Sugar? Oh, my God. Criminals would call her by that name, but it wasn’t in a nice way.
She shivered. When she’d been captured by the rapist she was trying to locate, and he’d tied her down and blindfolded her, he kept calling her sugar, too. But the piece of shit had nothing in common with Garth.
Move on.
Both men cheered her on as she put one quarter in after another. She’d gone through half of her change when her cell rang. She debated not answering it, as it might be Mr. Sussman, and she couldn’t afford for the men to overhear her conversation. On second thought, she could always excuse herself if it was him. Or was it Dani telling her she’d found the men?
“Aren’t you going to answer that?”
Zane’s question made it difficult not to do so without a damned good excuse. She pulled the cell from her pocket. It was Mrs. Cunningham, and Nikki squashed the shot of panic. She was probably asking if it was okay to feed Mark.
“Hello?”
“Oh, Nikki. I’m so sorry.” Mrs. Cunningham sucked in an audible breath. “Mark’s gone.”
Chapter Three
Nikki slumped on the stool, her gaze shooting in every direction. “What do you mean he’s gone?” Her pulse fired too rapidly.
“I don’t know what happened.” Mrs. Cunningham’s voice cracked and quivered. “He said he wanted to take the dog out for a walk.” The woman’s whimper tore her up.
There had to be an explanation. Mark wouldn’t run away. “Maybe he’s still outside.”
“I was in the kitchen making dinner, and I heard him come back in. When I went to tell him the food was ready, I couldn’t find him.” The woman sobbed. “I looked everywhere. I called his name until I was hoarse.”
Think. Think.
“Maybe he went over to my house.” He probably wanted to use the Internet or get more food for Jackpot. A gun to her head wouldn’t have jacked her heart up this fast.
“That was the first place I thought of. I bundled up and traipsed over there. It’s snowing pretty bad, but I made it.”
Mrs. Cunningham had a key to her house. “You looked inside?” Her neighbor had appeared to have it all together.
“Yes.”
Nikki’s mind splintered. “How long has he been gone?” He couldn’t have been missing longer than an hour. Unless he managed to hitch a ride, he wouldn’t be more than three miles from home.
“I don’t know. I don’t know. What could have happened to him?”
She had no idea. “Did Mark say anything to give you a clue? Did he say he needed to go to the store or something?” That was stupid since Mark probably didn’t remember the direction of town.
“No, dear. My Lord. What have I done?”
Mrs. Cunningham’s breaths were coming out quicker and fainter. She feared the woman might have a heart attack. “Don’t worry. I’ll find him. If he comes back, call me, okay?”
“Of course, dear.”
She disconnected. Her fingers tingled and her pits had turned damp.
Garth placed a hand on her shoulder. “Tell me what happened.”
She appreciated his calm. “Mark either ran away or was abducted.” She hiccupped.
Zane leaned closer. “Who’s Mark?”
In bursts, she told him about the eleven-year-old. “I thought he was happy. He seemed so thrilled to have a dog, but maybe he wasn’t content being with me.”
“I’m sure that’s not the case. There has to be a reasonable explanation.”
She prayed that was true.
Garth disappeared and a moment later Dani ran over. “Oh, my God, Nikki. Mark ran away? I can’t believe it.” She clasped her shoulders. “Tell me what happened.”
Tears brimmed on Nikki’s lashes as she gave her the short version. Her legs wobbled and she grabbed the machine for support. “I have to look for him.” He hadn’t been gone long enough for an Amber Alert—assuming Freedom had such a thing.
Zane glanced at his twin. “We’ll help.”
It wouldn’t be right to ask them, even though she could use their assistance. Sadly, she didn’t know the area very well. “You don’t have to.” But I’d love it if you insisted.
“Yes, we do. We’re the best search and rescue team around.” Zane’s statement came out as a fact rather than a brag.
Their sister had told her all about their heroics in the face of insurmountable odds. Swallow your pride and take their help. “That would be great then.” Her hands shook and Garth helped her on with her coat.
He faced Dani. “How about if you go back to Nikki’s house and see if Mark shows up. If he’s not there, see if he left some kind of clue. Maybe check if he packed his suitcase or a backpack. That might tell us something about his intent. The three of us will look for him.”
At least one of them was able to think straight.
Dani nodded. “I’m on it.”
Nikki had to swallow to get her voice to work. “Call me?” God. Where was her cool when she needed it? More than one person had called her the iron bitch because she did what she needed to do to get the job done. Now, with Mark gone, she was worse than melting Jell-O.
“Let’s go,” Garth said.
Not having time to trade the coins in for bills, Nikki left her change at the machine. Hopefully, the money would bring good luck to someone. By the time she made it to Garth and Zane’s car, she’d lost sight of Dani. Garth opened the front passenger side door for her as Zane slipped behind the wheel. They had both skis and snowshoes strapped to the top of their Jeep, along with a sled, most likely for carrying out an injured person. As soon as Garth climbed in back, Zane took off.
Garth draped his arms over the seat. “What’s your best guess where he might be?”
“Mark was quite attached to his Child Services person, Summer Ashford, but I can’t imagine he’d travel all the way to Boulder. He’s too smart to think he could walk there.” She clamped a hand over her mouth. “Oh, shit.”
“What is it, sugar?”
She twisted in her seat. “He’s from here. Black Hawk. It’s the only place he’s ever known. To him, this is home.”
Zane glanced over at her. “Would he really try to walk here?”
It was over twenty miles. She leaned back in her seat. “What if he thinks he can hitch a ride? Some pedophile could pick him up.”
Garth rubbed her shoulder. “Don’t think like that.”
She’d spent too many years in Vice not to think the worst of some people.
The snow was coming down heavier, and Zane slowed. “It’s going to be dark soon. We need to find him before he gets lost.”
The horror of picturing his frail body shivering in the cold made her sick. “He has a new jacket, but he didn’t want gloves.” Why hadn’t she insisted? She pulled out her phone. “I’m going to call someone at the Golden Nugget where Mark’s mom worked. Perhaps if he hitches a ride there, he’ll visit one of them.”
Zane glanced over at her and smiled. “Smart thinking.”
She looked through her contacts in her phone. She and Dani had spoken to several women about his mother’s habits. One woman in particular had been very helpful. She called her now. Come on, Belinda. Damn. The woman didn’t answer. Next, she tried the main switchboard and told the operator what happened.
“Mark Richie? Sure, I know the kid. He practically lived here. A real shame about his mom though. She was such a sweetie.”
The fact this woman remembered Mark and his mom with fondness made her feel a little better. “I know. Mark might have hitched a ride to the casino. Can you call me if he shows up?”
“Sure. No one gets by me. I see everyone who comes in.”
She gave the woman her cell number. “Thanks.” She turned to Zane. “The casino will call me if he comes in.”
“Excellent.”
Garth placed his hand on her shoulder and she was a little surprised by the comfort it brought. “Where do you live?”
She had to recall the location of 119 in rel
ation to her place. “About a mile north of Evergreen Road, back in the Hillside subdivision.”
“I know the area.” Zane glanced over at her. “Do you know how many miles it is from your house to 119?”
She rarely paid attention. “If I drive at maybe thirty-miles an hour, it takes me four minutes.” She tried to do the calculation in her head. “What’s that in miles?”
“Close to two,” Garth said.
“The road’s unpaved and mostly uphill. Since Mark’s taller than I am, it should take him maybe forty-five minutes to an hour to walk it.” The weather would further slow him down.
“Sounds about right. How long do you figure he’s been gone?” Zane asked.
What did Mrs. Cunningham say? “His babysitter wasn’t sure. She was cooking and thought he was inside.”
Garth rubbed her shoulder. “So he could already be to 119.”
“I suppose.” That meant he could have hitched a ride already. No telling what might happen to him. Her hands shook.
“We’ll keep a look out.”
This was totally crazy. If Mark wanted to go back to Black Hawk so badly, why didn’t he ask her to take him?
For the next twenty minutes, she kept her eyes peeled on the side of the road. She also tried to look in the passenger seat of oncoming cars, but the weather made it too hard to see.
They were almost at the intersection of 119 and Evergreen when Dani called her. Nikki nearly dropped the phone. “Yes? Did you find him?” She crunched the bottom of her jacket.
“No, I’m sorry. He’s not at your house either.”
Damn. Garth wiggled his fingers, indicating he wanted the phone. She handed it to him.
“Dani, this is Garth.” He nodded a few times. “I understand. Would you mind driving very slowly back toward 119, keeping a look out for him?” They discussed a few other places she might drive to. He disconnected and handed the phone back to Nikki.
As he neared the intersection, Zane pulled over onto the side of the road. He got out but left the engine running. That was odd. She pushed open her door, but Garth clasped her shoulder.
“Stay here in case you see him come down the road.”
Even though their plan made sense, she really wanted to go with them. “What are you going to do?”
“If he has his dog with him, we’ll be able to spot fresh prints. We’ll track those.”
If Mark cut across the field to catch a ride once on 119, she didn’t want to miss him. She also wasn’t dressed to stay out in the cold for very long. Going with the men might slow them down and time was an issue.
“Do you have a megaphone to call to him?”
Zane’s brows rose. “We do, and we’ll be using it. In this wind, our voices won’t carry far.”
That would mean if Mark tried to answer them back, they wouldn’t hear him. Her heart nearly cracked.
Zane poked his head back in. “Call us if you spot him.”
At least she could communicate with them. “I will.”
Zane left the engine running so she’d have heat. If the gas gauge got low, she’d shut it off. She slid over to the driver’s side and wiped the fogged window with her sleeve. Mark would be coming from her left.
Acid rose up her throat. Was Mark so desperate to get back that he was willing to be out in this weather? Kids had no sense, so maybe he would. She tapped her foot and did something she hadn’t done in years—she prayed.
* * * *
Garth waved his flashlight back and forth as they trudged north toward the intersection of Evergreen and 119. Fortunately, the sky hadn’t dumped enough snow to cover any recent tracks. Zane was across the street checking that side. Just as Garth was about to cross and join him, he spotted a line of paw prints.
“Hey, Zane.” He waved him back over.
With his light in hand, Zane raced across the road. “What do you got?”
“Paw prints.”
Zane crouched down. “Boot prints, too. From the depth and size, I’d say they belong to a kid.”
“Why would he head in there?” He nodded toward a line of trees about five hundred feet from the road.
Zane looked up at him. “Maybe the dog saw a squirrel and took off. Nikki said the dog’s untrained. They only got him this morning.”
“You don’t think he’s trying to visit Dani, do you? That’s Lucas Holt’s place.” His sister had mentioned that Dani was the first to find Mark. Maybe they’d bonded.
“I have no idea. Let’s see where the prints lead us.”
Good thing Nikki was back in the car. He didn’t want to leave the area, but she’d call if Mark showed up.
The tracks were easy to follow. The boot marks were getting farther spaced apart indicating the boy was running, probably chasing after the dog.
Zane pointed the light. “He stopped here.”
“Maybe the dog went into the woods, and he lost sight of him.”
Zane swung his light behind him. “I don’t see footprints heading back. Let’s follow the dog tracks and see where they lead.”
“Did you bring your webbing?”
Zane patted his backpack. “Got it here.”
If the boy was too cold to walk back, one of them would strap him on his back. The wind picked up and howled. The sun was setting and with it, the air was turning bitter cold. From what Nikki had said, Mark was tall and slight—a bad combination. He’d be hypothermic in no time.
Zane stopped. “Look.” He pointed to the boot prints aimed toward the paw prints. “They changed direction.”
“Or the dog did. We can’t be sure they’re together. Mark might still be following the dog prints just like we are.” He’d had a dog as a kid and remembered tracking Pepper for hours one winter. Found her caught between two rocks. Rescuing her had given him a new perspective on what he wanted to do with his life.
They followed the trail into the woods but still couldn’t spot Lucas’s house, which meant neither could Mark.
Zane lifted the microphone and called out the boy’s name. They both stopped moving to listen. He heard nothing. Zane shook his head.
Thank goodness for fresh tracks. “Let’s keep going.” The trail had prints going in several directions as if the dog had run around for a while. The boot prints, however, clumped in one area. “Looks like Mark might have set down his backpack.” One spot had an indent in it. “He has to be close. Snow hasn’t had time to build back up.
“There are caves down this way.” Zane pointed deeper into the woods.
“How would you know?”
Zane smiled. “Remember, Suzanna?”
“Yeah.” They’d both been sweet on her in high school.
“Summertime? Picnic?”
Garth held up a hand. “I get it. Can you tell which way the tracks are heading?” The snow was coming down pretty hard now. With the bad weather came even worse vision.
“No.”
Well, damn.
* * * *
Nikki was going crazy. Sitting was not her style, so she called Dani again. “Anything?”
“No. I can barely see to drive.” Nikki spotted her car exiting Evergreen.
“I see you. Zane’s SUV is to the right. We’re on the east side of the road.”
“Got it.”
Dani hung up and drove over to her. She executed a U-turn, pulled behind Zane’s car then got out and slipped in the passenger side. “The men aren’t back yet?”
“No. I tried calling, but they aren’t answering. Being helpless is so damned frustrating.”
It was even worse than when she’d been undercover and spotted Gwen, one of the prostitutes she was keeping tabs on, being attacked. Helping would have brought down the entire undercover investigation.
Dani placed a hand on her arm. “He’ll be fine. Garth and Zane are the best.”
“They better be.” Nikki feared Summer might be forced to do something drastic. “What if they take Mark away from me?” Her heart hammered in her chest.
“They
won’t. This isn’t your fault.”
“Who’s to blame isn’t the point. I’m in charge of watching him, and he ran away. They may think I’m doing something wrong.” She starred out the window, but the snow made seeing well impossible. “The men wouldn’t have gone into the woods if they didn’t see something, right?” At least he probably hadn’t been kidnapped.
“That’s right. They’ll find him.”
She wished Dani wouldn’t patronize her. Dani didn’t know Zane or Garth any better than she did. Nikki checked the car clock for the twentieth time. Then men had been tracking Mark for close to an hour. “How far could Mark get in this weather?”
Dani pushed open the door and jumped out. “I think I see them.”
Nikki scooted out, too. The cold air snaked up her nostrils, and the wind slanted the snow sideways making visibility low. She shielded her eyes and squinted. “Where?” Zane had worn a green jacket and Garth a red one. She scanned the ridge of trees and finally spotted a dark blob emerge into the open. “There they are.” Excitement rushed through her.
Nikki took off. Her boots were so low the snow poured over the edges and chilled her. The leather would probably get ruined, too, but right now, all she cared about was making sure Mark was okay. The dog barked and her heart soared. “Mark!”
Moving against the wind especially in deep snow was difficult, but she plowed forward the best she could. Nikki looked behind her. Dani hadn’t followed and was making her way back to her car. It was better if they both didn’t hover over Mark. She blinked, and when her vision cleared, she spotted only two men and Jackpot.
“No, no.”
Chapter Four
Tears blurred Nikki’s vision. Mark had to be okay. If they found the dog, Mark had to be close, so why weren’t they still looking for him?
Zane shifted to the side and Nikki spotted Mark clinging to Zane’s back. She gulped in air. Thank God.
Garth raced toward her and the dog followed. He embraced her. “He’s fine. Let’s get you back to the car.”
She didn’t move. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. We don’t need to treat you, too. If he sees you, it might upset him.”
Freedom to Trust [Freedom, Colorado 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 3