Page 22 of Cassidy

“I pray you’re right,” Gabe said. “Because the not remembering is killing me. If something bad happens to Travis...”

“It won’t be your fault,” she said, placing a hand on his arm. “You’re doing the best you can, Gabe. Let’s take this one step at a time. The last time we spoke, you mentioned your mother lived in Madison.”

“You know more than I do.” A hint of bitterness laced his tone. “I have no idea where she lives.”

“But the way you were found near the Wildflower Motel indicates you may have headed out to a neutral location to meet with Travis. Or someone else who claimed to know information about him.”

Gabe pushed his hot chocolate aside without tasting it. “I can’t just sit here. Let’s head outside to wait.”

Knowing that the case had turned personal—more so than a random attack at the side of the road—she nodded. Taking another long sip of her hot chocolate, she followed Gabe out of the booth toward the front door. Before he could step outside, she snagged his arm, holding him back.

He shot her an impatient glance that was so unlike the Gabe she knew that she paused.

“I just need you to stay back until I can make sure it’s safe,” she explained. “We’re only a few miles from the damaged Jeep. The gunmen could still be searching for us.”

He held her gaze for a long moment before stepping back.

She pushed the door open and stepped into the cold, quickly scanning the area. There were so many people that it would be nearly impossible to spot a shooter. Yet she felt compelled to try.

A group of four came toward her, obviously intending to eat lunch. She stepped aside, then gestured for Gabe to come out and join her. His height made him stand out, not to mention impossible for her shorter frame to adequately provide cover for him, so she tugged him over to the side, praying the shooter was long gone.

“I hope Steele gets here soon,” Gabe muttered. “It seems to be getting colder.”

He was right. Rather than warming up as the afternoon approached, the wind had shifted coming in from the north. She tucked her chin into her coat, still keeping a wary eye out for danger.

“There he is,” she said in relief, recognizing Steele’s SUV. Her fellow teammate pulled up directly in front of the door. She hurried forward, taking the front passenger seat out of habit, leaving Gabe to crawl into the back. “Thanks for coming,” she said.

“Anytime,” Steele said, glancing back at Gabe. “I heard you can’t remember anything prior to being attacked and left at the side of the road.”

“Yeah, it’s not good.” Gabe sounded more dejected than ever. “I need everyone to pray that my memory returns as soon as possible.”

She and Steele exchanged surprised looks, as Gabe had never mentioned praying before. “I have been,” she said. “And I know the others are keeping you in their prayers too.”

“They need to include Travis as well,” Gabe said wearily. “The half brother I can’t remember.”

She noticed Steele’s eyes widen in surprise and quickly filled him in on the latest.

“I agree the assault against Gabe must be related to his missing half brother,” Steele said. “Hopefully that USB drive you found in the freezer will provide answers.”

“It better,” Gabe said. “Otherwise, I don’t know where we should even start to find Travis.”

She exchanged another concerned glance with Steele. Gabe sounded more upset than ever, and she couldn’t come up with any way to reassure him. She turned in her seat to face him. “Why wouldn’t your mother be able to use the find my phone app to locate Travis? I mean, from a technical perspective. Does that mean his phone is off or simply out of range?”

“Off or damaged,” Gabe said without hesitation. “The newer phones can be tracked all the way across the globe.”

“Really?” She gaped. “How is that possible?”

Gabe shrugged. “The new phones have the same technology that is used in air tags. You know, to track your luggage while traveling.”

“That’s interesting,” she said in awe. “I hadn’t realized the technology was that good.”

“Yeah.” He grimaced. “In this case, based on the way my house was searched and the TV screen damaged, it’s likely Travis’s phone is in a similar condition. Damaged to the point we can’t use it to find him.”

She silently agreed with Gabe’s assessment. Steele made good time in returning to the precinct. When Steele pulled into a parking spot in the rear lot, Gabe bolted from the car before it had come to a complete stop.

Shooting an apologetic glance at Steele, she hurried to catch up.

A man on a mission, Gabe strode purposefully toward the closest laptop computer even as he pulled the USB drive from his pocket. She found herself holding her breath as Gabe powered up the device, then logged into the system.

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