Chapter 13
They didn’t stay in Caleb’s house for long. As one of the troopers wrapped Eric’s ankle in ice, he told them about seeing Natalie.
When he’d arrived, no one was in the house. He’d wandered around the property, looking for them. When he saw a woman standing on the edge of the forest, he’d decided to say hello. Unfortunately, Natalie had disappeared faster than Eric could walk to her.
He’d followed her into the forest, but turned back, worried he’d get lost. On the way out, he’d twisted his ankle. Using an old branch, he’d hobbled from the trees and was happy to see their vehicles.
With Eric being looked after, Caleb drove Gabe and Trooper Sanderson to the edge of the forest.
As Caleb stepped out of the truck, Gabe grabbed two packs off the back seat and handed one to his friend.
“Here. Take this.”
Caleb hauled his backpack over his shoulder. “Natalie should be at the cave by now.”
“If we’re lucky,” Gabe muttered. They still had another forty minutes of hiking ahead of them. Natalie had only been to the cave once. If she’d missed the path that took her straight there, she could be anywhere.
“Is she used to hiking?” Sanderson matched their steps stride for stride.
Gabe slowed as they reached the shelter they’d seen on their last hike. “She enjoys it but sticks to designated trails.” He looked at Caleb. “Someone’s been here in the last few days.”
Caleb studied the campfire. “Do you think it was Chapman?”
“Possibly. If he can recreate an elaborate hoax in a warehouse, he can build a simple fire.”
Gabe touched the charred wood. It was stone cold—too cold to have been used in the last twelve hours. “If it was him, he was closer than we thought. Let’s keep moving.”
They traveled in silence. The slap of the branches and the snapping of twigs was the only sound in the forest.
Gabe peered through the trees. “Is it me or is it unusually quiet?”
Sanderson frowned. “It gets like this before a thunderstorm.”
“In the middle of summer?”
“They’re dry thunderstorms. They produce huge amounts of lightning and are the main cause of wildfires.”
“That’s the last thing we need.” Caleb veered right and they began their climb up the side of the mountain. By the time they stood above the tree line, each of them was out of breath.
“It’s not far to the cave,” Caleb said to Sanderson. “Do you want to stop for a few minutes?”
She shook her head. “No. Keep going. The sooner we find your friend, the sooner we can get off the mountain.”
Gabe stared at the brooding mass of black clouds on the horizon. Sherlock was terrified of storms. Since Michelle had died, he’d hidden under Gabe’s bed whenever he heard thunder. If the storm arrived and Sherlock panicked, he could hurt Natalie and himself.
The next few minutes passed quickly. They moved on autopilot, one foot in front of the other, steadily climbing higher.
Gabe paused when he saw the ledge where Natalie had touched his face. He’d wanted to tell her he cared about her, that she was the most important person in his life. But he hadn’t, and his silence weighed heavily on his heart.
Caleb scrambled over the last ledge. “Natalie? Are you in there?”
Sherlock’s excited bark echoed against the walls of the cave. The big German Shepherd rushed outside, almost knocking Caleb over in his rush to get to Gabe.
“Hi, boy.” Gabe wrapped his arms around his dog, hugging him close. “It’s good to see you.” His heart raced when Natalie appeared at the cave entrance.
Her relieved smile turned to confusion. “You brought someone from the highway patrol?”
Sanderson held out her hand. “I’m Moira. We’re glad you’re okay.”
