The old mechanic nodded.
He knew it well.
The yard sat beside an abandoned industrial spur road near a creek.
Years earlier, Iron Hollow had sent damaged motorcycle frames there.
The business partner handled most of those transactions.
The detective studied his expression.
Then asked whether the old man would accompany investigators to identify the accessible roads and former entrances.
He nodded immediately.
"I know every road out there."
The detective looked toward the little girl sitting beside the red tin.
Then she spoke gently.
"We'll coordinate the search. You don't need to put yourself in danger."
The old biker understood.
He wasn't going to become a vigilante.
He wanted his son found alive.
And he was willing to follow the people trained to search for missing persons.
Before leaving, the detective spoke with the child's mother over the phone.
The woman described the son's last known movements, the messages from the unknown number, and the location data she'd received before his phone stopped responding.
She also explained that the couple had contacted an attorney before he approached the salvage yard.
The detective asked for the messages to be preserved in their original form.
The mother agreed.
Then the investigator asked whether the young mechanic had any medical conditions that might affect the search.
His wife said he was generally healthy.
She hesitated.
Then mentioned that he'd suffered a serious motorcycle accident years earlier.
He recovered, but a new head injury could be particularly concerning.
The detective documented the information.
The old mechanic listened from several feet away.
His stomach tightened.
He remembered teaching his son to ride.
The boy had been fifteen when he first learned to control a small motorcycle in the empty parking lot behind the garage.
The father stood beside him, explaining throttle control and balance.
When the boy stalled the engine, he laughed.
When he finally completed a smooth circuit, he looked so proud that the old mechanic nearly cried.
Now that same son might be injured somewhere near the industrial road.
The father looked toward the detective.
"How soon can we start?"
She answered that search coordination was already underway.
The police were checking nearby hospitals, roadside cameras, and the last known area.
The young mechanic had last been seen traveling on a dark-red motorcycle.
A roadside worker reported finding a damaged metal component near a drainage culvert.
The detective wanted to establish whether the component came from his bike.