3. Toren
Toren
Noise drilled into my skull as my alarm blared from the nightstand.
Rolling over, I slapped at it, shutting off the deafening sound, then groaned, rubbing at my eyes. I was normally an early riser, but not this early. The glow of twilight that appears before dawn was just starting to creep in around the edges of my curtains. It wasn’t even four o’clock yet.
I sat up and shoved off the covers, recoiling a bit as the chill in the room hit my bare chest. It was enough to remind me to double check that I packed hand warmers and my ferro rod. It might be late April, but mornings—especially where we were going—would be cold.
Wanting to chase away the chill, I dressed quickly, pulling thermal leggings over my black boxer-briefs. Water-resistant pants came next, followed by a thermal shirt and a flannel button-up. Wool socks rounded out the ensemble.
A wide yawn cracked my jaw. Leaving my bedroom, my stocking feet made little noise as I made a quick stop in the bathroom to use the toilet and brush my teeth. I didn’t bother to shave. The short beard I had going would help insulate my face.
Still squinting against the light, I headed to the kitchen.
Coffee. I needed coffee.
Lining the basket with a filter, I added grounds, then water to the reservoir. After sticking a mug on the drip tray, I pushed the start button.
Stifling another yawn, I gathered all the things to make a quick omelet and some bacon. Most mornings, my breakfast consisted of oatmeal and a protein shake, but today, I needed the extra fuel. The terrain up there wasn’t exactly forgiving, and we were looking for a needle in a haystack.
I hoped Miss Fancy Shoes knew what she was getting into. Could I have gone alone? Sure. But I meant what I said. She had knowledge I wanted access to when I needed it. Having her there was faster than turning on the sat phone, hoping I had a signal, and then also hoping she’d answer my call.
I also could have said no. Except no matter which way I ran the situation through my head, I kept coming to the same conclusion as Ms. Decker.
A man alone in the wilderness with no contact for several days—one who’d been making regular contact—wasn’t okay.
Something was keeping him from calling in.
Whether it was just a broken radio or something far worse, I didn’t know.
But I couldn’t sit around and just wait to see if he made it back.
The weather this time of year was wholly unpredictable.
Even for someone experienced, if you didn’t pay attention to the smallest changes, you could get caught in a heavy, wet snowstorm or a flash flood if things warmed quickly enough.
Bears were coming out of hibernation, and they were hungry.
Even if they didn’t attack him, they could ransack his camp and take every last morsel of food he had, plus destroy his gear. His fiancée was right to seek help.
The frying pan sizzled as I added strips of bacon.
While it cooked, I cracked four eggs into a bowl and whipped them with a fork.
Once the bacon was cooked, I wiped some of the grease out of the pan, then added the eggs, some pre-chopped onions and peppers I had in the fridge, and some shredded cheese.
Beeping sounded as the coffeepot finished brewing. As soon as it stopped dripping, I grabbed the mug and filled it, taking a sip.
Instantly more awake, I turned back to the stove. The omelet was done. Sliding it onto a plate, I grabbed a fork and took my breakfast to the small table I had tucked up by the window.
I should still probably say no. I had clients booked and a bear camp to run in two weeks. Dragging myself into a search that might end up being nothing wasn’t smart. It wasn’t good business.
But the gnawing, gut feeling that it might end up being something kept me from picking up the phone to call Ms. Decker and tell her I changed my mind, then texting my pilot buddy, Walker Marlowe, to leave the plane in the hanger before I went back to bed.
Instead, I shoveled in the last of my breakfast, then washed my dishes. With the cabin tidy, I double checked my gear, making sure I had all my fire-making supplies and the trauma kit. Once I was sure I had everything I’d need, I donned my outer gear and stepped outside into the growing dawn.
My headlights cut through gloom as I drove down the drive through the trees to the road. Gravel crunched as I made the turn, then smoothed out as my tires hit pavement. I still marveled at the fact I had somehow managed to find a place on a paved road. There weren’t many of those up here.
Seventeen minutes after I left my cabin, I pulled into the airport and headed straight for the private hangars, where I knew Walker would already be waiting.
Hopping out of my truck, I grabbed my gear from the backseat. As I shut the door, a set of headlights washed over me. I turned to see Ms. Decker’s Subaru pulling up.
She parked two spaces over and cut the engine. I waited, wondering what sort of boots she’d have on. She said she had appropriate footwear, but my idea of appropriate and hers was liable to be vastly different.
Much to my surprise, however, the woman who rounded the rear of her vehicle looked nothing like the prim-and-proper, put together woman who showed up at my house yesterday.
This woman had on well-worn, name-brand hiking shoes and Gore-Tex pants.
Beneath her unzipped, high-quality parka, I could see the collar of a moisture-wicking shirt, layered under a merino wool sweater.
The only things missing were decent gloves and a toque.
Based on the rest of her appearance, however, I’d place a bet they were in the water-resistant backpack she pulled out of the backseat of her car.
“I’m here,” she said, turning her face up to look at me.
There wasn’t a stitch of makeup on her skin.
Something visceral and entirely inappropriate punched me in the gut. She’d been pretty yesterday, all gussied up. But today? With no makeup and looking like she was ready to tackle the wilderness?
Yeah… The, “I’m an independent and capable woman,” look did it for me.
Hastily, I pushed away those thoughts. They had no place in what we were about to do.
“I see that,” I replied. “And you’re early.”
“You were pretty adamant about the time.”
“No sense burning daylight.” I tipped my head toward the hangar. “Let’s go find our pilot, Ms. Decker.”
“I’m flying off into the wilderness with you. You can call me Lana.”
I nodded once, then, not waiting to see if she followed, I turned and headed for the man door set into the side of the tan-colored hangar.
The door creaked as I pulled it open.
Inside, bright light banished the shadows from outside. I glanced around, looking for Walker.
He popped out from behind the Piper Navajo situated in the center of the hangar.
“Hey there. You guys are early.” Striding forward, a wide grin spread over Walker’s face, showing off his almost too-white smile, as his gaze landed on Lana.
“Hello.” He held out a hand to her. “I’m Walker Marlowe. You must be the wedding planner.”
Pink dusted Lana’s cheeks. “Lana, please.” She shook his hand.
My own tightened around my backpack strap. Of course she’d be charmed by Walker. People didn’t call him Hollywood for no reason.
“Are you about ready to take off?” I asked.
One of Walker’s brows rose at the gruff note in my voice. He let go of Lana’s hand and stepped toward the plane. “Pretty much. I just finished my walk around the exterior of the plane. I just have to do my cockpit checks, but I’ll do that once we’re all on board.”
“Let’s load up, then.” I looked down at Lana. “Did you get more information from your bride?”
“I did. Tina said Dustin planned to hunt the ridges east of the Lace River and maybe work his way down into the low country if he didn’t find anything up there.
She said this isn’t his first trip to the area.
He usually camps near some unnamed tributary she called the eastern fork.
I had her show it to me on a map. I have it circled on one in my backpack.
” She pointed at the bag hanging from her shoulder.
“Well, that makes the drop zone a little easier to pick out.” Walker motioned us toward a table set up along the wall. “Let’s spread that map out and take a look.”
We followed him over, and Lana removed her pack, quickly finding the map hiding inside. She opened it up and spread it over the table. It was a laminated one, meant for harsh weather. On one side, circled with a grease pencil was an area that still felt too large to search.
Walker let out a low whistle and stated what I was thinking. “That’s a lot of ground to cover.”
“Yeah.” Lana sighed. “Tina also said he texted her Saturday to tell her he found fresh sign and was moving camp. He said he’d let her know when he stopped, but she never heard from him.”
“What’s this guy do for a living?” I asked.
“Construction. It’s how I ended up planning his wedding. He knows my brother.”
“And your brother is a construction worker?” Walker asked.
“Sort of. He’s an architect, but we both grew up helping our dad with his construction company. Luke’s in charge of that now, since Dad retired. Dustin works for the company.”
“Well, hopefully, that gives him some wilderness skills.” I folded up the map and handed it back to Lana, then looked at Walker. “Did you file our flight plan? Are we ready?”
He nodded, then motioned us toward the plane. “We’re good to go. I checked the weather too. It’s holding for now. We have a window through mid-afternoon, but there’s a system moving in later. I’ll have to drop you off before it gets too bad. It’s supposed to get windy before it gets wet.”
After a quick detour to open the main hangar doors, Walker unlocked the plane and lowered the stairs.
“After you.” I swept out a hand for Lana to go first.
“Sit wherever,” Walker called as we ascended the steps.
I bit back a snort. It wasn’t like there were many options. This was a tiny plane. Pilot and co-pilot’s seats, plus six passenger seats.
Lana took up residence behind Walker, so I sat beside her on the opposite side. Walker took our backpacks and stowed them at the rear of the cabin in the netting.
“Buckle up,” he said, passing back through the cabin. “We’ll be on our way shortly.”
“Do you have extra headsets?” I asked. “So we can do some reconnaissance?”
“I do, but only one of them has a cord long enough to reach back here. Lana, why don’t you come sit up with me?” One side of Walker’s mouth lifted. “Toren, I’d offer you the seat, but your legs won’t fit. Plus, she’s prettier.”
I rolled my eyes. “How very not sexist of you, Walker.”
He flashed that bright white grin again. “It’s not sexist. It’s the truth. Have you looked in a mirror?”
“I happen to think Toren’s quite handsome,” Lana interjected, standing to go up front. “I know I’m not the only one, either.”
“What?” My eyebrows drew down into a deep vee. “What are you talking about?”
She looked back at me as she maneuvered between the seats. “To parrot Walker, have you looked in a mirror?”
I knew I wasn’t anything to shake a stick at, but I didn’t have Walker’s perfect smile or friendly face. I tended more toward dark and deadly in the looks department. My size intimidated most people, and I had what Cara had called “resting bitch face” thanks to my dark, slanted eyebrows.
I didn’t respond to Lana’s comment. Just frowned. She smiled and moved into the co-pilot’s seat.
“Here.” Walker thrust a headset between the seats.
“Thanks.” I took it, settling it over my ears as he fired up the engine.
A mechanical whine filled the cabin as the engine caught.
The headset dulled the roar just enough to hear Walker’s voice as he asked Lana to flip a switch on the panel in front of her.
I settled into my seat and watched him pull out a spiralbound, laminated checklist from the pocket beside his left hip.
Diligently and efficiently, he worked through it until he completed the last item and flipped the book closed, tucking it back where it belonged.
“All right. Let’s get airborne.” Releasing the brake, he pushed the throttle forward, and the small plane crawled toward the door, emerging into the growing dawn.
Lana glanced back at me as we took off a few minutes later. Our eyes met for just a moment. There was something there—determination, and something else. Anticipation, maybe. And possibly a hint of fear.
I felt it too. This was risky, what we were doing. Even though Tina had narrowed down the area, the wilderness in the Lace River watershed covered thousands of acres of unforgiving, dangerous landscape.
But there was no going back now. We were already on our way.
I turned my attention to the window, watching the ground fall away as Walker steered us into the sky.
I wouldn’t turn back, even if I could. Dustin was out there somewhere in the sea of trees and rocky ridges. Lana’s story about what Tina told her had left me with an uneasy feeling. He didn’t sound like a flake. He didn’t just forget to check in. There was a reason he hadn’t contacted his fiancée.
I just hoped it wasn’t a deadly one.