“Kevin Delacorte.” Ethan’s jaw was clenched. “The Tailor’s first victim.” He handed his cell to Ian. The man gave a slow nod of recognition. He’d been one of the original officers on the first task force formed to hunt for the UNSUB.

After Logan’s bombshell about the DVD he’d found, Ethan had contacted the forensic ident team he’d dispatched to Tillman’s and spoken to the lead investigator. She’d found the DVD exactly where the boy described, played it and took a few videos to send to Ethan.

After the first minute, Alexa turned away. “So much for his claim of a mission sanctioned by God,” she muttered. Not all serial killers took souvenirs, but that’s what the videos were. A way for Tillman to reenact the moments when he exercised the ultimate control over his victims.

“There’ll be a stash of these somewhere in the house.” Jonah crowded Ian’s shoulder as he strained to look at the video.

“The forensic ident unit will find them.” The lead on the team had been texting Ethan every few minutes to update him about what they were uncovering in Tillman’s house. “They’ve gone through the cabinets in the garage. Looks like a lot of the things he needed for his kill supplies. A pile of folded clear plastic bags. Several rolls of duct tape. Syringes. Needles. Thread. Handcuffs. Several small saps.” At Alexa’s frown, he explained, “Short clubs.” He used his hands to indicate the length. “Easy to conceal up a sleeve or in a deep pocket.”

“Likely his weapon of choice for incapacitating his victims when he came up behind them,” she said grimly.

“Is the Scopolamine supply in there?”

“Not there.” Ethan took a moment to watch the next video. “Investigators found several high dosage vials in the bathroom inside the house, though.”

Nyle came in, waving a sheet of paper. “Production order in hand, boys and girl. I faxed a copy to the provider as soon as I got this signed. They’ll call Ethan with a response.”

“Exigent circumstances should speed things up,” Jonah noted.

“That and the fact that Captain Campbell at federal RCMP headquarters called the provider as soon as I alerted him that we had the number.” Ethan’s cell rang, interrupting him.

Ian handed it to him, and he stepped away to answer it. A minute later, his gaze met Alexa’s. “I’m not sure. I’ll have to get back to you.”

The expression on his face had Alexa’s stomach plummeting. “What’s wrong?”

“That was the Truro RCMP detachment. Patrick Udall’s parents just reported him missing. Police want to know if we think it could have anything to do with the UNSUB.”

There was a twist of nausea in her stomach. “Did anyone witness an abduction?” When Ethan shook his head, she said, “The boy seems to run the town pretty freely. It’s possible he’s off on some adventure. But…we know now that Tillman isn’t above using children for his own objectives, don’t we? I think we have to face the fact that the boy could be in real danger.”

“I think it’s too soon to make assumptions,” Ian said. Jonah nodded in agreement.

Nyle looked thoughtful. “Is there any way Tillman could have learned about the raid on his house?”

“The forensic ident unit hasn’t found any recording or security devices in his home that may have alerted him,” Ethan responded. But he seemed to give the suggestion consideration. “ERT described the property as secluded. Local police said Tillman was a loner, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility that someone saw the ERT command vehicle parked nearby and concluded it was there for Tillman’s property. Alexa?”

“That would mean Tillman trusted someone in Brandon with his phone number.” It just didn’t ring true for this offender. “I think we have to consider all feasibilities, but it’s doubtful.”

Nyle hitched a hip on the corner of a table and folded his arms across his chest. “Just mentioned it because it seems like if he knew we were closing in on him, he might snatch the kid to have some leverage.”

“If Tillman is behind Patrick’s disappearance,” Alexa said slowly, “Leverage would describe his motivation perfectly.” But she wasn’t so sure the man would be seeking a way out of the province. He’d spent a lot of energy researching her past and letting her know what he’d learned.

Alexa knew better than to mention it in front of Ethan. But she was unable to shake the certainty that Amos Tillman wasn’t done with her yet.

Forty minutes later Ethan lowered his phone and lurched from his chair. “We’ve got a cell phone location.”

His words immediately activated everyone in the room.

“Where?” Jonah grabbed the suit coat he’d abandoned and shrugged into as he moved toward the door.

“Between Bedford Street and Saxony Boulevard. Just outside the city limits of Dartmouth.” Ethan waited for Alexa to gather her things and join him before leaving the room. “I’ve been having the provider ping the offender’s phone every ten minutes. First three times there was no response, which means the phone was dead or turned off. But a few moments ago, we got a hit.” They walked down the hallway toward the entrance. “Probably using a fairly new phone because we’re able to zero in on his location.”

“Is this really it?” Alexa murmured at his side.

He looked down at her, a hard smile on his face. He knew what she was asking. After all this time of getting close, this time they had Tillman dead to rights. He tried to temper his optimism as he pushed out of the door of the building. Things had a way of going south just when he thought he had the UNSUB in his sights.

“Let’s hope so.”

* * *

“Well, this place has seen better days,” Alexa murmured.

Ethan had to agree. The motel’s vacancy sign was missing two of its neon letters, and one of the panes in the window of the door to the office was missing and patched with cardboard. The property had four sections. The front horizontal strip held the office, with three rooms on each side of it. Two vertical sections sat to the right and left behind this one, with another between them that ran parallel to the front.

From the image the phone company had sent, Ethan could tell exactly where the UNSUB’s room was located. There were parking places in front of it. None held a vehicle that matched the description of Tillman’s van or rental. He took a slow swing through the rest of the parking lot while Nyle parked near the room at the far edge of Tillman’s section. The three officers got out, walked around the back of the units and disappeared.

Scanning the rest of the lot, Alexa said disappointedly, “He’s not here.”

There wasn’t a van or Camry in sight. A ball of disappointment lodged in his chest, but Ethan said, “His phone was here a half hour ago. He might have hidden the vehicles somewhere and taken a cab. Or left the car in a lot nearby and walked.”

“There were no lots nearby,” she reminded him, frustration tinging her words.

True enough. The motel was at least a mile from the last establishment they’d passed, a tavern that hadn’t had more than three cars in the parking lot.

His cell signaled an incoming text. He swung the vehicle back toward the office and stopped to read the message from Nyle. Sent a response.

“The men will take up position near Tillman’s room, remaining out of sight,” he explained to Alexa. “We’ll see if we can get any details from the manager.”

They got out and walked up the two sagging steps toward the office.

Ethan pushed the weathered door open and walked inside. The floor sloped beneath his feet. He’d hate to see what lay beneath the ratty green carpet.

The man behind the desk looked as rundown at the structure. Deep grooves were etched into his face and the long hair clubbed back in a ponytail was white. He started to smile, showing yellowed teeth until he got a better look at Ethan. Made him as law enforcement. “Don’t want no trouble.”

“Not looking to give you any,” Ethan said evenly as he showed his credentials. “Just need to know if you’ve seen this man.” He showed him a copy of Tillman’s driver license photo. The clerk barely looked at it before shrugging.

“Don’t believe I have.”

“Look again.” A note of command entered his voice. “Because we just pinpointed the man’s phone to this motel. I have a pretty good idea where the room is situated.”

“You need a warrant to get a look at it,” the clerk said flatly. He picked up a pen and returned to the crossword puzzle he’d been working.

“And I can get one. But that’s not necessary. I already know he’s here.” At least he’d been when they’d left RCMP headquarters. The cell phone provider had pinged the phone twice more on the way over, to no avail. It was shut off again. “But if I wanted to save time, I could just get a couple of patrol cars over here. Have them start running the plates of the cars in the lot.”

The man’s expression flickered.

Ethan looked at Alexa. “If we start pounding on all the doors, we’re probably going to observe some illicit activity going on. I’d be obliged to act on that information.”

“Maybe you should get three or four patrol cars,” Alexa suggested. She smiled brightly at the clerk. “Although that could put a scare into your guests. They might not like the police presence. I suppose some of them might be anxious to leave and find a place with more privacy.”

“Why you have to be like that?” the older man complained. He snatched the photo from Ethan and brought it closer. Then set it on the counter. “Yeah, he was here. Checked out fifteen minutes ago. Room sixty-one. You just missed him.”

* * *

“There’s a drive out back,” Nyle said as the clerk opened the door to the room. The older man had decided that having Ethan and the officers camped out in the parking lot while waiting for a warrant to come through was a far bigger disadvantage than just letting them take a look at the now-vacant room. “In disrepair, but he could have parked there, keeping the vehicle out of sight.”

It was a moot point now. Ethan resisted the urge to send his fist into the crumbling plaster wall. They were destined to creep closer and closer to the man, while each time he wiggled out of reach at the last possible moment.

The five of them filled the small space. There was one sagging unmade double bed. A nightstand with a leg broken on it. An old TV bolted to the wall above a small scarred chest of drawers.

“How long was he here?” Jonah asked disgustedly.

“Told that one.” The clerk jerked a thumb at Ethan. “Records say he’s been here nine days.”

“You don’t watch TV? There were sketches of this guy on the news.”

“I like to watch sports.” The older man jutted out his chin mulishly.

“Ethan.”

Alexa’s quiet voice had his attention jerking to her. She pointed. There, under the bed, was a bright blue object. He took a couple of steps closer and crouched down. Gingerly lifted the stained coverlet aside where it was dragging on the floor. Recognition punched into him. He reached out for the object. Held it up. It was a Toronto Blue Jays cap.

Just like the one Patrick Udall had worn when they’d spoken to him in Truro.

* * *

“The thinking now is that the kid might have been snatched early yesterday evening.” Nyle wiped a hand over his face as he walked through the door into the conference room. Jonah and Ian looked weary as they trailed behind him. “Hey, Steve. When did you get in?”

Steve Friedrich waved a hand in response. “About three. Could have walked faster. Nothing but holdups. You talking about the missing boy in Truro?”

Ian took up the thread. “Yeah. Just left there after interviewing the family. Patrick called home yesterday evening and talked to one of his brothers. Said he was spending the night with a friend and then hung up. That’s a violation of household rules, apparently. He didn’t speak to his parents. My guess is Tillman had him then and forced him to make the call. Slowed down the police response significantly.”

“He could have taken the kid out of the motel room in broad daylight today,” Nyle said, slumping into a chair. “It had a rear-facing window. If the car was back there, put the kid in the trunk, and no one sees a thing.”

Ethan speared a hand through his hair. “Why?” He directed the question to Alexa. “What does he gain with this? What’s he planning?”

“Without consulting my crystal ball, I’d guess we’re going to learn very soon. He needs the boy for whatever comes next.” And it was all too easy for her to imagine the terror Patrick was going through right now, especially after talking to Logan Sherwood earlier today.

“If it’s a trade he wants, there’s no way.”

Alexa met Ethan’s gaze, recognized the adamant look there. “He’s escalating,” she said quietly. She’d spent the hours while the officers were in Truro going through all the information she’d compiled about Tillman’s patterns. And this one was fairly clear. “Just like the trigger that provoked the four recent murders in a short period, he’s taking bigger risks. Re-exerting the control he lost when he was injured at Simard’s direction three years ago. He’s redoubling his efforts after being disappointed at the vigil.” His disappointment had stemmed from discovering she wasn’t there. There was no question that Alexa figured into Tillman’s plans, but she wasn’t going to voice that thought aloud.

Alexa wondered now if she’d underestimated just how seriously the vigil scene had affected him. Tillman couldn’t believe that Ethan would allow her to be traded for Patrick.

So, he had something else in mind. And whatever it was, it’d be far more dangerous for the boy than a simple trade.

* * *

Alexa opened her eyes, disoriented. It took a moment for comprehension to filter in, snippets at a time. Darkness. She blinked a few times. Recalled she was in bed. In her room. Alone.

There was a flash of disappointment, quickly elbowed aside. Patrick. She sat straight up in bed as she remembered the boy. Tillman had Patrick.

A sound emanated from the tablet she’d laid on the bedside table, and she came totally awake. Alexa snatched it up, her hand shaking a little as she logged in. Checked her email.

Seeing the message in the inbox, she jumped out of bed and raced across the hall to Ethan’s room.

The speed with which he opened the door told her he hadn’t been asleep yet, although his shirt was hanging unbuttoned and loose from the waistband of his pants. She pushed by him without a word, noting the clock on his bedside table. It was only midnight. She’d slept for less than an hour.

“There’s a message?”

Nodding, she sat on the edge of the bed and opened it. Ethan sank down beside her. Neither of them spoke until she’d clicked on the image in the body of the message.

“Oh, God.” Alexa clapped a hand to her mouth. It was critical to remain objective, to keep her mind clear, but seeing the picture of Patrick sent objectivity up in flames. The boy’s eyes were wide and frightened. There was duct tape over his mouth and wrapped around his body, securing him to a straight-back chair.

“Why has no one recognized the car he’s driving?” She set the tablet aside and bounced from the bed, striding to one end of his room and back. “What good is the damn BOLO alert if no one can find the damn him?”

“I’m guessing he changed vehicles.” Ethan’s voice was expressionless. He had the tablet in his hands and was studying the photo. “Maybe he switched plates. He could have gotten tipped off that we’ve ID’d him, but I don’t think so. He’s probably just that fucking cautious. He was driving that rental when he went to Truro last time. Perhaps he was afraid it’d be recognized.”

His calm defused her sudden burst of temper. She crossed to the bed and sat beside him again, reaching for his hand. His fingers linked with hers and Alexa leaned her head against his shoulder, dread pooling nastily in her belly. Because there was more coming. Whatever Tillman had been planning the last couple of days was about to come to a head.

Minutes later, when the tablet sounded an alert, she was proven right. As she began reading the email message, her stomach dropped in freefall.

Alexa. I didn’t have a chance to tell you how much I appreciated your words at the press conference. I think you are coming to know me. Not as well as you will, of course. And I have come to know you. Infanticide is an ugly sin. The worst there is, perhaps. She gasped, her hand clutching more tightly to Ethan’s as pain speared through her. But there is no sin too great to be forgiven if the sinner is sincerely penitent.

I’m offering you a chance for God’s mercy. Confession. Penance. Redemption. You can save this boy and receive forgiveness for the child you murdered. But if you don’t follow directions exactly, you’ll doom him to a grave like the one in which your daughter resides. And doom yourself to the fires of hell.

You have six hours before the boy dies. Get in the car and take highway 102 to Truro. Come alone. I’ll be in touch soon.

“When we find Tillman…and we will find him…” Ethan’s voice was deadly. “It’s going to take every ounce of self-restraint I have not to hurt him.”

His response had the darts of pain inside her morph into fiery sparks of fury. “You and me both.”

* * *

It was with a feeling of déjà vu that Ethan nosed the car onto the highway that would lead to his hometown. It wasn’t quite one a.m. Traffic was light. And while he was all too aware of the timeline, there had been arrangements to make. He sure as hell wasn’t going to allow Alexa to follow the bastard’s instructions alone. He suspected Tillman knew that, too.

He sent Alexa a sidelong glance. She was staring straight ahead, silent. Stony-faced. Not the mask she’d worn yesterday when the image of Olivia’s grave had nearly unraveled her. No, now she was cool. Self-possessed. While he’d roused the other men, and come up with a quick plan, she’d showered, changed into black jeans, a matching long-sleeved blouse, and tennis shoes. Her hair was pulled back into a braid. She looked a bit like a warrior princess, ready for battle.

“You didn’t bring the tablet.” Instinctively, he lifted his foot from the accelerator.

“I switched the alert for incoming email to my phone.” Her voice was matter-of-fact. “No need to worry about him somehow gaining access to my cell at this point. This way I’ll always have connectivity for when the next message arrives.”

Because there would be another one. That was certain.

He looked in the rearview mirror. Knew the headlights close behind him would belong to the car carrying the other officers. An ERT team wouldn’t be too far behind, along with a crisis negotiator. They hadn’t known what awaited them, so when he’d met Captain Sedgewick at RCMP headquarters, they’d prepared for a little of everything.

He hoped he had whatever they needed to get the boy away alive.

“Six hours he said.” She turned to look at him. “It doesn’t take six hours to get to Truro.”

“He isn’t there. He’ll jerk us around some. Keep us off balance so we can’t predict our destination.”

“Whatever it is,” she said with a thread of quiet determination in her voice, “I’m ready.”

Tension settled across his shoulders. He’d give just about anything to figure out a way to leave her out of what was coming next. But he knew that wasn’t possible. Tillman’s obsession with Alexa wouldn’t allow it.

They were still ten minutes outside Truro when the second message arrived. Alexa read it aloud to Ethan.

I hope you haven’t dawdled. It would be a shame if you were too late to save the boy. Onward to Antigonish.

Ethan pressed the speed dial number for Nyle and relayed the information to him.

“Antigonish? Are we just staying on the Trans-Canada Highway then? That would take us all the way to Cape Breton Island.”

“Unless we drop down from there…” Ethan tried to recall the provincial geography of his youth, “…to Sherbrooke. There’s a road there that would lead back to Halifax.”

“You think he’s taking us in circles?”

“Wouldn’t put it past him.”

“How far behind us is the ERT team?”

“They haven’t contacted me yet. So, at least an hour.”

Nyle swore, and Ethan silently agreed with the sentiment. But organizing a call-out for an Emergency Response Team wasn’t something that happened quickly. And Ethan couldn’t wait until they were mobilized, or he would risk missing the timeline Tillman had set. He suspected the offender realized that, too. They’d wondered what the man’s intentions were since the press conference.

In another few hours, they were going to find out.

* * *

“I’ve alerted the Cape Breton Island RCMP Ingonish detachment that we’re here.” Ethan slipped his cell in his pocket and turned to look at Alexa. The first smudges of light were piercing the sky’s gray veil. “I told the officer I spoke to that we’d be outside the Cape Dauphin area. When we reach our destination, he’ll send someone local who knows the area. He says there’s a popular landmark nearby. Glooscap Caves. But past that, there’s also the Devil’s Fingers Caves. And he warned us away from that spot. It’s not open to the public.”

“Caves?” Her voice sounded thready. Alexa cleared her throat and tried again. “Surely there’s more to the locale than that. Or maybe Tillman will have us keep going to the other side of the point.”

He rolled his shoulders. “We’re already close to the timeline,” he reminded her. And he was ready to face the man who’d played God for too many years. When the alert for another message sounded, a thread of adrenaline entered his veins. He wanted this to be over. And Ethan wanted to be the one who would end it, once and for all.

She read the message aloud.

By now, you should soon be on the final leg of your journey. You’ll have to leave the car behind at Vector Mountain. You’ll follow the path, which I’ve marked for you. I’ve provided everything you’ll need from here.

Patrick says hurry. Alexa’s voice shook a little bit on the final words before she visibly steeled her spine.

“Vector Mountain?” Ethan’s fingers tightened on the steering wheel as he swore silently. That’s where the caves were that the RCMP officer had warned him about. How had Tillman become familiar with the area?

As if plucking the thought from his mind, Alexa mused, “Maybe he lived near here when he was a kid. After his father died, he would have stayed in the child welfare services system until he aged out. There’s no telling what part of the province he might have lived in during that time. Or those he visited. We can be sure of one thing, though. He’s returning to something familiar to him. He wants that edge.”

After another twenty minutes, the road suddenly ended. Ahead was only grass and rock. Ethan braked abruptly. Then sat for a moment, his jaw clenched. “Whatever he has planned, I won’t risk you.”

“Before you promise that, we need to see what he’s got in store for us.” She met his gaze head-on. “We can’t risk Patrick, either. We’ll figure something out. But we’d better make it quick.” She pointed to the clock.

He stared at the hands on it, transfixed. Their time had just about run out. A sneaky chill of dread shot down his spine. Without another word, he got out of the car and approached the vehicle coming to a stop behind them. He drew out a cell to call the RCMP officer back. They were going to need that local he’d promised, so they weren’t at Tillman’s mercy. Now that they could guess what the man had in store for them, it was time to plan a few surprises of their own.

* * *

“And I’m telling you, it can’t be done.” Jackson Weaver, a man who lived nearby, shook his head emphatically. “Most adult males can’t even move inside these caves. Every single branch is a crawler, and when the space does open up in a few areas, there are keyholes to watch out for on the floor. It’s hazardous in there. There’s a deep lagoon inside, with treacherous undercurrents. I could get you to it from this side of the cliff. But there are a hundred different passageways that lead to and away from it, all around this bluff.”

Which was why, Alexa thought, Tillman had brought them here.

She stared at the jagged side of the cliff that the men were arguing over. They were close enough to make out the dark entrances dotting the stony bluff. None of them were more than a foot and a half wide. The thought of being inside one of those tunnels with glacier-carved rock all around her, made her flesh crawl.

“We know he meant for me to be the one to go in after Patrick.” Alexa surprised herself with the steadiness of her voice. The climbing shoes he’d left were close to her size. The helmet with the miner’s light attached were too small for any of the men. The knee and elbow pads, the gloves…everything had been chosen for the one person in this party that they’d fit.

And the hand-held radio left with the clothes would be her link to the killer.

“No one’s going inside there without proof of life first,” Ian declared. With his hands on his hips, he surveyed the bluff before them.

“Damn straight,” Ethan agreed. “We have to know the kid’s here before anyone goes in after him.”

“There are openings on the seaside of this bluff, too,” Jackson said. “Three people have died in the last thirty years trying to scale that cliff from there. Lost their balance and fell to their deaths on the rocks below.”

“Maybe the folklore could wait until later,” Alexa suggested. Her heart was already thumping. Her palms were growing damp. She knew how this was going to end, even if Ethan refused to admit it. Patrick was here. Tillman wouldn’t have left him behind. The boy had been taken for one purpose only—to set up this moment.

“Alexa.” The radio crackled. A chill broke out over her skin at the sound of the disembodied voice. “I see you disobeyed me. I expected you would. No matter. You’ll soon learn discipline. Let’s get started, shall we? If you look up to your right, you’ll observe our young friend peeking out of one of the entrances. Do you see him?”

Nyle peered at the towering bluff through a pair of binoculars that had been among the equipment they’d hauled from the trunks of the vehicles. He motioned to the others. Pointed.

Alexa looked upward. She saw a flash of white. It still wasn’t light enough to make out the shape that far away. She took the binoculars from Nyle and looked through them. And felt a curdle of fear when she recognized the mop of blond hair. The pinched face stamped with fear.

“I think I could make it through the caves,” Steve Friedrich said. Everyone stared at him. “I’m long but I’m wiry.”

“You’re too tall,” Weaver responded. “The tunnels would be too cramped for you to maneuver the hairpin turns.”

“We’ve wasted enough time.” The result was certain, and Alexa was suddenly in a hurry. Sighting Patrick had ignited a sense of urgency that wouldn’t be denied. “I’m going to be the one to go in. We all realize that. Figure out a plan and do it fast.”

“No.” Ethan’s voice was emphatic. “I’ll call the local RCMP detachment again. They can round up an officer who’s the right size.”

“Another stand-in?” She cocked a brow. “That went over so well the last time.” And then she jumped when a high-pitched scream of pain split the air. It took a moment for her to recognize that it, too, came from the radio.

“I’m afraid I’m becoming a bit irritated with the delay.”

It was all the impetus she needed. Alexa sat down and donned the clothes Tillman had left, her hands shaking.

“Ethan.” Jonah drew his attention. “She’s right. We’re out of options here.”

His jaw clenched so tightly Alexa feared it would shatter. For long moments, he stood there, and she knew he was grasping for an alternative. She was also aware that there weren’t any. Finally, he squatted down and started sorting through the equipment they’d brought along. “Okay. Here’s what we’re going to do.”

Ten minutes later, Alexa was nodding. “Yes. I’ve got it.” The plan had been polished, re-arranged and then perfected again. She was anxious to get started; to avoid hearing a second scream coming from the radio. Ethan grabbed her arm and walked her several yards away, positioning himself in front of her, his back to the others.

“Remember, you take no chances. Don’t deviate from the plan at all. The cellphone we’re sending with you is Bluetooth capable, but it won’t work when you’re deep in the caves. Don’t hesitate to use one of your weapons. And if it looks like you can’t save the boy, get the hell out of there. I’m serious, Alexa.” His expression underscored his words. “We both know who Tillman is after. Patrick is bait. If you can get to him without going near Tillman, fine. If not, we’ll find another way.”

But she knew there was no other option. She suspected he did, too. “This will work,” she said with far more certainty than she was feeling.

“It’d better. We’ll have a police presence all over the mountain. He isn’t getting away this time.” Ethan took her face in his hands and kissed her hard, with more than a hint of desperation. “I don’t want to lose you again.” He turned and strode away. Despite the gravity of the situation, his statement had her knees going weak. She took a moment to savor his words. The emotion behind them. And then she started to climb, heading toward the cave Patrick had disappeared into.

“Were you wishing her good luck?” The words drifted up to her. Steve Friedrich. “I want to wish her good luck, too.”

Alexa smiled at the bit of levity. Whatever awaited her in the caves, it’d help to remember those who awaited her outside them. She wasn’t alone. And soon, Patrick wouldn’t be either.

She stayed in decent shape. Raiker’s training courses were brutal, otherwise. But she wasn’t a rock climber, and the bluff was steep, with loose rocks in some areas that made the ascent even more difficult. The utility belt around her waist weighed her down. The radio Tillman had left was clipped to the front of it. An extra flashlight and a bundle of ChemLites to the back. She was panting by the time she got to the narrow opening through which the boy had disappeared. It was marked by a torn piece of white cloth held between two rocks. From Patrick’s T-shirt? Alexa paused to switch on her helmet lamp. She checked the length of rope wrapped around her waist. Readjusted the belt. Dropping to her hands and knees at the mouth of the cave, she threw one last look over her shoulder at the men below.

And then Alexa turned to face the yawning dark entrance. She hauled in a deep breath and plunged inside.

Almost instantly, she experienced a clawing sense of panic. She stilled, allowing herself time to become accustomed to the rough-hewn rock pressing in all around her. The beam of light from her hard hat lit the way but showed only inky blackness ahead. She took one of the green ChemLites from her belt. With a few deft moves, she bent, snapped and shook it to activate the illumination and set it next to the cave wall. The sticks would serve as her trail of breadcrumbs so she could find her way out again. Ethan said they lasted up to twelve hours.

Alexa hoped she wouldn’t be in here for anywhere near that long. Gritting her teeth, she began to crawl.

Twice, she had to get on her belly and worm her way along. She saw skittering movements on the walls as she passed. Did Nova Scotia have cave crickets? She should know the answer to that, but the facts hovered distantly, just out of reach. Better not to think at all. To focus on her mission, on the plan Ethan had drilled into her.

Focus on saving Patrick.

She didn’t know how long she moved, alternating between hands and knees and belly before the area in front of her abruptly widened. She sat up and hauled in a greedy gulp of air, rolling her shoulders and lifting her elbows outward, the freedom of movement gratifying until something swooped toward her face. Another whizzed by her ear. Bats. Alexa shuddered and ducked down again, hands shielding her head. Now would have been a great time to have Ethan around to put his vow about dealing with the animals to the test.

She took out another ChemLite to leave. Startled wildly when she heard a voice.

“Welcome, Alexa.”

Her earlier fear forgotten, her hand dropped to her side where the Taser was strapped, her eyes straining to see in the darkness. It was another moment before she realized that Tillman’s voice was coming from the radio clipped to the belt around her waist. She fumbled to free it, lifting it to her lips and pressing the button to transmit. “You know my name.” Her voice sounded husky. “But what should I call you?” He couldn’t know that they’d already identified him, and there was nothing to gain by making Tillman more desperate.

“How about…Anis Tera.” The staticky voice echoed eerily in the small chamber.

“From Anisoptera? Very clever. And fitting.” Bent over, she ran forward until the ceiling and walls closed in on her again, and she had to crouch.

“I knew you’d understand.” His words were hard to make out. The radio probably wasn’t going to work for long. The further she got into the caves, the less likely it would transmit. “Just as I understand you. We all seek absolution, Alexa. I’m delighted you recognize your need for it.”

She bit off the retort she wanted to make. Just having Tillman allude to Olivia might push her over the edge. “How do you know of this place?”

The chuckle that came through the radio had ice bumping through her veins. “Oh, I’m familiar with most of the province. I lived in twelve or fourteen places in Nova Scotia when I was a kid. My time on Cape Breton Island was my favorite. Watch for the glow sticks as you move through the branches of the cave. They signal where you are to turn.”

“Where else did you live on the island?” But there was no answer to her question. Ahead she saw a dull glow on her left. Her mouth twisted grimly. Tillman had come up with a similar idea to the Chemlites to illuminate the path forward. She replaced the radio. When Alexa reached the marker, she tried to crawl to the left. The passageway was tight. She had to change position a few times before she was able to squeeze through. A sudden realization hit her then. Tillman was a small man from all accounts, but he could never have gotten himself turned around as she had. Where was he?

Time ceased to exist as she inched her way through the cave. The chill of the surrounding rock seeped into her bones. How was she going to find Patrick if the markers didn’t lead to him?

And would she be ready if they instead steered her straight to Amos Tillman?