by Lisa Harris
“From what they’ve been able to put together,” Sam continued, “she went over to a friend’s house last night about eight, stayed till just after midnight, and never made it back home.”
“We were given the case because it has all the markings of our abductor, so I think we need to continue to run on the assumption that we’re dealing with another Angel Abductor case, even though we still don’t have a body or a Polaroid.”
Garrett looked around the open office space. “Where’s Jordan?”
“I thought she was with you,” Nikki said, stepping back from the board.
“No. I arranged for a patrol officer to take her to her sister’s house to pick something up, then she was supposed to come straight here.”
Nikki shook her head. “I haven’t seen her since the two of you left to go talk to Rose Winters.”
“Something’s wrong.” Garrett pushed Jordan’s number on his cell phone and waited for her to pick up. No answer. He felt the familiar twist of his gut he’d been experiencing the past few hours.
God, please tell me nothing’s happened to Jordan.
“What time did you leave to talk to the Jacobi family?” Jack asked.
“About six o’clock.” Garrett checked his watch. That would have been over an hour and a half ago.”
“Who was the officer she went with?” Nikki asked, picking up her phone.
“Roberts . . . Robertson. With metro police.”
“Give me a second.”
Garrett’s pulse raced as he stood in the middle of the room waiting for Nikki. He’d made Jordan go with a police escort so she’d be safe. Had he made the right call?
A minute later, Nikki hung up the call and turned back to Garrett. “They found Robertson’s patrol car a few minutes ago. It was T-boned near the corner of Russell Street and South 15th.”
“That’s not far from Jordan’s sister’s house.” Garrett grabbed his coat and keys. “Tell me she’s okay.”
“That’s the problem,” Nikki said. “The first eyewitness to the scene said there was no one else in the car. In fact, there’s no sign of her at all.”
“Wait a minute. How is that possible?” he asked. “What about the officer she was with?”
“He’s going to be okay, but he was found unconscious. He doesn’t remember anything that happened today.”
Maybe Robertson didn’t remember, but Garrett did. Michaels was dead, he and Jordan had barely escaped an explosion, Sam’s house had been broken into, and now Jordan was missing. Rose was trying to take them out one by one. And if anything happened to Jordan . . .
He pushed back the panic. They’d find her. More than likely a motorist had decided to drive her to the hospital instead of calling 911. He blew out a sharp sigh. She was fine. She had to be. She was good at what she did. She might not typically spend her time out in the field, but she had been thoroughly trained with the best agents.
Please, God, let her be okay.
“Agent Addison?”
Garrett turned around.
“Sorry to interrupt, sir, but this envelope was just delivered with your name on it.”
Garrett grabbed the envelope and ripped it open. Inside was a black-and-white Polaroid photo of Jordan. He let the photo fall onto his desk as a shot of fear rushed through him. “This can’t be happening. Jordan’s dead. She’s killed her.”
Nikki put on a glove and picked up the envelope. “We don’t know that. Not yet.”
“We know who’s behind this and what she wants,” he said. “She wants everyone she believes responsible for her brother’s death, dead. She killed Michaels, and now Jordan’s gone. We don’t know if Kelsey is still alive. Rose Winters isn’t going to stop until she takes down all of us.”
“Then we have to be the ones to stop her,” Sam said.
Garrett turned to leave. He should have been there with Jordan, making sure she was safe. He never should have let her go to her sister’s without him. Rose clearly had a detailed plan. Like her brother, she saw it as a game. She’d been watching them. Planning to pick them off one by one in a final act of revenge for her brother’s death.
Outside the snow had turned into rain. He’d been too late to save Marissa, but this time . . . this time he couldn’t lose again.
But it was more than that. He’d been so foolish. He’d let more than a decade go by without telling Jordan how he really felt. Without admitting to himself that he was still in love with her. That he’d always been in love with her. How could he have wasted all these years? Pride. Stubbornness. He could think of a dozen words. The truth was, he loved her and needed to be with her. Wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.
He stepped in a puddle, soaking his shoes. He looked up at the sky.
I need to know where you are, God. Right now. Maybe it’s the one question I shouldn’t ask. Maybe I should know the answer. Maybe I’m just supposed to trust you, but sometimes . . . sometimes everything around me seems so dark.
“Garrett? Where are you going?”
He turned to Sam, trying to choke back the emotion. This wasn’t going to help Jordan or Kelsey if they were still alive. He needed to think. To figure out where they were. “I need to find them.”
“We’re already doing everything we can by canvassing the area, checking surveillance footage, searching for Kelsey’s car—”
“And if that’s not enough?”
“We will find them, but we can’t just go charging out of here. We need a plan.”
“A plan? Do you have one that will save them? They need us.”
“I know you’re angry, but running out there without a plan isn’t going to help anyone. You know that. We’re a team. We have to work as a team. That’s the only way we’re going to find them.”
“Fine, but I can’t just sit at my desk. That Polaroid is proof that Rose is going to kill Jordan, if she hasn’t already.”
“Jordan’s smart, Garrett. If anyone can get out of this situation, she can.”
“And Rose Winters is smart as well. She’s been planning this for months and now we’ve got another dead girl because of her.”
“We’re going to find both Kelsey and Jordan. Alive.”
Garrett shook his head. Sam couldn’t promise him that. No one could promise him that.
“You’re in love with her, aren’t you?” Sam asked.
Garrett’s shoulders slumped as a heavy wave of fatigue sliced through him. He was so tired. Emotionally, spiritually, physically. He’d tried for so many years to forget the way Jordan made him feel.
“I think I loved her from the first time I saw her.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “She sat down next to me with those crazy curls of hers and smiled. She was so smart and funny, and yet somewhere along the line—thinking I was doing what was best for her—I lost her.”
“Then let’s go find her.”
“How do we get her back?” Garrett asked.
“We have to figure out where Rose would take Jordan, and the only way I know to do that is to go back through the evidence. We found one property. Maybe we can find another.”
“Fisher buried his girls on public land, including Marissa, if we assume Rose was behind her death. I have no idea how to narrow things down. It could take days . . . weeks. We don’t have time.”
“Then start thinking like Jordan. What would she do? Where would Rose Winters take her captives?”
Garrett thought for a moment. “Jordan gave me a rough profile of the woman. She was afraid to leave her own environment because it was the only place she felt safe. We know she rarely left the house. Jordan said that more than likely her fear was irrational, but she didn’t know how to deal with it.”
“Good. What else?”
“If she was the one who killed Marissa, she probably went where Fisher instructed her to go. Without him, she’ll go someplace familiar, because she doesn’t do well outside her comfort zone. She doesn’t like changes or situations where she feels out of control. Fisher g
ave her that stability. He bought her a house and kept her comfortable. That was how she could deal with life. But now the house isn’t an option for her.”
“So what do you suggest?” Sam asked.
“We need to go back through the evidence from her house. The photos, news clippings, anything that might hold the answer.”
Five minutes later, they were systematically going through the piles of evidence they’d been able to salvage from Rose’s house, including surveillance photos of their team and photos of the girls Fisher had stalked and killed. Garrett had no idea if the endeavor was anything more than a waste of time, but he also had no idea where else to look.
And he wasn’t going to show up at Mr. Jacobi’s house and tell him that his daughter wasn’t coming home. He couldn’t do that. Just like he couldn’t do that to Jordan’s father.
He searched in silence for an hour alongside Sam and Nikki, then ran across something that sent a shock through him. It was a photograph of a landscape. He’d seen this location before. The picture was one of the few that didn’t have someone in it. Instead there was a large open green space with trees in the background. A narrow dirt road leading to a small barn. To the left was an abandoned red tractor.
“Did you find something?” Nikki asked.
“Maybe. I’ve seen this place before.”
“Wait a minute . . . I think I saw this as well.” Sam picked up the photo and nodded. “Definitely the same location, just from a different angle.”
“Is there any way to get a location on a physical copy?” Garrett asked as he held up the photo.
“We can try to get a match in the lab. There’s been a lot of advancement in the past few years by searching through GPS-tagged images online, and while the results aren’t 100 percent accurate, at least it will be a starting place.”
Nikki took the photo from Sam. “I’ll get this to the lab. In the meantime, keep searching.”
Nikki returned an hour later, just as Garrett was about to admit his idea was a waste of time.
“I’ve got a location, and the title of the property is under the same trust as the house where Rose was living. I’m printing out the aerial photos and topographical maps as we speak. The property is seventeen acres of land located east of here.”
Garrett grabbed his coat. “Let’s go.”
The scene as they drove up onto the property was exactly as the photo had portrayed, except that it had been taken in a different season. The land was made up of open grassland and woods. Thirty minutes from the city and the perfect place to hide.
And the perfect place to bury a body.
Help us find them, Jesus.
They approached the house from the east. Darkness had long since settled in, and the night was darker still, with a thick layer of cloud cover blocking any light from the moon. The rain had stopped temporarily, but Garrett barely noticed.
The SWAT team opened the door of the house, then swept the house in front of him.
“Clear.”
“Clear.”
Garrett walked through the house and down a narrow hallway, before stepping into a room in the back. Curtains flapped in the wind from an open window that brought a chill into the room.
He ran the beam of his flashlight across the floor. If they weren’t in the house, they would search the entire property.
Something moved in the shadows.
Garrett swung his flashlight to the far side of the room. “Jordan?”
He found her tied to the bedpost. He knelt down beside her and pulled the gag out of her mouth.
“Garrett?” Her voice was weak and raspy, but she was alive. A thin line of blood trickled down the side of her face.
He cupped his hand against her cheek and stared into her eyes. “Jordan, please . . . tell me you’re okay.”
She drew in a ragged breath as she looked up at him. “I didn’t think you were going to find me.”
He wiped away the trail of blood with the back of his hand. “I never would have stopped looking, but I thought I’d lost you.”
She gasped again for air, the pain evident in her eyes.
He glanced down to see if she’d been hurt, then stopped at her abdomen. Blood had soaked through the shirt she wore.
“Jordan . . .” He ripped off his coat and pressed it against the wound, trying to stop the bleeding. “Jordan, what did she do to you?”
“She shot me when I tried to run away. Garrett, you have to find Kelsey.”
“Sam!” Garrett shouted. “Sam, I’ve got her. Get the paramedics in here now.”
He could tell she’d already lost too much blood. It was soaking the carpet where she lay.
“You’re going to be fine, Jordan,” he said, suppressing the panic that was rising in him. “And you have nothing to worry about. I’m going to make sure you’re okay. I promise.”
He couldn’t lose her. There were so many things he wanted to say to her. Things he should have already told her. Like how much he loved her. How he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Start a family with her.
I can’t lose her, God. Not now.
“Do you know where Kelsey is?” he asked.
“I don’t know, but you need to find her.” Jordan pulled on his hand. “Rose took her. She’s planning to kill her just like the other girls. She said . . .”
“Jordan, stay with me. I need you to focus.” Garrett pushed away the panic. “What did Rose say? There are acres and acres of land and it’s dark. Did you see something . . . anything that might help us narrow down where she might be?”
“She said . . . I heard her say that they were going for a short drive into the woods.”
“Garrett?” Sam entered the room, his weapon raised. “You found her?”
“She’s been shot,” Garrett said.
“We’ve got an ambulance on standby.” Sam shouted at one of the officers to get the paramedics.
“Rose is here with Kelsey,” Garrett said, keeping the pressure on her wound. “Somewhere on the property. Jordan thinks they drove into the woods.”
Sam pulled out a map of the area. “There’s a road that winds through the property and just east of us is a thick grove of trees.”
We can’t be too late, God. Not this time.
“I’ll contact local law enforcement,” Sam said, “and have them meet our team here with the dogs. We’ll find her.”
“Did you notice any car tracks out there?” Garrett asked.
“Yeah,” Sam said. “They were headed toward that grove.”
“That’s where she’s taking her.” Garrett looked back at Jordan as a pair of paramedics entered the room. Her face had paled. She was going into shock.
“I’m coming with you—” he said, squeezing her hand.
“No. Go find Kelsey. Make sure this is over once and for all.”
“Jordan—”
“Sir, I need you to step back.”
Garrett moved out of the way of the paramedics as they put her on a gurney, then put an oxygen mask over her face. Seconds later, the ambulance sped away into the darkness. Garrett’s chest heaved.
He needed to focus. He needed to find Kelsey.
30
11:08 p.m.
Property east of Nashville
Kelsey could hear dogs barking in the background. She’d always been afraid of them. When she was five, one had bit her on the back of her leg, leaving a nasty scar behind. But she wasn’t as afraid of the dogs as she was of the person coming toward her.
She pulled her coat tighter around herself, wishing she didn’t feel so cold. Wondering how she’d trusted the wrong person. She’d always tried to be nice. Always tried to follow the rules. But now she wouldn’t be going to prom or her brother’s birthday party this weekend. She wouldn’t be helping her mom with decorations . . .
The dogs were getting closer. The terror that had settled in the pit of her stomach welled up in her throat like a vise, slowly tightening with every second that passed. She wanted to vo
mit. But instead she stood, frozen. Waiting for the next move. She had no idea if it was police dogs looking for her or if it was simply a pack of strays.
She studied the dark figure. Rose had heard the dogs as well. The frantic barking in the distance. Maybe someone was looking for her. Was it even possible? No one knew where she was except the woman with the dark curly hair, and for all she knew, that woman was dead. She’d seen Rose shoot her. But the dogs . . . maybe someone did know she was here.
“They’re out there, and they’re coming for you.” Her heart pounded in her chest as she spoke, hoping to make her captor feel at least a fraction of the fear she was feeling. “Can you hear the dogs? Someone knows I’m out here,” she said, forcing confidence into her voice. “Someone sent the dogs to find me.”
“Shut up.”
Rose dropped the camera onto the ground but still held on to the photo. Maybe Kelsey wasn’t the only one afraid. She could tell that Rose was trying to decide what to do next. Kelsey could see the panic in her eyes. If Rose shot her, if someone was looking for her, they would hear the shot and find her.
Please, God. Please show me what to do.
She heard the voice a second later.
Run, Kelsey.
She hesitated. Maybe it was God, maybe it was just her own mind, but either way the command was clear. If she wanted to live, she had to run. She didn’t care anymore about the gun or getting shot.
Before she could second-guess her decision, she swung around and started running. Rose shouted at her. Demanded that she stop. She heard the gun go off and waited for the searing pain to hit her, but nothing happened. Rose had missed. So Kelsey kept running across the hard ground that was covered with fallen leaves and branches. There was no way to maneuver in a straight line. No way to know where she was or where she should go. But maybe it didn’t matter. As long as she ran. She tried to move quietly so she couldn’t be followed, but layers of shrubs, dead leaves, and broken branches made it impossible.
A limb scraped against her face. The dogs’ barking grew more frantic, and she didn’t know whether to run to the noise or away from it.