Page 99 of Forged in Steele

“Sorry, no. It was another lead that finally came through.” Jared turned his attention back to his phone and typed.This woman is Melissa Gibson. Holloway’s assistant. Focus the team’s effort in hunting her down.

On it,Reed replied.

Jared’s phone rang.

“Dr. Albertson,” he answered. “I’m putting you on speaker so Sierra Rice at the Veritas Center can hear.”

“I just finished the prints. We have a match. A Valerie Zupan with a record for bank fraud.”

“So it’s true.” Jared cut his gaze to Sierra, who had saved the day when she’d successfully found Valerie’s latent print. “We had the wrong ID. Reya Isaacs is still alive.”

Sierra frowned when he thought she might be glad for the right ID. “With Reya’s blood on the blanket, she likely has Luna.”

“No. Oh, no.” Jared jumped to his feet. “Bristol went back to Reya’s house to look for forensics. I have to warn her that Reya’s alive.” Jared tapped Bristol’s phone number, though he doubted Reya would return to her house.

The call went straight to voicemail.

“She’s not answering.” Jared locked gazes with Sierra. “She could be in trouble at Reya’s house, and I need to get over there now!”

In the pitch dark of the countryside, Bristol turned into the long driveway leading toward Reya’s cabin, the tires crunching over gravel and branches scraping against the vehicle’s sides. Bristol hadn’t found a way to leave behind any kind of clue for Jared, except her smashed phone and that Teagan’s car would be in the driveway.

Hopefully when Bristol didn’t answer her phone, he would go check on her. Surely, he wouldn’t just give up, but then he might as he had no reason to know Reya was still alive and Bristol could be in jeopardy.

Then Bristol also had to hope that Jared would remember Reya’s father had passed away recently and track down the cabin in his property records. Or maybe he somehow found out about Valerie and could locate the cabin that way.

All wishful thinking really.

Or not. God could do anything. Everything. Nothing was impossible for Him. She just had to trust Him. He brought her this far. He could take her all the way to the finish line where Luna was reunited with her parents. Where Bristol was reunited with her family again.

And with Jared.

She would tell him that she loved him. Her feelings had become clear on the drive over here. The thought of never seeing him again felt like Reya had indeed shot her. Bristol had to swallow her pride over being dumped, forgive and forget, and give a relationship with him a chance. That was, if he wanted it as well.

And if she lived.

She followed a big curve on the drive and pulled into a clearing that revealed a small A-framed cabin with a bright orange door. A real throwback to the sixties.

“You’ll carry everything while I keep my gun on you.” Reya waved the weapon in the car, lit only with red dashboard lights. “Now get out and stand by your door. No false moves as I won’t hesitate to shoot out here. This is nothing like my house. There’s no one for miles around to hear my gunshots.”

Jared pulled down the road toward Reya’s house and cut off his headlights. Reed leaned forward in the passenger seat, staring ahead.

They neared the house, and Jared had to swallow before he could speak. “Teagan’s car is in the driveway.”

“Lights are on inside, so Bristol might still be here.” Reed leaned closer to the windshield. “Could be as simple as her phone died.”

“Could be.” Jared swung his car to the curb down the street from the house for a silent approach on foot under cover of darkness.

“But you don’t believe it,” Reed said.

Jared shook his head. “Bristol is a detail-oriented person. Letting her phone die isn’t like her. Or the her I once knew.”

“She could be caught up in the task force and not doing the things she normally does.” Reed removed his seatbelt. “Looking for a missing baby can mess with your normal routine.”

“Yeah.” Jared opened his door.

“Or you don’t know her anymore.” Reed got out.

“But I do. In just the time we’ve been together, I can see she’s basically the same person only we’re both more mature. And she’s one fine deputy.”

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