Page 16 of Hollow State

“Tingling? Pins and needles?” Darwin helped Kane stand.

“I'm just stiff.”

Reaching beneath her seat, Wynn removed the comms unit and opened it. Gideon had reprogrammed it so the encryption key would be more difficult for anyone else to hack. But that didn't mean it couldn't be breached. They'd done their best and that had to be good enough.

She raised the device. “Elis, this is Wynn. Do you copy?”

Static crackled through the earpiece.

Darwin continued to do what he did best, and that was to make sure Kane was actually doing okay.

“I copy," Elis said. "How far out are you?"

"About a half a kilometer just past where the access road turns and cuts across the pavement."

"Okay, there's one vehicle in the lot. Hikers went in your direction, but there are so many trails, who knows if you'll intersect.”

That wasn't the kind of news she wanted to hear. “Confirm your position, please."

“I’m at the turnoff. Traffic’s light. Like nonexistent right now.”

“Any vehicles follow you?” While Wynn knew Elis was a good friend of Darwin's, she still had to ask the question. It was protocol.

“None that I could tell. I’ve got a clear view of the road in both directions. The access road hits the trails and then moves into the clearing near the lot. I’ll keep watch and let you know if anything changes.”

"We'll be there shortly. Use the signal if anything changes," Wynn said.

"Will do."

Wynn put the comms system back in the case, shoved it in her backpack, and slung it over her shoulder. She grabbed the rifle from the rack and checked the chamber.

Darwin removed the camouflage netting from the cargo platform, and they spread it over the SxS, together, in silence. They worked well in tandem. Had since the moment they’d met. It was like they could read each other's minds. Knew exactly how the other would move without even thinking about it.

The mottled fabric concealed the shape of the vehicle, blending the roll cage and roof into the surrounding brush. Wynn pulled cedar branches across the lower edges and stepped back. "Let's go."

Darwin helped Kane from the stump he'd been sitting on. For the most part, he'd been doing really well back at the bunker. He could get around easily enough, but sitting in an SxS for hours had not only stiffened his muscles, it had also affected his nerves. It was noticeable in the way his body seemed to drag.

"Take this and use it." Darwin handed the walking stick to Kane.

“Only because the ground’s uneven,” Kane said.

“Of course,” Darwin replied.

Wynn took the lead, scanning the trail in front of her, keeping her focus on hidden dangers and potential hikers, rather than Kane's pride. She needed to stay in combat mode.

Kane stumbled and groaned, but Darwin didn't make a fuss. Neither did Kane. Both men just kept pushing forward.

The parking lot was less than a hundred yards away, but the distance offered too much open ground for her liking. The narrow trail ran between thick brush on one side and a shallow drainage ditch on the other.

She kept the rifle against her shoulder, muzzle angled down but ready.

In the distance, Wynn heard a muffled female voice, followed by a male, and then laughter.

Wynn stopped and raised her fist. Her pulse increased, but her breathing slowed. Turning, she caught Darwin's gaze and pointed toward where the brush thickened, several feet in. A fallen cedar had torn out a shallow hollow beneath its exposed roots.

Darwin guided him behind the trunk while Wynn backed into the ferns and trained the rifle toward the sound.

Two hikers appeared through the trees less than thirty yards away.