Page 75 of Fated By Fire
She picks up on the second ring. “Hey, Lennie! I was just about to—”
“What the hell did you do?” I cut her off, my voice sharp.
There’s a pause. “Uh, excuse me?”
“Don’t play dumb with me, Mara. The video. The one where you spill everything about dragons and Craven Industries. You promised me you’d keep it to yourself!”
“Oh, that.” She lets out a nervous laugh. “Look, I can explain—”
“Explain?” My foot presses harder on the gas pedal. “You swore you wouldn’t tell anyone! And now the whole world knows!”
“I didn’t think it would blow up like this!” she protests. “I was just testing the waters, you know? Sharing a few hints. But then someone reached out to me.”
“What do you mean, ‘someone’?” I feel a cold knot forming in my stomach.
“An anonymous source,” she says, her tone shifting to excitement. “They wanted to pay me big bucks to do the story. Like, life-changing money, Elena! They confirmed everything you told me and more. This is the biggest scoop of my life!”
I clench my jaw, trying to keep my cool. “Mara, did it ever occur to you that there might be a reason this information isn’t public? That maybe there’s risk involved?”
She sighs. “I get it, okay? But think about it—we’ve been chasing stories like this for years. Aliens, Bigfoot, government conspiracies. This is the real deal! And I thought… I thought I could help you.”
“Help me?” I echo, incredulous.
“Yeah,” she says softly. “I know how hard things have been for you. With money, with… everything. I was going to give you the payment. You deserve it.”
I shake my head, incredulous. “I don’t want the money, Mara. I want you to take the video down. This isn’t a game.”
“I can’t just ‘drop it,’ Elena,” she insists. “This story is out there now. And besides, I’m meeting with the source tonight. Theyhave more information for me. You’re not the only one who’s seen dragons.”
My grip on the wheel tightens. “Where are you meeting them?”
“At Green Lake Park. They said it’s safer to talk in person.”
My heart skips a beat. “Mara, listen to me. This is dangerous. You need to cancel. Don’t meet them.”
She laughs lightly. “You’re overreacting. I’ll be fine. I’ve handled worse; remember the abandoned asylum?”
“This is different,” I snap. “You have no idea how bad this shit is.”
“Relax, Lennie. I can handle myself. Look, I have to go. They’re expecting me soon.”
“Mara—”
“Talk later, okay? Love-you-bye!” The line goes dead.
“Dammit!” I shout, slamming my palm against the steering wheel. Panic claws at my chest. This isn’t good. I have a bad feeling—a deep, bone-chilling sense of dread that settles over me like a shroud.
I make a sharp U-turn, tires screeching on the asphalt as I push the Jeep to its limits. Trees blur past as I retrace my route, the quiet serenity of the forest now feeling ominous and foreboding.
Green Lake Park isn’t far; maybe twenty minutes if I floor it. I try calling Mara again, but it goes straight to voicemail. Cursing under my breath, I toss the phone onto the passenger seat.
“Please be okay,” I whisper, pressing down harder on the accelerator.
As I near the park, the city lights cast a pale glow against the night sky. The usual hustle of Seattle feels muted, a strange stillness hanging in the air. I pull into the empty parking lot, spots of light from the lampposts casting long shadows across the pavement.
I jump out of the Jeep, not bothering to lock it, and sprint toward the central clearing. The playground equipment casts eerie silhouettes, and the rustling of leaves sends my nerves on edge.
“Mara!” I call out, my voice echoing. “Mara, where are you?”
