Out of Focus Read Online Free Page A

the far lane. Officers waved on the rubberneckers in an attempt to keep the traffic moving past the yellow tape that marked off the section of road before the overpass that spanned the Nottoway River.
    Kasey jumped from the backseat and ran for the railing with her camera in hand. A police officer caught her by the arm. Her body swung past him, then recoiled like a bungee. She tugged hard, trying to free herself from his grip. Von ran up behind her. He wrapped his arms around her to calm her.
    Von said to the officer, “She’s the victim’s wife.”
    The officer took a step back. “I’m sorry. I can’t let you get any closer than this for now. You’ll have to stay behind the marked area, and I’ll need some identification.” He waved to another officer, who hustled over to his side carrying a clipboard.
    Von gave the man their identification.
    Kasey stepped toward the whipping tape. She clutched her hands near her heart and peered over the guardrail. The water rushed and sloshed against the truck in the middle of the rocky bed.
    Her heart seized when she caught sight of the one-of-a-kind farm sticker on the back window. It was definitely Nick’s truck.
    She lifted her camera and clicked off several pictures. Through the camera’s lens, she’d see things later that she couldn’t absorb now. She snapped another picture then let the camera swing from the strap around her neck. Is this camera all I have left? Nick, Jake, what more could I lose? This can’t be happening. It wouldn’t be fair.
    Von reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze.
    She noticed something dipping in and out of the water near the truck. She lifted her camera to snap a picture, then turned back into Von’s arms, pointing to Nick’s ball cap bobbing in the water.
    Riley ran to them and wrapped her arms around Kasey, too.
    The truck was in bad shape. It was little wonder anyone could have survived that crash. The big truck sat twisted, cocked to one side, half-covered by the rushing current. Several trees were injured witnesses. Oaks and pines, with fresh wounds that shredded their bark, recorded the path the truck had taken off the road and into the water.
    The smell of fresh pine burned Kasey’s nose. She dropped to her knees and snapped more pictures. The lights of the emergency vehicles bounced around the terrain.
    It looked like Officer Thomas’s call had expanded the team to find Jake. Kasey leveled her camera on two divers as they marked off a grid in the water. A land and water grid search ensued to find her son. Men and women, some in uniforms, others in jeans, combed the edges of the waterway. Please find him on land. In the water, that would be...no, that can’t be an option.
    Officers and volunteer firefighters fanned out into the woods.
    Had the car seat been thrown from the truck? Swept away by the current? Did Jake crawl to safety? He could. He’s a tough little boy.
    So many questions. So much to process. So much going on.
    She clung to her camera, not sure what to pray for first.
    Kasey watched as almost fifty volunteers gave up their Saturday night to search for Jake, walking, step-by-step in unison, through the thick swampy underbrush and vines.
    Please let him be safe.
    Men erected huge generator-run work lights to enable the team to continue the investigation in the dark, if needed. A tropical storm was supposed to push through on Monday. With Saturday nearly gone, they were running out of time and time was precious in these first few hours.
    They wouldn’t let Kasey into the woods. It was numbing to stand by. Helpless. Clinging to the camera brought comfort, but she only took a few pictures. She lowered herself to the curb praying for news—whispering promises to God, and anyone else who might matter, that she’d do anything in exchange for Jake’s safe return. Nick was gone. She couldn’t process that now. Not with Jake missing.
    Please don’t take Jake, too.
    Voices rose and people gathered near the bright