Bonnie - Iris Johansen [99]
“The signs are getting fresher. We’re moving fast. I’d say a few hours.”
“That’s too long. You have to get closer to him. There’s too much territory, and you could lose him.”
“What?” Gallo said. “We’re doing the best we can. What do you mean? You have an idea where he’s headed?”
“Almost certainly. I’ll give you the coordinates I know.” Joe rattled off the coordinates. “But this is where I am. He won’t come directly here. There’s a lot of wild country around here, acres and acres. Low hills, flatlands, and a giant ridge.”
“What ridge?”
“Something weird. I’ll send you a photo of the area I Googled that’s beyond the ridge I’m facing now.”
“Those coordinates put Danner and Eve about six hours away from you,” Catherine said. “And Gallo and I are about eight hours.”
“You’d better be right on top of him when he gets here. We could miss him, dammit.”
“Why? If we know the approximate—” Her phone pinged, and she cut over to look at the topographical photo Joe had sent her. “Holy shit.” She showed the photo to Gallo, then cut back to the call from Joe. “It looks like the Grand Canyon.”
“Not nearly as grand, much smaller, but it’s wild enough to cause us a problem. If that’s where he’s taking Eve, we could wander around there and not find them until it’s too late.”
“If?”
“Like I told you, that area is only one part of the area he could be headed for. There’s too wide a choice. Check Danner’s exact projected destination from where you are now. He should have to commit very soon.”
“A Grand Canyon in Georgia?” Catherine asked. “Have you ever heard of it, Joe?”
“I have a vague memory,” Joe said. “I’ve never seen it. It’s one of the natural oddities that appeal to some tourists.”
“And how much territory are we going to have to worry about?”
“Surrounding hills, flatlands. Too much. It’s enough to be fatal to Eve if we’re not close enough. We have to narrow it down.”
“We’ll be right behind him.”
“Call me,” Joe said curtly. He hung up.
Catherine flipped back to the Google overview. “This isn’t good enough for anything. I’ll call Venable and see if he can get a satellite image of the canyon and surrounding area so we’ll have an accurate map.” She started to dial. “After that, we’ve got to get moving.” She could feel the blood pumping through her veins as the adrenaline surged. At last, they had a chance to get ahead of the bastard. “We made up a lot of the distance between us in the last few hours. We can—” Gallo was shaking his head. “What’s wrong? We can do it.”
“I don’t doubt you for a minute. You can move mountains. Or at least a minor Grand Canyon,” he said. “But we might catch up with him just a little too late. We can’t afford to do that.”
Her gaze was narrowed on his face. “What are you suggesting, Gallo?”
“I’m suggesting you go after Danner alone. I’ll cut back straight east until I get to a farm or ranch and borrow a vehicle and take off on the nearest highway or road that will take me to this canyon. I’ll be much faster than you on foot. As soon as he gets close enough to the canyon area so that you can see where he’s heading, you call me, and I’ll be there to meet him.” He tilted his head. “Much more practical?”
She thought about it from all angles. “Yes,” she said slowly.
“Then I’ll take off.” He started to turn, then whirled back to her. “Don’t try to get him by yourself, Catherine. Wait until we get to the canyon.”
“It would be questionable whether I’d even be able to reach him by the time he gets to the canyon area. I doubt if I’d be able to get ahead and ambush him.”
“But you’d do it if you got the chance.” He shook his head. “Call me. Let me help you, dammit.”
She gazed at him for a moment. “I’ll call you … and Joe.”
His lips twisted. “Because you still don’t trust me.”
“No, I don’t,” she said bluntly. “No one knows how you’re going to react until the moment you see Ted Danner. Not even you, Gallo.” She turned her back on him. “I’ll see you at the canyon.”
She could feel his gaze on her back until she turned the curve in the path. What did he expect? She would not tell