Kaleidoscope Eyes (41 page)

“Sure. Follow me.”

Killian tossed one last glare at Dan, then followed Jim across the site. Annie waited until they were out of earshot, then spun back to her brother. “All right,
Deputy.
What was that all about?”

“Just hitting all the bases, sis.”

“If you think for a minute that Killian has anything to do with this—”

The look in his eyes stopped her cold. “Annie, until we know who the perp is, I think everyone’s guilty. And when a little girl’s safety—” his gaze narrowed—“and my
sister’s
safety—are at stake, I don’t leave any suspect stone unturned.”

She wanted to argue with him, but a voice from behind them halted the angry words perched on her tongue.

“Hey, you ready to go?”

They turned to find Andy standing there, camera at the ready. He’d been filming the briefing, then went to film comments from a number of the SAR members.

Now, here he was, camera aimed at them.

“How long have you been here?”

At Dan’s firm question, Andy lowered the camera and held his hand up. “Hey, I just arrived.”

“Okay.” Dan eyed Annie. “Be careful, okay?”

Her anger faded at the concern in his tone. “I will, Dan. I promise.”

As he walked away, Andy hiked his camera back up on his shoulder and started filming. “As I was saying, you ready to go?”

Annie was finally learning how to just relax and talk to the camera lens as though she were talking to Andy. He’d even let her tape a little picture of him on the top of the camera.

“I’m ready”

Jed came to join them, and with Kodi at their side, they headed out to Annie’s Jeep. “So some of the teams are now doing evidence searches?”

Annie nodded, opening the door for Kodi to hop in. “We’ll still be searching for Amberly, but we’re ranging farther because of the likelihood that Amberly isn’t just walking. She’s being carried to different locations.”

It took them about fifteen minutes to reach their designated search area. A rocky ravine. They walked to the edge, peering down. “Lots of shale here.” Annie looked over her shoulder at the guys. “And the snow just makes it that much more treacherous.”

Jed leaned forward, looking down. “And we’re going down there … why?”

“Because we determined this was too far for Amberly to walk. And too hard for her to navigate. But if someone has her and is looking for a place to hide her … ” She motioned toward the ravine with her chin. “This is the place to go. Lots of trees and brush down there, which makes it almost impossible to see anything from up here. The descent is treacherous, which keeps folks from wandering by. Unless, of course—” she stepped forward—“you happen to be a crazy SAR person. Watch your footing.”

“And her crazy camera crew,” Andy muttered as he followed her over the edge.

They made their way down the incline, sliding as much as walking. Annie kept an eye on Kodi, but the dog was faring better than she and the men. Four feet definitely gave a more solid base in terrain like this.

Once at the bottom, Annie sent Kodi out, and she and the men fell into what was becoming routine. She walked just ahead of them, talking, explaining what Kodi was doing or what she noticed.

She looked over her shoulder. “So you still think this is going to make a good show?”

Jed’s nod was immediate. “Count on it.”

“We’re not exactly
Bay watch
, you know”

“No, you’re not,” Andy called from behind the camera. “You’re better.”

Annie laughed at that. “You obviously need to get out more, Andy.”

“What I need—” he said as he slipped on some loose rocks—“is another latte.”

“Sorry, no coffee kiosks out here.”

“Well then,” Jed joined in. “We’re in great shape.”

Annie frowned. “How’s that?”

“We’ve got the best K-9 search team in the northwest here. So whaddya say, Annie? Ready to find this little girl and get back to town?”

She glanced at him and saw he was serious. What she saw on his face took her breath away.

He believed in her.

“You can do this. You and Kodi.”

Andy joined the chorus. “C’mon, Annie. Forget this creep and his stupid notes. Let’s find the girl.”

Warmth filled her chest, even as a smile filled her face. “Okay.” She turned to follow Kodi. “Let’s do it.”

He didn’t want to do this.

But what choice did he have?

The shirt hadn’t worked. After all the trouble he’d gone to getting the blood, hiding the shirt, waiting for them to find it. At first he thought it was working. Thought they believed the child was hurt.

Maybe even dead.

As he watched despair overtake Annie, he’d felt a surge of pure, raw elation.

He was winning.

But then …

Something changed. It was Jed’s fault. Curry wasn’t doing anything the way he was supposed to.
Why did I bring him here? He’s going to ruin everything!

Too late for recriminations. It was what it was. He simply needed to up the stakes.

He steered his car to a secluded spot, nudging the nose of it into dense bushes and trees. Then glanced in the rearview mirror.

The child had been more of a trial than he’d imagined. Oh, she’d been pliable at first, believing him when he told her he was an angel, sent by her mommy to protect her. But with each passing day, she’d grown more restless. Demanding.

His lips pressed together.

He hated demanding people.

It took time, but he finally accepted that he couldn’t control her. Happily, the pills were working. Keeping her deep asleep. She hadn’t stirred as he wrapped her in the blanket and carried her to the car. Hadn’t moved as he drove. Now, as he watched her in the mirror, he almost thought the rise and fall of her little chest would slow so much it might stop. A thrill of panic shot through him.

Then she took a breath, and the excitement faded.

She was only sleeping. She was fine.

For now.

But such were the caprices of the fates. Plans, no matter how precise, could be foiled. And though he hadn’t intended on harming the child, who knew what would be necessary before they were through?

Still, for now, it was enough that she slept.

He slipped from the car, locking it tight, then ran to the edge of the ravine just in time to catch a glimpse of Annie and her lackeys. Good. They were going the way he’d hoped.

He ran into the woods, toward the spot on the edge of the ravine.

Five minutes. That’s all it would take him to reach the spot he’d prepared. Five minutes.

And it would all be over.

“She’s alerting!”

Annie readied herself for Kodi’s jump, then encouraged the shepherd to show her what she’d found. Her heart pounded. Kodi was more excited than Annie had seen her in days.

This had to be it.

Annie ran after her dog, shouting encouragement.

Please, God, let this be it!

It was cold.

Amberly shivered, pulling the blanket over her. But it didn’t help. Her teeth started chattering.

She tried to open her eyes, but they didn’t want to open.

She didn’t feel good.

“Mom … my.”

When her mommy didn’t answer, Amberly started crying. Where was she? Why couldn’t she open her eyes. Where was her angel? He said he would protect her.

Open!
She told her eyes.
Open!

Finally they obeyed.

Sniffling, she saw she was in a car. She pushed herself up, but everything started to twist and spin in circles. Amberly cried harder.

“Mommy!”

She blinked, making her eyes see better. Mommy wasn’t here. Neither was her angel. No one was here. She was all alone. And so cold.

She scooted across the seat and grabbed the door handle, crying so hard now she had to rub away the tears to see anything. She turned the handle and pushed. The door flew open.

Amberly slid out of the car, but her legs wouldn’t hold her up. She dropped to the ground, then jerked back at the cold snow. She wanted to call her mommy again, but she couldn’t talk because of the tears.

She pushed onto her hands and knees and crawled. Around the car. Away from the woods. Crying harder than she’d ever cried before.

“Mommy!”

“Don’t lose them!”

“Don’t
what?”
Andy’s voice grated behind Jed. “I’ll be lucky not to lose the camera! This stuff is like running on marbles!”

Jed scrambled over the slippery ground. He’d almost gone down twice now. How did Annie move so fast over this stuff? He looked ahead, then pointed. “I think Kodi has something! Are you filming?”

Andy lurched to stand beside him, pulling the camera to his shoulder. “I’ve never missed a shot yet. I’m not startin’ now!”

As they drew closer, Jed saw Annie running toward Kodi, who was barking and digging frantically at a large pile of lose rocks and shale at the base of the incline.

“Man, that does not look safe … ”

He agreed with Andy. “Shoot up, toward the top. I want to see what’s above—”

“Crud!”

Jed looked at Andy. “What? What’s wrong?”

“There’s someone up there.”

“What?”

Andy pointed, and Jed followed his finger. But all he saw were rocks and boulders at the top.

“He’s up there, I’m tellin’ ya. I
saw
him.”

Alarm surged through Jed as he scanned the incline. It wouldn’t take much to send the whole side of that hill down on top of Kodi. And …

He started running. “Annie!”

She didn’t look his way. She was intent on helping Kodi uncover whatever she was digging at.

“Annie!”

She jerked her head up, looking at him. He was no more than ten feet away when he heard it. An ominous rumble.

“Look out!”

Andy’s yelp hit them at the same time Jed lunged forward, catching Annie by the waist and carrying her out of the path of the falling rocks and shale. Holding her fast, the two of them rolled, the hard ground slicing at them as their momentum carried them.

When they came to a stop, they lay there panting, dust from the rock slide settling over them. Jed had Annie’s face pressed to his chest, and he looked down at her. “Are you okay?”

She managed a nod. “I think so.”

They sat up and looked back. A pile of rock and rubble lay where Annie had been standing.

The realization of what could have happened slammed into Jed. A half second later, Annie surged to her feet.

“Kodi!”

She and Jed scrambled over the rubble on the ground. “Do you see her? Oh, God, please! Do you see her?”

The panic in Annie’s voice tore at him, and he started grabbing rocks and throwing them. “We’ll get her out, Annie. We’ll get her … ”

But even as he dug, he knew it was too late.

Kodi was gone.

FORTY-THREE        

R
ocks.

Rocks piled on rocks.

There was no way a dog could survive being buried under all of this.

Jed grabbed and threw, hands tearing on the jagged edges of rocks and shale. It didn’t matter. In fact, the pain helped him disregard his screaming muscles—and the scream trying to claw its way up from his chest.

Beside him, Annie stopped digging. He turned to her, a question poised on his lips, and saw she was shaking, tears streaming down her face, leaving damp trails of denial as she pled with heaven. “Jesus, please … this can’t happen. It can’t.”

Her hoarse whisper cut deep, and still kneeling, Jed grasped her arms and pulled her close. Her fists pounded on his chest, and he took the onslaught without flinching. Outwardly, anyway

God? This can’t be Your answer. It can’t …

When her fists finally stopped, her fingers tangled in the front of his shirt, clutching as she sagged against him. He tucked her tight, turning so his body blocked the sight of the pile of rubble.

Voices wrestled within Jed, one screaming that no God who allowed this could be good, loving, trustworthy The accusations pelted his heart, tearing at it, and he could feel it stiffening, turning as hard and cold as the rocks that lay behind him.

But another voice breathed through him, a gentle whisper calling his rampant thoughts to silence.

Trust.

But how can Annie handle this? You know Kodi was more than just a dog to her.

Trust in the Lord always.

Jed pressed his face against Annie’s hair.
I want to, God. You know I want to …

Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.

“Jed! Annie! Are you okay?”

Jed turned and saw Andy running up to them—and went still. “Annie.”

She pressed against him, shaking her head.

Jed closed his hands on her arms, gave a gentle shake. “Annie, look.”