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“Dax Moson.”
Chloe stopped at the name. “Oh, yeah. I can’t believe I forgot about him.”
Dax was a hiker. They had searched for him for two days before finding him, since he’d gotten so completely off trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. He had been irate that it had taken them so long to find him. He’d shoved Poirot to the side and gotten into Josh’s face and threatened him.
Josh tugged Chloe to keep walking. “What was it exactly he said to me?”
“Now that it’s back in my mind, I remember like it was yesterday, not two years ago. He said, ‘Now I’m too late for my big proposal at work. If I don’t get that promotion, you two are going to pay.’”
“He actually said ‘too late’ didn’t he?”
Chloe nodded.
Was Dax the one hunting them?
A few minutes later, the rock wall to the right became less severe. Was it giving way to level ground?
“Look!” Chloe let go of his hand and ran toward the wall.
The rock separated and the ground rose like a ramp in the middle. A way out!
Josh ran behind Chloe. But stopped just behind her.
There should have been a way out, but it was completely blocked. And not organically by dirt or other natural elements. No, this had been done by man. Debris was packed in there, including a car bumper.
There was no way out of this valley.
Chapter Fourteen
Chloewasweary,fromthe top of her hatless head to the tips of her calloused toes. She was grateful her everyday shoes were good shoes for walking, but they weren’t her great hiking shoes. Something about the stress of watching over her shoulder increased the tenseness in her muscles. If they didn’t find a way out of this valley and back home soon, she wasn’t going to make it.
Josh slowed down. “I hate to say this—“
“Then don’t.”
He chuckled. “Going to anyway.” He pointed. “That’s the tree I was tied to.”
She deflated. “Well, at least we have an idea of where we are in the valley.”
Josh’s eyes widened.
“Every once in a while I can pull off optimistic.”
He closed the gap between them and put his arm around her.
Her exhausted body leaned into his.
“Need a break?”
“You have no idea, but I’m not willing to stop yet. We have to keep going.” She moved to keep walking.
He didn’t let her. “Rest. Five minutes, that’s all.”
“Fine, but I’m afraid it’s going to be even harder to keep moving. I’m so hungry, and I can feel it in my whole body.”
“I’m really regretting only eating a protein bar for breakfast.”
She sat on the ground. “At least I had eggs and toast, but I’m pretty sure that was it.”
