Chapter 11
Early the next morning, Wyatt loaded the last of his gear into his truck bed and checked it twice. He had his pack, a first aid kit, an emergency bivouac, extra food and water, and Thunder’s kit.
He’d been up since four and hadn’t slept much before that. He was anxious to get started with the search.
He cranked the engine and let it run a moment, watching his breath fog in the cab.
The storm had moved through overnight and left everything buried in white. According to his phone, it was fourteen degrees outside.
He had the route mapped, the contingencies considered, the gear sorted. What he had less of was any certainty about what he was walking into. A missing hiker. A dangerous trail. Unusual threats. A symbol he couldn’t find anywhere.
He’d tried. When he’d gotten back last night, he’d done his research. But he hadn’t found any insignias that matched the description Kori gave him.
So what did it mean? He still needed to figure that out.
A few minutes later, he and Thunder pulled out of his driveway.
Hollow House was only a few minutes away. Thankfully, county crews had been out early to plow the roads—and the local coffeehouse was already open. He stopped for warm drinks first and then went to pick up Kori.
He turned onto the street and pulled to the curb. He’d barely braked before the front door opened, and Kori hurried down the porch steps. She moved as if she’d been awake for a while. Thunder watched her approach from the back seat with quiet, absolute attention.
She pulled open the passenger door, put her backpack on the seat behind her, and climbed in.
She looked at him then at the coffee in the cupholder. “Is that—?”
“Yours.” He handed it to her. “I didn’t know how you liked it, so I took a guess. Oat milk. I brought some sweeteners just in case.”
She wrapped both hands around it, her gaze softening. “Thank you. I left too early for breakfast at the B&B, so this is perfect. I really need some caffeine.”
“You’re welcome.”
She glanced in the back seat. “Hey, Thunder. Good to see you.”
Wyatt fought a smile. Maybe she was warming up to the dog after all. If any canine could do the trick, it was Thunder.
He pulled away from the curb. “Did you get any sleep?”
“Some.” She paused and shrugged. “Actually, not really. Not much.”
“That makes two of us.” Wyatt glanced at the road before adding, “Listen, before we get too far, we should talk about something.”
She took a sip of her coffee and looked at him. “That sounds ominous.”
“It’s practical.” He hesitated a moment. “I’ve got to be honest with you. I don’t think you should come on the search with me today.”
Her gaze sharpened. “I’m coming.”
He’d expected that response. “Kori, this isn’t a normal hike. Search and rescue operations follow certain protocols for a reason. Civilians aren’t supposed to be part of them.”
“I’m not going to sit at Hollow House and wait for someone else to find my sister.”
“I understand that.” He kept his tone calm. “But understanding your desire to help and allowing it are two different things.”
She crossed her arms and stared out the windshield a second before looking back at him. “You said the trail was four miles out.”
“Four miles to the official end,” he corrected. “After that it turns into unmarked backcountry.”
“Then I’ll go as far as the official trail.”
“Even that’s not simple right now. We had close to a foot of snow overnight. Parts of the trail will be covered. Some sections will be icy. One wrong step, and you could break an ankle.”
“I bought proper boots last night.”
“That helps. But it doesn’t make you a winter hiker.”
She stared at him. “You think I’ll slow you down.”
“That’s part of it.”
“And the other part?”
“The other part is that it’s dangerous.” He glanced at her. “Sheriff Sutherland mentioned last night that there have been some unusual things happening out on the trail. Since we don’t know what that means yet, we have to be careful.”
“To me, that sounds like all the more reason I should come.”
A frown flickered on his lips. “That’s not how I see it.”
“Well, it’s how I do.” Her voice remained calm, but there was steel behind it. “If Mackenzie is out there injured or lost or scared, I’m not staying in town while someone else looks for her.”
Wyatt tightened his grip on the steering wheel. “I admire the loyalty. But search operations can’t be driven by sheer will. They have to be efficient. Which means training and experience matters.”
“I’m a fast learner.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“Okay,” she amended. “I don’t know the protocols. But my determination should count for something.”
“That determination could get you hurt.”
“So could staying behind and wondering if I could have helped.”
Wyatt let her words sit a moment as he decided how to respond.
Kori watched as Wyatt contemplated her words.
She knew he was considering her safety. If she came with him, she could get hurt.
But if he made her stay behind, she would just go out on her own—which could be even more dangerous.
He glanced her way. “You need to understand what you’re signing up for.
This won’t be a leisurely walk through the woods.
We’ll be moving fast. The trail climbs about eight hundred feet in elevation.
There are sections where the path narrows along a ridge.
If the snow crust breaks, you could posthole up to your knees. ”
Kori wasn’t sure what “posthole” meant, but she kept her expression neutral even as a small knot formed in her stomach. She understood exactly what he was doing—laying out the risks in careful, practical language so she’d reconsider.
“And if we do find your sister, she may not be in good shape,” he continued. “She could have hypothermia. Could be injured. Or . . . it could be worse.”
The last word landed hard.
Kori swallowed but didn’t look away. “I still want to go.”
Wyatt studied her for several seconds, as if trying to decide whether arguing further would accomplish anything.
Finally, he nodded once. “All right. But you follow my instructions. No arguments. If conditions get worse, we go back. If we need to turn around—for any reason—we turn around.”
She lifted one shoulder. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”
His mouth twitched slightly. “You’re a lawyer. You’re supposed to read the fine print.”
“I do. I just don’t always agree with it.”
“Noted.”
She took another sip of her coffee before continuing. “This morning, I sent some emails out to a few of her coworkers. I wondered if they’d heard from her or not. None of them work around here, so I’m not sure how chatty Mackenzie is with them. But I figured it was worth a shot.”
“Smart thinking. You’ll let me know if you hear back?”
“Of course.”
Wyatt glanced at the rearview mirror briefly before turning his attention back to the road.
Kori took a sip of her coffee and studied his profile a moment. The man took responsibility seriously—she could see that much already. Maybe that was why he’d tried so hard to talk her out of doing this.
But in the end, he’d let her come. She was incredibly grateful for that.
She took another sip of her coffee before asking, “Now that we’ve settled that, are there any updates I need to know about?”