Friendly Fire

by Lorhainne Eckhart

  “I’m coming down there,” Julia said. “I’m just going to close up the cafe.”

  “Okay,” Sue replied, her tone tense.

  Julia’s throat ached. She had to squeeze her hand, it was shaking so hard. Dawn was watching her with fear, taking it all in as if she was somehow responsible. Julia couldn’t do anything to calm her down right now, or tell her it was all right, because until she found Trinity and held her in her arms, too…well, she just didn’t know what to do.

  “We’re going to go to the school,” Julia said. “Grab your things.” She went to the front door, locked it, and turned the sign to “Closed,” then hurried to the counter and grabbed her sweater and purse, rummaging for her keys. “Let’s go,” she said, setting her hand on Dawn’s shoulder and guiding her to the back door.

  Just then, someone pounded at the front. She didn’t have time for this, but the pounding continued.

  “Julia!”

  It was Logan. She darted back to the front door and let him in. He stepped right into her space, setting both hands on her shoulders and looking at her with a concern she wanted to lean into.

  “Logan, I…” Her throat was dry. At the same time, there was something comforting about him being there, and she didn’t want him to let go.

  “A call came through at the station from the school. Trinity is missing?” he said. He was so grounding—that was what it was. His strength came through when he spoke.

  “Dawn showed up fifteen minutes late, and they’re never late, Logan! Dawn waited for Trinity at school, but she never came out, so she left. I don’t know what’s going on. Even the girl she was hanging out with at lunch doesn’t know where she is. What could have happened to my daughter?”

  “Okay, you need to breathe. Is there a friend she could have gone home with, anyone new at school?” he asked. She realized she was now holding his arm, holding tight. If she was gripping too hard, he didn’t seem to notice, and then he was guiding her to a stool. “Sit down.”

  “Logan, I want to go to the school. Maybe she’s there. Maybe she fell down and she’s hurt—in the bathroom, maybe,” she said as he moved in front of her, forcing her to sit.

  “I know you do. You’re looking for something bad, and I need you to stop. We’ll start looking, but the best thing for you to do is stay here,” he said in a strong, pointed tone.

  “Why? I can go through the school! Maybe there’s someplace they haven’t looked—”

  “Julia,” Logan interrupted her, “listen to me. She could have gone off with a friend and might be on her way here right now. If you’re all locked up and not here, then what is she going to do? No, I need you to stay here. I already have Jordy and Clinton on their way over to the school.”

  Julia noticed Dawn hovering in the doorway to the back, appearing absolutely terrified. “Dawn, come here, honey,” she said.

  Logan turned and noticed Dawn, too, and he held out his hand, gesturing for her to come to her mother. “Dawn, can you tell me what happened at school today? Who did you see your sister with?” He kneeled down in front of Dawn, and Julia noticed how he struggled with one leg.

  Dawn looked to Julia as if she needed permission to talk.

  “You need to tell Logan everything,” Julia urged her.

  “She was hanging out with Kari today at lunch, and they made fun of me,” Dawn began. “She turned her back on me and told me to go away. She’s never done that to me before. She was mean, and they laughed at me. She came into math class after lunch with Kari, and they both ignored me.”

  Logan glanced at Julia, unable to understand little girl drama. “Okay, honey,” he said. “When was the last time you saw your sister?”

  “We had math this afternoon with Mister Maloney. I left class before Trinity, and her and Kari hung back together. I went to music class.”

  “Was your sister in music?” Logan asked, resting his arms on his knee. Julia noticed he winced and struggled to stand, as if his leg was bothering him, and she remembered his injury.

  Just then, his phone rang. He lifted it to his ear. “Yeah?”

  Someone was talking on the other end, and then Logan turned his back and said, “No, where? Well, how does something like that happen? No, listen: I want you to get a list of all the parents and kids in her class and start calling every one of them. Find out whether anyone saw her.” He turned around, watching Julia, holding her in place with one look. She couldn’t keep down the icy fear that was clawing its way up her throat. She reached for Dawn and held her tight. Logan didn’t need to tell her that her daughter wasn’t at school.

  He hung up, setting his hands on his hips. Then he leaned down, resting his hand on her shoulder. “I need you to listen to me, Julia. She’s not at school. They’ve searched it top to bottom, even the mechanical room. She’s not there. Apparently, she wasn’t in music class, either.”

  Dawn pulled away from Julia. Her eyes widened frantically, as if she was somehow to blame.

  “I don’t understand. If she wasn’t in music class, where was she?” Julia asked. She looked to Dawn again. “Dawn, tell me again. Are you sure you didn’t see her after math?”

  “No, Mom, I promise I told you the truth. I didn’t see her. I left class before her, and she was still there.” She was almost crying, and Logan rested his other hand on Dawn’s shoulder to calm her down.

  “It’s okay, Dawn. We’re going to find your sister. Don’t worry,” he said. “I have a lot of questions, here, Julia. Do they not take attendance and notify the office when a child isn’t there?”

  “They’re supposed to. If a child is sick, we have to call in, or they phone us to find out where they are. It’s called the Safe Start Program. I don’t understand—Dawn, didn’t your music teacher take attendance?”

  She was shaking her head. “No, we all lined up in our rows. We were practicing for finals. Mister Reynolds was getting after Luke again, like he does every class. They don’t take attendance except in homeroom, when we first come to school.”

  There was a rattle and then a knock at the door. Logan glanced over, and Julia did, as well. Brent stood outside, the sleeves of his white dress shirt rolled up. He wore a worried look. He had heard, of course. Logan unlocked the door and let him in.

  “Julia, I just heard.” Brent hurried toward her and set his hands on her shoulders, a very intimate move, though Julia was too numb to react. She just listened as he said, “So, Sheriff, I hope you found her—or at least know what’s happened to her?” He dropped one hand, stepping to her side but keeping his other hand on her shoulder.

  “Well, actually, I’m glad you’re here,” Logan said. “Saves me having to track you down.” He stepped closer, setting his hands on his hips, taking Brent in with a sharp look.

  “You were last to see Trinity, Brent,” Julia said. “She was in your math class. Where is my daughter?” she snapped.

  Maybe it was her tone that caused Brent to step back, allowing his hand to fall away.

  “She’s right, Brent,” Logan said. “From what we can tell, she was in your math class and never got to music.”

  “I hope you’re not hinting at something, here, Sheriff,” Brent said. He gestured to Julia defensively and crouched down in front of her, setting his hand on hers. “I don’t know what happened to her, but I know she left my class with several of the girls. I think you need to be talking with Mister Reynolds. Why he never said anything is beyond me.”

  “I need to go to the school, Julia,” Logan said. “Stay here, and I’ll call you.”

  “I’ll stay, too. Julia shouldn’t be alone,” Brent added, moving closer to her again.

  Julia didn’t know what to think or where to look. All she knew was that her daughter had disappeared.

  Chapter 14

  Logan had been hard pressed to come up with a reason for Brent not to stay at the cafe with Julia. The fact was that there was something too polished about that man, always knowing the right things to say. The feeling niggled at Log
an. He wondered again whether his distrust of Brent was just based on the fact that the man had set his sights on the one woman who had stirred Logan’s interest like no one before.

  He had left the cafe, but not before assuring Dawn that this wasn’t her fault. The little girl had damn near broken his heart. She was ten, and with everything that had happened that day, Logan had been able to see her young mind spinning its wheels, reliving the events of the afternoon over and over. He understood, all too well, how torn up a person could get when they believed something was their fault.

  Even though Logan had been told that the roadside bomb had come out of nowhere, that didn’t stop him from blaming himself for the deaths of two of his comrades, Stark and Rodrigues. He had looked out for them, been responsible for them…and failed them. Dawn should never have been in that position, waiting for her sister. Whatever had happened, this was not her fault. She was just a little girl. Logan couldn’t help stepping in, as if he needed to watch out for her. Maybe this was because of how he felt for their mother, or maybe it was because Dawn looked so lost and vulnerable—a child who needed a father.

  Julia had a haunting, vacant look about her. He had promised to call her, and he would, too—after he found Trinity. Logan planned to search every nook and cranny, every empty lot, and even every home in this town if he had to.

  “Tell me again how you don’t check to make sure all the kids are accounted for,” Logan demanded. He had the principal and Mr. Reynolds seated in the front office of the school, all vinyl seats, concrete walls painted an off-white color, and pictures of the governor, president, and school staff hanging on the walls.

  “Sheriff!” Jordy called out from the secretary’s desk, where he set the phone back in its cradle. Darlene was also there with her cell phone, calling every parent in the area. “That was the last parent on the list,” Jordy said, “and not one of the kids said they saw Trinity after school.”

  Logan turned back to the principal. Sue’s hair was a disheveled mess, as if she’d run her fingers through it over and over. She had shed her blazer, and her white blouse had sweat stains under the arms. She shook her head, her hand resting on her chin. Of course she was distressed.

  Jerry Reynolds, the music teacher, was elderly and appeared one step from retirement. He was balding and wore glasses, a little overweight, and he gestured wildly. “We take attendance when the kids get to school! It’s turned in to the office. We don’t take it again in class. I noticed she wasn’t there, but I just thought she hadn’t come to school.”

  “We’ve never had a child go missing,” Sue interjected. “We’re a small school, Sheriff. MacKay is a small town. We don’t have trouble here outside of tourist season, which hasn’t even started yet.” Her eyes were streaked with red. She had obviously found time to cry somewhere private, and Logan couldn’t blame her. The unexpected happened when people let their guard down.

  He’d pieced together what he could after talking with all the staff. There were no locked doors at this school. Anyone could come and go; from any door, at any time, throughout the day. A sign was posted at the front door for visitors to report to the office, but with all the doors around the building, it seemed a predator’s paradise to Logan. Anyone could just walk in, blend in, and not be questioned, from what he could tell in this friendly little town. Logan wiped his face. Having seen the things he had in war-torn countries, big cities, and the worst of the worst, he knew this was exactly the hunting ground a predator would seek. He could blend in, become part of the town, and no one would notice.

  What he needed was to sit down with the old sheriff and have a heart to heart about the residents of the sleepy town of MacKay, but that would be after he organized a full-scale search. He’d need every able body he could find.

  His cell phone buzzed in his pocket. The screen showed Clinton, and Logan hoped he had good news. “Clinton, tell me you found her.”

  There was a heavy sigh in the young man’s voice. “No, Sheriff. I spoke with every business owner on Main Street, and no one has seen her, though they weren’t really paying attention. I traced her steps and the route she should have taken from school, but there was nothing, Sheriff.”

  “Okay, we need to arrange a search,” Logan said. “Contact the fire chief—hang on a second, Clinton. Jordy!” he called, tapping his fingers on the counter. “Tell me, what’s the procedure for calling an emergency meeting for search and rescue?”

  “Rose will handle it,” Jordy replied. “She puts out a call to the team leaders, and everyone meets at the school gym.”

  Logan set the phone back to his ear. “Clinton, get over to the school now.” He hung up the phone and gestured to Jordy. “Do it. Call Rose. Get everyone here now.”

  The sheriff took in the dark, round face and deep brown eyes of the mysterious deputy, who did as he was told, at the same time keeping everything so close to his chest that Logan wondered what he was thinking. If there was one thing Logan had learned over the years, it was to trust his gut. Jordy may have been hiding something, may have been fighting his own demons, but deep down, Logan believed Jordy would come through for him at his darkest hour. He hoped so, anyway.

  “Jordy, call Sheriff Wilcox, too,” he said. “Ask him to come down here. I think it’s time I find out from Sheriff Wilcox whether there’re any residents in this town that we need to be taking a closer look at.”

  Chapter 15

  At first, Julia had been confused by her feelings when Brent showed up. After she ran through the gamut of emotions, from guilt to anger to blame, she found herself grateful that he was here now, because he was taking care of things she just couldn’t bring herself to do. Right now, he was making Dawn a sandwich, pouring her a glass of juice—he even set a tuna sandwich from the fridge in front of Julia. She just shook her head. She couldn’t eat anything, knowing Trinity was missing.

  “Come on, Julia, you have to eat,” he urged. Even Dawn just stared and picked at the sandwich.

  She squeezed the phone and paced to the doorway, stepping out onto the sidewalk and looking up and down the street at the local storefronts a hundred times. There was always someone walking past, and news had already spread that her daughter was missing. Ruth Lewis, from the hair salon next door, spotted her and hurried out. She had bleached blond hair and long, artificial nails painted bright red, and she set both her arms around Julia and hugged her, offering to help with anything, even taking Dawn home with her. Julia, of course, thanked her, but with one daughter missing, she wasn’t allowing Dawn out of her sight.

  She went back inside and sat on the stool again, the uneaten sandwich staring back at her. She wanted to call Logan, and she finally gave in, pushing the plate away. The call went right to voicemail. “Logan, it’s Julia. I haven’t heard from you, and I was hoping you had some news, something…”

  “Julia?” He must have heard her message, as he cut into the call. “Nothing. I’ve got search and rescue volunteers arriving at the school now. I’ve just called everyone in.”

  “Logan, I can’t sit here and wait anymore. I’m going out of my mind, imagining her lying hurt somewhere. I’ve got to get out there and help search. I can’t just sit and wait. If she was coming here, don’t you think she would have shown up by now?”

  He paused, and she could tell he was thinking. “I’ll come and get you. Just sit tight.”

  “Logan, I can drive over there—”

  He cut her off. “You’re in no condition to drive. I’ll be there in two minutes to pick you and Dawn up.”

  “Julia, I can drive you,” Brent said from behind her. He even reached out and touched her shoulder.

  “Brent is still here, Logan. He said he’d drive us over,” she replied. She could hear someone talking in the background.

  “No, I’m already on my way,” he said rather sharply. “I’ll pick you up in back. Ask Brent to stay there in case Trinity shows up. We should really get someone over to your house, too.”

  She hadn’t thou
ght about that. It was hard to think about anything like this, to plan or organize. She just wasn’t on top of her game. “Yes, you’re right. I’m sorry, I’m just not thinking clearly.”

  “It’s fine, but get your coat and bring Dawn out back. I’ll be pulling in any second.”

  She hung up the phone and set it on the counter. Brent was already pulling on his coat as if he had every intention of driving her.

  “Logan said he needs you to stay here in case Trinity shows,” she said.

  Brent gave her a look as if he was going to argue. She heard a honk, and then the back door opened.

  “Julia, let’s go,” Logan called. “I’ve got people waiting at the gym. We have to move it.”

  “Dawn, let’s go,” she said. She set her hand on Dawn’s shoulder and ushered her down from the stool. “Do you want to bring your sandwich?”

  Her daughter just shook her head, and Julia couldn’t look at Brent or deal with him. She just hoped, as she reached for her sweater under the counter, that he would let it go and stay here.

  “Brent,” Logan said, “if you see Trinity or if she shows up here, you call me or Rose at the station.” He gestured for Julia to hurry out the door.

  There was something comforting about being with Logan while in this living nightmare—as if he was the only one who could fix things. Even though she was a mess, her stomach in knots, she couldn’t fall apart. She was numb, far past crying, but she realized the feeling was much worse when Logan wasn’t around.

  He slid the passenger seat forward and helped Dawn in, touching her chin. Whatever he said made her relax a bit. He set the seat back and helped Julia in, and she was just fastening her belt when Logan slid under the wheel. He didn’t bother fastening his seat belt as he backed out and sped back to the school.

  “Thank you, Logan,” she said, sliding around to face him.

  He just set his hand on her knee in a reassuring way, and she held on to it as if he were her last hope. He glanced her way and then in the rear-view mirror at her daughter before squeezing her fingers and pulling his hand away so he could change gears, turning into the school parking lot; which was now packed full.