15.
Billy had knocked repeatedly without any response from within. "Sis? Where are they?"
Annabelle frowned, pressing her eye to the reversed peep hole. "It looks as if he's trashed the living room. Open the door, Billy."
"What if he's waiting behind the door?"
"Then I'll shoot him. Open the door."
As Billy unlocked the heavy door and pulled it open, he tried to look everywhere at once. There was no sign of the federal agent.
"Laurel! Fed! Both of you better get out here now!" Annabelle's shouted orders were useless. No one responded. "Search the rooms."
"They're gone, Belle."
"How? How, Billy?"
"I…I don't know."
"Then search for a reason."
They both searched throughout the cabin, taking special care to look anywhere that a child or an adult male might hide. As they stepped into the master bedroom, Billy saw the opening.
"What the hell?"
They both rushed to the hole in the wood floor, looking down into the darkness. "We need a flashlight."
"We don't have one, Belle. They're gone. We need to get out of here. The money's in the bank. Let them go. They don't know who we are." Billy knew his sister would refuse to leave, but he had to try.
"Let's go!" Annabelle began climbing down the ladder, followed reluctantly by her brother. Annabelle hesitated at the bottom, then scurried to the entrance. "Billy! Here are tracks."
"Belle, please. Let them go."
"I can't, Billy. If you want to leave, fine. But give me your gun before you go."
Billy considered leaving. His sister was being unreasonable, suicidal even. Yet he couldn't desert her. Not after all she had done for him, not after she bailed him out time after time when his temper got away from him. Fights would erupt at the slightest provocation. "No, I'll stick with you. But we'd better hurry. It won't be long before the cops do a sweep of the area."
The siblings began following the trail left behind by Tony.