A Fresh Start (Book 6 Arrow/SPN Series)

When Things Get Worse

Sam was already in Baby, Cougar and Coyote were in her car and it was already running. Roy jogged to his car, I got into mine and backed her up so our trunk lids would block the view from the hotel while he moved his stuff over. Sam didn't say anything, I got back out and popped the trunk. Roy moved fast so it wasn't more than minute later when I closed the trunk while he got into the backseat. I got back in, pulled in behind Coyote and we headed out.

She led us up some roads that led farther into the hills where the bodies had been found and finally pulled off and down a dirt road that led a few miles into the forest. We came to a small river, she parked and they got out of the car. The three of us followed suit, she opened the trunk of her car and Cougar started gathering things while she pointed across the river in a northeast direction. "I dug around on the net looking for unlisted hiking trails and such by where the bodies were laid out. A seven mile hike from the main trail was going to take way too long and I really don't want to spend the night out here."

I grabbed my 1911, the machete and a few other things while she talked. "Can't argue with that."

"There's supposedly a small trail that starts across the river that's about a two mile hike to where we need to be. Hope those tennis shoes are waterproof Roy."

"Give me a second. I brought different clothes" He reached into a bag and pulled out his boots and pants from his Arsenal suit.

I had to stop myself from saying anything too harsh, "You brought that?" Who the hell puts their "secret identity suit" in the trunk of their car?

"Not the whole thing, I'm not an idiot. The pants are setup to hold weapons like knives and those darts, plus they're leather so will work pretty well out here and the boots are waterproof and quiet. Sort of like the moccasins they have on."

"Oh, makes sense then. Good call."

He changed out of his jeans and tennis shoes, Coyote and Cougar hung a bunch of pouches from their pants and around their necks, I was guessing herbs for whatever she thought she was going to need them for and Sam and I loaded up on weapons. Roy slung his quiver across his back, picked up his bow, closed Baby's trunk and we followed Cougar across the river. As soon as we hit the woods all those fun things I'd picked up in Purgatory came back, looking up, checking out shadows for any movement, listening for twigs snapping, lack of animal sounds, trying to avoid stepping on branches or leaves as much as possible. The woods were damp so that helped keeping the sounds of our feet down. Cougar and Coyote were in front and I leaned closer to Sam's ear. "Watch where they walk, try to hit the same spots. Keep the noise down." He nodded. I drifted back to the rear of the group, Roy was to the right and slightly ahead of me, Sam to my left and Cougar and Coyote were ranging back and forth in the front.

We'd covered a decent amount of ground when Cougar froze and threw his right hand up in a fist. He pointed at something on the ground and motioned to Coyote, who took a step closer to him and looked down, she nodded and motioned for us to get closer to her. We all joined her, "Trap," she said then picked up a pretty thick branch and shoved it into the ground hard, a rope wrapped around the branch and yanked it up into the tree.

Well that made things more interesting, "We sure that's not just a hunting trap for deer?" I whispered.

"Usually you don't try to yank a deer into the trees," Coyote pointed out.

"True."

Cougar inched his way forward, made it about five feet and waved us on. We joined him and he pointed to the trees on either side, pointed at each of us in turn, spread his hand apart, looked at Coyote and shrugged. He wanted us to spread out and wait to see if anyone came to check the trap.