Sweat started pouring down the sides of her face as she drew in deep breaths.
“Ready to come in?” he asked. His voice was low but she jumped like he’d shouted. For a moment, their gazes were locked giving him a view of her emerald eyes. Her pupils looked dilated but she blinked and began walking toward the front steps of his home.
Grace hesitated as she reached the bottom step. She cast her eyes back toward the forest, tilting her head like she was listening to something. Her expression tightened with frustration. “I’ll make a sketch.”
She sat in plain view of the front window and looked out at the blanket from time to time. She pulled a small pad of paper from her backpack and angled her head toward the blank page. Her eyes became mere slits as she forced her vision to life on a sketchpad.
“She’s not much on explanations,” Brice said as he continued to watch her work. The vision appeared to capture her attention completely. It was like she was attempting to translate her psychic sense into something the world around her would understand.
Turning away from Grace, Jacobs considered his men. They were perched among the trees as they waited for his orders. Their training was evident as each man found cover instead of standing around in the open.
“She’s frustrated. Grace likes her cases neat and clean.”
Well, they had that in common. Brice watched her fingers as they brushed and smudged at her work. Standing on his porch while she occupied his living room was rather strange, but the woman didn’t suffer company well, and Brice wanted that sketch.
“You said she’d follow the trail.”
“I also told you to keep the kid. She’s a tracker, not an empath.”
The first man cussed. “I don’t need these hills crawling with search-and-rescue teams. My client wants to be able to pick her up and leave the Army thinking she went rogue. You promised you’d deliver.”
“I did. She walked right up to your duck blind. It’s not my fault your men let their guard down.”
The first man growled. “So what now? The client won’t pay up until we have her under their terms. That major is going to pull her out of here in a matter of hours.”
“Leave that to me. I’ll keep her here and find another way to get her to take our bait.”
The first man didn’t really believe him, but he would soon enough.
Action spoke louder than words.
Grace silently laid the paper aside. She wanted to walk, needed to walk. Her emotions felt drained and she needed the life nature could provide to renew herself. Her name was being carried on the breeze again, calling her to join the night. She slipped to her feet and silently made her way out the back of the house.
For a moment, she considered going back for the blanket but ignored the urge. There was something tantalizing about it, and that made her suspicious.
Grace loved the sound of the night. She listened to the song of the night birds as they called to their mates. The gentle brush of leaves as the wind moved them about. The smell of water came to her. Wherever there was life there must first be water. Grace headed to the water. She was rewarded with a small lake. It was very small, maybe only thirty feet wide, but to her it was perfection. Her eyes drank in the stillness. The moon was only a quarter full and the surface of the lake was glass smooth in the dim light.
Slowly wandering through the trees that surrounded the lake, Grace pondered her feelings. Things had changed once she had picked up the blanket. She stopped. That was what was really bothering her. There wasn’t a single trace of that second child anywhere in the cabin, only on the blanket. Something was odd. She just couldn’t put her finger on it.
She wanted to dig up whatever it was that surrounded this case. She even feared being pulled away before she finished her quest.
Which made her more suspicious. Maybe it was a result of letting herself get hooked by emotions, or maybe
“Ready to come in?” he asked. His voice was low but she jumped like he’d shouted. For a moment, their gazes were locked giving him a view of her emerald eyes. Her pupils looked dilated but she blinked and began walking toward the front steps of his home.
Grace hesitated as she reached the bottom step. She cast her eyes back toward the forest, tilting her head like she was listening to something. Her expression tightened with frustration. “I’ll make a sketch.”
She sat in plain view of the front window and looked out at the blanket from time to time. She pulled a small pad of paper from her backpack and angled her head toward the blank page. Her eyes became mere slits as she forced her vision to life on a sketchpad.
“She’s not much on explanations,” Brice said as he continued to watch her work. The vision appeared to capture her attention completely. It was like she was attempting to translate her psychic sense into something the world around her would understand.
Turning away from Grace, Jacobs considered his men. They were perched among the trees as they waited for his orders. Their training was evident as each man found cover instead of standing around in the open.
“She’s frustrated. Grace likes her cases neat and clean.”
Well, they had that in common. Brice watched her fingers as they brushed and smudged at her work. Standing on his porch while she occupied his living room was rather strange, but the woman didn’t suffer company well, and Brice wanted that sketch.
“You said she’d follow the trail.”
“I also told you to keep the kid. She’s a tracker, not an empath.”
The first man cussed. “I don’t need these hills crawling with search-and-rescue teams. My client wants to be able to pick her up and leave the Army thinking she went rogue. You promised you’d deliver.”
“I did. She walked right up to your duck blind. It’s not my fault your men let their guard down.”
The first man growled. “So what now? The client won’t pay up until we have her under their terms. That major is going to pull her out of here in a matter of hours.”
“Leave that to me. I’ll keep her here and find another way to get her to take our bait.”
The first man didn’t really believe him, but he would soon enough.
Action spoke louder than words.
Grace silently laid the paper aside. She wanted to walk, needed to walk. Her emotions felt drained and she needed the life nature could provide to renew herself. Her name was being carried on the breeze again, calling her to join the night. She slipped to her feet and silently made her way out the back of the house.
For a moment, she considered going back for the blanket but ignored the urge. There was something tantalizing about it, and that made her suspicious.
Grace loved the sound of the night. She listened to the song of the night birds as they called to their mates. The gentle brush of leaves as the wind moved them about. The smell of water came to her. Wherever there was life there must first be water. Grace headed to the water. She was rewarded with a small lake. It was very small, maybe only thirty feet wide, but to her it was perfection. Her eyes drank in the stillness. The moon was only a quarter full and the surface of the lake was glass smooth in the dim light.
Slowly wandering through the trees that surrounded the lake, Grace pondered her feelings. Things had changed once she had picked up the blanket. She stopped. That was what was really bothering her. There wasn’t a single trace of that second child anywhere in the cabin, only on the blanket. Something was odd. She just couldn’t put her finger on it.
She wanted to dig up whatever it was that surrounded this case. She even feared being pulled away before she finished her quest.
Which made her more suspicious. Maybe it was a result of letting herself get hooked by emotions, or maybe
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