Chapter 6: The Hunted

It was midnight before Ricky and Dean arrived at his office. His cute, big chested dispatcher had been entertaining his only other Deputy and me for almost an hour. I asked him where Special Agent Webber had been lost when he showed up without him.

"Agent Webber is searching an area North of town and will not be joining us tonight. I'll send someone for him when and if we need him."

"It's strange you should mention North of town. That's where we need to be looking ourselves. I have a source that says we may find the child being held by a gang, of sorts, in a cabin near there."

"SHIT! I was no more than a mile from that cabin less than an hour ago. I may have dropped that dumbass agent right in the middle of the sons of bitches."

"Maybe not. They are suppose to have a man posted at the old sleugh bridges. The hangout is in an old logging cabin of some sort downstream."

"I know the place. It's inaccessable by road. I've thought about fixing it up for a hunting camp. It's a goddamn fortress. It's made out of native rock and hardwood. It has a sheet metal roof and narrow slot type windows. The place looks like it was made to withstand a full scale assult."

"How close is Agent Webber?"

"He's on the island where we used to camp when we were kids. The cabin is on a offshoot about a quarter mile downstream. I could have gone by it tonight if the water had been higher."

"Do you want to pick him up while we're out there?"

"No. He's not right. He has some serious mental problems. He may be pissed off about it, but I know we're better off leaving him out of it."

"What kind of problems?"

"Don't ask. You just don't want the man watching your back."

"Let's get some gear and check out the cabin." I said it knowing I should go alone.

"We'll pack full riot gear. It's better to have and not need than need and not have. How reliable is your source?"

"Questionable. But she seemed ernest when she talked."

"She? Do I know her?"

"I'd rather not admit to anything. There may be repercussions later." I said looking at my feet.

"This better payoff. How bad did you fuck things up?"

"I covered my ass. If you need to know more you'll have to wait for a complaint to be filed."

Ricky gazed at me and said," There better not be any complaints. We'll deal with that when and if it comes up. Right now, let's gear up and go find a man on a bridge."

"Let's grab some fishing poles on the way." I suggested.

Ricky caught the hint and sent his deputies to change into their civilian clothes. " I guess instead of sneaking up on a sentry you intend to walk up and ask directions."

"It never hurts to be friendly first. It can turn nasty after that, but not the other way around."

Ricky disappeared into his office to change his clothes as well. In the absence of her co-workers the pretty dispatcher flashed me her tits and slid her phone number across the counter into my hand.

The graveyard shift wouldn't be a total loss if my info didn't pan out. Her name was Erica and and she had the nicest tits I'd seen in the last two hours. I almost hoped Kelly would be wrong. I felt in my gut that she wasn't, but there was more to it than that. I felt something bigger was at work. If the kidnapping was to hamper law enforcement efforts, then the reasons for it would also come to light.