She lifted her legs and tried to kick at the lid. Dust spilled into her eyes but the lid didn’t move. Terrified, she searched the front of her shirt, found her teddy bear brooch and pressed it hard. Her dad would come and find her. Sobbing, she counted, knowing it would take a few minutes before the tracker alerted him. His voice seemed to drift inside her head. So many times, he’d repeated the instructions since her sister Emily had come close to being murdered.
“Stay calm, use the tracker. Count to two hundred then give me as many details as possible. If you know the person who has you, speak their name. If you know where you are, tell me. I can hear a whisper but if it’s too dangerous, say nothing. I’ll come find you.”
He’d want details. She stretched her arms out both ways, then above her, trying to estimate the size of the box. She found a thin plastic pipe and could feel air blowing through the end. Why had the man supplied her with air if he wanted her dead? She shuffled down and her feet touched the end of the box. Something hung down from the lid. When she touched it with her shoe, the glow from the screen of a cellphone filled the small interior. The small light stilled her sobbing. “D-Daddy, c-can you hear me? I’m locked inside a box.”
Fifty-Nine
Wolfe’s cellphone screamed out the emergency ringtone he’d assigned to his daughters’ trackers. He slammed on the brakes, sliding his SUV to a shuddering halt at the side of Stanton Road. Grabbing up the cellphone, he activated the app and heaved in a deep breath at the sign of a red beep coming from the other side of town. He placed the cellphone in the holder on the dash and slammed his foot on the gas, then turned to Webber. “Contact Kane, tell him Julie has activated her tracker, she’s out near Goldmine Road.” He pulled out his earbud. “I need to listen in case she contacts me.”
“Roger that.” Webber made the call then turned to him. “The Shadow Man just contacted the sheriff. He’s buried Julie alive. Says you have three hours before the oxygen runs out.”
Wolfe slid his medical examiner’s SUV around a sharp right turn and accelerated until the engine screamed in protest. “I’m heading for the search and rescue headquarters. It will be dark soon and we’ll need a chopper with a thermal imaging camera. Tell Kane and Jenna to meet me in Stanton Road. I’ll pick them up there. Then call search and rescue. Tell them to ready the chopper, police emergency.”
His heart thumped so hard he thought it might burst through his ribs at the sound of Julie’s sobs. He wanted to comfort her and tell her he would be there soon, but using a two-way com in the tracker would alert the Shadow Man to the tracker’s existence. “Talk to me, Julie, tell me everything you know.”
As if she’d heard him, her wavering voice, broken with sobs, came through the speaker.
“I figure I’m underground because if I push on the lid dust comes down. A man, I didn’t see him but he wasn’t as big as you. He was medium-sized. He grabbed me from behind and put something over my face. It smelled strange and made my face feel cold. I woke up just before. The box is not small like a coffin but square. I can stretch out. I found a cellphone at the end of the box. It lit up when I kicked it. I’ll try and reach it.” Julie was breathing heavily. “I’m trying to get my shoes off. I’ll try and snag it with my toes.”
Wolfe gripped the steering wheel and, with lights flashing and siren blaring, weaved his way through the traffic heading into town. He could hear Julie panting and wished she’d stop moving and conserve oxygen. He turned to Webber. “As soon as we get there, grab the rifles and spare ammo. We’re going in packing for bear. If the SOB is anywhere close by, I’m taking him down.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Daddy.” Julie sounded exhausted. “I have the cellphone, it was recording a video. I turned that off.” She let out a distressed sob. “I can’t remember your number.”
Wolfe turned into the parking lot of the Fire and Rescue. He grabbed up his cellphone, wishing she could hear him. “Dial 911. Come on, Julie. Dial 911.” He shot a desperate glance at Webber. “Call Rowley, tell him to patch the call through to Jenna if Julie calls.”
“Roger that.” Webber slid from the vehicle and made the call.
Wolfe fitted his earbud. “Jenna, Julie has found a cellphone. I figure the Shadow Man used it to send you the video. I’ll need to keep my cellphone for the tracker so if she calls 911, Rowley will patch her through to you. Tell her to lie still and try not to talk much unless she hears a chopper. She needs to conserve oxygen.” He climbed out the door and took the rifle Webber handed him.
“Roger that. We’re waiting on Stanton Road south of Glacial Heights. The road is wider here.”
As they jogged to the chopper, buffeted by the wind from the spinning blades, the pilot slipped from the seat and waved them forward. Wolfe gave him a nod and climbed inside, dropping his rifle on the back seat. Webber was just standing there staring at him. He wanted to grab him by his shirtfront and drag him inside. “What are you waiting for?”
“Do you have a license to fly that thing?” Webber’s face had drained of color.
Wolfe pulled on the headset and stared at him. “Yeah, I flew a MEDIVAC in the marines and I’m leaving in two seconds.”
“Okay.” Webber climbed into the back and stowed the rifles under the seat.
The chopper lifted into the air, drowning out anything Julie was saying, but it didn’t matter if Wolfe could hear her or not, her terrified sobs would remain in his head forever. He had to find her. Then he’d make it his business to get up and personal with the Shadow Man.
Sixty
Kane pulled his duffel out the back of his truck, assembled his rifle a
nd slung it over one shoulder, then walked to Jenna’s side. “He won’t have an exact lock on her signal and if she’s too deep we won’t pick up thermal imaging.” He sighed. “If he’s set any IEDs we’ll have difficulty spotting them in the dark. He’s thought this one through and made it as difficult as possible. I figure he’s had these murders planned for some time and all he needed was the girls to make it work.”
When Jenna’s cellphone buzzed, she gave a triumphant squeal. “It’s Rowley. He’s patching her through now.”
Kane pressed his mic. “Wolfe, Jenna is speaking to Julie now.”
“Thank God. I’m close. You should be able to hear me by now.”
The sound of chopper blades cutting through the air came in a whoosh of air swirling the tops of the pines in Stanton Forest. Moments later, Kane and Jenna ran toward the chopper and jumped inside. Kane strapped in beside Wolfe and fitted his headphones. “If she’s buried we may have trouble picking up a reading. More so if she’s cold.” He glanced at Wolfe’s chiseled expression. “We don’t know how long she’s been down there.”
“We’ve narrowed it down to two suspects: Kittredge and Anderson. So far neither of them have moved, so it has to be someone else. Someone has slipped under the radar. Think about it – we know a number of men worked on the security systems around Glacial Heights and if Anderson has come up clean it has to be one of them.” Wolfe lifted the chopper high above the trees and headed out to the mines. “I’ve figured out how he lured the girls from the house.” Wolfe’s eyes narrowed to slits. “He used a wireless projector.”