Page 28 of Grid Search

Now is probably the wrong time to point out that he was cheating on me. I’m scared, but I can’t show it. He likes weakness. I’m not the same girl I was in Tucson. I keep my chin held high and talk in a firm and level voice.

“Sayler, you need to leave. This isn’t your house, and you hurt the owner. This isn’t your baby; it’s my husband’s.” Wrong thing to say. He yanks harder on my hair and pulls me up his body.

“I’ll kill them all if you don’t do as I say. Now, let’s go. That’s my child.”

He drags me through the house, leaving the doors open, and pushes me into the passenger side of a Jeep. I maneuver the seat belt so it’s under my belly and make sure I’m away from the dash as he walks around the car. I could jump out, but I don’t want to get shot. I just hope that someone comes to help Charlene and discovers I’m missing before it’s too late.

“By the way, I owe you,” he says, and I turn to him in shock.

What could he possibly owe me?

His fist comes flying at me, and I can’t avoid the hit. I feel my nose break as blood starts dripping down it, and my head ricochets back, slamming into the window as my eyes drift close, sending me into unconsciousness.

Chapter Thirteen

RYKER

Iland the helicopter at the station as my brother pulls up. I don’t know why he demanded I meet him here, but I’m free to take a short break. Maybe he brought my wife with him so I can see her. I watch him step out of his SUV. The only person with him is Rowdy. Lance comes out of the firehouse and walks toward us.

They all have tight expressions. My brother’s eyes are hidden behind a pair of aviator sunglasses. Rowdy is the one I can read the best. I see the anger in his clenched jaw and the way he keeps flexing his fists. It’s similar to what he did when Coral was taken. I look around us, but I don’t see anyone else. The ambulance bay is empty. They must be out on a run.

“Lynae is in labor?” The thought hits me.

Logan shakes his head, and I watch as his head drops.

“No,” I say. I won’t believe something happened to her. I promised. I left her with my parents, where she was safe. “Mom and Dad?”

“Dad is okay. He left for a bit because there was an emergency at the restaurant. We think it was a setup,” Logan says, and I take a step back, knowing what’s coming. “It’s a good thing that when the gunshots went off, Isla hid in her room. Hedidn’t find her. Mom was pistol-whipped and is on the way to the hospital. But he took Lynae.”

“No,” I bellow, turning to swing at something, but nothing is close by. “He who?” I ask, already knowing the answer deep in my gut.

“You were right. It’s her ex-husband. He’s alive. The military police are on their way, along with the state police.”

Logan shows me images from our parents’ security camera. Sayler has Lyn by the hair, dragging her toward a Jeep. The next picture shows the car pulling away, and my wife is slumped against the window, her eyes closed. I can make out the blood on her face and know he hit her. I’m going to kill the fucker.

“Where did he take her?”

“We don’t know,” Rowdy says, and I look out over the mountains surrounding us. They could be anywhere.

“How the fuck am I supposed to find her out there?” I swing my arms wide in frustration.

“You can. You will,” Rowdy says as he wraps an arm around my shoulders. “You got this. We have some things to look over.”

“How long ago did this happen?”

“A couple of hours ago.”

“And I’m just now being told?”

“We got a hold of you as soon as we could. I’ve been running down a lot of information in the meantime. Plus, we did some local searching, hoping we could get to her before we had to call you.” Logan defends the decision to wait, but I’m beyond pissed.

“He took my fucking pregnant wife, brother. There is no waiting. I should have been notified as soon as you found out.”

“We have video footage from the cameras around the vineyard. I was able to track the car through town and out but lost it in the mountains,” Logan adds, and I finally realize what I need to do.

“I’ll call and get another pilot to take over my shift. You”—I point at Lance—“make the call to activate search and rescue. I’ll take the helicopter and start a grid pattern search around the area where you lost the car.” I gesture toward the joint fire station and sheriff’s office helicopter, which is used by search and rescue when needed.

“I’ll call in everyone we know to help,” Rowdy offers, and I nod at him as I step away to make the call.

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