Page 68 of Obscurity (Pros and Cons Mysteries #5)

T hrough the lenses, Olive saw men moving around what appeared to be a makeshift landing pad beside the camp. A sleek corporate helicopter sat on the cleared ground, its rotors beginning to spin as several well-dressed figures hurried toward it.

These weren’t the miners or security personnel they’d encountered.

These people wore expensive suits and moved with the confident urgency of executives trying to escape a collapsing situation.

“The real power behind the operation . . .” Olive adjusted the focus to get a clearer view.

One figure turned toward the approaching federal agents, and even at this distance, something about his bearing made Olive’s breath catch. The way he carried himself, the arrogant posture, the graying hair that caught the morning light?—

“It can’t be.” Her hands trembled as she gripped the binoculars tighter.

The man was older now, more distinguished, his hair completely silver rather than the dark brown she remembered. But there was no mistaking the features, the confident stance, the way he gestured to the other figures as if accustomed to being obeyed.

Mr. Henderson. The wealthy businessman who’d been so charmed by her father’s treasure hunting stories during that camping trip eleven years ago.

He was involved with this? How was that even possible?

Part of her didn’t even want to consider the possibilities.

“What is it?” Jason asked, noting her sudden tension. “Did you see something I didn’t?”

Olive couldn’t speak, couldn’t process what she was seeing.

The man who’d seemed like such a kind, curious tourist—who’d asked so many questions about her father’s research methods, who’d been so interested in investing in future expeditions—was climbing into the helicopter with the other executives fleeing the scene.

“Olive, what’s wrong?” Chloe asked from the back seat, her voice weak.

“I just saw someone I know,” Olive managed to say, though the words felt inadequate. “Someone from a long time ago.”

Through the binoculars, she watched as Henderson seemed to look directly at their position, as if he could sense her watching him.

For just a moment, their eyes seemed to meet across the distance, and she saw him smile—the same charming, confident smile that had won over her family during that camping trip.

Then he disappeared into the helicopter, and the aircraft lifted off just as federal agents reached the landing area. The sleek machine rose quickly, banking away from the mountain and disappearing over the ridge before anyone could stop it.

“They got away,” Jason said as he watched the helicopter’s departure.

“The big fish always do,” Carl added with the bitter wisdom of someone who’d spent years investigating environmental crimes. “The feds will shut down this operation and arrest the workers and security personnel. But the people who funded it will just move to another location and start over.”

Olive wanted to argue with his words.

But she couldn’t.

Mostly because he was entirely correct.