Where is he?
The hours ticked by at a snail's pace since the team had left. Kathryn had long ago fixed dinner for the two of them, kept it warm, then finally wrapped everything up and put it away when Jake still hadn’t returned. The darkness of evening cast wave after wave of worry over her, crashing down stronger as the minutes ticked by.
What if he’s hurt?
Considering they were on a wooded hilltop in the middle of nowhere, anything was possible. She stepped out on the balcony, scanning the area. Except for twinkling city lights in the far-off distance, the grounds were pitch-black. She heard a faint howl.
What the hell was that?
Panicked, she headed into the house and straight to the garage.
Going out after him in the dark woods is idiotic. Insane. And sure to make me the next meal for that howling chupacabra.
But it was, without a doubt, her only choice.
Deciding she needed a flashlight, she rummaged through the garage cabinets. When she came up empty, she cursed under her breath.
I need something. A miner’s hat will do. Good grief, I’d settle for a flaming torch right now. And let’s add bread crumbs to the list.
Finally, she came across something she could use.
Good. A first aid kit.
She grabbed it and continued to pilfer. The stainless-steel cabinets were fully stocked with supplies for cars, construction, and things that looked like mountain-climbing gear.
“Jesus, how many ropes does a man need?”
Spotting a pair of extreme-looking goggles, she grabbed them, turning them this way and that, then held them up to her eyes.
Maybe these are night-vision goggles. How the hell do NVGs work?
“They won’t work in the light.”
Jake’s husky voice startled her and she whirled around, relieved when he caught the NVGs she’d dropped in her surprise.
His eyes were hard and cold. His hands were covered in blood. And his tone was unmistakably dark.
“What are you doing here, Kathryn?”