Defending Everly (Mountain Mercenaries #5)(69)

He pushed the door open all the way, and she looked up. She immediately smiled, and Ball took that as a good sign. He held up the plate with the quesadilla on it and raised his eyebrows.

She nodded and signed, I’m hungry.

He walked in and put the plate down on her nightstand. Elise gave him another small smile and reached for a wedge of the tortilla. He sat on the side of the bed, gave her a minute or two to chew, then signed, Are you okay?

She frowned. You’ve been talking to Everly.

She’s upset. Not mad. But sad. Overwhelmed. She’s worried about you. He had to resort to some finger spelling, but luckily, Elise seemed to understand him.

She looked down at her dinner.

Ball reached out and briefly touched her knee, getting her attention. When she was looking at him once more, he asked, What happened with the Outdoor Club?

The teenager lay back on the bed and pulled out her phone. She immediately began to type, her thumbs moving like lightning across the screen. Ball scooted until his back was against the footboard of her bed and waited for her to finish. When his phone vibrated, he looked down.

Elise: I didn’t want to tell Everly because she already worries enough.

Ball: Tell her what? Talk to me.

Elise: It’s just that every time we go on a hike, I feel weird.

Ball: Weird how?

Elise: Like someone is watching me. I know it’s stupid, but I can’t get the feeling out of my head. On the last hike we went on, it got so bad, I kinda freaked out. Everyone had to end the hike early and take me back to the school. I don’t like being the weird kid. I mean, we’re all already weird, but a deaf kid freaking out isn’t a good thing, trust me.

Ball ignored her self-deprecation and concentrated on the main issue.

Ball: You did the right thing.

Elise: It doesn’t feel like it. I like hiking. But I can’t shake the feeling that someone’s out there. Watching me. Have you heard from your guy about anything? Have they caught the guy who kidnapped me and the other girls?

Ball: I’m sorry, but no. You know the FBI had to drop the active investigation because of other cases. But they’ve still got their ear to the ground, just in case.

Elise huffed out a breath and let her arms fall to her sides. She stared up at the ceiling. Ball typed out a text and hit “Send.” She didn’t move when her phone vibrated in her hand. The flash on the camera was also blinking on and off, alerting her to the text, but she still didn’t move.

Ball nudged her foot with his knee.

Finally, she sighed and looked at her phone.

Ball: What can I do to help you feel safer? Name it, I’ll do it. Anything.

Elise took a deep breath before typing.

Elise: That’s the thing. I don’t know. I think I’m just being paranoid. I talked to my therapist about it, and she says that sometimes people imagine kidnappers around every corner after something like what happened to me. You and your friends are already pretty much babysitting me after school every day. I thought being out in the wilderness with friends would help make me feel freer, but instead it’s made me more paranoid. I just want to go back to being the naive kid I was before. I’m scared to open any email from anyone I don’t know, in case it’s him. Every text I get, I feel the same way.

Ball: Do you want me to check your phone again?

Elise: What do you mean?

Ball: Check your phone. Make sure there aren’t any tracker things on it.

Elise: I haven’t been talking on those apps I was before.

Ball: I didn’t say you have. But if someone knows what they’re doing, they can send an email, and if you open it, even if you don’t click on anything, it could put a tracker on your phone. A virus of sorts. I can plug your phone into my computer tomorrow, and Meat can log on and take a look.

Elise looked up and signed. Really?

Ball nodded and copied her sign. Really.

Elise: You wouldn’t mind?

Ball: Absolutely not.

Elise: Will you check my sister’s phone too? Part of me is scared that whoever took me will decide to go after Everly instead. I know it’s silly, I mean, we’re hundreds of miles away from Los Angeles, but she means everything to me. I know she’s a cop, but I still worry.

Ball: I’ll ask her. Elise?

Elise: Yeah?

Ball: Will you go out and talk to your sister? She was really upset when I got here tonight. Not mad, but just upset that she didn’t know how to help you.

Elise: I can do that. Ball?

He smirked, but echoed her response anyway.

Ball: Yeah?

Elise: It’s weird that we’re talking this way. Hurry up and learn more signs, would ya?

Ball burst out laughing and lightly smacked her leg, then signed, Go talk to your sister.

I’m going. And Ball?

Yes?

Thanks. Since I’m not hiking tomorrow, can you have Meat look at my phone then?

I will. And we’ll think of something fun to do tomorrow too.

Elise nodded and left the room.

Ball rested his elbow on a raised knee, put his chin on his hand, and stayed where he was, wanting to give the sisters time to clear the air. He hated that Elise had quit the club because she didn’t feel safe. He had no idea if there was legitimately something to her feelings, or if it was a type of PTSD. Rex hadn’t come up with any leads from her old cell phone. The people who designed the apps knew what they were doing. Most of the conversations were permanently deleted after a period of time had passed. Pictures, conversations, all of it. Poof. Gone.