Chilling Effect (An Aroostine Higgins Novel Book 2)

by Melissa F. Miller

  She pulled an irregular quadrilateral of mottled red and green from the pile and held it out for him to see. The fading sun glinted off it and gave it a glow.

  “It’s pretty.”

  “It is. But I’m not sure it’s sharp enough.” She tested the jagged edge on her finger and scrunched up her nose. “I guess it’ll do if I don’t find something better.”

  He sorted through her cache of rejected rocks and found a dark gray stone shaped almost like an arrowhead. “This looks like a good fish knife.”

  She glanced up. “Do want me to help you clean them?”

  Yes.

  “No. I’ll figure it out.”

  “You sure?”

  He grinned at her, hoping he projected a confidence he didn’t feel. “I’m sure. I mean, I doubt they’ll pass muster in a fancy restaurant, but I’ll get the scales off and the guts out. How’s that sound?”

  “Perfect.” He started to walk away but she snagged the elbow of his shirt and pulled him back. “Can I borrow your watch?”

  He unclasped the bracelet and handed the heavy stainless-steel watch to her.

  “Here you go.”

  “Thanks. I’ll try not to break it.”

  He turned back. “Break it? What are you going to do with it?”

  She pushed her hair out of her eyes with the back of her free hand. “I’m not seeing much pyrite, just little slivers inside larger rocks. Jasper is a sufficient flint—well, chert, but close enough—but I need a steel. Your watch is perfect.” She hefted it, obviously satisfied by its weight in her hand.

  He hesitated. She’d given him that watch just six weeks ago on their anniversary. He loved it because it was waterproof and uncomplicated, sleek and dependable. And because every time he checked the time, he thought of her.

  “Joe. It’s just a thing.”

  He could have guessed that she’d say something like that. She was as unsentimental as she was honest and generous.

  “I know.”

  She must have heard the petulant tone that crept into his voice because she paused in her rock hunting and took a moment to do nothing but look into his eyes.

  Finally, she said, “I’ll be as careful as I can. And if I give it back to you with a dent or a ding, well, then you’ll have a new memory to carry around.” She smiled gently.

  He felt his own mouth twitch and allowed the grin to take hold.

  “Okay.”

  He strode over and lifted the fish from the ground. She took the jasper and his watch and headed back up the embankment.

  “Good luck,” she called over her shoulder as he contemplated the trout’s head, with his sharp rock in hand.

  Aroostine sighed and scooted closer to Joe. The sigh was one of pure contentment.

  A good-sized fire blazed in the pit, the flames reflecting off the wall of the rock outcropping that would serve as their bedroom and warming her face. The smoky fish flaked apart in her fingers and tasted like heaven. With her belly full, a safe place to sleep, her husband beside her, and a starry sky overhead, she smiled out into the black, still woods. The wilderness felt like a pair of protective arms rather than an ominous danger, comforting rather than frightening.

  Joe shoveled a hunk of fish into his mouth and gave her a curious sidelong glance as he chewed it.

  “What are you thinking?”

  “If I didn’t know better, I’d swear you’re happier out here than you were in Central Oregon’s swankiest resort.”

  She considered her response for a moment before answering.

  “I am.”

  He leaned toward her, and the firelight highlighted his face.

  “You mean that, don’t you?”

  “Yes, I do. I’m not perfectly happy because I’m worried about Ruby, about Lily, about those blasted drones that may or may not have gone missing, but you’re right. There’s something about being outside, away from civilization, that just feels right, deep in my bones.” It was her turn to look at him questioningly. “But, you know that. It’s not exactly a secret.”

  “It’s not a secret that you like to hike or just sit out under a tree or whatever, sure. Or even go camping. But this . . . this is some primitive camping, Roo. We’re using our fingers to eat fish that I caught with my hands and you cooked on a rock. I mean, think about that?”

  She smiled. “Not only that. We’re about to go to sleep on a bed of long grass and weeds covered with leaves.”

  “Yeah, exactly my point. That’s a far cry from a pillowtop mattress and Egyptian cotton sheets.”

  “Agreed. But it’ll be just you, me, and the crickets under this big sky. Doesn’t that sound romantic?”

  A smile played across his face. “Depends on what you have in mind.”

  “We’ll let this fire die down, and then I’ll show you exactly what I’m thinking,” she said, her voice thick with promise.

  She drove thoughts of the reservation, Sid, the drones, the dead man—all of it—from her mind. Tonight she wanted to couple with Joe in the heart of Mother Earth, the way her ancestors had since the beginning of time, the way a man and woman were meant to.

  “You’ve got yourself a deal.” His voice sounded as husky as hers, full of longing.

  He snugged an arm around her and pulled her closer. She closed her eyes, leaned into the warmth of his chest, and inhaled deeply, filling her lungs with the crisp night air.

  If her spirit animal was lurking around somewhere out in the shadows, watching them with its liquid silver eyes, she fervently hoped it would leave her alone until morning.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  The sound of Ruby’s temperamental old car wheezing its way down the road broke the silence of the overnight hours. Boom blinked himself awake on the couch and tucked his shirttails back into place. By the time Ruby knocked softly on her front door, he had his shoes on and his hair smoothed down. Even in the middle of the night, it was important to appear presentable, respectable.

  He slid the chain and unlocked the newly installed deadbolt. He pulled the door inward and stepped aside to let her pass.

  “How was she?” she whispered.

  “She had a snack around eight, brushed her teeth, and settled into bed. I told her the story of Thunderbird, the creation tale, and she was snoring before I reached the part where I explained why we must always slit the salmon down their backs.”

  Ruby graced him with a tired smile.

  “Thank you, Boom.”

  He put a fatherly hand on her shoulder. “You don’t need to thank me, Ruby. Part of living within the circle means you don’t need to do everything alone. Remember that.”

  She nodded and stifled a yawn. Then she reached out a hand to steady herself against the wall while she eased her feet out of her stilettos.

  “I left some stew warming on your stove in case you’re hungry. I’ll come over the same time tomorrow?” he asked as he headed toward the door.

  “I’ll let you know.”

  He turned, his hand on the door. “Oh?”

  She rubbed her eyes with her knuckles, smearing her eyeliner.

  “Yeah. I can’t do this much longer. I was a nervous wreck at work, worrying that Lee was going to turn up and tell me he needed to talk to me. Every time I saw one of his security goons, my hands started to shake. If I keep spilling drinks like I did tonight, I’m not going to have a job.”

  “What’s your plan?”

  “I’m going to call the Department of Justice in the morning.”

  He cocked his head but didn’t speak.

  “Even if Aroostine’s gone for good, she already reached out to her boss—Sid Somebody or Other. He said he’d help us, so I’m going to hold him to it.”

  Boom noted the fire that sprang to life in her eyes and held his tongue. It wouldn’t do to argue with Ruby when she had her mind set on something.

  “All the same,” he said mildly. “Even the Justice Department can’t work miracles. I’ll plan to watch Lily tomorrow unless I hear otherwise from y
ou.”

  Once she realized he didn’t plan to try to dissuade her, her jaw relaxed and she nodded. “I appreciate that. And you’re probably right—I doubt the government will move that quickly.”

  He opened the door. “They rarely do, daughter. Unless they’re taking something from us—in that case, they spring faster than a cheetah. Lock this behind me.”

  “Good night.”

  He walked out into the dark and took in the starry sky above. He stepped off the porch and wondered if Aroostine was looking up at the same sky. Behind him, he heard Ruby slide the lock into place with a click.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Aroostine woke, chilled but rested, when the first early rays of light streamed into the shelter.

  She’d slept soundly, a dreamless sleep that had also been free of visions or nightmares. She lay there for several minutes, listening to the birds chattering in the trees and Joe’s even, deep breathing just beside her ear.

  Only when the call of nature became too urgent to ignore did she ease herself out from under his thigh, which was resting heavily across hers. She slowly lifted his arm from around her waist and laid it gently on the ground before rising to her feet and slipping soundlessly out of the nook.

  The morning dew dotted the grass like tears. But the sun was already gaining in strength, hinting a warm, cloudless day. She took a moment to wish for gray cloud cover before continuing down to the stream to wash up.

  When she returned to the campsite, Joe was awake, pulling on his shoes.

  “I woke up and you were gone,” he said in a voice that couldn’t hide his panic.

  “I had to pee.”

  His worried frown turned to a sheepish smile. “Oh.”

  She crossed the small space and kissed him.

  “I didn’t mean to scare you,” she murmured, her lips brushing his. “Good morning.”

  “Good morning.” He whispered back, his breath tickling her.

  “How’d you sleep?”

  He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear as he answered. “Surprisingly well. Of course, you did wear me out pretty thoroughly . . .”

  She felt her cheeks grow warm. Before he could laugh at her, she pulled back and searched his face.

  “I hate to be the buzzkill, but we need to move out.”

  The humor faded from his eyes, and he nodded. He raked his fingers through his hair, shaking out small dry leaves.

  “Okay. Let’s do it.”

  “You should go to the stream and get some water first. Make sure you drink up, because we’re going to veer away from it and cut a diagonal toward Boylestown.”

  “I thought you wanted to follow the stream?”

  She had. Tracing the path of the snaking stream would ensure they had access to drinking water, but it would be faster to leave the ribbon behind. And all of a sudden she felt convinced that speed was paramount. The longer they were out of contact with Sid, the more vulnerable Ruby—and Lily—became.

  “I think we need to get to town as early in the day as we can. Get to a phone and get Sid to send us some backup, some transportation, maybe some cash to get food.”

  “Are you saying you didn’t like my hillbilly hand fishing?”

  She grinned at the crack but grew serious again right away. “No, I’m feeling exposed out here. Another bright blue sky is another chance for someone to fly a drone over our heads.”

  “You don’t really think anyone’s stupid enough to bomb two US citizens out of existence in the middle of Oregon.” He paused a beat. “Do you?”

  She pinned him with a look. “I have no idea. But I do know, for a certainty, that if it were to happen, the Department of Defense, Department of Justice, and Homeland Security would be out here so fast to cover it up that no one, no one, would ever know what happened to us.”

  “What, they’ll send out the Men in Black?”

  “Look around, Joe. Do you see anyone whose memory will need to be erased? We’ll be reported as hikers who got lost and disoriented and then starved to death or something.”

  She waited while he made a slow survey of the expanse of wilderness that lay ahead of them. Then he swallowed hard.

  “Okay. Give me three minutes.”

  His large watch, which she’d strapped around her own wrist after she’d used it to ignite the tinder, banged against her hand.

  “Wait. Here. I forgot to give this back to you last night. It’s just got a little dent in the one side.” She unclasped it and handed it to him before he walked down to the stream. He rubbed his fingers over the indentation and smiled.

  They crossed the rise and headed west toward the town side by side in silence, conserving their breath and maintaining a good clip. Every minute to ninety seconds, Aroostine glanced up, scanning the sky for a dark shadow. The lack of a drone flying overhead did nothing to alleviate her concern. If anything, the quiet served to ratchet up her anxiety.

  “We should head toward the highway,” she said, her panic overtaking her plan to stay out of view.

  “Someone might see us.”

  “That’s kind of the point. Maybe we could hitch a ride to Boylestown.”

  Joe coughed. “You look lovely, don’t get me wrong. But I look like a man who slept in the woods. Would you pick us up?”

  She inspected him closely and imagined what she might look like despite his flattery.

  “Probably not.”

  “Besides, the risk that someone who works for Buckmount is going to drive by and see us is too great. That road’s the main thoroughfare to the casino.”

  He was right, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that they had to get to town. Fast.

  He eyed her.

  “Did you have another vision?”

  “No.”

  And the truth was at this point—for the first time in her life—she would have welcomed one. She felt adrift, unsure of how to help the mother and child who counted on her. She increased her pace, almost jogging now, as though she could outrun her worry.

  “Hey. Roo, look at me.”

  She stopped and turned to face Joe, who’d fallen behind and was now lagging by several paces. But before he could launch into whatever inspirational pep talk he had planned, her eyes slid over him and locked on a set of deep ruts that had been carved into the soft earth.

  “Joe, look.”

  A wave of irritation rolled across his face, but he followed her gaze and craned his neck to look over his shoulder and off to the left.

  “Tire tracks?” He crouched and traced the indent with a finger. “Looks like an ATV. Must have been carrying a heavy load.”

  A spark of excitement raced up her spine.

  “Maybe we can get a ride, if the driver’s still around.”

  “What makes you think they’re still around?”

  “Only one set of tracks,” she pointed out. “So, whoever it was didn’t come back this way. We should follow them and see where they go.”

  He hesitated.

  “Come on,” she urged.

  “Wait. A minute ago you were all hopped up to get to the highway and catch a lift to town. Now you want to go off on what’s likely to be a wild goose chase and a huge waste of time? Do you have a plan or not?” his voice shook with anger and betrayal.

  She stiffened and prepared to fire back defensively when a flash in the distance caught her eye. As if she’d summoned it, her spirit animal stood on its hind legs about fifty yards away, its feet planted smack in the middle of the tracks. A sign. An unmistakable sign. The only clearer sign would have been if it had worn a placard around its neck with the words “GO THIS WAY” displayed in flashing neon lights. She had to follow it, not because it made logical sense, but because it didn’t. She simply had to trust her guide.

  She looked back at Joe. Now to explain that she was taking instructions from an imaginary semiaquatic rodent.

  “I had a sign.”

  “Like a vision?”

  “Sort of.”

  She glanced back
toward the beaver, but was not surprised to see that it had vanished. Joe was watching her face.

  He cleared his throat. “Well, that settles that. Let’s go.”

  He started off along the tracks. She blinked at the ease with which he put his faith in a pretend beaver that he couldn’t even see and that she still had never bothered naming and followed him.

  Joe figured they’d followed the ATV tracks for about a quarter mile before the ground sloped up and the sporadic trees that had lined their path grew denser and taller. Another couple hundred yards and they were in a densely wooded area. The temperature fell by several degrees as the canopy of leaves overhead blocked the heat of the sun. He had to squint a little to make out the tracks in the filtered sunlight.

  The ground itself was drier and rockier now, making the tracks less pronounced. Twice they veered off course without realizing it. Both times, Aroostine realized it first and retraced their steps back to the tracks. If her beaver was giving her any more clues, she kept them to herself, but he didn’t think the beaver was leading her. This was all her.

  Joe tried to keep his eyes on the tracks, but he kept scanning the dirt on either side as well. He had no idea what kind of snakes were indigenous to this part of Oregon, but this shady, hard-scrabbled area seemed like the sort of environment a snake would love.

  He was raising his head to call ahead to Aroostine and ask about the reptile situation when he bumped right into her back. She’d come to a stop and was standing frozen in path, staring at a natural cave just ahead.

  “What the . . .”

  “Only one way to find out.” She stepped forward and walked into the mouth of the cave.

  He glanced from side to side. Forget snakes, if he were a bad guy, he’d probably consider an isolated cave hidden deep in the woods to be an excellent place to get rid of a nosy federal prosecutor and her dashing husband.

  His pulse pounded and his shoulders tensed as he looked around, expecting Buckmount to be lying in wait behind the nearest tree, but he saw no signs of human life. Just a startled bird, which left the tree where it had been perched with a furious flapping and squawking.