Page 69 of Two Favors Repaid

“Boss, I need you to organize the search team.” And then he gave voice to his biggest fear. “We know this forest better than Ford. But it’s an enormous area to cover, and we have no idea where they started. I want us to split into teams. We need to do this right.”

He stopped just before his voice broke. His hands were white against the steering wheel. He could cope as long as he worked this as any other missing person’s case. But the moment he remembered it was Emma they were talking about, he lost the ability to think.

“I agree,” Lorraine spoke, coming into their conversation. “The FBI support team will arrive by noon. That’ll provide more bodies on the ground. But it should be someone who knows the land organizing the search quadrants.”

“I’ll get on it, Rob,” Natalie said in her no-nonsense voice.

“Thank you.”

Rob ended the call.

“Natalie will be safer at the station,” Lorraine said, looking at him thoughtfully.

“We’re going to find Emma and bring her home. And we’re going to keep Natalie safe. She is seven months pregnant. She and Hunter deserve this happiness.” He didn’t say the obvious, that a pregnant Natalie falling into his arms was probably Ford’s wet dream. They couldn’t let that happen, no matter what.

From the back, Agent Ramsay made a strange, choked sound. “Stop the car!” James shouted.

“What’s going on?” Rob asked, trying to catch the man’s eyes on the rearview mirror. He didn’t have any time to waste.

“Stop the fucking car,” the agent repeated, his voice lower this time. His face was pressed tight against the window.

They were on a straight, deserted piece of road. Trees lined both sides of the road as far as they could see. The curb was only big enough for half a car, so Rob stopped the car as close to the edge as possible, leaving the blinkers on.

“What’s going on,” Rob said impatiently. He didn’t have time to deal with the government agent’s moodiness.

Ramsay was already out of the car and bounding towards the forest, walking backwards towards a spot only he could see. For someone wearing a suit and dress shoes, he sure moved fast.

“Let’s go with him,” Lorraine said, getting out of the car and following James.

At least she’d changed into a comfortable-looking pair of walking shoes.

Rob caught up with Lorraine quickly, his long legs eating up the ground. Catching up with her partner was going to be more of a challenge as the man was running right into the forest.

What’s that fool doing—

Rob didn’t have time to finish the thought. The agent was by the trees now, furiously attacking some greenery. Rob stopped in his tracks as he saw what Ramsay uncovered. It was a rearview mirror. And from the looks of it, a whole car.

Rob met Ramsay’s bright blue gaze.

“Something glinted in the distance,” Ramsay said as way of explanation.

Together, they pulled to uncover the rest of the car. It was a light tan color. Rob felt his heart speed up. He knelt to uncover the license plate and called out the number to Lorraine, who was already looking it up on her phone.

“It’s the same car,” Ramsay said laconically.

“He has a photographic memory,” Lorraine explained. “If James says it’s the same car, then it is.”

Rob glanced inside the car. It was empty. He needed to check the trunk. He only just stopped himself from touching it without gloves. He raced back to the patrol car, grabbed the investigation kit out of the trunk, and ran back to the abandoned car.

“Here,” he said, handing plastic gloves out. James put them on and tried the car door, which opened easily. Rob strode to the trunk, saying a small prayer, and popped the lid open. It was empty. He leaned on the sides, breathing in and out, trying to calm himself.

He blinked again, trying to will away the awful images his mind had created for him.

Emma’s not here. She’s not here.

She was alive somewhere. He could feel it.

He went back up front where Special Agent Ramsay was going through the inside with a small flashlight.