Page 48 of Glimmer in the Darkness

It was that simple.

He was an idiot for bringing her up here. Except, if he hadn’t come with her, she’d have continued the search alone. If James thought she was vulnerable now, he didn’t want to think about what could’ve happened to her if she were by herself.

A third victim of the same killer?

Assuming the recent kidnappings were related to what happened to Hallie and not a copycat.

And assuming Cassidy was telling the truth.

He finally drifted to sleep only to awake with a start. There’d been a noise. Not one of the natural noises of the forest. Those he was accustomed to. This had been sharper, like the snap of a branch.

In the tent beside him, just inches away, Cassidy’s breaths were low and steady. Seemed she’d finally fallen into a deep sleep.

Except for that snap, he’d think they were alone.

A bobcat wouldn’t be so heavy as to snap a twig. A bear, then. He closed his eyes, listened for the heavy whuffing of a bear’s breaths. Only silence greeted him.

Maybe James had dreamed—

Snap.

The sound came from the hillside above. Above and to the east. Somebody was there. Moving.

Silently, James climbed out of his sleeping bag and put on his hiking boots. He grabbed his pistol, disengaged the safety, and got to his feet, staying low.

Scanning the forest in every direction, he listened.

He stood there five minutes, ten. Not moving, allowing the moonlight and shadows to define the forms around him. He wouldn’t leave this spot unless he was sure where he was going and what he was looking for. He wouldn’t leave Cassidy exposed.

If he were a stalker, where would he hide? Their campsite was on a flat bit of ground on an otherwise steep slope. Below, trees and brush and nothing else. Above, the hill was rocky. Behind them, the stream was close enough that, before the wind had picked up, he’d been able to hear the trickling water. Ahead of them, all he could see was forest. Who knew what else was out there?

Slowly, slowly he gazed at trunk after trunk, searching for a hidden form. Movement. The reflection of metal. Something.

He saw nothing, and the longer he looked, the more the shadows tried to trick him.

It was too dark to see if there were any indentations on the forest floor where a person could hide.

He watched a long time, but nothing moved.

“What is it?” Cassidy’s whisper came from inside the tent. “James?”

“Yeah. Sorry. It’s nothing.”

The sound of the zipper warned him she was coming.

“Stay in the tent.”

“Because of nothing?”

“Probably nothing. Just stay down.”

The zipper moved again. He glanced and saw it was opening, not closing.

“Cassidy. Please.”

“Either you get in or I’m getting out.”

Exasperating woman.