Page 62 of Colorado K-9 Rescue

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“I guess,” Mckenna said, deciding to try a direct approach. If it made him mad, she might be able to get him close enough to swing the board around and nail him in the head as hard as she could. “I mean, if you’re going to kill me, then the least you could do is explain why you take people. This whole stupid catch and release thing.”

“You know…” Keith came closer, but not quite close enough. “You women and all your manipulation.”

“What do you mean?” Mckenna asked. “Who’s manipulating you? I’m the one tied up.”

“Exactly, you’re the one tied up and I have complete control over you. There’s nothing you can do.”

Keep him talking. He’s just about in the right spot to hit with the board.

“Control? Why do you want control?”

“Why do you have so many questions?” Keith asked.

Now he took a step back, in the wrong direction. Mckenna needed him close enough to hit him while she was sitting down. If she tried to stand, he would grab her or hit her with the stun gun again. She’d only have one chance at this, and it better beperfect. He’d caught her again, but there was no way he was going to release her. This game would end today—one way or another. “I figure if you’re going to kill me, I have a right to know.”

“No, you don’t.”

“You said I was your first. Why me?”

“Because you were that whore’s favorite student. At least for that year,” Keith said. “Of course, now I know that she tells everyone they’re her favorite. Right, Rex?”

Rex groaned. Mckenna wondered what part he had to play in this. “Whore? Who are you talking about?”

“Seriously? You don’t know?”

Mckenna thought about it. “Are you talking about Penny Gardner?”

“Now see, you know more than you realize.”

“But I don’t understand,” Mckenna said.

“You’re not meant to understand,” Keith said, hitting Mckenna again before she could react.

Everything went black.

CHAPTER 40

Pushing the accelerator, Evan drove as fast as he dared to the old ghost town. He had a map, and while it wasn’t necessarily difficult to get to the old town, it wasn’t a fast drive. Currently, he was on pavement, but the next road would be gravel.

He’d called the sheriff before leaving and she knew exactly where Evan was headed. She’d told him she was short on deputies with all the crime scenes and manpower this case was taking. She’d promised to call in extra deputies and then head up to the ghost town to back Evan up herself. She also warned him that there’d be just enough cell service to maybe send a text. Maybe. It was enough to tease you and then not go through. But radios worked up there at least.

Evan spotted the green county road sign; it was the correct one. He turned and the road quickly went to gravel. It wasn’t smooth. Washboards made his vehicle fishtail and kept his speed down.

“Hold on, Mckenna,” he muttered. Although he didn’t even know if she had gone to the ghost town. If she wasn’t there…he couldn’t think about it. Nothing could happen to her. He’d pushed away love his whole life, not wanting to be like his parents with four kids, a divorce and one parent walking out. He and his sisters had ended up being more like parents to each other and their father.

Every relationship Evan had tried was a failure, but it wasn’t anyone’s fault but his. He didn’t think he could ever love one person so much that he’d give up anything for them, but then along came Mckenna.

He’d been intrigued with her from the start. There was a time that Evan would have just had a fling with Mckenna, like Cassidy said, love her and leave. But he’d known when she spent the night that she was different. This was no fling. The thought of losing her was a punch in the gut.

Please, please be here. You’re tough. You’re a survivor.

Evan rounded another corner and his vehicle continued to bounce all over the road. A bull moose stood out in a meadow grazing. Not a care in the world. No idea that a serial kidnapper was in his territory.

After what seemed like an eternity, Evan spotted old buildings in the distance. The road’s ruts became deeper. He’d be lucky to have any suspension left by the time he arrived. Explaining that bill to his boss would be fun, but he didn’t care. He’d pay for it himself if he had to. All he cared about was finding Mckenna.

The road ended where the old town began. He could envision the settlers moving up here with high hopes of striking it rich. Instead, they endured a harsh environment where it was hard to grow anything in the summer and winters were long and cold with deep snow. No wonder it had been abandoned. They had no idea that over a hundred years later, a sick kidnapper would bring teenage girls here for his own twisted game.

Evan drove down what used to be the street and his heart rate increased. Mckenna’s vehicle was parked in front of the old church. The windows and back hatch were open. Mocha was standing in his crate, nose pressed against the metal.