WHITEY FOUND SEAN in the woods a hundred yards past the ravine.

They'd lost the blood trail and any evidence of footprints in the more open areas of the park,
- last night's rain having wiped clean anything that nature didn't cover.

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"We got dogs sniffing something over by the old drive-in screen.


You wanna take a walk over?"

|||.

Sean nodded,
- but then his walkie-talkie bleated.

|||.

"Trooper Devine".

|||.


"We got a guy out front here-"

|||.


"Which front?"

|||.

"The Sydney Street side,
- Trooper".

|||.


"Go ahead".

|||.


"Guy claims he's the father of the missing girl".


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"The fuck's he doing on-scene?" Sean felt his face fill with blood,
- get hot and red.

|||.

"Slipped through,
- Trooper.


What can I say?"

|||.

"Well,
- push him back.


You got a psychologist on-scene yet?"

|||.


"En route".

|||.


Sean closed his eyes.

Everyone was en route,
- like they were all sitting in the same fucking traffic jam.


|||.

"So,
- keep the father calm till the shrink's on-scene.


You know the drill".

|||.

"Yeah,
- but he's asking for you,
- - Trooper".

|||.


"Me".

|||.


"Said he knows you.


Said someone told him you were here".

|||.

"No,
- no,
- - no.


Look-"

|||.


"He's got some guys with him".

|||.


"Guys?"

|||.


"Bunch of scary-looking dudes.

Half of 'em are like semi-midget,
- and all of 'em look alike".


|||.


The Savage brothers.


Shit.

|||.

"I'm on my way,
- " Sean said.

|||.