Most of the students slowly began filing back into the gym while a few stragglers stayed outside to speculate about what might have happened.

“Wolves got her!” someone said.

“Tore her to shreds and dragged her away!” said another.

Moments later people were already talking.

“Did you hear? It was wolves that got her.”

“Hunted her down…right outside the school.”

“It wasn’t wolves,” Noble said again, more loudly this time.

“How do you know it wasn’t?” shouted Maria Abruzzo.

“It couldn’t be wolves,” Tora chimed in.

“Why not?” she seethed.

“Because that’s ridiculous.”

“You’re ridiculous,” Maria shouted, the tears welling up in her eyes. “Your whole family is ridiculous.” She pushed Tora roughly aside and marched into the gym, sobbing all the way.

“Noble,” said Harlan, grabbing his brother and turning him away from the students still lingering outside.

“What is it?” asked Noble.

“The tracks,” said Harlan, shaking his head. “You’re not going to like it.”

“No,” Noble said, his heart already heavy with the knowledge of what was about to come next. “No, don’t tell me…”

Harlan pulled Noble close. “Wolves,” he said. “A whole pack of them. At least four, maybe six…It’s hard to tell with my nose so stuffed up.”

“This could be bad for us,” Noble said softly. “Really bad.”

“Do you want me to find her?” Harlan asked.

Noble nodded. If the girl had been taken by a pack of wolves, the trail of blood would be like a line in the snow for Harlan to follow, even with his stuffed-up nose. “Take Argus with you,” he said. “But don’t let anyone see.”

Argus and Harlan were gone a moment later, heading back toward the school, then turning sharply before reaching it and disappearing into the forest.

“I hope they find her,” said Tora.

“If she’s out there,” said Noble, “they’ll find her.”

“I mean, in one piece.”

Noble looked at his sister, but said nothing.

Chapter 4

A half hour later, Sergeant Martin and two RCMP constables were organizing a search of the woods behind Redstone Secondary. There was little more than an hour of sunlight left so things had to move quickly. The search would be called off once darkness set in, and there was only a slim chance a young girl would be able to survive the night alone in the forest, especially in December.

There were about fifty students standing around waiting for the search to begin, with more arriving every minute. A few parents had shown up as well, returning to the school with their children, who had gone home to change into warmer winter clothes.