Page 206 of Rangers Mountain Rescue
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And that’s when I see it.
Near the threshold.
On the ground.
Wooden.
I crouch.
Pick it up.
A cane.
Old.
Worn.
Familiar.
My stomach drops.
Because that?
That’s not something he leaves behind.
“Aspen,” I say quietly.
She turns.
Sees it in my hand.
And I watch the exact moment everything inside her breaks.
“No…” she breathes, shaking her head. “No, he wouldn’t—he needs that—”
Exactly.
“He didn’t walk out of here,” I say.
Her eyes snap to mine.
Wide.
Terrified.
“What are you saying?”
I hold her gaze.
Steady.
Grounding.
“He didn’t leave on his own.”
Silence.
Heavy.
