Empty. He pulled into the trees and parked, then jumped out with his gun in hand. No sign of Maddie or Hicks. Nothing. The car was unlocked, and he reached in to pop the trunk. He held his breath as he went to check . . . No blood, no bodies. No Kevlar. He frowned down at the trunk and closed it. Wherever they’d gone, they’d taken the time to suit up. He cursed under his breath as he moved toward the fence. What the hell was she thinking? He’d known this would happen the second she told him about this deer lease. She was going to go nosing around, and screw anyone who tried to stop her, including him. She was a CSI and a mother, and besides that, she was stubborn as hell. If there was a chance in a billion that Jolene was here alive, then no amount of logic could keep her away. Frustration and fear tightened his chest. Brian closed his eyes and listened carefully. The air was still and quiet. He didn’t hear a car or a bird or anything. He didn’t hear the whump-whump of a chopper or the low hum of an armored van.
