Page 12 of Hollow Trace

“I can go alone.”

“Like hell.” She glanced at Neve, then Coulter. “He’s right about the outcome. I don’t know what they’re doing, but if there’s a chance Brea is one of those signals, and they get out of that ravine…”

Neve stared at the map before glancing at Coulter then over to Scout. “This is your wheelhouse, Scout. It’s your call.”

Scout closed her eyes, looked as if she either wanted to scream or throat punch him. “Quinn and I can scale the ridge. The rest of you can take the vehicles. See if you can block them off, assuming the roads are passable.”

The muscle in Neve’s temple jumped. “Splitting up means three and three. Or four in your favor.”

“Not this time.” Scout cut her off with a wave of her hand. “I’m not suggesting none of you are capable. In fact, I’m sure you and Coulter could scale it without breaking a sweat with all the training you’ve had. But Quinn and I know this area. Intimately. The climb’s going to be grueling and brutal, and there are a number of sections where we’ll have to go single file. The more people there are, the longer it’ll take, and even pushing hard, we’ll be lucky to reach them in time.”

Neve clenched her jaw, sucking in air then forcing it out before focusing on Quinn. “You’ll have her back, right? Because she’s family, and I’m not losing anyone else to Finch.”

Quinn straightened, resisting the urge to look at Scout. “I’d die for strangers. For her… I’d face the devil, himself.”

“Good. Because these men are about as close as it gets.” Neve motioned to Scout. “Keep your comms unit on, and for god’s sake, don’t die. We’ll let you know when we’re in position.”

“What about this guy?” Quinn pointed to the dead man. “Whether he’s a mercenary or not, I should call it in.”

“Once we know what we’re facing, whether or not bringing a SAR team in here might get them all killed, you can make an anonymous call.” Neve sighed. “It’s not ideal, but we worry about the living, first. Deal with everything else, second.”

She turned, took a few steps, then glanced back, giving Quinn one hell of a side-eye that clearly stated what she’d do if Scout got hurt on his watch, before striking off, the rest of the team following.

Coulter lingered for a moment, still eyeing the forest. “Do everyone a favor and try not to engage unless it’s absolutely necessary. I know you want to save Brea, but that will become exponentially harder if those assholes know you’re there. And like I said, you can’t save anyone if you’re dead.”

Quinn hooked Coulter’s arm when he went to leave. “I’ll keep her safe.”

“Brother, I’m more worried she’ll kick your ass if you two get into a grudge match. So, see that you don’t.” He chuckled as he turned and started walking. “And Neve will definitely hand you your balls if Scout gets a scratch so…”

Quinn grunted when Scout swatted him on the chest. Hard. “What was that for?”

“You’ll keep me safe? Seriously?”

“What’s wrong with that?”

Scout huffed. “I need a partner, not a shield.”

Quinn grabbed his pack, slung it over his shoulder. “And I need to not bury you, again. If that means I have to step in front of a bullet or one of these strung-out assholes so be it.” He pushed past her. “You’d best make peace with that.”

He struck off, his flashlight on the lowest setting. Just enough to highlight a hint of a branch or snag before he tripped and had Scout marching over him. Which she would, based on how her gaze practically bored through his shoulder blades. But what the hell did she expect?

He’d just gotten her back. Did she seriously think he’d be able to stomach losing her again?

That voice inside his head started nattering. Reminding him that discovering she wasn’t dead wasn’t quite the same as her being back in his life. Though, despite the stoic facade, the way she’d closed herself off, he’d witnessed a few telling reactions — the way she bit her bottom lip, or how she’d had to force her gaze away. And he’d bet his ass she wasn’t close to being over him, either.

Scout followed behind, keeping up with his punishing pace, her weapon at a low ready. The rain kicked up, needling through the canopy as the fog thickened, turning the air into a soupy mix of dense water vapor and thinning oxygen. Towering clouds covered the sky, the temperature quickly dropping to single digits.

Quinn paused at the edge of the first steep climb along a challenging section of scree and boulders, waiting while she moved in beside him. “Rocks are gonna be slick.”

Scout surveyed the face, her gaze finding the line he’d already planned out. “Then, you’d better pick the best route.”

“Are you worried?”

The corner of her mouth curled up. “We’ve got ninety-nine problems, Quinn. But this ain’t one of them.” She slung her carbine across her back. “Just get us up there before any of those assholes decide to do a perimeter sweep.”

He stepped forward, secured his first handhold. “Be careful. I need to save Brea, but I can’t…”

Lose you, again.