The Search (28 page)

"Like me."

"Like you. But I won't be here when you do. I'm taking Monty home if we locate-- What's wrong?"

Chavez had stopped and was looking over his shoulder. He shrugged. "Nothing. A goose went over my grave."

"What?"

"I had a funny feeling in the back of my neck." His gaze raked the trees around them. "Like something's watching us."

She scanned the trees. She couldn't see anything and, unlike Chavez, she didn't sense anything threatening.

"Sorry. It's probably nothing." He shook his head. "There are bears up here, you know. And they like to roam near the rest stops and pick up food from the trash barrels."

More likely Henry Smith was keeping his promise to keep out of sight. "Or it could be my friend who followed me here. I told him not to interfere."

"Someone followed you? Why?"

"He's a little overprotective. It's a long story, and you wouldn't be interested."

"The heck I wouldn't." His expression was sober. "You've got to be careful of people following you around. A lot of women discover that overprotectiveness is a sign of a stalker."

"I'm not worried." Time to change the subject. She could see Chavez was getting protective himself. They had reached the top of the hill, and the lake was spread out before them. "Beautiful. I'd almost forgotten . . ."

"Have you ever been here before?"

"Years ago. My grandfather brought me. He loved it here." She looked down at the blue lake. It seemed impossible such still, serene beauty could hide the bodies of those children. The thought was incredibly sad. Just do your job and get out of here. "Where's the boat?"

Chavez pointed down the incline about fifty yards from where they were standing. "The last tracks we were able to trace were right here. But the shale is harder packed from here on, and they could have traveled for another mile or two." He started down the incline and reached back to take her hand. "Let me help you. This stuff's slippery."

His hand was warm and firm and it felt good. She was still feeling a little chill from that first sight of the lake, and it was nice to have someone to hold on to. She looked back over her shoulder but could see no sign of their footprints on the rocks. She could understand what Chavez was up against in determining where the car went into the water.

"Did you hear something?" Chavez's gaze was following her own.

"No, just looking at the shale." She added teasingly, "No bear in sight."

"I thought I heard-- It must have been our footsteps. This shale is damn noisy." Chavez helped her into the boat and Monty jumped in after her. "Where do you want to start?"

"You tell me." Her gaze went to a point at the far end of the lake. She could barely discern a few highway patrol cars and sheriff's vehicles and officers moving around. "Is that your command post?"

"Yep." He waved his hand at one of the officers and the man waved back. "The parents are there too. I'm glad we're a good distance away. I told the guys to keep them away from the lake so they wouldn't see you. Not that they'd know what you were doing with the dog anyway. Not many people have heard about dogs that can find cadavers underwater."

"Bodies, not cadavers. I hate that word. It dehumanizes." She shaded her eyes. "How far out could a car hit the water?"

"It depends on how fast the car was going." He pointed to a hill a few miles away. "If it bounced and went off that incline at a high speed, it could be thirty, forty feet out. If it went into the water here, it could be right underneath us."

"It's not right underneath us. Monty would tell me." She settled back in the boat. "But we'll start close to the shore."

Chapter 12.

"It's about time you got here." Logan came out of the cabin as Galen parked by the front door. "Hurry. I need to take your rental car."

"I've been exactly two and a half hours," Galen said as he got out of the car. "And that's extraordinary considering I was in Dodsworth when you called. Really, Logan, you can't yank me around all over the country if you expect me to find Rudzak."

"This is important."

"She's all right, you know. I told you she called me to verify Henry Smith's identity. She's not being stupid and Smith will watch her."

Logan got into the driver's seat. "I want to go myself."

"Then why didn't you? Why bring me here?"

He started the car. "Maggie."

"Maggie?"

"The wolf. Someone Sarah trusts has to take care of her."

"You want me to baby-sit a wolf? That's not in my job description."

"You don't have a job description. And if you had one, it would be censored. Maggie's on the back porch. I just changed her bandage, but if I'm not back in a few hours, check it again."

"You'd better be back. I'm not too enthusiastic about--"

Logan was gone.

Galen shook his head as he watched the taillights disappear. It wasn't like Logan to roar off in a panic when there was no clear-cut danger. But then, Rudzak had always been the exception to any rule with Logan. Ever since that time with Chen--

Galen jumped as a piercing howl broke the silence.

"Jesus." He turned and went into the cabin. Back porch, Logan had said.

Maggie lifted her head and snarled when he appeared in the doorway. What the hell had Logan gotten him into? Change a bandage? The wolf wouldn't let him near her.

He'd better find a way. "Hello." He moved slowly toward her. "Aren't you a beauty. It seems we've got to become each other's best friend." Maggie didn't take her malevolent gaze from him. "I don't blame you for not trusting me. I don't trust many people either." He sat down a short distance away and crossed his legs. "But we're probably a lot alike. So I'll just sit here and talk a bit to you."

The last rays of the setting sun were casting scarlet streaks over the lake and Monty still hadn't indicated a find.

"Does Monty need to go ashore again?" Chavez asked.

"I don't think so." Monty's concentration was so intense on water searches that he had to take frequent breaks to prevent burning out. "It's been only about forty minutes."

"It seems longer."

It seemed longer to her too. Time was dragging as the tension built.

"Should we go in and start again tomorrow?" Chavez asked.

"No, not unless we've covered all the territory. Darkness doesn't make any difference to Monty."

"I hoped you'd say that. I want to go back and tell those parents we searched the entire area and didn't find anything." He guided the boat out farther into the water. "I'll stay as long as you will. But are you sure Monty can tell if there's anyone under the water?"

"As sure as I can be," she said tersely. "If you didn't think Monty could do it, why did you send for me?"

"Sorry." He held up his hands. "I don't know much about the technicalities of water rescue. I just wanted to do what I could for those parents."

"I know." She rubbed the back of her neck. "I guess I'm kind of tense. Maybe they're not in the lake. God, I hope not."

"But if they're here, Monty will find them? How does he do it?"

"The body of a drowning victim releases invisible skin particles. The particles have their own vapors and oil and gas secretions that are lighter than water and rise from any depth to the surface. The minute they come into contact with air, the particles form the narrowest point of a widening scent cone. Monty will recognize the cone and follow it back to the area of heaviest concentration."

"Incredible."

"Training. Monty and I spent an entire summer learning how to locate underwater victims. We were both pretty waterlogged by the time we got it right." She patted Monty's head. "He is pretty incredible. His ability to pick up a scent is fifty-eight times greater than any human's and his sensitivity to particular molecules may be thousands of times greater."

"Impressive. Then, if he doesn't find a scent, we can assume they're not here?"

She shook her head. "If there's heavy algae, it could trap the scent. Layers of cold water can do the same thing. There are other factors that can interfere, but Monty's been able to locate the--"

Monty barked.

"Shit." So much for hoping those kids were safe.

Monty began running back and forth in the boat, his head down, pointing at the water.

"He's found something." Her hand tightened on the leash. "Cut the motor and let the boat drift." When Chavez obeyed, she sat still, watching. Monty was excited, but he hadn't found the source yet. "Start the motor, but keep it very slow. Go first to the right and then to the left."

When they'd turned left and gone a few yards, Monty went crazy. He strained at the leash, trying to paw and nip at the water.

"Here." She swallowed to ease the tightness of her throat. "Throw out a buoy to mark the spot."

Mark the spot. Mark this spot so those parents could find their children. Lately it seemed as if she always had to just mark the spot and go on.

"Are you okay?"

Her gaze left the yellow buoy floating on the water to see Chavez staring at her sympathetically. "I'm fine." She smiled crookedly. "No, I'm lying. I was hoping I wouldn't find anything. Let's get out of here. I'm having trouble holding Monty."

"You warned me he'd try to jump in the water." He started the motor. "Do you need my help?"

"No. As soon as the excitement passes, he'll realize they're dead and he can't save them."

And neither could she.

"It doesn't have to be those kids," Chavez said. "Couldn't it be an animal or--"

"No, Monty knows the difference. It's at least one human being."

Monty had stopped fighting the leash and was looking back at the spot marked by the buoy.

Save.

"You can't save them, boy."

He was already realizing he couldn't save them, and she could sense the sadness.

Help.

"You did help."

Monty lifted his head and howled mournfully.

She stared at him in surprise. She was used to hearing him bark, even whimper, but he'd never given vent to that eerie sound before.

Maggie's influence?

He howled again.

"Christ," Chavez muttered. "He gives me the creeps."

"He's upset." She reached out and stroked Monty's head. "He'll be better soon."

"Sorry." Chavez grimaced. "Let him howl. I suppose we owe him a big debt."

"We'll know that when you get a scuba team out here."

"I'll put in a call right away." Chavez cut the motor as they neared the shore. He jumped out of the boat and guided it onto the bank. "Though I'd better tell them to report tomorrow morning. It's dark now, and trying to locate wreckage underwater can be dangerous enough in daylight."

"Will you tell the parents tonight?"

He shook his head as he helped her from the boat. "It won't hurt to give them one more night of hope. Hell, maybe your Monty is wrong. Maybe that million-dollar nose has a cold or something."