"Alright then." Wade leaned forward from the back seat, his hands clasped together in anticipation. "Thanks for all the information."
"Stay safe," Trudy said before the line went dead.
I put the phone down and glanced around at the faces in the truck. Wade's grin was infectious, spreading to Daniel whose green eyes sparkled with a mix of curiosity and resolve.
"The unicorns should be okay. We just have to find whoever is hunting them, and no one should ever hurt them again,” Wade said.
Beth returned his smile. "So, let’s find the unicorns tonight and properly warn them, keep working on the werewolf case, and take care of whoever is hunting unicorns.”
It was a good plan. We just have to take one thing at a time.
"This way,” Daniel pointed to an almost invisible road off this one.
I turned, and the truck started bouncing on the unpaved road. "Are we close?”
"Really close,” Daniel said. "Just don’t blow a tire.”
A few minutes passed before we reached our destination. A seemingly random place along the quiet road. Daniel's truck crunched over the gravel as we parked at the edge of the tree line. We all piled out, Wade clutching his tablet like a lifeline.
"Camera's this way." He pointed to the north.
We plunged into the forest, the canopy thickening above us. Branches snagged at our clothes, but we pushed past them, on a mission to save the unicorns. Wade led with hurried steps, checking his device occasionally. The further we went, the more it felt like the woods were closing in on us.
"Are we almost there?" I wiped sweat from my brow.
"Just a few more minutes," Wade replied without looking up.
Daniel was quiet, his eyes scanning the forest floor, the lines of his face set in concentration. The muscles in his arms tensed, ready for whatever we might encounter. He moved with purpose, every step deliberate.
"Here." Wade stopped so abruptly that I nearly bumped into him.
"Where's your camera?" Beth peered into the foliage.
"Up there." Wade pointed to a tree, where a small black device was strapped to a branch.
"Good spot," Daniel noted. "Okay, let me take over from here."
Wade handed him the tablet, the screen showing a grainy image of what could only be a unicorn. Daniel studied it, then looked around, his green eyes narrowing as he took in our surroundings.
"Tracks lead that way." Daniel gestured to the left, where the underbrush seemed less disturbed.
"Lead the way, Daniel," I said with a rush of adrenaline.
"Daniel, you okay?" I asked as he paused, his nose twitching.
"Something smells off," he muttered, sniffing the air again. "Can't place it."
"Bad?" Wade leaned in, concern etching his features.
"Unfamiliar." Daniel looked at the trees. "Keep close."
We huddled tighter, trying to match his cautious steps. Silence hung heavy, broken only by the crunch of leaves underfoot.
"Should we turn back?" Beth whispered.
"Let's just go a little—" I started, but my words cut off as the earth groaned beneath us.
"Watch out!" Daniel's shout was a split-second warning before the ground gave way.
