Page 16 of Gage

Pain flared in my head where I’d been struck earlier. I pressed my fingers gently against the sore spot, wincing. Jasper growled low and deep, stopping in his tracks. I froze, holding my breath as voices floated through the air.

“One of these days, I’m gonna shoot JD for taking the whip to me. Who does that asshole think he is? I’ll get my turn with that woman before he kills her.”

“You’d better shut up before JD hears you. He’ll kill you, and I’ll be stuck digging your grave. Why do we always have to dig the holes? He’s the one doing the killing.”

“I’m done with this. We shouldn’t have left that van. Our fingerprints are all over it—plus the blood. She didn’t hit anything vital, but still. We should’ve gone to the hospital.”

“You’re crazy! Gunshot wounds? They’d call the cops. What would we say? ‘Oh, we shot each other playing Russian roulette?’ I’m going to bed.”

The sound of shovels clanging to the ground was like thunder in the quiet night. Jasper and I stayed rooted in place, waiting until the men’s voices faded. My muscles burned as I held my position, terrified of making even the slightest noise.

Finally, when they were out of sight, I started running. The cool night air rushed past me as I pushed through the trees, my lungs burning. When I hit the road, I stopped and looked down at the dog, his dark eyes shining up at me.

“I guess we’re a team now,” I whispered, my voice shaking. “I’ll take good care of you, Jasper. Let’s get as far away from here as we can. I don’t ever want to see those men again—unless they’re behind bars.”

For a moment, I debated staying on the road, hoping for a passing car. But with my luck, it would probably be one of theirs. Reluctantly, I stepped back into the woods, praying the darkness would keep us hidden.

9

Gage

I answered my phone,glancing at the clock. Who would call this late? “Hello?”

“Gage, it’s Brian. I need to tell you—Lori’s missing.”

“What?” I froze, the weight of his words sinking in. “What do you mean, missing?” My hands were already reaching for my clothes as I spoke, pulling them on with urgency.

“When Lori didn’t call her dad at the agreed time, he got worried. He called the California Highway Patrol, and... they found her van.” Brian’s voice cracked. “The windows were shattered, Gage. There’s blood everywhere.”

My chest tightened as my mind shifted into protection mode. “Where is her van?”

“Mendocino County,” Brian replied. “I called you because I remembered you’d asked her out. I thought you’d want to help. Do you think the Golden Team can get involved?”

“I’ll call the team right now,” I said firmly. “And I want the Highway Patrol to stay away from her van until we arrive. Don’t let anyone touch it. I’ll keep you updated on what we find.”

“I’m with Matthew and her dad.”

“Are the FBI there?”

“No, just us and two local officers.”

“Put one of the officers on the phone.”

There was a pause, and then another voice came on. “This is Officer Riley.”

“Officer Riley, this is Gage Sparrow,” I said, making my voice authoritative. “I don’t want anyone touching Lieutenant Daniels vehicle. I have a squad en route, and we’ll handle it from here.”

“Understood,” Riley replied quickly. “Honestly, I’m relieved. This situation is escalating. For two years, women have gone missing up and down the Pacific coast—none of them ever found. We’ve called the FBI, about it, but no one ever came.”

“I’ve already contacted my friends at the Bureau,” I said. “We’ll get this under control.”

I hung up and gathered my team. Raven and the others met me at my truck. “All I know so far,” I told them, “is that Lori’s van was found with shattered windows and blood everywhere—inside and out. The FBI’s heading to the scene to process it for fingerprints. Apparently, other women have gone missing in the area over the last two years, but no one ever followed up on those cases. We’re going to change that.”

“Do the police have any leads on the other women?” Gideon asked.

“None,” I said grimly.

We were still strategizing when our plane landed on a small airstrip in Mendocino County. A police car picked us up and drove us to the scene. When I saw Lori’s van for the first time, my gut clenched. The sight was worse than I’d imagined.

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