Page 108 of Betrayed

“Oh, I forgot about that. Thanks.”

“I’ll wake Zara up, and we’ll join the search. I’ll get my parents praying too. We’ll all be praying. Have you called AJ’s dad?”

Logan slumped back. “No.”

“I’ll take care of it.”

“Thank you.” The friends hung up, and Logan opened the family finding app. Her phone came up right away. “Take Wakefield Road instead of Brighton. That’s where AJ’s car broke down.”

“Got it.” Adam nodded. “We should get that scene processed immediately too.”

Amelia radioed that in as well. The whole force was coming out to help find AJ. It reminded him of how so many people had supported them when Bree died. The entire community had surrounded them with love in the form of meals and kind words. Those first months had been a blur, but they had kept moving forward only because of the community that had come out and surrounded them with support through the initial grief.

He was torn. So many places to be. He wanted to stop by the car, but he also wanted to check out any possible locations where AJ could have been taken. But teams were going to her car and the asylum. It would be okay. It had to be.

Another loss would break him completely. He’d never recover.

The Holy Spirit whispered in his soul. My grace is sufficient.

Sustain me, Lord. I should have sought You in my grief and hurt, but I didn’t. Forgive me. And forgive me for assuming the worst of AJ.

They stopped in front of AJ’s car, taking his mind away from his prayer, but his heart stayed prostrate before the Lord. He’d tried too often to do things by himself and learned the hard way he couldn’t possibly get through this on his own. Only the God of the universe, his heavenly Father, could sustain him now.

Logan got out of the car and walked toward AJ’s.

A cell phone lay on the ground. She’d had her phone in her hand when Miles had approached her. Why had she gotten out of the car?

He looked at the hood. She’d popped it but hadn’t opened it. Maybe that’s what happened: her car died, and she had to stop.

Logan darted to the hood and lifted it.

“What is it?” Adam asked.

“I’m wondering if Miles sabotaged her car, and she stopped because it broke down.”

Amelia said, “Keys are still in the ignition. Someone who left on their own wouldn’t have left them there. Not that we needed that confirmation, but it’s helpful.”

Logan looked back at Adam, who was fiddling around under the hood.

“Yep, this has been messed with.” He went on to explain what had been done. Logan’s ears glazed over, not because he didn’t understand what Adam was explaining, but because Miles had again invaded their space. He’d been in AJ’s dad’s driveway at some point in the last day and a half, and they’d missed it.

Adam grabbed his shoulder. “Hey, it’s not your fault. We keep moving forward. We will find this guy if it means we grid out and search the whole city.”

Logan swallowed the anxiety building in his chest and nodded. He had to keep positive, determined, for AJ’s sake.