Chapter Four
Someone stole my jacket, damnit.
Tim set his phone down after speaking with JT, who assured him no one else had been up to the ranger station. But Tim knew he’d left his jacket hanging on a hook just inside the door, and now it was gone. Pacing back and forth in the small cabin, he wracked his brain, trying to come up with an explanation that didn’t involve JT lying to him, since he had the only other key. Tim was trying to be more trusting when it came to JT and his cronies now that he was forced to work with them, but friendship was still a long way off.
Maybe someone broke in, though there were no signs of that. The door was locked when he arrived tonight, no evidence of tampering. And nothing else was missing. There were binoculars and various tools in the station far more valuable than his stupid forest ranger jacket, but they’d been left untouched. If someone took it, it had to be a prank to screw with him. The jacket had the forest service emblem on it after all, it wasn’t like they could walk around in the village wearing it without being caught.
On the phone just now, JT suggested that perhaps Tim was misremembering, that he hadn’t actually left the jacket here, and blah blah blah. Not surprising. These guys probably didn’t trust a word he said now that he’d admitted to being scared of the Whites and seeing shadowy figures in the woods. But that didn’t matter, because he trusted his own mind. And he clearly recalled leaving without the jacket because he was distracted and freaked out, then being cold on the hike back down to the road. He remembered cursing himself for forgetting the jacket, then thinking Screw it, I’ll grab it next time I come back.
He tried to put it out of his mind, and for the next hour, periodically went out on the deck that surrounded the station and searched the darkness with his binoculars. Twice, he trotted down the ladder and did a more thorough search of the woods with his flashlight. Bear Peak was way up at the top of one of Singing Bear’s large mountains, so it still felt like winter, especially at night—and without his damn jacket. But he was happy to suffer the weather, because he saw nothing unusual in the trees tonight, and that was a huge relief. No dark shapes or clicking sounds. No male voices calling for help or babies crying was a worthy tradeoff for having to endure the chill in his light cotton shirt.
A short time later, however, he heard someone climbing the ladder that led up to the cabin door. Tim didn’t panic, because it was definitely a human sound, and he’d been told by Brett at their meeting that someone would be showing up to assist him tonight. He didn’t even move from his position tipped back in his chair, feet up on the table, perusing a magazine.
He expected it would be either Christian or Nolan. He’d learned over the past months that those two were involved more often when it came to ‘action’ assignments. JT was a bit of an egghead astrophysicist always on assignment involving star charts or some shit. And Elliot handled security, legal problems, and disinformation.
It would most likely be Nolan that walked through the door. Brett said Tim would be provided surveillance equipment, and that was usually Nolan’s thing. They’d be giving him cameras, perimeter sensors, recording devices and the like. Tools to acquire ‘evidence’ so Tim could prove he wasn’t an insane, scared little bunny rabbit who was imagining things.
The door swung open with a gust of cool air, and Tim’s mouth dropped open as Tyler stepped inside, carrying a large duffle bag. He nodded. “Patterson.”
Too surprised to return the greeting, Tim just stared.
Tyler kicked the door closed behind him, then with a heavy thump, set the big black bag down on the desk edging the wall. Ignoring Tim, Tyler unzipped the bag and began pulling items out. Like this was all perfectly normal and expected. But Tim was completely thrown. He hadn’t even known Tyler was back in town, and he sure as shit hadn’t emotionally prepared himself to see him. And speaking of seeing him...damn. Still hotter than Hades.
In jeans and a camouflage jacket with boots, Tyler hadn’t changed much. His hair was cropped short as usual but grown in a bit since Tim last saw him, an extra inch of dark blond fringe hanging over his forehead. “You can stop using these,” Tyler said, picking up the binoculars Tim kept by the window. “Ogden sent a new high-powered set for you. Can see a lot farther in the dark. Way more detail.”
Shaking himself, Tim drew his feet off the table and sat up straight. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Tyler’s smoky eyes glanced over briefly before focusing back on the bag. “I was told you were informed someone would be coming by.”
“I was but...I was expecting Nolan.”
“Course you were.” Tyler shrugged his jacket off and slung it over a chair. “Sorry to disappoint.”
The attitude in the comment wasn’t lost on Tim, but he was too busy examining Tyler’s perfect body to care, especially now that he’d removed the coat to reveal a tight black tee shirt. The globes of his ass made the jeans pop. Shapely arms and shoulders, smooth olive skin visible on the back of his exposed neck—a neck Tim recalled biting the night they fucked.
But he was distracted from the lusty daze when Tyler pulled a long, thick gun out of the bag and set it on the desk. It was a weird-looking thing, green casing that looked like plastic, square, boxy shape. “What the fuck is that?”
“It’s a gun.”
“I can see that it’s a gun, Tyler. What do you need it for?”
“For whatever.”
Tim sighed. He’d forgotten how difficult it was trying to have a normal conversation with Tyler. Conversation wasn’t really Tyler’s thing. “So why are you here? I’m not disappointed, so don’t snark at me again. I expected Nolan because Brett said they were setting up motion sensors around the station and he’s the tech guy.”
“Yeah, well I already set them up. Surprised you didn’t hear me out there.” He glanced at Tim, then at the magazine he held. “But I can see you’re very busy.”
Tim stood, setting the magazine down. “I’ve been checking outside since I got here, was just about to do another sweep. Not that I have to answer to you, Captain Creepy.”
Tyler glanced over, cocking an eyebrow. “You do have to answer to me, actually. When it comes to global security, Captain Creepy outranks Ranger Tim.”
“You’re joking. I’m supposed to be your underling now?”
“Only while I’m here, Patterson, relax. Remember that contract you signed for Ogden? Read the fine print.” Tyler set down a computer he’d pulled from the bag. “Don’t worry. I’ll try not to lord it over you too much.”
“I thought you were out of town.”
“I was,” Tyler said, busying himself unraveling a coil of wire.
“So now you’re back?”
“Obviously. Shut up for a second while I boot up this computer. I need to concentrate.”
“Oh, pardon me.”
“I can still hear you talking.”
Rude prick. Rude, bossy little prick. But Tim was only moderately annoyed, because something more powerful was dominating his senses. Excitement. His heart was beating fast and his eyes couldn’t stop drinking Tyler in. He’d expected if he ever saw him again, humiliation would reign. Not this odd exhilaration, like he’d been asleep for months, and had not only just woken up, but been hit with a shot of adrenaline straight to the heart.
He blamed it on the surprise of seeing Tyler so unexpectedly. Because even as attracted as he’d been to Tyler the night of the wedding reception, he hadn’t felt this weird, instantaneous buzz. Sure, they’d had that crazy embarrassing sex since then but...Tim didn’t think he’d ever felt this jittery excitement just to be in a man’s presence. Not even when he had his huge crush on Nolan, and that had him nervous and tongue-tied every time he saw him.
The computer screen was lit now, and Tyler was screwing around with the wires again, so Tim crossed the room and stood beside him. “May I speak now, Your Eminence?”
“If you must.”
“Okay, quit being shady. Why are you back in the village?”
Turning, Tyler nearly bumped into him. “Excuse me. Power outlet over there?”
“Yeah. Under the table.” Tim stepped back and let him pass.
Tyler crawled under the table, dragging a snake of cable with him. “Ogden ordered me to come.” Crawling back out, he stood, brushing his hands on his shirt. “Because of you. Hearing things that go bump in the night.”
“Oh.” Tim frowned. “They sent you back to the village just for this?”
“Yep. Lucky me.”
Tyler’s snotty attitude was in full force, but for the first time since arriving, his eyes lingered on Tim’s. His face was still boyish and appealing despite the stony expression, and Tim felt a zing of electricity pass between them. “You’ve been gone a long time.”
“I have.”
“Well, hopefully we can get it figured out quick, so you can leave again. Much as I enjoy your scintillating conversation skills.”
He thought he’d scored a point for sarcasm there, but Tyler’s expression didn’t change or give anything away. “Yeah, hopefully,” Tyler said. “Can you head outside and take a walk around the station a couple times? I want to make sure the motion sensors are registering on the computer and the alarm’s working.”
“I can do that.”
Tyler moved to the desk, sat down and began tapping computer keys. He glanced back at Tim. “Now, please?”
“Oh. Sir, yes sir.” Tim clicked his heels together, saluting.
“Yeah.” Tyler faced the screen again. “Don’t do that.”
“Too much?”
“Way too much.”
Grinning, Tim headed out the door, proud of himself for even slightly annoying Tyler. It wasn’t easy to crack that shell. Tyler was being rude, but it was almost a relief. Because it made clear he had no intention of bringing up that awful night when Tim broke down, fucked him, then wept like a baby afterward. Silver linings.
Maybe Tyler’s rude behavior was intentional? A rude Tyler was a normal Tyler, so perhaps he was going out of his way to show Tim there was nothing to worry about. That everything was chill, and there would be no awkward confrontations about past events. If so, it was kind of sweet.
But Tim was probably reading too much into it. When Tyler’s name came up at the pub recently, JT had referred to him as ‘the robot’, which brought laughter and agreement from the others gathered round. So maybe Tyler wasn’t trying to do anything. Maybe he really was just a cold fish, and had either forgotten about their weird sexual encounter, or didn’t see it as anything worth giving a second thought to.
Cold wind whipped at Tim’s shirt as he stepped off the ladder onto the ground, then did a walk around the station. He noticed small metal devices attached to the support beams that held the cabin high off the ground. He made a wider arc as he did a second pass, noticing more metallic bumps jutting from the pebbled grass. They could have been mistaken for rocks had Tim not specifically been looking for them, so they were pretty well-concealed. He was surprised he hadn’t heard Tyler walking around outside installing them, but then the guy was kind of creepy and stealthy. But since he didn’t hear Tyler...that meant the sounds he had been hearing outside the cabin the past few weeks must have been louder. Or closer. The hissing. The clicking. The infant’s cry.
Tim shivered just thinking about it and glanced around at the dark woods.
“Hey,” Tyler’s voice called out.
Stepping back, he looked up to see Tyler on the deck above, leaning over the railing. “I walked around twice,” Tim said. “Are they working? You need me to go again?”
“No, they’re working fine,” Tyler said. “But now I’m gonna put some cameras in up here. Can you head out into the woods about twenty feet? I want to make sure I can see you on the monitor.”
“Yeah.” Tim rubbed his arms. “Sure.”
“Want me to throw down your coat? You’re not exactly dressed for this.”
“Someone stole it.”
“What?”
“Someone stole it!” Tim shouted.
Even from up above in the dark, he could see Tyler’s scowl. “Someone stole your coat?”
“Yes. I left it here last time. But when I showed up tonight it was gone.”
“Did you ask JT about it?”
“Yes! He says he didn’t take it.”
“What?”
“Can we talk about this later? I’m freezing.”
“Okay. Go back that way, about twenty feet. I’ll call out when I’m done.”
“Fine.”
He’d started toward the woods when Tyler called out again. “Hey, Tim?” Tim looked up, and Tyler was leaning over the rail again. His camouflage jacket tumbled down, landing on the ground. “Put that on,” Tyler said, then disappeared from sight.
Snatching the coat off the ground, Tim shook it out. He slipped it on over his ranger shirt. It was a snug fit but instantly blocked the cold wind. Trudging into the woods, he found himself smiling. It was a small gesture, Tyler giving Tim his jacket to wear, but the kindness warmed him in more ways than one. And Tyler called him Tim just now, not ‘Patterson’.
He warned himself not to get caught up in such things, trying to discern every small nugget of emotion from Tyler. Emotions from Tyler were few and far between, so Tim could drive himself insane if he ventured down that road.
Once he’d trudged out far enough into the woods, he turned around, viewing the lights of the cabin in the distance. The ranger station suddenly seemed very far away, and Tim glanced around warily. Nothing but darkness and silence but for the branches rustling in the mountain wind, still skeletal from winter despite a few spring buds. His eyes focused on the space between the trees, searching for movement, but all was still.
Periodic drilling and hammering sounded from the station. Whatever Tyler was doing, it was taking a while, and Tim eventually began hopping from foot to foot trying to stay warm.
He thought he heard a branch snap behind him and whirled around, staring into the darkness. Nothing there. “Fuck,” he whispered, kicking a stone on the ground.
Being scared of the woods pissed him off. He’d always felt at home in the forest. And he liked to think of himself as brave. Sure, life in the village was pretty mellow most of the time. But he’d encountered his share of dangers over the years, and never shied away from them. Most people assumed that as forest ranger, he did nothing more than count squirrels and plant trees. But he’d dealt with much more than that over the years.
Recovering bodies from small airplane crashes. Coming across a murder victim once then aiding the police in hunting down the suspect. Confronting hostile villagers or drunk tourists on the mountain trails. He’d fought fires, rescued hikers in peril during violent storms, and even held his own against a startled bear that tried to attack him once. He wasn’t a damn wimp. But now, after years of confident bravery, he was literally jumping at shadows.
And it was all the fault of those fucking assholes and their aliens.
Tim almost wished he’d never been told about the Whites, that he’d never found out. He wished he’d not been the one to stumble across Baz wounded in the forest that day. But was ignorance truly bliss? He supposed not. At the end of the day, it was better to be informed. Even if it meant he’d never feel fully comfortable in the forest again.
“Patterson?” Tyler’s voice came from a distance. “Can you hear me?”
“I hear you!”
“Wave your arms over your head for me.”
Tim waved his arms high. “Is that good?”
“Yeah. You can come on back.”
Another glance around, and Tim started back toward the station, his boots crunching the pebbled earth. For just a split second, he thought something moved in his peripheral vision, but when he stopped and turned a slow circle, he saw nothing. “Shit,” he hissed, then walked faster toward the cabin.
When he climbed the ladder and stepped inside, Tyler was seated at the desk in front of the computer again. Without looking back, he beckoned Tim with his fingers. “Come here.”
Tim approached, leaning over Tyler’s shoulder, catching a whiff of his scent. His familiar scent. A memory flashed of Tyler’s naked body beneath him, and Tim shook it away. He didn’t realize he’d literally shaken his head until Tyler looked up at him. “You all right?”
“Yeah. What did you want to show me?”
“This.” He pointed to the screen. “It’s got four camera angles. Each side of the station covered, so if anything approaches from the woods you’ll see it. You can leave it split screen like this or pull them up one at a time, and you can switch it off night vision if you want, but that’s the default.” He hit a couple keys and a still frame popped up, the woods with an orange glowing figure in the distance. “That’s you from a few minutes ago. If something alive is out there, this is how you’ll see it onscreen.”
“Okay.”
“The motion sensors are active too now. Here’s the sound it makes if something is approaching the station.” A high-pitched beeping sounded for several seconds before Tyler shut it off.
“Cool. So I can monitor the woods without even going outside now.”
“Yeah. If you want. And the cameras have audio. So we’ll pick up any sounds.”
“Good. Now maybe those assholes will believe me if it happens again.”
Tyler looked up at him. “Assholes?”
“You know. JT and Christian and that crew. I know they don’t believe me. Think I’m just seeing things because I’m nervous.”
“Maybe you are.”
“Oh great, not you too. Why are you even here if you think that?”
“Because maybe you aren’t. I’ve been doing this too long to outright dismiss someone who says he’s seeing things. Especially twenty yards from an alien base.”
“Then...you do believe me?”
“It’s not about belief, Patterson. It’s about caution. Quit worrying what people think. The bottom line is I wouldn’t have been sent here if this wasn’t being taken seriously.”
“I’d prefer it if you’d call me Tim.”
Tyler’s brows rose, and he looked surprised. Tim instantly regretted the words. They just slipped out. Because he didn’t like Tyler calling him by his last name. They’d been intimate, for Christ sakes. About as intimate as Tim had ever been in his life.
“Okay,” Tyler said. “Noted.”
“Good.” Tim stepped back and moved to the table across the room. He sat down, fussing with things and avoiding Tyler’s gaze. “Just felt a bit weird, you know? You calling me Patterson after...” Shut up, Tim, just shut the fuck up. “I mean, it’s not like you don’t know me.”
“I understand.”
Tim glanced over, surprised to see Tyler had spun around in his chair, facing him. He gave Tim a slight, closed-lipped smile. Nothing monumental, but since Tyler’s expressions were typically limited to ‘I’m angry’ or ‘I feel nothing’, the small smile relaxed him. “I just realized something. I don’t even know if Tyler is your first or last name.”
“It’s my first.”
“So what’s your last name?”
“Uh...that’s need to know, really.”
Laughing, Tim shook his head. “You’re kidding.”
“No.”
“I can’t know your last name? Why? Because of...” Using his index fingers, Tim made antennae atop his head.
Tyler chuckled, and mimicked Tim’s finger-antennae on his own head. “What is this?”
“Aliens.”
“That’s a bit of a simplification, but sure. Because of aliens.”
“Well, that’s stupid. I thought I was on the inside now.”
“There are varying degrees of being on the inside.”
“So what about Christian and Nolan and those guys. Do they know your last name?”
“No.”
“That’s crazy!”
“To be fair, you’re the only one who’s ever asked.”
“Come on, none of them ever asked your last name?”
“Nope.”
“How long have you been working with them?”
“Um...” Posture relaxing, Tyler stretched his legs out, drumming his stomach with his fingers. “It’s been a few years now. I met them after they confirmed the field entrance to the base. Right before they met Baz for the first time.”
“Have you worked with them a lot?”
“We’ve been involved in some pretty major missions together.”
“And none of those assholes ever asked your last name.”
“It’s not a big deal. No one knows Ogden’s last name either. Or even if Ogden is his real name. The guys in the village are not assholes. They’re just used to the protocol and secrecy.”
Tim rolled his eyes. “I know they’re not assholes. I call them that because they get on my nerves.”
“Yeah. They get on mine too.”
Well, look at that. We’ve found common ground. Like the night of the wedding, when they’d commiserated over Tyler having a crush on Elliot, and Tim having a crush on Nolan. Once more, regrettable words just tumbled out of Tim’s mouth. “You still have a thing for Elliot?”
Tyler chuckled. “No.”
“Not even a little?”
Shaking his head, Tyler said, “Our last mission...I worked very closely with him and Nolan. It drove home that I have no place there. I realized they belong together, weird as it seemed to me.”
“Why did it seem weird to you? They’ve been friends for years.”
“I guess I thought I was more Elliot’s type than Nolan is. But I’m over it. It’s a good thing too, since I’m staying with them.”
“You’re staying at Nolan and Elliot’s house?”
He nodded.
“Is that awkward?”
“No. I don’t do awkward.”
Tim wondered if that was directed at him. Tyler’s stony mask was back in place, his soulful gray eyes revealing nothing. “And they’re okay with it?”
“Yeah. They got me set up. I had dinner with them. It was fine.”
Shrugging, Tim began cleaning up and packing things away since his shift was ending.
“You still have a thing for Nolan?” Tyler asked.
Surprised by the question, Tim did a doubletake. “Um...not really.”
“Not really?”
“I still think he’s hot, naturally.”
“Naturally.”
“But I’ve gotten to know him better over the past year. He’s kind of broody all the time.”
“You’re just noticing that now? Nolan’s always been broody.”
“Yeah? Maybe you’re right. I used to only know his bartender persona though, and that Nolan’s more chipper. Plus I think I was blinded by all the muscles.”
Tyler huffed. “You seen any more of those shapes moving outside since you briefed Brett?”
“No. Not since then. I assume you were filled in about it?”
“Yes.”
“You have any ideas about what it could be?”
“No.”
Tim waited, but Tyler said nothing more. He was back to monosyllabic answers. “So what happens now?”
“I’ve patched the feed from here through to a computer in the basement at Nolan and Elliot’s. I’ll monitor it from there when no one’s up here, but it’ll be recording everything regardless. But we’ll have this one for when you come back up for your regular shifts.”
“So I’m to continue doing my shifts up here as usual? What’s the point if we’ve got everything monitored and recorded?”
“It’s important we don’t break routine. In case your presence is relative.”
“Relative? What does that mean?”
“It means you being here could be a factor. If whatever’s sniffing around is drawn by you. The shapes and sounds you reported. We don’t want to remove you from the situation in case you’re part of the reason it’s happening in the first place.”
“So I’m bait.”
“More like a control variable.”
“And also bait.”
“Yeah, okay. Potentially.”
“Great.” Tim stood. “Okay. Well, my shift is about done. I’m due back in a couple days. Do I give you reports or something?”
Tyler stood and stretched his back. “Not necessary. I’ll be with you. In the meantime, I installed an extra lock on the door. But if someone ventures to try breaking in, at least we’ll see who it is on the cameras.”
“Oh. So are you...will you be up here with me again?”
“Until we get this figured out, yeah.” Tyler grabbed the gun. “I’m afraid you’re stuck with me.”
Tim forced a laugh. “Stuck with you, huh?”
“Yep. Just you and me and things that go bump in the night.”
For several seconds, their gazes locked. Tim said nothing, because his throat had gone dry. Only when Tyler turned away did he remember to breathe.
Stuck with him. It wasn’t exactly a hardship for Tim. He wondered how Tyler felt about it. If he found spending time with Tim to be an annoyance. There was really no way to tell. Conversing with Tyler involved a lot of guesswork. “Oh, your jacket.” Tim shrugged out of it and handed it over. “Thank you.”
“No problem. Okay, I’m gonna head back to town. Hit the deadbolt when you lock up. The key you already have will fit it.”
“Wait,” Tim said as Tyler started for the door. “How did you get up here?”
“I hiked.”
“From the bottom of the mountain?”
“Yeah. Nolan dropped me off before work.”
“Then you need a ride back.”
“Nah, I’ll walk down to the pub, he’ll bring me home when his bartending shift’s done.”
“Why didn’t he drive you up on the new road? It starts just a half-mile down. That’s why your goons put it in, right? So it would be easier to get up and down the mountain?”
“I wanted a chance to survey the woods on the hike up. It was quiet. Didn’t see anything unusual. But might as well take another look on the way down.”
“You hiked all the way up from the bottom with that huge, heavy duffle bag.”
“Yep.”
“And now you want to hike all the way back down again. In the dark.”
“Yep.”
“Well, that’s crazy. My truck’s parked down where the road starts.”
Tyler just stared at him, blank-faced.
“I’m saying you can come with me and I’ll give you a ride back to Nolan and Elliot’s house. You won’t have to wait for Nolan to get done at the pub.”
“I don’t mind hiking back down.”
“It’s pitch black out there. And that trail is full of boulders.”
He shrugged.
“Do you even have a flashlight?”
Tyler hitched the gun up to his shoulder. “There’s a high-powered light on the stunner.”
“Stunner?”
“The gun. Don’t worry, it’s fine. I can see great in the dark. Done hours of training in rough terrain. It’s not a problem.”
“Tyler come on. You could trip and fall on the rocks.”
“I just told you, I’m trained for this. I can handle myself.”
“I can handle myself,” Tim mimicked. “Do you know how many times I’ve heard that over the years, from people who later had to call for help after falling and breaking bones?”
“I’m not people. I’m me.”
Tim rolled his eyes. “Okay, tough guy. Have it your way.”
Tyler left the cabin and Tim stared at the closed door, shaking his head. Stubborn little bastard. He hoped Tyler wasn’t feeding him a line about wanting to check the woods again. Because it felt a little like he wanted to get away from Tim. Was Tyler worried Tim was gonna try to pounce on him again?
Shit. Tim had legitimately been concerned for Tyler’s safety when offering him a ride, but maybe Tyler thought he was trying to pick up where they left off months ago. He had been mooning over Tyler tonight. Maybe he’d been too obvious. Maybe his eyes roamed over Tyler’s body a few too many times, and Tyler noticed. Stupid, traitorous eyes. Humiliation slammed down on him like a tsunami as he cleaned up and closed down the ranger station. With the element of surprise on his side, Tyler had effectively ambushed him. And Tim responded by practically giggling and fanning himself. His one chance at playing it cool was forever shot down in flames.
But fuck it. He liked Tyler, so what? The guy was weird and mysterious and he gave Tim a boner. Tim hadn’t even begun to scratch the surface of who Tyler was, but now he thought maybe he’d like to. He wouldn’t mind peeling all those top-secret layers away and biting into whatever he found inside, even if it tasted bitter. And he was allowed to feel that way, whether Tyler brushed him off or not. It was a relief really, getting that encounter over with. He didn’t have to dread it anymore. Things were back to normal. But still...
The way Tyler’s presence got him all fluttery tonight put questions in his mind that he probably didn’t want to hear the answers to. Was it really just a sympathy-fuck all those months ago? Or had Tyler, on some level, wanted him too? Could he ever want him again?
Hope. What a tease.
After locking up, he climbed back down the ladder. When his feet hit the ground, he froze, surprised to see Tyler. He’d expected the guy would be halfway down the mountain already, leaping over boulders like a freak. But Tyler stood still as a statue with his gun pointed, a light atop it shining toward the support beams beneath the station.
“Tyler. What’s wrong? You see something?”
“Was that there when you were outside before? Because it wasn’t when I got here.”
Tim stepped closer to him. “What are you talking about?”
“On the beam.”
“Oh. Shit.” A drape of green fabric hung over one of the diagonal wooden support beams. His blood chilled. “No. That wasn’t there twenty minutes ago. I’m sure of it.”
“Is it yours?”
Tim took a step closer, then swallowed hard. “Yeah. That’s my missing jacket.”
“Follow me,” Tyler said. “We’re getting out of here.”