Page 13

THIRTEEN

The warm, sudsy water relaxed the tension in Tiikaan’s shoulders. Declan and Merritt’s laughter eased the stress even more.

It was odd that having her in the Barrow Bachelor Bunk felt natural. She hadn’t balked at the small space or Tiikaan’s large, obnoxious friend. She’d just slid right into the environment like she’d always belonged.

Like a chameleon.

Tiikaan’s hand stilled on the plate, and he tipped his head to study Merritt talking to Declan on the couch as they studied a map of Alaska. She totally gave off chameleon vibes, changing and adapting to the situation.

The person he first met who had eviscerated her stepsister with a handful of frigid words was not the same woman who wore indifference in front of her stepbrother nor the commanding boss presence as she interacted with the employees at the mine. And with him, a completely new person emerged, one filled with warmth and worry for others.

Who was the real Merritt Harland?

Did she even know?

Declan ran his finger along the map. “So, you’re sure the mine is safe and won’t give the fish three eyes or turn the caribou carnivorous? I don’t want to give information about these villages to further the grasping reach of the insidious capitalist.”

Tiikaan rolled his eyes and slid the plate into the drying rack. Leave it to Declan to get straight to the point.

“No secret motives here.” Merritt chuckled, but her eyes darted to Tiikaan. “I have report after report stating that the containment procedures of the mine will keep any dangerous side effects handled. Honestly, my father was a nut about safety and responsibility. He wouldn’t have moved forward if there was a possibility of contamination.”

Her forehead creased, and she shot another look Tiikaan’s way. He gave her a nod of encouragement.

In truth, her hesitance eased his worries. She wouldn’t let the mine move forward if legitimate concerns were raised.

Tiikaan hadn’t exactly lied to Merritt when he’d suggested that the geologist had ulterior motives and Silas’ fury could be from that. Tiikaan had spent hours staring at the forest surrounding the mine, thinking about the different angles and nuances for the conversation he’d overheard.

Really, it came down to two options: either Silas’ frustration was born out of injustice or he was as guilty as a bear stealing from a fish wheel and as evil as a rabid wolverine.

Either way, there wasn’t anything Tiikaan could do to find out. That was way over his pay grade. And his intelligence, if he was being honest.

He wasn’t sure exactly who could find out. If he said anything to the authorities, then the mine definitely would get shut down.

Maybe laying low and keeping his ears open was the better plan for now. His guard duty could be more of a reconnaissance spy mission. At least waiting would give Merritt time to find out more information.

Tiikaan dried the last dish and set it in the rack, his gaze drifting back to Merritt and Declan poring over the map on the coffee table. Declan’s brow was furrowed as he traced a finger along the coastline.

“The villages you’ll be visiting—they’re all small, tight-knit communities. The elders are highly respected, and the people have a deep connection to the land and the water.” Declan’s voice was laced with concern. “If there’s even a hint of pollution or environmental damage from the mine, they won’t take it lightly.”

Tiikaan’s stomach twisted. The more Declan spoke, the more his unease returned. These weren’t just faceless communities—they were people’s homes, their livelihoods. If the geologist’s warnings about acid mine drainage proved true, the consequences could be devastating.

Merritt’s brow furrowed as she studied the map. “I understand their concerns. My father was adamant about environmental responsibility, but...” She glanced up at Tiikaan, her eyes filled with uncertainty. “What if the geologist is right?”

Tiikaan’s heart clenched at the vulnerability in her gaze. This wasn’t just about the mine’s bottom line or her family’s legacy—it was about the well-being of an entire region.

Declan leaned back, his expression grave. “Then you’d better be prepared for a fight. These people won’t go down without a battle. Their way of life is at stake.”

Tiikaan’s jaw tightened. Declan was right. The community meetings could easily turn ugly, and the fallout from the geologist’s findings could be catastrophic. But Merritt was determined to do the right thing.

As he watched her study the map, Tiikaan felt a surge of admiration. She was in way over her head, but she was willing to face it anyway. Tiikaan pulled up a chair next to the couch, his gaze shifting between Merritt and Declan.

Declan leaned forward, his expression earnest. “The key is to approach them with respect and humility. These communities have been on this land for generations. Listen to their concerns, acknowledge their expertise.”

“So… approach them just like the Syrian officials, the Bangladesh orphans, basically anyone in the world, with respect.” Merritt folded up the map while Declan’s eyes widened at her experience. “Thanks, Declan. I feel better going in knowing more about them.”

“No problem. If you have time, you should visit the Inupiat Heritage Center. It’s always good to know the history of people. Gives you a better understanding of where they are coming from.”

Declan paused, a mischievous glint in his eye. “Like our buddy Tiikaan here. Knowing his impressive history with porcupines could be useful.”

Tiikaan groaned, already anticipating the embarrassing story. “Declan, don’t you dare?—”

Declan’s grin widened as he launched into the story. “Okay, so we were out in the woods, right? Tiikaan was convinced he could track a porcupine, capture it with nothing but a leather strip, and prove he was the ultimate wilderness man.”

Tiikaan groaned, already feeling the heat rise to his cheeks, but Declan barreled on. “We’re creeping through the underbrush, and Tiikaan spots this porcupine up in a tree. Without a second thought, he starts climbing up after it.”

Merritt’s eyes went wide, a delighted smile spreading across her face as she listened intently. Tiikaan couldn’t help but be captivated by the way her eyes danced with mirth.

“So Tiikaan’s up there, trying to snag this porcupine around the leg, when suddenly it starts thrashing around. Next thing we know, Tiikaan’s raining down from the tree, his arm covered in quills.”

Tiikaan cringed, but Merritt’s laughter bubbled up, filling the small space with its warmth. He’d take a thousand embarrassing stories if it meant hearing that joyful sound.

“Oh my goodness, how horrible.” Merritt gasped between giggles. “How on earth did you get them all out?”

Declan chuckled. “Well, let’s just say it took tweezers, a very patient mother, and a lot of salve.”

Tiikaan shook his head, a reluctant smile tugging at his lips. “Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. At least I was out there trying to prove my wilderness skills, unlike someone who was content to just sit back and watch. I still can’t believe you put that into your book.”

Tiikaan motioned to the bookshelf full of Declan’s bestsellers. “It didn’t really fit in the story at all.”

“That’s why they call me a creative genius.” Declan wagged his eyebrows. “You’ve given me so much inspiration over the years that I’ve got ways to embarrass characters for at least fifty more books.”

Tiikaan snorted. “You’re a menace.”

Merritt’s laughter slowly subsided, and she fixed Tiikaan with a warm gaze. “Well, I’m glad you had Declan there to document your, uh, adventures.”

Tiikaan felt a cinch in his chest at the way she looked at him, and he knew in that moment that he’d willingly endure a thousand porcupine attacks if it meant seeing her smile like that again.

“How long have you known each other?” Merritt settled onto the couch with her water, curling her legs up like she planned on staying awhile.

He hadn’t seen her this relaxed since he’d met her.

“Unfortunately, we were kind of neighbors.” Tiikaan played up his annoyed groan.

“How can you kind of be neighbors?” Her forehead furrowed .

“We both lived about forty miles south of Tok.” Declan snagged a tortilla chip from the bowl, dragged it through the restaurant’s homemade salsa, and popped it in his mouth.

Tiikaan was so full from the enchiladas verdes he’d just eaten, he couldn’t imagine how Declan could still be hungry.

Declan continued talking around the bite. “There’s a place where the original highway cuts away from the new one and meets back with it about fifteen miles south.”

“Manners, dude.” Tiikaan tossed a balled-up napkin at Declan when he went for another chip. “We don’t want to see you smacking on your cud.”

“Right, sorry.” He cringed and dropped the chip. “I think I might hang with teens too much.”

“It’s okay.” Merritt bit her bottom lip, her eyes twinkling.

“Anyway, the old highway used to go all the way through until the Rebels got all territorial and blew it up.”

Tiikaan burst out laughing. “That’s not what happened, and you know it.”

“You all got tired of people driving down there and invading your place,” Declan countered.

“No. The bridge over the creek was crumbling, and the state wasn’t doing anything about it.”

Declan shook his head. “Nope. I distinctly remember while your dad attached the dynamite to the bridge that he groused about tourists buzzing about bothering him and how he was going to take care of it if the DOT wasn’t.”

Remembering Dad ranting about the inefficiency of the government and always being prepared to take care of things on your own while Tiikaan and his siblings handed Dad the duct tape, containers of tannerite, fuses, and anything else he needed brought a smile to Tiikaan’s lips.

“Your dad really blew up a highway bridge with dynamite?” Merritt’s eyes widened. “How the heck did he get dynamite?”

Tiikaan shrugged. “His family used to use it gold mining sometimes.”

“And he just kept that around the house?”

Merritt’s incredulous tone made his lip twitch. She’d probably blow a gasket if she knew all the stuff Dad kept around “just in case.”

“You never know when it might come in handy.” Tiikaan took a sip of water to keep from laughing at Merritt’s disbelieving face.

Her mouth opened and shut twice before she asked, “Did he get in trouble?”

“Nah.” He set his water on the coffee table. “We all cleaned it up so it wasn’t a hazard, helped Dad weld a barrier on both sides from guard rails we had lying around, and put signs both on the bridge and where the roads turned off the main highway to warn travelers.”

“How could he blow up government property and not get in trouble?”

“Well, technically the bridge was ours. The road wasn’t maintained by the state anymore, and we owned the property on both sides of the creek–– ”

“And pretty much the entire mountainside and all the way to the highway,” Declan interrupted.

Tiikaan rolled his eyes and continued. “The DOT guys were relieved they didn’t have Dad hounding them anymore and another project to add to their never-ending list of projects they couldn’t keep up with. So, I think it just never got mentioned to anyone who would raise a stink.”

“Unbelievable.” Merritt huffed out a breath.

“That’s small-town Alaska for you.” Tiikaan’s phone rang his dad’s ringtone, a funny 80s-style jingle about dad that ended in “boogie woogie woogie.” “Speak of the devil.”

“Dude, that ringtone is ridiculous.” Declan snorted, then leaned over to Merritt and whispered, “It’s the exact opposite of Arne Rebel.”

“Hey, Dad.”

“Hey, bud.” The strain in Dad’s voice caused Tiikaan to sit up.

“What’s wrong?”

“Sunny hasn’t checked in.” Dad’s worried announcement shot Tiikaan to his feet.

Darn his headstrong sister and her solo wilderness “adventures.” He’d told her he had a bad feeling about her trekking through the 40-Mile area north of Chicken. It was too remote. Too vast and crappy terrain for her to just walk through.

“What do you mean she hasn’t checked in?” He paced the small, suddenly quiet living room.

“We haven’t heard from her in two days.”

Tiikaan froze, his stomach threatening to spew the enchiladas verdes. So much could go wrong in two days when out in the wilderness. And the area was so vast, finding her without some pinpoint to go by would be nearly impossible.

“What’s wrong?” Declan stood and came around the coffee table.

“Sunny’s missing.” Tiikaan’s hand shook as he tapped the speaker icon on his phone so Declan could hear. “What’s the plan, Dad?”

“Bj?rn and Gunnar are here. We’ve set up a search grid off of her last check-in location, and Bj?rn and some of the guys from 40-Mile Air have been out. It’s just?—”

Tiikaan met Declan’s worried gaze.

“A lot of dense forest to cover.” Tiikaan’s words felt like pushing boulders out of his throat.

“Yeah.” Dad sighed.

Tiikaan looked at Merritt. Her fingers rubbed her necklace, and her eyes were so wide she might not have blinked since he stood. He had to go and help find Sunny, but he didn’t want to leave Merritt in the lurch.

“You don’t need to come down,” Dad said, yanking Tiikaan’s gaze to his phone. “Bj?rn and the 40-Mile boys have a tight system going, and you’re needed there. I just wanted you to know what was going on.”

Of course they had it covered. Bj?rn with his special ops helicopter skills and Gunnar’s entire military existence being saving soldiers from extreme places could probably narrow Sunny’s course to within a few-mile radius.

They didn’t need another bush pilot. Tiikaan would just be in the way .

He swallowed down the sharp ache of jealousy that he wasn’t needed. “You sure?”

“Yeah. For now, at least.” Dad sighed again. “There’s really not much more that can be done.”

“Yeah. Okay.” Tiikaan could hardly get the words out.

“You’ll keep us updated, right, Arne?” Declan had his hands speared in his hair and looked as powerless as Tiikaan felt.

“I’ll keep you updated.”

Tiikaan swallowed. “Thanks, Dad.”

“We’ll find her, T.” The determination that epitomized Arne Rebel was back in his voice.

“Okay.” Tiikaan’s voice wavered, so unlike his dad’s.

“Love you, bud. Stay safe.”

“Love you, too.”

The call ended, and Tiikaan stared at his phone. Declan pulled on his hair with a growl of frustration. Tiikaan was too numb to react.

“You should go.” Merritt’s soft whisper from the couch dragged his stare from his phone to her.

She sat on the edge of the cushion, poised to jump into action. Her eyes were bright with unshed tears. The freckles across her nose stuck out since her skin paled more than usual. He shook his head.

Her forehead furrowed. “Seriously. You really should go.”

“No. Dad’s right.” Tiikaan shoved his phone in his pocket. “My brothers are practically Avenger-level heroes. If anyone can find her, it’s them.”

Declan nodded and clapped Tiikaan on the shoulder. Merritt pressed her lips together and shook her head. If his family needed him, which he doubted, they’d let him know.