Page 47 of Operation: Return
She headed for the door and as it opened, his gaze was immediately drawn to Erica where she sat on a sofa alone across the living room. He paused for a moment, conflicted. He could take her down to safety with the others, but would she want to be there? Pete was missing and she’d wanted to be a part of the search. Putting her down there would be good for him, allowing him relief from worrying about her, but it wouldn’t be the best for her.
Cole went through the motions of going down into the deep hideout. Alone, the trip seemed to take longer than usual.
He knocked on the door and found all of them sitting in the pitch-black living room. Gabby turned on the lights as soon as he got inside, spreading a warm glow through the underground living room. Scarlet glared at him, then took a seat, Trace flopped next to her. The other two guests seemed nervous about where to go and what to do.
“Have you been sitting here in the dark this whole time?”
Gabby answered first. “We weren’t sure what to do when we heard you coming. The darkness was safer.”
He nodded, conflicted about keeping them there. “It’s our hope you won’t be down here for long. We don’t like having to use this place. Gabby, I think they might be a little more comfortable with you, if you’re willing to stay. Have you shown everyone around?”
She glanced at Scarlet and Trace. Scarlet spoke for them. “I knew my way. The others didn’t care if we don’t have to stay down here long, but it’s been hours now.”
He nodded and hated having to be the one to tell them. “It looks like you might have to be here for a while. Maybe at least a day. Gabby, can you take those around who want to see the layout?”
Gabby smiled and waved for them to follow. “Sure. There’s not a whole lot to show, but you can find a comfortable spot and try to relax for a little while. I’ll be here to talk for anyone who needs it.” She led the other two down the hall leaving Cole with Scarlet and Trace.
He’d had a nagging thought that all of this happened when he’d gone to get Trace. Someone had to be watching. But how had they figured out the connection between Trace and Wayside? He headed for the kitchen and pulled out a small note tablet and pen then went back to where Trace sat with Scarlet.
“Let’s talk.” He slid the notepad across the coffee table.
Trace picked it up and waited.
“I need to know if anything happened to you before I picked you up? Anything out of the ordinary?” Scarlet wouldn’t be able to answer that with their limited way of speaking that was mostly filling in the blanks with his moods and actions. Cole needed solid answers.
“Pete has been taken. This is more urgent than it was before.”
Trace’s face changed from frustration to worry, then from worry to anger. He wrote on the pad,Why did they take the boy and not us? He has nothing to do with them.
“I can’t answer that. I’m hoping that you can fill in a few blanks for us. Nothing started happening until I went to get you. Did you tell anyone where you were going before I picked you up?” They’d told Trace to keep the ranch a secret, but since he didn’t speak, they’d worried that reiterating the security of the ranch would be insulting. They had to walk a fine line with every guest, trying to work in a way that helped but also kept everyone safe and happy.
Trace looked away and started rapidly scribbling on the paper,What are you accusing me of? Do you think I wanted Pete to be taken? I didn’t.
Triggering Trace’s guilt wasn’t going to get Cole answers to his questions and wasn’t his intent. He glanced down the hall, wanting to finish asking what he needed to before the others returned. “That isn’t what I meant. Did anyone confront you that made you uncomfortable or anyone who asked what you might be doing?”
Trace looked away and grunted as he started writing again but his fingers shook, making the writing difficult.
“Cole, do we need to do this right now?” Scarlet laid a hand on Trace and gently rubbed his upper arm and shoulder.
“Yes, I do. In a half hour, I’m meeting with Edwyn to talk about what we need to do to get Pete back. Any information you can offer that might help will make that meeting easier.”
Trace threw down the pen and growled, his voice came out a scratchy whisper, slurred because of his lack of teeth. “A man came to the movie theater a week before you came. You’d just talked to me and told me you were coming. I’d put in my written notice with my boss that day.”
Scarlet’s mouth dropped open and her eyes widened, but she swallowed whatever questions she had. Cole was thankful for that because time was limited, but he was just as shocked as the look on her face.
“Did he speak to you?”
Trace nodded, and swallowed hard like just breathing was difficult. “He said he’d heard I was taking a vacation. I shrugged him off, thinking there was no way he could know anything. But he kept asking me where I was going. He followed me from theater to theater. I was trapped.”
Scarlet threaded her fingers through Trace’s. “You didn’t say anything. I don’t understand.”
“It hurts.” Trace rubbed his throat. “But Pete needs me, and I would do anything for that little boy. He never judged me. He treated me like I deserved a friend.” A tear ran down Trace’s cheek. “If it’s my fault he was taken . . .”
“There is nothing we can do about the how or why, but this isn’t your fault. You didn’t take Pete. You didn’t do anything wrong, but I need to know what happened.” Cole heard Gabby showing the other two guests the kitchen. He lowered his voice, “Did you tell him anything?”
Trace hung his head and Cole slid forward in his seat to hear him better. “I was angry that he kept pestering me. I’d already looked online and couldn’t even find Wayside Ranch, so I figured saying the name wouldn’t hurt. I told him I was going to Wayside and to leave me alone.”
Scarlet gasped. Cole made sure his face stayed emotionless. He didn’t want Trace to feel any worse than he already did. “Is there anything else you know about this guy?”