Page 98 of The Holiday Fakers
Holy shit. A footprint.
CHAPTER 19
BRODY
Piper kneels beside me and helps brush away more snow. It’s hard to see, but there are clear indentations from a small boot, along with paw prints.
“He did go this way!” she cries.
“Most likely, but there’s no guarantee.” I take out my phone to check for a signal.
Nothing. “Do you have any coverage?”
She shakes her head at her phone. “This is one of those times when Hideaway’s lousy cell coverage is definitely a problem.”
“Why don’t you run back and tell everyone what we’ve found?”
“No way. Most people have already gone in the opposite direction, and I don’t want to risk them not believing me. If he did go this way, you might need help to get him out. I’m going with you.”
I nod and help her to her feet. “Okay. I’ll go first in case there’s any ice. Walk slowly and steadily behind me. Small steps, and keep your eyes fixed on a point up ahead.”
My heart is thumping painfully in my throat as I set off along the trunk. I might not die if I slip and fall, but I’d most likely break both legs.
And the same goes for Piper…
The snow crunches under my feet as I inch my way forward. I know it’s safe if I stay on the center line, but I’m petrified I’m going to hear a cry behind me as she slips and falls.
At the spot where the tree has crashed onto the other side of the gorge, I grab a snow-covered branch and turn, extending my hand to draw Piper toward me. Her face is ghost-white.
“You okay?” I ask.
“Yeah. Let’s go.”
We scramble through the branches down to the ground, and I scan for tracks, brushing aside the layer of freshly fallen snow until I find what I’m looking for.
“How did you know what to do?” Piper asks as we run through the trees toward the mountain. “Did you learn this onThe Tracker Man?”
We come to an area where Billy might have gone in a different direction, so I lean down to sweep the new snow away until I find where his tracks lead.
“You saw that?”
She gives me a look, then points at herself. “Google Alert and your number one fan?”
Despite the cold, heat rushes to my cheeks.I love you so much.
I clear my throat. “Uh, yes. I did a ton of research and got really into the skills trackers have.” I point at the boot print. “So, we know he went this way.”
We run on, and after a few yards, arrive at a clearing. I know immediately something’s not right. There’s a branch, the length of a sword, lying on the ground with only a thin covering of snow on it. Nearby, almost obscured, I can make out?—
“Oh, my God, is thatblood?” Piper cries.
I fall to my knees, brushing the snow away. The red is vivid against the white.
My heart is racing, and sweat trickles down my back as I move the fresh snow away and try not to freak out, talking out loud as I notice things.
“There’s another set of tracks … animal … coyote, probably … It looks like only one, but it was all over Lucky. Billy must have grabbed the branch to fend it off. Can you see if there’s any more blood that way?”
Piper dashes through the trees, and I follow, brushing away snow as I go to make sure we’re heading in the right direction.
