A far cry from the life he was living right now. The stink of dried blood filled his nostrils and turned his stomach. As soon as he knew where his targets were headed, he'd get out of this dump for good.

Chapter 24

NATE OPENED THE CABIN's front door the next morning for Rae, who stepped inside carrying a diaper bag big enough to carry three small children and their tricycles. Behind her came Brady with the car seat and a sleeping Johnny.

"He looks peaceful," Nate whispered

"Don't get used to it." Rae set her bag on the sofa. "He's busy these days. And mischievous."

Brady set the baby's seat on the coffee table. "We'll be at the kitchen table, right?"

Neither of them had kept their voices down, and the baby hadn't stirred. "Yeah." Nate rounded the bar to the kitchen. "Coffee?"

While Rae and Brady made their coffees, Marisa trudged out of her bedroom, hair wet from the shower, braided as usual. Dark rings surrounded her bloodshot eyes.

Nate left his friends and joined her. "You holding up?"

She nodded, though she looked haggard.

"You didn't sleep well."

"How could I?" Marisa had seemed hopeful when they'd left Jessica the day before. He'd called Brady, given him Rick's phone number. Brady had been trying to ping it. It had only come on for a moment the day before, not long enough to get a read on it. According to Brady's text an hour earlier, the phone had been off ever since.

As they'd driven back to New Hampshire, her hope of finding Ana had drifted off, replaced by despair, which seemed to have nested on Marisa's shoulders, heavier by the minute. By the time they reached the little cabin, she'd been curled up on the seat, weeping.

Not that he could blame her.

Nate wrapped her in his arms, and she folded against him as if he could fix it all. If only it were true. He rubbed her back and whispered in her ear, but there was nothing he could say to alleviate her fear. He waited until the latest round of tears was spent, knowing there were more.

Tears were the world's only unlimited resource.

"Come on." He stepped away and took her hand. "Let's get you some coffee and figure out what to do next."

He walked Marisa to the bar, made her coffee, and chose a muffin from the assortment Sam had brought earlier in the week. She shook her head.

"You haven't eaten since the salad yesterday."

"I'm not hungry."

"You want me to warm it up for you?"

Her eyes filled. "Is Ana eating?"

Rae stepped behind her. "How will starving yourself help your daughter?"

Nate set the muffin on a plate and slid it across the bar. "Eat."

She sighed and broke off a tiny bite.

At the sound of a knock, Brady answered the door, and Sam came inside, her laptop case over her shoulder. "Sorry I'm late. Been busy."