Page 141 of Moth to a Flame

I’ll get that poor excuse of a human being. He’ll regret the day he was born. He’ll have many, many hours to regret it.

“Call Beverly,” I shout the order, and the automatic systems dial her number.

She’s not just the only person I could trust. She’s not just the most tech-savvy person I know.

She’s a brilliant hacker. Moth to a Flame’s secret weapon against outside attacks.

My secret weapon to help me find my Regan.

“Landon,” she answers on the second ring. She sounds alert. She should, as I never call either her or Vince this late for nothing. “What’s wrong?”

“I need you to hack into every camera in my neighborhood. Now.”

“Yes. Okay.” Faith murmurs something in the background, to which Beverly replies with a, “Go back to bed, honey. No, I’m fine. Night. Bye.” Her breaths are quick and shallow. I hear thekeyboard the next second. “Just your neighborhood or a ten-mile perimeter? What’s wrong?”

I give her the direction I’m heading to, though I doubt it would help. There are only trees once I’m out of the neighborhood. Then, somewhere far in the woods, there’s a fork in the road, and fuck. I can’t think like that.

Focus.

“Okay. Okay. I have it. What am I looking for?”

“A white van. From about an hour ago.” The license plate number is etched into my memory, and I rattle it too.

“I see it. The cameras in your house.” A gasp. “Landon.”

“He took Regan,” I tell her what she already knows. “He took my Regan, and I have to get her back.”

“I’m on it. I have the cameras of the entire street up on my screens here. I have eyes on them.” In a sharp, no-nonsense voice, she continues to describe which direction Lester went.

No, he didn’t return at any point. He didn’t go in one direction to trick me, just to double back.

My car speeds past big houses and manicured lawns and high gates that look a lot like mine. They all pass in a blur. I can’t stop thinking about her.

Regan. Regan. Regan.

“Who is this guy, Landon?” Beverly’s enraged on my behalf. “Who is this kidnapping motherfucker, and what does he want with Regan?”

On any other day, I wouldn’t have spilled Regan’s stories. I’m not a fucking gossip.

Today is not any other day.

Today, Beverly will need his name and hear about their shared history so she can track him down in case…In case…

Can’t think about that. The trail won’t go cold. I won’t lose her.

“Lester Burkes. He raped her ten years ago. Was paroled earlier today.”

“Fuck. I’m so—”

“Don’t say that. Don’t be sorry.” My knuckles are white as my grip on the wheel tightens. “Find him. Find her, goddamn it.”

“On it.” While she searches, she keeps telling me where he’s going and at what speed.

“They released him.” A loudbangechoes in the speakers of the car. She’s slammed her hand against something. “I still can’t believe it. They fucking released him.”

I believe it. I’m not telling her that they probably took mercy on the chopped-dick man. Over the phone? On a call that could be traced? Fuck no.

As far as the world is concerned, I never went anywhere near this motherfucker.

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