Page 40 of Rescuer
Mia interrupted her. “I do believe in God. I just have trouble believing He loves me.”
“He does. Can I pray for you?”
“Well, don’t you anyway? You always say you pray for me.”
Shannon’s laugh tinkled through the phone. “I do. But I mean pray with you. Now, while we’re on the phone.”
Mia pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at it for a second before putting it against her ear again. “Um, I think I’d like that.”
Shannon was silent for a couple of tense seconds. “I was sure you’d say no. I’ll pray first. You can just listen. And if you feel called to add something, go ahead.”
“Well, okay. But I won’t add anything.”
“That’s fine.”
Mia felt ridiculous standing there, listening to her friend pray for her. But at the same time, a sense of hope lightly touched her heart. She didn’t say anything.
Shannon said, “Amen. Good night, Mia.”
The line went dead. Mia held her phone. She wasn’t sure how, but something had changed. She felt lighter. More at peace.
Eight
Jackson arrived at the meeting spot a full twenty minutes early. He glanced around. No sign of Mia yet. He picked up his phone and dialed Dylan. It went to voicemail. “Hey, Dylan. I don’t know where you are. I’m worried, bro. I’m looking for you. I might be out of service for a bit, but I wanted you to know I’m coming for you.”
Still no answer. This was not merely a kid ghosting him because he was mad or disappointed. No matter what the police thought, something was wrong. He wouldn’t give up until he found him.
When it was obvious Dylan wasn’t going to answer his phone, Jackson sent him a text telling him the same thing he’d said in his voicemail. Then he prayed. He was all Dylan had left. And if he were honest, Dylan was all he had as well.
Mia’s car swooped around the curve and pulled in behind him. Seven on the dot. Punctual as usual.
Hopping down from the cab, he slung his hefty pack over his shoulders. He no longer noticed the weight on his back. In the military, carrying all his gear on operations had become common. And even in his search and rescue work, it wasn’t unheard of to carry heavy gear on his back for miles.
Mia stepped out of her car, and he was glad to see she’d worn jeans and hiking boots. The temperature would drop once they were in the woods. Then there were the insects and ticks to consider. As if she’d read his mind, she whipped out a can of insect repellent and sprayed a generous portion on herself.
Mia set the can aside and reached deeper into her car. He blinked when she brought out a Glock and strapped the gun into a holster under her lightweight jacket. That was a serious weapon.
“You carry a Glock?” He winced. She probably thought he was being critical.
Sure enough, the curve of her full lips tightened into a straight line. “I told you I had a gun. I have a concealed carry permit.”
Jackson approached, his hands raised. “Peace. I was just surprised. I don’t remember you being into weapons. A Glock is a pretty exclusive weapon.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Yeah, well, I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time. I don’t need to rely on a man to protect me.”
That was a loaded statement if he ever heard one. No way he was touching that. He watched as she pulled her own pack of gear from her car.
“I assume we’ll have to walk,” she said.
“Yeah. The trees are too dense. There are no roads, so we’ll go on foot. It’s probably about an hour to Bear Cove.” Bending down, he made sure his hiking boots were double-knotted. “Have you ever been in these woods before?”
“Not that I recall.”
“Well, this is a popular place for hunting and hiking, but the terrain is very rough, which is one reason we couldn’t come out last night.” Although he’d wanted to. “And as usual, the forecast has changed. It’s calling for rain later. We have a few hours before it rains, so I think we should be able to get to Bear Cove, search around, and get back before it gets bad.”
She pressed her lips together. “I’m in. A little rain won’t hurt. Since you know the way, I’ll follow you.”
He hefted his pack higher and led the way into the trees. Within the first few feet, the light faded and he heard the buzzing of insects. The repellent seemed to do a good job of keeping them away.
