Page 64 of Twin Threats In Austin
“Can you find the spot again?” Benny asked.
She hoped like hell she could. Camden’s life might depend on it. “This way.”
Rochelle led Benny around in circles for a solid hour. There was no communication possible between them and the others. Camden might already be back at the trailer, safe. Meanwhile, she’d gotten lost in the woods. Hunger pangs nailed her but she doubted she could eat a bite even if she stood in front of a buffet of her favorite foods. Acid churned in her stomach as her chest squeezed.
Not only did she have to find Camden, but she also needed to locate Asher if they were going to have a prayer of finding Justina and the latest missing person. Rochelle bit back the urge to scream when she recognized a tree they’d pass four times already.
“We’re going in circles,” she said along with a few choice words.
“I noticed,” Benny responded, calm as usual.
“We’ll never find Camden at this rate,” she said.
“Maybe he’ll find us.” Benny was always reasonable.
Emotions didn’t normally get the best of Rochelle, so it caught her off guard that hers were the equivalent of a runaway train.
At least they had plenty of daylight to work with. This time of year, the sun would set early, but they should have a lot of day left.This time of year. Hell’s bells.“What day is it?”
“Thursday,” Benny answered.
“Thanksgiving?” she asked but the question didn’t need answering.
“I believe you are correct,” Benny said. It was easy to lose track of upcoming holidays now that both her parents were gone. Her mother would have been sending texts all week, asking what Rochelle liked better this year, pecan or apple pie. Their holidays had been small with the three of them, and then down to two, but their traditions meant everything to Rochelle. An ache formed in her stomach.
“This is your first year without your mother,” Benny said, catching on.
“It’s fine,” she said, trying to shake off the onslaught of emotions. Tears welled in her eyes, blurring her vision. One broke free and spilled down her cheek. She turned her face away and sniffled. No way was she letting Benny see her weak side.
And then she saw it.
“This way,” she said, making a beeline in the woods toward the stack of limbs that had been made into a makeshift shelter. And then she realized someone might be waiting inside. She froze, putting an arm out to stop Benny from going past her. From this vantage point, it was impossible to see inside.
Had she been too noisy? Spoken too loudly?
If someone was hiding inside, they would have been alerted to Rochelle and Benny’s presence. The mistake could cost them dearly.
“Hold on,” she whispered. “My mistake. We have to go back.” She said those last words out loud and then tromped on the ground, marching in place. She locked gazes with Benny to make certain he realized what she was doing.
Benny gave a slight nod. He didn’t move. She didn’t move.
They waited for what felt like an eternity but was probably less than five minutes. And then, Rochelle tiptoed best as she could with the boot on toward the back of the shelter. Light peeked inside through the cracks.
If someone heard them, they could be watching as they neared the makeshift structure. Could she risk Benny’s life if this went south?
Asking him to step back or stay away wasn’t an option. Benny would laugh at her and keep moving. She would do the exact same.
A twig broke from somewhere behind them.
“Gotcha!” the familiar voice said.Asher.
Camden sat tightas his muscles pulled taut. He’d been circling around the woods, lost, for hours at this point. Before he knew it, night would fall. It got dark in these parts early this time of year. Tree coverage would shield evening sun, which meant he only had a few hours left to figure out how to get the hell out of here.
He’d given up on finding Asher despite the feeling of eyes on him for longer than he cared to admit. The feeling of being watched had subsided roughly thirty minutes ago. Had the predator gone on to find new prey? Realized Rochelle wasn’t with Camden or that he couldn’t lead Asher to her?
From a distance, he heard the crunch of footsteps on the branches that littered the ground. Camden crouched down low, making himself as small as possible as he tried to pinpoint the exact direction the noise came from.
At his height, blending into his natural surroundings might be a stretch, so he moved to the largest tree trunk he could find. Then, he listened.
