Page 63 of The Grave Between Us
And then the field withered, the stalks turning from vibrant green to desiccated brown, the flowers wilting and fading, the blooms falling to the ground, withered and brittle before they landed. He was left in an empty field, miles and miles of death around him, the world decaying and no Cole in sight.I want foreverwhispered on a frigid wind that caressed his cheeks.
He tried to scream Cole’s name, tried to run in every direction, searching for his lover.
Death is forever, Noah.
Chapter Eighteen
Cole wokewhen the coffee cup hit the desk next to his head. He jerked awake, wincing and rubbing his lower back as he straightened in the conference room chair.
Noah glared down at him, his hand still on the coffee mug. “Good morning.”
“Shit,” Cole breathed. “I’m sorry. I must have fallen asleep. I’m sorry I didn’t come home.”
“I was waiting for your call. I fell asleep, too, but I woke up at four in a panic. I tried to call your cell and your desk. You didn’t answer. I had the WDMPD do a sweep of the office parking lot. The car was still there, and the conference room light was on, so I held back from having him break in. But only barely.”
Cole stared at his lap. He couldn’t blame Noah for being angry. “I’m sorry. I have it set to go silent after midnight. I did that months ago, when we moved in together. It wasn’t an issue until…”
“Until I needed to reach you in the middle of the night. Not coming home when there’s a serial killer on the loose? One who’s obsessed with you? Not the smartest decision.” Noah held out the coffee mug. “Not calling was worse, though. I was worried about you.”
He took the coffee and Noah’s hand. He tugged Noah close, kissing his fingers. “I’m sorry.”
“Katie missed you last night. She was upset this morning when you weren’t there.”
“Damn it.” Cole scrubbed one hand over his face. “I can pick her up from school today. Try and make it up to her.”
“She has a pep rally this morning. Text her and ask about it?”
“I will.” He rubbed his neck and looked up at Noah. “Did you miss me, too?”
“Like I’d miss my arm if it was cut off.” He reached out and brushed his fingers down Cole’s cheek. Cole turned into his touch. “You have pen on your face. Did you lie down as soon as you finished writing?”
“I might have. It got kind of fuzzy there at the end.” Cole set the coffee down and flipped through the papers he’d been lying facedown on. No drool puddles, at least. That was a bonus. “But I made lists of parks, forests, lakes, and rivers that we need to search. Do you know how many search and rescue or recovery teams we have access to locally?”
“About a dozen in the metro area. I can call in auxiliary units from the Civil Air Patrol and the Coast Guard if we need them. I might be able to get you twenty teams in twenty-four hours. There are only about ten search dogs in the area. Fewer that are able to detect human remains, though.”
“I found 108 parks within the hundred-mile range. I divided them up into zones. We’re going to have to combine Michael’s team and our local forces to search everything.”
“Director King didn’t seem interested in locals, or this office, helping out.”
“Michael wants to find Ian, and find Kerrigan. He’ll accept the help if it brings him closer to them.”
Noah nodded. He spread out Cole’s lists, running down each. “Some of these are smaller and more urban.”
“I crossed off any parks that were too exposed, but I kept the ones that had significant expanses of dense ground and tree cover. Walnut Woods I wouldn’t have included because it’s an urban park in the Des Moines metro area, but it’s got a thick, dense woodland and lots of space to hide.”
“It’s one of the more popular nature reserves in the area.”
“At this time of year, not a lot of people will be on the trails. Much less chance of being seen. Could you go over my lists? Check them out with a local’s eye? See what I’ve missed.”
“Of course. I’ll get Jacob’s opinion, too. He and Holly are outdoorsy—”
“Downing, what the hell are you doing in here?” Michael stormed into the conference room, moving like he was parting the Red Sea with the force of his presence. He shook his jacket off and dumped it over the chair at the other end of the table. “I thought I made it clear to you that the Des Moines office wasnota part of this investigation.”
“I’m talking to Agent Kennedy, Director.” Noah’s voice was ice cold. “Nothing more.”
“You can speak to him in unsecured spaces. This is a classified investigation. I don’t have to remind you about the Bureau’s access compartmentalization policies, do I?”
“Michael, I asked for his help,” Cole said.
