Page 38 of Shephard

“Just be careful, little buddy,” she said to the dog. She couldn’t care less if I fell off the mountain.

God, that made me want her even more.

“Marcus! Are you here?”

She called Marcus’ name several times, waiting the appropriate amount of time for the kid to answer. The only answer was a wolf’s howl. She didn’t seem fazed by the fact danger lurked in the shadows. While a slight distance away, we were invading their territory.

Her training was quality, her markers enough to get us back to where we came from. She also stopped every few feet, searching the area for any clues. What I didn’t think she noticed was that something was off. How did I know?

A couple of broken limbs that indicated someone had raced blindly in the dark, trying desperately to get away. A few trampled branches and depressions in clumps of foliage that could be missed easily.

I hunkered down, noticing a dark substance. The flashlight told me enough, but sliding my fingers through the substance confirmed blood. There were several drops, a trail appearing to lead to nowhere.

Pepper was growling, her ears perked up.

“Come,” Denise commanded. The pup complied after snorting.

I listened for any sounds, hearing only the light rustle of leaves. My instinct was suddenly on high alert. Yes, it was possible the kid who’d fled the party was hurt. However, I could tell by Pepper’s reaction this could also be something else entirely.

Denise realized what I was doing, tentatively walking in my direction. “What did you find?”

“Blood.”

“Shit. Marcus is hurt.” When she whispered the next few words, I knew she was highly skilled and intuitive. “Or someone else is. Goddamn it.” She was thinking about the case I sensed she was directly involved in.

I’d caught a snippet of the news, the fucking reporter making it sound as if we had a serial killer loose. I was surprised the town folk seemed to take it all in stride. My guess was they’d heard it all over the years.

“When did he walk away from the party?” I stood, using the flashlight to scan the close surroundings.

“An hour ago. Maybe. Why?” She crouched down, also brushing her index finger through the blood while I headed toward something that caught my eye. “The blood is already starting to coagulate. Shit. Not his blood.”

Pepper remained alert, pacing the area while staying close to her mistress. Letting her go at this point in the dark was dangerous for the dog.

“Exactly. And there’s more over here. You have yourself another issue.”

She took long strides toward where I was standing, groaning as she peered down at the heavier volume of blood. “You should get back to the Jeep. This is for the experts to handle.”

“Lady, I don’t know who you think I am, but this is what I’m trained to do. I’m here. I’m helping. Period. Let’s find the damn kid. The other asshole is likely dead given the loss of blood. Look at the tree. It’s covered in it.” I swung my flashlight on the area and she sucked in her breath.

“Damn it.”

I’d grill her later about what she knew, even if it wasn’t my place. It was my nature.

As I walked away, I could smell her anger. My suspicion was that we’d potentially also find someone else who was injured.

Or worse.

An attack had obviously occurred at some point. But I had my doubts it was animal related. If it had been, there’d be more than just blood soaking the ground.

She moved ahead of me, her anger increasing. “Marcus. Where are you?” Her call reflected her unhappiness with me.

I got it. She didn’t like me other than beneath the sheets. While the reporter hadn’t done anyone a service with her ridiculous, overblown story, she obviously had no idea what was really happening.

Why did I have the distinct feeling a pattern was developing?

“Come on. Watch your step,” Denise barked.

The trail was getting worse, the dense foliage blinding even with the powerful flashlights.