Page 47 of The Sheriff & the Nurse

Not only was Lily in trouble, but an accomplished bomber had apparently made reliable threats.

Clint burst out the door and ran through the parking lot. A black Navigator drove out of the parking lot, several hundred yards away from him. He darted through cars and got the license plate. Then the SUV turned and shot off down the street. He was never going to track him down on foot.

Lily was gone, most likely with Jacob Wildman. No!

He ran back through the hospital, the quickest route to his truck. Two security guards approached him; they must’ve seen something on the cameras. He yanked out his badge and flashed it at them. “I’m Sheriff Clint Coleville.” He thought about asking them to call it in, but he feared a patrol cop chasing Lily with lights and sirens blazing would push Jacob to hurt or kill her or her family.

The guards lifted their hands and let him pass.

“Where are you taking me?” Lily asked.

“Somewhere we can be alone for a long time.”

The man’s voice was sickening.

Clint dodged around a nurse pushing a wheelchair. “Sorry.”

He got a severe look. He couldn’t stop. Running out front, he pounded across the pavement, finally made it to his truck, and jumped in. But where to go? He drove out of the parking lot and to where he’d last seen the black Navigator.

He stopped and hurried to compose a group text on his phone to Aiden, Mark, Carlsen, and his dad.

The perp has Lily. Don’t call me. I’m listening to her on the voice recording and praying she’ll give me instructions. Dad, get the Lillywhites out of their house. Aiden, find the best bomb squad close to Coleville and get them to the address my dad will send to you. Mark, put out an APB for a black Navigator, Montana license plate B074C21. Follow at a distance. Don’t confront or use sirens or lights until the Lillywhites are safe and I give the order. Carlsen, see if you can track Lily’s phone.

What else? He looked around his truck, praying for insight.

Text me or try channel 9 on the CB radio,he added to the text, then sent it, grateful his Sheriff’s truck had the CB radio that he hadn’t used in years.

“I’m really hungry from working all day. Can we pick up some Atomic Tacos?”

“Sorry,” the guy said. “We need to get to the cabin. I have food for you there.”

Atomic Tacos. Clint put the vehicle into gear and headed south. When he hit Highway Two, he headed east. Atomic Tacos was on his right. He clicked to text and saw there were multiple messages, but he couldn’t respond.

They’re headed east on highway 2,he typed.He said something about a cabin. Can someone check if Jacob Wildman owns a cabin anywhere in the area?

He sent the text, grateful he hadn’t hit anybody texting and driving, and upped his speed, searching frantically for a black Navigator. His phone was beeping like crazy. He hit a red light and cussed his bad luck but searched the text thread.

From Mark:Phone not moving. Just south of the hospital. I’ll send someone to check it, but he probably dumped her purse.

From Carlsen:Everyone’s searching for the Navigator. No lights or sirens.

From Dad:Headed to the Lillywhites’. Not answering their phones.

From Aiden:Closest bomb squad is Kalispell. They are mobilizing. 70 mikes out.

From Dad:I’ve got some experience defusing bombs from time with Green Berets. Bennett can help me.

“Did you know you can go rafting on the Flathead River?” Lily asked, her voice shaky. “Not at this spot obviously—it’s too calm—but it’s a lot of fun, the rafting.”

The light turned green. Clint needed more help. This was a nightmare not being able to just call. He turned on the CB radio and set it to channel 9. “This is Sheriff Clint Coleville from Coleville, Montana. I’m following a wanted murderer, Landon Trupp, possibly known as Jacob Wildman. He has kidnapped Lily Lillywhite. They were headed east on Highway 2, somethingabout going to a cabin. She just mentioned passing the Flathead River. Any idea where they’re headed?”

Other law enforcement started talking over each other—everyone was searching for the black Navigator, and they agreed that if they’d just passed the river, they’d still be heading east but on Highway 35.

Clint listened to the chatter and tried to respond. He reminded them not to use lights or sirens and to stay back if they did see the Navigator. Even if Lily’s parents were out of their house, he’d rather have somebody tailing Jacob rather than a high-speed chase that could end with Lily getting hurt.

If that monster had a chance to hunker down in a cabin, could they get her out without her getting hurt even worse?

Chapter

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