Page 99 of The Search

“Right. Thanks, Sergeant.”

He smiled. “No problem. We wouldn’t want him to have psychological problems.” He started up the incline. “Jesus, what am I saying?”

She watched his shadowy figure disappear into the darkness. Nice guy. He had made the search as easy as possible, and not many officers would have been willing to go out of their way to accommodate a dog.

Monty whimpered, his gaze still on the water.

She knelt beside him and put her arms around his neck. “It’s okay. You did good work today. In a few minutes we’ll go find someone else and then we’ll go home. You’ll see Maggie. Won’t that be nice?”

Monty nuzzled his head against her shoulder. At least he wasn’t staring out at the water any longer. She held Chavez’s cap beneath his nose. “Smell. He’s lost. Soon we’re going to have to go find him.”

Gone?

“No, he’s alive. Only lost.”

She felt a little lost herself just then. Lost and discouraged and alone. She wanted to go back to the cabin and see Maggie and then curl up beside Logan and close out the world.

Logan. She had tried to shut out the thought of him all afternoon; only now and then had the memory of the night before filtered through. But now it would do no harm to think about him, and she needed warmth and passion to shake off the knowledge that those poor kids were—

Stop thinking about them. Take care of Monty and then leave and go home to Logan. She stood up and took out her flashlight from her utility belt. “One more sniff.” She unhooked his leash and passed the cap beneath Monty’s nose. “Find.”

He bounded up the incline toward the road.

She caught up with him deep in the woods a few minutes later when he paused to scent the air. He was quivering, excited, his whole being concentrating on the job at hand.

Good. That’s what you need. Forget death. Find life. She held out the hat, but he ignored it and turned and raced off to the south. He’d caught the cone.

She ran after him, her flashlight spearing the darkness ahead.

Bushes.

She ducked around them, but one branch caught her arm as she passed.

A gnarled fallen log.

Jump over it.

The ground on the other side of the log was muddy, and she slipped. She caught herself and ran on.

She could see Monty ahead, stretched out, in a dead run up the hill ahead. He reached the top and stopped, his head lifted, silhouetted against the night sky. He looked back at her and barked.

We’ve got you, Chavez.

A moment later Monty disappeared as he tore down the other side of the hill.

Sarah stopped a moment to catch her breath. She could afford a minute before she went down to praise Monty. He’d be so proud and happy that maybe he’d forget—

Someone was behind her.

She whirled around.

No one.

Nothing.

But someone was there.

Something is watching, Chavez had said.