Chapter 34

After midnight, Huck flipped on the lights in his cabin as Laurel shut the door against the rain and wind behind them. Aeneas stretched from his bed by the fireplace and came to greet him while Fred the cat opened one eye and then shut it again.

Huck reached for a note on the counter from Monty saying that he'd fed both animals, taken Aeneas out several times during the day, and had left a tuna casserole in the fridge for them.

Laurel yawned widely and ditched her boots and coat before wandering over to pet her cat. "We could have stayed in Santa Fe tonight," she murmured.

He shook his head. "I needed to get out of Santa Fe."

"I understand, and after Opal mentioned a pastor seeing your mother, my mind is spinning. Pastor John or Pastor Zeke?"

"Or a different pastor, which I doubt," Huck muttered.

They'd claimed both photographs of Delta Rivers, and Opal had insisted he take several of her drawings. Maybe his kid would want to know something about his grandmother someday. Who knew? At the moment, Huck was too tired to worry about it.

"I think I could sleep for days." Laurel ambled toward the bedroom.

So could he. He felt tired to his very bones.

Laurel's phone buzzed, and she sighed, lifting it to her ear. "Agent Snow and it is after midnight." She stiffened and turned around. "Wait, wait. Slow down, Julliet. Slow down. Okay. What time did they . . . Okay. Yes, I'm here with the captain. I'll have him call in. I'll call you back." She clicked off.

"What is it?" Huck came awake immediately.

"Kate's friend Julliet called her in a panic because her daughter is out on a camping trip. Kate gave her my number since she's in North Carolina. Something about earning a wilderness badge. The kids haven't been heard from, and they should have been back three hours ago."

Huck yanked his phone free of his back pocket and reached Monty.

"Hey, Huck." The sound of wind blowing almost drowned out Monty's voice.

Huck leaned against the counter. "What's going on? We have missing kids?"

"Yes," Monty said. "We started a search two hours ago when the parents notified us. We're over near Sorry Sal Mountain."

"How many do we have missing?" Huck walked to the window and stared at the pouring rain.

"Five. They were supposed to stay close to the road. Spent last night out here and all day gathering and building fires, but they should've been home by nine tonight." Wilderness badges and the procedures for getting them were common in Washington State.

"All girls?"

"Yeah, all around the age of sixteen. I have everybody out searching."

Huck looked at Laurel. "I'll grab Aeneas and join you."

Monty sighed. "We received orders that you are on leave. I wanted to call you, but I don't want to get you fired."

Huck figured there was a pretty damn good chance he was going to get fired anyway. "Tell me where you're searching."

Monty listed the grids.

It was a good search pattern. "No sight of them so far at all?"

"No. We found the area where they camped, but no trace of them after that."

Huck thought through what he knew of the area. "What time did the storm come in?"

"About that time," Monty said. "It would have been easy to become disoriented and lose sight of the road. We did find their vehicle, and it appears fine."

"Did the girls have a radio?"

Monty groaned. "Yes, and we found it in the vehicle."

"They forgot to take the radio?" Huck snapped.

Monty sighed loudly, competing with the wind in the background. "Yeah, they forgot the radio, but they all had cell phones."

"They don't have service out there," Huck burst out.

Monty snorted. "There's some service, but you're right, we haven't been able to ping anybody's phone."

Damn kids thought they could do anything with a cell phone in one hand. "I'm headed out. Don't argue with me. I'll update you on my way."

"Okay. Thanks, Huck," Monty said.

Huck clicked off and whistled for Aeneas. "Come on, bud. We have search and rescue to do."

Laurel stood hesitantly by the sofa. "I'll go with you."

"No, you stay here. You shouldn't be out searching."

"I'm an FBI agent, Huck."

He nodded. "I'm well aware, but this is search and rescue."

The woman had had a long day, and whether she realized it or not, she was pregnant, and it did take a toll. Sure, she could fight if necessary, but right now, it wasn't. He'd go much faster just with Aeneas. His gaze cut to the open laptop on the counter where Rachel Raprenzi's show streamed out live as she stood under an umbrella next to several emergency vehicles. "Rachel's out there?"

"Of course she is," Laurel said, watching the screen. "That woman is everywhere."

"Unfortunately. Lock the door behind me and keep your gun with you." With that, he opened the door and ran into the rain. The temperature was dropping, and who knew how far the girls might have gotten in the three hours they'd been lost.

He had to hurry.

* * *

Laurel settled back on Huck's sofa and ate a very late dinner of scrambled eggs, glued to Rachel Raprenzi's live show. Somehow Rachel had planted herself next to dispatch and stood close enough to hear the radio communication.

Laurel's phone dinged from her handbag, and she yanked it out, not recognizing the caller. "Agent Snow," she said.

"Agent Snow, hello. It's Tim Kohnex."

She jerked, the hair on her arms raising. "Mr. Kohnex, how did you obtain my personal cell phone number?"

"The wind spoke to me," he said, his voice a low, calm drum.

She looked out at the pelting rain. "You're telling me that the wind whispered the digits of my phone number to you?"

"Yes," he said. "I know you don't believe, but sometimes fate intervenes. I had to call you. I knew you'd be up. I've been watching Rachel Raprenzi and the search going on. I saw that Huck Rivers is in the woods."

"This is getting downright annoying. Mr. Kohnex, I'm going to tell you once. Do not ever call me on my private phone."

"He's in danger," Kohnex said.

Laurel paused, standing to walk to the kitchen. "Who, Huck?"

"Yes. Everybody you care about is in danger, and I feel you're going to lose him."

She took a steady breath and pressed her hand on the counter. The cool marble calmed her. "If you know something about Captain Rivers, you need to tell me right now."

"Just what I've heard. Just what I've felt and sensed. Just what fate wants me to know," Kohnex said urgently.

Laurel pinched the bridge of her nose. "So you have no concrete evidence."

Kohnex chuckled, the sound slightly hysterical. "There is nothing concrete. That's what I'm trying to tell you. I can see it. I can smell it coming for you, for him, I don't know, for all of you. Please listen to me."

Irritation slid into anger. "Unless you have something of actual importance to tell me, we are ending this phone call."

He sighed loudly. "I just want to help you."

"Then say something that makes sense," she snapped.

He remained quiet for several moments. "I had a dream about you last night. There were veils all around you. Nobody is who they seem, and you're going to lose." His voice dropped to a rhythmic and hypnotic tone now.

"Have you been ingesting drugs?" she asked.

He snorted. "No more than usual."

Her mind clicked through possible scenarios. She had no doubt that Pastor John had her private number. It would be easy enough for Tim Kohnex to get into the church and find it. "I'm not falling for this mysterious act you have going on. If you believe you're psychic, you probably need mental help. And if you're on drugs, you require intervention, but this is tedious." She needed to look at his background more closely. "Where are you right now?"

"Me?" The sound of a door opening came over the line and then the pounding of rain. "I'm at my cabin, out on my back deck, looking at the river. It's a dark night, Agent Snow. There's no moon."

"Do you have anything else to add, Mr. Kohnex?"

"No. I just felt I should warn you. Be careful. You are stepping into pools of darkness that not even you can comprehend."

She clicked off. Her hands shook, and she didn't know why. She didn't believe him. So she quickly pressed speed dial.

"Yo, boss," Nester answered sleepily. "Dude, what time is it?" The sound of him fumbling with something came over the line. "Oh, crap. It's, like, two in the morning. You okay?" He sounded more alert.

"Yes, I'm all right. I'm sorry to awaken you."

"Who is it, Nester?" a female voice asked sleepily.

Nester coughed. "It's my boss. Just a sec. What can I do for you, Agent Snow?"

She listened to the wind whip pinecones against the windows. "Tim Kohnex just called me, and I kept him on the phone long enough for a trace. Call DC and find me his current location as of right now, okay?"

"I'm on it, Laurel. I'll call you as soon as I have something. Also, I'll be back to work on Monday. I just need the weekend here."

It sounded like he had a lady love in Seattle as well. "All right. Thanks, Nester."

Laurel put her phone on the counter and watched the storm. She knew Kohnex was either mentally challenged or on drugs. Even so, she grabbed her phone and dialed Huck just to hear his voice. He didn't answer. She ignored her momentary panic and walked back into the living room.

As she watched Rachel Raprenzi's livestream, Huck walked out of the forest carrying a petite, dark-haired girl who was smiling widely at him.

Relief slid through Laurel's veins. The kids weren't harmed. Huck was safe.

Laurel watched as Huck smiled and said something to the girl, who grinned and waved at the camera. Relief relaxed Laurel's muscles, one by one. The duo appeared perfectly healthy.

At least for now.