Page 23 of The Missing Couple

Whoever was behind this operation was cherry picking victims, which could only mean one thing: He had scouts previewing those coming and going. The scout would snap photos and send them to whoever was in charge, who would in turn select the targets.

Anger burned in his gut. Someone in this town—someone people knew and possibly trusted—was the worst kind of monster. The kind who did bad things without ever getting his or her hands dirty.

Victoria had warned Billie to proceed with caution. He was in a jurisdiction where the agency had no influence, no contacts. He was on his own. They would do all possible to help get things moving at the Bureau and certainly if he needed backup, the agency would have someone en route ASAP.

At this time, that wasn’t necessary. Billie had the only backup he needed. He smiled in spite of the worry twisting inside him. Charly was a pretty damned good partner.

His cell vibrated and he pulled it from his pocket. She must have known he was thinking of her. Her name appeared on the screen. He accepted the call.

“Hey, I’m back and—”

“Billie, I… I’m…” She exhaled a big breath.

The fear in her voice had him pushing to his feet. Tension rushed through him. “What’s wrong, Charly? Where are you?”

“I’m on the…ah end of Bakers Chapel not far from Vince’s place. I need help.”

“Don’t hang up,” he said as he sprinted toward his SUV. “I’m on my way. Just stay on the line with me.”

When he’d turned the vehicle around and headed out of the retreat, he asked, “What happened?”

“I… I was driving home from the market and a black SUV came up behind me, almost hit me so I sped up to get away. I guess I went into the curve too fast, and I hit a pothole. The next thing I knew I was crashed in the ditch.”

A dozen knots had twisted in his gut. “Are you okay? Do we need to call EMS?”

“No, no… I’m okay. I think. Shaken. Just shaken.”

“Are you still in the vehicle?” He pressed harder on the accelerator. Needed to get there faster.

“No. I got out. Luckily, my door wasn’t damaged. I made my way up to the road.”

He spotted her in the distance. “I see you,” he said, the urgency nearly choking him now. “I’m almost to you.”

“’Kay.”

The call dropped off. He pulled to the side of the road and shoved into Park. He was out of the vehicle and rushing toward her without closing the door or shutting off the engine.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” He held her by the shoulders and looked her up and down. No blood. No obvious sign of injury. He looked closely into her eyes. No dilated pupils.

“Yeah, yeah. The airbag deployed so I’m kind of…” She shrugged. “I don’t know. Shaken, I guess. But I’m okay.” She gestured to the ditch. “I have to get my supplies home.”

Then he looked down at her vehicle in the deep ditch. She’d slammed into a tree on the driver’s side. She could have injuries she didn’t know about just yet.

“We’re going to the ER just to be sure.”

She tried to argue but he ushered her to his SUV. No way was he going to just assume she was fine.

Not after a crash like that one.

She could have been killed.

Every instinct warned this was a direct result of their digging into his sister’s disappearance.

Someone did not want them getting any closer.

Marshall Medical Center North

8000 AL-69