Thayne propped himself against the doorjamb. So far he’d heard a few tears, a bit of crying, and finally the soft murmur of female voices. He drummed his fingers on his leg. A sense of urgency boiled within him. He had a feeling Riley and he were close to uncovering something big, but he could foresee nothing that pointed to saving Cheyenne, and he didn’t have a clue how to find her. Right now they’d placed all their hopes on a sixteen-year-old kid. What kind of delusional faith was that? A rustle sounded off to the left. Thayne drew his weapon and crouched, peering into the trees at the side of Carol’s home. A loud meow pierced the night, and a cat streaked past him, hissing. Thayne didn’t relax. Something had triggered the animal to flee. A shadow moved to his left just as the front door to Carol’s house opened. “Stay inside,” he hissed to Riley. “Don’t leave until I come back.” The door slammed shut, and the dead bolt clicked into place. Confident Riley could take care of herself barricaded indoors, Thayne rushed in silence to the trees.
