Her head rolled slightly to the side.
Camryn was already moving. “Let’s get her inside where it’s warm.”
She pushed the gurney up and into the ambulance.
Wyatt stepped back, catching his breath.
The doors stayed open as Camryn leaned over the woman, her voice low and steady.
“Can you hear me? Stay with me, okay?” Camryn checked the woman’s eyes, then her pulse, then reached for a blanket.
Kori stood a few feet away.
Her arms were wrapped tight across her chest, her gaze fixed on the ambulance. She hadn’t moved since they’d stepped out of the trees.
Wyatt glanced at her, then back at the woman.
He understood exactly what Kori was seeing—and exactly what she was afraid of.
For a few minutes, they’d both believed they’d found Mackenzie. Instead, they’d found someone else entirely. Finding this woman was still a win. But he knew Kori had to be disappointed.
The good news was that the rest of the search teams were still out there. They were still searching for Mackenzie.
Maybe one of them would find something. After all, two people were still missing. One man was dead.
And the answers waited somewhere out there in the forest.
Wyatt did a slow sweep of the trees.
Nothing moved. But he was still on guard.
He turned back toward the ambulance in time to see Camryn take his coat off the woman. A blanket was placed over her shoulders instead.
“King, take this. You need it. I don’t want to treat you too.” Camryn gave him his coat back.
“Thanks.” He slipped it on, grateful for the warmth.
Then Camryn pushed the woman’s blanket back to check her pulse.
More scars appeared—thin, pale lines crossing her wrist.
But that wasn’t the only thing that made him pause.
A bracelet circled her wrist Actually, two of them.
They were handmade using thin cord, small stones, and careful knotwork.
And they looked familiar.
He went still.
Something tugged at the edge of his memory.
The farmers market in town last fall. They had one every Saturday morning in September and October.
Wyatt had stopped by after a search briefing, and he’d run into Naomi wandering the rows of booths. She’d shown him a pair of bracelets made with leather cord and small stones she’d just bought.
Aren’t these beautiful? I got them from a new vendor.Then she’d let out a chuckle.They were a little strange, but I like their work.
