There was a pause on the line. “Vance. It’s been a long time, brother. You holding up okay?”
“I need a plate run,” Vance said, ignoring the pleasantries. “Dark blue sedan. Texas tags. JKL-492.”
“You know I’m not on the force anymore, Vance. I can’t just go pulling records without a reason.”
“He has my daughter, Miller.”
Silence hung heavy on the line. The weight of those words settled between them. Miller knew everything about Sarah’s disappearance. He had been the lead detective on the case before it went cold and he retired.
“Give me five minutes,” Miller said softly. The line went dead.
Vance leaned against his motorcycle. He looked down at his left wrist. The stick-figure family looked back at him.
My mom has that too.
Sarah was alive. She was out there. And the man with the crescent moon scar had her. Vance didn't know how, and he didn't know why, but the waiting was over. He swung his leg over the heavy motorcycle, gripped the handlebars, and waited for the phone to ring.
Chapter 2: The House at the End of the Road
The address Miller texted him belonged to a small, isolated house on the far north edge of the county. It was a property sitting at the end of a long, unpaved driveway, hidden behind a thick line of dying oak trees. It was the kind of place designed for someone who didn't want to be seen.
Vance parked his motorcycle half a mile down the road, hiding it behind an abandoned billboard. He walked the rest of the way on foot, his heavy boots making no sound on the soft dirt shoulder.
When he reached the tree line, he crouched in the brush and stared through the branches at the property.
The dark blue sedan was parked in the gravel driveway. The house itself was a faded white single-story structure with peeling paint and drawn blinds. It looked suffocating.
Vance checked his watch. It was 2:00 PM.
He waited. He had learned patience the hard way over the last six years. He didn't know what he was walking into. If the man—whose name Miller had identified as Greg Thorne—was holding them hostage, kicking the door down could put Sarah and Mia in danger. He needed to understand the dynamic. He needed a clear opening.
At 3:15 PM, the front door opened.
Vance’s breath caught in his throat.