DAWN. BELROUX WAS just another tranquil Loire Valley village. The car drove slowly on the road that tracked the Loire River. It missed the turnoff for Le Domaine the first time, then doubled back and slowly drove into the entrance, over the gravel, which made more noise than was desirable.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRrCBbIpdKz
The sun was just emerging over the horizon. The trip had taken longer than expected. Darkness would have been better, but there was nothing that could be done about that right now.
He surveyed the surroundings. Highly doubtful that Mischa was in one of the cottages. That would require a passport and probably a credit card. Presumably, she had neither of those. But that conclusion was quantified by the cold fact that underestimating Mischa Barton had been a hazardous practice indeed.
Still, logic dictated that the cottages were a last option. Especially because there was a pretty obvious alternative----the large tract of forest covering one end of the grounds. There would be any number of places to stow away in there.
He sighed. The forest was sizeable. This could take a while. And with each passing moment the damn sun peeked higher over the horizon and lit up more of the countryside. For obvious reasons, he preferred to find Mischa asleep.
He reflexively patted his belt, reassuring himself that his gun was still there. Then he began walking. He found a stone path that wound around a pond and disappeared from the trees. A nature walk, or something like that. He took the steps lightly, on the balls of his feet, holding a Maglite flashlight but not turning it on. He didn't want to signal his arrival any more than necessary.
He stopped, turned on the flashlight, and swept it quickly over a patch of trees. Nothing. He turned it back off. Kept walking.
The path started to curve, tapering away from a large swath of forest. He stopped and tried to get his bearings. The path covered a lot of ground, but not all of it. Part of the natural forest was preserved.
There were two acres of forest to his left, where no hotel resident was invited or expected to tread.
If it were me, he thought to himself, that's where I'd hide.
He drew his gun, crouched down, and listened. Then he left the path and walked into the thick trees. He moved slowly, reluctant to bring his body weight down on the crunchy leaves. He used the flashlight sparingly, just enough to wave light over an area before clicking it back off. He repeated the procedure many times---gentle steps forward, wave the flashlight, click off.
His hand jumped as the circle of yellow light hit something. He took a breath. Paused. Flashed the light again over the same area. 358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmSttcHhING
It was mostly hidden behind a tree trunk. But he could make out a small portion of it.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjGc9XctC6r
Hair. A woman's hair. A sleeping bag.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOJEAuL5EXC
Mischa!358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZbnLMb2Aid
He shuffled forward, keeping the flashlight trained on the sleeping bag, not her head. The light on her head might awaken her, and he didn't know how she might react. But the sleeping bag didn't have eyes. It allowed him to monitor her movements without alerting her. Or so he hoped.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWeUlvJcym1
He got within ten yards. Mischa hadn't stirred. Eight yards. Five yards. Close enough now so that it didn't really matter if she reacted----he'd be on top of her.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdtVQRgt6Vv
He moved right, to get a better angle, to see the rest of what the tree obscured. He shined the light again. The whole sleeping bag. She was asleep.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWK4iZ1h9Bq
He crouched down. Moved toward her.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrXUKpXAsvY
But something about the hair----it wasn't.....358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjUrcwrF5XT
A wig! It was a wig, lying atop a gym bag, stuffed inside the sleeping bag. A nice diversion, he thought, as his instincts kicked in and told him to move, but it was too late.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNyk2tQTqCt
"Don't move," came a voice from behind him. "I've got a gun and I'll damn well use it."358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcGLby4jvTm
He froze in place, like an action-figure doll, his legs spread apart, his arms out and poised for movement. Well played, Mischa, he thought.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtnDypX2rAT
"Turn your head, and only your head, around toward me."358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAJql2uH3If
He turned and squinted as the beam of a flashlight blinded him.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2t31cbCvKm
"Fancy meeting you here, Drake," Mischa said.358Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKGin0bMbQF
