The first thing Steve noticed was that all the curtains on the small cabin were drawn shut.
Trip wires had been set up in the inner perimeter, comparatively primitive means to keep this place safe from unexpected visitors- that was, unless Mike was right about Cassidy's arrogance once again.
As much as Steve hoped that the MP Detective would be so confident in the seclusion of this faraway hideout that he'd bypass sophisticated technology to warn him of any intruders, realistically, it didn't go along with his gang's MO and the method with which two women disappeared without a trace, and a third one was raped and brutally murdered.
What would seem utterly realistic was for the group to set up the trip wire as a decoy, lulling them into a false sense of security as they approached the cabin.
Wholly focused on the building ahead, Steve flinched violently when a hand squeezed his right shoulder, stopping him in his tracks, before he recognized Mike's firm touch and the faint smell of his aftershave from behind.
Freezing in his spot, he lowered the .38 somewhat, then turned his head enough to see his partner in his peripheral vision.
With his index finger pressed against his lips, Mike pointed to the front corner of the cabin, presumably planning to sneak towards the door under the protection of the window sills, leaving him to cover the back like they usually did.
It was safe to assume the Lieutenant was planning on doing more than just check out the cabin, possibly even take a look at the cars.
With a hesitant nod, Steve took the small path to the left, utilizing the large tree trunks as cover as he approached the back of the small building. With his fingers wrapped around the grip of the .38, he drew in a deep breath, listening to the soft rustle of pine needles crunching under Mike's weight as the Lieutenant proceeded to head right, then crouched down to avoid being seen.
Mirroring the move, Steve passed two more trees before pausing again, cuing his hearing to anything inside the cabin but was greeted with nothing but stillness.
With Mike completely out of sight by now, he bridged the remaining distance to the cabin in a sprint, his knees aching from the continues strain of staying low, his back pushed against the wooden siding, his head just below the windowsill.
And there he waited for a moment, swallowing his unease about the situation once again, but knowing that Mike's call had been the only viable one at this point.
Realistically, they were committed to going all the way from the moment he took a right onto the dirt road.
Just a few feet of lush grass separated the cabin from a steep ravine where the ever-changing weather patterns had eaten away at the landscape and unearthed rocks and slippery gravel before turning into a thick forest once again.
As the tense seconds passed without any commotion, Steve clenched his jaws, trying to ignore the feeling of being an open target as he proceeded along the back of the cabin, unnerved when he couldn't hear anything from inside.
Had the gang left the cabin for the woods shortly before their arrival? Had there been a third vehicle they took to head to an alternate destination? Or, worst case, were they absolutely aware of their intruders and waiting for Mike and him to get close enough?
The answer to his question came faster than expected when a strong hand grasped his left shoulder and the cold metal of a revolver barrel appeared below his jawline.