CHAPTER 79
ALEX SCRAMBLES TO HIS feet and regains his balance. He reaches through a patch of thorns and retrieves the phone, not even feeling the stabs. He half slides, half stumbles the rest of the way down the trail to where it opens up onto a patch of high grass.
He hears voices ahead and spots a flickering glow through a stand of trees.
It would be easier to go around the trees, but he doesn’t; he picks his way straight through, aiming directly for the sound.
Half a minute later, he bursts into a small clearing with a stream winding through it.
Three young women are sitting in low folding chairs around a campfire. They all leap to their feet at the sight of Alex. One of the women grabs a long stick from near the fire. The other two cower behind her.
Alex is panting from exertion and covered with dirt and sweat. He holds his hands up. “It’s okay! Don’t worry! I’m with the FBI!”
As soon as he says it, he realizes how outlandish it sounds. He reaches into his pocket for his ID and tosses it to the women. “It’s true. Go ahead. Look.”
The young woman with the stick stoops to pick up the leather case. She opens it and shows it to the others. She lowers the stick. “Was that you we heard shouting?”
Alex approaches slowly. “Yes. I was up on the trail. I’m looking for my son. Damon Cross. He’s a graduate student at Chapel Hill. He disappeared around here a few days ago.”
One of the other women reaches into a cooler and holds out a bottle of water. “We haven’t seen anybody,” she says. “Here. You look like you could use some hydration.”
Alex walks the last few yards to the campsite. Now he notices a small tent pitched in the shadows with a neat row of backpacks alongside. He grabs the water and unscrews the cap, then takes a long, deep gulp. He puts the bottle down and wipes his lips. “Thank you. My name is Alex.”
The woman with the stick hands him back his ID. “Yup, Alex Cross. It says so right there.” She points to the other two women. “This is Nell. This is Diana. And I’m Leigh.”
Alex nods to the group. Leigh is tall, blond, and athletic-looking. Willa is shorter, rounder, and Black. Diana is Asian, with long hair falling to her waist.
“You know you shouldn’t have a fire out here,” says Alex. “It’s a nature preserve.”
“We just do it once a year,” says Diana. “We’re careful.”
“Don’t tell me you’re gonna arrest us,” says Nell.
“I won’t tell a soul, I promise. Are you guys students?”
Leigh shakes her head. “Nurses. We work at the UNC Medical Center. Once a year, we hike the reserve and camp out for a few days. It’s our little tradition.”
“We’ve been coming to this same spot for years,” says Diana.
“How did you get here?” asks Alex. “The trail I took was a little rough.”
Nell points in the opposite direction. “We came in from the east. There’s an old utility road.”
“What makes you think your son is out here?” asks Leigh.
“We know he was somewhere on the road below the park entrance before he disappeared, and we found his bike in the reserve.”
“Wouldn’t it make more sense to look in the daylight?” asks Diana.
“We did,” says Alex. “But even so, we missed the trail I came down just now. I’m looking for anything that stands out. A piece of clothing, a shoe, a credit card …”
“Sorry. We haven’t noticed anything. But we haven’t really been looking.” Leigh shrugs.
“We’re just here to relax,” says Nell. “Do some stargazing.”
“And a little drinking,” Diana adds.
“Yeah,” says Nell. “That too.”
Suddenly, Alex hears the crack of gunfire. Not too near, but close enough to make him flinch. “What the hell was that?”
“Oh, yeah,” says Nell, rolling her eyes. “That happens every night.”
“We’ve gotten used to it,” says Diana.
“Where’s it coming from?” asks Alex.
Diana points across the clearing toward a low hill, a dark ripple against the sky. “About a half a mile away,” she says. “There’s an old farmhouse off the utility road. Big yard. Barbed wire all around it.”
“We passed it on our way in,” says Leigh. “Probably some survivalist or doomsdayer. I guess he likes to do target practice at night.”
“Did you see anybody?” asks Alex.
“No, nobody was around when we passed it during the day.”
Another volley of shots rings out, echoing against the hills and trees.
“That’s a military rifle,” says Alex. “Full auto.” He tries to triangulate the source. “Which way is the farmhouse?”
“Just follow the curve of the stream and go over the hill,” says Leigh, pointing into the distance.
“You can’t miss the place,” says Diana.
“That’s for sure,” says Nell. “Whoever he is, I bet he’s the whitest white man for miles around.”
“Why do you say that?” Alex asks.
Nell shrugs. “You’ll see.”