by Susan Stoker
“You can sit here and do nothing if you want,” Bubba told her. He had no problem taking care of them both. But she immediately shook her head.
“No, I’m not a damsel in distress. I’m helping.”
“Okay. Remember what I told you yesterday about the flint?”
“Yeah. But let’s not expect miracles this first time on my own, okay?”
He chuckled. “If you need me, I’ll be a yell away.”
“Right. It’s not like we have to worry about being quiet or anything. No one’s out here to hear us anyway.”
Bubba nodded. Things would’ve been a lot worse if whoever had arranged for them to disappear had sent in a few snipers to make sure they didn’t make it out, but they were either too cheap to follow through, or too sure that stranding them would do the trick. “I’ll be back soon.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the flint and placed it in her open palm. “You got this, Zo.”
“Yup. Just call me Laura Ingalls.”
“Who?” Bubba asked, confused.
She laughed. “Never mind. Go. Shoo. You man, provide meat. Me woman, make fire.”
Laughing, Bubba turned to leave their impromptu camping spot. He loved that she was constantly making him laugh.
Yeah, it was safe to say Zoey had gotten under his skin…and he liked her there. A lot.
Zoey did her best to control her breathing as they trudged through the forest later that morning. As it turned out, she hadn’t been able to start the fire. The flint was tricky, and she’d been able to make sparks with it, but they hadn’t landed where she’d wanted them and she couldn’t get the small sticks she’d collected to catch fire.
Of course, Mark had been able to get a flame almost immediately, which was irritating. He’d been nice enough to tell her he’d just gotten lucky, but Zoey knew that wasn’t it at all.
The more time she spent around Mark, the more her high school crush rekindled. But this time it was more than a mere crush. She admired Mark. Liked the man he’d become. He was generous, courteous, brave, knowledgeable about a whole hell of a lot.
He was also very observant. She was losing his “look for mushrooms” game, but that wasn’t a surprise. She had a feeling he was well aware of every bird that flew overhead and every small mammal that made noises in the underbrush. He held the compass in his hand and kept them on track, while at the same time pointing out every little thing that might trip her up and finding every freaking berry and mushroom they passed.
If she didn’t admire him so much, she’d be mightily annoyed.
But it was the glimpses of the not-quite-so-perfect man that intrigued her the most. He hadn’t been the best son, or even brother, if she was honest. He emailed Colin here and there, but he hadn’t called much, and he certainly hadn’t visited. Malcom was left to help Colin with the business and his everyday needs.
Ten years ago, it hadn’t been a big deal, but when Mark’s dad had gotten sick, he’d needed more and more assistance. Zoey did what she could, but Malcom had definitely had to step up more. Mark hadn’t even been aware he was sick.
And the man was just a bit too damn positive.
She figured he was doing it for her sake, but just once she’d like to hear him complain about the fact they’d been dropped in the middle of a freaking forest. Or about how he wanted a shower. Or how he wanted something to eat other than squirrel meat, berries, leaves, and fungus. She knew he had to be uncomfortable and irritated, but he’d been almost cartoonishly upbeat all morning…and it was maddening.
Zoey did her best to maintain her own positivity as they continued on their trek. He’d tried to explain what his plan was and where they were going, but Zoey had tuned him out a little. The bottom line was that it didn’t matter, because neither of them had any real idea of where the hell they were. North of Anchorage? South? She just didn’t know.
The mountain peaks on either side of them stood like prison guards, not letting them go anywhere but south. It was almost as if they were herded in that direction, and Zoey couldn’t help but shiver.
She was so lost in thought, she almost ran into Mark’s back when he stopped. She caught herself just in time and peeked around him to see why he’d stopped.
Blinking in disbelief, she swore at the huge lake blocking their path. “Shit!” She looked up at Mark to see him studying the area intensely.
Sighing, she saw a rock nearby and trudged over to it. She plunked herself down and pulled her knees up. Hugging them to her chest, she lay her cheek on her knees and closed her eyes. If it wasn’t one thing, it was another. Yeah, they could probably walk around the lake, but it would take forever. Not that they had a set time frame. They could take an extra day, or three, and it wouldn’t make one damn difference in their situation.
But she didn’t want to take an extra day or three.
“Things could be worse,” Mark said after a moment.
Zoey clenched her teeth in irritation. She knew she was being unreasonably grumpy, but she couldn’t take Mark’s positive attitude at the moment. She knew things could be worse, but hey—things were actually pretty shitty right now as they were.
As her frustration grew, so did her irritation. Just once, she wanted to see Mark get upset. It wouldn’t change anything, and it wouldn’t make anything better, but it would make him a little more human in her eyes.
She knew she wasn’t being rational—it would be bad if they were both freaking out—but she couldn’t help the way she felt.
When she didn’t respond, he continued, unaware of her emotional turmoil. “I think I can see the edge of the lake to the west. It’ll take some time, but hopefully on the other side we’ll find a fisherman or hunter or something.”
When she still didn’t answer, Mark asked, “Did you hear me, Zo? This lake is a good thing. We’ll have lots of fresh water to drink, and maybe we’ll even be able to catch a fish for dinner instead of having to eat another squirrel.”
“Great,” she mumbled, wanting nothing more than to be back in her little house in Juneau living her boring, yet safe and warm life.
She felt one of Mark’s hands touch her calf and assumed he was kneeling in front of her. She didn’t open her eyes to see.
“Are you all right?” Mark asked softly.
That did it.
She’d been trying to be so strong, trying to hold in her fear and anger and frustration, but she couldn’t handle his compassion right now. “No,” she whispered. “I’m not all right.”
“What’s wrong? Talk to me, Zo.”
Lifting her head, Zoey looked into Mark’s concerned brown eyes and almost chickened out. She could tell him she was just tired, and then they’d start walking around the huge freaking lake…or she could tell him what was bothering her.
She chose honesty.
“I can’t do this anymore.”
Mark’s brows furrowed. “Do what?”
“This. Pretend we’re on some fun camping trip or something. You haven’t complained once. I get that this is probably easy compared to some of the things you’ve seen and done, but it’s not for me. I hate it. Every bit of it! And hearing you be all upbeat and positive without even one complaint is killing me! Are you really that calm inside? Is this really no big deal for you? Because it is to me. Someone wants us to die out here, Mark! I need to know you’re even a little like a normal human. That you’re hurting. That you hate this. That you’re hungry, your feet hurt, something! And I know this all sounds ridiculous because both of us freaking out wouldn’t be good, but I’m so far out of my league here, and I just want you to be honest with me.”
He stared at her for a heartbeat, and for a second, Zoey thought he was just going to try to calm her. Then he spoke.
“I’m fucking pissed,” he said in a tone that more than conveyed his anger. “More so because this has to be related to my dad’s death and the reading of his will, which means that whoever is behind this is someone I probably know. Someone who was close to my dad. And that
makes me want to literally fucking kill whoever it was. I hate that I let down my guard enough to allow it to happen in the first place. I fucked up, and now we’re both in this situation. I’m worried about you, but at the same time, I’m so impressed with how you’ve held up it isn’t even funny.
“I’m trying to be upbeat and positive because otherwise you’ll see a side of me I’m thinking would scare you. I’m concerned that we might have to walk another hundred miles before we find any evidence of another human. I’m scared we’re going to come into close contact with a bear or some other pissed-off animal, and I don’t have a weapon to defend us. I am hungry, and tired, and I’m missing my coffee—but you’re right; none of these things is anything I haven’t handled before.”
Zoey couldn’t take her eyes off the man in front of her. It was as if he were a completely different person…and she was kind of embarrassed that she was as turned on as she’d ever been while listening to him complain.
It was exactly what she’d needed. To see some deep emotion from him. Knowing he wasn’t taking their situation lightly, strangely, made her feel better.
“The most important thing during a mission is not to dwell on the negatives, but to look at the positives instead. That’s all I’m trying to do. But I’m human, Zo. Just like you. Don’t ever think that I’m not aware of the dangers we face. I’m probably more aware of them than anyone. I’m simply trying to stay upbeat because the alternative is to fall so deeply into our misery that we eventually just sit down and give up. And that’s not an option.
“I like you, Zoey. I liked you when we were eighteen, and I like you even more now. I hate that I can’t ask you out on a date like a normal man. That I can’t pick you up at your house and see you all dolled up for me. I want to watch you laugh and smile in the candlelight across a table at a fancy restaurant. To feel the anticipation and excitement when I take you home and try to figure out how to ask for a good-night kiss without looking like an ass. That sucks…and I hate it.”
Zoey couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Mark Wright liked her? Liked her? Holy shit. “I don’t need that stuff,” she said without thinking. “Never have. I want a guy to be happy sitting around reading, while every now and then nudging me with his foot to let me know he’s thinking about me. Someone who’ll go grocery shopping with me and make me laugh in the cereal aisle. A man who isn’t afraid to let me see his emotions, and who will tell me he’s not in the mood because he has a headache and his bunions are killing him.”
Mark chuckled, and Zoey was glad to see the angry look had disappeared from his face. She could see a hint of his emotions in his eyes, and it made her feel much better.
“I love that you’re positive, but I don’t want you to hide all your concerns about what we’re doing from me. We’re a team. Talk to me. I might not be a SEAL, but I’ve lived in Alaska all my life. I can help. At least, I’d like to think I can. If nothing else, I can be a sounding board for you,” she told him. “I don’t want to hold you back. I don’t want to feel as if I’m a burden and you have to constantly check on my mental well-being.”
Mark nodded. He hadn’t moved his hand from her leg, and the warmth and weight of it made Zoey feel good.
“You’re not holding me back, and you are definitely not a burden. But I hear you. I’ve been trying too hard to be upbeat. Got it. I’ll do my best to check that, but you have to understand that I’m trying to protect you.”
“I know, and I appreciate it. I just want you to be yourself. Not pretending we’re out on some pleasure hike. And I’d like to say I don’t need protecting, but I’m obviously out of my element here, regardless of my huge score of a four on the outdoor comfortability scale.” She gave him a small smile.
He returned it and moved his hand to the back of her calf. She felt his fingers brush against the underside of her thigh and every muscle tensed…in a good way.
“Understood. And you’re doing good, Zo. Really good. I’m not lying about that either. I’d say even after the short time we’ve been out here, you’ve moved up to a five, five and a half on that outdoor comfortability scale.”
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. Now…about this lake?”
“Yeah?”
“It blows.”
She chuckled. “Yeah. That’s what I thought.”
“But I wasn’t just being all Positive Polly when I told you about the fish and walking around it. It sucks that it’ll take more time, but large lakes sometimes mean people. So we just need to keep our eyes out for them.”
“And if we don’t find any?”
“Then we keep walking until we do.”
“Do you really think someone will find us? That your friends are looking for you?” she asked for what felt like the hundredth time.
“Looking for us. And yes. I know without any doubt that Rocco is losing his mind and has already called in the cavalry to search for us.”
“Alaska is a great place to hide dead bodies,” Zoey replied in a somber tone.
“I know. But we aren’t dead, and my friends won’t stop until they find us, no matter if they think we’ve been murdered and dropped off somewhere or not. They’ll track down Eve and figure out where she left us and who’s behind this. I guarantee it.”
“There you go, being a Positive Polly again,” Zoey teased.
“No. That’s me being real,” he argued.
“If you’re so sure your friends will find Eve and will figure out where she dumped us, why didn’t we stay near that other lake?”
“Because I don’t know how stubborn Eve is. Or how long it’ll take for them to track her down. And because even if we walked a hundred miles south, having that starting point means they’ll slowly expand their radius for searching. They’ll eventually find us…if we haven’t rescued ourselves first. I’m not willing to wait for them if I don’t have to.”
Zoey nodded. That made sense. “So…do you really think you can catch a fish?” she asked. “Not that I don’t love your squirrel du jour, but I wouldn’t mind a nice fat salmon right about now.”
“I’m hoping I can,” he said.
Zoey appreciated that honesty, rather than a straight-up yes, more than she could say. She slowly dropped her legs, and Mark stood as she did. “Well, if we have to walk around this fucking lake, we might as well get started,” she said.
Reaching out, Mark pulled her into him, and she gladly went, resting her cheek against his chest and listening to his heartbeat. It soothed her at the same time his nearness made her want to latch on to him and never let go. She forced herself to take a step back and gesture to their left. “After you.”
“You just want me to go first to break up all the spider webs,” Mark complained.
Zoey burst out laughing. “Don’t tell me you’re afraid of spiders?”
“Can’t stand them,” Mark replied.
Even though nothing had changed—they were still stuck in the middle of nowhere with nothing but the clothes on their backs—she felt better than she had since before they’d climbed onto the small chartered flight.
“Tell ya what, if I see any crawling on you, I’ll be sure to save you from them.”
“I appreciate that,” Mark told her. “Come on. Let’s get this show on the road.”
As she set out after him, Zoey couldn’t help but feel a spark of hope. He continued to believe his friends would be looking for them, and she had to believe him. She just prayed they’d be able to find Eve and get her to tell them where she’d left Mark and Zoey sooner rather than later.
Chapter Eight
Rocco paced the small meeting room on the base in agitation. It had been two days since Bubba was supposed to land in Anchorage to deal with his dad’s will. But when he didn’t get in contact with anyone three hours after he was supposed to have landed, Rocco called Tex and got the guys together, and they’d started making inquiries.
Now, two days later, they still hadn’t heard from Bubba, and no one seemed to
know where he was. And worse, the plane he’d been on hadn’t been seen or heard from either. They all knew that meant it had most likely crashed, but something didn’t feel right, and Rocco always went with his gut. It’d saved his life more than once in the past.
“Okay, so we’ve called all the hospitals in both Anchorage and Juneau, with no luck. The police in both cities haven’t had any reports of plane crashes, and the National Transportation and Safety Board hasn’t reported any maydays being called in around the time he was supposed to be in the air,” Rocco summed up as he paced.
“I contacted Zoey Knight’s mother in Anchorage, and she hasn’t heard from her daughter either,” Rex said.
“And Kenneth Eklund wasn’t any help,” Ace said on a sigh. “In fact, he was decidedly unhelpful. He didn’t know the name of the pilot or anything about the plane he chartered. Claimed his assistant arranged the flight. When I asked for a receipt, or something to show that he’d chartered the plane, he couldn’t produce anything. Then I asked to speak to his assistant, and he said she’s on vacation this week. All of that is decidedly suspicious, if you ask me.”
Rocco agreed. “Right, but we were able to obtain the name of the pilot and the plane number from the Anchorage airport.”
“But we haven’t been able to find anything on an ‘Eve Dane,’” Gumby added.
“This whole thing is suspicious as hell,” Phantom growled.
Rocco held up his hand. “I agree. But right now, the main thing is Bubba. The commander has given us permission to head up to Anchorage to start our search from there.”
“I hate to be a downer, but we don’t even know where to start,” Gumby said.
“Well, Juneau is southeast of Anchorage, so we start looking between the two cities. Commander North has hooked us up with the Alaska State Troopers, and we’ll start our search from the air.”
Phantom stood up so fast, his chair crashed to the floor behind him, but he didn’t apologize and didn’t pick it up. Like Rocco, he paced agitatedly next to the table. “We’re looking for a needle in a haystack,” he complained. “There’ve been no pings from Bubba’s cell phone because he most likely turned it off before the plane took flight. So we can’t track him that way. If that tiny plane he was in crashed, it would be almost impossible to see through the trees. Or, God forbid, if it went into the ocean, it would’ve sunk like a stone. And who’s to say they even went in the direction of Juneau? We have a flight plan, but if something went wrong, the pilot could’ve deviated from it. We have no idea if that damn pilot went north, east, south, or west. We need more. Something!”