Page 80 of Silent Shadows

I’m trying very hard not to think about his speech this morning. Now, every time I look at him, I remember that underneath all the conspiracy forums and wilderness competence and annoyingly attractive leadership qualities, he’s scared too.

In the past, that would’ve made a man less attractive to me. Instead, with Miles, it makes him feel real.

The trail narrows sharply as we move deeper into the trees.

Wind brushes through the pines overhead.

Somewhere farther down the canyon, something knocks once against wood.

We both freeze.

Miles lifts one hand and does a series of tactical hand gestures, as if I’m supposed to know what he means.

“Again?! What the fuck, Adler?” I whisper-yell.

Then he just puts his finger to his lips in a plea for silence.

The forest stills around us.

Then, voices. Male voices. Loud and careless.

Miles’s expression hardens. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

I’ve seen him protective before. I have not seen him like this.

“Ridgefield,” he growls, head down.

Three men emerge farther down the trail wearing camo tactical gear so aggressively masculine it feels insecure. They don’t look like researchers. They look like men who want to win something and don’t care what breaks in the process. Hunters in every regard.

Mud on their boots. Dark jackets. One with a shaved head and a scar cutting through his eyebrow. Another with a camera bag slung across his body, his hand resting on it like it’s a weapon. The tallest one leads them, blond beard, hard eyes, smile already loaded.

He spots Miles immediately.

“Well,” he says, loud enough to scare deer away. “If it isn’t the Strange Man himself.”

Miles tenses. The energy changes so fast my stomach drops.

“You’re in our zone, Grant,” Miles says evenly.

Grant laughs. “Your zone?”

“Active investigation zone.”

“Cute.” His eyes slide toward me. “Who’s this little bird?”

My entire body reacts in disgust before my brain does.

But Miles steps slightly forward first.

Tiny movement. Clear message.

“She’s with us.”

Grant’s grin sharpens. “Podcast girl, right? Saw something about that online.”

How did that get out? He spits on the ground, still focused on me.

“You know these people are full of shit, right?”