Chapter 32
Thirty-Two
Relief flooded over Kane as they ran back to the clearing in time to see Wolfe and Webber rolling the bodies onto the stretchers. “We need to move now. Visibility will be gone completely in twenty minutes and we need to drive down from this mountain.”
“The temperature’s dropping fast.” Emily moved to his side, shivering. “Did you see him?”
Kane gave a small shake of his head, his attention still moving through the forest. “Nah, he’s set up another illusion, a shadow moving through the forest, and we fell for it.
” He glanced at Wolfe. “He likely set it up using motion detectors and then it runs in a sequence. Much the same as the girl Jenna encountered along Maple.”
“Do you figure he’s still out there, watching us?” Emily glanced over one shoulder and then back to him. “It feels like someone’s eyes are boring into my back all the time.”
Not wanting to alarm her, Kane shrugged.
“Most of us feel the same. Is he out there? Maybe, so we stick together. I know he is terrifying. What he is doing is very disturbing and, yes, he could easily pick us off one by one, but we’re not hikers or hunters.
We’re aware he’s out there, so put your trust in the team. ” He squeezed her arm. “Okay?”
“I guess.” Emily moved closer to Wolfe, her head moving from side to side as she watched the forest.
“Ready?” Carter and Rio took the first stretcher and carried it along the trail, their boots crunching through the deepening snow.
“I’ll carry the other one.” Rowley grabbed one end of the second stretcher and followed with Webber.
While Raven and Wolfe collected the forensics kits, Kane lingered for a moment, staring into the forest. He could see by the expressions on everyone’s faces that the feeling of being watched hadn’t faded.
If anything, it had intensified. He shook his head slowly.
Mind games didn’t work on him, and he rested one hand on Jenna’s elbow and gave Duke a soft whistle as they moved off.
The snow was coming heavier now, weighing down the branches.
The previous light snowflakes had thickened and the wind had picked up, swirling icy tendrils around them.
It took longer than expected to reach the cabin, and they gave it a wide berth.
Crime scene tape fluttered in the wind and snow had already covered the porch.
In fact, all signs of habitation had vanished.
They’d left the victims’ backpacks behind in the cabin but had collected their rifles from alongside the trail where they’d been murdered.
Vigilant, Kane followed behind everyone.
The snowstorm started to howl through the pines by the time they reached the trucks.
Once everyone had climbed inside, Kane lifted Duke into the back seat and wiped the snow from him with a towel and then wrapped him in his blanket.
The old dog shivered. “I’ll have the heat on soon, boy.
” He rubbed the dog’s head and climbed behind the wheel.
The fire road had shrunk into a tunnel of white, and snow built up on the wipers.
He’d never seen snow so bad in late October.
He glanced in his rearview mirror and could only just make out the headlights of Wolfe’s van.
He reached for the radio. “Is everyone okay back there? Over.”
“Yeah.” Raven cleared his throat. “It should clear once we get lower. These storms seem to remain at high altitudes at this time of the year. Over.”
Kane waited for everyone else to check in. “Okay, thanks. Over.”
They crawled along the highway between eighteen-wheelers until the snow became gentle flakes and visibility went back to almost normal. Kane looked at Jenna as they slid into their parking space outside her office. “What’s next on your schedule?”
“Give me a minute to get some takeout delivered and then I guess we start a list of suspects we need to haul in for questioning. I’d like to pay a visit to the kid Carter mentioned working at the Old Mitcham Ranch.
He figures Marty Flynn knows something and I’d like to speak to him after he finishes work. ”
Kane turned off the engine and smiled at her. “That sounds like a plan.”