As he reined to a stop next to the house, Grace came out the front door and down the steps.
“Hey, Boone.” She reached out, taking the reins from his hand. “Go on inside. I’ll put your horse up for you.”
“Has Agent Randall told you anything?”
She placed a hand on Boone’s arm, shaking her head. “No. He wanted to wait for you.”
Nodding, he turned, walking up the steps. Inhaling a deep breath, he pulled the door open, following the voices into the kitchen. Kull and three other men huddled around the table with Thorn and Agent Randall, who stood as soon as he entered the room.
“Mr. Macklin. I’m glad you were able to get here so quickly.” Dolan held out his hand.
Grasping the agent’s hand, Boone nodded, then acknowledged Kull, not waiting to be introduced to the others.
“Is there news?” He took the cup of coffee Thorn held out to him.
Dolan looked at the other men. “Maybe we should speak in private.”
Boone pulled out a chair, sitting down. “You can say what you need to right here, Agent Randall.”
Leaning down, Dolan picked up a bag. Reaching inside, he pulled out a plastic evidence bag containing a shoe. Boone’s breath caught when Dolan held it out to him.
“Do you recognize this?”
His throat tightening, Boone nodded. “It belongs to Ty. It’s part of the pair I gave him for his sixth birthday. Where did you find it?”
“A state highway patrol officer found it in the bushes about ten miles from the Robinson’s house. He’d pulled over a car for speeding late yesterday afternoon. That’s when he saw it.”
Boone glanced at Thorn, then back at Dolan. “What does it mean?”
“I’m not sure, but whoever took Tyler and Carly pulled over for some reason. We have a team at the site now, looking for any other evidence.”
Kull leaned his arms on the table, glancing at the men he’d brought with him. “We’ve offered to go house to house around the area, asking if anyone saw a vehicle parked on the side of the road between seven and seven thirty on Wednesday night. Oh yeah, I don’t think you’ve met my buddies.” Kull introduced them to Boone, who shook their hands.
“I appreciate any help you’re willing to provide.” He looked at Dolan. “As long as it’s okay with Agent Randall.”
“As long as they notify me of anyone who saw something. You can take down what they saw, but let them know my office will be following up with them.”
Kull nodded. “Sure thing, Agent Randall.”
“Did you find anything belonging to Carly?” Boone asked Dolan, still staring at the bag with Tyler’s shoe.
“Not that I know of. Like I said, our team is combing the area now, looking for any other evidence. His shoe is the most we’ve been able to recover from any of the kidnappings. It may mean they’re getting sloppy. And the fact there’ve been no demands for ransom lead us to believe it is the same group who took the other children.”
Slapping his hands on the table, Kull stood up. “If you don’t mind, Agent Randall, we’re going to get started. We’ve a good deal of daylight left.”
Reaching into his pocket, Dolan pulled out cards, handing one to each of the men. “Call me if you learn anything. Even the most flimsy detail could be helpful.”
The men took the cards, nodded, then left. Kull stopped long enough to place an arm around Boone’s shoulders. “We’re going to find Ty and Carly. None of us will stop looking until we do.”
His throat closing, all Boone could do was give his good friend a solemn nod as Kull walked away. Standing, he paced to the window. Placing his hands on either side, he leaned forward, dropping his head as he sucked in big gulps of air. The woozy feeling at seeing Tyler’s tennis shoe began to ease.
Boone had never felt weak, as if he couldn’t handle whatever life threw at him. Tyler’s disappearance left him feeling vulnerable, helpless, and insecure. He couldn’t stay around the ranch much longer, doing nothing, while waiting for someone else to find his son.
Pushing away from the window, Boone turned around. “I can’t do this.”
Thorn walked toward him, stopping a foot away, crossing his arms. “Can’t do what?”
“Sit here, waiting, doing nothing. I need to help find Ty.” He shifted his gaze to Agent Randall. “How do other fathers handle this?”
Dolan tapped his fingers on the table. “Each victim deals with this in a different way. Most of the fathers feel helpless and frustrated. They don’t sleep or eat, and tend to push away their families and friends who want to help them.” Dolan leveled his gaze at Boone. “You aren’t alone. Your need to get out there, search for your son, is normal.” Standing, Dolan picked up his empty coffee cup, setting it in the sink. “I will tell you that if the people who took Ty want to talk to his father and you’re not here, it could hinder our chances of getting him back. I’ll also say, off the record and as a father, I don’t believe whoever took your son is going to call. This doesn’t have any of the signs of a kidnapping for ransom.”
Boone crossed his arms, doing his best to hide the way his body trembled and hands shook. “If you were in my place, what would you do?”
Dolan shook his head. “I don’t know for sure. My instincts would be the same as yours. I’d find it hard to stay put, waiting for others to find my child.”
Thorn looked between the two—his brother who feared for his son and a man experienced in locating children taken from their homes. He would rather be back in the army, facing enemy insurgents, than dealing with what was happening to his family right now.
Dolan stepped toward Boone. “Give us another day. If you still want to get involved, I’ll find something for you to do.”
“One more day, then I’ll hold you to your word, Agent Randall. I want my son found, and I’ll do whatever is needed to make it happen.”
“Sheriff Macklin.” Del held the phone to his ear. He’d gotten three hours’ sleep in the last forty, and thanks to Evie, been able to force down a couple burgers, a few fries, and gallons of coffee.
“Del, this is Pete Peterson. It’s been a while.”
Del’s features stilled, his hand tightening on the phone. Pete Peterson, president of the Savage Wolves Motorcycle Club and Amy’s dad…his father-in-law. Whatever Pete had to say, he didn’t need to hear it now.
“Look, we’re pretty busy here right now—”
“I have information on Boone’s son. Do you want to hear it, or should I hang up?”
Del blew out a breath. Pete had his hands in all kinds of stuff, much of it illegal. “Where are you?”
“On my bike behind your office.”
Walking to the window, Del looked outside. Parked under a tall, shade tree sat Pete on a fierce-looking Harley, a man Del didn’t recognize sitting on a bike beside him. “I’m on my way down.”
“Not here. Meet us behind that rundown taco stand at the east end of town. If you’re not there in ten minutes, we’ll be gone.”
Del watched Pete slip the phone into his jacket, nod to his companion, and ride out. Grabbing his hat, he stopped at the front desk.
“I’ll be back in a little bit.”
Bobby looked up at him, his eyes narrowed. “Where are you going, Sheriff?”
“To follow up on a lead. Shouldn’t take long.”
Dashing to his SUV cruiser, he slid inside, then followed the main road to the spot where Pete would meet him. He and his father-in-law might work on different sides of the law, but the man had never lied to him or Amy. As president of one of the state’s most powerful biker clubs, he had ears everywhere, people he trusted who fed him information on all kinds of activities. If Pete said he knew something about Tyler, the odds were good he did.
Pulling up behind the dilapidated building, he cruised through the lot, not spotting the bikes right away. For such a ramshackle place, the taco shop did a huge business. All the locals knew about it, and many stopped by at least once a week. It was one of Amy’s f
avorite places.
He found them behind the business’s catering truck. Parking in the last open spot, Del got out and walked over to meet his father-in-law, who stayed seated on his bike.
“Pete.”
“Afternoon, Sheriff.” He didn’t bother to introduce the man next to him, but Del didn’t miss the sergeant-at-arms patch.
Del crossed his arms. “You’ve heard about Tyler.”
“It’s big news, the same as all the abductions. My club may be into some things you don’t want to know about, but we draw the line at human trafficking. When I saw Tyler’s name in an online article, I asked my club to find out what they could. Last night, we got lucky.”
“What did you learn?”
“Well, here’s the thing, Del. No one in Savage Wolves is going to come forward and testify on anything I’m going to tell you. We’ll do what we can to help, but it’s all between you and me. No feds, no local police…you get me?”
Del nodded. “I get you, Pete. You and me, no one else.” He extended his hand, waiting as Pete looked at it a couple long moments before clasping it, then resting his hands on his thighs.
“Here’s what my guys heard.”
An hour later, Del turned onto a side road, made a U-turn, then pulled to a stop. Grabbing his phone, he dialed Rick Zoeller, his heart pounding as he recalled all Pete had told him.
“Detective Zoeller.”
“Rick, it’s Del. Do you have a few minutes?”
“As much time as you need. Hold on. Let me close my office door. Okay, what can I do for you?”
“I got a call from an anonymous source with information about Tyler.”
“How reliable is this source, Del?”
“The best. I’d stake my life on what I was told. I want to run it by you before calling Randall. Fact is, it may be better coming from you…since the two of you go back a ways.”
“Tell me what you have, then we’ll decide.”
Del leaned back in the seat, watching traffic whiz by on the main road. “A few people this person knows were in a bar outside Missoula last night. They heard a conversation between some guys at a nearby table. A couple of them began arguing about a job, how it went down. The guys with them warned them to calm down, go outside if they had something to talk about. So they did. What they didn’t know was my friend’s people followed, got close enough to hear a few things. Turns out these guys were arguing about several of what they called transport jobs and the cargo they delivered. One of them got real agitated about the risk they were taking and the amount of money they were paid. Said for that kind of risk, he’d rather move drugs and girls.”
Rick blew out a low whistle. “Please tell me the guys listening followed them when they left.”
“They did. Staked the place out for an hour or so, then followed them again later when they left. The men ended up in an old commercial neighborhood near Missoula. I’ve got an address, but we have to move fast.”
Chapter Fourteen
“You’re absolutely confident in your source, Sheriff?” Leaning against his car, Dolan jotted down a few more notes. He’d taken the call from Rick as he pulled away from the Macklin ranch. Within ten minutes, they’d joined up on a dirt road outside of town.
“No doubt in my mind it’s what his friends saw.”
Dolan cocked his head to the side. “Why would they give this information to your friend?”
“They knew I’d get word without them getting involved.”
Nodding, Dolan read back through his notes, tapping the pen against his chin. “It’ll take too much time for us to get there. This address isn’t far from our office in Missoula. Give me a few minutes.”
Del rubbed his chin, pacing a few feet away, then walking back to stand beside Rick. “What do you think?”
“He’s trying to get a team together to go in. It may be tough with what we provided, but he’s motivated to do whatever he can to find those children. Dolan can be persuasive when needed.”
Nodding, Del walked away again, unable to stand still as he waited to learn the up or down vote. He wanted to call Boone, give him a heads-up, but couldn’t. If it ended up a bust, he’d be getting his brother’s hopes up for nothing. From what Thorn had told him over the phone earlier, Boone was barely holding on. He didn’t want to cause him any more stress.
“Good news.” Rick walked over to them. “We got lucky. The senior agent in charge is motivated to solve this, and having no other leads, he’s willing to get a team together. They’ll raid the place within the hour. We’d better hope they find something.”
“I couldn’t sit at the ranch any longer.” Boone stood on the Robinson’s porch, wrapping his arms around Willow’s waist. “Besides, I needed to see you.” Pulling her against him, he buried his face in her hair, inhaling a scent he’d come to associate with harmony and peace. It was what her presence had always meant to him. He didn’t know how he’d survived without it the last few years.
Pulling back, he lifted her chin with a finger, studying her face. “You’re exhausted. Have you gotten any sleep at all?”
Letting out a breath, she shook her head. “Probably as much as you.”
“Then it isn’t much.” Kissing her, he stepped away, dropping down into one of the wicker chairs.
“Have you heard anything?” Willow sat down beside him, resting a hand on his thigh.
He shook his head. “No, nothing. You?”
“I would’ve called you if I had, but no. There’s been no word on Carly or Ty.” Leaning forward, she buried her face in her hands. “I can’t imagine what those kids are going through, Boone. They must be so scared.” Her voice cracked as a sob escaped.
“Come here, baby.” He pulled her into his arms, stroking her hair as she cried. “I know how you feel. It’s killing me, thinking of what those people might be doing to Ty…to Carly.”
His voice sounded calm. Inside, rage roiled through him unlike anything he’d ever experienced. Any anger he’d felt before couldn’t compare to the blinding fury he’d been doing his best to control since the children disappeared. He wasn’t a man to sit around. He’d always been a man of action.
“Are you up for a walk?”
Willow pulled back, wiping dampness from her face. “I’d like that. Give me a minute to let Mom and Dad know.”
Standing, he held out his hand, helping her up, waiting as she went back inside. Staring out toward the street, he took in the scene before him. It was the last place anyone had seen Tyler and Carly. It had been the last place Boone had seen his son the evening he’d dropped him off so he could have dinner with Willow.
He didn’t regret a moment of their evening together, had ached to hold her again after so long. It had been so much better than his fantasies. Boone remembered every detail, until the phone call from Del. At that moment, his entire being fell into a black hole of confusion. Being with her was all that kept him sane.
A few minutes later, Willow stepped back outside. “I’m ready. Mom will call my phone if they hear anything.”
He threaded his fingers through hers. “Del and Thorn know to call me.”
“Are Thorn and Grace still staying at the house?”
“They are. Josh and Tony trailered out a bike for him to work on while there.” He walked toward the road.
His mind fogged, conjuring up an image of Tyler and Carly playing with her dog, laughing, watching as a vehicle pulled up in front of the house. He pictured them stopping in their play, wondering what the people inside wanted. Boone wondered if the kids approached it, Carly asking if they needed help.
For whatever reason, his mind pictured a van, although it could’ve been a car or truck.
“Boone. Are you okay?” Willow faced him as his fingers tightened painfully on hers.
Blinking, his expression blank, their eyes met. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just wondering what the kids were thinking when it happened.”
She cupped his chin, forcing him to look at her. “We’ll have a lo
t of time to talk with them when they get home.”
If they get home. He couldn’t say it out loud, hated to consider it. “I know.”
Looking up and down the road, he turned back toward the house, taking a well-used path toward the barn. As they walked, his tension began to ease, even if the fear remained.
Neither spoke as they continued on the familiar path toward the creek a hundred yards away. Glancing at Willow, Boone couldn’t help himself from thinking if Tyler were with them, his world would be right. He could no longer imagine a future without either of them. Both belonged in his life.
“When this is over, Mom and Dad are thinking of moving to Arizona, or maybe Texas.”
He stopped, turning toward her with a stunned expression. “Why? They’ve been here their entire lives.”
She shook her head, as surprised as Boone at their announcement. “I’m not sure. They joke sometimes about taking off in a motorhome, traveling the country. They’d like to spend the fall and winter in a warmer climate, then come home for spring and summer. I never took them seriously until they showed me a picture of the motorhome they’d like to buy.”
He looked away, showing no outward reaction. “Before she died, my mother talked about leaving. I knew she never would since my father refused to discuss it.”
Willow placed a hand on his arm. She remembered his father as a hard man, using his imposing form and personality to keep his boys, and wife, in line. His sons had taken their mother’s death in a plane crash hard. When Boone, Del, and Thorn spoke of her now, it was with deep affection. They rarely spoke of their father.
Looking down at her hand, his mouth tilted into a wry smile. “It isn’t uncommon for retired couples to dream of going someplace warmer. Most don’t have custody of their grandchildren. What would happen with Carly?”
Dropping her hand to her side, she looked toward the creek. “I don’t know. She loves being in Burnt River. It’s possible they’d take her with them. Greg set it up so they share custody of Carly with him. They worked it out so he could continue his work in the army.”
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