Page 58 of Scent of Evil
“We believe Decker is driving an older model black Ford Explorer. The license plate is on the updated Amber Alert message.” Justin glanced at Raine to see her cradling her head in her hands. “Are the police there? Have them canvass the area asking if anyone has seen a black Ford Explorer about the time of Amanda’s disappearance.”
“I will, but I think they’re already on that. A deputy passed me and pulled into the driveway of the neighbor’s house where Amanda had been.” Trevor paused, then added, “I’m sorry I don’t have better news.”
“It’s okay. Keep searching until we get there.” He ended the call, looking over again at Raine. She shook her head as she fought back tears.
“Please, Lord Jesus, help us find Amanda soon.” Her whispered prayer touched his heart.
And he echoed the sentiment as he pressed harder on the gas pedal to meet his brother. They were running out of time, and they weren’t any closer to finding Decker and Amanda.
14
Raine felt like a complete failure. How could she have let Decker stay on the run long enough to kidnap another young girl? If Amanda suffered at his hands, she’d never forgive herself. They should have had Decker in custody by now.
But wallowing in guilt and frustration wasn’t productive. Swiping at her face, she straightened her shoulders and tried to think through their options. Prayers would only get them so far. She needed to anticipate what Decker would do next. He had Amanda, which meant he’d likely try to find a place to take her.
But where?
Her boss hadn’t returned her call about getting choppers in the air to help search for the Explorer. Depending on how far away Decker’s next destination was located, they needed to find that vehicle as soon as humanly possible. It would be best to find the Explorer while it was still on the highway, before it was tucked away somewhere they’d never see it from the air. Remembering Logan and his small plane, she quickly called Griff.
“Have you heard from Logan?” She glanced at Justin who was also keeping a keen eye on the traffic around them. “We saw his plane but don’t know if he’s been able to identify anything helpful.”
“Yes, he’s doing his best to track black trucks. His wife, Jessica, is with him, and she has binoculars to help zoom in on the vehicle in question. They’ll do their best to find it.”
She tried not to let despair overwhelm her. “I understand, and I’m glad Logan has an extra set of eyes to help us. I think Decker will avoid the main highways if possible, so ask Logan to concentrate on those lesser-known highways.”
“Will do,” Griff agreed.
“I also need a list of isolated properties in the area.” When Griff remained silent, she said, “I know it’s a long shot. I’m not sure what else to do. It could be that grabbing Amanda was a crime of opportunity, but I’m convinced Decker has a backup plan. He must have another place to go. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have blown up the cabin.”
“I’ve been thinking the same thing about his having a backup plan.” Griff blew out a breath. “I’ll narrow down a few possible locations outside of Sheridan.”
“Thanks.” Staying close to Sheridan might not be smart, as Decker might have wanted to put more miles between him and the site of Amanda’s abduction. But she couldn’t come up with a better idea. “Stay in touch.”
“You too.” Griff ended the call. Raine peered through the windshield and tracked Logan’s plane. He appeared to be making a large circle over the area. How many smaller roads led out of town? There couldn’t possibly be that many.
“Hey, Logan will come through for us.” Justin shot her a reassuring look. “He’s a good pilot, and with Jess’s help, they should be able to identify the Explorer.”
She forced a smile, despite her concern. “I hope so.” One plane was better than nothing, but she was still irritated that Rowe hadn’t returned her call. Then again, maybe he’d put the chopper request in motion. It would take time for them to get there, so she put that issue aside to focus on the next steps.
“Is that a black truck?” Justin narrowed his eyes on the vehicle coming from the opposite direction, heading out of Sheridan.
She leaned forward, her fingers tightening on the phone. It was a black truck, but she soon realized it was a pickup, not the SUV model like the Explorer. “Not our guy.”
“Yeah, I see that.” Justin’s gaze stayed on the vehicle until the black pickup whizzed past them. “We’ll find him soon.”
She wished she could be so certain. A sign indicating Sheridan was only five miles away cheered her up. Maybe Trevor and Archie had found something helpful.
Justin was forced to slow down as they reached the city limits. She was encouraged to see several state troopers and a local sheriff’s deputy squad on the road. As they drove up toward Amanda’s home, she could see Trevor’s SUV and the horse trailer parked along the side of the road.
Justin passed them and found another area to park their car and trailer. She bolted from the car the minute he stopped, hurrying toward Trevor and Archie. “Anything new?”
“No.” Trevor looked as disappointed as she felt. “The good news is that Archie knows Amanda’s scent, so if we can figure out a general location of where Decker might be, we can use Archie to narrow the search.”
“Okay.” She looked up as Logan flew past in his plane. “In addition to waiting for Logan to spot something, Griff is identifying possible isolated cabins in the area. Maybe Decker is closer than we realize.”
“That sounds good.” Trevor glanced over to where a crying woman was being comforted by her husband. Amanda’s parents, no doubt. Her heart squeezed in her chest, and she turned to look back at where Justin was coming over with Stone.
“I think we need to make sure both Stone and Archie can identify Decker and Amanda.” Justin nodded at his brother. “Decker’s shirt is in a plastic bag in the back of the SUV you were driving. Grab that and then let’s work with the K9s to make sure they can identify and follow both scents.”
