Hunting Human - Amanda E. Alvarez [105]
Forty-five minutes later, Beth strained her eyes, peering into the shallow depths the Land Rover’s lights cut through the woods as it bounced along the second backwoods road they’d searched. It was slow going now that the sun had set, too dark to see around corners or more than a few yards ahead. Even with the high beams on they had to take it slow for fear that they would hit something. Or someone.
“There!” Beth pointed through the windshield as they rounded another corner. “That’s the truck. Stop the car, Chase.” The Land Rover was still moving as she threw the door open, ignoring Chase’s shout to wait.
Nothing. No Braden.
“He’s not here,” she shouted as Chase pulled the car closer, headlights slashing through the darkness. A beam of light reflected off something in the cab of the trunk. Beth pulled the door open and saw a cell phone sitting atop the change of clothes she’d given Braden before he left.
“What is it?” Chase asked.
“It’s a phone.” But it was too small to be Braden’s. She flipped open the phone and the screen lit up. “Oh, God.”
She handed the phone off to Chase, the image of Braden, bound and beaten seared into her mind.
“We’re going back.” Chase’s voice was taut with fury. He slid the phone into his pocket and pushed her toward the Land Rover. “The truck’s keys are still in the ignition. I’ll drive it back. Take Caleb’s car. I’ll follow you out.”
Beth couldn’t move. She should have gone with Braden. He shouldn’t have been left alone. God, this couldn’t be happening again. She choked on the bile that tried to rush up her throat. What were they doing to him? Was he even still alive?
A rough hand gripped her elbow and whipped her around. Chase shook her hard enough to snap her head back and forth, hard enough to let his words penetrate the thick fog of panic that descended.
“Take the Rover, Beth. We’ve got to get out of here. Get back to the house.”
Beth shook her head even as Chase pushed her toward the car. “We can’t leave him out here.” Hysteria pitched her voice high and shrill. Digging her shoes into the dirt she fought against Chase. “I won’t let them take him. I won’t.”
“Neither will I. But we can’t do anything from here. We need to get back to the house.” When she didn’t move, Chase forced her to the car and jerked open the door. “He’s not dead, Beth. We’ll get him back. Now go.”
Beth went. Tremors shook her hands and arms and tears of fury burned her vision the entire excruciating drive home.
***
The whole family sat around the kitchen island, shocked and silent. Anna’s face was chalk-white and her fingers trembled around the mug of coffee her husband handed her.
“I’m so sorry,” Beth choked out.
This is my fault.
Anna’s head shot up and her fingers gripped her mug so tightly Beth was afraid she’d break the thick ceramic. “Stop it. I won’t have talk like that. This isn’t your fault.” She slammed her open palm against the counter when Beth opened her mouth. “I mean it. Talk of blame isn’t productive or appropriate. We need to focus on how we get him back. How we end this.”
“She’s right.” Matthew said, laying a hand on his wife’s shoulder. “He’s alive. The pictures on this phone are proof of that.”
“Is he okay?” Lucy asked, her voice unnaturally flat. Beth had only seen the photo on the phone when she picked it up, but Chase and his father had scrolled through the stored images and found quite a few more. They hadn’t allowed the rest of the family to look at them.
“Nothing Mike can’t handle.” Matthew’s arm wrapped around his wife when she dropped her head and choked back tears. “Look, he’s okay right now. Markko’s using him to bait you.” His solemn stare fastened on Beth. “He’s been playing a game of cat and mouse with you from the time you got here. The blue moon is the night after next. He wants you as uncomfortable and off balance as possible—and he obviously wants you to come to him. He has every reason to keep Braden alive.”
“So what do I do?” Beth asked.
“Right now, hard as it will be, we wait.”
“For