Page 4 of Gone (Gray Wolf Security #23)

With eighty people headed out to the remote camping site, it looked as if they were starting a small town, not camping as a group of friends. The gear had been dropped in the open area they’d chosen, and the men were already beginning the setup of the tents and inside amenities.

The women decided to set up the outdoor kitchen space, also covered by a tent. With three cooktops, as well as a fire to prepare meals on, they would have everything they needed.

Included in the drop were ten massive coolers filled with ice packs, the meat and perishables would be kept cold the entire week. If that somehow failed, the stream nearby was cold enough to keep things at an appropriate temperature.

Camille, Sophia, and Aislinn set up an area for washing and drying clothes, while Ivy, Claudette, and Grace searched the area for local plants, berries, and other things they could use in their cooking during the week.

Once the tents were set up, the beds inflated, and their personal items stored, pop-up dog houses were erected for Beast, Monster, and Zeus. The furballs had insisted on coming, and Sniff felt it would be good for them to get some fresh mountain air.

“Damn dogs have tents nearly as good as ours,” smirked Tailor.

“They deserve it,” laughed Garrett. “Just having them here makes me feel better.”

“Are you nervous?” asked Alec.

“Not nervous. Just being in the wilderness makes me think about our last hike. It wasn’t a pleasant Sunday stroll for any of us. I know this is different, and I came hoping to create new memories for Isobel and me.”

“It’s all gonna be good, brother. It’s not like we’re camping in the desert. Damn, I hate those memories,” smirked Tailor. “And I love and miss them at times.”

The men all laughed, nodding as they started telling old stories. Remembering old times, good and bad, laughing and joking with one another. Suddenly, they were quiet, looking at each other.

“God, we really are old if we’re talking war stories and missing the good old days,” smirked Jean. “We’ve had wonderful memories with our families. Why aren’t we focusing on those?”

“Because we’re old, crusty warriors,” frowned Nine. “We’ve been programmed to see the bad in people, not the good. Look around you. We’re surrounded by the best in the world. Men and women, and we’re talking about the bad. We’ve got to change.”

“How do we do that?” asked Gaspar. They all looked at him, frowning. “I’m serious. We know we should change, but how do we do that? We’ve been like this, probably our entire lives. I’m willing to try to change if you guys are. We could ask Bree and the team for help when we get back.”

“I’d go for that,” said Miller.

“Same,” nodded Trak. They all looked at him, somewhat surprised. “What? You don’t think I know I could be better?”

“We know,” laughed Nine. “Trak, why don’t you, Mac, Zeke, Clay, and Bryce see what the area looks like. Check out the hiking trails to make sure they’re safe for everyone, maybe scope out the fishing. It’s already getting late in the day, so we’ll need to start the fires and get dinner prepped.”

Trak, Clay, Zeke, Bryce, and Mac took off on the trails, hoping to at least get two or three miles out before returning for dinner. If the trails were deemed safe, they would organize hikes in the morning to take in the gorgeous scenery.

Littered with waterfalls, massive rock and cliff formations, and in the distance, the gorgeous mountains, the terrain was ideal for hiking and relaxation.

“Hey, just so you guys know, the tracking and comms equipment is getting spotty reads up here. I think we’re near some rock formations that have iron in them, and it’s playing with the systems,” said Code.

“Well, we’re all together,” said Ian, “so we should be fine. Worst-case scenario, we would use the satellites or drones.”

“That’s true, just wanting everyone to know. I’m having trouble following Trak and the guys right now. It’s in and out.”

“All good, Code,” said Ghost. “We’ll be fine. We were just saying it might be time for us to let some of our old ways go.” Code stared at the four leaders and then at Sly. The look on their faces were ones of horror.

“What the hell will Sly and I do if you do that?” he growled.

“Code,” laughed Nine, “you’ll always have something to do, brother. Just because we don’t request constant monitoring doesn’t mean that we won’t need you guys and your expertise. We’ll always need it.”

Sly and Code nodded, walking away, whispering to one another. Gaspar could only chuckle, realizing that the men thought they’d be without jobs. No one on the team actually needed a job. The team was their job. Which presented a problem.

If they were no longer an actual security team, what would their jobs be?

An hour later, Trak jogged into the campsite and nodded at the others. That nod indicated that the trails were clear and ready to be hiked.

“Where are the others?” asked Nine.

“They’re slow. They’re coming behind me.”

“You jogged the whole trail?” asked Gaspar. Trak stared at him as if he’d lost his mind.

“Of course.”

“God, you’re an asshole,” said Mac, breathing heavily as he bent at the waist. “You know we can’t keep up with you.”

“You don’t try,” said Trak, not even sweating.

“I didn’t want to try,” laughed Bryce. “I had to because I didn’t want to be left alone. Clay was keeping up with you but felt sorry for us.”

“I didn’t feel sorry for you,” he laughed, shaking his head. “I just wanted us to stick together for safety. I wasn’t worried about Trak and his safety.”

“Get washed up,” said Ian. “We’re starting dinner, and everyone will chip in tonight. We’re not going to make this the girls’ duties and the guys’ duties. This will be split between us all.”

“I’m all in,” said Bryce. “Happy to help wherever you need me.”

Bryce turned to look for his wife, Ivy, and found her exactly where he expected to find her. On the edge of the campsite with a camera in her hands, photographing the gorgeous terrain around them.

“Ivy, you don’t have to take photos for us,” said Nine. She turned, a strange expression on her face.

“I’m not. I mean, I am taking photos, but just because I want to. I was looking up at that cliff face. I thought I saw someone, but that can’t be right.” Nine stared upward, not seeing anything with his naked eye.

“It’s possible. Lots of climbers will try to scale the cliff faces free solo.”

“Free solo?” she frowned.

“Yes, it means without any support, ropes, companions, nothing. It’s dangerous and stupid, in my opinion, but a lot of climbers will attempt it.”

“Do you see anyone?” she asked, handing him the camera.

He lined up the lens to the cliff face, turning and adjusting it for his own eyes. He looked up and down, back and forth, not seeing anything.

“I don’t see anything, honey. It could have been a large bird or a mountain goat. I wouldn’t worry about it.”

“If you say so,” she nodded. “I just hate the idea of someone being in trouble and we missed it.” Nine just smiled at her as she walked away. He looked back at the rock face and then muttered to himself.

“Fuck.”