Bruno nodded. While he lifted the man Dina turned back to the other bodies to make one final check that they were both dead. Confident that they were dead, Dina turned her attention back to Bruno. He could be so single minded once he started something that he would continue doing it until he dropped if someone wasn't there to tell him to stop. She was going to have to keep an eye on him for his own sake.

She'd taken a dozen steps before she realized she'd have to guide the adults back to the other bodies. She broke some twigs and set them in the ground as an arrow pointing to the tree before hurrying to catch up with Bruno.

Bruno started to follow the path along the ridgeline they'd used on the way up, but Dina felt that it was important to get back to the police car they'd passed earlier in the day as quickly as possible. So she led him straight down the steep slope, marking their route as she went.

When they made it back to the police car Dina checked the door. Just as she'd feared, it was locked. She stared through the window at the radio. She needed to get to that to call for help. Bruno could easily to smash a window, but that wouldn't help, as the radio wouldn't work without power, and you needed the key to turn on the power. She stared at the radio, so close, but so far away. Then she remembered her uncle producing a spare key that had been wired to the chassis of his police cruiser after the officer with him had managed to lock the car with the keys inside.

It wasn't the same vehicle, but surely the police wouldn't hide a spare key on just one of their cars. She dropped to the ground and started searching. She found it the hard way, spiking her hand on the wire. She tried to undo the wire, but it was too strong for her small hands. She slid out from under the cruiser. "Bruno, I need you. Put the man down and come here, please."

She directed Bruno to the key and he was able to quickly free it. Moments later she had the door open and the ignition on to power the radio. "Mayday! Mayday! Officers down!"

Mimi Rowland, a police dispatcher, responded almost immediately-asking her to identify herself.

"This is Dina Frost. Me and Bruno heard some shots, and then some men hiding some bodies. I think one of them is Officer Heilmann. He's still alive, but he needs to get to the hospital."

"Whoa, girl. Slow down. Take a deep breath and say that again, slowly."

Dina did as she was told. This time making it clear that she thought Officer Heilmann might be the casualty they'd brought back, and not one of the men dumping the bodies.

"Do you have a badge number for the officer?" Mimi asked.

"He's not wearing a badge, Mrs. Rowland. None of them had any clothes on. They were shot and their bodies hidden." Dina bit down on her knuckles as she remembered seeing the bodies and the bloody wounds.

"Where are you now, Dina?"

"I'm in cruiser four, just off Salt Lick Run, below the cemetery."

A new voice came over the radio. "We're sending a couple of squad cars, Dina. Until they arrive can you get Bruno to carry Officer Heilmann clear of the cruiser, somewhere where you can all hide? Do you understand? I want you to get well clear of the vehicle and hide until we get there."

Dina easily recognized her uncle's voice. "Why do you want me to hide, Uncle Estes?"

"Just do as I say, Dina. I want you to get away from the car and hide until we arrive."

Dina hung up the microphone and stepped out of the car. She saw Officer Heilmann's body lying on the ground at Bruno's feet, and suddenly she knew why Uncle Estes wanted her to hide. She picked out a clump of bushes that might be a good hiding place and directed Bruno to pick up the man and follow her. She wanted to run, but she couldn't, because that would just cause Bruno to panic.

Marcus finally stumbled out onto a road, and there, hidden under a tree, was a police cruiser. He and his companions approached it. Wilhelm grabbed the door handle. Marcus was all ready to tell him not to waste his time when the door opened. That was unexpected. Surely the cops wouldn't have left it unlocked. Then he realized the radio was on, and he heard "Salt Lick Run" being mentioned. He listened a little more in growing horror as he heard various voices announcing they were converging on the place he was standing. "The cops are on to us. Run!"

"How?" Herman asked as he chased after Marcus and Wilhelm.

"I don't know, but the radio is alive with cops saying they're heading this way." Marcus stopped to look around, just in case he could see anyone, He couldn't, but in the distance he could hear the sound of sirens. Normally he wouldn't have worried, as police sirens weren't unknown even this far out of town, but this time he knew they were probably headed his way. "Back to the boat. It's our best bet to get away."

Dina was worried. From their hiding place under a bush more than fifty yards from the police cruiser they'd had a good view of the vehicle. She'd been scared enough when the three men appeared, but Bruno's reaction had terrified her. He'd curled up into a protective ball and was muttering and moaning in fear.

The wail of sirens signaled the approach of two pickups. They skidded to a halt within sight of the cruiser and a dozen armed policemen and a dog emerged. Dina identified her uncle and ran up to him. "Those men scared Bruno, Uncle Estes."

"What men?" Estes asked.

"Three men came out of the trees and looked around the car. One of them opened the door of the cruiser, and then suddenly the three of them ran off."

Estes' fingers dug into Dina's shoulder until she winced and shook his hand off. "Sorry." He turned to the gathering officers. "Erika, take half a dozen men and see if Pluto can track them." He gently pushed Dina to arms length and crouched down to her eye level. "How are you?"

"I'm okay, but I'm really worried about Bruno and the man we found."

"Show me," Estes said.

Dina led him to the bush where Bruno was still huddled into a tight ball beside the naked body of Gottlieb Heilmann.

"That's Gottlieb alright," Estes announced as he crouched over the body checking for signs of life. Moments later he looked up. "Haggerty, Steinfeldt, get over here."

While Blake Haggerty and Heinrich Steinfeldt carried Gottlieb to the load bay of one of the pickups, Estes quickly checked over Bruno before resting a hand on Dina's shoulder. "I need to get back to my men. Will you be all right here with Bruno?"

She nodded numbly and wrapped her arms around the tight ball that was Bruno and bit her lips to keep the tears at bay. She was vaguely aware of her uncle walking off and the sounds of vehicles coming and going. A few minutes later her uncle tapped her gently on the shoulder. She looked up to see an ambulance officer beside her uncle. "Yes?"

"Do you think you can guide us to where the bodies are hidden?" Estes asked.

Dina gently disengaged herself form Bruno and got to her feet. "Bruno needs me, but I left a trail. I can show you where we left the woods." She led her uncle to the point she and Bruno had left the woods. A few feet into the woods the path they'd taken could be easily seen.

"We should be okay from here," Estes said. "You go back and look after Bruno."

She did as she was told, pausing only for a moment to watch the two men from the white van climbing into clean overalls. They were police forensic technicians. "One of them opened the driver's door, and slammed it shut with his hand against the frame before they ran off," she called out helpfully.