Page 33 of Finding Chaos

Another mystery that Destiny would need to solve. A banshee could be useful. It could sidetrack Putnam onto a new question. One that didn’t affect Destiny’s family.

Destiny trudged through the snow for an hour when the ghost shimmered out of sight, and then Jane reappeared in the distance beneath a large dead tree. Jane pointed to the ground. “I’m here.”

“Only you?” Destiny asked, marking the GPS location on her watch.

“I’m afraid you’ll have to go into the mountain to find me. I’m in a dark black hole that I couldn’t escape,” Hope answered.

“Okay. Jane first and we’ll find you next.” Destiny pulled out a flashlight and shined it on the ground where Jane had pointed as her final resting spot.

“How far down is your body?” Destiny asked meeting Jane’s gaze.

“Too far for that shovel in the ice-packed land. You won’t find me until summer,” Hope said, her voice sad.

“If Walker used to play with you when he was little, why didn’t you tell him where your body is?” Destiny asked.

“We were waiting on you.”

“Wait.” Destiny held up her hand. “If you don’t know how you got here, or who buried you or how you died, how do you know you were waiting on me?”

“Clara told us it had to happen this way,” Hope answered as if that meant something.

“Clara Bennett said you’d come and make everything right.” Jane added.

“Bennett, as in related to Walker?” Destiny asked. “He didn’t tell me he had a sister that died.”

“Oh, no. She’s not dead. She can see us too,” Jane answered.

The sound of a chopper flying overhead had Destiny lifting her gaze to the sky. Night had creeped in and the chill in the air was freezing her to the bone. The lights on the chopper blinked in the sky. She moved her flashlight once more over the frozen ground and frowned.

“You must be going now,” Jane said and turned in the direction they’d been walking. “He’s coming for you.”

“And so is the storm,” Hope announced before both of them vanished from sight.

Destiny hefted the backpack higher, wishing she’d been smart enough to figure out the ground was going to be too hard to break with just a shovel. The thought hadn’t even crossed her mind.

She’d backtracked along the single line of footprints, just hers despite having company on the hike, for thirty minutes, quickening her pace when she spotted the flash of light coming through the trees. Letting out a shaky breath, she called out, “Over here. I’m over here, Walker.”

The light bounced across the area until it settled on her.

“Have you lost your fucking mind?” Walker growled as he approached. “There’s a blizzard coming this way, and you’re out here chasing ghosts?”

“I can explain,” Destiny began.

“No need. Your ex-boyfriend explained it all, including how you lied about the picture and knowing the reason he was on the mountain.”

“Walker, please, let me explain.”

“Save it.” His brows dipped. “My responsibility is to get off you this hill, and there’s a blizzard nipping at our heels. We need to move, now.”

He grabbed the shovel and shotgun out her hands and stomped back in the direction he’d come.

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