Page 32 of Fire
River’s expression turned hard, and he dropped his fork onto his plate with a loud ring. “I need you to go back to your room and stay there.”
River took hold of my arm and lifted me from my chair. “What’s going on? Do you know who is at the door? Is it them?”
River continued to pull me up the stairs. I had no choice but to follow. The more resistance I gave him, the tighter his hold became. “River, let go of me.”
“Not in this lifetime,” he said between gritted teeth. “I have to go back on my word, Kenzi. It’s better if you remain locked in the bedroom. At least for now.”
Before River locked the door behind me, he met my eyes and said, “Please remain quiet no matter what you hear.”
He was beginning to scare me. I knew how dangerous Niles Harris and Van Wilkerson were, but how could he know who was at the door? “Why? Tell me what is going on?”
“Just do as I say, Kenzi.” River’s hand swept along my cheek, and concern filled his green eyes.
Before I could get an answer, he closed the door and locked it. I wanted to pound on the door until he opened it, but I didn’t. I didn’t know River enough to trust him, but my gut told me to do as he said.
~24~
Axe
It was impossible to know if Kenzi was somewhere in the woods or if she was recaptured when she tried to escape. I lost her trail hours ago, and now I was walking through the woods blindly with no indication that she was even here. My gut told me to turn back and give up, but my heart told me to move on.
As I continued my quest to find her, I could hear the faint sound of water flowing. I headed toward the sound of the flowing water, praying that I would find something that would let me know I was on the right track. If it were me running away from danger, following the river would be the best bet. Kenzi was smart, and hopefully, she did the same.
When I reached the river, which was no wider than a two-lane road, I made my way down the rocky embankment. The rocky shoreline showed no sign that anyone had walked along the river. There was more gravel than sand, and finding a footprint was impossible. Still, I wasn’t ready to give up. I kept my head focused on the ground and followed the river downstream.
As I continued my search, I spotted a blanket a few yards away on the bank. It could have belonged to anyone, left behind by mistake. When I lifted it from the ground and held it to my nose, the scent, although faint, was Kenzi’s. I would recognize her perfume anywhere. She was here. As I looked around, there was no sign of a struggle. The ground had been undisturbed other than where the grass laid down beneath where the blanket was. Looking beyond the trees where I had found the blanket, I reverted my gaze to the ground to see if I could see any footprints. The ground was covered in wet leaves, and it was impossible to see anything from my vantage point. Removing my pocketknife from my pocket, I carved an X in the tree a few feet from where I was standing. There was too much ground to cover, and with no survival supplies with me, I had no other choice but to come back when I was more prepared.
As much as I hated to, I turned back the way I came. I had been gone for more than three hours, and soon Davian would be sending in the team. I pulled my cell from my pocket on the off chance of getting a signal. The trees were thick, and the sunlight barely showed through the top of the trees. Not one bar appeared, and I knew I had to wait until I got to the road to make a call.
When my cell pinged with delivered messages, I stopped where I was to make a quick call. All the texts were from Davian, wondering what happened to me and why I hadn’t returned his messages. I could always depend on Davian to do as he said. Bringing up his number, I hoped I wasn’t too late in reaching him before he sent out the troops.
“Davian, I’m on my way back,” I said, looking in the distance and seeing my truck through the thick timber.
“Good thing you called. I was about to send out a search team. Any luck in finding Kenzi?” His words were broken, but I could piece together what he said.
“She was here. I’m on my way back to get some supplies. I’m going to need the help of the guys as well. Can you have them ready?”
“Will do. You can brief us when you get back to the warehouse.”
The call dropped due to the loss of cell service. Everything that needed to be said was said. I placed my cell back inside my back pocket and hurried to my truck. The sooner I got back to the warehouse, the sooner I would be able to search for Kenzi. With the help of the men, we would find her.
~
Patton, Calvin, and the rest of the men fromThe Societywere standing near the SUVs when I pulled my truck inside the warehouse. Stone and Mitch were loading one SUV while Tyler and Zach loaded the other. Davian wasn’t among the men, but I knew he had to be around. Parking my truck beside the SUV Stone and Mitch were loading, I turned off the engine and got out.
Looking over to where Patton was standing, I asked, “Where is Davian? I need him to hear this as well.”
“He is in the computer room. I’ll go get him.” I watched Patton leave the group and walk toward the computer room. He stopped abruptly and turned to face me. “I wasn’t going to say anything, but I think you should know. About an hour ago, Levi parked his truck in front ofBooks-n-Things.Marcus left to find out what he’s up to.”
Davian and Patton were the only two people who knew about my past, and the last thing I wanted was to share this information with the guys and have them hate me for it. Walking over to Patton, I leaned over and whispered, “Does Marcus know about my past?
“There are no secrets here. Marcus knows, and so do the rest of the guys.” Patton placed his hand on my shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. “We are all brothers and here to help. Remember that.”
We headed to the computer room, where Davian sat perched on a chair in front of a computer screen. By no means were we quiet when we entered, but his focus was on the computer. Something had his attention, and I was curious to see what it was. Stepping behind him, I looked down at the screen. The volume was muted, but it was clear that a building engulfed in flames was burning behind the news reporter. I patted Davian on the shoulder and waited for him to turn my way. When he removed one earbud from his ear, I asked, “What’s going on, Davian?”
Davian hit a few keys, and the reporter's voice came through so we could all hear what she was saying. “Less than an hour ago, the building behind me went up in flames. The firefighters are trying desperately to put out the flames. It has been confirmed that the antique shop owner is away on vacation. According to a shop owner watching over the shop, the owner wouldn’t be returning until next week. A full investigation as to the cause will be conducted. Even though it is sad to see a historical building go up in flames, we are thankful that there was no one inside the building.”
Setting fire to the shop next toBooks-n-Thingswas a warning. Van Wilkerson was sending a message. Either I do as he said, or he would hurt Kenzi. I was so screwed. “What’s the plan, Davian? If I don’t find Kenzi by tomorrow, Wilkerson will kill her. I don’t see any way out of this. I have to do as he said.”
