“True. But Ryan checked the map. There’s a section of houses in wooded areas, with little visibility to neighbors. That’s where I’d start.”
“I’m sure that’s where Ryan is starting, too.”
“But he’s limited by his duties as a bodyguard. We’ll probably beat him there. If not, we’ll all split up by street.”
Hero was already pacing along, sniffing intently as he did.
“How much geographic territory can Hero’s nose cover?” Marc asked.
“From what Hutch has told me and from what I’ve read, it’s pretty awesome. He can search fifteen linear miles, maybe more, and narrow it down to half a block.”
Marc whistled. “That’s amazing.”
“It certainly is.” A half smile. “Then again, he is a member of Forensic Instincts.”
“True,” Marc said drily. “We are an extraordinary bunch.”
Once they reached the wooded area Casey had described, the terrain became difficult—rocks and dirt covering the ground, the sharp branches of trees impeding their progress and scratching their faces.
Casey’s cell phone rang.
“We found the house,” Ryan told her. “But there’s no one here. The basement is set up just the way Claire described. And the back door is open. They definitely took off in a hurry.”
“Where are you?” Casey demanded, checking the map Ryan had printed for her.
“Thirty-nine Pine Street. But there’s no point in coming here. The task force called ERT. They’ll examine the crime scene. We’ve got to get out there and find Krissy.”
Casey was scanning the map. She stopped when she found Pine Street. “We’re not all that far.” She glanced at her handheld GPS. “We’re in the woods just west of you.”
“Okay, well you should be joined by a handful of agents in a matter of minutes. So don’t freak out when you hear them coming. But keep looking. Felicity took Krissy in one of two directions—east or west. They’re the only sections surrounding her house that are wooded. There are trees to the north and
south, but they lead to the street and, eventually, to other houses. A group of local cops are covering that territory, but I doubt it’ll lead to anything. Peg took a team to the east. Bob and Hutch are moving west. Patrick and I are about to join them.”
“With Hope in tow?”
“No choice,” Ryan replied in a clipped, coded response.
“Got it.” Casey snapped to as Hero began to strain at his lead. “Ryan, I’ve gotta go. Hero’s picked up a fresh scent trail.”
“I’m on my way.”
Marc was already following Hero’s lead, winding his way through the woods as quietly as he could. Casey hurried until she caught up.
There was the definite crunch of footsteps in the not-too-remote distance. It could be the agents. Or it could be Felicity.
Judging from Hero’s reaction, it was the latter.
Hero was most emphatically “in odor,” as the FBI called it. He climbed over the rocks and weaved through the trees, pulling at the lead until Marc had to pick up speed.
“Krissy?” called out a frantic female voice just ahead of them. “Is that you? Please, princess, answer me!”
Everything happened at once.
Hero lunged forward. The pounding of a surge of footsteps raced up behind them. And a streak of movement flashed through the trees in front of them.
A woman. Blonde. Slim. Frantic.
Felicity.