Committed by E. H. Reinhard Read Free Book Online

there.”
    “Did they see either of the couple?” I asked.
    “Didn’t say. We’re only a few miles away now. We’ll see in a minute.”
    “Okay, I’ll let Beth know.”
    “Yup,” Bill said. He clicked off.
    I jammed my phone back into my pocket. “The RV is still there. Two local deputies are on the scene, waiting for us.”
    A blue rest-area sign whizzed past. Our exit would be in a single mile. Our group of cars veered into the right lane. We exited and passed the—now three—sheriff’s cars waiting along the shoulder of the ramp. I glanced over my shoulder to see the cars pulling out and getting behind Scott and Bill’s rental. When I looked back out the windshield, past Gents and Makara’s car, I could see the RV parked on the far side of the rest stop, near the tractor trailers. I pointed.
    “I see it,” Beth said.
    Our three cars, with the sheriff’s cruisers following, pulled up and surrounded the RV. Beth and I were directly across from the vehicle’s front door on what would be the passenger side. Makara and Gents were parked a bit farther ahead, and Bill and Scott were stopped directly at the vehicle’s nose. The three sheriff’s cruisers took the driver’s side of the vehicle. I yanked the handle on my door and stepped out as I pulled my service weapon. I rounded the back of the car to the driver’s side and brought my weapon up over the roof—to my left and right, everyone was following suit.
    “Nick Frane, Molly McCoy, exit the vehicle with your hands in the air!” Scott called.
    His instruction received no response. The door of the RV was open, yet I saw nothing inside aside from what looked like a closet directly across from the doorway. The curtains covering the side windows of the RV didn’t move, the vehicle didn’t start and try to plow through our cars… nothing.
    Scott repeated his command, again to no response.
    Scott pointed at the open doorway, signaling he was going to it. Bill went to cover him as Scott took a position at the side of the door. From where he stood, he should’ve been able to see a bit inside.
    “FBI!” Scott shouted.
    No response.
    I looked over at Beth beside me. “Let’s go.”
    We lined up opposite Bill and Scott at the open doorway. “Driver and passenger seats are clear,” I said.
    Agents Makara and Gents came to Beth’s and my sides.
    “On three,” Scott said. He counted two off on his fingers, pointed in and took the RV’s stairs in two steps. “FBI!” he shouted again as I made my way up behind Bill.
    The interior of the RV spread to our left—just the driver and passenger seats, vacant, stood to our right. An empty living room, dining room, and kitchen comprised the main area, with a small hallway leading to an open-doored bedroom at the back. We passed a flowered couch and dining table attached to the wall as we headed toward the bedroom at the back. Scott kicked in the closed door to our right, pointed his gun in, and continued. As I passed the door he’d booted, I saw it led to a small empty bathroom with a shower. Scott, Bill, and I entered the bedroom to find it empty.
    “Clear,” Scott said. He holstered his service weapon as the rest of us did the same.
    “Dammit,” Bill said.
    “We’re on their heels,” Beth said. “Let’s do a quick sweep and see if they’re still here.”
    We left the RV through the open doorway.
    The deputies that had taken the far side of the RV came to us—five men total, and we didn’t have time for introductions.
    “We need to fan out. Both suspects are Caucasian, and of average height and build. Bald-headed guy, midthirties. Female, twenties, maroon hair,” Scott said. “Deputies, if you want to take the car lot and surrounding areas, we’ll take this side and work our way toward you.”
    “Sure,” one of the deputies answered. They jogged to the far side of the rest area.
    “Agents Makara, Gents, do you guys want to stay with the RV and give it a once-over? Maybe the couple left