Page 13 of Crucible
“We won’t let anyone hurt you,” Thorin vows. “But you have to promise that you’ll stay awake. If it is Isaac, the last thing we need is Seth running back to him or Bane going berserk. The trails of corpses those two will leave ends at our doorstep.”
“I don’t know if I can.”
As I reach for him, my heart breaks a little when Zeke flinches. Remembering that it’s me, he gives me a weak smile in invitation, and I slowly curl my arm around his shoulder. I feel Thorin doing the same to mine while his free hand cups the back of Zeke’s head. Our heads gravitate together, and the cave and the world outside fade away.
The endurance it takes to keep the isolation and loneliness from crumbling us from within requiresallof us. It could almost feel like a long vacation if we didn’t know these mountains for what they truly are—our prison.
“Stay with us, Zeke,” I plead. “We need you. Say you’ll try.”
“I’ll try.”
The three of us drag ourselves out of the cave just before first light the following morning. Picking up the trail the survivors left is easy. They’re either amateurs or aren’t concerned with being followed.
It wouldn’t have mattered either way.
Tracking and reconnaissance was Thor’s specialty in the Marines. He would have found them anyway.
The pair are definitely headed south, and the closer the three of us get to our mountain, the more nervous Zeke becomes. He’s already withdrawing. It won’t take much to push him over the edge. The smallest tip in the scales could upset the balance.
Getting back is taking longer than it should because we’re covering our tracks as well as following theirs. It’s after noon when we eventually stop for a break.
The storm from yesterday finally moved on last night, so we have a brief reprieve before another one inevitably hits. It’s always like this during the tail end of winter, as if the season is rebelling at the thought of yielding to spring.
“They might be after the tail,” I blurt when I can’t take the weight of my brothers’ silence anymore. Thorin and Zeke haven’t said a word, but I know they’re thinking the same thing I am—that whoever was on that plane is searching for us, and that’s why they’re headed south. “It’s their best chance at finding the emergency transmitter,” I reason.
Neither respond. They just stare into the fire I’d hastily made, jaws tight, eyes dark, and mood pensive.
When it’s finally time to move on again, we grab our shit and trek until we reach the northern edge of the valley where our Ski-Doos are parked.
It’s just after sunset, and we know these wilds better than anyone, so we ride the last twenty miles to the base of our mountain, where we leave the snowmobiles. It’s still a few miles hike up to our cabin, and the climb is steep and winding.
My eyes are on a three-sixty rotation as we hike in silence. We don’t talk while keeping our steps as light as possible. A mile away from our cabin, we break off into three separate directions without a word. Zeke and I take the scenic routes to scout the surrounding perimeter while Thor continues forward.
He’s the first to make it to our small clearing. I can see him through the cover of trees where I wait while he stakes out our home for any sign of a disturbance. Across the clearing, I know Zeke is doing the same.
We’d built our cabin on the very edge of a steep cliff, so this tiny corner we claimed for ourselves is a dead end unless you’re suicidal.
The three of us watch the house for twenty minutes before Thor’s satisfied no one is waiting to ambush us.
After I whistle our code—two short and one long sound—Zeke and I emerge from the tree line to join Thor by the woodshed. We’re still hiding in shadow, just in case.
“We should go out and look for that tail first thing,” Thor suggests. “Find them before they find us.”
I silently wait for Zeke to object.
“If ever there was a good time to start smoking, it would be now,” he says.
“You can stay here where it’s safe—”
Zeke rolls his eyes. “I know it’s been a while since you’ve had a pretty little damsel to obsess over, but I’m not your bitch, Thor. I don’t need you to protect me.”
Thor’s blue eyes twinkle when he winks at him. “Suit yourself, sweetheart. I’ll remember that the next time you have a nightmare and try to crawl into my bed for a snuggle, little spoon.”
Zeke flips him off, and I cackle as we enter the cabin. Easy moments like these between us are rare these days. I think we’re all just relieved to know that our mountain is still safe for now.
After giving the cabin a thorough search, we retreat to our individual rooms—a luxury we didn’t have for years—to sleep off the hard journey.
Tomorrow, we’ll find the tail and figure out who the hell is trespassing on our mountain.
