It was a little over the two hour mark when Henderson said they were on their way back.
The wait was endless. I drank a little coffee, put hand-warmers into my shoes and gloves to ward off the cold, and then paced around until I heard Henderson.
"Okay," Henderson said, "we have ten minutes and we head out again. Rust and Heidrich can gather some wood before we leave again. I'll call Hank."
"Sure," I said. I had been hoping to go straight back out, but I knew they needed to take advantage of the fire as much as I had. Wandering around away from the team meant that I didn't have to make small talk. Rust and I fanned out and gathered all the wood we could and brought it back.
When we returned, Henderson and Franklin were pulling on their gloves.
"If Agent Heidrich wants to stay here," Franklin said, "I'm sure Agent Rust wouldn't mind going out again."
I frowned at Agent Franklin. "I think we should stick with the rotation."
"That's right," Henderson said. "Rust will stay. Let's move out." He let Logan and Rider know through the comms.
Chapter 10
If Agent Franklin was trying to be nice, it really wasn't working. In fact, it was downright ticking me off.
Henderson led the way. Once the fire was out of sight, he held up a device and started playing with the dials.
I thought about keeping my mouth shut, but I hadn't worked with another team before and the silence wasn't comfortable.
"What equipment are you using?" I asked.
"Thermal," Henderson said. "Franklin also has GPS. That's going to help us pick up where we left off."
"Interesting." Thermal was a type of tracking I hadn't thought of with Rider. It made sense that pixies could be found that way.
"The snow might also give us an advantage," Henderson said. "Keep an eye out for any tracks that you don't recognize."
Tracks that I don't recognize? That pretty much meant anything but our tracks, though I wasn't about to admit that out loud. Instead, I kept my eyes on the ground for indentations in the freshly fallen snow.
"We left off here," Franklin said from the rear.
"Let's take a look," Henderson said. "What we're doing," he said for my benefit, "is checking the area in basic grid formations."
While Henderson and Franklin looked over the gadget Franklin was holding, I figured it was time for me to get to work as well. Closing my eyes, I tentatively stretched out my mind and tried to jump into the Path.
The reluctance of using my gifts with another team was causing an issue. With the unsteadiness of my power, it made me anxious to use it in front of outsiders. At the same time, it was my job. Focusing and removing all hesitancy from my mind, I plunged into the raging storm of the Path.
I sucked in an unsteady breath as the vivid color raced by.
"We're moving to the west, and then back south again," Henderson said.
I was afraid to say anything, so I mutely followed behind while trying to dam up the flow of energy. Once a great deal of power was pressured back, I started to take a deeper look at the more docile stream.
Trying to avoid looking at Henderson was a fruitless endeavor since he was directly in front of me. Henderson's Path was focused. There was some worry and nervousness swirled together, but the purple and vivid blue were dominant, since his concentration was directed on helping the pixies. There was an intense core of dark gray, but most people held something like that deep inside — something that they wanted to remain hidden from the world.
Thankfully, Franklin was behind me. I'm not sure anything I could see would help with the agitation I felt toward him.
The forest was plainer. There hadn't been a lot of animals around. Thankfully, no Path resembled the one that me sick earlier. These were small things, some a bit bulkier-looking than squirrels, but not much larger.
While keeping a close eye on the ground and the Paths, I followed Henderson. When we swung back to what they told me was south, I started looking at the trees as well, which was when I spotted the pixies’ Paths.
I stopped dead, and Franklin nearly walked into me.
"Everything okay?" Franklin asked.
What did other people at the office know about Readers? My guess was, not much. For those that had heard of Readers, they usually knew one or two things. Some people knew that we followed Paths people left behind. Almost everyone who had heard of us knew that it was usually following the Path that killed us in the end.
"Yeah." I took a look closer to the ground and didn't see anything. Logan was right; they appeared to be sticking to the trees. "The pixies have been here."
"Where?" Henderson asked, moving back to us.
I followed a few of the Paths from tree to tree. "Up. They were here recently, too. Do either of you speak their language?"
"No," Henderson said. "I'm not sure what I'm looking for, though."
"Are there any heat signatures close by?" I asked.
"Nothing that I can see," Henderson said.
"They went that way," I said, starting to follow the Path. "They were here today, though."
"Hold up," Henderson said.
I stopped, but kept my attention upwards in the trees, trying to find any Paths that were newer.
"Let's take a look at the GPS," Henderson said.
"It's outside of this grid square," Franklin said.
"And if we go over?" Henderson asked.
At least, it sounded like a question. I wasn't sure exactly what he was asking.
"Two hundred yards down and we'll be center grid. This is maybe one quarter."
Maybe every team grew their own language over time. It would make sense, I guess. An outsider may well be lost if they listened to Logan, Rider, and me.
Henderson said something I couldn't quite make out and Franklin responded.
"This would reorder our search," Henderson said. He sounded uneasy about it.
I frowned and looked at him, trying to figure out what he meant. "There's more than one pixie, and they're traveling in that direction," I said.
"West southwest," Henderson said, speaking as though he were weighing every word before saying them. "I'm not sure what indications you have that they moved in that direction."
I shrugged. "I see traces of their Path."
Henderson looked uneasy. "Is this something you can show me?"
"No." I adjusted my hat and pulled at my gloves, making sure they were firmly in place. When no one said anything, I added, "This is what I do."
"We've been following a possibility," Logan said over the comms, interrupting.
Henderson looked relieved. "Find anything?"
"We think so," Logan said. "Sending coordinates."
Franklin pulled up Logan's location and began to lead the way.
It's a good thing my cheeks were red from the cold, because I could feel my face flush. They weren't going to believe me. They had looked at me as if I was... not crazy maybe, but they seemed as though they were trying to find a way to 'deal' with me. I shoved my hands in my pocket and intently watched the ground as we moved silently to join with Logan and Rider. It was lucky no one could read my Path. The mixture of embarrassment collided with anger and resentment. It was hard to fit anything else in my head.
In fact, it took me a while to realize that we were walking in the same direction that the pixies had moved. Once I noticed that, I once again turned my eyes to the trees and followed the Path.
Logan wore a grin when he came into view, but it looked lopsided. Wrong, somehow. I didn't look too hard, though. The golden glow of the elf's Path hid a twist of powerful emotion when studied too closely.
"What did you find?" Henderson said, moving into the area.
"We've narrowed things down," Logan said. "We're going to need Cassie from here."
Henderson nodded, though he didn't say anything. I chanced another look at Logan, but he really wasn't paying me any attention. His focus was on Henderson and Franklin.
Looking around, I saw Rider
standing a little way off. I'm not sure what he and Logan had been doing, but Rider looked a little more erratic than usual. The word untamed sprung to mind and it took me a while to figure out why. He was running more on instinct. His Path wasn't flexing to a complex path as much as normal.
He was also upset, which bothered me enough that I stopped worrying about Henderson. If he was beating himself up about losing the trail, I would like to say something, but I couldn't do anything in front of the others.
The pixies. I could help the pixies.
I tore my attention away from my partners and concentrated on the pixies. "They continue moving in this direction." I tried to mask my aggravation, but I didn't think it worked.
"Still up in the trees?" Henderson asked.
"Yes," I said, managing a more neutral tone. I followed, not caring what the others were doing at that point.
Logan, being the good-natured elf he was, started chatting with Henderson, but I continued silently. Unfortunately, I was also getting tired, but I did my best not to let it show.
Before long, Rider joined me while the others lagged behind some. His eyes, like mine, were focused up, and he didn't say anything, but he looked calmer and more content. For some reason, it made me feel better having him by my side.
We didn't have to go much farther before a fresh Path streaked across the treetops. I stopped and studied the trees.
"If you want to keep what's in your pockets, grab hold now," I said under my breath, though personally, I didn't care if Henderson and Franklin lost anything.
Two more lines appeared, including one that I followed as it climbed down a tree.
They were fast.
"How many?" Logan asked.
"Three," I said.
Logan made a twittering sound that sounded far too much like a bird. The approaching Paths stopped moving briefly. The one toward the ground continued, slowly, until it reached the ground and went over to Logan.
"They're showing up on the thermal," Henderson said.
Logan fell into conversation and the pixie in front of him un-camouflaged itself.
There were only two. I wondered if they represented the last of the missing. Would they be able to tell us? I yawned and studied the treetops. The other two pixies had started moving again. It was time to let the others take it from there. Closing my eyes, I pushed the Path away.
Vertigo kicked in, so I leaned against a tree, trying to look nonchalant and not like I needed the tree to keep myself standing.
Some of the sounds that the pixie made were enchanting. It was almost as though the wind was rustling leaves, but it all came from the pixie.
When the pixie disappeared, Logan looked satisfied.
"They were separated from the others," Logan said. "I let them know I'd take them to their family. It's not a good idea for everyone to go, though."
"I'll go with you," Henderson said. "When we're done, we can meet back up and figure out our next steps."
We split up, Logan and Henderson walking off, with Logan making a little squeaking noise every now and again.
There was no doubt in my mind that Rider could walk directly to the camp, but we let Franklin lead the way.
***
Back at the fire, what few attempts we had at small talk didn't work well between the two teams, so we resorted to searching for firewood. I did take the chance to drink the rest of my coffee, which was disheartening because it left me with the instant mix. It was a relief when Logan and Henderson finally returned to the camp.
"From what we've been able to tell, at this time," Henderson said when he began to warm himself, "the pixies are missing two of their own. One we know perished in the woods; the other is still an unknown. Agent Seale and I have discussed our next steps."
Glancing at Logan, I noticed that he appeared more at ease.
"Now that we know what we're looking for," Henderson continued, "my team is going to take the thermal scanners and continue the search."
Logan nodded to Rider and me. "We're going to try to find out if the missing pixie met the same fate as the previous victim. Rider, your turn by the fire. Wait until Franklin relieves you."
Rider nodded, but said nothing.
"It's going to start getting dark soon," Henderson said, "and the weather is working against us. We've got a half foot, but Hank says it's going to keep coming. Be careful out there."
Logan tipped an imaginary hat and walked away. I followed close on his heels.
When we were well away from the other team, it felt as though a weight had been lifted my shoulders, and the tightness in my chest lessened.
"Rider seemed upset," I said after a while. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah, that's on me," Logan said. "We had to run to get to where you needed us. I didn't explain things well."
"To where I needed you?" I asked.
"I didn't realize Henderson was going to be an issue," Logan said. "I tried to smooth things over by putting Rider and me where you needed to go."
I stopped and stared at the back of my partner's head while he continued. "You two weren't trailing a pixie?"
"No, but we knew you were," Logan said. "Henderson was going to do what he thought was best for the pixies. The bad part of people not knowing what you can do is that they don't always trust it."
Deep down, I knew that Henderson was doing what he thought was best, but it was still aggravating that my partners had needed to work around him.
Logan was getting too far ahead of me, so I got moving again.
"What's our plan now?" I asked.
"We're going to start where the pixie was attacked," Logan said. "And we're going to hope it was alone. Hopefully, Henderson will find our missing person well away from here."
"Do you think they'll find them using the thermal detectors?" I asked.
"They could get lucky," Logan said. "It's possible. If he does, we back off. We still don't know what we're facing, and I'd rather not find out in the middle of the night."
Not long after, Logan pulled up short. The cloud cover and snow made the sky look prematurely dark. There was still plenty of light to see by, though. The snow helped in that respect.
"You've done a lot of reading today," Logan said. "You up for more?"
"Sure," I said. "I loaded up on caffeine, so I'm good to go." It took me a few moments to spot the flags that we had left earlier. "I guess I'll get started." I found the flag indicating I wasn't standing in the animal's Path and got to work.
The jump into the Path was smooth this time and the flow wasn’t overwhelming. These days, such a smooth transition was almost unheard of.
"I'm going to stay away from the animal's Path," I said, "but I'll try to indicate where it is."
"I should have brought more flags," Logan said.
"The Path is a few feet away." I waved in its direction as I began to track the creature. "I still have plenty of flags if you run out, though. I'll try to stay about the same length away."
The creature had moved in a direct line.
"How long ago do you think it came through here?" Logan asked.
"Maybe half a day," I said. "It's hard to tell." I cast my gaze up to take in the treetops. "So far, I haven't seen any signs of another pixie. We need to change directions here."
The Path took an abrupt turn and I continued.
"We're moving toward the goblins again," Logan said.
I slowed my pace. "How far away are they?"
"Right now, pretty far. They're closer to home now. I think the snow is holding them back, which is good. They'll freeze if they wander."
"If we find this thing, do you think we can convince the goblins to stop running around outside in the dead of winter?"
"Maybe," Logan said. "We'll do what we can."
The cold began to seep in again. How many layers of clothes did I need to stop that from happening?
"I don't suppose you hear anything yet?" I asked.
"Nothing that sounds out of place," Logan said.
"If this is an animal, would it sound out of place?"
"Hard to say. I'm not going to go chasing a squirrel to try to find out."
He said it with a grin and it was hard not to laugh.
"Hold up a sec," Logan said, stopping. His ears appeared to twitch, then roll slightly.
Was he cupping his ears to catch sound? The urge to ask what he heard was intense, but I kept quiet, not wanting him to miss anything.
"What is that sound?" Logan said.
He must have been talking to either himself or Rider, but I listened just in case it was something I could hear. A rustling came from the direction we were walking, but I didn't hear anything else.
"I'm not sure what Henderson and the others are up to," Logan said, "but they're—" Logan bounced on the balls of his feet, looking instantly alert. "We have to get to Henderson fast. They're on thin ice, literally."
The alarm on his face brought my heart rate up. "Which way?"
"A little over a mile." He pointed.
"Go!"
Logan hesitated.
"I'll only slow you down," I urged.
He took off at a run and was out of sight within moments. I stared in the direction he went. The only noise was something moving in the undergrowth. I wondered briefly if the Path could somehow funnel sound to me, but I dismissed the idea. I had used up a lot of energy throughout the day. It was no time to experiment.
Move forward or go back? That was the question. Looking into the slumbering forest around me didn't help.
The comms erupted with noise and I jumped.
"Rust fell through the ice and we can't reach him." Franklin's voice was near panic.
"Logan's on his way," I said, trying to speak quickly but still stay calm. Without even realizing it, I was following Logan's Path.
"Almost there," Logan said. "Pull back off the ice. Rider, get the fire hotter."
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