Beneath the Unseen Sky

Previously

…He imagined her here, alone, waiting. Or perhaps, not alone at all. Perhaps she was here with her captor, or her betrayer. The truth, as the note promised, was about to bloom. And Harding had a terrible premonition that it would be a dark and thorny flower. He signaled his car to turn on its headlights, cutting through the oppressive darkness. The hunt was nearing its end. And he prayed they weren't walking into a massacre. The shadows of the willows seemed to deepen, to writhe, as if holding their breath, waiting for the final act.