Obsession

Chapter 35

Leo

It's been twelve hours since Mara went missing. It feels like it's been days though. Every second ticks by slowly, making my insides squeeze together in agony. I feel so helpless. So lost.

I can't shut down. I have to stay strong and positive. I won't give up until I find her.

My phone rings and I look down to see Mara's dad's number. My heart sinks. I haven't heard from him in a while and I'm really hoping this isn't bad news.

"Hello?"

"Leo, it's Adam. A couple of truck drivers saw a guy that matches Kai's description heading south about an hour ago. He was driving a blue pick up truck with a Texas license plate. Daryl's trying to track down the truck, but I'm heading south towards the Mexican border. If he crosses over with her, it'll be a lot harder to get her back."

"Oh my God," I say in disbelief. "He can't...I mean..."

"Don't freak out on me. I need your help. You're with Anna, right?" he asks.

"Yes sir," I reply.

"Good. Meet me at the rest stop in El Centro. Mara doesn't have a passport since she's never left the country before. If he's planning on running away to Mexico, he's gonna have to do it the illegal way."

"El Centro is like three hours away. Do you think we're gonna make it in time?" I ask.

"Just get there," he says firmly before ending the call.

"What is it?" Anna asks, glancing over at me.

"He wants us to meet him at the rest stop in El Centro. Apparently Kai's been spotted headed south."

Anna swings the truck around in the opposite direction, squealing tires as she speeds off. "Why didn't we think of this before? Of course he's gonna try to cross over into Mexico."

"Except Mara doesn't have a passport. So either he's sneaking her in, or...she's not with him..."

And if she's not with him, that can only mean he's done something to her; something that's bad enough for him to run off to Mexico. My stomach turns at just the thought of it. I really don't think Kai would hurt Mara, at least, not on purpose. And if he did, he'd probably just go ahead and kill himself off. He doesn't seem to have much of a reason to live without her.

I look down and realize I'm digging my fingernails into my arms, leaving marks all over my skin. My muscles have been so tense, they're starting to stiffen. My eyes are heavy, but I couldn't sleep if I wanted to. My mind is a mess, moving from one thing to another, thinking of all the bad things that could happen, but trying to focus on the good.

The only thing that brings me comfort is knowing how strong Mara is. She's so smart. She'll be able to figure out how to take care of herself. She has Kai wrapped around her finger. If she figures that much out, she could play that to her advantage.

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Several long hours later, we arrive at the rest stop in El Centro. The sun is just starting to rise. The air is cool and crisp and it looks like it's going to be a beautiful day. I wish any of that mattered to me right now.

We pull up next to a police cruiser and both Adam and Daryl get out. They look about as tired as we do.

"Any word?" Anna asks.

Daryl shakes his head. "We've got boarder patrol looking out for them. So far, they haven't crossed over. The truck he was driving was reported stolen back in Riverside. I'm pretty sure he'll ditch it if he hasn't already. We're keeping an ear out for other auto thefts, hoping one of them will lead us to Kai."