Chapter 4
Officer Henderson ignored Arthur Vance’s practiced excuses, signaling for backup on his shoulder radio while maintaining complete tactical control of the scene. Within minutes, a second cruiser pulled into the rest stop with a quiet flash of amber lights, adding a layer of official security to the desolate highway stop. Two additional troopers stepped out, securing the perimeter and ensuring that the white van could not be moved or tampered with further. The cold wind whipped across the open pavement, carrying the faint scent of diesel exhaust and winter frost.
"We’re going to take a look inside that cargo area, Mr. Vance," Officer Henderson stated, stepping back and gesturing for the other troopers to approach the rear doors.
Arthur’s calm exterior flickered for a fraction of a second, a micro-expression of pure panic crossing his features before he slammed the iron gate of his emotions shut once more. "You need a warrant for that," Arthur protested, his voice rising a fraction of an octave. "You can't just search private property without probable cause. This is harassment." Henderson didn't blink. "Probable cause was provided the moment my certified tracking hound positively identified a missing minor’s scent directly on your door handle, followed by her immediate presence at the scene."
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The troopers unlatched the heavy rear doors, swinging them wide open to reveal the dim interior. Stacks of auto parts, old tires, and greasy toolboxes filled the main compartment, casting long shadows in the fading winter sunlight. However, the bloodhound immediately jumped into the back, squeezing past a stack of spare batteries and scratching frantically at a false wooden partition built into the far rear wall. The dog let out a sharp, insistent bark that echoed off the metal roof of the transport.
Maya clutched her mother’s cardigan even tighter, a cold sweat breaking out across her forehead despite the freezing temperature. She remembered the darkness behind that wall. She remembered the sound of the engine humming for hours while she curled into a ball in the freezing dark, listening to the muffled voice of the man up front talking on a burner phone. Her father stepped closer to the open doors, peering into the gloom, his breath pluming in white clouds in the frigid air as the reality of what had been hidden in plain sight finally began to sink in.
