Page 40 of Glimmer in the Darkness

She did a quick survey, moving both arms, both hands, both legs, both feet. “Everything seems to be in order.”

“I’m sorry. I should’ve—”

“It’s a mountain, James. Not your fault it’s steep. Definitely not your fault I lost my footing.” She patted the space beside her. “Let’s rest a minute.”

He took off his backpack, pulled out his water and a granola bar. “Want one?”

“Sure.”

He handed her one of each and sat beside her. They’d only been climbing a few hours, and already the trip felt fruitless. After finishing the bar in two bites and downing a couple of sips of water, he took out his phone and map and marked their coordinates.

She nibbled her snack, gazing at the map he’d spread in front of them. “We’ve hardly covered any ground at all.”

“It’s a big mountain.”

She sat back, closed her eyes. “I didn’t think it would be so hard.”

He’d just been thinking the same thing, but… “We just started.”

“I know.”

“Are you really ready to give up?”

She gazed up at him with those mesmerizing eyes. “I’m not giving up. I can’t. I failed to save your sister, and I didn’t get here fast enough to save that little girl last month.”

“Addison.” He swallowed the emotion trying to rise. Another little girl dead. Another family that would never be the same. “Her name was Addison.”

“I know.” Cassidy’s two words were solemn, as if she felt the weight of the girl’s death as heavily as he did. “I’m going to keep looking until I find Ella. Or until I find that cave. It’s possible this is all some copycat, that these recent kidnappings have nothing to do with what happened back then. But until I find that spot, see if anybody’s been there, I won’t know for sure. I can’t quit until I know.”

A sound carried from the direction they’d come from. A bud-a-dud-dud. Thud.

He turned that direction, gaze scanning the mountain, the trees.

Had a rock gotten loose, tumbled down the hill?

Not without help.

“Probably nothing.” But he whispered the words. He stood and peered below, to the sides, and above. Nobody was there.

He stayed like that for a long time, watching. Waiting.

The forest was silent, too silent. Even the birds seemed to be holding their breath.

Cassidy got to her feet and whispered, “Do you see something?”

See? No. But feel…? Yes, something was out there.

“Are we being followed?”

“I doubt it.” He forced a casual expression and looked down at her. “Lots of wildlife out here. Could be anything.”

She stared at him, her gaze probing. “What’s your best guess?”

It had been a loud noise. A falling rock, but, if so, it hadn’t been a pebble. And little animals didn’t move big rocks. “Probably something big.”

“Like?”

He tried to shrug it off, but she wasn’t going to let it go. “There’re deer, moose, bears, bobcats.”