The Return of the Spanish Lady by Robert R. Irvine

Author:Robert R. Irvine
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Published: 2015-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

24

Nick hadn’t gotten more than fifty yards from camp when Gus appeared out of nowhere. One minute she’d been picking her way through a stand of spindly birch, careful to keep her bearings, and in the next he’d materialized close enough to touch her arm, startling her so badly she started to scream. But he clapped his hand over her mouth so quickly she didn’t have time to utter so much as a whisper, his grip a paralyzing reminder of just how strong he was. He could have snapped her neck and no one would have heard a thing.

“Quiet,” he murmured.

She tried to nod but his powerful fingers held her fast.

“Sorry,” he whispered, releasing his hold. “We’d better move before someone comes looking for you.”

“Where are we going?” she whispered back.

He shook his head and signaled her to follow him. He was wearing a bulky backpack, with a heavy coil of rope attached.

She took a deep breath and fell in behind him as he moved quickly, sure of his way. They were heading in a northerly direction toward the mountains, though their path was anything but direct as it wound its way into the high country.

She glanced over her shoulder at the afternoon sun to reaffirm their direction. As she did, the sun slipped behind a cloud, whose shadow chilled her to the bone. Without the sun, she’d have to navigate by dead reckoning if she got lost.

They broke out of the trees just as the sun reappeared, setting fire to the Hammersmiths directly ahead of them. By now the camp was well to their left, blocked from view by the knoll from which Nick had first glimpsed potential dig sites. From where they stood, the path ran in a relatively straight line toward the mountains and, at a guess, toward her dig site.

“How far does this trail go?” she asked.

“All the way to your airplane, if that’s what you’re wondering about. And beyond.”

“Are you saying we could have skirted the rocks if we’d come this way?”

“Kelly didn’t want anyone using it.”

“For God’s sake. It would have saved us hours, not to mention aching muscles, and damn near a heart attack for Mr. Erickson.”

“I’ve seen bears on this trail many times. Kelly didn’t want you interfering with them. Besides, he thought it might be dangerous if you came this way.”

“If it’s so dangerous, why are we here now?”

“It’s the quickest way and there are now other dangers. Kelly told me he was coming this way to look for bears. I looked for him here when he didn’t come back.” The Inuit gestured at the ground over which they were walking. “I found the tracks of someone following Kelly.”

“Who?”

“A man,” he said, without slowing down. “Perhaps another, if the other stepped in the first man’s tracks. The ground is not good. Let’s hurry. I want to get back to camp before someone decides to follows us.” The pace he set left her panting.

She glanced back the way they’d come. Until that moment, she hadn’t realized how steeply they’d been climbing.

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