“Maybe he couldn’t,” Jaxon offered.
“Well, it wasn’t like they were traveling around with him in the van for two weeks. I don’t think he was with them just now, but the fact that he popped up right here while we were chasing them is a little too coincidental for me. Whether he was dropped by them or someone else, it was done to distract us.”
“It worked,” Jaxon replied. “I’m sure that van is long gone.”
“Yeah. That’s probably good. I really didn’t have a plan.”
Jaxon gasped. “No! I couldn’t tell!”
“Shut up. Let’s just get him home,” I said.
Jaxon nodded. We both climbed in, and I started the car. Before driving away, I pulled out my phone and sent a text message to our group message.
It’s a long story, and we’ll explain tomorrow, but Jaxon and I just found Brayden.
Alistair: Thank god. I’ll wake Avery and tell her.
Kyle: Is he okay? Where is he?
Kyle: What’s he doing? What happened?
Kyle, relax, we’re bringing him home.
Kyle: I’ll meet you there.
Nathan: $50,000. Make the check out to Postings Free National Bank and put D.J. Motley in the memo.
All of the responses to the text were to be expected apart from the last one. “Whoa, why is Nathan giving fifty grand to the school counselor?” Jaxon asked, but I didn’t answer. I’d seen Cherri’s failing grade on the grade list, and D.J. Motley was the one person who could change that.
Alistair: Uh, I’m guessing that message was for someone else?
No fucking kidding.