“Yes,” Pierce said. “It will. And she could die. I’m not going to b.s. you about that. If I call in the military, Lauren might die.” He took his gaze off the barn, turned and looked at Sam and Dani. “But her odds are even worse if I don’t make the call.”

“What do you mean?” Dani asked.

“I mean if I had to bet, I’d say the last guy in the barn is on the two-way right now, relaying a message to the transport vehicle. He’s saying screw two o’clock, get here as fast as you possibly can. Because minutes count now, and even if they get out of here early, the military might be after them by then. And in that case … if I were these guys … I’d damn well want a hostage with me. Wouldn’t you?” He turned and stared at the barn again. “My gut says if these guys get away, they take the girl with them … and no one ever sees her again.”

Sam watched the idea settle over Dani. She closed her eyes tight, as if she could wish it away.

“It’s not that I’m asking for your agreement on this,” Pierce said. “I’m calling them, regardless. I’m only trying to explain it so you’ll understand why. You saved my life, it’s the least I can do.”

Dani opened her eyes. She looked about as rattled as Sam had ever seen her. She met his gaze for a moment, then finally turned to Pierce and nodded. “Okay. I want you to call them.” She pointed east along the road. “We left our bikes in the ditch down there, near the old school. We should be able to reach someone’s farmhouse in a few minutes.”

Pierce thought about it, staring east into the dark.

“We can do better than that,” he said.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Dani’s bike had a banana seat just big enough to fit both her and Sam; Pierce rode Sam’s bike. From Echo House they followed Pierce east to Truman Avenue, which led north toward downtown Ashland and the subdivision beyond—but they didn’t go to either of those places. They rode only half a mile north on Truman before Pierce turned off the pavement onto the gravel driveway of an old farmhouse.

The house stood perched atop a slight rise amid the acres and acres of planted corn. There was a dim yellow porch light shining over the front yard, under the dense canopies of sixty-foot maples and oaks.

Pierce rode up to the porch steps and got off the bike. Sam and Dani stopped behind him.

“Do we just knock?” Sam asked.

Pierce shook his head. “No one would answer if we did.”

He climbed the steps and crossed to the door. There was a doorbell button next to it, glowing soft orange in the darkness of the covered porch.