Agent 34 (Book 1)

17. I've got a housewarming gift for them

A little late, well for me it is anyway.

Also, there will most likely not be an update tomorrow as I'll be helping my family make tamales and taking care of some last-minute Christmas things. Just letting you know.

Next chapter will be in Sam's POV again

Everly's POV

As I stepped out of the SUV and walked toward the van abandoned just inside the tree line, there was a thud behind me.

Judging by the swearing coming from Eric, I could guess what that thud was.

"Thank God," Tessa said as she stepped out of the SUV and stretched.

Seconds later, there was another thud, followed by Tessa cussing out Eric.

I ignored them and continued on toward the van with Noelle by my side. I didn't bother taking out a weapon. If there was someone inside they would have fled long before now, or they were dead. I did however have a knife that I could access very easily if I was wrong. I doubted I was.

"The doors unlocked?" I asked Noelle as she tugged on the handle.

She nodded. "Yep," She said as she pulled open the back door of the van, but there was nothing in there. Not that I had expected to find anything.

I climbed into the back of the van while she and Ryan went around to the front, digging through the glovebox and various other compartments for any evidence of who they were or where they had gone.

I combed over the back of the van, looking for anything that might stand out. Any evidence of anyone actually being in the van, but there was nothing.

"Anything?" I asked Noelle and Ryan.

"Nothing," Ryan as he closed the passenger side door and came walking around to the back of the van. "There's not even a spec of dirt in the van. It's been totally cleaned out."

"Well I've got something," Tessa said and I hopped out of the van, making my way over to her. She pointed down at the ground. "Footprints," She said as she looked off into the forest in front of us. "They head deeper into the trees."

"Wait for a second," I told her as she started to follow the footprints.

"You want me to wait?" Tessa questioned angrily. "You're the one that keeps saying we shouldn't be wasting any more time. Our friend is missing and if there's a chance she's somewhere around here, I'm going to take it." She began walking off. "You can sit on your ass and twiddle your thumbs all you want but I-"

Tessa cut off with a startled shout as she abruptly fell through the ground.

"Tessa!" Ian shouted as he ran up to the hole in the dirt, with Ryan and Noelle on his heels.

Once Ryan got to the edge of the hole, however, he looked down into it and began laughing hysterically.

"Shut up you little-"

"Don't Tessa," Ian called down to her.

Eric, Alejandra, and I came calmly walking over to peer down at Tessa sitting on the floor, surrounded by dirt and rotting wood pieces.

"How much you want to bet there's a dead body in there with her?" Eric whispered to Alejandra.

"I can hear you, asshole," Tessa shouted up.

"Oh no," Eric said with feigned fear. "Whatever will I do?"

Tessa threw a knife up at him. Alejandra caught it before it embedded itself in his eye. Suddenly, Eric was pissed and began yelling obscenities at Tessa. Tessa just flipped him off.