Forest Whispers Read Online Free PDF Page B

sighed. So much for a truce. Apparently
he just had one of those even dispositions—he was evenly mad most
of the time.
    Maybe her ‘people’ skills were getting a
little rusty?
    She hadn’t had a partner since Sadin had
killed Patrick a year ago and she spent most of her time alone—or
with people who only tolerated her presence because she was a
ranger—or with criminals.
    Dismissing it, she dragged her locator from
her pack and scanned the area as they walked, relieved when she saw
it was picking up a clear signal again. They were on the right
track. Sadin would be looking for a place to lay low now, she knew.
Unless an opportunity he just couldn’t resist fell into his lap, he
wouldn’t be looking for another victim so soon—she didn’t
think.
    He didn’t ‘play’ well with others and tended
to avoid heavily populated areas because he was always noticed as
being ‘different’. Moreover, despite his ability to assume most any
form he wished, he could only adopt those he saw. And a double
always stood out within a very short length of time, particularly
since it was only visual characteristics he was able to mimic, not
personality traits.
    He’d tried that when he’d first launched his
killing spree, or at least when they’d first become aware of
it.
    That was how he’d gotten her partner. He’d
imitated her. It hadn’t taken Patrick more than a handful of
minutes to figure it out, but that was more minutes than he’d
had.
    That was also one of the reasons she
preferred to work alone. As long as she was alone, she didn’t have
to worry about losing another partner or getting killed herself
because she didn’t trust anyone else enough to get that close to
her.
    She would’ve felt better if she could’ve
shaken Corin. Since she couldn’t, there seemed nothing for it but
to keep a close watch on him.
    She glanced at him speculatively with that
thought, realizing belatedly that she shouldn’t have given in to
her physical needs. It would’ve been all right if she’d just felt
indifferent about him otherwise or if she’d disliked him. The
problem was, she didn’t, and, now that she’d been intimate with
him, there was a better than even chance that she might hesitate
when she couldn’t afford to.
    It was probably just as well that she
managed to piss him off every time she opened her mouth. She really
couldn’t afford to get too friendly with him. The obvious danger
aside, she wouldn’t be on Ata Prime long and it wasn’t likely she’d
be heading this way again.
    They came upon an abandoned cabin near dusk.
Lana stopped, studying it in surprise for several moments before
she dragged her map out. She saw she hadn’t missed it. It wasn’t on
the map, probably because the forest had grown up around it until
it was completely concealed from the air.
    Pulling her pistol, Lana approached the
dilapidated building warily. Corin merely watched, his arms folded
across his chest.
    Obviously, the trees had told him it wasn’t
occupied, Lana thought wryly, but she’d just as soon take no
chances.
    She saw that the building was only one room
and it wasn’t occupied, unless one counted the critters that
scattered when she pushed the door open. Holstering her pistol,
Lana checked the building out in the dim light of dusk and decided
to use it for the night.
    Corin appeared in the door after a few
minutes, apparently overcome by curiosity.
    “ You will stay here
tonight?”
    His voice was carefully neutral, but she
sensed disapproval in his tone. She shrugged. “It’s no dirtier than
sleeping on the ground. At least it’s shelter if it rains.”
    He said nothing for several moments. “I
thought you were anxious to catch the killer.”
    “ I’m not anxious to catch my death. I
don’t hunt at night. It’s too easy to walk into a trap. We may not
gain ground, but we’re not going to lose any by stumbling around in
the dark and getting lost. Anyway, Sadin won’t be traveling at
night.”
    “ How