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18

Elin

Parque Nacional, Portugal, October 2021

‘What are you doing?’ Isaac mutters as Elin ducks off the path.

‘Trying to get a look back at camp.’ Weaving through the underbrush, she eases back the branches. ‘The dog was going crazy over something in the debris from the blowout. Still is, from the looks of it.’

The dog is clawing at the ground, dust billowing into the air as he digs into the dirt. Elin watches, holding her breath, as Ned drags him by his collar to the bench, tethers him with a rope. He stands for a moment, eyes fixed on the dog, before striding away.

Almost immediately, the dog lurches forwards, rope locking. Elin flinches at the sound but Ned ignores him, stopping beside the group. They’ve formed a loose circle where the dog was fussing and are talking animatedly.

She strains her ears, Isaac silent beside her, listening too, but they’re speaking too quietly to hear. Despite that, something about the conversation, the body language maybe, and how they’re talking – fast, fevered – makes her uneasy.

A few minutes pass and then Ned steps away, walking towards one of the vans.

When he returns, he’s holding a blue canvas bag and a small spade. Absorbed back into the circle, only glimpses of him are visible as he bends at the waist, starts shovelling.

Dull thuds sound out as the shovel hits soil. Elin’s skin prickles.

‘What do you think they’re doing?’ Isaac whispers.

‘I reckon the dog got a scent of something flung from the van and they’re getting rid of it.’ Her voice rises higher, louder than she intended, and Ned turns, eyes scouring the foliage.

Elin steps back, gestures to Isaac to do the same, but he stumbles.

Maggie turns now too, her gaze slipping past them, between the trees. She nudges Ned, muttering something inaudible. Still looking in their direction, he strides towards them.

‘Get back,’ Elin urges.

But before Isaac can make a move, Ned stops in his tracks, Bridie’s voice ringing out into the silence.

‘Ned, take a look at this.’ She gestures towards the ground.

They talk for a minute or so before Ned grabs the neck of the bag. Features tensed, he hauls it down the path leading out of camp, the fabric scraping a rough line through the dirt.