Dangerous world, p.11
Dangerous World, page 11
Laurel pulled her coat closer around her neck and adjusted her hat. Even with the fire, it was cold. Very cold. They were sheltered by the trees next to the road. Out of the wind, at least. And the ground here was covered with just a small dusting of snow. But she still found herself longing for the comfort of the empty apartment or their cozy rooms back at Lone Oak.
Shaking her head, she tried not to think about what was happening at Lone Oak.
“Coffee for you, Laurel?” Jim asked, already handing her a steaming mug.
As Laurel wrapped her fingers around it, she felt her muscles begin to relax. She closed her eyes for a moment and breathed in the smell. Despite everything they’d been through, they were okay. And they were nearly back at South Minneha where they belonged.
Perhaps meeting Jim was exactly what they’d needed to help them on the last leg back.
As she sipped her drink, her train of thought was interrupted by Liam saying loudly, “You stole it? Who from? Were they bad guys?”
Jim had shifted in his seat and, for the first time, looked a little uncomfortable. When he noticed Laurel watching him, he laughed, but it was a nervous laugh. He patted Liam’s shoulder. “Just one guy,” he said. “But, yeah. He wasn’t a good guy. Offered me a ride when he needed help but I caught him trying to drive off without me. With all my stuff too.”
Arlo shook his head. Liam was listening intently.
“So,” Jim shrugged. “We fought. I won. I took the truck.”
Liam breathed out through pursed lips. “Phew,” he said. “Well, we’re glad you did. Right, Dad?”
“Absolutely.” Arlo looked at the large mug of hot chocolate Liam was holding and smiled. “Very glad.”
But as Laurel watched Jim, something in her gut shifted. The settled, contented feeling she’d had a moment ago had turned into something else… something that told her maybe Jim wasn’t as straight-up as she’d first thought.
She turned her head and, once again, the scent of the fleece she was wearing snagged in her brain.
Bear… the smell reminded her of Bear.
She looked at Jim. He was laughing now, joking with Liam, who was gleefully fishing marshmallows out of his drink. Was it possible? She stood up and walked over to the truck.
“Is it okay if I shift some things to make room for a bed?” she called over her shoulder.
“Sure.” Jim nodded at her.
Leaning on the back of the trailer, she reached in and started shifting boxes to one side. She grabbed a sleeping bag and tried to look as if she was preparing to unfurl it. Her heart was hammering in her chest, but she had no idea whether she was being rational or not.
She was sleep-deprived, anxious, and in pain. It was entirely possible she was smelling Bear because her brain still associated him with comfort, warmth, safety.
She was about to stop when she turned around a small cardboard box and saw, etched on the side, the word: KIBBLE. She pulled it closer and ran her thumb over the letters. They were shaky, hastily written. But she could swear she was looking at Bear’s handwriting.
“Did the guy you took the truck from have a dog?” Laurel asked casually.
Mid-conversation with Arlo, Jim answered quickly and distractedly. “Ah. No. No dog. Why?”
Laurel closed her eyes and pressed her lips together. Then replied, “I have allergies. Just checking the blankets won’t make me sneeze.”
Jim looked up at her. From across the campfire, his eyes met hers. His expression was fixed. Unreadable. She smiled at him, but he didn’t smile back.
“So, tomorrow we gather up what we can carry and head for your buddy’s place?” Arlo asked, rubbing his thighs as he prepared to stand up.
“If you’re still up for helping a fella out,” Jim smiled.
“I keep my word,” Arlo replied.
That was true; he did keep his word. But if Laurel knew Arlo like she thought she did, he’d be interested in seeing this survival camp for himself. Just in case it could prove useful.
“Night, Dad.” Liam patted his father’s shoulder. It wasn’t much past sunset but he looked tired.
“I’ll come get you settled in.” Arlo stood up and followed Liam to the truck, leaning in and tucking him up in a pile of blankets, then sliding in next to him.
“Nice family.” It was the second time Jim had remarked on Arlo and Liam’s relationship.
Laurel adjusted her glasses on the bridge of her nose and reached for the pot to pour herself another coffee. “How about you? You have any family?”
Jim’s jaw twitched. “I did. Once.” He was looking down into his coffee cup. When he raised his eyes, he shrugged. “Now, it’s just me.” He scraped his fingernail at a muddy stain on the knee of his jeans. “You?”
“I have a daughter.” Laurel angled herself so she could see Jim very clearly and added, “And a husband. He lives up in Thunder Bay. Bear. His name’s Bear.”
Her eyes roved over Jim’s face, looking for the smallest hint that Bear’s name meant something to him. A flicker of something crossed his features, but it was gone so quickly, perhaps she imagined it.
“You gonna try and find him?” Jim asked, without flinching.
“After I’ve got Arlo and Liam back to South Minneha, yes.” Laurel took another drink from her coffee cup, watching Jim over the top of it.
“Well, if you change your mind, like I said before — my buddy Cal would be glad to have you. A doc would be a big boon for him.”
Laurel nodded slowly. She wasn’t entirely sure she believed in Cal or this magical survival camp Jim had talked about. In fact, she wasn’t sure she believed anything he’d been saying to them.
That night, as she curled onto her side in the back of Jim’s truck and tried to get comfortable, ignoring the throbbing in her ankle, she reached under the makeshift pillow she’s created and stroked her fingers over the smooth grip of her handgun. She might have left her pack behind in the riverbed, but at least she still had this. And until she’d figured out whether Jim could be trusted, she wasn’t letting it out of her sight.
15
BEAR
It was nearing the end of his second day on the road. His legs stung with the effort of moving through the snow. Deeper in places, with a thick crust on top of it, sometimes it held his weight but sometimes he smashed straight through it, his legs sinking deeply and needing to be pulled out. At the end of the first day, he’d sat by his campfire and spent the evening hammering screws into the bottoms of his hiking boots to make DIY cleats. He’d brought the screws with him for this very purpose but had hoped not to have to waste the time doing it.
It was worth it, though, and while still not easy, the second day had been easier than the first.
For the most part, Jess was doing okay; she was light enough to trot on the surface of the snow and not break through. And she seemed to be keeping warm in her new pink coat.
Every time Bear got stuck and needed to heave himself out, she stopped and tilted her head at him as if she was surprised that he was holding things up.
“Okay, okay,” he’d grumble at her, cursing as he persuaded himself to keep moving.
The first night, they camped in an abandoned gas station not far from the hospital. For the first time in weeks, he’d had to keep his hearing aid turned on and plugged in while he slept. Which was not by any means comfortable.
Now, as the sun dipped in the sky once again, he realized he’d spent the last few minutes humming to himself. In his previous life, back in his cabin in the woods, he’d loved silence. The sound of absolutely nothing but his own thoughts. Now, his own thoughts were the last thing he wanted to be stuck with; all he could think of was the boy. Had Deb told him why Bear left? Made sure he understood? Had she told him it was for his own good? That this wasn’t the end of their friendship? Just a hiatus?
Looking down at Jess, Bear rolled his eyes and said, “Okay, okay, so maybe I’ve discovered I’m not such a huge fan of being alone after all. Maybe Trent got to me. And the rest of them.” He sighed and rubbed his gloved hands together.
Wagging her tail at him, Jess lifted a paw and scratched his shin.
“What is it?” Bear frowned at her.
She scratched again and whined this time.
“You want me to carry you?”
Wag. Wag. Wag.
“Seriously?” He’d worried that she wouldn’t be able to keep up her sprightly pace, but had hoped she’d manage for a little longer. “Okay. Come on then.” Bear crouched down and picked her up. But then he looked at his ski poles. He couldn’t use them and carry Jessamine at the same time.
Putting her down again, ignoring the disgruntled look on her face, he unfastened his backpack and took out the smaller pack, which he’d rolled up and put inside in case he found something else he needed to transport. Fixing the big backpack back on his shoulders, he strapped the smaller one to his front, tying it to the larger one, then once again scooped up his dog. Slotting her into it so that her head and paws stuck out the front, he shook his head at himself and scratched his beard. Now he had a dog in a pink coat, and he was carrying it like a baby. If Mae or Laurel could see him now, they’d be on the floor laughing.
Jess turned around and licked his face, happy with her new vantage point.
“Just don’t blame me if you end up upside down in the snow next time I get stuck,” he muttered, ruffling her ears before picking up his poles again.
He was nearing the highway. If he was lucky, when he made it up onto the road, he’d find that the wind had blown it into mounds on either side and that the middle was flatter. Easier to navigate. He stopped and surveyed his surroundings.
There was a copse of trees nearby. Beneath them, there wasn’t likely to be as much snow, and he might even be lucky enough to find a rabbit for dinner.
Still carrying Jess, he trudged his way toward the trees. When he reached them, as soon as he was under the branches, walking became easier. Perhaps he should change his plan; travel through the forest instead of out in the open.
The highway would be quicker under normal circumstances, but with this terrain, the trees might be a better option.
Quickly, still wondering what to do, he set Jess down, then began gathering some kindling for a fire. He stooped to pick up a pinecone and was remembering the last time he and Trent had been in the woods, using pine sap to treat their wounds, when he realized Jess’s ears had pricked up. She was staring at something.
Bear followed her gaze, reaching for his gun.
Squirrel.
Jess was quivering. Before Bear could tell her not to chase it—so he could shoot it and roast it—she lurched forward. Of course, the squirrel leaped into the nearest tree and disappeared, and Jess was left jumping up and down at the bottom of it.
Telling her to calm down, Bear walked over to where the squirrel had been. Squirrels had awesome memories. Freaky memories. If he was lucky… yep, there it was; a cache of mushrooms and what looked like black walnuts.
Bear wasted no time in raiding it. He sifted through the mushrooms, took the lion’s mane for himself and left the fly amanita for the squirrel. He also took most of the walnuts.
Looking up into the tree to where the squirrel was chattering angrily at him, he said, “Sorry, little guy,” but shoved a walnut into his mouth anyway and closed his eyes as he chewed.
Watching the squirrel, he looked at his gun. He could shoot it. Right now. Roasted squirrel for dinner. He was still contemplating it when he noticed Jess sniffing at the ground up ahead.
“You found another cache, girl?” He walked over to her and stooped to look at what she’d found.
Not a cache. A print.
Bear tilted his head. As he did, he swallowed hard. A boot print.
He wasn’t alone.
His fingers were on his gun. He stood up slowly and peered into the gloom of the thicker trees in front of him. He glanced at Jess, expecting to see her ears pricked. But they weren’t. And her tail was wagging.
Before Bear could step forward, Jess ran from her spot and into the undergrowth.
“Jess!” Bear remained stock-still and rolled his eyes at himself. The boot prints must be old. Jess was off chasing a rabbit. Perhaps she’d bring it back for dinner.
He returned to the fire and was setting about lighting it when movement caught his eye. He looked up, expecting to see Jess, then stopped. His breath caught in his throat. He rubbed his eyes.
“Hey, PB.” Trent stepped out of the bushes and scraped his boot at the track he’d left. “Tried to cover it but didn’t have time.”
“Kid? What are you…” Bear trailed off. He was grinning, he knew he was, but he couldn’t help it. But the bubble of happiness in his chest was soon replaced with something else. “What were you thinking? You followed me? You’ve been on your own? For two days? Anything could have happened to you! Are you crazy?”
Watching him, Bear expected Trent to adopt his usual sheepish expression. Instead, he began to grin. “Worried about me, huh?”
“I… that’s not the….”
“Admit it. You’re pleased to see me.” Trent was trying to sound ballsy but something in his voice made Bear’s expression soften.
“Ah, for heaven’s sake, come here.” He held out his arms. Trent lingered a moment, then rushed into them.
“I couldn’t let you go alone. You need me.” Trent pulled back. He had tears in his eyes. “We’re a team, right? I know you were trying to protect me but we’re in this together. PB and Trent. Like PB and jelly.”
Bear began to laugh. “I need you, do I?”
“Yeah, you do.” Trent’s voice was surprisingly solemn.
As Bear returned to lighting the fire, Trent sat down and leaned forward onto his elbows. “I’m not the only one following you.”
“You’re not?” Bear stopped and narrowed his eyes.
“Well, I haven’t exactly seen them yet. But I heard them. Before I left the hospital.” Trent folded his arms in front of his chest and hugged himself. “I knew you were planning to leave. I saw you go out to the truck that day. So, when I woke up and you were gone, that’s where I went. You’d already gone but there was someone else there. I heard her in the stairwell. She was talking to herself. Pacing up and down. Muttering.” Trent shrugged at the memory. “She seemed a little….” He tapped the side of his skull with his knuckles. “I heard her say something about Murph, so I followed her. She was camped out at this old laundromat with some others. She told them she’d found the guy who killed Murph… said she was going to follow you.”
“And what did these other guys say?”
“They objected at first, then gave in. Seems like she’s the one in charge. Her name’s Britt. That’s what they called her.”
“How many of them?”
“Only three, but they said something about ‘the others’ so I don’t know how many now.”
Bear scratched his beard with his index finger.
“The way you’re moving through the snow, you weren’t hard to track.”
“Have you seen them?”
“This morning. They weren’t far behind me. They stopped but I kept going.”
“Did they see you?”
Trent shook his head. “I tried to cover both of our prints but it was too difficult. I thought it would be better to just hurry up and get to you so I could warn you.”
“You did the right thing, kid.”
Bear pressed his lips together. His mind was moving quickly. Bella had told him about Britt, Murph’s sociopath of an ex-girlfriend. If she was after him, she was out for revenge. Which meant he needed to stop her. Once and for all.
“Bear?”
“Mmm?” He was already lost in his thoughts.
“What the heck is Jess wearing?”
16
BEAR
Bear stood just beneath the cover of the trees and peered out. The sun was starting to set. He could see his own track marks in the snow. Trent had entered the trees farther down so, from here, his weren’t visible.
“They’ll get to your tracks before they get to mine,” Bear said quietly.
“Sorry—”
“No. Don’t apologize.” Bear shook his head. “I’m just thinking out loud… can you show me where you entered the woods?”
Trent nodded.
“We need to cover your tracks and get rid of the fire. Then we’ll sit and wait.”
“Wait? Shouldn’t we leave? Try to outrun them?”
“No. We need to put an end to this.” Bear was already dismantling the fire, destroying all evidence they’d been there. Picking a fresh branch with plenty of twigs on the end of it, he told Trent to do the same. Then—covering their tracks as they went—they headed for the section of trees where Trent had first entered the woods.
“Go clear your tracks,” Bear said. “I’ll make a hideout here in the bushes. We’ll wait here and hope they walk past us.”
A smile spread over Trent’s lips. “Oh I see, we’re turning the tables—the hunted become the hunters.”
“Exactly.”
Nodding, Trent set about removing his boot prints from the ground.
“Now, create some more, but walk in circles. Confuse them,” Bear instructed.
Beneath the trees, there was only a thin layer of snow. Mostly none at all, so by the time they were finished Britt and her gang would be nice and muddled.
While Trent followed Bear’s instructions, Bear began putting together a hiding spot. Beneath the boughs of a pine tree, he found some downed spruce branches and used them to create a covered spot. When Trent had finished, Bear beckoned him beneath them, pulled the branches around them, and peeked out from between the needles.
From here, he could see the exact spot where Trent had entered the woods. Hopefully, Britt wouldn’t be far behind him.
“It’s kinda cold without a fire,” Trent said, hugging Jess in his lap.
Reaching for his pack, Bear unfastened the sleeping bag he took from the truck and gave it to Trent. “Get yourself inside there. And keep your hat down over your ears.”
