Page 17 of Obscurity (Pros and Cons Mysteries #5)
T he trail wound through dense forest that seemed to press closer with each step. The canopy overhead filtered the morning light into shifting patterns of green and gold.
Olive adjusted her pack straps and fell into rhythm beside Jason, both of them maintaining the facade of an enthusiastic couple while their eyes constantly scanned their surroundings.
The group of a hundred had strung out over nearly a quarter mile of trail, with the strongest hikers pulling ahead and others already struggling despite the fact they’d just started the journey.
Max led the front group, his pace never varying regardless of terrain. Sorrel brought up the rear, his attention focused more on the stragglers than on the path ahead. Tom moved through the middle section like a sheepdog, subtly correcting anyone who wandered too far from the prescribed route.
Olive tried to picture this back when it was the only road leading to Grayfall.
The town, in its heyday, had boasted four thousand residents. Almost all the families in the area were connected with the mines—either working there or as the children or spouse of someone working there.
When the mines had shut down because of safety violations thirty years ago, so had the town.
Now, this road leading into town was used as a hiking path.
The remnants of bygone days, and the flood, were all around them—an occasional rusty car in the brush. Trees and debris from the flooding. And evidence of more recent “visitors”—beer cans and snack wrappers.
“How are you holding up, sweetie?” Jason asked loudly enough for nearby hikers to hear, playing his role of concerned husband.
“Things are always good when you’re with me.” She flashed a warm smile.
“Aww . . .” a woman nearby said. “That’s so sweet.”
“It’s easy to be sweet when you’re with someone as wonderful as Olivia.”
They needed to be careful to sell their story but not overdo it. So far, so good.
She had to wonder, however, how some of these people had thought they were prepared for a wilderness music festival.
Maya was already getting a blister from her cute boots, stopping frequently to film herself with commentary like: “This hike is literally insane, you guys!”
Olive wasn’t sure why she was recording everything as if it was a livestream when there was no signal to post it.
An older man who’d boasted at breakfast about all the music festivals he’d attended paused every few hundred yards to catch his breath.
Tevin maintained his position about fifty yards ahead. He’d struck up casual conversations with several other attendees, his easy manner drawing out information without seeming to pry.
Olive scanned the woods, and her breath caught.
Behind a cluster of oak trees, a shadow shifted in ways that didn’t match the wind patterns.
For this entire hike, she’d been watching for signs of the wildlife Elias had mentioned, but this movement was different. It was too deliberate.
Too human.
Someone else was out here.
“We’ve got company.” She tilted her head toward the woods.
Jason’s hand found hers, the gesture appearing romantic to outside observers while actually serving as a silent signal that he’d seen something too.
Someone was paralleling their route, staying just out of sight but close enough to monitor their progress.
Her throat tightened as she waited for what might happen next.
Before she could figure out who—or what—was in the woods, a cry filled the air.
Olive jerked her gaze toward the sound to see what the commotion was about.
A woman near Tevin stumbled, her ankle turning on loose rock before she sprawled on the ground.
Everyone nearby clustered around her to make sure she was okay.
Olive glanced once more at the woods before turning back to the situation in front of her.
“It’s probably just twisted,” Tom said as he examined the woman’s ankle. “Can you put weight on it?”
The woman tried to stand but winced. “I don’t think I can make it all the way to the festival grounds.”
“We’ll get you some ibuprofen and wrap it up,” Tom said. “You should be fine. We’ll help you get there. That’s what your Grayfall family is here for.”
Her Grayfall family? Interesting word choice.
Everyone paused as Tom found a first-aid kit and wrapped her ankle.
As they did that, several people pulled out their lunches. They’d each been handed a paper bag before they’d left, and Olive wasn’t sure what was inside.
She pulled hers out and found a sandwich with a single slice of processed cheese and a piece of lettuce.
She squinted. Was this it?
There was also a store-bought prepackaged brownie and a small bag of peanuts.
She skipped the sandwich and went right for the peanuts.
Hopefully this wasn’t reflective of how the food would be for the rest of the weekend. If so, they were going to have a lot of very unhappy people at the festival.
Several others murmured their disapproval around her as they munched on their meager meal and rested against nearby logs and boulders. The break did feel nice.
However, Olive continued to keep her eyes wide open for trouble. Who had been in the woods with them? Were they still there?
When Tom was done tending to the woman with the hurt ankle, Max turned to the rest of the group. “I know some of you are still eating, but we need to keep moving.”
As the group reorganized and began walking again, Olive saw Tevin watching something in the forest. Then he looked in her direction and gave her a nod.
He knew what she knew.
They weren’t alone out here.
Whoever had been in the woods wasn’t gone. They were still there.
And they were watching.