Chapter4
1201 Words
Emily’s POV
The air outside the conference room felt heavier like the weight of the case had settled on my shoulders. The moment I stepped out, I let out a slow breath. The case was bigger than I had imagined, and it was clear that Agent Harper wasn’t telling us everything.
“So,” Jake’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts. “What do you think?”
I turned to him, my arms crossed. “I think there’s more to this than they’re letting on.”
His lips quirked up in amusement. “You’re quick. Most people take weeks to figure that out.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “You knew?”
“I had my suspicions.” He leaned against the wall, his golden eyes watching me closely. “Harper is tough, but she doesn’t play games. If she’s keeping secrets, it’s because she thinks we can’t handle the truth.”
“Great,” I muttered. “That’s not ominous at all.”
Jake chuckled. “Welcome to the team, Emily.”
Before I could reply, a voice called out, “Carter! Jake!”
We turned to see Officer Ramirez approaching, his broad frame taking up most of the narrow hallway. His serious expression made me stand a little straighter.
“Harper wants you two to start first thing tomorrow morning,” Ramirez said, his deep voice leaving no room for argument. “Meet at the station at six sharp. You’ll get your equipment and your assignments.”
“Six?” I groaned. “That’s practically the middle of the night.”
Ramirez raised an unimpressed brow. “We’re tracking something dangerous in those woods. You want to sleep in, go work for a magazine.”
Jake smirked at my scowl. “We’ll be there.”
Ramirez nodded and walked away, leaving me muttering under my breath.
“Remind me again why I agreed to this?” I sighed.
“Because deep down, you love the thrill of uncovering the truth,” Jake teased.
I shot him a look. “Yeah, well, I also love sleeping.”
Jake laughed. “Better get used to losing that luxury, partner.”
The next morning, I dragged myself to the station, barely awake. The town was eerily quiet at this hour, the streetlights still flickering as the sun slowly began to rise. I clutched my coffee like it was a lifeline, forcing myself to stay alert.
When I stepped inside, I spotted Jake immediately. He was already geared up, his tactical vest fitting snugly over his dark gray shirt. He looked way too awake for that hour.
“Good morning, sunshine,” he greeted me with a grin.
I gave him a deadpan look. “I hate you.”
He laughed. “That’s fair.”
Before I could complain further, Agent Harper and Ramirez entered, carrying a stack of files. She placed them on the table, looking at us with her usual unreadable expression.
“You two will be investigating the northern sector,” she said, flipping open one of the files. “We’ve had multiple reports of strange activity there—unexplained noises, missing hikers, and a few… disturbing encounters.”
I frowned. “What kind of encounters?”
Harper hesitated for a second before sliding a picture toward me. It was a blurry image of a figure in the woods—tall, with glowing eyes. My stomach twisted. It looked eerily similar to the ranger I had seen days ago.
“A few witnesses described seeing a man with golden eyes lurking around the forest,” Harper continued. “He disappears before anyone can get close, but one thing is consistent—he’s always near the scene of a disappearance.”
My mouth went dry. My mind immediately flashed back to Jake. His golden eyes. The resemblance to the ranger. The way he had hesitated when I asked about siblings.
I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. His expression was unreadable, but his jaw was tense.
“Any idea who he is?” I asked carefully.
Harper shook her head. “That’s what you two are going to find out.”
I swallowed, trying to focus. This was my job. I couldn’t let paranoia cloud my judgment.
“We’ll do our best,” I said, forcing confidence into my voice.
Harper nodded. “Good. Get your gear and head out. And Carter?”
I looked up.
“Stay sharp. The forest isn’t as empty as it seems.”
By mid-morning, Jake and I were hiking through the northern sector of the forest, our boots crunching against the fallen leaves. The deeper we went, the quieter it got—too quiet.
I hugged my jacket tighter around me. “So, tell me, partner,” I started, trying to shake the eerie feeling. “Have you ever seen anything… strange out here?”
Jake was quiet for a moment before answering, “Depends on what you mean by strange.”
I raised a brow. “You know exactly what I mean.”
He smirked but didn’t answer right away. Instead, he glanced around, as if making sure no one was listening.
“Let’s just say… there are things in this forest that don’t want to be found.”
A chill ran down my spine.
“Great,” I muttered. “That’s exactly what I needed to hear.”
We continued walking, the silence stretching between us. I couldn’t shake the feeling that Jake knew more than he was letting on.
After a few minutes, he suddenly stopped, holding out an arm to halt me.
“What—”
He pointed ahead. My breath caught.
Just a few yards away, partially hidden behind the trees, was a figure. Tall. Broad shoulders. Glowing golden eyes staring right at us.
The ranger.
I instinctively took a step back, my pulse racing.
Jake’s expression hardened. “Stay here.”
He stepped forward, but before he could get closer, the ranger turned and disappeared into the trees.
Without thinking, I grabbed my recorder and sprinted after them. “Wait!”
“Emily, stop!” Jake shouted behind me.
I didn’t listen. I ran, heart pounding, weaving through the dense forest. The ranger was fast, moving like he knew every inch of these woods. But I was determined.
Branches scraped against my arms, the cold air burning my lungs.
Then, suddenly—
I stumbled into a clearing. Empty.
No sign of the ranger.
I turned in a circle, breathing hard. “Where—”
A twig snapped behind me. I whirled around.
And froze.
The ranger was standing just a few feet away, watching me with those piercing golden eyes.
Up close, he was even more intimidating—tall, muscular, his presence commanding.
“You shouldn’t be here,” he said, his voice deep and rough, familiar.
“Lucas….. It is lovely to see you again.” I said to him; his eyes darted back to Jake, and I could see an uncanny resemblance. Jake wasn't himself but Lucas had a poker face.
“You both should leave. Don't forget what happened last time,” he said as he disappeared into the woods.
- Writer
