Page 102 of Silver Sanctuary
Nash’s eyes bounced around the room until they landed on Lacy, who was walking down the hallway holding onto Mae’s hand. “Why does that name sound so familiar, Lace?”
His wife’s face drained of what little color had returned. “He’s the school janitor. Mr. Ike. The one who sat with Embrie at lunch when no one else would.”
“The one who came to watch her soccer games?” Nash asked, the familiar pounding of his own heartbeat now rising at an alarming rate.
Lacy nodded, and the knot in his stomach tightened.
“That’s right, he does work at the elementary school. His wife, Clarissa, works part time in my kitchen.”
Fuck. “Clarissa… wasn’t that the name of the administrative assistant that was filling in when Embrie was taken?”
“Yes.” Lacy made her way across the space to stand with him.
“What about them?” Gunner snapped. The picture was starting to become crystal clear, and Nash didn’t like what they all were about to see.
“I wanted y’all to know that one of my guys was making a delivery to their house tonight. Something seemed off, according to him. They always order the same thing, but this time, they added chicken tenders and fries. And when he waswalking away from the house, he noticed the upstairs curtain moved. He didn’t see anyone, but he said both Ike and Clarissa were downstairs. They ain’t got any kids or grandkids. Did at one point, but their son overdosed on some bad stuff fifteen, twenty years back.”
“Fuck,” Hawk mumbled.
“What else?” Nash needed to know what Rudy wasn’t saying, because it was written all over his face. “Tell us whatever else it is we need to know.”
“Clarissa was working the night you guys had your wedding dinner. She would have heard the waiter come in to tell the kitchen staff about Lacy’s allergy.”
“You gotta be fucking kidding me.” Nash tightened his hold on Lacy.
“I don’t remember her—from the kitchen. Wouldn’t I have seen her when I was working?” Lacy whispered.
“You were covering her shifts. She had those nights off,” Rudy admitted.
“That’s it, then. They have her?”
He looked down at his wife, and for the first time since she’d stood in his doorway that afternoon, he saw hope. Bodies moved all around them, but Nash couldn’t tear his gaze away from her.
“We have to go get her,” she whispered, but it was enough to pull him back into the moment. It took Nash barely half a second to march Lacy down to where his team was gathered around Gage’s laptop in the conference room, their heads put together as the sheriff’s deputies who had set up command in the space were at the opposite end of the room, coming up with their own plan.
“Lacy.” Rudy stepped closer, his fingers curled tight around his hat.
“What?” she snapped.
Rudy at least had the decency to not look surprised at herreaction. Nash didn’t blame her. What Rudy had let those boys do to her all those years ago…
“I’m sorry I didn’t step in that night. I’m sorry I let a few people in town stop me from doing what was right. I hope she’s there. I hope you find her.”
“I hope so, too.”
Lacy turned, pulling Nash toward the end of the room where the guys were sharing nods and looks of agreement.
Gunner looked up from the computer screen.
“Are you ready?” Nash asked his teammates.
“We have an address,” Gage said. “Let’s go.”
Nash was already turning toward the door when Hank stopped him.
“This isn’t a job for you guys. You can’t just go rushing up to their house. We’ll handle this. Alone.”
“Like fucking hell you will. That’s my daughter in there!” His shoulders fell the second Hank crossed his arms over his chest. He knew the sheriff had a daughter of his own. He needed to reach out to him, father to father. “Hank. She’ll be scared. We know how to rescue a hostage. Please. This is what my team did. For years. We still train for situations like this. You don’t have to let me enter with a weapon—I’ll go in unarmed. The rest of the team will stay outside. Or they’ll stay here and wait for an update if that’s what absolutely has to happen. But if there’s even the smallest chance that my daughter’s there, Ihaveto be the one that goes to get her.”
