Hope White - Witness Pursuit

Nate shoved down the panic threatening to pull him off course.

Cassie was missing.

He clenched his jaw and retraced her steps through the hospital, hoping to find a clue as to where she’d gone.

Hoping to find her safe and sound in a hospital room.

Instead, it was like she’d vanished in the mist.

The hospital alarm suddenly clicked off. Through the ominous silence, his fear grew louder, more insistent: She’s been taken against her will. She’s been killed and her body will be found in a laundry bin.

He had to stop these torturous thoughts and think like a detective–turned–chief of police.

“Why’d the alarm go off?” he asked into his radio.

“I’m checking, sir.”

Nate had locked down the cabin crime scene, called the lab tech and brought Officer Ryan McBride to the hospital to get checked out. He’d been assaulted and suffered a head wound. Nate assumed from the guy who shoved him off the trail.

Anyone could have driven McBride into town, but Nate wanted to check on Cassie.

“Apparently it was a false alarm, over,” Red called through the radio.

“How do you know that?” Nate asked.

“A staff member encountered the woman who pulled the alarm.”

“Why would she—” Instinct struck him square in the chest. “What did this woman look like?”

“Blond, short, twenties.”

“Where did he see her?”

“Back entrance, heading into the parking lot.”

Nate rushed to the exit, wondering if Cassie had pulled the alarm because she’d been in trouble.

“Should we continue checking the lower level?” Red asked.

“No, meet me in the back parking lot. And bring the employee who spoke with her.”

“Copy that.”

Nate jogged outside, navigating the sea of staff members headed back into the hospital. What made Cassie pull the alarm?

He scanned the parking lot for her wavy blond hair. Had she changed into a hospital gown, or was she still wearing her electric blue jacket? That would make her easy to spot.

Out of the corner of his eye, a pop of blue caught his attention. He went to a nearby bench and picked up Cassie’s jacket.

“Chief?”

Nate glanced to his left. Red and an orderly approached.

“This is Kevin Wright, the man who spoke with the woman who pulled the alarm,” Red introduced.

Nate pulled out his phone and found a picture of Cassie and Aiden taken at the Christmas Lights Festival last year. He flashed the image at the orderly. “Is this the woman you spoke with?”

“Yes sir.”

“When did you see her?” Nate asked.

“About ten minutes ago.”

“What did she say to you, exactly?”

“That she pulled the alarm because someone was after her.”

Nate’s fingers dug into the down-filled jacket. “Who was after her?”

“She didn’t say.”

“Where was she going?”

“She took off into the parking lot.” He pointed. “That way.”

“Thank you.” Nate dismissed the orderly and pulled Red aside. “Put out a BOLO on Cassie McBride. See how fast a few of the guys can get here to help search the woods bordering the parking lot.”

“You think he dumped her body—”

“Call Spike and Harvey,” Nate cut him off.

“What about SAR?”

“Too many personal connections.”

“You mean Aiden and Bree?”

“Let’s leave them out of this for now.”

“I think it’s too late for that.” Red nodded at Aiden, who sprinted toward them.

“What happened?” Aiden demanded.

“Cassie is missing,” Nate said.

“Wait, what? How is that possible?”

“Officer Carrington, continue the search.”

“Yes, sir.”

Nate turned back to Aiden. “She hasn’t been gone that long. It appears that she felt threatened, pulled the fire alarm and ran.”

“She ran?” Aiden’s voice pitched.

With a firm hand on his friend’s shoulder, Nate said, “We’ll start by searching the woods bordering the hospital. Knowing Cassie, if she was in danger she would have taken off, but perhaps didn’t think it through to the end.”

“She never does. She’s so impulsive sometimes.” Aiden’s phone rang. He glanced at the screen. “It’s Mom.”

“We don’t need more frantic people down here, Aiden. Let’s focus on finding Cassie and then you’ll call her back with good news, okay?”

Aiden nodded and paced a few steps away. “Hey, Mom. I have to call you back...in the middle of something. Soon, love you, bye.” Aiden turned to Nate. “She knows something’s up.”

“Let’s get to work. I’ve got a flashlight in my truck.”

“Yeah, okay,” Aiden said, dazed with worry about his sister. “I’ll get mine, too.”

Nate walked away, proud of himself for holding it together in front of his friend. He had no choice. As police chief, folks depended on him to be the grounding force in a crisis, and usually he excelled in that role.

Today was different. Someone was after Cassie. He never should have let her go to the hospital alone. He should have stayed with her, protected her. Right, and how ridiculous was that considering he had a potential murder on his hands?

He struggled to bury his concern and not let anyone see the utter panic tearing at his insides. But as he approached his truck, the bottled-up frustration got the better of him. He slammed his palm against the quarter panel.

A woman’s cry echoed back at him.

Nate froze, his heart pounding.

Leaning forward, he peered into the flatbed. Cassie blinked her bloodshot, terrified eyes.

“You’re in my truck,” he said.

“D-d-disappointed?” She broke into a round of shivers.

He grabbed a blanket from the backseat and climbed into the flatbed beside her. As he gently covered her body, a wave of calm washed over him. She was okay. For now.

“Aiden!” He motioned to his friend who’d gone to get a flashlight. “Over here!”

“I knew you’d come.”

Nate snapped his attention to Cassie. “What happened? Why did you run?”

“A guy...in the hospital...the guy with the shovel...from the cabin.”

“Is it...?” Aiden stopped short and looked at her. “What are you doing in there?”

“Aiden,” Nate warned, wanting him to soften his tone. “She’s trembling.”

“Let’s take her inside,” Aiden said.

“Nooooo.” She clamped her hand around Nate’s forearm. “Not back in there.”

“Cassie, you need medical attention,” Aiden argued.

“That man got to me in there. I can’t go back.” Her pleading blue eyes tugged at Nate’s heart.

“She’s delirious. She doesn’t know what she’s saying,” Aiden said.

“I am n-n-not!” she protested.

“Come on, I’ll help you out.” Aiden reached for her.

“Wait,” Nate said. “I’ve got another idea.”

* * *

Cassie couldn’t believe it. Nate had listened to her. He’d respected her fear of going back into the hospital and found an alternative.

Nate drove her to the urgent care, where Dr. Spencer was on duty. He was a good friend to both Nate and Aiden, and he’d done his share of triage with search and rescue. Cassie knew she wasn’t suffering from anything serious, but she did need medical attention for the gash in her arm.

Closing her eyes, she relaxed under the heated blanket in the examining room. She appreciated the warmth that finally drove the chill from her bones.

“Cassie?”

She blinked her eyes open. A frown creased Nate’s forehead.

“What’s wrong?” she said.

“I thought you passed out.”

“Why, because I stopped talking?” she joked.

Instead of smiling, he glanced down at his hands, holding his Echo Mountain PD cap. He seemed regretful, and she couldn’t understand why.