Page 168 of Gunner

“I see.” Getty sized Gunner up, but Gunner gave a cursory nod, then didn’t spare the man another look.

“Shall we catch up with the others?” Gunner asked me.

“Let’s see where Zeus leads us.”

I let Zeus sniff a sweater that belonged to my sister, hoping her scent would be strong enough for him to follow. The dog might be old, but his keen senses and years of training kicked in, and his nostrils flared. With a burst of energy, he tugged on his leash, pulling me toward a path less traveled by the search teams.

The woods were dense and dark, the only light coming from our flashlights and the occasional glimmer of the moon through the treetops. The terrain was uneven, and the farther we went, the more isolated we became. Gunner kept pace beside me, scanning our surroundings, always alert. Mayor Getty made up the rear, panting and puffing. “Are you sure he’s on the right track?”

“Zeus knows what he’s doing,” I replied, more to assure myself than him. Could Zeus have lost his training? What if he was leading us to nothing? Or to a rodent’s home? He did like to chase squirrels.

The silence was eerie, broken only by the thud of our footsteps and the occasional rustle of leaves. My heart pounded not just from the physical exertion but also from the growing fear of what we might find—or not find. I was sick to my stomach with worry.

Every second that passed was a second my sister was out there, alone and vulnerable. What if she came upon wild animals?

We ventured deeper into the woods, far from the other search teams. Had Alice reached this far? I hated to think about what that strain would have done to her body. Getty was hardly holding up, and he wasn’t eight months pregnant. I wanted to send him back to wait at the cabin but was afraid he would get lost on his own. We didn’t need two people lost in the woods.

A chill rolled down my spine, but I pushed the thought aside. We had to find Alice.

Zeus stopped, his ears perking up.

Had he found her?

The click of a gun being cocked sliced through the night air. I froze, my blood turning cold.

Slowly I turned. Mayor Getty had a gun pointed directly at us.

“Mayor Getty?” I stammered, confusion and disbelief clouding my thoughts. “What are you doing?”

“Sorry, Witter, but this has gone far enough,” he said, his voice steady, but his hand trembled slightly. “I can’t let you find her.” Gunner moved subtly, positioning himself between me and the mayor, his body tense and ready.

“Why are you doing this? What do you have to do with my sister’s disappearance?”

Getty’s face twisted into a grimace. “It’s complicated, Witter, but you just wouldn’t stop digging.” He waved the gun at Gunner. “We had everything all set up. You were supposed to find him guilty, and no one would ever know I was involved. Who would have thought you would end up sleeping with the enemy?”

“No.” I exhaled deeply. “You were the mastermind behind this?”

No wonder he’d called me asking for updates on the case all the time, and I hadn’t even realized what he was doing. He’d used my own intel to stay one step ahead of me.

“I knew something wasn’t right about this son of a bitch the moment I saw him,” Gunner growled.

“You really think you’re going to get away with this?” I asked. “The woods are crawling with people.”

“Thanks to your dog, we’re far enough away. Don’t worry. I’ll take him in and treat him really well after the tragedy that befallsyou, Witter. Smoky Vale will have their villain, and I can keep the dirty secret they’ve all botched up.”

“Everyone saw us leave together.”

“Yes, but don’t you think they’ll believe me when I mention how that biker turned his gun on you when you discovered the truth about him? I’m going to come out as the hero. I’ll win the reelection for sure.” He waved the gun at Gunner. “I’ll deal with you first. Hands behind your head and turn around.”

“Find a way out,” Gunner whispered to me.

“No.”

Zeus tugged at his leash and whined.

“You have to survive this to take down this bastard,” Gunner said. “I expect nobody else but you to fucking kill him. Do you hear me, Ben? Make him suffer.”

Gunner placed his hands behind his head and slowly turned around. Zeus, sensing the tension, growled. And that was when it hit me. He wasn’t a police dog anymore. He was my friend. My family. And I hated doing it, but I didn’t see any other option.

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