Page 74 of Fighting for Brielle
Justice shouted into his radio, “I need an APB on Officer Nash Carson! Sergeant Brielle McAdams is missing! And a BOLO on every single goddamned truck in the area! I want roadblocks set up north and south of Laguna Beach! Officer Nash Carson is armed and dangerous!”
“Copy that, Chief McQuaid,” dispatch replied. “Notifying CHP and other agencies now.”
Five minutes later Justice, Dooley, and River screeched to a halt in front of Carson’s simple, one-story home. Through curtains of rain it stood dark and silent. They drew their guns and approached the porch with caution.
“Cover me,” Justice commanded. He kicked open the front door, and they rushed past him.
“LBPD!” Dooley called. “Show yourself, Carson!”
They swept the rooms, flipping on lights and shouting, “Clear!”
“The place is clean,” River noted. “Sterile.”
“Staged,” Justice added, his voice grim.
A search of the entire house left no doubt in their minds that it was just a façade. It didn’t contain any personal possessions. Not a single piece of paper?junk mail or otherwise. No receipts. No girly magazines. No family pictures. No books or DVDs or CDs. There wasn’t even a toothbrush or a comb in the bathroom they could test for DNA. A size ten pair of shoes in the closet confirmed they might be the same size as the military boot print they already had on file.
“I’m sorry, Chief, but this place has been scrubbed down,” River remarked. “No need to waste any more time here.”
Justice gripped the butt of his gun. “I’m going to kill him,” he vowed. “If he touches a hair on Brielle’s head, I’m going to kill him.”
He ordered Dooley and River to head south to the police blockade while he headed north. They kept the roadblocks in place until long after the sun rose that morning, stopping and questioning every single driver of a truck, no matter the make and model.
Eventually, Captain Locke approached Justice and placed a hand on his shoulder. “It’s done, Chief. There’s no point in continuing the roadblock. CHP has already called it quits. Whoever took Sergeant McAdams had too good of a head start.”
Justice glared at him through blazing eyes. “Nash Carson took her. There’s no sign of him. He’s a damn ghost, too. I’ve been investigating him. Carson appeared in Laguna Beach out of nowhere, and now he’s disappeared. This isn’t a coincidence, Captain. Now, get your officers organized and help me find my girlfriend!”
* * *
Within forty-eight hours of Brielle’s disappearance, a massive manhunt coordinated by several law enforcement agencies was underway.
Justice hadn’t slept in seventy-two hours. His eyes were bloodshot, his face was covered in scruff, and his clothes and hair were disheveled. He kept blaming himself for putting Brielle in danger. If only she hadn’t gone with him to help that night. If only he’d insisted that she stay at home.If only. Now thewhat ifsplagued him. What if Anderson killed her? Or worse, what if he tortured her? Violated her? He shook his head to clear the cobwebs from a lack of sleep and food. No. He couldn’t allow his thoughts to go to that dark place. He needed to stay focused. Strong. For Brielle. Because she was counting on him.
At the moment he faced the group gathered at Brielle’s house which had become the command center for the search for her and Faith, too. Cameron and Brianna, along with Brielle’s four brothers, had arrived yesterday. Tex sat across from them, discussing strategy as Cynthia and Adrienne served sandwiches, chips, and offered bottles of water. Justice saw it all as if he were standing outside of himself. Dread clutched his heart.
Franklin stood nearby, keeping a close eye on him. He could tell his dad thought he might keel over any second now. But he drew upon a deep well of strength and grit fueled by his great love for Brielle. He had a mission to complete.
“My team is unavailable, but we can call on Delta. Team two is on stand-by, just waiting for instructions,” Tex said.
“No,” Justice interjected. He stood with his feet planted apart on the floor, his arms crossed uncompromisingly. “We’re not using Delta. Brielle is my woman. The woman I love with my entire heart and soul. It’s my responsibility to rescue her, and Faith Stoker. This is my mission, and I’m running it my way.”
His eyes dared Tex to argue with him. Tex merely inclined his head, understanding full well how Justice felt. “All right, McQuaid. Tell us what you need done.”
Justice’s arm swept across the group. “My team is in place, and so is Brielle’s. We’ve got all the force we need right here in this room. First, we have to find Anderson’s compound. It has to be in the largely uninhabited forests of Oregon or northern California. Hutch, you and Tex focus on Oregon. The rest of us will concentrate on northern California. Mr. McAdams and Trey will coordinate resources and check with the other agencies. We’re putting all of our time and energy into finding Brielle and Faith. Is that clear?”
Everyone nodded.
As soon as their meeting broke up, Justice, Tawny, Macklin, and Finnigan headed toward the Sierra Nevada Mountains in a rugged jeep. Behind them the McAdams brothers followed in a Mountaineer. When they reached the foothills, they jumped out of their vehicles, and Justice removed a set of maps from his backpack. He spread them out on the hood of the jeep.
“Okay, so Tawny, Finnigan, Macklin, and I will take this section northeast of our current location.”
Trey studied the second map. “We’ll head straight north. We’re looking for a compound that has to be underground. The drones we’ve sent haven’t picked up a damn thing. Watch where you’re going, too. Look sharp. You don’t want to trigger any kind of explosive device. Mark where you’ve been. We don’t want to cover the same ground twice.”
“And stay with your partner,” Justice added. “No wandering off by yourself. Keep hydrated. We’ve got a long day ahead of us.” He tossed Trey a radio. “There’s no cell service up here so we’ll communicate using our radios.”
“And if we do find the compound, no heroics,” Trey warned them, looking straight at Justice. “We call for backup. Is that understood?”
Justice bristled. This was his rescue mission, and part of him resented Trey giving him orders. But he was Brielle’s eldest brother, so he bit back a sharp retort and merely inclined his head.
