Chapter
One
SLOANE
The first thing I notice is how silent people go when they hear his name.
Eyes slide away and mouths open, then close again without a sound. Brows furrow.
Rhys Ward.
I’ve seen the name enough times to recognize the damage it leaves behind.
The people in Hollow Peak talk about him like he’s a ghost. But ghosts don’t leave scars on the living.
At the Silver Peak Cafe, I ask its interminably happy owner, Marie, about him.
Never seen a smile fade so fast.
She leans forward, resting her hands on the highly polished wooden counter. “You looking for trouble?”
As a former war correspondent, it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been asked that.
My eyes narrow, gaze fixed on her face. “No. I’m looking for the truth.”
“Trouble, the truth. Those are the same thing up here.”
I smile thinly. She’s the most talkative person I’ve met today. Middle-aged, sharp-cut black bob with purple streaks, blackturtleneck and pants. Like a beatnik who took a wrong turn into this century.
But it’s her eyes I remember—not their color or shape, just the shadow of fear that passes behind them at his name.
Other people are more reticent. Downright rude.
But nobody gossips. Nobody volunteers extra information except for Zeke’s Hardware.
There, I get the coordinates.
Scribbled on the back of a bent business card that’s seen better days. Not even an address, just numbers I can plug into my GPS.
Zeke thinks I’m here for a hunting guide. I let him believe it. People talk more when they think they understand you.
“Careful,” Zeke says, his leathery skin creasing deeply as he speaks. “Roads are steep up there. Not maintained. Maybe even washed out after last winter.”
I nod once. “I’ve got it.”
There won’t be bullets overhead or drones circling above me. And I won’t be hiding behind a press badge pretending it makes me untouchable.
He arches a brow.
“I have a Jeep Wrangler.”
He’s unimpressed, huffing, “Got a winch?”
“Of course. Fully stocked. Prepared for anything.”
“Better be.”
I nod once. Mild annoyance tugs at me. After days spent trying to break through the impenetrable wall that shoots up every time I mention Ward, I’m over it.
