Was that Brody or Sam? The grass was too high to see his face. Hannah pointed the gun forward. “Brody?”

“I’m here.” Wheezing, he sat up. One hand held his rib cage. “I think he’s dead.”

Hannah walked closer. She peered over the vegetation. Sam’s eyes stared sightlessly at the sky. A knife protruded from his belly.

“Hey, look!” Brody pointed behind her. Red and blue lights swirled in the distance.

Hannah helped him to his feet. Now that the threat was gone, he sagged.

“You need a hospital.”

“Need to find Chet,” he said.

They limped toward the lights.

Mac rode shotgun in Officer Dane’s patrol car. They were flying on the rural straightaway that led to the abandoned rail yard. Lights flickered around them, but the sirens were off. They didn’t want to spook the suspects.

She stared straight ahead. “You’re really a wildlife biologist?”

“Yes.”

“What do you study?”

“Otters.”

Her brow lifted. “Otters?”

“Yeah. Otters.”

“Interesting.” Her tone sounded more puzzled than curious. “How do you know the rail yard so well?”

“I spent considerable time out there as a teenager.”

The quick glance she cast in his direction was surprised. “Sex, drugs, or underage drinking?”

“Yes,” he said.

The cars pulled through the sagging-open gate. Cops spilled out. With Mac’s input, a quick and dirty search plan had already been agreed upon in the conference room of the police station.

“You stay here.” Dane pointed at him.

“But I know this place.”

“Do I need to handcuff you and put you in the back?”

“No.” Mac hung back, leaning on the car and crossing his arms. His memories of handcuffs and the backseats of patrol cars were not pleasant. Nor were the bad decisions that had put him there.

Dane hesitated, glancing back at him. “We’ll find her.”

Mac nodded. “You’d better.”

“Don’t you go running off into the dark the minute my back is turned,” she warned. “You’ll get shot.”

Hm. Mac wondered how the cop knew he was going to do just that.

“There they are!” someone shouted.

Two figures limped toward them. Mac ran past the cops. His sister was banged up but on her feet and walking. Relief nearly took him to his knees. He folded her into his chest. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here.”

“I’m all right, Mac,” Hannah said.

He took his first full breath in hours. What if she hadn’t been? He would have been too late yet again. He would have put work ahead of his family for the hundredth time. He hadn’t been around to help Lee. Hell, he hadn’t even known Lee was in trouble, which was totally inexcusable. Lee had saved Mac, and in return, Mac had abandoned him.

He tightened his grip on his sister.

Their childhood had been messed up, but what Mac did with his adult life was his responsibility.