Page 9 of Silent Grave (Sheila Stone #12)

Marcus Reed checked his head-mounted camera for the third time, making sure the battery was secure. The hot noon sun beat down on the bed of his pickup truck as he sorted through his gear: backup lights, rope, first aid kit, the works. He had everything needed for a professional mine exploration.

Everything except permission.

"You're really going through with this?" his sister Amy asked from the driver's seat. She'd agreed to drop him off, but her disapproval was clear in every word. "After what happened to that college kid?"

"That's exactly why I have to do it." Marcus adjusted the camera angle, checking the preview on his phone. "My followers need to see this. To understand what happened to Tyler Matthews."

He caught his reflection in the truck's back window—sandy hair pulled back in a ponytail, stubble he kept meaning to shave, eyes bright with the familiar pre-exploration energy. At twenty-six, he was living his dream, even if that dream wasn't exactly paying the bills yet.

"You mean your followers need content," Amy said. "There's a difference."

Marcus sighed. Five years older than him, Amy had always been the practical one. The one who'd gone to nursing school, gotten a real job, made their parents proud. While he…

Well, he crawled into holes in the ground and filmed it.

"Look at these comments," he said, pulling up his latest video. "Eighty thousand views in two days. People care about this stuff."

"They care about drama." Amy killed the engine, turning to face him. "Tyler Matthews died up here, Marcus. This isn't some abandoned factory or empty hospital. This is where someone was murdered."

"Which is why someone needs to document it. Show people what really happened." He shouldered his pack, heavy with gear. "Remember what Dad always said about journalism?"

"Dad was talking about his newspaper career, not YouTube stunts."

The words stung more than he wanted to admit. Their father had been a career journalist, covering everything from city council meetings to major crimes, until cancer took him three years ago. He'd always pushed Marcus to find the real story, dig deeper, show people the truth.

Of course, he probably hadn't meant for Marcus to do it literally by exploring abandoned mines.

"This isn't just for views," Marcus said, softer now. "Tyler Matthews had his whole life ahead of him. If I can retrace his steps, maybe figure out why he went into that mine..."

"And get yourself killed in the process?" Amy's voice cracked slightly. "I already lost Dad. I can't lose you too."

Marcus set his pack down and hugged his sister. She resisted at first, then melted into it like they were kids again.

"I'll be careful," he promised. "Multiple light sources, rope lines, emergency beacon. I've done this a hundred times."

"Not in a murder scene," she muttered into his shoulder. "You know I'd go with you if I didn't get so claustrophobic."

He pulled back, meeting her eyes. "I know you would. But don't worry. I'll be gone two hours—that's all. Just enough to film the entrance and maybe the first hundred yards. Nothing crazy."

Amy studied his face, probably remembering all the times he'd made similar promises.

Like when he'd said he was "just checking out" the old silver mine near Tucson, only to spend six hours mapping a newly discovered tunnel.

Or the time he'd promised a "quick look" at a cave system and ended up finding a whole new chamber.

"Your girlfriend knows about this?" Amy asked.

"Ex-girlfriend," he said. "Rachel didn't exactly appreciate my career choices."

"Smart woman."

Marcus grabbed his pack again. "Two hours," he repeated. "I'll text you when I'm done."

Amy drummed her fingers on the steering wheel. "You didn't answer my question from before. Are you really doing this because of Tyler Matthews? Or because you know a video about his death will go viral?"

The question hit home. Marcus had been asking himself the same thing since he'd heard about Tyler's murder. Yes, the video would probably bring in views—maybe even enough to finally monetize his channel. But there was more to it than that.

"You didn't see the comments on my last Copper Queen video," he said. "People talking about exploring it themselves, treating it like some adventure playground. If I can show them what really happens in these mines..."

"You think that'll stop them?"

"Maybe not. But at least they'll understand the risks." He shouldered his pack. "And maybe we'll learn something about why Tyler went in there. Help the police find whoever killed him."

Amy shook her head, but he could see her resolving herself to his decision. "Two hours," she said. "Then I'm calling Search and Rescue."

"Deal." He started walking toward the mine entrance, then stopped. "Hey, Amy? Thanks. For understanding."

"I don't understand," she called after him. "But I love you anyway."

Marcus smiled and kept walking. The mine entrance loomed ahead, a dark rectangle cut into the mountainside. He pulled up his latest video on his phone, checking the comments again:

Crazy what happened to that college kid. You should do a memorial video.

Bet there's more to this story. Go find out what really happened!

Following in a murder victim's footsteps? Kind of sick, don't you think?

That last one gave him pause. Was this disrespectful to Tyler's memory? Or was he providing a valuable service, showing people the dangers these mines could hold?

He switched on his camera, darkness ahead.

"Hey guys, Marcus here. Today, we're exploring the Copper Queen Mine, but this isn't our usual kind of video. Just this morning, a young man named Tyler Matthews was found dead outside this mine. Apparently, he'd been in there for the past two nights..."