Page 27 of Obscurity
Elias’s gaze traveled from her face to her phone, which she realized she was still clutching, then back to her eyes. “Did you?”
Did he suspect she was the one who’d been in his office?
Her muscles tensed, though she was careful not to show her apprehension.
“I did, but he ran away before I could snap a photo.” She met his stare without flinching. “I’m ready to see what these mountains have to offer.”
“That’s what I like to hear.”
As they moved toward the group of hikers, Olive prayed Elias wasn’t onto her.
The incident reports she’d photographed burned in her phone’s memory like evidence of crimes not yet committed. She couldn’t wait to dig into them.
Whatever was happening in these mountains, the lodge staff knew more than they were saying.
She needed to find out what.
The morning air carried unmistakable anticipation as festivalgoers gathered in front of the lodge.
Olive figured there must be around a hundred people clutching coffee cups and checking their phones one last time before venturing into what the promotional materials had promised would be “the music experience of a lifetime.”
Everyone had been given specific departure times. Thankfully, Olive, Jason, and Tevin were in the first group.
“Welcome, welcome!” Elias appeared in front of the crowd, his smile bright. “I hope everyone’s ready for an adventure. You’re about to experience something truly special—a music festival in one of the most pristine wilderness locations on the East Coast.”
Cheers rippled through the crowd.
“As you know, I’ve partnered with the organizers of Grayfall to make this a once in a lifetime experience. This music festival will be like nothing else you’ve ever done.”
That’s exactly what scares me.Olive kept her expression neutral as the crowd cheered again, effectively getting hyped.
“Now, I’d like you to meet your guides for today’s journey.” Elias gestured toward three men who’d positioned themselves near him. “Max, Sorrel, and Tom will be ensuring your safety and helping you navigate the trail system.”
Olive studied the so-called guides. All three were built like bouncers. They had broad shoulders, watchful eyes, and alert postures.
Max carried himself with the arrogant swagger of someone who thought intimidation was a personality trait. He keptflexing his hands and cracking his knuckles, clearly hoping someone would give him an excuse to use those muscles.
Sorrel was the opposite—wiry and nervous, constantly checking his phone with the twitchy intensity of someone monitoring multiple security feeds at once. His eyes never stopped moving, cataloging every detail around him as if he were expecting trouble from every direction. Everything about him screamed “tech surveillance.”
Tom looked bored with the whole operation, leaning against a tree like someone who’d done this routine too many times to find it interesting anymore. Unlike his companions, he had the weathered look of actual mountain experience and kept checking his watch as if he had somewhere more important to be.
“Are they certified wilderness guides?” Maya asked. “My followers are always asking about safety certifications for adventure experiences.”
“They’re experienced outdoorsmen who know these mountains better than anyone.” Elias’s words almost sounded rehearsed.
Jason caught Olive’s eye, his slight frown indicating he’d also noticed how these men moved like security personnel, not hospitality staff or wilderness guides.
“Now, I do have one small update about today’s logistics.” Elias’s tone remained overly cheerful. “Originally, we were supposed to have shuttle service to the trailhead. But the shuttle is experiencing some mechanical issues this morning. Nothing serious, but it means we’ll need to start our hike from here at the lodge instead.”
A collective groan sounded from several attendees.
“How much extra distance are we talking about?” A man who looked like a frat boy with his backward baseball hat and polo asked.
“Just a few extra miles.” Elias offered a dismissive wave. “Five miles, maybe six. Really, it’s a blessing in disguise. You’ll get to see parts of these mountains that most tourists never experience.”
Five or six mileson top of what was already supposed to be a challenging hike to reach the festival grounds? If they departed by ten, this hike would probably take five hours, plus they’d stop for lunch. They wouldn’t get to Grayfall until close to four. The first concert was scheduled to start at eight.
It was going to be a long, long day.
