Page 45 of Fallen Creed

Hannah’s kitchen was the central meeting place. The kennel, however, was the focal point of the business. A warehouse-sized building with large plate-glass windows and surrounded by fenced yards, it included a commercial kitchen, sleeping crates, beds and a couple of sofas. Upstairs was a loft apartment for Ryder.

The property also included a field house with an Olympic-sized swimming pool for water training. The veterinary clinic was stocked with the latest and best equipment. It included a surgical suite and a veterinarian—Dr. Avelyn Parker—on retainer.

Jason and Scout lived in a cozy doublewide trailer just steps away from the kennel.

This place was more than a job and free housing for Jason. It had been his salvation. And now it was his home and family. So when he came in the back door and into Hannah’s kitchen, he knew immediately that something was wrong.

Hannah Washington was a pillar of strength and wise beyond her years, with advice you could take to the bank. She had tough standards. Jason and Ryder weren’t allowed to bring women home to spend the night. She didn’t want her boys asking questions. Said it was hard enough raising them without their daddy who had died in Iraq. But Jason had come to depend on Hannah’s moral compass. Ryder had confessed once that Hannah made him a better man, and Jason hoped that was true for him, too.

She paced the kitchen with her cell phone in her hand. Maybe she was expecting a call. He barely garnered a nod, acknowledging his presence. He made his way to the coffeemaker and poured himself a mug. Scout greeted Lady and Hunter. Even Hannah’s two dogs seemed tense and stressed by her motions.

Jason had planned on just checking in. He wasn’t much of a coffee drinker, but he knew it was the acceptable social protocol and seemed to spur on conversation. Besides, Hannah usually had something delicious coming out of the oven.

He couldn’t figure out if she was expecting a phone call or deciding on making one. Hannah looked distressed. Jason took a place at the kitchen table and waited.

She stopped at the island and put her phone on the countertop. Her hand stayed close by, fingers drumming. She glanced over at him then back down at the phone.

“What’s going on, Hannah? Is everything okay?”

“Might just be a bad feeling.” She shook her head. “Rye’s not answering his phone. Nobody’s heard from him. I was the last one who talked to him this morning.”

“His battery might have died. Was he and Grace still doing the ESD search?”

If Hannah didn’t look so distressed, Jason would have mentioned the irony—leave it to Ryder to let his phone battery run down in the middle of searching for a bunch of electronic devices. He knew Ryder had a love/hate relationship with his cell phone. He knew it was necessary to be in touch, but unlike most people, Ryder didn’t use it quite like everyone else.

The guy was a wiz with gadgets. The kennel and training facilities had the most advanced security cameras, digital monitors and alarms. Ryder could check in 24/7 with a touch of an app. He could change temperatures and turn lights on or off.

“A young woman went missing.” Hannah interrupted his thoughts. “They were out searching for her.”

“When was the last time you talked to him?”

“Before noon. It was just starting to snow.”

“Snow in October?”

“It’s a full-blown blizzard now.”

Jason looked at the wall clock. It was after five. That was a long time, even for Ryder. If Grace had gotten hurt, Ryder would still carry her all the way back, no matter how cold or how much snow there was.

Hannah’s eyes met his, and the coffee kicked up acid in his stomach.

“I’ve got this bad feeling he’s hurt,” she said.

Jason didn’t want to say it out loud, but he had the same feeling.

“Have they gone to look for him?”

“I don’t think they know where to start. He left his Jeep at the farm where the woman disappeared. He told me they were getting ready to cross a river. It sounded like they’d been walking for hours. And now with the snow...”

“Don’t they have, like snowmobiles or something?”

“I was trying to watch some news. They were showing fields still with cornstalks. Branches full of leaves breaking, taking down electrical lines.” Then her hands flew to her mouth. “Oh Lord, what if some electrical lines came down on him and he can’t get out from under?”

“Ryder’s been in Afghanistan. He and Rufus led Marines through mine fields. I think he can handle just about anything.”

“I know you’re probably right. I just have this awful feeling that he’s hurt.” She steadied her hands by wringing them together. “They said the temperature is in the twenties. Good Lord, that’s cold, even for a stubborn Marine.”

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