exterior. Somehow, his outburst made him seem more human. More approachable. And a little color had returned to his face. Satisfied that he had himself back in hand, she sat back.
“What about you?” he asked. “Why the whole leather and chains bit? The scarlet lipstick and black nails thing shouts of insecurity and need for attention.”
He had no idea the nerve he’d just hit. She turned her head to look out the window. And there was no way she would let him see the tears in her eyes. She presented herself to the world as tough and savvy, and she wasn’t about to let down that facade.
The interior of the Bronco went silent. She fixedly studied the mountains outside the window. Although they were not all that tall, the terrain was rugged. Steep outcroppings of rock interrupted the carpet of green trees. Here and there she spotted movement. An owl circling in the dark overhead, a coyote slinking across an open field. The night was alive, and she sank into it, becoming a part of it.
“Do eagles hunt at night?” Gray asked without warning.
“They can. Although their prey mostly is active during the day, so they do the bulk of their hunting in daylight.”
“We’re coming into Spruce Hollow. Luke’s place is on the other side of town.”
She counted buildings—gas station, small grocery store, car wash, video store. Wow. She hadn’t seen one of those in a while. And of course, a church. Several dozen modest homes clustered around the businesses. Soft lights came from a few windows, and she frowned, not placing the dim glows. Those weren’t electric. Kerosene lamps, maybe? Wow. These folks did take going off the grid seriously.
“Don’t blink or you’ll miss the whole town,” she joked.
“Hence my confusion over why Jeff Winston saw fit to pull us both and send us here.”
“I get it now,” she replied quietly. “It is strange, isn’t it?”
“Luke’s cabin is up that turnoff. I figure we need to head on down the road a bit and hike back.”
She looked at the dirt track winding up a mountain into a heavy stand of spruce trees. She’d read before she came here that scientists had planted spruce trees inside the NRQZ in the 1950s because they believed the needles were the right length to absorb radio interference.
“Could we at least park uphill from his place so it’s a downhill hike?” she asked.
“You’d still have to hike back to the car.”
“I’ll wait at the cabin and you can bring the car to pick me up. After all, you’re such a gentleman.”
He murmured as he pulled the car off the narrow road and into the woods. “I’m not always a gentleman.”
Her head whipped around and she stared at him in the dark. That sounded like a come-on. Surely this man was not throwing pick-up lines at her. Not after he’d so strongly signaled his complete disinterest in her earlier. His features might be easy to see, but they were not easy to read. His face was completely devoid of hints as to what he’d meant by that comment. Expressionlessness aside, the innuendo behind that comment had not been her imagination. There was definitely something going on between the two of them. A spark. Or at least friction. But what kind of friction, she had no clue.
Gray hefted the rucksack and started off through the woods. He swore quietly as a tree branch snagged his shirt.
“How ‘bout you let the lady who can see in the dark go first, Sparky? You just show me which direction we need to head, and I’ll take point.”
He frowned but said nothing.
“What? You don’t like the idea of the girl going first?”
“Actually, I don’t.”
“Keep in mind I’ll be able to see the bad guys way before they can see me.”
“I still haven’t had my demonstration of how well you can see.”
She glanced around in the trees, seeing every stick, every leaf. “Follow me.” She led him unerringly around the trees, calling out logs and low spots quietly over her shoulder. They topped the ridge that rose behind Zimmer’s house in a few minutes. She paused at the edge of a clearing and looked out over the town.
“Want me to start reading license plates in the driveways down there?” she murmured. “You can write them down and check them when we head back through Spruce Hollow.”
“What do you see over toward Luke’s place?”
She looked where he pointed and made out a darkened cabin through the trees. “No movement through the windows. Dirty dishes in the sink, though. I see muddy footprints on the porch, leading to the door and away from it.”
Gray stared at her. “You see footprints?”
“Shall we move in close so the blind, normal guy can verify it?”
“No. I’ll take your word for it.”
She studied the cabin for a moment. “If we move off to our right a bit, I ought to be able to see if anyone’s in bed. The curtains are open in the bedroom.”
“By all means,” Gray muttered. “All I see is a dark blob where the cabin is.”
She moved off confidently through the trees. It took her a minute to find a vantage point through the forest to see the cabin again, but she spotted it and reported, “No one’s in bed. Looks like Luke’s not home.”
Gray murmured, “He’s got a big dog. Any sign of him?”
“Nope. There’s no movement at all, and I can’t imagine any dog leaving the food on the kitchen table undisturbed like that. Luke took Fido with him. Want to move in closer?”
“Sure.”
“Too bad we can’t plant a few bugs while we’re inside.”
“I didn’t say we’d go inside!” he exclaimed under his breath.
“What’s the point of getting close if we don’t?” she retorted. “And I saw that eye roll, mister.” She grinned at the startled chagrin that crossed his features. It was good to be able to see in the dark.
She led the way down the hill to the cabin, approaching it using tree cover all the way. Gray touched her arm as they drew near and whispered, “We should check the garage. Make sure his truck’s gone.”
“I see recent tracks in the dirt. It’s gone.”
“Ohh-kay, then.”
“C’mon. The rain barrel on the porch has been moved recently—the ring of dust at its base is disturbed. I bet that’s where the spare key is hidden.” Sure enough, she was right. In short order, she let them into the cabin while Gray muttered his misgivings under his breath. She paused in the doorway and scanned the room.
“What are you doing?” Gray asked. “We know he’s not home.”
“Checking
