an issue.

Brendon craned his body around, using the backrest for leverage. “They’re following us, but not as quickly. I think they know they can’t go back there.”

So much for not reading minds. “I hope you’re wrong. If we get there and there’s no car following us, we’ll only have our word that anything happened. No witnesses.

“That’s how these people prefer doing things, without witnesses.”

She couldn’t go any faster on the gravel without losing control. “I’m getting us there as quickly as I can.” The little building came into view along with Officer Blake’s cruiser.

Dee looked in her rearview and the car stopped abruptly, then whipped a U-turn and headed back toward Piper’s Ridge.

“We need to tell Officer Blake,” Brendon urged.

She pulled into the makeshift parking area of the garage and stopped the engine. She got out, leaving Brendon to assemble his chair and follow.

“We were followed.”

“I wondered. I heard a gunshot. While those aren’t uncommon around here, the nearest house is over a mile away and that shot was closer than that.”

“Are you going after them?” Dee watched as Brendon transferred from her little car to his chair. She wished she had an easier vehicle for him to use, then thought better of saying anything. He didn’t like to be seen as weak, so she wouldn’t make him question her motives.

“I already thought ahead to what would happen and called in another squad. It’s waiting two miles down the road and he was told to stop anyone heading toward town. Unless they spotted him and turn off, they’ll be stopped.”

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