AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He took the phone and looked at the map. “Highway tunnels?”
“Well, they go under the harbor.”
Hunter thought about that but couldn’t make it line up in his head. “She’s a Fire Elemental. What’s she going to do, start a fire in the tunnel?”
“What if she had a Water Elemental working with her? Or an Earth?”
Hunter thought about it. “Collapsing a highway tunnel would definitely draw a lot of attention.” Then he shook his head. “They’re kids. They don’t have that kind of power yet.”
“But she’s looking for a reaction. They’re afraid. They’re—”
Casper growled.
Hunter whipped his head up. The dog was staring at the woods.
Kate was completely still, but he could practically hear her heartbeat. Or maybe that was his own. The house was dark and still; the trees quiet except for the slight breeze.
Casper was still on high alert.
Hunter took her hand. “Come on.”
She unplugged the phone and followed him. He brushed sand from his feet and yanked shoes on, not bothering to tie the laces. The gun slipped into his waistband. He pulled an olive-green shirt over his head as they walked toward the opposite tree line. Casper bolted into the woods, and Hunter didn’t dare raise his voice to call him back. His dog could take care of himself.
He didn’t have to tell Kate to be quiet. She was simply a shadow at his side, alert and prepared.
A branch snapped somewhere off in the woods, and her back pressed against a tree.
His did, too. They’d gone in opposite directions and now stood ten feet apart, staring at each other.
Another snap, a heavy one. Malice in the air. Someone was definitely in the woods.
Kate’s eyes were wide and locked on his. Their trees were too far apart to risk talking.
Then she had her cell phone in her hand, her fingers sliding across the screen.
What was she doing?
Then she looked up and tossed the slim black phone to him.
He read the words she’d typed.
You go northeast. I go southeast. Set 2 trails.
Like he’d split up now. He looked up and very clearly mouthed No!
She clearly mouthed back Yes!
Then she took off.
Damn her and all that independence! Hunter ran. Northeast, like she’d wanted.
Only now he did it with no caution at all. He ran full out, not bothering to hide his tracks or be stealthy. He needed noise, so he’d be the target.
So Kate could get away.
She was fast, like a sprinter, flying through the trees somewhere off to his right. Then he realized he could see her, that bright pink T-shirt flashing through the trees.
Shit.
