The dog barked sharply, circling, urging him on. Ethan swallowed hard, pushing dirt aside until more fabric emerged, then the hard edge of something solid beneath it. A bag. Worn, weather-beaten, its seams stretched as though the earth itself had been gnawing at it.
The animal lunged, teeth sinking into the canvas, tugging until the bag came loose with a dull thud. Something metallic clinked inside. Ethan’s breath caught again, dread and curiosity colliding. Whatever had driven the dog for eleven relentless hours lay sealed within this forgotten bundle.