THEY’D FOUND THE van deep in the Ouachita Mountains, abandoned, seventy-one hours after the abduction. They were hoping to find a hint of where to look next. But Max didn’t see that happening.

He was a realist, after all.

Max knew they were losing ground, and fast. They needed a Hail Mary. “Bring in local Search and Rescue?”

Ken Chalmers shook his head. Max didn’t think the other man had slept even once since the call had gone out about Shannon and Ezra. “Already tried. Have to wait for the locals to send over a unit. We’re just too thin. We need our own Search and Rescue unit.”

The rain was threatening as they spoke. It had held off for the last three days, and Max knew they were running out of time. Any forensics they had outdoors was under constant threat. “We need faster than that.”

“I know.” Max thought for a long moment. “I know someone who could do it. She’s FBI, but on medical leave in the area. Not PAVAD.” He looked over at Jac, knowing his partner was going to balk at the idea. Jac had made no bones about wanting her little sister Nat as far away from the FBI—PAVAD, especially—since the bombing. Nat had been damned lucky to survive. And Jac hadn’t wanted her sister in the FBI in the first place. “I’m not sure if she’s been cleared for duty. But she works dogs, and she has two with her now.”

He'd driven Jac up to check on Nat just two days before this had happened. Nat had been walking the dogs out in the woods. She’d appeared like a little ghost and nearly given him a heart attack.

“How fast can you get her here? Who is she?” Ken asked.

“It’s Jac’s sister, Natalie. She’s been staying up here for the last two months. She’s less than twenty minutes away.”

“Go. I’ll square it with Ed and Hellbrook. Just hurry.”

Max didn’t even bother looking at Jac. With her, it was probably better to ask forgiveness than permission. Hell, she’d get over it.

She always had before.

Al nodded. “Go. Get her here fast.”

Max ran. Then he drove like a bat out of hell toward the cabin fifteen miles away.

——

THE LIGHTS in the cabin burned in welcome when he got there. Jac had told him exactly how worried she had been over the woman a few years younger than she. Nat had been injured on the job when her K9 partner had sniffed out explosives shorting before the unstable compound had been detonated.

They still hadn’t caught the ones responsible for the bombing in front of a municipal building.

Nat was lucky to survive. The dog hadn’t. Neither had another agent from the ATF who’d been working near her.

Nat had suffered partial hearing loss in one ear, but Jac was more worried about the emotional trauma from losing her friend that day.

Nat, a slightly smaller, brown-haired version of Jac, looked up when he entered with the key he had to Jac’s cabin. She’d let him fish there numerous times. He took a very quick moment to study Nat. He didn’t want to overwhelm her, and the poor kid had been through some serious hell. The doubt hit him hard when gray eyes met his. “Max, what’s wrong? Where’s Jac?”

He held up a hand as a rush of protectiveness filled him. Jac’s sister had a way of doing that to people in general. She looked like she could break so easily. “About fifteen from here. With the rest of our team. We have a problem.”

“Is she hurt?” Nat hopped to her feet quickly. The dogs rose and came to her immediately. He didn’t know if she’d given them a signal or not. Not that it mattered. Sometimes he thought the animals read her mind.

He shook his head. Damn, she reminded him so much of his own baby sister, or his daughter. It was no wonder Jac had gone a bit around the bend wanting to protect her. For a moment, he hesitated, uncertain whether he was about to do the right thing.

How much of this could Nat take?

“Two agents were abducted from Smokey’s parking lot three nights ago. Jac witnessed the whole thing but couldn’t stop it. Agent Toliver, the woman taken, she’s a close friend of your sister’s. We found the van used in the abduction, and we think they were dragged off on foot. They’re in these woods somewhere near here. But we can’t be sure. We need dogs, while other teams focus on possible vehicles. And we need them faster than either PAVAD or the other locals can manage. Can Kudos and Karma work?”

She bit her bottom lip, then looked at the two dogs, who’d perked up at their names.

“Yes. They can. If someone can handle them.”

“Can you do it?”

She hesitated for another moment, then looked toward the window. “Why were they taken?”

“We don’t really know. Yet.”

“Let me grab my jacket. It’s in my bag. If Jac... Jac can work Kudos. He likes her.”

“Ok. I’ll call my boss. Let her know we’re coming.”

“And Jac. Better call Jac. She’s not going to be too happy about this.”

“Let me handle your sister. I’ve done it before.” He winced inside as he said it. Jac might be the quiet, unassuming type—much like her baby sister—but she was fierce where Nat was concerned. Extreme.

And he’d just violated her trust, big time.

It was going to take her a while to forgive him.

He just hoped it was worth it in the end.