“Okay, Chief Blake is coming in with the stragglers, so we’ll get him and start a search. Go stand on top of that column and look over the crowd and see what you can see.”

Dylan did as the sheriff asked, but didn’t see Piper or Ava, two women he now loved. One because she was his little sister, and finally they’d rekindled a relationship, even though it was still in a fledgling state. The other.... Hell, how did he even begin to think about Piper? With love, he now believed. The thought that she was with Field’s son, who was likely a maniac too, turned him cold. Jumping off the column, he ran back to the others.

Nobody had seen or heard from Piper or Ava.

Looking at the mountains, he knew someone could go missing up there for days... weeks, and not be found.

“Sheriff Hawker has just filled me in.” Chief Blake arrived. “I’ve called in the helicopter and others to search. One of my officers has been dispatched to your parents’ house to watch them until I say different, Dylan.”

“Thank you.”

“This has to be done right, and if as you say this man is a genius, and crazy to boot, then we need to be organized. Let’s head to the ranger station.”

“I’m not sure he’s a genius,” Mickey said, “but his father certainly was.”

They took off at a run, and once there they were handed maps and handheld transmitters.

“Okay, grids,” Fin said.

“To hell with that. I’m going up there now because they can’t have too much start on us.” Dylan started running. The others could do a grid search and bring in the helicopter, but he wasn’t waiting. He’d tracked this bastard’s father, and he sure as hell wasn’t waiting to track his son.

“That’s my cousin up there, and we know these mountains better than you.”

Dylan found Mickey, the Trainers, and Fin behind him. It had been Joe who spoke.

“Okay, so where do we start?”

“If he’s on foot with two women, he’ll stick to the safer trails, plus he’ll think he’s got time,” Fin said.

“Agreed. He won’t know that Mickey recognized him,” Dylan said.

“You carrying a gun, Dylan?” Fin asked him.

“Yes.”

“Good, me and Joe too. Now you get into FBI mode, Mr. Profiler, and work out how we’re going to track this bastard. You got his daddy, let’s go for the double and get his spawn too.”

Chapter 38

“So, you and Dylan, you’re closer now?”

“Sure.” Ava gave her a shy smile. “We’re working on it, but now I don’t hate him so much, or Charlie for that matter. It’s kind of nice to have them around.”

“And this time you guys will stay in touch, I’m sure of that.”