Page 11 of Hollow Trace

“I see you’re still in the angry phase, though, that’s to be expected.” Neve waved Wynn over. “This looks… unsettling.”

Wynn dropped down beside the man, performing a thorough body sweep before shaking her head. “No obvious trauma. It appears as if his organs failed, causing major internal bleeding, though, without an autopsy, I can’t be sure.”

Coulter gestured toward the guy. “I assume you noticed the watch and what might be residue from a patch.”

“Hard to miss.” Wynn stood, brushed off her hands. “So, is this one of Finch’s soldiers? New recruit? Are they testing something or just doing some training?”

“Unsure…” Coulter’s voice faded before he tapped his ear. “Gideon? I hope you’ve got news.”

His eyes darted back and forth as he nodded, then turned, scanning the direction they’d been heading before muttering a curse under his breath. “Roger.”

Quinn stepped forward. “Well?” He crossed his arms when Coulter frowned. “That obviously wasn’t a routine check-in.”

Coulter swept his gaze around the team, lingering on Scout for a few moments before addressing Quinn. “Gideon said those other signals are on the move.”

“Where?”

“Several klicks from here. But there’s something about the way they’re moving.” Coulter raked his hand through his hair. “He said, if he didn’t know any better, he’d swear he was watching a race.”

CHAPTER FOUR

Well, shit.

Quinn let Coulter’s words wash over him, staring at the man at his feet, doing his best not to picture Brea in his place. He’d nearly had a damn aneurism when he’d spotted the body, knowing it might be Brea. If Scout hadn’t grabbed his wrist, he would have raced over without a single pause — placed himself and Scout and Coulter at risk. But just thinking he was too late…

Echoed gunfire sounded in Quinn’s head, the scent of cordite and damp earth smothering his senses. It had been raining the day of Scout’s funeral, just like tonight, with wisps of fog rolling amidst the white crosses.

A familiar punch of grief settled in his gut, but he ignored it. Despite the circumstances, he’d been given another chance — one he wouldn’t waste.

Scout touched his arm, pulling her hand back when he jumped. She visibly distanced herself without moving away, looking as if she wanted the ground to open up and swallow her.

He cursed, furrowing his brow. “What?”

Scout drew herself up, staring at a spot over his shoulder instead of directly at him. “I said, are you okay? The blood just drained from your face.”

He rolled his shoulders, the weight of the pack a constant reminder that Brea could still end up like this. That just because they hadn’t found her didn’t mean she wasn’t lying in the mud, waiting for him to reach her.

That, despite being given the chance, he’d fail. Again.

Quinn shrugged off his pack, grabbed a map from one of the pockets, then spread it out across a log. “You said seven klicks, right?”

Coulter chuckled. “You got something against GPS?”

“It needs power and a signal. Neither are guaranteed out here, so… Humor me.” Quinn studied the map, then drew his finger around a section. “The only place within that distance they could be moving, the way Gideon described, is through this ravine. And there’s only one way out.”

Scout muttered under her breath when he tapped the map. “The Chute? Seriously? That’s insane.”

“And yet, this time of year, it’s the only pass through these hills that might not kill them.”

“Agreed but…” She smoothed her hand across her hair. “There’re only two ways to get there from here before they cross through. Back down that fire road, across the Old Sands mining spur, then up the forest main, or over this ridge, which won’t be pretty.”

“Which is why we should split up. One team goes back to the vehicles, blocks their only way out, while the other traverses the ridge. It’ll be slick and treacherous, but I’ve done it in worse conditions.”

Scout chewed on her bottom lip, gaze glued to the map as if it might give her the answers to whatever questions were rattling around inside her head. “Quinn…”

“There’s a high probability Brea’s on the other side of that peak. If they clear the Chute before we get there…”

“We might lose her. I’m aware of the possible consequences. It’s just…” She kicked at the mud. “That climb’s gonna be really ugly.”