“We’ll find her,” Baxter assured the little girl. He stepped back as the paramedics walked up to look the girl over. Baxter walked back to where the deputies were standing, discussing the missing girl.

“We’ll transfer Jenkins to lock-up,” the deputy said.

“The other little girl is still missing,” Baxter replied with a frown. He knew time might have already run out. There was no telling what that psychopath had done to little Abigail Harris.

“They live in the next county over,” the deputy responded. “He could have taken them anywhere.”

Baxter thought about it for a moment. Without saying a word, he walked up to his cruiser and opened the back door. “Get out,” he said as he grabbed Jenkins’ arm and pulled him out of the car. Jenkins reluctantly complied, stumbling as he was pulled out of the car.

“Where’s the other girl?” Baxter asked.

“She’s an angel now,” the man responded. He was still sobbing.

“You son of a bitch, what did you do to her?” Baxter demanded as he slammed the man against the cruiser.

“She’s sleeping now,” the man responded. Baxter grabbed the man and shoved him toward the other deputy. The deputy caught him as he nearly tripped and fell.

Baxter walked back to the man’s car. The trunk was still open. He looked inside, seeing dirt and dust everywhere. It looked like red dirt or clay.

“Deputy!” Baxter said, motioning to the Sheriff’s Deputy he had been talking to.

“What’s up?” the deputy asked as he finished helping the other deputy stuff Jenkins in his cruiser.

“This guy pulled onto the highway off a dirt road about a mile that way,” he said, pointing past the cruisers and ambulance.

“Yeah?”

“Do you know what’s down that road?”

“Mostly pastures, a farm, and a pond, I think,” the deputy replied.

“Get in your car and follow me!” Baxter said as he sprinted toward his cruiser. The confused deputy hesitated and then took off toward his car as Baxter slammed his door shut. He made a u-turn and floored it, heading toward the road the man had pulled out from as the Crown Vic’s V8 engine screamed.

As Baxter reached the road, he made a left, slowing as his wheels hit the packed gravel. He turned on his spotlight and looked out. There were fields with barbed wire fences on either side. The Sheriff’s Deputy finally caught up behind him and also began searching with his spotlight. Baxter kept driving slowly. He didn’t really know what he was looking for exactly, but he knew he’d recognize it if he saw it. The truth was in the details.

After a half mile, the road came to a T-intersection with another gravel road. Baxter stopped and got out of his car. He walked into the middle of the intersecting road with his flashlight. To his left, it looked like there was a gate that led to more field. The path to his right seemed to go on for another mile or so. The deputy got out and approached Baxter as he stood contemplating which way to go.