glanced at Bo, and saw the same thought in his eyes. “Yeah.”
“Sam, when we get to the spot, go ahead and take video.” Clicking the pen on, Bo scribbled a note on the pad. “Dean, you take stills.”
Anne’s gaze darted back and forth between the three of them, curiosity bright in her eyes. “How come?”
“Sometimes things show up on film that the naked eye can’t pick up,” Bo explained. “We’ve learned a great deal in the past by taking video and still pictures of the area in question, even if we can’t see or sense anything ourselves.”
Frowning, Anne tilted her head to the side. “What do you mean, sense? You mean, like, psychic stuff?”
Bo and Dean both looked at Sam. He bit back a groan. “Yes, like psychic stuff. I’m psychic. I can sometimes sense things other people can’t sense, even see and hear things other people can’t. Things that show up on film or audio tape later,” he added, noting Anne’s skeptical expression. “We have two other psychics on our team, but they’re back in Asheville finishing up the investigation at the Kimberley Inn.”
The shuttered look vanished from Anne’s face, bubbly eagerness taking its place. “Oh my God, I stayed there one time! It’s awesome! Did you guys see the Lady in Red?”
Sam nodded. “Yeah, we did. I got some video of her.”
“Wow, that’s so cool.” Anne turned and started up the path again. “I guess we better get going. I want to make sure you guys get to do everything you need to before I have to head back.”
Dean fell into step beside Anne, the two of them talking with their heads together. Sam and Bo followed more slowly. Bo’s gait was more hesitant than usual, and his shoulders were tight. Worried, Sam drew closer and laid a hand on Bo’s back.
“Is your leg still bothering you?” he murmured. “You promised to tell me.”
Bo grimaced. “Yes, actually. But it’s different from before.”
“Different how?”
“After the climb up the mountain, it ached, like an overworked muscle normally would. Just felt tight and sore, and it hurt to put weight on it. Now…” He shook his head, brows drawn together in thought. “I don’t know. It doesn’t hurt, exactly. It burns. It feels sort of like there’s little bubbles bursting under my skin and inside the muscle.”
Sam shot him a concerned look. “That can’t be normal.”
“I know.” Winding the tail of his braid around his finger, Bo met Sam’s gaze. “When we get back to the cabin, I’d like to take a good look at it. What I’m feeling is unusual enough that I’d like for us both to examine the old wound as closely as possible.”
Letting his hand slide down Bo’s arm, Sam briefly squeezed his fingers. “Maybe you should let Dean look at it too. He’s the only one here with medical training.”
“Yes, I think you’re right. I’ll have Dean take a look and give his opinion.”
“Good.”
At that moment, Anne stopped about fifty feet up the trail and nodded toward the trees to Sam’s right. “Okay, this is it. Right here is where the sightings have been.”
Bo hurried forward, with Sam at his heels. Sam noticed the faint stiffness of Bo’s gait and the way his hand rubbed his right thigh, but kept quiet about it. Bo wouldn’t appreciate him interrupting the investigation with concerns over Bo’s discomfort, especially since they’d just finished discussing what to do about it.
“All of the sightings have been at this exact spot?” Bo twisted his braid and stared into the thicket of pines. “You’re certain?”
“Uh-huh.” Moving to stand beside Bo, Anne pointed into the trees. “See that rock there?”
Sam looked in the direction Anne pointed. About twenty feet from the path, a large, smooth boulder rose from a mass of brambles. It shone white in the shadows.
“Yes, I see it,” Bo said. “Have the witnesses all mentioned seeing the creature near that boulder?”
“Yep. Every last one.”
“Hm.” Bo wrote on his notepad, then glanced
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