Game of Fear (Montgomery Justice #3)(16)

“Holy crap, she’s one of the kids who hacked the NSA? It was all over the news.”

Deb sighed. “Tell me about it. That’s one of the reasons I’m so worried.”

“So, you think someone found out where she is and something happened? It’s not likely.”

“Normally that’s true, but she came by this weekend, worried.” Deb filled Gabe in on her earlier conversation with Ashley. “I checked with the school. Neither she nor the car made it back. She never passed through the entrance gate or signed in on the dorm log-in sheet.”

“Does Ashley have a boyfriend?” Gabe asked, gently.

“Yes,” Deb admitted. “But I already tried calling Justin. I even woke up his parents. They’re almost as crazed as I am, because they think he’s missing, too. Justin sent his parents a text saying he’d decided to visit New Mexico Tech to see if he wanted to go there. He’s graduating from high school this year.”

Gabe relaxed a bit. “Then that’s probably where Ashley is. Maybe he asked her to go with him?”

Deb shook her head and her chest tightened. The more she spoke aloud, the more the worry snaked through her insides, twisting her muscles into tension-filled knots. “I don’t think so. According to Justin’s parents he’d turned down New Mexico Tech earlier this week. So why would he text his parents that he was going there? And if Ashley was going there with him, why didn’t she drop off the car she borrowed before she left?”

“You’ve got me.” Gabe frowned. “So Justin hasn’t been in touch with them since—”

“Saturday night. They’ve called him countless times since then. Last night, Ashley mentioned she’d been trying to reach him all day and was getting worried.”

Gabe scratched his head. “Look, Deb. They’re both kids—”

She shoved against his chest, pushing him away. “Montgomery, before you say one more word, let me tell you that I know my sister. She wouldn’t take off without telling me. I opted out of my military career when my father was deployed so she could attend the Academy. In Ashley’s mind, she owes me for that. Disappearing is the last thing she’d do to me.”

He nodded his head, but Deb could see he had doubts. Thankful for the space between them, she crossed her arms. This had been a bad idea. Reaching out to him had been an impulse. She should have known. Counting on anyone but herself was a mistake.

“Ashley has only been gone a few hours,” he said, his weight shifting from one leg to the other. “Without more concrete evidence, I’m not even sure you can file a missing person’s report yet.”

“I know,” she sighed. Gabe’s leg was obviously bothering him tonight, but she couldn’t let this go. “They’re going to say the same thing at the sheriff’s office. It’s the other reason I wanted to talk to you. I thought maybe you could influence them. Convince one of the guys you know really well to help. Maybe at least ask the other officers to look out for the car.”

Gabe tapped his chin. “If Neil Wexler is on, maybe I could talk him into a BOLO.”

A small spark of hope kindled inside of her. “A BOLO? Is that the be-on-the-lookout-for thing?”

“Yeah.”

“If you’d do that for me, Gabe, as soon as this is over, I promise I’ll find a way to say thank you.”

“Really?” He stepped forward and brushed the hair out of her eyes.

Her breath hitched. Now was not the time. Not with Ashley missing.

Gabe lingered for a moment, then dropped his hand. “Do you want to come inside the bar while I lock up? We may be at the station for a while.”

“No. I’ll wait here.” A minute later, Deb regretted that decision. She huddled deeper into her coat. Was Ashley outside in this frigid cold? God, she should have made her sister stay. Why hadn’t she gone with her gut?

Her instincts had kept her alive for her years in the Army. She knew better than to ignore them.

Seconds later, Gabe returned, his limp a bit more pronounced than it had been.

“You okay?” she asked.

His face tightened. “I’m fine. The cold weather makes me stiff.” He flushed. “Uh, makes my leg stiff.”

“Oh, really?” She couldn’t stop the arch of her brow. Surely that wasn’t a Freudian slip on his part? “We can drive to the station,” she offered, “if you’re in pain.”

He scowled. “It’s across the street.”

“It’s across four lanes of slippery, black-ice-covered street.”

“I’m fine,” he gritted out between clenched teeth.

“Does your jaw hurt when you get pissed like that?”

“Let’s go,” Gabe said.

“Lead on.”

They walked down the small incline toward the street and made it onto the shoveled sidewalk with only a few near mishaps. The wind had picked up, blowing some of the snow around. The flakes glistened under the glow of the streetlamps, and the black ice shone like glass.

Gabe slowed down and took her arm. “Guess the street sanders haven’t made it this far yet.”

“Yeah,” she agreed, “but it’s prettier before they come.” Her feet slipped and he caught her just before she hit the ground. She gripped his arm, the muscles hard beneath her hands.