An Agent Named Nicolas Flint

Case One Part 1

"It is possible that someone took her off the trail. Or she lost her way and is hurt somewhere waiting for someone to find her. We lack the resources to fully disprove all the theories of where Jenna may be. Right now, we can only see what is at the end of this trail and if it leads to her or not. At the very least we are eliminating one possibility out of many."

I felt annoyed that I didn't think of that obvious thing. Of course, we could only do what was within our power. Finding a dead end meant one less lead to chase after and focusing on other ideas. I assumed Nicolas would be upset working with a novice like myself. I felt overwhelmed so quickly because this case was so different from the ones I normally took on. He did not look upset in the slightest. Only a bit glad he could convince someone to look in the woods with him.

"Jenna isn't your niece, is she?" I asked risking the question.

The way he talked about her felt distant. I doubted it from the start and wondered why he would lie. He didn't need to say she was related to him to have a reason to look for a little girl.

"No. I apologize for the lie. In truth, I cannot rely on the police in this area and there are no other agents to spare on such a minor case. I assumed you would be suspicious of my request so I decided to give myself more of a trustworthy reason to find the girl."

I was wary of letting him lead me into the woods but I felt as if this guy was a decent person. I just only hoped my gut didn't prove me wrong. Getting back to the case I looked at a hanging candy off in the distance. I guess I could trust Nicolas but what was waiting for us at the end of the trail? Was it just a prank or would we come across someone dangerous?

"Do you have a weapon at least?" I asked and he nodded.

I didn't see a holster on his small frame but believed he was armed. I, for a few different reasons didn't own a gun. Sure, I was a private detective but never took on a case that required one until that day. Overall, I disliked them. And I had lousy aim the few times I went to a shooting range to practice. If I got out of these woods safely, I may change my idea about owning a handgun.

"Let's keep going and figure out if this trail means anything."

The agent followed behind with a nod. If he was the one armed you would think he would offer to take the lead. I was the one spotting the hanging candies and from that I assumed I had better eyesight which made me nervous. Would he be able to shoot a person at a distance if needed? Would it come to that?

The answer came when we reached the end of the candy trail. It was an answer I never would have expected. Although, it was the most obvious one as I even commented on it earlier. What would one expect to see at the end of a breadcrumb trail in the woods? A cabin made out of candy. We walked into a small clearing to see a newly built wood cabin in the middle. No paths led to it. It made me wonder how anyone got the materials out in the middle of the woods and through the trees without leaving a trace behind.

"I'll take the lead." Nicolas said finally stepping in front.

I followed behind hyper-aware of any noise, or lack of noise from the woods. The lights inside the cabin were not on, leaving the windows dark. Nicolas crept up the stairs and it sounded... different. More of a hollow sound compared to the creaking wood I would expect. He stopped at the door, hand on the handle. Here I thought he would need a warrant to search it but he looked as if he no longer cared about the legal process. When he commented about only wanting to find the Jenna, he meant it. I didn't know if I should be right behind him so I stayed on the first step. Instead of opening the door, he stopped with the handle in his hand.

"Skyler, you said in that tale the cabin was made out of sweets, correct?" He asked not looking in my direction.

I looked over the normal looking cabin trying to understand his point.