Vote Then Read: Volume II

by Lauren Blakely

  “And I was able to remember the earthquake in my living room after you told me you heard an explosion. It’s like the memories are there, but only accessible with a trigger.” Even now her recall was vague, more like snapshots in a photo album, viewed from outside, disconnected from her thoughts and experience. She glanced around and attempted to wave off a dozen mosquitos that vied for her blood. “So Vin saw this place and remembered something. Maybe.”

  Alec nodded. “Maybe.”

  “The group was camped here,” Alec said, pointing to the spongy ground beneath a stand of tamarack trees. “According to the trainees, Vin slept over there—set off from the group. There were four of them—three trainees and Vin—and they each had a two-hour watch shift. One of the soldiers—a nineteen-year-old boy who’d yet to complete a combat tour—probably dozed on his shift. When another soldier woke to take over, they noticed Vin was gone.”

  Alec circled the small area. “They assumed he’d stepped away to take a leak, and made a bird call signal, one Vin should have repeated. He didn’t.” He paused and scanned the hills that jutted from the landscape a hundred yards away. Beyond the foothills were glacier-covered mountains, nothing but wilderness for hundreds of miles. “It dawned on one of them that Vin’s gear was gone too. But instead of worrying and raising the alarm, they assumed it was some sort of test. They figured Vin had moved a distance away and was watching them to see how they’d do in survival training without an instructor.” Alec rubbed a hand over his face. That first night, Vin had still been alive. If the trainees had followed protocol and radioed back to the compound, a search party would have been formed. They might have found him. But it wasn’t until twelve hours after Vin had disappeared that anyone in Raptor was informed one of their own was missing.

  He finally turned to meet Isabel’s gaze, not knowing what he expected to see. This was different from visiting the place where Vin had supposedly fallen—which had been a puzzle with possible answers. She’d been quiet from the moment they reached this area, and now tears fell unchecked down her cheeks, and he felt like a complete and utter ass for not having made arrangements for her to visit this place months ago.

  His lawyers had said many times it was unwise, and he damned himself for listening to them. One problem with growing up in an überwealthy family was the perpetual lawsuits. He’d had his own team of lawyers since he was sixteen and a fender bender—in which he’d been the middle car, rear-ended by a distracted driver and shoved into the stopped car in front of him—triggered his first frivolous lawsuit.

  His father had freaked when Alec told him he intended to spend his inheritance on Raptor. Companies like Raptor were a tort lawyer’s wet dream.

  But Alec had moved forward, knowing he could turn Raptor into something special. The mercenary organization—and the Alaska training ground in particular—would teach soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines life-saving skills. All branches of the military would receive specialized training that was desperately needed to defeat terrorists and insurgents and suicide bombers and all the new threats that had developed during the ongoing war on terror.

  He didn’t give a crap if he was sued. He didn’t give a damn about his family’s money. He only cared that the company and assets didn’t fall into the wrong hands—as they’d been under Robert Beck’s ownership.

  But still, he had attorneys. Legions of them. And, to a man, they’d insisted Isabel Dawson not be taken to the place where Vin disappeared or where he died. They were certain she would try to take Alec and Raptor for everything. Not that she’d succeed, but that allowing her inside invited the threat. He was fairly certain several lawyers, eager to present her case, had approached her. As far as he knew, she’d turned down every one.

  Isabel had even refused the insurance money for Vin’s accidental death, because she didn’t want any legal documents to show she’d even tacitly accepted Vin’s death as an accident. The money sat in an escrow account, unclaimed.

  Now, after meeting her, he was certain he’d never had to fear a lawsuit from her. Money played no part in her motivation.

  She stared at the last place Vin was seen alive, with silent tears flowing down her cheeks. Alec crossed the soft, mossy ground and took her into his arms. She stiffened at first, but then settled against his chest. Her arms wrapped around his waist, and she let out her first audible sob.

  He stroked her hair, which was every bit as soft as he’d suspected, but this was not what he’d imagined for the first time he tangled his fingers in her beautiful curls. “I’m sorry, Iz. I should have brought you here months ago.”

  She nodded. “I know why you didn’t.”

  “Because I’m an ass.”

  She laughed even as she cried. “Well, sure, but I also know you were warned I’d sue you for everything if I could.”

  “I’m sorry I listened.”

  She looked up at him, her green eyes glistening and beautiful and sad. “Thank you.” She rose on her toes and pressed her lips to his. A soft kiss of friendship and acceptance that gave him hope she could forgive him.

  If she forgave him, maybe they had a shot at more than friendship, more than sex, which he realized in that moment was what he wanted. Last night he figured he could be satisfied with a no-strings physical relationship, but they’d passed that point. He wasn’t sure when. Maybe when they flirted over breakfast, or when he’d had a visceral, negative reaction to the suggestion she play the role of hostage. Maybe when didn’t matter.

  He ran his thumb over her chin. “You ready to go to the place where we found him?”

  She nodded. “I’d sort of hoped to look around—to see if we could find a cave—but I don’t suppose we have time.”

  “Not today. I promise, we searched this area, and the area around the talus slope where Godfrey said they found him, thoroughly. There aren’t any caves until you get into the higher foothills—and we didn’t find any petroglyphs in those.”

  “I’ll still want to look.”

  He nodded. “Maybe Tuesday. I need to finish prep for the upcoming training first.”

  “I could go by myself—”

  “No. It’s not safe.”

  She frowned. “I hike by myself all the time, Alec. It’s part of my job.”

  “I’m not worried about bears. I’m worried about whoever killed Vin.”

  He caught the widening of her eyes. Had he not said it outright before? He wasn’t sure, but even if he had, it was clear she wasn’t used to hearing it. “He was murdered, Iz. And we’re going to find out who did it.”

  She gave him a sharp nod and said, “Let’s go.”

  They walked for nearly an hour before they reached a narrow footbridge that crossed the river. “We think Vin crossed a mile downstream the day after he disappeared. I’ll take you to where we think he crossed after I show you where we found him.”

  “Were you part of the search team?”

  “Yes. The day he was reported missing, I caught a flight from Maryland and joined the search. Brad Fraser and I found Vin.”

  She took his hand in hers and squeezed. “Brad never told me that.”

  “He wasn’t under orders not to—he probably felt it would be hard for you—or that you’d pressure him to take you there.”

  “Probably the latter. And, honestly, I would have.”

  She didn’t release Alec’s hand, which surprised him. He had a feeling Isabel wasn’t really a hand holder, but she was facing her deepest grief and needed a hand to hold. He was damn glad that he could provide it.

  Mosquitoes swarmed in the late summer heat. He waved an arm to disperse them but didn’t release Isabel’s hand to dislodge the worst offenders. No way was he letting her go now that he had her.

  They reached the glade where he’d found Vin eleven months ago. Back then, snow had dusted the ground and Vincent Dawson’s body. Between the snow and his camouflage clothing, he’d blended into the landscape, and Alec hadn’t spotted him until they were just yards away. Today Al
ec was glad for the bright afternoon sun and the late summer wildflowers, which lent the clearing a peaceful beauty.

  “It was snowing when he walked here, and continued snowing for several hours after he died. There was a faint, single set of footprints leading to his body.”

  A granite marker rested on the exact spot where Vin had lain down and died. Isabel gasped when she saw it and dropped to her knees, tracing the letters of her brother’s name etched into the stone. She looked up at Alec. “Did you…?”

  “Yes.”

  She smiled at him, and he was surprised there were no tears. “Thank you.”

  “Do you want to have a ceremony here on the first anniversary? You can invite friends and family. I’ll make sure my people leave you alone.”

  Now her eyes did tear. “Really?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “I’d like that. We don’t have any blood relatives, but there’s a military family I lived with in high school, when Vin was deployed. It would mean a lot to them to be able to visit.”

  “I’ll pay for their trip.”

  Her brow furrowed.

  “No strings, Iz. I’m just doing what I should have done months ago.”

  She stretched out a hand, and he pulled her to her feet. She stood before him and slid her arms around his neck and rose up on her toes. She kissed him again, not with passion, but not exactly platonic either.

  She dropped back to her heels and took a deep breath. “Okay, let’s go to the river, then head back to the compound.”

  He nodded and took her hand again and led her toward the low, wide stretch of the river that was the only shallow crossing for a mile in each direction.

  Isabel studied the rapid flow. “How high was the water when Vin crossed?”

  “About the same as it is now. It snowed that first night, and again the last night, before we found him, so the ground was slick on the bank. There were footprints on the far side that indicated he’d stumbled and fell into the water.”

  “That’s when he lost his pack?” Isabel asked.

  “We think so, but continuing across after losing his gear has never made sense. He knew the compound buildings were on that side of the river. Plus, there’s a prove-up cabin, where he could have gotten warm, just a half mile away.”

  She dropped to the damp ground above the bank and unlaced her heavy hiking boots.

  “You want to cross?” he asked, surprised.

  “It’ll be faster than hiking to the bridge.”

  He wanted to caution her, but if anyone knew how to cross a rapidly flowing river in Alaska, he had a feeling that person was Isabel Dawson. She tucked her socks into her boots and tied the laces together, then draped the boots around her neck. Next she hiked her pants above her calves and cinched them in place by tightening elastic bands built into the cuffs.

  Alec dropped down beside her and ran a hand up her bare left shin, loosened the band, then slid the cuff higher, above her knee. He caressed her knee before pulling the elastic through the spring-cord lock and tightening it again. “In the middle of the river, the water will reach your knees.”

  She chuckled. “You could have just told me.”

  “Where’s the fun in that?”

  The light in her eyes shifted. She leaned into him, pulled his head down, and kissed him, no hesitation, no holding back. Her mouth opened, inviting his tongue inside. He wasn’t one to pass on such a sweet offer and slanted his mouth across hers, kissing her deeply as he fulfilled the fantasy he’d had yesterday morning and threaded his fingers through her curls.

  The boots draped around her neck dug into his chest, and he ended the kiss with a grin. “I wonder what my employees’ll say when they see your boot print on my heart.”

  Her eyes lit with humor as her gaze dropped to his shirt, which did indeed have her boot print stamped across his chest. “I’m sure they’ll assume you had it coming.” She adjusted her other pant leg and stood.

  Alec hitched up his own hiking pants but left his boots on.

  “You aren’t going barefoot?” she asked.

  “In a combat situation, you never remove your boots.”

  “It’s at least three miles to the compound buildings.”

  “I’ve hiked farther in wet boots.”

  “Suit yourself.” She faced the river.

  The water was a heavy slate gray—opaque due to the high glacial silt content. No way to see what lurked beneath the surface. “I should go first,” he said.

  She shook her head and adjusted the straps on her backpack to balance the weight. “This isn’t my first Alaskan river crossing. A big old Ranger like you, I’m sure I don’t need to tell you to walk sideways, facing upstream?”

  He winked at her. “I’ve crossed a few rivers in my time as well.”

  She stepped up to him and grabbed his shirt, pulling him down for a fast, hard kiss. “See you on the other side, Ranger.” She stepped into the river, letting out a soft curse directed at the frigid water as she carefully probed for a place to plant her bare foot.

  Alec watched, impressed with her surefooted confidence as she inched into the deep murky center of the glacier-fed river. He followed a few feet behind her, keeping her within arm’s reach.

  At the midpoint, her foot slipped and she sucked in a sharp breath as the water reached her upper thighs, soaking her hitched-up hiking pants. She glanced sideways, a half smile on her face, and he expected a quip about how he’d been wrong, but all at once her face fell and she let out a low wail of agony.

  Pain stabbed at Alec’s head.

  Holy fuck. He grabbed Isabel’s shoulder. “Infrasound waves can’t go through water.” He shoved her down, into the icy river.

  15

  Daggers of cold sliced into Isabel, taking her breath away, but surfacing was not an option. She’d been facing upstream, so she twisted and tried to swim across, but the current was too strong. Her side slammed into a rock just beneath the surface. Shooting pain radiated from her ribs as she swallowed silty water.

  She surfaced and took in a lungful of air, then dove under again, but this time twisted to go with the flow, feet first, the only safe way to ride a rushing river.

  Alec caught her wrist and pulled her across the current, slightly changing their trajectory. The water was so brutally cold, she couldn’t hold her breath—it rushed out the moment she submerged. She needed air but was terrified of surfacing and being hit by infrasound again. They reached a stretch of rapids. Her back scraped rocks that lurked below as she tried to stay under the surface.

  She lifted her head and took another deep breath and glanced downstream. The current had carried them farther than she expected. Ahead was a boulder that split the river. She tugged on Alec’s hand and pointed, then angled her body to aim for the far side of the boulder.

  The boulder loomed; she dodged to the side just before slamming into the face. Instead, she scraped along the edge, likely losing a layer of skin, but her body was so numb with cold, she didn’t feel the abrasion. She landed in a groove and came to a stop, no longer at the mercy of the current. Alec surfaced beside her and pressed her against the stone, his body shielding her from the opposite bank.

  “Fuck me,” he said. “I’m the shittiest Ranger alive.” He took a deep breath. “We won’t last long in this water. Downstream there’s a drop-off. Stay to the right.”

  “What’s on the left?” she asked.

  “Rocks, big and jagged, and not much water. To the right there’s a pool. The drop is only about four feet. I think there’s a beaver dam below that. We can grab it and pull ourselves out.”

  She shook with the cold, massive quakes that racked her entire body. She doubted she’d be able to grip the tangled sticks that made up the dam with her numb hands but didn’t have a choice. “Let’s do it.”

  “Take the drop feetfirst, toes pointed. Protect your head.”

  She nodded.

  “I’ll go first. Count to five, then follow. Got it?”

  �
�Yes.”

  He captured her face in his frozen hands and kissed her. “See you on the other side.” He pushed off the boulder and was gone. Isabel counted to five, sucked in a deep breath, and shoved off the boulder, torpedoing feetfirst to the right side of the drop-off.

  Alec had never been so afraid in his life. Not when he was under fire in Afghanistan, not when conducting a covert op, not even when parachuting into live-fire zones to aid a squad of pinned soldiers.

  His fear was for Isabel. Unlike the Rangers he’d teamed with, she hadn’t signed up for this. She could die. Here, now.

  He plunged down the drop with knees bent to prevent slamming into the rocks below with undue force. A stone gouged his calf and scraped his side, but the current quickly shoved him forward. He sucked in a breath and dropped below the surface.

  The river was much deeper here, over his head. The current pushed him toward the center, but he swam to the side, aiming for the dam. His arm caught a tangle of branches and a log braced against a boulder. The tree limbs loosened under his weight, with numb fingers he scrambled for a stronger hold. Isabel slammed into him, and he nearly lost his grip. She grabbed him with one hand and the tangled limbs with her other.

  He tightened his hold on the roots and branches and grabbed her pack with his free hand. “Hold on to me, and I’ll pull us to the bank,” he said over the noise of the rushing river.

  Her fingers slipped on his shirt just as he let go of her pack, and she started to slip away. He caught her by the hair, and winced at the pain it must have caused her. She caught the waistline of his pants. He felt the tug, and she tangled her fingers through his belt loops. As soon as he knew she wouldn’t be swept away, he released her curls and grabbed her arm to pull her to his chest. “Sorry, honey.”

  “S’okay. Too numb to hurt.”

  “You’ve got a firm grip now?”

  “Yes.”

  They had to get out of the frigid water before their bodies completely shut down. And they had to pray that whoever had hit them with infrasound was still looking for them upstream. Iz quaked against him. “Hold on. I’ll pull us to the bank,” he said.