Look Behind You (Detectives Kane and Alton #29)

Prologue

Thursday

Fear gripped Jan Pierce so hard her chest tightened, making it hard to breathe.

So many people had died at Bear Peak, she would swear she could hear them moaning with each gust of wind.

Too afraid to move from the safety of her truck, she stared into the dark depths of Stanton Forest and a shiver slid down her spine.

Fragrant pine trees marched up the mountainside in their green spring coats, and the wildflowers sprinkled in the grass coaxed her forward, but beneath the trees, the thick trunks created a dense, dark terrifying space.

Desperately trying to push her anxiety to one side, she stepped from her truck and headed toward the popular hiking path.

Her friends had assured her that the trail ran up the side of the mountain and offered glorious views of the lowlands below.

Heart pounding and mouth dry, she stood for a few moments staring at the trail leading into the forest and then pulled on her backpack.

The forest seemed to breathe as the hush of wind threaded its way through the trees.

Whispers of the dead or a warning not to enter?

She pushed away the stories she’d read about the forest and turned to scan the parking lot for other hikers.

It would be easier to follow a group of people even at a distance, but apart from two vehicles parked some distance away, there was no sign of anyone.

Taking a deep breath, she took a few hesitant steps into the dark forest. If she tried not to manifest something bad in every shadow, the forest could be a beautiful place to visit.

Watchful of her surroundings, she ran slowly, feeling the cold air slam into her lungs.

The first part of the trail wound out before her with sunlight pouring down like flashlight beams and then it opened up to display blue sky.

She ran harder, the allure of the light drawing her forward.

The trail ran alongside the edge of the mountain, and the swaying branches of the pines created a frame of a magnificent vista.

The sight took her breath away. She pulled out her phone and angled it to catch the golden spill of sunlight over the valley.

When she turned to her right, the jagged peaks of Bear Peak rose up black and forbidding, and when she panned down, she caught a ribbon of a blue river as it wound its way down the mountainside to the town of Black Rock Falls.

She smiled to herself as she captured the video.

She would add it to the others she’d collected from some of the most beautiful places around town and loop them together to create a screensaver.

She spent a few minutes admiring the view and her confidence soared.

Running, she headed back up the trail through the forest until a dark patch of dense trees and thick undergrowth sucked away all the light, leaving thick dark shadows.

Jan paused, heart hammering. Anything could be in there, a bear maybe or someone intent on harming her.

So many people had been murdered in the forest, she hesitated breathing heavily and scanned the darkness for any sign of movement.

She wanted to go back and swallowed hard, suddenly unable to take another step—but she must. She checked her phone for the time.

If she didn’t keep going, she’d be late for her appointment with Raven.

He was a busy man and wouldn’t appreciate her being tardy.

Taking a firm grip on her fear, she ran into the darkness, tripping over exposed roots on the trail, but as she turned a bend, the light ahead spurred her forward.

The sound of rustling came from the trees and panic had her by the throat.

If someone was in the trees watching her, she’d run right toward them.

Too afraid to stop, she ran faster. Footsteps pounded along the trail behind her, but too afraid to look back, she burst into the light and found herself on a narrow path alongside the edge of the mountain.

Gasping in the clear cool mountain air, she glanced over one shoulder.

Her imagination had gotten the better of her.

No one ran at her from the shadows. Trembling, she stared into blackness, but as the minutes ticked by not a soul emerged from the forest. Her imagination had become her enemy.

Trying to calm down, she turned back to enjoy the incredible landscape spreading out below her.

She lifted her phone and, pressing record, aimed it to capture the view.

Moments later the sound of a crunch came from the path behind her.

Fear gripped her and her breath caught in her throat, but before she could turn, agony shot through her temple and a stab of pain hit the back of her knee.

Jan stumbled forward and gasped as she fell into space, arms windmilling.

She clutched at branches that only slid through her fingers and then hung for a second on an updraft, staring at the mountain before plunging backward toward the jagged rocks.

The sound of laughter came on a rush of wind just before the beautiful image blacked out.