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My lips part in shock. He’s never said that to me. I’ve never said it to him. I don’t manage to formulate a response before West is dragging me out the door and into the night, and I can’t help but think that I made the biggest mistake of my life by not saying anything back.
The dogs sniff the ground by the window that West saw the shadow pass by and take off in the direction of the lake. We follow closely as they chase a scent trail into the trees. We both have guns in hand, ready.
There’s an eerie stillness to the night air, and the green light from the aurora reflects off the snow cover. I’ve been keeping an eye out for footprints but haven’t seen any yet. Maybe in the light of day it’ll be easier to see.
West was right to have us split up like this. We can’t just let someone turn off the cameras and do fuck knows what on the property. The dogs slow down, appearing to have lost the scent.
“What do you think?” West asks in a whisper.
“Let’s go back to the front of the property and check to see what happened to the cameras.”
He nods and moves quietly through the trees. We’re both experienced enough to know not to step on branches or rocks but the snow crunches loudly underfoot. Ghost sticks close to West, while Storm walks out in front of us.
When we make it to the first camera, we find it hanging by its wires. West tucks his gun in the back of his pants and pulls a screwdriver out of his pocket. He flips open the outer case and maneuvers everything back inside. We repeat the same thing with every camera until we reach the highway. We look up and down the road, trying to find a car but see nothing.
“Should we walk down a bit to see if they pulled off at the emergency pull off?” I ask.
“Can’t hurt.”
West cues the dogs to heel as we walk side by side. Our breath puffs into the air and a chill settles into my bones. After about a mile we see a metal gate that is usually closed leading to an overgrown and unused road, wide open.
We both stop and hold a silent conversation before turning and walking into the wooded area beside the broken pavement. Four hundred feet up the road sits an empty sedan. As we get closer it’s obvious to see that it hasn’t been sitting here for long. The tire tracks are fresh, and the exterior is clean.
West takes a picture of the plates as I walk around the side. I release a low, short whistle to get his attention and when he walks over to me, I point at the windshield, asking for the flashlight. He points his phone at the sticker and just like I thought, it’s a rental car sticker.
There are very few reasons for a rental car to be parked off the road like this and all of them are bad. The dogs start sniffing around the car and whining again, signaling the scent trail is back. After a shared look, West cues them to take off and we follow behind once again.
Ghost takes the lead this time. The going is a lot slower because the underbrush is thicker. The slope of the forest here is steeper, too, with small rock ledges we have to navigate across. We all pause at the sound of a snapping twig to our right, deeper into the trees.
Storm charges in the direction of the sound and Ghost follows. West tries to call them back, but they’re on the trail of something or someone and laser focused on that. After a minute there’s a lot of snarling and growling, then a loud yelping bark.
I pray that they’re both okay as we break into a run.
ChapterForty-One
“Did you hear that?” Blake asks as he stands up from the couch.
“Yeah, it sounded like it was coming from the back.” I walk over to the door off the kitchen and look out into the darkness. “Could have been an animal. They’re always trying to break into the dumpster.” Not that they can, considering it’s locked in a metal box.
When I turn to look back at Blake, I see him slipping his shoes on and pulling a gun out of a duffle bag. He checks the chamber and closes it before slipping it in the back of his pants.
“When did you get so comfortable with a gun?”
He looks up at me as he ties his laces, a lock of his black hair falling over his forehead. “Cody taught me.”
“Do they have guns, too?”
“Yes. Mine was the only one left in the bag. You should probably get yours out, just in case.”
“My shotgun? That’s for scaring away wildlife.”
“I’d feel better if you were armed while I go outside.” He stands and walks over to me, his hands kneading my shoulders.
“I’d feel better if you didn’t leave.” I shrug him off. “We should stay together.”
“I’ll be right back. I’m just going to walk around the outside of the cabin.”
“That’s the worst idea and you know it.” I walk into my office and unlock my gun safe, pulling the shotgun out and grabbing a couple slugs. I feel Blake’s eyes on me as I open the barrel and push the shells in, checking everything over once I finish.
