Forty-One: Greyson

The candles were lit, and music filled the cave softly from the cheap phone I was still holding a grudge against. It played music but wouldn't let any of my messages come through. What kind of a bullshit scam was that?

I took a deep breath, needing to calm myself before Sloane arrived.

I had spent a good twenty minutes pacing, then twenty more sitting on the ground with my arms on my knees before I saw the water ripple, signaling that she had just jumped into the pond.

It was only a matter of a second now before I would be able to see for myself that she was safe, and I was counting each one.

I saw the black waterproof bag come up first, but the hands gripping it weren't Sloane's. The fingers were longer, the palms wider, and the nails were unpainted.

Before the intruder could surface, I had jumped to my feet and moved back into the shadows, turning off the flashlight and cursing myself for trying to give the cave a romantic feel with the candles and music. I had barely turned off the