“That’s not what I said—”
“So you’ll forgive me if I don’t take too kindly to being told I’m not only ugly, but I’m helpless and stupid because I’m female,” she bit out. “Now are you going to help me or not?”
Not, he wanted to say, but he noticed her full lower lip was trembling with cold.
“You want the Templar camp?” he asked, voice short.
“Yes, I do.”
“Follow me,” he said, and turned around, walking past her back to the direction of the camp. He’d actually found it a half hour ago—she’d more or less wandered right past it—but he hadn’t felt the need to point it out to her. If she’d have looked up, she’d probably have seen the crude tree houses that made up the camp.
But she hadn’t looked up. And she hadn’t had a flashlight, either. She’d been wandering the woods, cold and alone and not terrified in the slightest. Instead, she was determined to find her sister.
He had to admire that, even if he didn’t like her much.
Colt led the way through the brush. He hadn’t heard one complaint out of her mouth just yet, something he had respect for. People that got out in the wild and complained that it was wet and muddy were idiots in his book.
After about ten minutes of pushing through the trees and mud, Colt spotted one of the shacklike tree houses above. He turned back to Beth Ann, who was close on his heels. “We’re here.”
“Here?” She frowned and pushed past him, staring up at the trees and the tree houses, and then the scatter of discarded camping equipment at the base of the trunks. Folding camping chairs circled around the long-dead firepit, which was now nothing more than a dirty puddle on the ground. “It’s deserted.”
“Yeah.”
“Where is everyone?”
“Evacuated.”
Her confused expression focused back on him. “Evacuated? From the camp? By who?”
“Volunteer Emergency Services.” He pointed at the patch on his sleeve. “Like me.”
She stared at him, astonished. Her mascara-rimmed eyes were wide. “They’re not here,” she repeated. “Is anyone here?”
He pointed at her, then pointed at himself, enjoying her astonished expression a little too much, though he kept his poker face on.
She thought for a minute, then stared back at the deserted, washed-out campsite. “And Lucy went with them? Where’d they go?”
“Nearby motel,” Colt said. “It’s under construction but the owner’s letting them all stay the night until the cars can be towed.”
One delicately arched eyebrow went up. “How long have you known that they’re gone?”
He kept his face smooth. “’Bout two hours.”
* * *