They walked in a crouch, Max shining the light and Lyle pointing the rifle. Sure enough, it was Reed’s Tahoe. It should be empty, but now Max regretted leaving his shotgun in the Cherokee.

Lyle took the driver’s side and Max circled to the other. The front of the truck tipped up, hung on a stump. Max stepped through the trees, his light aimed at the passenger door. He popped the door and shined the light inside the cab. At the same time, Lyle opened the driver’s door. The Tahoe was empty.

“They’re here,” Lyle said. “Dumb son of a bitch came back. I knew he would.”

Max looked through the cab, hoping to find proof that they had the boy, a car seat maybe. At first he saw nothing, but then, there they were… a child’s shoe prints on the back of the front passenger seat. “And they have Pip with them,” Max said, pointing.

Lyle came around to look, and when he saw the shoe prints he traced them with his finger. In a voice strangled with emotion Lyle said, “He’s got my grandson out there.”

“If they drove straight here, they have at least an hour’s head start.”

“Then let’s get a move on.” Lyle started to run back to the Cherokee.

But Max called out, “Wait!”

Lyle stopped.

“We need to let Bolger know.”

“Goddammit, that’s a waste of time.”

“We know Reed’s here. We know he’s got Pip. Bolger can send out a plane.”

Lyle shook his head as if disgusted. “Fine.” He pulled out his phone and started moving it around looking for a signal. “Go get loaded up. I’ll call Bolger.”

Max walked back to the Cherokee and shoved the flashlight into his already bulging pack and then checked the shotgun, pumping out the four shells—one shy of a full load—and reloading them. He strapped the headlamp to his head, but then thought better of it. If Reed was lying out there in the darkness with a gun, he didn’t want to give the man such a clean target. He tied the headlamp to the end of the shotgun barrel. That way, if Reed took a shot at the light, Max would have a chance.

Still, the lamp seemed awfully bright. Henry had packed a spare pair of long underwear for Max, a black nylon-type fabric. He found the Leatherman and used the knife blade to cut material from one of the legs, wrapping it around the light, dimming it down a bit. He cut another piece of cloth to give to Lyle.

As he hefted his pack, Lyle came jogging up the trail.

“You call Bolger?” Max asked.

“I got ahold of Joanna at home. I gave her the details.” Lyle lifted his pack onto his back and buckled in. “She said she’d find Bolger and tell him. Now let’s go.”

“I’ll catch up. I got to do something.” Max opened the backseat door as Lyle marched up the trail.

Max had changed into the hiking pants at Henry’s shop, throwing his street clothes into the backseat of the Cherokee. Now he reached into the pocket of his pants and pulled out Jenni’s bracelet. He couldn’t quite explain why, but if he were to die in those woods, he wanted that bracelet near him.