Semi-Psychic Life (Glimmer Lake #2) - Elizabeth Hunter Page 0,72
then climb the hill behind the ridge.” She frowned, staring into space. “It’s steep, but she says it’ll keep us out of sight.”
“Good.” Sully slid along the back of the shed and peeked out before he waved at Robin. “You lead the way, but stay behind as many houses as you can.”
The four moved in silence, ducking behind cabins and shuffling along narrow trails between houses. There were a few fences and more than one tree line.
Val stopped trying to figure out which direction they were heading and simply followed Sully’s lead. Every time they had to cross a clear patch of snow, Robin would wait, Sully would go first, then the rest of them would follow.
“I feel like we have to be getting close to the ridge.” Mark was panting behind her. They’d found a fourth pair of snowshoes for him, but they were really old and kind of rusty. Val tried not to wince every time the joints creaked.
Speaking of joints creaking…
“Sully, how’s your ankle?”
“I’m doing okay. It hurts like a bitch, but it hasn’t frozen up.”
“Robin, how’s your knee?”
“Sore,” Robin said. “Mark, you okay?”
“Surprisingly, all my joints are intact.”
“At least there’s one of us.”
“Two,” Val said. “My complete lack of athletic abilities is finally coming in handy during middle age. I have zero sports-related injuries.”
“Lucky.”
Val could only see one cabin left before the trees grew even denser. “I think we’re almost there, and I haven’t heard anything from above, so I’m feeling positive.”
Once they cleared the last house, they walked along a downward path for a few hundred feet before Robin stopped and looked up to her right.
“Are you kidding?” She looked back at the rest of them. “We have to climb up here.”
Oh fuck. “That’s pretty steep.”
“I know.”
Sully and Mark were panting hard.
“I’m too old for this shit,” Sully said.
“I need to jog more.” Mark looked at Robin. “You’re right, okay? I’m going to start running with you again.”
“It’s this,” Val said, “or going back to the cabin and waiting like sitting ducks for someone to maybe come help who maybe doesn’t get shot.”
Robin bent over and did a couple of shallow squats. “Okay. I can do this.”
“Let’s go.” Val started up the hill. She was walking sideways, taking her time and trying to stay as silent as possible.
Am I too old to pick up yoga?
Probably should do some cardio too.
Dammit, I should have peed before we left the cabin.
She was wearing too many layers to duck behind a tree. Plus she might literally freeze something important.
Bladder, don’t fail me now!
She leaned against a tree halfway up the hill and looked behind her. Sully and Robin were nearly caught up to her. Mark was trailing behind.
The snow muffled the sound of everything, swallowing their breathless pants and dampening the crunch of ice beneath their feet.
“Bethany says he’s right above us,” Robin whispered. “But he hasn’t looked this way. If we stay quiet, we should be able to sneak up on him.”
Sully nodded and pointed to the top of the hill. While Val caught her breath, he kept hiking, finding his footing with surprising grace for a large man.
Robin made a clicking sound with her tongue that sounded like a squirrel as she reached the top of the hill and ducked down under a rise of granite. Everyone followed her and crouched down in the snow, letting their breath return to normal.
Sully was the first to peek his head up. He took off his dark Stetson and put on a white beanie he’d found at the cabin. Keeping the rifle in both hands, he slowly rose and looked over the edge of the rocks. He scanned the area thoroughly, then crouched back down.
Sully found a blank patch of snow and clearly diagrammed where they were and where Anderson was in relation.
Mark pointed to the wide spot between the two points. “How far?” he whispered.
“Twenty yards,” Sully said under his breath. “This is the going to be the hard part.”
“Trees?” Val asked.
Sully marked a line of Xs on the far side of the Jabba rock where Anderson was camped.
“He’s not expecting us.” Mark pointed to himself, then to the trees past the Jabba rock. “I’ll run. He won’t have time to aim.”
“We don’t know what weapons he has,” Robin said.
Sully nodded to her. “Ask Bethany.”
Robin let out a breath and closed her eyes. She opened them and looked around. “She’s not here.”