“I’ve got it.” Caleb removed the pick he used for climbing and used it to pry the chest open as carefully as possible.
Inside was a piece of paper with what was clearly blood on it.
Ava carefully unfolded the note. The writing was jagged, carved into the paper with almost manic pressure.
“The lake remembers. Follow the frozen path.”
Caleb’s mouth thinned. Wax’s games sickened him.
Ava’s voice remained flat and controlled. “He’s telling us where to look next.” She turned to Rachel. “We need GPS coordinates and a full sweep of the area as soon as possible.”
“I’m on it.” Rachel stepped outside.
Shadow suddenly let out a low growl. His head whipped toward the back of the cabin, nostrils flaring.
The K-9 barked once, sounding sharp and urgent. He raced toward the rear door and pawed at it.
Caleb grabbed his flashlight and motioned to the rangers. “Let’s check it out.”
They pushed through the back door and faced a wall of white frozen snow.
“We’ll have to use the front.” Ava snapped Shadow’s lead in place.
She and the dog pushed past Rachel who was finishing her call. “What’s going on?” she asked.
“Shadow has something,” Caleb told her while the team tried to keep up with the dog.
At the back of the cabin, the dog led them into deep snow drifts.
“Tracks!” Caleb shouted and then pointed. “They’re heading downhill.” He crouched to study the prints. “Similar to the ones we saw yesterday. Deep stride. He appears to be moving fast.”
“Toward the lake,” Ava whispered. “The lake remembers. The only question is what.”
Shadow barked again, tugging hard.
“The tracks are fresh.” He indicated the small amount of snow inside them. “You were right. He was watching us.”
Ava keyed her radio. “We have a possible fresh trail following the ridge to Hidden Lake. Stay alert and watch for traps. Wax knows this terrain better than we do.”
The wind swallowed the confirmation, but Ava was already moving with Shadow. The dog led them along a narrow ridge before halting. He dug furiously in the snow. Caleb dropped beside him, clearing the drift until something metallic glinted in the light.
Ava leaned closer. “What is it?”
Caleb brushed the ice away and lifted the object carefully in his gloved hand. “A small locket.”
“It looks antique,” Ava said. The surface was engraved with that same cross-and-circle symbol. Inside the locket was a faded photo of a woman.
“I don’t recognize her. The photo appears dated.” Rachel leaned closer. “It could be one of those old-timey photos that’s made to appear from a different time period. She looks like you.” Rachel glanced up at Ava.
Ava’s mouth thinned. “He’s trying to tell us something. The locket. The key. Both appear dated. The piece of strap belonging to a backpack is old but not like the locket and key.”
“He’s pointing us to the lake. It means something to him.” Caleb closed his fist around the locket.
Ava stared out across the white expanse where the trail vanished into the storm. “Let’s find out what.” She rested her hand on Shadow’s head. “So far, he’s been controlling everything. Where we go. What we find. It’s all orchestrated by Wax. We need to determine his next move. These breadcrumbshe’s given us will only reveal the answers he wants. We need more.”
The Malinois sat perfectly still, eyes locked on the distant ridge, nostrils flaring.
Caleb looked in the same direction. A short distance away, Hidden Lake would be frozen solid by now. Had Wax hidden something under the ice for them?
