Page 34 of So Dark

He led them up the stairs and around the house. “I don’t know why they didn’t just connect the root cellar to the basement,” he said. “Seems like it would make more sense that way. Then again, this is an old house. Maybe they did things differently back in the day.”

He opened the hatch to the root cellar and descended the small staircase into the room. A musty smell hit Faith. It reminded her of damp, cold Earth, the sort of Earth one might find in a cemetery.

“Oh,shit!”Robert cried.

“What is it?” Wyatt called. “What did you find.”

He came to the door. “It’s gone. The money’s gone. All of it. Oh, God. Lisa.”

Faith didn’t waste any more time. “Wyatt, stay with Robert. Robert, you stay here.”

“I want to help,” he insisted. “I want to help find her.”

“The best thing you can do is stay here in case she comes home,” Faith countered. “We’ll look for her.”

Robert didn’t look pleased, but he didn’t argue further. “Okay. Bring her home safe. Please.”

Faith wished to hell that she could make that promise.

***

The three of them trekked rapidly through the forest. The phone had led them to a thick stand of hemlock three miles from Lisa’s house. The instructions were fairly clear, for which Faith was grateful.

Not that it would matter how clear the instructions were if they arrived too late to save Lisa. At this point, all they could dowas hope that she hadn’t yet sprung any of the traps the killer might have set.

Turk kept his nose to the ground, trotting ahead of the humans as he searched for Lisa’s scent. The cold was sharp and biting, piercing Faith’s skin even through her thick parka. Her breath escaped her lips in a cold fog that seemed to freeze in front of her eyes.

Turk, thankfully, didn’t seem to mind. His coat was fairly average for a German Shepherd, but his short hair evidently sheltered him from enough of the weather for him to move without discomfort.

Maybeheshould keep working, andIshould retire, Faith thought. Aloud, she asked, “What do you think the likelihood is that this is just blackmail?”

“It’s at least a small chance,” Michael replied, huffing a little. “That’s a lot of money. If other people found out about her operation, then it makes sense they would assume she has money to pay for their silence. But if I’m being honest… it’s not a big chance.”

Faith sighed. “Yeah. I’m not very hopeful either.”

Just then, Turk barked and sprinted forward. The agents drew their handguns and followed, their flashlights tracking the K9 as he followed the scent he had found. Faith thought of the bear trap that had nearly caught Turk at Ethan Holloway’s house and called to her dog. “Careful, Turk!”

Turk didn't slow. Faith pushed as much of her anxiety away as possible and instead focused on watching her own step. Her reflexes weren't as good as Turk's, and if she was caught in a bear trap, she would be in serious trouble.

Turk came to a stop in front of a massive stump in the middle of a small clearing. He lifted his head and released a mournful howl.

Faith and Michael slowed to a stop in front of him. “What is it, boy? What do you see?”

“Oh shit,” Michael whispered. “Faith.”

She followed his flashlight beam and found the reason for Turk’s howl and Michael’s epithet. A trail of blood led from the opposite side of the stump deeper into the forest.

"There's nobody," Faith said. "She must have survived this trap, whatever it was. Come on, she could still be alive."

They moved carefully forward, following the blood. Turk followed in between them this time, his tracking skills not needed at the moment.

The trail led to a small path or perhaps a game trail about a hundred yards into the forest, then turned right to follow that trail. The three of them ascended a narrow slope for another eighty yards and came to a small wooden shack similar in design to Ethan’s and Valerie’s cabins but much smaller.

Turk’s howl brought the news to Faith’s mind moments before the smell did. Her flashlight was the last to inform her of the tragedy when it fell on the body of Lisa Blackwood. Her left hand was pressed against the small door of the shack. Her back was soaked in blood.

Michael stepped forward and checked for a pulse. Faith wasn’t surprised at all when he said, “She’s dead.”

She didn’t realize until she heard the words aloud how much she hoped they would be in time. She knew better than to hope, but she still did.

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