Page 100 of The Search

She had laughed and made a joke about a bear. She didn’t feel like laughing now. The fine hairs at the back of her neck were lifting.

“Smith?” It had to be Henry Smith. He had said he was going to keep an eye on her.

No answer.

Her hand tightened on the flashlight, and she forced herself to cast the beam slowly over the terrain. Trees, shrubs, boulders. So many places to hide. Anyone could be—

Monty howled.

He’d found Chavez. Relief surged through her. She wasn’t alone. She had Monty and Chavez. She bolted up the hill and then down the other side. She could see Monty now. He was sitting near a pile of boulders, his head lifted. Chavez must be behind the—

Monty howled again.

She skidded to a stop. It wasn’t right. Monty always indicated a find by barking and running back to her. He shouldn’t be sitting there, howling.

She moved forward slowly, her flashlight focused on the boulders. “Monty?”

He didn’t move. His gaze was fastened on something hidden behind the boulders.

“Sergeant? He’s found you. It’s all right to come—”

Then she saw him.

His uniformed body was facedown on the ground.

And the hilt of a knife was sticking out of his back.

Monty edged closer. Help.

She couldn’t help Chavez, she realized, sick. That knife had been driven through his body, pinning him to the ground. Who could have—

A twig cracked on the path behind her.

Her heart leaped to her throat.

Something is watching.

“Monty!” She flew down the hill, past the boulders. “Monty, come!”

Running footsteps behind her.

Knife. Knife in the back. Knife tearing through flesh.

All she had as a weapon was the flashlight.

Monty was running ahead of her down the path.

Suffocating darkness. Where was she going?

It didn’t matter. Follow Monty.

Footsteps pounding behind her.

Faster. Go faster.

A break in the trees up ahead. She could see light.

The rest stop. Relief tore through her as Monty stopped and looked back at her, waiting.