Page 70 of Obscurity

The kitchen and back door were her only chance.

But getting there meant timing her movements perfectly and hoping that fifteen years of training would be enough to get her out of this house alive.

Max’s heavy footsteps entered the hallway, and Olive knew she was out of time and options.

With no other choice, she abandoned stealth entirely and ran.

She sprinted toward the back of the house, her shoes slapping against the hardwood as shouts erupted behind her.

The kitchen doorway seemed impossibly far away, and she heard both men moving now—Max’s thundering pursuit and the silver-haired man barking orders into what was probably a radio.

“Stop! Security breach!”

Olive hit the back door at full speed, grateful it was still unlocked from her entry. She burst outside into the late afternoon air and immediately veered toward the tree line, hoping the forest would provide cover for her escape route back to the festival grounds.

Behind her, the door slammed open as Max chased her outside.

“There! Heading for the woods!”

She had to move—and fast.

Because she was certain if she was caught, she’d mysteriously disappear also.

CHAPTER 47

Olive rushed through the underbrush, branches tearing at her clothes and scratching her exposed skin.

Her cap was knocked off by a low-hanging branch within the first fifty yards.

A few seconds later, her sweatshirt caught on a thorn bush.

She abandoned it rather than wasting precious seconds trying to free herself.

The sound of pursuit was getting closer.

Max crashed through the forest behind her with the subtlety of a bulldozer, and at least one other person had joined the chase. They shouted coordinates to each other, trying to predict her route and cut her off.

Olive had some distinct advantages: She was lighter and faster than her pursuers, and she’d memorized the terrain during her approach to the house. She knew exactly where she was going.

The festival sounds grew louder ahead of her—music, voices, the general noise of a crowd gathered for a performance. Safety was within reach, but she had to get there before these men caught up to her in the woods where no one would witness what happened next.

Twenty more feet through the trees and she’d be at the edge of the crowd.

Fifteen feet.

Ten.

Five feet.

She burst from the trees and immediately forced herself to slow down. She had to transition from a desperate sprint to what looked like a casual jog as she approached the back of the crowd gathered around the makeshift stage.

One misstep could seal her fate.

Olive pushed herself through the outer edge of the festival attendees, trying to control her breathing and appear like someone who’d simply been taking a nature walk rather than fleeing for her life.

Her heart hammered against her ribs and sweat beaded on her forehead despite the cool mountain air.

She spotted Jason near the center of the crowd, standing with Tristan and a few other festivalgoers as they watched what appeared to be another terrible performance by local musicians.