Page 81 of Keeping Kara

Thoughts about something being wrong with Bowie flashed through Chaos’s head, making him clench his teeth. That little girl—hell, Pyro and Penny had been through enough, and the thought of anything else happening to them was unimaginable.

But for some reason…Pyro’s gaze went to Edge.

“He was just sitting there? And his leash is still attached? Are you sure Jen’s not around anywhere? Uh-huh. Right. No, that was the right thing to do for sure, and you aren’t bothering me. Have you called the others to see if she’s with them? Okay…let me talk to the guys, we’ll reach out to everyone. Keep Fred there. I’ll be home as soon as I can. Keep Bowie and yourself in the apartment. Do not go out looking for her on your own. Love you.”

By the time he hung up, everyone was tense.

“Jen’s missing?” Edge asked urgently.

“Maybe. When Penny got home from picking Bowie up at school, Fred was sitting outside the apartment building. He’s got burrs in his coat and he’s acting extremely unusual.”

“In what way?” Casper asked.

“Panting, drooling excessively, and pacing. Penny brought him upstairs and he went straight to his and Jen’s door, but then went back down the hall to the stairway door and whined. Penny brought him into our apartment, but he’s still extremely agitated.”

“Is he hurt?”

“She didn’t say.”

“Jen wouldn’t leave Fred. Not a chance in hell,” Edge said firmly. “Something’s wrong.”

“I agree. Penny hasn’t called any of the other girls yet. Maybe she’s with one of them,” Pyro said.

“Without Fred? Not fucking likely,” Edge said grimly.

Chaos had already picked up his phone and had it to his ear, waiting to hear Kara’s sweet voice when she answered. He vaguely heard his friends all talking to their women to see if they’d heard from Jen, or if she was with them…

Kara didn’t answer.

When the phone went to voicemail, he dialed her again, hoping she simply had her headphones on and hadn’t heard the phone ring. But once again, it only rang and rang and then went to voicemail.

The hair on the back of his neck standing straight up. Everything in him was screaming that something was wrong—and not just the fact that Jen was missing and Fred had shown up at their apartment complex on his own.

“Laryn’s been in the hangar all day and hasn’t heard from Jen,” Casper said.

“Mandy’s still at school.”

“Zita’s on shift. Will be until six tonight.”

Everyone’s gaze went to Chaos. “Kara’s not answering,” he said quietly.

“No one jump to any conclusions,” Casper ordered.

But it was too late. Chaos’s mind had already gone to the worst-case scenario.

Nolan Colins.

He wasn’t sure what Jen going missing had to do with that psychopath, but he had no doubt, with the way his sixth sense was screaming, that something was terribly wrong.

“Let me call Colonel Burgess, tell him that we need to head out,” Casper said. “No one’s going off half-cocked on this one. We’re a team, and we’ll do what we do best. But first we need more intel. We can’t all go running around without some sort of plan.”

“I need to go home and check on Kara,” Chaos said.

“Right. Edge, you go with Chaos. Report back to me as soon as you can. The rest of us will stay here for now. If there’s the slightest chance the choppers can be used in a search, this is where we need to be. Not running around Norfolk. Understand?”

Everyone agreed, while Chaos and Edge headed for the door to the conference room.

“I’m driving,” Edge said as they entered the parking lot.