Page 46 of Silent Road

The predator and the prey.

"You think he chased Mark right away or gave him a head start?"Tommy asked.His brow was furrowed, his hand hovering close to the holster of his weapon.

Sheila shook her head."Not sure.He must've been very confident they wouldn't run into anyone else.Most people, if they tried something like this, would panic at the thought of the other person getting away, but our killer is as cool as a cucumber."

"Assuming he left the second set of tracks," Tommy said."Maybe Mark got the upper hand and drove his attacker off."

"Maybe.But I wouldn't count on it."

The old maintenance shed squatted in a small clearing, its metal roof sagging under decades of snow.Paint peeled from the walls in long strips, revealing rust-stained steel beneath.

Sheila and Tommy exchanged a glance.Drawing their weapons, they approached the shed.On the count of three, Sheila opened the door, and Tommy rushed inside.Sheila followed a moment later, sweeping her flashlight through the darkness.

No sign of Mark—or his attacker.

"Clear," Tommy said, holstering his weapon.He sounded disappointed."Think Mark came in here, maybe looking for shelter?"

"Or a weapon."Sheila studied the room.Old ski repair equipment lined one wall—screwdrivers, wrenches, a rusty vice grip.A broken snowmobile seat was propped in one corner.Metal shelves held abandoned supplies: coils of frayed rope, empty gas cans, a box of expired road flares.Something had been knocked off the highest shelf recently—there was a clear spot in the dust and scattered debris below.

Tommy picked up a length of pipe from the floor."This was under that shelf.Could've been used as a weapon."He examined the end carefully."No blood."

Sheila swept her light across the remaining tools.It was impossible to tell if anything was missing—the shed was too disorganized, too long abandoned.

"The question is," she said, "did he take anything with him?And did it do him any good?"

"Only one way to find out," Tommy said, stepping back outside.Sheila followed him, and together, they scanned the ground.Two sets of tracks led away from the shed's entrance, heading uphill through the trees.The first set showed a longer stride—someone running.The second set followed at that same measured pace.

"He's heading up," Tommy said, frowning."Away from the resort, away from help."

"Panic makes you do strange things."Sheila studied the tracks."He's lost his phone, probably disoriented.Maybe looking for higher ground to get his bearings?"

They followed the trail, weapons drawn.The slope grew steeper, the snow deeper between the trees.Mark's footprints showed signs of exhaustion—places where he'd stumbled, fallen, pushed himself back up.But he'd kept going.

"Look at this pattern," Tommy said, pointing to a stretch where Mark's tracks zig-zagged between the trees."He's trying to break line of sight.Military tactic."

"Makes sense.Mark grew up around here—probably went hunting with his dad.Basic survival skills."Sheila paused, catching her breath in the thin air."But where was he trying to get to?There's nothing up here except..."

She trailed off as they emerged from the trees onto a stretch of exposed rock.The wind hit them full force, and ahead, the tracks disappeared into a maze of bare stone and patches of ice.

"Except the old fire tower," Tommy said."But that's been closed for years.No way he'd make it that far in this condition."

Sheila knelt to examine the last visible footprint.The snow around it was disturbed, as if there had been a struggle.Or maybe just another fall.Without more tracks to follow, it was impossible to know which.

She stood and scanned the bare rock ahead, searching for any sign of which way Mark and his pursuer had gone.The wind had picked up, carrying the sharp bite of approaching weather.Dark clouds gathered over the western peaks.

"We should head back," Tommy said, but she shook her head.

"He's up here somewhere.Maybe hurt."She took a few steps onto the rocky ground, testing different angles, looking for the faintest trace of passage."If we just keep searching..."

"Sheila."Tommy's voice was firmer than she'd heard it before."Look at those clouds.Storm's coming in fast.If we get caught up here in whiteout conditions, we won't be any help to Mark or anyone else."

She wanted to argue, to push forward anyway.But she'd seen too many rescue attempts turn into recovery operations because people ignored warning signs.The mountain didn't care about human determination.

"We come back with a full search team," Tommy continued."Dogs, proper equipment.Do this right."

She looked once more at the expanse ahead, imagining Mark somewhere up there, possibly injured, possibly...She forced the thought away.

"You're right," she said finally."But I hate leaving him up here."

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