Page 52 of Ranger Belief
A grateful surge washed through Laney. Zoe had followed perfect protocol by collecting a scent item before anyone had even suggested it. Despite the chaos of recent days, her rangers were performing exactly as trained.
“Thank you.” She took the blanket, her heart aching at the sight of the pink fabric covered in cartoon princesses. “Where are the parents?”
“Inside the lobby.”
“And the girl’s name?”
“Alli Yates. Her parents are Sarah and Harry Yates.”
Laney’s entire body stiffened. “Alli Yates. Red-hair, blue eyes, 3 feet 2 inches, and around 35 pounds?” When Zoe nodded, Laney's stomach dropped. She turned to Jonah. “It’s the same little girl I helped the other day, the one who fell down.”
The worry and anger roiling through her were reflected in his expression. “That can’t be a coincidence.”
She didn’t think so either, but they needed to be strategic. “We can’t jump to conclusions. Alli may have wandered away. She’s done it before. While I speak to the parents, call Ryker. Get an update on their search.”
He nodded and moved off while she headed inside to speak to Alli’s parents. Both of them were distraught. Sarah’s eyes were swollen from crying, and her husband looked lost. Laney introduced herself.
Sarah’s eyes widened. “You helped Alli when she got hurt.” Her gaze dropped to Scout. “Alli’s been talking non-stop about your dog...” She dissolved into tears again, pressing her face into her husband’s shoulder.
He kept an arm around her. “Alli’s independent, and she’s wandered off before, but never too far. We searched all the campsites near us…called her name…” He seemed bewildered. “She was right there. Playing with the other kids. And then the next…”
“We’re doing everything we can to find her. I have my staff and the Texas Rangers on site. The Kirkland County Sheriff’s Department is en route.” Laney knew her attempt at comfort fellon deaf ears. These parents would not be whole until their child was back in their arms. “Does Alli have any medical conditions?”
“She has asthma.” Harry pulled an inhaler out of his jacket pocket. “It can be severe, especially if she gets upset or exerts herself too much.”
The worry in his expression cut Laney to the core. It also amplified the urgency in finding Alli. If she had been kidnapped, the stress of the event could trigger an asthma attack. Even if Alli had wandered away on her own, the fear of finding herself in the woods at night could be deadly.
Laney extended her hand. “May I take that with me?”
“Of course.”
“Do you have any other inhalers? At the campsite maybe?”
Sarah wiped her face with a crumpled tissue. “There’s one in Alli’s backpack. And another inside my purse on the counter in the small kitchen.”
“Okay. My ranger, Zoe, will stay here with you. She’ll be in constant contact with the search teams and provide continuous updates.”
Harry rose. “I should come with you?—”
“No, sir.” The last thing Laney wanted either of these parents was to discover the worst had happened on scene. She prayed Alli would be found alive and unharmed, but as much as her heart longed for that, she needed to follow protocol. “The best thing you can do to help us is to stay here. We may have questions that only you can answer, and we need to be able to reach you quickly.”
Laney spared a few more precious moments reassuring the parents and then conferred with Zoe, ensuring she would stay at the visitor center and help coordinate. Before leaving, Laney grabbed a walkie-talkie in order to communicate with her team. Then she stepped back outside onto the sidewalk, Scout at her side.
Jonah hung up the phone and turned to face her. “Alli’s still missing. Ryker says there aren’t any witnesses, but someone in a neighboring campsite saw a black Jeep Cherokee speeding down the main road around the time of the disappearance.”
Her worst fears were coming to fruition. “If Alli was taken by car, then Scout won’t be able to track her. We need to find the Jeep and use that as a starting point. Call Ryker back. Tell him and Tate to head toward Bear Creek ASAP, toward the area Garrett told us about in his interview.”
She jogged to her vehicle, and a minute later, was racing down the main road of the park. While Jonah spoke with his colleagues, Laney used the radio to communicate with Andy. She informed him that Alli was an asthmatic and where the additional inhalers were. “Ryker says that a black Jeep Cherokee was spotted leaving the area around the time of the kidnapping. Expand your search to look for it.” She rattled off the license plate number. “It’s the same Cherokee registered to Nolan Carlson.”
“The murder victim?”
“Yes, we think the killer stole his vehicle and is using it to get around. It’s also a strong possibility Alli has been kidnapped. The primary suspect is Mitch Caldwell. The secondary suspect is Garrett Wheeler. If you see either man, consider them armed and dangerous. Act accordingly.”
“Understood. Are you coming to Campsite 10?”
“No. I have a potential lead on the Jeep that I want to check out. I’ll be in touch if we find anything.” She signed off and dropped the radio into the cupholder.
Jonah grabbed the handle as she deviated from the main road onto a smaller one. “Garrett could’ve been lying about where Mitch likes to hide out. It’s not guaranteed we’ll find the Jeep there.”
