Discarded by M. Hunter (the reading list .txt) 📕

do what I say going forwards, won’t you? And you won’t be any more trouble, will you?’

‘N-n-no,’ she stammered breathlessly.

‘Good,’ he sneered, his breath hot and smelly against her neck. ‘Just remember, kid, I’ve helped you tonight. From now on, you owe me.’

Chapter Twenty-Six Now

Weymouth, Dorset

The journey from Weymouth to Bridport along the A35 takes forty minutes, and there hasn’t even been a murmur from Robin in the back. Tina, on the other hand, hasn’t stopped talking, asking my opinion on matters but not leaving any space to respond. I shouldn’t be surprised; I’m sure if the shoe was on the other foot I’d be full of nervous energy too.

When we finally pull up at the campsite on the outskirts of Bridport, it feels like we’ve arrived on the set of some elaborate crime drama series. The entire road leading from the site is packed with marked and unmarked police cars, and my eyes widen when I spot an armed response unit receiving instructions from their commander.

Cavendish is already out of her car engaging with the senior-looking official at the perimeter, and a small crowd has gathered near the entrance to the site. It’s the first time Tina has been silent since we got in the car, and as I now look at her, I can see she is as pale as a sheet.

Rick parks as close as he can but it is still a short walk back to the throng of people. Cavendish rolls her eyes when she spots the four of us, but comes over to instruct Robin to keep us back and out of the way.

The whole scene feels so over the top. In my limited experience, this amount of manpower wouldn’t be necessary for a couple of small-time hoods. There has to be a reason Cavendish has brought the cavalry with her, and second-guessing her motives has my head in a spin. The only conclusion I can draw is that there is far more going on here than any of us anticipated.

What if there really is some connection between what happened to Anna and the men responsible for abducting Jo-Jo?

I was adamant that no such connection could exist because of the twenty-one-year gap between the cases, but have I blinded myself to the truth? What if the ring of traffickers Jack and I have been searching for are holed up inside this campsite, and Cavendish is about to blow the investigation sky-high? Shouldn’t I phone Jack and warn him?

The armed response unit, dressed head-to-toe in black and donning night-vision goggles, prime their weapons and head into the campsite, dispersing into the shadowy darkness, before Cavendish leads the rest of her large team in through the security barrier. Anyone from the outside would be forgiven for thinking the police are taking control of some kind of terrorist incident, such is the level of activity unfolding before our eyes. The first high-vis officers arrive at the nearest bank of caravans, knock at the doors, immediately ask the residents to follow them out, and congregate them at the fire evacuation point behind the reception building and pool.

Tina has started pacing behind us, and Robin now goes to her to check she’s okay. I can just about make out Rick helping an elderly couple to the muster point, but the scene is bringing back unwanted memories. It was at a site not dissimilar to this one that Jack and I discovered Cassie Hilliard being held. We were fortunate that Hank Amos bore her no ill-will, but what if the predators who took Jo-Jo aren’t so forgiving?

‘Teens?’ a male voice calls from the distance. ‘Teens? Where are you?’

A moment later Trey Neville emerges from the darkness and immediately hugs his wife.

‘I came as soon as I heard. Is this the place? Is this where they think little Jo-Jo is?’

Tina doesn’t respond, breaking free of his embrace and continuing her pacing. Trey spots me and comes over.

‘Do you think she’s in there?’ he asks quietly.

I’m not sure how to respond. Of course I want to say she is and that they’ll all be reunited any moment, but if this level of armed response is required to subdue her abductors, then I desperately pray she is a million miles away.

‘We’ll find out soon enough,’ I tell him, offering my most reassuring smile.

A sudden commotion on the other side of the security barrier has us studying the darkness for the source of the noise, but I’m not sure any of us are expecting to see the armed response unit returning so soon. There are scowls and angry rants as they remove their masks and discharge their weapons, clambering back into the van from where they emerged only minutes earlier. I can also see that the small crowd of residents at the muster point are being told they can return to their homes.

Just what is going on? A false alarm? Or were they too late?

Robin’s radio crackles and she moves away from Tina to receive the message. I can’t see Rick to ask for an update.

‘Mr and Mrs Neville,’ Robin says, returning to the group, ‘if you’d like to follow me, please? Miss Hunter, you too.’

I don’t like the sharpness of her tone, but I don’t argue as she leads us to the barrier and shows her identification to the officer standing guard, who allows us entry. It feels as though we’re going against the tide as the stream of officers in their high-visibility vests heads in the opposite direction, down the hill we’re now climbing. I spot Rick, but his eyes don’t meet mine as he continues at a pace. An ambulance speeds past us, and when we eventually arrive at a single caravan at the far side of the site, the ambulance is already parked up and two paramedics are tending to somebody inside.

Cavendish appears at the entrance of the caravan and surveys the four of us before stepping out and coming over to Robin, whispering something into her