Page 89 of Property of Prime
“Too tight,” Vin agreed.“Piney doesn’t miss shit.”
Skull nudged a rock with his boot.“Unless someone wanted Piney to think he didn’t see anything.”
Push frowned.“Meaning?”
“Meaning,” Skull grunted, “someone could’ve been watching Piney.Followed him.Waited for him to leave.Then placed the skeleton right where Piney had walked.Which would be one hell of a message.”
“For Piney?”Vin asked.
“For all of us,” Skull said.“That he’s watching.And that he’s not scared.”
A chill crawled up my spine.
That was exactly what it felt like.Someone daring us to catch them.
Someone showing off.
Vin jerked his chin toward the trees.“Let’s fan out.Small radius.Just enough to look for anything out of place.”
I nodded.“Don’t go too far.This asshole could be watching us right now.”
Push smirked.“If only he would come out and show his face.”
We split up, flashlights cutting through the dark like jagged beams of white.
I moved toward a thick cluster of trees about fifteen feet back from the cliff.The bark here was old with deep grooves, rough texture, and patches of moss curling up the trunks.
Nothing unusual.
Nothing suspicious.
Nothing.
Until something glinted.
A shine on the wood.Fresh.Wet-looking even though it wasn’t.
I stepped closer with my heart pounding.
“Vin,” I called quietly.“Push.Skull.Get over here.”
Three beams swung toward me.
“Found something?”Vin asked.
I didn’t answer.
I just pointed.
There, carved into the trunk of a thick oak tree, was acircle with a vertical line slashed straight through the middle.
The edges of the carving were fresh.Sharp.The bark still curled outward like it had been cut recently, hours, maybe.
Not days.
Not weeks.
Not months.Hours.
