Read Online Once An Alpha (The S Files: Paranormal Investigation Agency – Book 1) by Callie McKenna - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Callie McKenna
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completely insane.”
We discussed it while we got dressed and ready for the day, and we decided on spending half the day in the office going through the old missing persons files again to see if anything jumped out at us upon a second viewing, and then the rest of the day hiking back up to the mountains to camp for the night. The way we figured it, whatever was happening to these people, it was happening at night, so as the lead investigators on the case, the least we could do is put ourselves in the same place and see what came of it.
After reviewing the case files again, we headed back up the steep mountain trail, this time with a tent and sleeping bags in tow. I’d also stashed a bag of marshmallows in my backpack along with the other food we were bringing, because what could be better than toasting marshmallows over a campfire?
On our way up the trail, we ran into an Australian couple who were also hiking and camping in the area. We stopped to have a chat, and I asked them if they had heard about the recent case.
“Yeah, we have, but we’re pretty well equipped. Animals won’t attack us,” the tall blond man said. “And if they do, ehh. We’re kinda used to it, so we can deal with it. Back in Australia, there are about a million creatures that’ll try to kill you over breakfast if you aren’t too careful. We’ll be fine.”
His partner giggled at his blasé attitude, and I hesitated, wanting to tell him there was no evidence thus far that animals were responsible for any of the missing people. But then they’d want to know what else it could be, and I had no answers. I went against my better judgment and told them, but didn’t let on that I was an agent investigating the case.
“You know, I heard that they didn’t find anything to show it was animals attacking people out here,” I said. Lyndon gave me a side-eyed glanced and then nodded.
“Yeah, I overheard some cops talkin’ about it at a bar last night,” he chimed in, playing along with me. “Could be anythin’, really. You should keep an eye out for yourselves.”
The Australian couple’s faces crisscrossed with lines of confusion, but then they smiled. “We’ll be careful,” the man said. “Happy camping!”
“Yeah, you too.”
An hour later, we arrived not far from where the most recent vanished couple had camped, and a shiver went down my spine at the thought of sleeping in such close proximity to where it had happened. I also discovered that Lyndon was utterly useless at setting up a tent. Finally, something he wasn’t naturally good at!
“Seriously?” I said, dramatically rolling my eyes at him as I tied ropes to the tent poles. It was just a little khaki-colored tent that didn’t require much effort, and I couldn’t believe he didn’t know how. “Didn’t you ever go camping as a kid?”
He rubbed his temples. “Um, yeah, I did. We just never stayed in tents.”
“What did you stay in then?” I asked curiously. “It isn’t camping if you booked a cabin in the woods or whatever.”
He hesitated, then raised his hands in defeat. “Okay, I guess we didn’t go camping then.”
Laughing, I showed him just how to tie the ropes to the poles, and an hour later it was starting to get dark. Lyndon lit a fire, and we hauled a fallen log over to it so that we had something to sit on. I collected sticks to put the marshmallows on just like we had done in my Girl Scout days, and Lyndon was disgusted as he watched me toast them over the leaping flames.
“Couldn’t you use a skewer or something? Any animal could have pissed on those sticks. You expect me to kiss you now that you’re eating toasted marshmallows off them?”
“Yes, yes I do,” I said, waving a marshmallow in his face. “Go on, try it…or else I’ll kiss you right now. Won’t even brush my teeth.”
He grinned and tentatively slid his mouth over it, and he nodded a second later as he chewed up the sticky pink and white goodness. “Wow, this is
We discussed it while we got dressed and ready for the day, and we decided on spending half the day in the office going through the old missing persons files again to see if anything jumped out at us upon a second viewing, and then the rest of the day hiking back up to the mountains to camp for the night. The way we figured it, whatever was happening to these people, it was happening at night, so as the lead investigators on the case, the least we could do is put ourselves in the same place and see what came of it.
After reviewing the case files again, we headed back up the steep mountain trail, this time with a tent and sleeping bags in tow. I’d also stashed a bag of marshmallows in my backpack along with the other food we were bringing, because what could be better than toasting marshmallows over a campfire?
On our way up the trail, we ran into an Australian couple who were also hiking and camping in the area. We stopped to have a chat, and I asked them if they had heard about the recent case.
“Yeah, we have, but we’re pretty well equipped. Animals won’t attack us,” the tall blond man said. “And if they do, ehh. We’re kinda used to it, so we can deal with it. Back in Australia, there are about a million creatures that’ll try to kill you over breakfast if you aren’t too careful. We’ll be fine.”
His partner giggled at his blasé attitude, and I hesitated, wanting to tell him there was no evidence thus far that animals were responsible for any of the missing people. But then they’d want to know what else it could be, and I had no answers. I went against my better judgment and told them, but didn’t let on that I was an agent investigating the case.
“You know, I heard that they didn’t find anything to show it was animals attacking people out here,” I said. Lyndon gave me a side-eyed glanced and then nodded.
“Yeah, I overheard some cops talkin’ about it at a bar last night,” he chimed in, playing along with me. “Could be anythin’, really. You should keep an eye out for yourselves.”
The Australian couple’s faces crisscrossed with lines of confusion, but then they smiled. “We’ll be careful,” the man said. “Happy camping!”
“Yeah, you too.”
An hour later, we arrived not far from where the most recent vanished couple had camped, and a shiver went down my spine at the thought of sleeping in such close proximity to where it had happened. I also discovered that Lyndon was utterly useless at setting up a tent. Finally, something he wasn’t naturally good at!
“Seriously?” I said, dramatically rolling my eyes at him as I tied ropes to the tent poles. It was just a little khaki-colored tent that didn’t require much effort, and I couldn’t believe he didn’t know how. “Didn’t you ever go camping as a kid?”
He rubbed his temples. “Um, yeah, I did. We just never stayed in tents.”
“What did you stay in then?” I asked curiously. “It isn’t camping if you booked a cabin in the woods or whatever.”
He hesitated, then raised his hands in defeat. “Okay, I guess we didn’t go camping then.”
Laughing, I showed him just how to tie the ropes to the poles, and an hour later it was starting to get dark. Lyndon lit a fire, and we hauled a fallen log over to it so that we had something to sit on. I collected sticks to put the marshmallows on just like we had done in my Girl Scout days, and Lyndon was disgusted as he watched me toast them over the leaping flames.
“Couldn’t you use a skewer or something? Any animal could have pissed on those sticks. You expect me to kiss you now that you’re eating toasted marshmallows off them?”
“Yes, yes I do,” I said, waving a marshmallow in his face. “Go on, try it…or else I’ll kiss you right now. Won’t even brush my teeth.”
He grinned and tentatively slid his mouth over it, and he nodded a second later as he chewed up the sticky pink and white goodness. “Wow, this is
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