Ellie’s fear; that charry, sweet stench; her own peculiar perfume of sweat and anxiety; and that dead-meat stink that pillowed through the woods like ashy, gray smoke. Slowly, carefully, Alex dropped to her knees, the cold dead earth biting through her hiking pants. Ellie didn’t move a muscle. Wordlessly, Alex followed the girl’s horrified gaze and then her blood turned to slush. No, she thought, No, please, God, I’m not seeing this.

ISBN: 9781606843857