Page 92 of Jenna's Protector
“What?”
“The other woman…” Mitzy pauses. “She’s not fighting and she just climbed into the van on her own. I’m sorry, Carter, but it looks like Jenna was set up.”
“Fuck!” I’m going to kill the motherfucker who took my girl.
She feeds us information as she finds it. Each new lead is a puzzle piece slotting into place. Meanwhile, we’re on the move, heading to intercept.
“The van is headed north on the 101, toward the coast.Her words are punctuated by the relentless clatter of her keyboard.“They’re moving fast, but they won’t shake us.”Mitzy’s voice cuts through the tension.“I’m switching to the next set of cameras.”
Before long, we’re on a coastal road, a winding ribbon of asphalt cutting through the rugged landscape. The ocean is a black expanse to our left, and the cliffs rise steep and jagged to our right.
Ethan drives with focused intensity, his hands steady on the wheel. I keep my eyes glued to the GPS, watching the blinking dot that represents the van.
Mitzy’s voice crackles through the speakers, a constant presence guiding our path. Then, suddenly, we lose the tiny red dot.
“Mitzy?” My voice is tight, strained. “Mitzy, do you copy?”
“I lost visuals on the van.”
THIRTY-TWO
Carter
Mitzy’s wordsmake my heart clench, but her calm voice continues,“Hold on a moment. I’m analyzing the area where we lost the van.”
The tension in the vehicle is palpable as we wait.
“Alright, from where the van disappeared, there are two potential routes,”she says finally.“One heads inland to a private estate. The rest of the land in the area is government-owned and empty.”
She pauses for a breath before continuing,“The other road heads toward the coast and ends at another private estate right on the water’s edge. Both are worth checking out.”
Ethan nods, taking charge. “We’ll head toward the private estate with the boat launch. Gabe, Hank, Rigel, you guys take the inland estate.”
“Copy that,” Gabe confirms. “Let’s move.”
I lean back in my seat, my hand tight around my phone. The GPS blinks, and the coordinates of the estate are seared into my mind.
This is it.
The final stretch.
Somewhere ahead, Jenna is waiting, counting on us to bring her home.
I close my eyes for a moment, sending up a silent prayer to God, to the universe, and to anyone who might be listening.
Please. Please let her be okay. Let us find her in time.
When I open my eyes, the road is a blur of motion. Ethan presses down on the accelerator, and the car surges forward.
Mitzy sends technical information to each of our cell phones, mine included. The private estate is a sprawling compound of manicured lawns and towering fences. Security cameras glint in the moonlight, motion sensors blanketing the perimeter.
“Perimeter is hot,” Blake mutters, assessing the defenses. “We’re gonna need a way in that doesn’t trip the alarms.”
“The woods?” I point to a scraggly tree line skirting the property. It’s more scruff and grass than trees, but there is some cover. “We can use the cover to approach. Or approach by water.”
“I don’t like the look of that surf.” Ethan’s gaze is cold and calculating. “Too rough, and I don’t want us getting bashed on the rocks. Mitzy?”
“Yes?”