“Is that what we’re doing?” I don’t miss the humor in her tone.

I could tell her I hope so. Or I think so. Or something soft and unassuming. But I have no desire to give her an out. “Yes.” It’s all I say and leave it at that.

Heavy footfalls approach from behind us. The swoosh of the automatic sliding door has her pushing away. I let my arms fall to my side.

One of the FBI agents addresses us. “A phone call came in. We have an address. It’s about an hour away. Teams are loading up now.”

I drive Jack’s Range Rover closely behind Agent Ryland’s sedan. Jack sits in the passenger seat beside me. He’s still, but easy to read. He’s both exhausted and desperate. There’s a thin veil of control binding him together. Alex sits in the back seat. From time to time, she texts on her phone. Her left knee rises and falls, tapping much the way it did on our first helicopter ride to San Diego. Her hair is bound up once again in a complicated twist.

Temecula is about an hour outside of San Diego. The FBI agent riding in the back seat with Alex gets updates along the way. A team of agents have arrived and are scouting the area. The address the caller provided is off Temecula Parkway on Anza Road. Google Maps shows the address provided is an abandoned storage facility.

The agents call in to say the fence around the facility has been damaged. The area is overgrown, but there are fresh tracks along the dusty dirt and gravel path.

Five minutes after the update call, we park behind a couple of other vehicles about half a mile from the address. The FBI has contacted the local police department. Two police cars are parked across the road with blue and red lights flashing.

Agent Ryland gets out and approaches them. A minute later, the flashing lights are turned off. The call came in from a man who chose to remain anonymous. If we find Sophia, they provided him a number to call to claim his reward money.

Whether or not any charges are levied against him remains to be seen. That piece of the operation isn’t a piece I particularly care about. My only concern is locating Sophia and getting my friend’s daughter home safely.

“The SWAT team is going to approach from the back. There’s always a risk this is a setup. You all stay here.”

Agent Ryland’s command is firm, and he charges off with the two police officers following him.

“You’ve got better skills than any of those agents.” I glance back to my friend. The corner of his lip lifts. He’s going through hell, and he’s trying to make me feel better.

“This is their show. They’ve got a wealth of information they haven’t shared with us. Perfectly happy to hang back and keep you safe.”