Standing alone, Byyle watched the forest road swallow the deputy’s SUV. He then turned to see the dog, tail wagging, sniffing. He listened to the fading jingle of its lead as it disappeared into the tall grass, and resumed wiping his hands in the cloth.

Byyle’s nostrils flared slightly as he watched Brenner shrink before the tree line.

Then he was gone.

***

The first hour had yielded nothing.

As they continued, covering acre after acre, Brenner kept coming back to Luna’s initial reaction upon their arrival.

Did she pick up something?

It was difficult to say, because that paint solvent business with Byyle rubbing Luna’s snout gave her a distracting scent. But she should’ve been clear of it by now. Then there was last night’s wind and rain, making for unfavorable conditions. Luna was a good dog, certified for searching. But this afternoon, she faced challenges.

Another hour passed, and Brenner, using his GPS and apps, could mark the sections of the property they’d cleared as they continued searching the seemingly endless series of rolling hills, meadows, creeks, ponds, and dense woods to determine if Samantha Moore had ever set foot in this part of the Kingdom.

The third hour passed, with Brenner slowing and Luna keeping a steady pace.

They stopped on a flat rock. Brenner ate the chicken sandwich he had in his backpack, and gave Luna biscuits and water. The sun was sinking fast. He kneaded the stiffness at the base of his neck before they resumed moving toward the next section of tall grass adjacent to the tree line. Brenner was thinking how this was such a vast and beautiful corner of the world when they came to a row of bushes and Luna barked.

Suddenly, she raised her nose.

“What is it, girl?”

Luna began licking her lips, went into more sniffing. She started forward. Stopped. Then started again launching into barking and whimpering.

That’s when Brenner heard a distinctive hissing.

A skunk emerged from its den, stamping its front feet, making a brief forward charge.

Brenner cursed.

The skunk raised its tail.

Brenner reeled in the lead as he and Luna backed away slowly, slowly.

Luna barked.

Brenner prayed the skunk would not twist its hind end in their direction as he continued backing away, pulling Luna back, back, until they reached a safe distance.

Relieved, Brenner gave the area a wide sweep away when his radio crackled.

“Everyone, stand down and return to the command center! They’ve got something in Sector 11!”

CHAPTER 9

Northeast Kingdom, Vermont

Some 12 miles west of where Ben Brenner and Luna were searching, a U.S. Border Patrol helicopter thundered over the base of the Cold Hollow Mountains where Ellen Wisert was working her way through the thick brush.

Wisert was a member of the team of 10 Burlington firefighters who had arrived yesterday to join the large search-and-rescue operation, involving nearly 200 volunteers and headed by the Vermont State Police.