Catching Cara: Dark Horse, Inc: Book 2

by Amy J. Hawthorn

  Actually, she already had a few, but her mother didn’t need to know that. “It’s early. I like him, but it’s complicated.” She took a bite and waited, knowing she wouldn’t let the subject die.

  Her mother set her fork down. “How complicated can it be? You’re both single. That’s all that matters.”

  In for a penny, in for a pound. She sighed and looked across the table and out the window. “He has a daughter. She’s his entire world, and I think he’s worried about bringing anyone new into her life. I don’t blame him for being cautious. He’s a wonderful father.”

  “A little girl? How old is she?”

  Cara looked to her mother. A new light entered her eyes.

  She answered cautiously, not quite sure what her mother plotted. “She’s six and cute as a bug. I really like her.”

  Her mother sat up straight and her eyes narrowed with determination. “Eat up, Cara May. We’re going shopping.”

  Joe sat on Mark and Patricia Cline’s front porch and waited for their oldest son to get home from his summer job at the movie theater. The Clines were a good family and had been nearly as shocked as the Grants over Haley’s overdose. Mark had assured Joe that Brayden would be home immediately after work. In addition to whatever sentence the judge handed him, the sixteen-year old would receive counseling and likely be grounded until he entered the senior citizens’ home.

  Joe couldn’t be any more thankful that everyone involved, parents and teens alike, had cooperated so far. But a piece of the puzzle remained elusive. The vague story they’d given on that terrible night didn’t satisfy him.

  Where had a couple of teenagers in Riley Creek found heroin?

  The thought sickened him, but his feelings didn’t matter. Only one thing did. Finding the source and doing everything in his power to ensure the kids in his town were safe. Maybe he was being idealistic, but he didn’t give a damn. These were children playing with deadly things they had absolutely no business touching.

  If it had been his child? He couldn’t imagine the pain. Even thinking in the hypothetical was enough to make him want to put his fist through the bricks on the outside of the Clines’ house. He thought back to a few days ago when the situation began. The horror of it all. Kylie. Cara.

  The two of them had so much in common. They had such tough exteriors, almost to the point of brashness, but beneath the hard shell lay the softest of hearts. They were both smart and stubborn enough for three men.

  Kylie had his mother, Leigh, and Kate as feminine role models, and he couldn’t ask for better. But they weren’t a part of her everyday life. He was the only adult that she saw every day. He knew he gave her his all, but often worried it wasn’t enough. What if Kylie had a strong, caring, and beautiful influence like Cara in her life everyday?

  He wanted to kick himself for hurting Cara. In no way was she at fault for his hang-ups. If anything, she deserved another damn medal for putting up with his sorry ass. It was likely too late, but she deserved an explanation and his apology. That is, if she wanted them.

  If she didn’t, he couldn’t say he blamed her.

  He’d been such an idiot.

  A faded, red SUV pulled into the driveway and slowed to a crawl. It parked in the space between his patrol car and the family’s minivan. When it shut off, the driver didn’t immediately get out. Joe watched as Brayden sat with his hands on the steering wheel and his head bowed.

  He stood and crossed his arms over his chest. It wasn’t too long before Brayden’s shoulders slumped. Another minute passed before they hitched and fell again. Finally, the kid opened the door and got out. For all of Brayden’s excitement, one would have thought that Joe waited at the step to the gallows in a black hood.

  “Hey, Mr. MacDonald. I mean…uh…? Officer? Yeah. Officer MacDonald. It’s good to see you, sir.” If Joe didn’t feel so badly for the kid, he might have laughed at the absurdity of his words. Brayden was bone white beneath his freckles.

  I’m not that intimidating, am I?

  He dipped his head to the teen. “Brayden. How was work?”

  “Um, it’s okay. Everyone is asking about Hayley. Do you know how she is?” Worry and cautious hope laced his words.

  If only hope were enough. The young girl had an entire town hoping and praying for her recovery. But wasn’t that what Cara had said? As long as she lived, they had hope, and that was far better than the alternative.

  “I spoke with her mother a little bit ago. She’s still in ICU, but the doctors are trying to wean her off the ventilator.”

  “That’s the breathing tube, right? So, that’s a good thing?” Brayden rubbed the toe of one battered gym shoe against the sidewalk.

  “Yeah. It’s a small step, but it is in the right direction. Brayden, son, I know you don’t want what happened to Hayley to happen to anyone else, especially not to any of your friends. The best way to prevent that from happening is to find the source. You’re a smart young man. Why would you try smoking something like heroin? I’m not sure you guys could have picked a nastier drug. You can help me get the bottom of this. I need your help.”

  Brayden turned gray and chewed on his bottom lip. His hand shook and Joe worried the kid might vomit on his own shoes.

  “Brayden? I really need this information. We don’t want what happened to Hayley to happen again. You can help prevent that by telling me what you know.” Joe wanted to be able to reach into the kid’s head and pull out the information he needed, but something had a grip on his tongue.

  The screen door banged open behind Joe. “Bubby! You’re home!” Nicholas, the Cline’s four-year-old, ran straight into his older brother’s arms.

  Patricia followed him out and held her arms out toward Brayden. “Nicky! I told you to wait on your brother in the kitchen. Come on. Let’s go.”

  “I want bubby. I wanna show him the picture I colored.” The little boy wrapped his arms around Brayden’s neck and held on.

  The teen hugged his little brother close, kissing the top of his head. “Go inside with Mom. I’m almost done, and then I’ll come in. Go with Mom.” He handed the boy over and watched them go inside. When the door closed, he stood straight and looked Joe in the eye. “I found it on the ground outside the movie theatre. It was all my idea. My fault. When I go back in front of the judge, I’ll tell him everything.” With his spine so brittle, a soft breeze might snap it in two, he walked past Joe and inside.

  Joe watched through the screen door as Brayden picked up his brother and hugged him so tightly the little boy kicked and wriggled to get down.

  The brief spell of pretty weather with tolerable temperatures and cool breezes had come and gone. The summer heat and humidity had reclaimed its territory in a fierce grip. Even as the evening shadows grew, sweat dripped down Cara’s neck and caught in the damp collar of her shirt.

  What an odd world she’d created for herself. Just yesterday she’d gone toe to toe with her mother, who’d insisted on buying her a new wardrobe. Cara had won. Barely. She’d shamelessly used her mother’s recovery as a reason to at least postpone the trip.

  Today, sweaty and likely headed toward stinky, she held her position in a tree and waited, surveying the green world around her. Thanks to their lighter weights and smaller statures, she and Pete had been charged with lookout duty. After two hours in the heat and six different trees, she’d struck out.

  She whispered into her mic. “The woods are too thick. Everywhere I can see, I’m blocked by greenery.” Frustrated, she wanted to scream out and release her anger. In a few months, the landscape would completely change, but they—and more importantly, Mary—didn’t have time.

  They pored over maps and satellite images until they were cross-eyed. Joe shared his local knowledge and even discreetly asked his father for info on the Caudill’s hollow and the land backing up to the old quarry. Joe said his father assumed he’d asked for a Potter County work case and he hadn’t bothered to correct the assumption.

  In the desert, they’d lear
ned to listen to the locals. Just because they were on their home turf didn’t make that any less true.

  They worked under the assumption that Mary had somewhere to go during the day and came home at night. They hung all their hopes on the only theory they had. It might not be much, but they were all willing to roll with it, even without hard intel.

  In all the years she’d known Rick, this was the first time he’d ever gone into a situation without a concrete plan. It was more of a Hail Mary pass, and they all knew it.

  Not one of them objected. Everyone had shown up to participate, even when they hadn’t been invited. Noah, James and Pete offered their time and skills. Kate appeared dressed in old jeans and boots, ready to join. She’d gone toe to toe with Trent until he’d caved.

  Sort of.

  As a compromise, she manned the computer and satellite feed, since Pete and Rick were both in the field. Joe and Rick had agreed not to tell Leigh until they had more info. The moment they had anything remotely useful, Kate would call her in.

  Rick’s voice came through her earpiece. “Move to five.” He sounded so cool and in control. She knew it for the lie it was. None of them were unaffected, but Rick shouldered the most guilt, even though it wasn’t his to bear.

  That stain belonged to Mary’s father and no one else.

  She climbed down her tree, checked her coordinates, and looked around. A worn path, a flash of color or even a piece of trash would reassure her they were close.

  They’d sectioned off the search area into parcels. They’d covered four of the eight they’d outlined for today. If they didn’t find anything today, everyone agreed to come back at the first opportunity.

  Noah’s voice came over the mic. “In position.”

  A moment later Holloway’s followed. “In position.”

  She found her tree, jumped up to grab the lowest sturdy limb. She caught it one hand and with a little swing, grabbed hold with the other. The muscles in her shoulders ached, reminding her she needed to add some upper body training to her morning routine. Ignoring the roughness abrading her palms she adjusted her grip and readied to hoist herself up.

  “In position.” Rick checked in.

  Then Trent and Pete did the same.

  Dangling, like a monkey she took a deep breath and flexed.

  Something rustled in the brush about thirty feet to her right.

  Cara paused, listening. A moment later, a little farther out, something scrabbled against the ground. The tree trunk obscured her view and the sound could have been any number of animals. The woods were filled with deer, turkey, foxes, and even the occasional bobcat. Her gut told her something more watched her.

  She released her hold and dropped down on the balls of her feet. She went with her intuition, gambled and gave herself away. “Mary? Sweetheart? We’re here to help you. I promise.” She stepped around the tree to get a better view of the area the sound came from.

  She heard more movement before she saw a flash of sky blue fabric from behind a tree.

  “Can they hear you? The men?” a small voice filled with shaky bravado asked.

  Cautious hope flooded Cara as she stepped forward. “They’re my friends, my best friends. They’re here to help you. It’s not safe out here. We only want to get you to a good place.”

  “I’m not leaving my home. Can they hear you now?” Silently, Mary stepped into view with an eerie sort of grace. A petite teen, with her long blond hair in a braid over her shoulder, stood a short distance away. She wore battered shoes, torn jeans and a newer looking blue shirt. An ancient, battered, camouflage hat covered her head and shaded her face.

  “They can.” Cara pointed to her mic. “We work as a team. Always.”

  “Are you police?” Suspicion flattened the girl’s mouth.

  “No. We used to be in the Army together. Now we work together to help people who don’t have anyone else to lean on.” She had no idea what they would do now that they had found her, but she hoped that if she gave them enough time the guys would come up with something that wouldn’t terrify the girl.

  Mary tilted her head as if considering Cara’s words. “Turn off your headphone thing. I need to show you something. Only you.”

  “Mary, they’re good men, I promise. We always work as a team.” She kept her voice soft.

  The girl cocked her head and made an odd face. Then she whispered a single word. “Mary?” She shook her head as if casting off an old memory. “No. Turn it off.” She pointed to her ear and then crossed her arms, waiting.

  “Okay.” Cara turned the mic volume up, making sure the guys could hear everything. “You lead. I’ll follow.”

  “They can’t follow us. If they do, I’ll know. My granddad was a Marine. He showed me how.” She picked something off the ground beside her and hugged it. “And don’t get too close.”

  When the girl turned around and walked away, Cara followed.

  “And stop making so much noise. I know you can be quiet. I don’t want them following us.”

  Well, damn. She stopped her regular walk and quieted her footsteps.

  Joe listened to Cara and the girl through his headset. Cara came through clear and calm. Mary’s voice came through distant and weak. Impatience urged him to run, catch up to the females, but that wasn’t how they played this game. Rules had to be followed, especially with so much at risk.

  Rick’s order came over his headset. “MacDonald, Ramsey, you two are the closest. Follow, but stay back. Keep them in sight and let Mayhem do her thing. It’s possible Mary singled her out because she felt more comfortable around a woman. We won’t be far behind you.” Joe agreed. Whether because she was a female or her smaller size, it was likely the girl felt safer with Cara.

  He moved cautiously in the direction where he heard faint rustling.

  Either way, he’d be there to make sure Cara had backup. On quiet feet, he followed, hyper-alert. He felt, rather than heard, Noah’s large presence. For such a large man, he was spookily silent.

  The girl’s voice came over the headset, distant and flat. “And stop making so much noise. I know you can be quiet. I don’t want them following us.” Almost instantly the telltale sound stopped, leaving him with no trail to follow. The girl is too smart for her own good.

  He doubled his pace and care, reigning in the urge to charge through the trees and brush. While he didn’t think the girl was a threat to Cara, the back of his neck itched in a way that had nothing to do with the heat.

  “Boss, I don’t like this.” Noah’s hushed voice mirrored his own feelings.

  “Nope. Something stinks and for once, it’s not Pete’s socks.” Holloway stated what they all likely thought.

  “MacDonald, Ramsey, stay on course. Get as close as you can without causing Mary to rabbit. Holloway, Taylor double your pace and take the left flank. I’ll take the right. Mayhem, don’t let her out of your sight, but be on your toes. We got your six.”

  He almost stumbled over a downed branch when a new voice spoke in his ear. Kate, uncertain but ready to help broke in. “Guys? On the TV screen, a gray truck just entered the quarry lot and is parking beside a large building. I think it’s the old garage on the map. Two more vehicles are driving down the road to the quarry. One SUV and a black car.”

  Rick’s voice, filled with urgency came through his earpiece. “Mayhem, pull her back. Even if you have to tackle her to the ground, kicking and screaming, stop her.”

  “I can barely keep up.” He got the impression Cara chose her words carefully. “Honey, slow down. I can’t keep up. You may know them well, but I’m a stranger to these woods.”

  “You need to see. Come on! We have to hurry before the men find us.”

  “Mary, wait!” Cara called out but he couldn’t hear any response from the girl. Then Cara spoke in a quiet, but rushed voice. “Damn it, she’s running. I’m following.”

  Her words struck a painful, artic chill deep into his bones.

  Kate’s next update was no better. “Um, on
the laptop monitor, Cara’s dot is moving toward the garage. She’s almost to the clearing. Somebody stop her.” He wished like hell he could do exactly as Kate demanded in a near-panicked voice.

  He broke into a full sprint, no longer giving a damn if he sounded like an elephant in the forest.

  “Sweetheart, we’re on her tail. I promise we won’t leave her hanging. You’re doing a fine job. Keep it up. We’ll get her. Love you.” Trent sounded rushed as he reassured Kate.

  “Mary! It’s not safe! Please stop,” Cara tried again.

  Kate broke in with another rushed update. “Cara’s at the edge of the clearing.”

  Then he heard a single shot, a short pause and more gunfire.

  “Mayhem, report!” Rick shouted.

  A sapling branch slapped Joe in the face as he came to the clearing and forced himself to stop. His hand went to his gun, ready. He had to keep his head together, or he’d be of no use. He reminded himself he had Kylie to think about as well. But all he wanted was to grab Cara and Mary, get them somewhere safe and then paddle their asses.

  With his back to a tree, weapon at the ready, he spun to assess the scene. He saw Cara on the ground twenty yards away.

  He saw red.

  “Mayhem, report!” Rick barked in her ear. She pinned a struggling Mary beneath her right arm and took aim with her left. Her position, her everything, was beyond awkward, but she couldn’t split her focus anymore.

  As much as she’d like to, she didn’t actually have to hit anyone. All she had to do was get close enough to keep them off her and Mary until the guys arrived and provided cover. Her knee stung and throbbed like a bitch, but she ignored the pain.

  Mary squirmed beneath her.

  “Hold still. My team will be here any moment. They’ll get us out of this.” Cara prayed her words sank in and the teen would listen. Then she saw movement and didn’t hesitate. She’d been fired on once. A child’s life was in danger. This was no time for doubt. She fired in the direction where she’d seen a shadow of movement, hoping it was enough to make the asshole think twice about shooting at a child.