Page 63 of Safe
“Why didn’t you fucking tell her? You let her fucking leave. She would have stayed for that gigantic thing.” I was half-kidding, but I realized as soon as the words left my mouth that this was not the time.
“You think I don’t fucking know that?” His voice rose in a mix of anger and hurt. “You think that thought hasn’t kept me awake the past day and a half?”
“Shit, man, I’m sorry. I was just trying to make a joke about that fucking boulder you’re trying to weigh her down with. You know I don’t really blame you, right?”
“I know.” He seemed calmer, though still on edge. “Hey, look, just so you know. I’ve also saved enough for a down payment on a house. I’ve been saving for a while, even before you sent us away.”
As he spoke, I struggled to find words, the enormity of his asking for permission leaving me momentarily speechless.
The light turned green, prompting me to place the ring back in its box and return it to Cody. I needed a moment to process everything. My mind was a tangled mess and unable to settle on a response.
“Hey,” I finally said to Cody, “there’s just one problem. You said if we find her. It’s when. When we find her. And you better take damn good care of her,” I let out a smile, hoping to instill some optimism in him, “or I’ll kick your ass myself.” He forced a half smile and looked back down into his lap.
"Thanks, man.”
Those were the last words exchanged between us before we reached the first property. We navigated a narrow dirt path leading to a secluded warehouse. There were no vehicles, but I knew it didn’t rule out the possibility that Landon and Danielle were inside. As we approached the weathered brick structure, I drew my gun, proceeding with caution toward the entrance.
The windows were boarded up, and wild vegetation crept up the sides of the building. I gestured for Cody to stay close behind, prioritizing his protection as we entered the expansive space. There was no door, but my footsteps echoed as I steppedinto the enormous, open room. I pulled out my flashlight, but still couldn’t see shit.
The darkness was almost overpowering; my stupid standard-issue flashlight hardly made a dent in the black. The warehouse was eerie; there was no sound besides the wind nudging at the boarded windows, paired with the occasional scuffle of small creatures nearby. Dust, old papers, and shattered glass littered the floor, untouched and abandoned.
I scanned the room with the flashlight but found no evidence of any recent presence. There was nothing; no footprints, nothing disturbed.
"They weren't here," I announced, my voice strained from frustration. "No footprints, nothing’s been moved. Let’s head to the next warehouse, then make our way to the ones near the airport. It’s just a ten-minute drive to the next spot."
“Alex, you don’t think they wenttothe airport, do you?”
The thought had been in my mind ever since Calhoun mentioned the warehouses near it. I shoved it to the back of my mind, knowing damn well that wasn’t going to stop it from being an actual possibility.
“I really fucking hope not.”
We arrived at the next location and, yet again, found nothing but another empty, untouched warehouse. The same disheartening scene awaited us near the airport. Hours had slipped away, and my frustration teetered on the edge of boiling over. I was nearing the end of my rope. Our leads were dwindling, and if we didn’t expand our search soon, it felt inevitable that we’d run out of time and never find Danielle alive.
The unsettling thought that they might have left Colorado kept nagging at me, further fueling my anger. In a moment of pure psychotic frustration, I picked up the rock next to my foot and hurled it through a warehouse window, shattering it.
I could feel my sanity unraveling.
Defeated, I sank onto a curb by the car, burying my head in my hands, using what little mental strength I had left to pull myself out of the darkness I felt myself succumbing to.
“What if it’s not a warehouse?” Cody spitballed, leaning up against the car.
I lifted my head, puzzled. “What?”
“You told me that when Thomas turned himself in, he mentioned Landon wanted to 'win Danielle back.' What if that's what he’s trying to do? What if he’s not trying to kill her, but win her over again?”
Cody’s suggestion was fucking genius. If Landon's ultimate goal was to rekindle their relationship, maybe the situation might not be as deadly as I feared. Maybe there was hope, and a little more time to untangle the mess we'd found ourselves in.
“Oh my God, what if he’s trying to play fucking house?” Just as I said that I could hear my phone ringing in the car. I scrambled off the ground to pick it up.
“Traser here.”
“Hey, it’s Calhoun. We got a hit on the chief’s APB. A tow company called and said they have Landon’s car in their impound lot after he abandoned it at the Motor Speedway.”
“Thanks, man. Hey, listen, send me a list of any abandoned or foreclosed houses on the outskirts near there. You’re going to be looking for something that’s remote or has a lot of land to it. It’s gonna be something people wouldn’t notice.”
I hung up the phone and raced to the driver’s seat. Cody had no idea what was going on, but he jumped in the passenger seat and shut the door.
“Landon let his car get impounded today. He left it in the parking lot of the Motor Speedway.”
