Page 43 of Finding English

Chapter 17

Henry had thankfully been on his way home when the call came in. He didn’t know what it was but as soon as he’d seen, Cassie’s name on the console in the truck his heart had stopped. He’d known something was wrong; it was unexplainable, but he had. At her words, a hand had tightened around his throat, causing his brain to freeze. Then her terror had filtered through, and his calm protective side had kicked in, allowing him to think clearly.

Speaking with Nate, who was cool-headed helped, but he still pressed his foot harder on the accelerator needing to be home, to find his little girl and in his head, she was his. He loved her as much as he did her mother. As far as his heart was concerned, Michaela and Cassie came as one.

Jack said nothing, just took out his phone and called Will, issuing commands before hanging up.

“We’ll get her back, English. I have Will using the drone now.”

“Do you think he got to her?” Henry voiced the words he could never say to Cass.

“I don’t see how, but if he did, we’ll get her back. Let’s not borrow trouble for now.”

Henry nodded slowly. Pulling to a screeching stop outside the farmhouse he was out of the car and running as Cass hit the steps, her body colliding with his as he caught her. He could feel her trembling all over as his arms wrapped tightly around her body, his hand on her hair, holding her as close as he could.

“We’ll find her, baby, I promise.”

Cassie sniffled and pulled away, and he saw a determination in her eyes as he did. That was his girl, soft on the outside but with a core of steel. Jack stood off to one side with Nate. As Henry and Cass approached the two men, his mum came outside, her distraught face making him hold his hand out to her. She came and held on tight to him.

“Will has the drone up and Aubrey is looking through the recordings. We should know in a few minutes what happened. For now, Josie, can you search the house again? Look for any place a child might hide.”

His mum took off at Jack’s request, wanting to be useful, squeezing his hand as she did, whether to reassure her son or herself, Henry didn’t know but he appreciated it.

“Nate, search the bunkhouse again. She can’t be far, no vehicle has been near this place apart from ours.”

Henry turned to Cassie, keeping her in his arms, needing the connection as much as she did. “What were you doing when she disappeared?”

Cassie ran her hand through her hair, pulling it away from her face with shaking hands. “We were in the garden planting, but Mic got bored and was playing on the lawn with Bear and Ozzy. I only took my eyes off her for a moment.”

“Hey, nobody is questioning you as a parent. Just tell us what happened before that. I thought you were going riding. What happened?”

Cassie tilted her head. “We were but then Jerry bought Domino into the stables from the paddock because he has that mare coming in later and Majestic moved to the top field for a run with the others.”

“Where’s my dad?”

“He went to check the field in case Mic wandered off looking for Majestic.”

“Let’s search the stables again just in case we missed something. She’s little and could easily hide.”

Cassie gripped his shirt, her hands tight on the fabric as he pained eyes met his. “What if he has her?”

Henry cupped her cheek. “Don’t think that, we’ll find her.”

Cassie sucked in a shaky breath, to calm herself before she offered him a slight nod. “Okay.”

Taking her hand, he started to move away but stopped when Jack called him back, turning his way.

“I’ll call Cruz.”

Henry nodded, not voicing his thoughts that mirrored Jack’s. If Bunce had Mic, they needed the FBI in on this and no way could they afford to waste time. Jack lifted his phone and Henry moved toward the barn with Cass close to him, his stride quick, urgency in every step.

The stables were made up five stalls on either side with a wide walkway through the middle. A mezzanine balcony above held his father’s offices, a kitchenette, and bathroom. His father would often sleep out here when he had a mare about to foal, so he could be close if she got into trouble.

The horses nickered and whinnied as if sensing the tension as he and Cass split off, each one looking inside the stalls, moving the hay, looking under saddles, and behind bales of hay. They met up at the end outside Domino’s stall. The big stallion put his head through and nudged Henry’s hair. They hadn’t checked his stall because it was securely locked, the clever beast having worked out how to slide the bolt on his stall.

“Check in my father’s offices, while I check out the back.”

They went to move away, and Henry stopped dead as he heard the tiniest whimper. Cass stopped, looking at him with optimistic awareness.