"The odd smell appears here," Rider said.
I joined him and looked at the path. "It looks like an animal." If I moved myself back in the Path, I knew I could see it, but that would be pushing things. I'm not even certain I would be able to see a few days into the past. In case it would tell me more, I put my hand into the Path.
My stomach revolted. Instinct made me back away, and I fell on my butt, covering my mouth tightly to keep my lunch down. My control on the path faltered and broke.
"Time to come back," Logan said, more emphatically this time.
I closed my eyes and nodded. Pushing hard, I broke through to the normal world. Behind closed eyes, the colors and light faded. Still sitting, I kept my hand over my mouth until my stomach settled.
"You hanging in there, partner?" Logan asked.
"Yeah," I said. "I'm not sure what—" Remembering the feeling of the Path brought on a fresh wave of nausea, and I clapped my head over my mouth again. After I swallowed hard a few times, I managed to push the feeling away. "I'm not sure what happened."
"Walk me through it," Logan said.
Looking around, I saw that we were alone.
"Rider will be right back," he said. "He can still hear us, though."
"It was an animal," I said. "I have no idea what kind. I touched the Path, hoping it would give me a clue, but it... made me sick."
"You're sure it was an animal?"
"I'm pretty sure," I said.
"Any idea how big?" Logan said.
"The Path had been mostly wiped away since it happened a few days ago. Maybe a large dog?"
"That was a pretty strong reaction to the Path."
It didn't sound like a question, but I knew Logan well enough to know it was one, but he didn't want to push. "It looks like a normal Path, and it's an animal running on instinct. It wasn't angry or hurt, as far as I could tell."
"Rider says that it isn't an animal he is familiar with," Logan said.
"Where is he?"
"Tracking the smell back the way it came. He'll stop if the smell gets stronger, though."
I nodded. The cold ground was seeping into my skin and through my clothes, but I didn't trust myself to stand yet.
"We've got cold coffee," Logan said.
I nodded, but not very enthusiastically. "I could use the caffeine."
Logan took a water bottle and dumped a tube of instant coffee into it. I could see the particles swirling around.
"Far enough," Logan said.
It took me a moment to realize he was talking to Rider.
"Come on back," Logan said, shaking the bottle vigorously. He checked the water and shook again before handing it over.
My nose curled involuntarily when I took the bottle. Before I could talk myself out of it, I sucked down as much as I could, trying to ignore the taste. There was a snap of a twig in the woods, Rider's way of letting a person know he was there, and then he strode into view. I drank the rest of the bottle.
"The trail only gets older," Rider said.
"We'll rest up here a little longer and then see if we can track down the pixies," Logan said.
Looking at my partners, I could tell they didn't need to rest up. The caffeine would kick in soon enough, so I pushed myself to my feet.
"I'm okay to keep going," I said.
Logan looked me over, but he didn't say anything.
"It's too cold to sit still anyway," I said, which was true. My muscles were clenched up tight trying to keep in the warmth. Clouds were starting to spread through the sky as well, so I knew it would only get colder.
"True enough," Logan said. "Rider, you take the lead. We'll follow the pixies, but let us know about the other smell as well."
Rider nodded and strode off.
"Slower," Logan said. "We don't want to miss anything."
Rider walked at what I assume for him was a glacial pace. It was slow to me as well, but I was good with that for now.
"Did the pixies move toward the goblins?" I asked.
"We're traveling almost parallel with them," Logan said.
"Which one is the goblins?" Rider asked.
I looked at the back of his head, not following the question.
"Hear the pairs walking together?" Logan said. "Three sets of two, all on two legs."
"It sounds almost like three legs," Rider said.
"The third is their spear hitting the ground," Logan said.
"Spears?" I turned the one word into a question.
"They wouldn't patrol without weapons," Logan said. "They prefer the spear."
We walked about ten minutes before Rider stopped.
"The odd smell changes course here," Rider said. "Moving toward the goblins."
Logan nodded. "Remember this spot. We'll stay on the pixie trail."
I really hoped he was talking to Rider. Looking around, I tried to find landmarks that would distinguish this patch of forest from any of the rest we had been through. It all looked the same to me.
Rider stopped, and not paying attention, I almost walked into the back of him. Maybe I was more tired than I thought.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"They are gone," Rider said.
"Their smell?" Logan asked.
"It has disappeared," Rider said.
Logan looked around. I couldn't help but wonder if he was searching for the pixies.
"Let's backtrack," Logan said at last. "We'll see if maybe they went another way."
Rider shrugged and started back. He led us back to the pixie glen in silence.
"There are other older trails out of this place," Rider said. "That is the newest path and there is nothing to indicate that they went in any other direction."
"It was a long shot," Logan said, "but we had to check."
"What now?" I asked. "Do we go see the goblins?"
"I don’t think so," Logan said. "They’re on the defense and the pixies going missing changes our priorities. I'll call it in." Logan took out his phone and walked a few yards away.
I walked around the glen again, following the footsteps I had made earlier. Without the Path, there was no way to see the brilliant light that had begun shrinking away. It would continue to dwindle without the pixies holding it together. Rider was walking through the area as well.
Walking may be the wrong word. It looked more as if he was prowling through the area.
"You okay?" I asked.
"I am uninjured," Rider said, not looking my way.
I put a hand on my hip. "That's not what I meant and you know it. Something’s bothering you."
Rider glanced in the direction that Logan went before turning back to me. "Hank is calling us back into the office."
There was no way for me to tell if that's what had bothered him, but somehow I didn't think so. "So, you don't want to talk about what's bothering you?"
He glanced in Logan's direction, and then moved closer to me. "I lost the trail." He said it quietly and kept checking to see what Logan was doing.
"I see." And I sort of did. Anytime things didn't go well with my abilities, especially at work, was maddening. "It's okay, though."
"I am not so sure," Rider said. "Something is not right out here."
Thinking of the Path that had made me sick, I couldn't help but agree. "Do you have any idea of what it is?"
Rider shook his head and began stalking around the clearing again. I was going to ask if he was trying to find another trail to follow, when Logan joined us again.
"We're heading back to the Farm," Logan said.
"Maybe I should stay," Rider said. "I could try to locate a new trail."
Logan shook his head. "Not alone. We'll come back tomorrow, better prepared, and we'll find the pixies. At this point, I think they're the priority."
The way back to the truck seemed even longer than our trek into the woods. It was also more difficult. Sliding down from a boulder was one thing, but climbing back up was a larger challenge. Since I felt like a giant icicle by that point, it was also a cha
llenge that I wasn't up for. Twice, Rider had to boost me to Logan. It was more than enough to make me cranky before we made it back to ground that was more level.
"Is there any other way to get back to the pixies?" I asked.
"That's the easiest place to access," Logan said. "Well, down the cliff face might be easier."
"For you, maybe," I mumbled.
"How's the leg holding up?" Logan asked.
"It's fine," I said. My voice was more than a little stiff. "It's not a problem. The boulders are just a bit large, is all."
"We've done quite a bit of hiking on your first few days back," Logan said.
"It's good exercise," I snapped. Inwardly, I groaned. I was cranky, but I shouldn't take it out on him. Trying to take on a friendlier tone, I continued, "Maybe next summer you can teach me how to scale rocks."
Logan chuckled. "I doubt it's something you'll be called on to do much."
"You never know," I said. "We do work in some pretty out of the way places."
"You could teach her tomorrow," Rider said.
"No way," I said, "it's way too cold for that."
"You do look very cold," Rider said.
"She looks half frozen," Logan said. "There's a good chance we'll be out here longer tomorrow."
I scowled at him, but reined in my temper before I said anything I would regret. "I thought we might. I'll be ready for it."
***
When we reached the Farm, I was reluctant to leave the toasty, warm truck. Rider, on the other hand, had already stripped down to his undershirt and practically jumped from the truck. I felt bad, but he agreed that being too hot was easier than being too cold. It didn't help that I was also exhausted. The fact that fresh coffee was only a few doors away was enough to get me out of the vehicle. That and the fact that Rider’s quick departure sucked most of the heat out of the truck.
Once we had gotten through security, Logan went straight to Hank, and I claimed a desk by dropping my bag unceremoniously onto one before going to the kitchen. Rider followed me, but said nothing until I started a fresh pot of coffee.
"I am sorry I was unable to find the trail today," Rider said.
"That's okay," I said. "We'll try again tomorrow."
"I am not comfortable leaving the pixies out there," Rider said.
"They live out there," I reminded him.
"I have seen pictures and they appear to be very small."
"They are," I said, "but don't let that fool you. They're devious little tricksters."
"There is something in the woods with them," Rider said.
There wasn't much I could say to that. I poured my coffee and doctored it up with sugar and cream. When I looked at Rider, he appeared uncomfortable.
"You're right," I said, "but we shouldn't just run out there and wander around, hoping to bump into them, especially with some unknown animal out there. It's good we came back. We'll make a plan and go back early tomorrow."
"I do not understand how the pixies disappeared," Rider said.
I grinned. "It's what they do. Come on, let's go see what Logan and Hank have to say."
We went back to the control room. Logan and Hank weren't there, so I made a beeline for my desk.
Seeing what waited for me, I groaned.
"What is wrong?" Rider asked as we approached the desk.
There was a black bra draped over the computer monitor.
"It's nothing," I said. I sighed and whipped it off the monitor. Another was lying on the back of my chair and one had been left on my bag. "Crap."
I looked around to see if anyone was watching. The bad thing about working with people who lie to the public on a regular basis is that they are good at being covert.
"I do not understand why people are leaving clothes on your desk," Rider said. "Are they gifts?"
"No. They are not gifts." I shoved all three of them into a drawer and sat back down.
"Then why do they leave them?" Rider asked.
"It's..." I had no idea what to say. Frat house humor? "It's kind of like they're making fun of me. About what happened."
Rider's face turned stormy.
"But at the same time, they aren't. It's—I'm not saying this right. Maybe Logan can explain it."
Even without being in the Path, I could sense Rider's agitation.
"It's like an initiation," Logan said, walking up. "It's a way of the other agents saying she's one of them."
I rolled my eyes.
"She has been an agent for many months," Rider said.
"She's had the job," Logan said, lowering his voice. "This is a little different. It's a good thing."
"Huh," I said, not really intending to.
"After last fall," Logan said, keeping his low tone, "people have been... different around her. We know why, they don't. This means they're getting over the fact that she rubs people the wrong way."
"We could explain—"
"No," Logan and I both cut off Rider. My 'no' was a bit more emphatic. The last thing I wanted was my coworkers, or my boss for that matter, to know that I had a broken soul. Many people and many Lost hated me at first sight because of it. I didn't think they would take me out of the field, but it was a possibility.
I sighed. "Logan's right, it's a good thing. Just annoying." Before Rider could ask anything else, I changed the subject. "Do we have a plan for tomorrow?"
"Hank's calling in another team to work with us," Logan said.
Chapter 6
We went into the office earlier than usual the next morning. The moment we made it to the control room, Logan went to find Hank, and I dumped my bag on a desk and went for coffee. When I came back, Rider was standing next to the desk, eyeing the other agents in the room.
"What's up?" I asked Rider.
Rider glanced up. "Lights."
"I mean, what are you doing?"
"Watching your desk," Rider said.
I shook my head and sat down. "It's not going anywhere. And I think it's too early in the morning to mess around." I yawned. "Or maybe too late at night."
Rider shrugged and turned away from one of the agents he had been looking at.
While I booted up the computer, he started studying me. I tried to ignore it and logged in to the system to bring up my email. It wasn't until Rider walked around me, staring down at me, that I sighed and gave in.
"Anything wrong?" I asked. I drank my coffee while Rider finished circling me.
"You are thicker than normal," he said.
I choked on the coffee and had to cough a few times before saying anything. "That's just what a girl wants to hear first thing in the morning."
"Is it?" Rider asked, sounding pleased.
I laughed and leaned back in my seat, watching my friend. "No, not really. Trust me when I say that most women don't want to know if you think they look thicker, especially first thing in the morning. I'm wearing extra layers so I won't get cold today."
Rider nodded and didn't say anything else. He pulled over an office chair and sat across from me.
I turned back to my email and started sifting through. "Did you get the email about the equipment?"
"I do not know," Rider said. He also didn't seem too interested in checking.
"Sounds like we're getting some new stuff around the office."
"Wasn't everything recently replaced?" Rider asked.
"Replaced, yes, but not new," I said. "Now it’s upgrades all around."
"We are," Hank said, walking up. "The entire office is getting refitted. We might even end up being the most high-tech office in the agency. At least for a month or two."
"That sounds like a pretty big undertaking," I said.
"You bet it is," Hank said. "But it'll be worth it. All of our equipment is far too old for what we do."
Since I only worked with case files and read my emails on the computers, I didn't say anything.
"It's going to be great," Hank said. "We're going to meet in the conference room in five minutes."
"Henderson has a lot of search and rescue experience," Hank said. "His team will be joining us this morning."
Hank gave me just enough time to run to the kitchen and get coffee. I started another pot brewing, because I was intent on taking an insulated bottle out with me this time.
Rider and I were the first ones in the conference room, but Hank and Logan weren't too far behind.
"We have two goals for the day," Hank said the moment everyone had settled into a chair. "Our first goal is to find the pixies. Do what you can to locate them. You'll have check-ins at ten and twelve. If your first goal isn't successful by that point, Henderson's team will be joining the search."
"Why are they waiting till later?" I asked.
"At this point, we don't know what we're dealing with," Hank said. "There may be a simple reason for the pixies’ relocation. Henderson has search and rescue experience. That’ll come in handy if your team hasn’t found the pixies by the time they arrive."
"How many is Henderson bringing?" Logan asked.
"Two," Hank said. "He'll set up a warming spot next to the old pixie glen. One person mans that at all times, but you'll rotate out. Each of you will." Hank eyed Logan hard. "We don't know how long you'll be out there. Each person will take a two-hour shift to rest and warm up."
"Hopefully, it won't be needed," Logan said.
"Our second goal is to find out what's going on out there," Hank said. "Cassie and Rider, you two noticed something ‘off’ about the what may have scared the pixies away. Could it be a sick animal? Rabies isn't unheard of."
I turned that idea over in my head. Could the Path of a sick animal make me ill?
"Since I do not know what animal it is," Rider said, "I could not tell if something was wrong with it."
"I've never been in the Path of a rabid animal," I said. "At least, not that I know of. It's hard to say." I didn't think it was likely, but I kept that part to myself.
"You three will track the creature. You're better equipped to deal with it. Use Henderson's team if you need help. Talk with the goblins only as a last resort."
"Will do," Logan said.
"What do we do with the animal?" I asked. "If we find it, I mean."
"That's going to depend on what you're dealing with," Hank said. "You'll have tranqs out there, and I want one of you to have live rounds."
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