A branch snapped behind her and she spun to see nothing.
She slipped off the trail and scrambled behind one of the large oaks that towered above her. Heart crashing in her chest, she held her breath, waiting. Listening.
Another crunch of dried wood. Then another. Whoever was out there wasn’t even trying to be quiet. Rachel peered around the edge of the trunk and spotted the doe munching on green leaves.
Her breath whooshed out and she let her forehead fall to her upraised knees. Tears sprang to her eyes and she stuffed a fist into her mouth to keep the sobs from escaping. God, why is this happening? Why do you hate me? What did I ever do to you?
“‘Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.’” She whispered the verse aloud, wondering how she’d pulled it from the recesses of her memory. Probably all those times her mother had dropped her at some summer church camp. “‘I will fear no evil.’” This time her voice rang stronger, but the words didn’t penetrate.
Because she did fear evil. She feared it very much. She was terrified of the men who’d taken her and still held Lindsey and the others. She wanted to sink into the ground, pull the horse blanket over her head, and sob out her anger and fear.
But more than that, she wanted to see the men, the people doing this to girls like her, punished.
And that wasn’t going to happen if she didn’t get up and push on. Just like with swimming. Each time she pushed herself to go farther, dig deeper into the water with her strokes. Each time she succeeded, the rush was there. With swimming, she very rarely failed. The gold medals hanging in her bedroom testified to that.
But this was different. This was life or death. No lifeguard was standing by ready to jump in and save her. Nope. This one was on her.
Rachel stood . . .
. . . and walked.
One foot after the other.
Until, finally, she saw a break in the trees ahead. Heart in her throat, with renewed energy, she pressed forward, pushed through and came to a stunned halt.
The back of the barn she’d left earlier this morning loomed in front of her.
“No,” she whispered. “No.” How had she done that? How had she managed to walk in one big circle? It hit her then. The path had simply been skirting the edge of the property. Probably made by the previous owners who liked to walk in the woods, but didn’t want to get lost or turned around.
Despair choked her.
A door slammed in the distance and voices reached her. She raced to the barn and found the back entrance.
She slipped inside and sat down in the warmest part she could find. Smoky Hope joined her, and with tears streaming down her chilled cheeks, Rachel curled under the blanket and closed her eyes.
11
Chloe scratched Hank’s ears and stood back while the medical examiner followed the paramedics rolling the poor security guard’s body from the employee room. The crime scene unit had arrived and were doing their thing.
Even though the shooter was dead, they would cover the area with a fine-tooth comb since they had to prove the guy was also the killer of the guard and had been working alone. Chloe was almost 100 percent sure of that fact, but wouldn’t bet her career on it. Neither would anyone else.
Security footage would help determine a lot of things once they got a chance to take a look at it. She spotted Blake checking his phone, then putting it away with a stony expression. No word on Rachel, she assumed. Her heart went out to him. As devastated as she had been at Penny’s disappearance, she couldn’t imagine the emotions and pain going through him right now. And every second of every day that Rachel remained out of reach, she remained in danger.
Blake caught her eye. “I’m going to go check on Jo.”
“I’ll go with you.”
They made their way back up to the lobby of the courthouse. As they got closer, Chloe could hear the strident voice of a young woman coming from the door. “He’s my father! Let me in. I have to check on him!”
“That’s Paula,” Blake said and picked up his pace.
Chloe rushed after him.
Blake reached Paula just as the cop she was shoving against looked ready to cuff her. No telling how long he’d been holding her back. The woman’s blonde hair had probably started out in a stylish bun, but now strands hung down around the sides of her face and one piece trailed over her shoulder. She wore a two-piece gray suit with a pencil skirt and matching gray pumps.
“Paula?” Blake called.
She froze, her eyes widening, then locking on his. Chloe recognized intense relief when she saw it. “Blake! Tell them to let me in.”
Blake stepped in and grasped her elbow. “I’ve got this,” he said to the officer.
“You’re welcome to her.”
“Paula, come here, please,” a deep male voice said.
A large man with emerald green eyes stood on the other side of the crime scene tape. Miles. He and Paula must have rushed over as soon as they heard about the shooting. And if the news vans were any indication, there’d been no time wasted in airing it. Chloe had yet to meet the man in person, but she recognized him from the family photos she’d studied when trying to familiarize herself with every facet of the investigation.
Paula hesitated, then stomped to her fiancé’s side, arms crossed, lower lip pushed out like a petulant child.
Chloe followed Blake, Paula, and Miles outside. She’d gotten past the yellow crime scene line. Chloe frowned. She should be arrested. Then again, she was obviously frantic with worry about her father.
“Your dad’s fine,” Blake told Paula. “He’s with two marshals and locked away in a safe place until everything calms down.”
Paula stilled. “He’s fine?”
“Yes.”
“You’re sure?” Miles demanded.
Blake flicked him a glance. “I’m positive. I was there. He wasn’t hit.”
Tears gathered in Paula’s hazel eyes. “He was the target, wasn’t he?”
“He was, but they didn’t get him.” Blake paused. “And the person who pulled the trigger is dead.”
Paula’s tears faded and she sniffed while she rummaged in her purse for a tissue. “The guy who took a nosedive off the roof?” She dabbed the moisture under her perfectly made-up eyes.
“That’s the one.”
She nodded. “Okay then. So, my dad’s out of danger now? He can go back to living a normal life without people constantly invading his space?”
None of them took her words personally. It was extremely difficult to have to live with 24/7 supervision. “Unfortunately, I can’t answer that question yet,” Blake said. “My first guess is, no. I think this guy was just a hired hitman.”
The woman shuddered. “I want to see my father.”
“Let me find out where he is.” He got on his phone. Chloe thought she heard him say Parker’s name. When he hung up, he nodded. “He’s in his office. Come on. Chloe and I can take you to him.”
“I know the way.”
He gave her a tight smile. “I know you do.” Chloe raised a brow at the words he left unspoken. She may know the way, but she wasn’t going alone. Blake belatedly introduced Chloe to the couple, then escorted them back through security, passing the cop Paula had tangled with earlier. He shot her a dark look but didn’t say anything. Paula simply ignored him. He wasn’t even on her radar. Chloe grimaced and tried not to hold the woman’s attitude against her. Her father had come close to being killed. Chloe could extend a little grace.
The four of them walked through the lobby to the secure door that would lead them to the back of the courthouse. Blake swiped the key card and the door clicked open.