Page 67 of Obscurity
A voice erupted from the phone, loud enough that Olive could hear the anger even if she couldn’t make out specific words.
Elias held the device away from his ear, wincing at the volume.
“I know what the plan was,” Elias said when the shouting subsided. “But it’s not working. Nothing is going according to schedule.”
More angry words from the other end. Elias’s face grew paler with each exchange.
“I can’t do this anymore.” His voice cracked. “We need to pull the plug. End it now before someone gets seriously hurt. Or before law enforcement shows up asking questions we can’t answer.”
Olive’s throat tightened.
What in the world was he talking about?
From her hiding spot, Olive watched as Elias stepped back from the phone as if the person on the other end could reach through and strike him.
“I understand the financial implications,” Elias said. “But if this goes wrong—if people start dying?—”
The voice cut him off with what sounded like threats, and Elias’s face went from pale to gray.
“Fine,” he finally said. “Fine. But I want it on record that I advised against continuing. When this blows up, I don’t want to be the only one taking the fall.”
He ended the call and stood there for a moment, staring at his phone with the expression of a man who’d just signed his own death warrant. Then he pocketed the device and left the office, his footsteps heavy with defeat.
Olive remained hidden until she was certain he was gone.
Her mind raced with what she’d overheard.
Just as she suspected, Elias wasn’t just the lodge owner—he was somehow involved in whatever was happening here.
And he was getting cold feet about something that involved people potentially dying.
She didn’t like the sound of that.
CHAPTER 44
When the house had been quiet for several minutes, Olive emerged from the closet and moved quickly to the desk.
Someone else might return at any moment, and she needed to find evidence of what was really happening here.
From her position in the room, she could hear the band beginning to play. She may have even heard some boos from the audience.
She turned back to the desk. It was organized with file folders arranged alphabetically, computer screens displaying various security feeds and data charts, and a stack of documents marked with official-looking seals and classifications.
She pulled out her phone, grateful that she’d thought to bring a portable charger. Her battery was still at nearly full capacity, allowing her to photograph whatever evidence she could find.
The first folder was labeled “Logistics—Phase 3” and contained what appeared to be a list of employees. Olive didn’t recognize any of the names. The second was marked “Financial Projections” and showed revenue streams that didn’t match anything resembling a legitimate music festival. The amounts were in the millions.
Another folder contained what appeared to be a geological survey.
Why would they need a geological survey?
Olive photographed page after page, her hands growing steadier as her training took over despite her shock at what she was seeing.
There was definitely more going on here than met the eye.
Her hands trembled slightly as she continued photographing. Each image revealed another layer of the conspiracy. Financial records showing millions of dollars. Environmental impact reports. Shipping manifests.
She was photographing a page near the end of the stack when she heard it: the soft click of the door handle turning.
