AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Check this out." Ethan's discovery pulled her attention—a collection of small, heavy pouches. He picked one, untying the string that bound it with deliberate care, and gold dust streamed into his palm, glinting even in the wan light.
"Gold," Rachel breathed, a cold shiver coursing through her despite the oppressive heat.
"Seems so," Ethan replied, his eyes never leaving the glimmering particles. "Elroy's been busy."
Rachel's heart hammered a staccato rhythm, each beat echoing her resolve. She eyed the sheath again, her mind churning.
"Means we're on the right track," she said finally, sliding the sheath into an evidence bag with a swift motion. "But it also means he's armed and dangerous."
"More reason to call for backup," Ethan suggested, concern lacing his tone, though he knew Rachel's stance on waiting for cavalry.
"Time isn't our ally, Ethan." Rachel's gaze met his, steel in her eyes. "We end this."
"Let's be smart about it," he conceded, bagging the pouches of gold.
Rachel stood with her hands on her hips, squinting into the vast expanse of the desert. The wind kicked up dust devils that danced mockingly across the barren landscape. She could almost hear them whispering, urging her on into the wilderness.
"Rachel," Ethan's voice cut through the eerie calm, "We need to wait."
"Every second we wait," she replied without turning, "he's getting further away." Her eyes never left the horizon, where a storm brewed like a cauldron, dark and foreboding.
"Damn it, Rachel!" Frustration edged his words. "You can't just—"
"Can't what?" she shot back, her tone as sharp as the shard of flint she felt he was treating her like. "I'm not some rookie, Ethan. I know what I'm doing."
"Exactly because you're not a rookie," he retorted, coming up beside her, "you should know better."
"Knowing better hasn't caught him yet," she snapped, her fingers curling into fists.
Ethan sighed, running a hand down his face. "You're going out there, aren't you?"
"I have to."
"Rachel!"
"Ethan... I have to."
He huffed in frustration as she faced him and gave a small shake of her head. "No choice," she murmured.
"And what if they circle back? What if Jane is running for her life, and she comes back here... and what if he's chasing her?"
"That's a lot of what-ifs."
"And it's very likely. She'd want to return to her car. To safety."
"So that's why you're staying here," she responded.
"Rachel..."
"Ethan... I know the desert better than you, and I know how to track in a storm."
As if to underscore her words, the thunder in the distance rumbled.
He grit his teeth, and his hands clenched, but she didn't look away.
"Just... be careful, okay? And take the car."
She stared at him.
