Page 61 of Rescuer
Jackson stiffened beside her. No matter what they thought, these kids were all precious. And they were missed and valued.
“Why would you encourage your students to go to this camp?” the lieutenant demanded.
She read condemnation in his face. He believed she was involved. She blinked back tears. This was her fault. She couldn’t look Jackson in the eye. “It looked official.”
“Guys, Mia didn’t do anything wrong,” Jackson stated, shocking her. She clenched her jaw to keep it from flopping open. “She didn’t get anything for it.”
“I did,” she whispered. “I was paid. I had to call and leave messages, but I was paid for it.”
“Where is the money?” The lieutenant frowned at her.
“I paid for my final semester in my master’s program with it.” She shook her head. “I will cancel that, of course. I won’t use money that was made illegally.”
Most of the cops kept their faces smooth, but Jason’s eyebrows drew together, giving him an air of concern. “Don’t do anything rash. We need to see that transfer and where it’s from.” The lieutenant in charge motioned for Jason to back away. “Follow us to the station. We’ll have more questions for you there.”
Mia didn’t want to leave Jackson. He was the only one she trusted. They had a bad history, true, but he was the only one she felt she could confide in. And she was invested in finding Dylan and Reggie.
Thirteen
Jackson watched Mia get into her car and follow Jason’s cruiser. His chest felt hollow. He’d wanted to push to go with her, but at the same time, he needed to be here while the search for Dylan and Reggie continued. There was something hinky about that foundation. It just wasn’t possible that three kids from the same camp could vanish, especially since they hadn’t all gone missing at the same time. Not to mention, one of the men running it was a known offender.
But they had all come home from camp, and as far as he knew, none of them had said anything to raise any concerns in their homes. Dylan had raved about the camp when Jackson had taken him to lunch the day after he’d gotten back.
Please, God. Let that not be the last time. Help me find my brother. And Reggie. And any other kids who’ve gone missing.
What had the cops said? They were targeting kids no one would miss? That burned. Dylan was in foster care, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have anyone who loved him. Jackson clenched his fists and shoved them into his pockets. The posture made his side ache, but he ignored the sensation.
And Reggie’s family had issues, but Reggie was important too. All God’s children were precious.
He turned his thoughts back to the foundation—apparently the one connection to the camp the missing kids had all attended. The lack of a website rang more alarms. What confused him was that Mia had eventually been paid. He didn’t like that at all, but every instinct screamed that she was telling the truth. Mia was a complicated woman, but he didn’t think she had it in her to get tangled up in anything as vile as human trafficking—no matter what she might have done, who her parents were, or what history they shared. That was one accusation he could never believe.
Whether the police believed her or not, however, was beyond his control. She might have to prove she was innocent. Could she afford a lawyer? Probably not. After all, she’d taken the counselor position to earn money to finish her degree.
He’d never asked what degree she was going for, but it hardly felt urgent now.
He needed to be with the search and rescue team. He stalked into the woods, following the recent footprints in the slightly damp earth. Branches swiped at his arms and legs, grabbing at him to hold him back. He wanted to move faster, but rocks, uneven ground, and roots posed serious tripping hazards. The sunlight faltered. It couldn’t push through the foliage. The temperature dropped a couple degrees.
“Jackson. Glad you could join us,” Sierra said. Her long dark hair had been secured into a tight braid. Sierra was petite, but no one who knew her made the mistake of thinking she was weak. Her boots and jeans had seen better days, but she was dressed for a long search.
He hoped it wouldn’t take long. Those boys had already been missing for seven days.
“Sierra, what are we doing?” Jackson didn’t waste time with idle chatter. They needed to move.
“We’re doing a straight sweep.” She gestured with her arms, outlining the search pattern and the parameters.
They were spread out in a line, shoulder to shoulder, each person no more than five feet from the next. They kept a steady pace, making sure every gap between trees, fallen logs, and brush piles was searched. At regular intervals, he called for a “mark check,” and each member responded in turn, ensuring no one had drifted from the line.
He knew they would move in one direction until they hit the far boundary, then pivot and sweep back the other way. It was time-consuming and exhausting both physically and emotionally, but it was the most effective way to ensure nothing was missed.
They’d been searching for two hours when members of the local police stations pulled in. Jackson turned his head and saw Captain Bruce Balluff from the Southwold station stride onto the scene. His familiar five-foot-eight frame, salt-and-pepper hair, and slightly stooped shoulders made him instantly recognizable.
Within seconds, his deep voice echoed through the woods, calling out encouragement and orders. Normally, he wore a friendly grin. Today, deep lines were carved into his face near the corners of his mouth.
Missing kids hit everyone hard.
“Dylan! Reggie!” Echoed through the air in all directions.
By the third hour, firefighters from both the city and the volunteer fire departments were helping comb the area. A few of the firefighters brought thermal imagers to scan shaded thickets and fallen trunks, while others used long poles to probe hidden hollows.
