22

No one moved.

The crackling of the bonfire suddenly seemed deafening.

The little boy clung to his mother, his small body shaking so hard that his words came out between ragged breaths.

"It... it wasn't a bear."

His mother knelt in front of him, brushing dirt and pine needles from his jacket.

"Slow down, sweetheart."

"What did you see?"

The boy pointed with a trembling finger toward the darkness beyond the trees.

"I don't know."

"It was...big."

"It grabbed Ranger."

Several people exchanged confused looks.

"Who's Ranger?" someone asked.

"My dog."

The boy's voice broke.

"He chased something into the woods."

"I ran after him."

"I heard him barking."

His eyes filled with fresh tears.

"And then he yelped."

The forest beyond the fire remained perfectly still.

Too still.

Emily looked toward the tree line.

She couldn't see anything.

Only darkness between the towering pines.

Still...

A strange feeling settled over her.

Not fear.

More like...

The unmistakable sensation that someone was standing just beyond where she could see.

Watching.

Waiting.

---

The mayor stepped forward.

"Everyone remain calm."

He looked toward the sheriff.

"Daniel?"

Sheriff Reeves nodded once.

"I'll organize a search."

Several local volunteers immediately stood.

"I'll come."

"Me too."

"We know these woods."

Kael spoke before anyone could take another step.

"No."

Every head turned toward him.

His voice wasn't loud.

It didn't need to be.

"We don't send twenty people into the forest at night."

Sheriff Reeves met his eyes.

"What do you suggest?"

Kael looked toward the trees again.

"A small search party."

"We know the trails."

"We'll be faster."

"And safer."

Daniel nodded slowly.

"I agree."

He turned toward the crowd.

"Everyone else stays here."

Emily stepped forward.

"I can help."

Kael looked at her immediately.

"No."

She frowned.

"I'm trained in wilderness search procedures."

"I know."

"So why not?"

"Because..."

He stopped himself.

He couldn't tell her the real reason.

Instead he said quietly,

"Because you've never worked these woods at night."

Emily crossed her arms.

"I can follow directions."

"I know you can."

His expression softened.

"But tonight..."

"...I need you to stay here."

The sincerity in his voice caught her off guard.

She searched his face.

There wasn't an ounce of doubt.

Only concern.

After a long moment...

She nodded.

"Okay."

Relief flickered across his features so briefly that only Noah noticed.

---

Within minutes the search party was assembled.

Kael.

Noah.

Sheriff Reeves.

Two volunteer firefighters.

Frank's grandson, Ben, who knew every trail surrounding Crescent Lake.

Each carried a flashlight.

The sheriff checked his radio.

"Stay together."

Kael nodded.

"We will."

Before turning away, he looked back at Emily.

"You'll stay with the others?"

She smiled reassuringly.

"I promise."

He held her gaze for another heartbeat before disappearing into the darkness beneath the trees.

Emily watched until even the beam of his flashlight vanished.

She couldn't explain why.

But she suddenly hated not knowing where he was.

---

The forest swallowed the search party almost immediately.

The bonfire's warm glow disappeared behind them.

Only flashlight beams cut through the darkness.

Sheriff Reeves kept his voice low.

"The boy said the dog ran northeast."

Kael crouched near the edge of the trail.

Fresh paw prints.

Large.

Dog.

He nodded.

"This way."

The group followed.

Several yards later...

The tracks changed.

Kael stopped walking.

"What is it?" Noah whispered.

Kael pointed his flashlight toward the ground.

Another set of tracks crossed the dog's trail.

Not bear.

Not mountain lion.

Human.

Heavy hiking boots.

Recent.

Very recent.

Sheriff Reeves frowned.

"Hunters?"

Kael shook his head.

"I don't know."

He wasn't convinced.

The scent from earlier lingered faintly.

Human.

Blood.

Smoke.

---

Back at the bonfire...

Emily sat beside the frightened little boy.

His mother had wrapped him in a blanket.

"What kind of dog is Ranger?" Emily asked gently.

"A golden retriever."

"He's old."

"He doesn't run very fast anymore."

Emily smiled kindly.

"Old dogs are pretty smart."

The boy sniffled.

"You think he'll come back?"

She wanted to say yes.

Instead she answered honestly.

"I think there are a lot of good people looking for him."

The boy nodded.

"I hope so."

---

Margaret quietly sat beside Emily.

"You handled that well."

Emily looked over.

"I didn't really do anything."

"You listened."

Emily smiled.

"Someone told me that's important."

Margaret followed Emily's gaze toward the dark forest.

"The young man from conservation."

"Kael?"

Margaret nodded.

"He's a good man."

"I think so too."

Margaret smiled knowingly.

"Most people do."

Emily looked into the fire.

"I've only known him a few days."

"And yet?"

Emily laughed softly.

"And yet..."

She hesitated.

"...I trust him."

Margaret's smile faded into quiet thought.

"Trust is a rare thing."

"It usually takes much longer."

"I know."

Emily frowned slightly.

"That's what confuses me."

---

Nearly half a mile into the forest...

Kael suddenly raised one hand.

Everyone stopped instantly.

"What?"

Sheriff Reeves whispered.

Kael slowly turned his flashlight toward a patch of ferns.

The beam landed on something golden.

A dog collar.

Noah picked it up carefully.

The tag read:

RANGER

Silence.

The leather strap had been snapped cleanly in two.

No blood.

No fur.

Just...

Broken.

Sheriff Reeves frowned.

"How does that happen?"

Kael didn't answer.

Instead he slowly scanned the surrounding trees.

Every instinct he possessed screamed that they were no longer alone.

He could feel eyes on them.

Watching.

Waiting.

A twig snapped somewhere behind them.

All five flashlights swung around.

Nothing.

Then...

Another snap.

To the left.

Ben swallowed nervously.

"Did you see that?"

"No."

"I heard it."

Another sound.

This time from the right.

Something was moving through the trees.

Fast.

Much too fast for a person.

The volunteer firefighters instinctively stepped closer together.

Sheriff Reeves gripped his flashlight tighter.

"Who's there?"

No answer.

Only silence.

Then—

A low growl rolled through the darkness.

It was deep enough that everyone felt it more than heard it.

Ben's face went pale.

"That's..."

He looked toward Kael.

"...not a bear."

Kael's jaw tightened.

"No."

"It isn't."

Before anyone could speak again...

A golden blur burst from the trees.

Ranger.

The old retriever sprinted toward the group, barking wildly.

The dog reached Kael first and immediately turned back toward the forest, barking again and again as if trying desperately to lead them somewhere.

Sheriff Reeves let out a relieved breath.

"The dog's alive."

But Kael wasn't looking at the dog.

He was looking beyond it.

Into the darkness.

Two pale amber eyes reflected the flashlight beam for the briefest instant between the trees.

Too high off the ground to belong to a wolf.

The eyes disappeared before anyone else saw them.

Kael's heartbeat slowed instead of quickening.

Whatever had been watching them...

Hadn't attacked.

It had retreated.

Which meant...

It hadn't been hunting them.

It had been warning them.

Somewhere deeper in the forest, another threat had just arrived.