Mason’s hands shook, making the paper quiver.
“What does that mean?” Ava asked, reading beside him. She looked at Henley. “Did someone tell you to give that to Mason?” The girl nodded and laid her head back on the agent’s shoulder. Her eyes closed in exhaustion. “That’s why she was thrashing around when you said your name. She’d been instructed to deliver the note.” Ava’s voice cracked. “Poor little thing. She took her duty very seriously. I wonder if he threatened her?”
“Ava. I need to call Jake.” Panic ricocheted through his nerves. Nothing else was precious to Mason. They could burn his house, wreck his vehicle, and destroy his health. His son was everything, and someone knew it.
He pulled out his cell. No reception. “Anyone else have cell reception yet?” he yelled.
Everyone in their party checked their phones. No luck.
“We’re not far from the vehicles,” Brynn said.
Mason wanted to run up the hill. He didn’t care if he left his team behind. Sweat dripped down his back, and Ava put a hand on his arm. “Hey,” she said. “A few more minutes.”
“Something’s wrong. I can feel it.”
“We left Jake safe at home.”
“And a big chunk of the FBI is up here to rescue Henley,” Mason pointed out. “There were just a few Clackamas County deputies outside the house when we left. Something could have happened.”
“No one has Jake,” Ava said, but her gaze faltered.
23
His team reached the top of the road, and Mason jogged ahead. The other teams had beat them back and were waiting at the vehicles. Mason checked his phone. No service.
Jake.
“Anyone have service?” he shouted at the other group as he ran to join them. The agents dutifully checked their phones and shook their heads.
“I’ve radioed the ranger station and asked them to call the number you gave Brynn. I haven’t heard back yet,” Wolf told him. “The little girl okay?”
“Brynn says she looks good. Just cold,” Mason replied. “I need to head back to town.”
Sanford caught up with him. Ava had shown him the note Henley had been carrying. “We’re heading there, too. We may have Henley back, but it sounds like this isn’t over.”
“I’ll drive,” Ava said, holding her palm out for Mason’s keys. He handed them over. It was his turn to be on his cell as they drove. He was about to climb in his passenger seat, but turned and dashed over to where Brynn was buckling Henley into the back seat of an Explorer.
“Where are you taking Henley?” he asked. The little girl looked calmly at him as she let Brynn fuss over her. Her eyes were tired and glassy, but she was awake and sitting up on her own. Brynn slid into the seat next to her.
“Emanuel Hospital. We’ll get her checked out.” She met Mason’s gaze, and Mason realized she was concerned about a sexual assault. His heart dropped. “I’ll keep trying to reach her parents,” Brynn continued. “If you get ahold of them first, tell them to meet us there.”
“Right.” Mason took one of Henley’s mittened hands. “You ready to see your mom?”
She nodded, and her eyes lit up.
“Good. She’s missed you something terrible. We all have. Jake’s gonna be happy to know you’re okay.”
She leaned over to look past him. “Dog,” she whispered and held out her hands. Mason’s dog jumped past him into the SUV and sat on the floor at Henley’s feet, his tongue hanging out as he gazed at Mason. The dog was taking his sentry duty very seriously. Mason rubbed his ears. “Good boy.”
“What’s his name?” Henley asked in a soft voice.
“He doesn’t have a name,” Mason answered. “Do you want to give him one?”
The girl nodded and screwed up her face in thought. “Bingo.”
“That’s a good name. Bingo.” The dog tilted its head at the name and held Mason’s gaze. “I think he likes it.”
He nodded at Brynn and slammed the door.
He went back to his truck and climbed in. Ava gave him a questioning glance.
“They’re taking her to the hospital to get checked out. Let’s go,” he stated.
Ava guided them down the service road while Mason kept an eye on his phone, waiting for the service indicator to grow some bars.
It flickered, and he hit Robin’s cell number.
“Mason?” Robin answered.
“You heard?” he asked.
“Yes, we got a call from the Forest Service station. They said your group radioed in that Henley is fine. Is that true? Is she really okay?”
“Yes, she’s sitting up and talking. She seems good.”
Robin burst into tears, and Lucas came on the line. “They’re taking her to Emanuel? Is that right? Was she hurt?”
“She seems okay, Lucas. She really does. I talked to her for a bit. I think it’s just a precaution. Is Lilian all right?”
Mason heard Lucas relaying his information and female voices answering.
“Yes, Lilian knows and is ecstatic. We’re leaving for the hospital in a minute.”
“Can I talk to Jake?” Mason’s heart sped up.
“Hold on.”
Mason heard Lucas giving instructions and then he returned to the call. “Robin’s getting him. We’d almost forgotten about him since the Forest Service called a minute ago.” His voice cracked. “I still can’t believe Henley’s okay. Dear God, Mason. There are so many different ways this could have ended.”
“I know, Lucas. I know. Believe me, I’ve thought through every one of them.”
“Me too.” Lucas sucked in a deep breath. “I can’t believe it,” he repeated.
Mason heard Robin’s voice in the background.
“What do you mean he’s not there?” Lucas asked, his mouth away from the receiver. “He went where?”
Mason closed his eyes. Jake.
“Robin says he left a note on his bed saying he was going to McKenzie’s house for a while. He didn’t tell us he was leaving. I’m gonna strangle that kid!”
“I’ve got to call him.” Mason could barely speak. He looked away from the road, the blacktop they were speeding over making him dizzy. What was Jake thinking?
“Robin’s already calling,” said Lucas. “Hang on.”
Ava shot Mason a worried glance from the driver’s seat. “What’s going on?”
“Jake left a note that he went to his girlfriend’s house.”
“What?” said Ava. “I told him this morning that he had to take someone with him.”
“You aren’t the only one,” answered Mason. Nerves twisted in his stomach.
“Robin left him a message on his phone,” said Lucas. “He didn’t pick up.”
“Shit. Those two Clackamas County deputies still there?” Mason asked. “Tell them to haul ass to McKenzie’s house.”
“What’s going on?” Lucas’s voice dropped. “Henley’s safe. Why—”
“He’s going after Jake now,” Mason spit out. Hysteria sank its fingers into his brain. “He left a note for me with Henley, saying that what’s precious to me is next. That’d be Jake.”
“Holy shit,” Lucas breathed.
Mason heard him shouting at someone in the background as he laid the phone on the seat. The curves of the road and the stress of the morning caught up with him. “Pull over,” he muttered to Ava. “I’m going to be sick.”
She yanked the steering wheel to the right, and Mason had the door open before the SUV had even come to a halt.
Minutes later, Mason and Ava were speeding down the twisting highway. Mason’s brain spun as he tried not to think about Jake at the mercy of the same person who’d held Henley captive for three days.
“He didn’t harm Henley,” Ava stated, her focus on the road.
“Not that we know of yet,” Mason mumbled. “I’m thinking this wasn’t about Henley, or someone from Lucas’s business trying to strike back at him. This is about me.”
“What are you talking about?”
“That note. He’s focused on me. No note was left for Lilian or Lucas. What I don’t understand is why he even took Henley if his goal was to get to me.”
“We don’t know that was his goal. You’re jumping ahead.”
Ava drove toward Lake Oswego and McKenzie’s home. Over the phone, they learned that Clackamas County had immediately gone to the girl’s home and found the front door unlocked. Jake’s girlfriend McKenzie was found inside, gagged and tied to a chair. She said that an older man had broken in earlier that day, hit her across the face, tied her up, and used her phone to text Jake.
He’d blindfolded and tied up Jake, then taken him, leaving Jake’s cell phone behind.
The teen girl was helping police the best she could.
“How’d he know she was Jake’s girlfriend?” Mason asked Ava as they pulled off the freeway toward McKenzie’s home. Ten more minutes. He wanted to talk to the girl himself.
“Good question. Probably the same way he knew Jake went to Duke and that he was out for pizza the night when he was approached.”
“You think that was him?” Mason asked.