Page 110 of Race to Save Her

“I’ll try,” he said, his voice sounding extremely weak.

“Do you have your gun or cell phone?” she asked, already knowing the answer.

Chris sat up. “No. I’m sorry I didn’t see him coming.”

“Chris, he made sure you didn’t see him.”

He let out a breath.

“I’m going to see what kind of space we’re in… okay? Just keep talking.” Katie stood up and put her hands back on the curved ceiling. She walked the entire length of it, getting her balance back in check. “It’s strange,” she said.

“Stranger than being in here,” said Chris.

“The back area seems like loose soil, and it’s wet.”

“That would make sense if this tube or cylinder was once used for drainage.”

“Good point.” Katie kept talking to help Chris stay awake, but it also helped calm her nerves and to concentrate on how to get out. She pushed her hands on the back wall and the soil moved. She scooped out some of the wet dirt. “Chris, I think we can dig out of here. I don’t know where it goes, but I’m going to try.”

“Okay… I wish I could help you…” His voice trailed off.

“Chris? Chris! Stay awake,” she said. Not knowing the extent of the injury, it was important he stayed conscious.

“Um… okay.”

“Tell me a story,” she said.

“About what?”

“Anything. Why you became a cop or why you want to be a detective,” she said as she began digging her way out…

SIXTY-SIX

Tuesday 1840 hours

Daylight was dwindling by the time McGaven drove back to the department, still high from having found the photo of Cole Dillon. If only he weren’t worried about the silence from the others. On arrival, waiting in the parking lot were John, Sheriff Scott, two detectives, and a dozen police cruisers. McGaven had called John and the sheriff when Katie and Chris didn’t respond. He knew they must be in trouble. As he drove he’d relay all the information he could so that everyone was on the same page.

The sheriff met him first. McGaven knew his face told the entire story of how worried he was about Katie and Chris. Katie’s theory that the killer would be at one of the locations they were checking out had been true. As she had suggested, they were the type of places no one would think to look. Cole Dillon took people’s properties and made them help him with his specific instructions and when they were no longer needed—he killed them. In this way he could continue to hunt, abduct, and dismember women to feed his delusions.

And now McGaven’s partner was in the middle of this killer’s fantasy.

“What about SWAT?” said McGaven, noticing their absence.

“They’re on a call in the south district,” said the sheriff. “It’s going to be a while.”

“We need to get to Katie.”

“I understand, but we don’t know what we’re getting into and we’ve lost daylight essentially. We’ve pinged their location and they’re still at that old property.” The sheriff unrolled a map on McGaven’s car’s hood. “This is what we’re anticipating from the little we know.”

John joined them and all three men contemplated their options and came up with a plan for half their team to enter the property by the main road, with the other half coming up the farm road. The officers were in SUVs and would be able to navigate the terrain.

The sheriff went to brief the others. John and McGaven were left behind, lost in their own thoughts—and concerns.

“What was the last thing Katie said to you?” said John.

“We were having lunch today and we talked everything out—all we had, the information and evidence. But nothing was pushing us in the right direction.”

“Let me guess… Katie wanted to use those notes as a way to try and trap him,” said John.