I was sitting in Tyler’s house, fidgeting more than I ever had in my life. I was on edge and knew that shit was about to go down. Every minute that passed was one minute closer to Dean’s death. I knew he was walking into a trap, but he was doing it to save his son. What father wouldn’t?
Tara tried stroking my back to calm me down, but the more I looked at the anguish on Tyler’s face, the more I wanted to get into the action. I’d be damned if I’d let Jeremy become fatherless now after just meeting him for the first time.
It had been an hour since I had spoken with Dean on the phone. A whole fucking agonizing hour of waiting. I knew what to do once I got that call. I also knew that the police would follow. I wasn’t stupid enough to think they would let me go alone. It may be a good thing for me in the end.
Tyler’s phone started ringing and she raced to pick it up. The police were there and listened in on the conversation.
“Hello?... Yes, this is Tyler…” She gripped the top of her dress so tightly, I thought she was going to rip it. “Where?... I’ll meet you there.” She hung up the phone and quickly grabbed her keys.
“Ma’am, you can’t go alone,” one of the officers said.
Tyler’s eyes widened. “You heard what he said. I’m not taking any chances. Do you want to be the one responsible for my son’s death?”
The officer winced. “No, but—”
“Then don’t follow me. I want to go get my son. Please.” She looked at him pleadingly and the officer’s shoulders sagged.
Digging into his pocket, he pulled out a phone. “Then, please, take this. We will be able to track you with it. The minute you have Jeremy, I want you to drive as far away as possible and call us. Okay?”
She nodded and looked over at me. I nodded in silent conversation. It was a nod that said I knew what to do, and I’d be damned if I wouldn’t try my hardest to put things right.
With a tight smile, Tyler left, leaving Tara and me clinging to one another. She was distraught and I wanted to comfort her, but I was rigid with anxiety.
I looked up to the officer who had handed Tyler his phone. His name was Sergeant Phil Shaw, and from what I’d seen so far, he seemed like a good guy. He could tell the desperation was there to make sure Jeremy returned home safely. They had asked the question of why, but all I told them was that the Pinzanos had wanted Dean’s family dead for years. If they looked into it, they would see it to be true.
“Once we get the word Jeremy is back with Jessica, I need to get going. I will know where to find him.” Tyler’s assumed name was alien on my tongue now.
Officer Shaw frowned at me. “How do you mean?”
I smiled. “You’ve heard of Hansel and Gretel, right?” The officer nodded. “Breadcrumbs. Dean would have left me breadcrumbs.” I smiled at the officer again, then beamed at Tara. I wanted to try and reassure her that everything was okay, but the more time went on, the more my gut clenched.
After about a half-hour more of waiting, we finally got the call from Tyler. Jeremy had been delivered safely to her and they were on their way home. She had police escorts with her, so I knew now was the time to act.
Shooting out of my seat, I grabbed my keys and turned to Tara. She looked so frightened.
“Please come back to me.”
A single tear ran down her face, and I kissed her gently. “I will be home before you know it.” I winked at her and offered a reassuring smile. I didn’t know whether my words were true, but I had to offer her something.
“Love you, gorgeous girl.” I kissed her hand and she smiled.
“I love you, too.”
With one last smile, I turned to the officer. “I need to get going. Tail me if you need to, but there’s no time to waste.”
Officer Shaw nodded. “We’ll keep a tail about five cars down.”
I nodded and we all ran to our cars. The minute I was buckled in, I started the car and started driving towards the diner. I had already gotten GPS coordinates before I set out.
About twenty minutes into the drive, I saw the diner, turned in, and immediately saw the spray paint mark on the exit. I had learned this technique from my army days many years ago. Knowing I couldn’t track him down using technology, I thought it best to hand him a can of yellow spray paint and instructed him to make a hole in the bottom of his car. The paint was a color that would show up easily. At every junction, Dean should have marked the road and pointed to where his next turn would be. Now I just had to find him, and I would.
As quick as I could, I drove out of the diner’s exit. I spotted the car with the officer’s a bit further down the road. I nodded to them and took a right out onto the main road. I drove for about a mile before I spotted the next marking. The further the journey went, the more the forest surrounded me. A perfect hiding spot to torture and kill someone, I would think. I just hoped I wasn’t too late.