Page 16 of Obscurity (Pros and Cons Mysteries #5)

“ W ill there be water stations along the extended route?” Dr. Z had a pensive look on his face as more facts unfolded.

“The trail follows several natural water sources,” Max—who, based on the way he stepped out in front of the others, appeared to be in charge—answered. “Our guides will have some filters with them, just in case.”

“What about emergency protocols?” Maya pressed. “What happens if someone gets injured on this extended route? My audience needs to know about safety measures—especially if you’re planning on making this an annual event.”

How things went today would determine this festival’s future success. Certainly organizers had to realize that.

“Ma’am, these mountains have been safely traveled for generations.” Max’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “As long as everyone follows instructions and stays with the group, there won’t be any problems.”

The way he emphasized “follows instructions” made Olive’s skin crawl.

She’d heard that tone before—from people who were used to ensuring compliance through intimidation rather than cooperation.

A slightly overweight twentysomething man near the back of the crowd stepped forward.

“I’m starting to think maybe I should just drive back to civilization and catch the next festival.

This is way more intense than what I signed up for.

I didn’t know I would need to have fitness training before coming here. ”

The response was immediate and telling.

Ticket holders weren’t happy with this development.

The good news was that they didn’t have to carry in supplies—only their backpacks, which would probably be challenging in and of itself.

Luxury accommodations had been promised.

Glamping style tents. Gourmet food. Meet and greets with the artists. Intimate bonfires with guest musicians.

All three guides shifted slightly, their attention focusing on the speaker with laser precision. Max took a step closer to the young man, while Sorrel’s hand moved to his belt where Olive now noticed he carried what looked like a radio.

“You’ve already paid for the full experience. It would be a shame to miss out on something this unique.” He paused. “And besides, the window for refunds has already passed.”

The young man’s face paled slightly. “But I thought?—”

“Trust me.” Max kept his stiff stance, but his voice lightened just slightly. “Once you see what we’ve put together out there, you’ll be glad you stayed.”

“All right, everyone!” Elias clapped his hands together. “Let’s get ready to go!”

But the crowd wouldn’t have it. They still had more questions.

“How are the artists getting there?” someone called. “Do they also have to hike in with their things? Their instruments?”

“Were you not listening when I explained before?” Elias’s cheek twitched with irritation. “As I said, most of them are coming in via helicopter.”

Murmurs of dissatisfaction went around the group.

“You must understand the logistics of transporting five hundred people that way would be impossible,” Elias tried to explain, a layer of sweat stretching across his forehead.

“What about ATVs?” someone else called out. “Couldn’t they transport us?”

“Again, the logistics don’t make sense,” Elias said. “Not with so many people attending.”

“And there’s no way a vehicle could travel down this road?” another man asked.

“It’s closed to private vehicles by order of the county,” Elias continued. “Fallen trees have blocked the road, plus underbrush has grown up. We got special permission to use our shuttle to carry people part of the way.”

“It seems like with all the money we’ve paid for the festival, you guys could have afforded to hire someone to remove the trees for the event!”

Elias’s smile was still present, but his patience appeared to be fading. “Then you wouldn’t have the whole experience.”

“I’m here for the music and camping, not this ‘whole experience’ thing you keep talking about,” someone complained.

Others joined in with murmured grievances.

More questions started, but he cut them off with the shake of his head.

“We’re wasting valuable time here,” he told everyone. “Let’s get those packs adjusted and hit the trail. Adventure awaits, and Midnight Echo is on the schedule for this evening!”

As people begrudgingly began moving toward their gear, Olive feared these festivalgoers didn’t fully know what they were getting themselves into.