He nodded and pointed to an area where the soil was darker. “The amount of blood here indicates this might be were she tore at his ge**tals. I'll need to get a sample to be sure."
She took some photos first, then handed him bags and gloves before heading into the cave. She paused in the entrance, allowing her eyes time to adjust before moving fully inside. There was more evidence of a fight here, though the drier soil failed to catch any worthwhile prints. There was no clothing, meaning Candy had come back here to clean up after being spooked by the hiker.
Which definitely suggested the frenzy wasn't all-consuming. So did that mean Candy had become so accustomed to the attacks that she could, to some extent, control them?
She didn't know. As far as she knew, they'd never had trouble with blood frenzies in Ripple Creek. Nor did they want it now. While the reservation didn't survive on the tourist dollar, there were some residents who did, and any attack by a wolf on a human tended to affect every reservation.
She collected samples from several small areas of soil that looked darkened by fluid of some kind, carefully numbering and recording each one. As she rose to leave, a glint caught her eye. She walked over to the corner and brushed aside the dirt. The glint turned out to be a small, heart-shaped pendant.
Exactly the same as the one Candy had been wearing.
"Bingo,” she said softly, bagging the necklace and tagging the area before moving out of the cave.
"What have you found?” Cade had moved to an area sheltered by overhanging rocks, but he looked around as she appeared.
"A possible connection to Candy.” She showed him the necklace. “She was wearing one like this when I talked to her this morning."
"It gives us a reason to pick her up, at least.” He rose. “I've found several pieces of human tissue scattered about, but not enough to cover what the boy is missing."
God. Bile rose, and she closed her eyes, fighting it. “She's had more than enough time to clean up."
"Maybe she didn't need to.” He cupped a hand to her cheek, and gently brushed his thumb across her rain-wet lips. “Have you ever seen a wolf in a frenzy?"
"No, and it's not something I ever want to witness, thank you very much."
"I have.” His dark eyes were distant. Troubled. “Five years ago. It took half a dozen of us to bring him down in the end, and none of us walked away unscathed.” He moved his hand and showed her his palm. For the first time, she noticed the pale, ragged scar stretching from one side to the other. “I was lucky. Some of them lost fingers, hands, and even whole arms. He tore and ate whatever he could get hold of."
She swallowed back bile. “No wonder humans are scared of us."
"Even wolves should fear those who are in a frenzy. Believe me, sanity has taken a back seat and blood and flesh is all they want. And they're not picky whose."
Her phone rang, a shrill sound in the wet wildness of the storm. She started, her heart leaping into overdrive.
Cade grinned, then leaned forward and dropped a kiss on her lips, his mouth like a furnace against hers. “Getting a little jumpy there, aren't you?"
"Can you blame me?” She stepped back and answered the phone.
It was Kel. “Just got a call from a couple doing the Fitness Freaks tour."
Savannah ran a hand across her face. Fitness Freaks was a hiking group that regularly ran guided tours along the intermediate Red Mountain trail. Unfortunately, Kel just as regularly got rescue calls from hikers who weren't as fit as they thought they were. “Tell Marion I haven't got anyone to spare to come and pick up hikers who've changed their mind. Tell her this time they're going to have to walk back down."
"This wasn't from Marion but from a couple of hikers who'd dropped a little behind. They said it sounds as if something is attacking the main group. There's a whole lot of screaming and snarling."
Oh, f**k ... “I'll head there now. Call the paramedics out, too, Kel."
She hung up and looked at Cade. “Sounds like Candy's still in the frenzy. There's a tour group being attacked not far from here."
"Then we'd better get there. Fast."
She nodded, slung the camera over her shoulder, and followed him back down the mountain. “Are we going to need help?"
"Probably.” He had his phone out even as he answered her question.
"What about tranquilizer darts?"
"The last guy I mentioned? He took half a dozen darts and still managed to mutilate three people before he went down.” He paused to talk into the phone, rattling out commands in a sharp voice.
Great. Just what they needed—to be going after a mad wolf armed only with darts that may have little or no effect.