Page 6

Six

Finally, something that seemed like a win.

It had been long enough. After running for their lives, both of them taking a dip in the river, and then more gunmen—and attack dogs—Cadee now felt better than she had in days.

They were finally headed to Ingriq, and they had one of the bad guys tied up, headed for custody.

“Let me guess, you two are going to leave me zip-tied to die in the wildfire at Ingriq,” Landon sneered, walking between Cadee and Vince in single file as they stopped at the paved road in front of them, Ingriq one way, Copper Mountain the other. Finally, they were done with the faint shortcut path and out of the backcountry.

She lifted her eyes to the heavens. “Leaving people for dead is not what they pay us for.”

Vince snorted, winked at her.

She grinned. They had so many wins, working together and saving each other. And she’d told him how his father had died. Letting go of the guilt and pain was a win too.

And now he was coming to her home.

“Wait till you see the village, Vince,” she said. “It’s like each house is cozied into the woods. Some families are poor, but all are close enough together to support and love each other.”

“Is it an Alaskan Mayberry?” he said.

Landon snorted.

Except for that mean girl back in high school. She bit the inside of her cheek for a second. “Mostly.” She tilted her head at Landon. “My ex is an Alaska State Trooper. Jared Jensen. Let’s take Landon to Jared’s house. It’s right up ahead, just outside of Ingriq. Bet he’s still there, helping people now that Jade made sure a warning was issued. But if not…” She shrugged.

“If not, he’ll stay in my custody while we help with evacs.” Vince put his hand on Landon’s shoulder to prevent him from running. “So, how far from Ingriq are we, Cadee?”

She grinned, motioned to her left and her right. “Copper Mountain to the west is about nine miles away. Ingriq is about a ten-minute walk from here.”

One corner of his mouth rose as he read aloud the sign pointing to Ingriq. “State maintenance ends here. Drive at your own risk.” Vince gave a bark of laughter. “Alaska Mayberry, here we come.”

She chuckled and led the way down the potholed dirt road decorated with spruce. The people in this cozy little town loved this place, potholes and all—they didn’t want to be part of “big city” Copper Mountain with all of a thousand people. And forget Anchorage. Besides, this was an Alaska-beautiful place. Aunt Claire knew the owner of the Corner Store, and that connection was how Dad got the garbageman job. He’d needed a job. It wasn’t great, but she and Emma had come to love the place.

A few minutes later, Cadee noticed a burgundy car parked up ahead at the side of the road, a faded bumper sticker on the trunk. I make asthma look good. Emma had put that on her car to bring a smile to Ava’s face.

No. Cadee bolted to the car and looked into the windows.

Blast! There was the plug-in oxygen concentrator sitting right there in the back seat with two suitcases and a box of granola bars.

Why was the car headed into town? This made no sense.

Vince stopped next to her. “Wow. That car’s tire sure got shredded.”

“This is Emma’s car.” Cadee looked around, expecting them to appear anytime. “Where is she? And Ava.”

Vince tried to open the doors. Locked. She’d been so panicked she hadn’t even thought of that.

A rock on the side of the road would do the trick. Cadee ran over for it and cocked her arm back.

“What are you doing?” Vince said, his grip on Landon.

“That’s Ava’s oxygen concentrator.” Then she threw the rock at the driver’s window. It shattered. She reached in and hit the unlock button.

Cadee opened the back door and grabbed the concentrator.

“Emma would never, never leave the concentrator behind. Especially not with a wildfire threatening her daughter’s ability to breathe.”

“Cadee, we don’t know where she actually is. They might’ve been picked up.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. They hadn’t been quick enough getting here. Now her family was at risk, and they still needed to deliver Landon to Jared.

“You know the rules like I do. Be alert. Keep calm.”

Standard Firefighting Order number six was engraved on her brain tissue. “Think clearly. Act decisively.”

He tilted his head. “Not frantically.”

Yeah, frantically was not a standard order. She felt her heart calm just being here with him. Vince was right.

He grabbed the zip tie holding Landon’s hands behind his back, and they kept walking.

They made the big curve before the village. It wouldn’t be long before the dirt road with more potholes than road would appear. And Ingriq’s houses—some newly painted, some peeling—and trailers.

And up ahead…

“It’s Emma.” Her sister carried Ava on her back and a suitcase in each hand. They had matching swinging blonde ponytails, matching bright-red scrunchies, and matching lime-green T-shirts. Emma trudged slowly along the blacktop, headed back to town. After a failed attempt to escape the coming fire storm? Cadee stopped in her tracks, nearly stumbling at the sight of them.

Alive.

“Go. We’re behind you,” Vince urged from behind her with Landon.

Emotion always made her voice catch. She mouthed Thanks and handed him the concentrator.

She sprinted down the road. “Emma!”

Her sister dropped the suitcases and slid Ava to the ground. She whirled around, her wide-legged yoga pants throwing up dust, and came running.

“Oh, Cadee. Thank God. I…” Then tears started to fall—sobs.

Tears trickled down Cadee’s cheeks too. She reached her sister and grabbed her in a strong hug.

“We didn’t expect you,” Emma whispered. “But we need you. I was trying to get Ava out of the way of the smoke, but…”

“The flat tire. I know.”

“I couldn’t carry the luggage and the oxygen concentrator. I was hoping for a car to pass by, but…”

“I know. Vince and I are here.”

Ava tugged at Cadee’s sleeve, her ponytail bouncing up and down. The women’s emotional roller coaster swooped from tears to chuckles. Cadee reached down, grabbed Ava up, and spun her around. Her long lime-green T-shirt whirled around over her black leggings. “Sorry I missed your birthday party, Miss Seven-Year-Old.”

“It was fun.” Ava giggled. She showed Cadee a sparkly bracelet on her wrist. “See what Jenny gave me?” She coughed.

Emma whooshed out a nervous breath, and Cadee felt her nerves clench up her stomach. “That is beautiful,” Cadee told her niece. “How are you, Ava? Are you okay? I saw your car.”

“I’m okay, sort of, but the car has a messed-up tire,” Ava said.

“Messed-up tire for certain. But I’m glad you’re okay.” Cadee squeezed Ava. Gently. Caught Emma’s gaze over Little Miss’s head. “Why on earth were you headed into town?”

Emma turned a little pink. “We thought we’d forgotten her inhaler. I turned around to go back and get it, and that’s when Ava found it, and then the tire got shredded. We’re headed back to Corner Store, where a couple buses from Wasilla are picking up wildfire evacuees, thanks to Aunt Claire.”

Cadee smiled. “Of course she organized that.” But the situation curbed her smile. “That wildfire is still trying to decide whether or not to head into Ingriq. Smart to head out.”

Emma rubbed Ava’s shoulder.

Cadee turned to see Vince and Landon walking up.

“Oh my goodness!” Emma squealed. “You got her concentrator! I’m so thankful.” She glanced between Cadee and Vince. “Wait. Is this Vince ? The Vince?”

Ava jumped up and down, wildly waving at him. “Hi! I’m Ava! I’m seven. My birthday is in April. When is your birthday? I live in Ingriq. Where do you live?”

Chuckling, Vince squatted down. “Hi. I’m Vince. My birthday is in January. I live in Copper River.”

“What’s your favorite toy? Mine is my Jewel Dragon. Her best friend is Gem Dragon.”

Emma squatted down. “Hey, why don’t you get Jewel Dragon out of your backpack and play over in the grass while we talk?”

Ava giggled. “Yeah.” But she stopped and pointed at Landon. “Who’s the guy with the broken hands, Aunt Cadee?”

Cadee choked back a laugh. “His hands are okay. We’re just keeping him safe. He is Mr. L.” And that was all she’d say, rather than give Ava the name of a criminal.

Landon rolled his eyes.

“Oh, okay.” Ava plopped in the grass with her backpack and dug around for her toy.

Vince stood, glanced at Cadee, then her sister. “It’s nice to meet you. Emma, right?”

She nodded, a knowing smile on her face. They shook hands.

Cadee closed her eyes for a moment. She’d be getting a text from her sister to discuss Vince. “Anyway, Vince, let’s help Emma get Ava and the suitcases to Corner Store. We can stop at Jared’s house on the way.”

Emma’s eyebrows waggled. “You wanna see Jared, huh?”

Vince’s eyes went wide in response to Emma’s tease. Ridiculous.

“He’ll take care of Mr. L.”

Emma cringed. “Oh.”

Vince snorted, turned to Emma. “I’ve got Mr. L. and the concentrator.”

Cadee gave Ava a wink, motioned her over. “I’ve got my favorite little girl,” she said and swung her onto her back. With the action-figure dragon.

“I’ve got her backpack and the suitcase,” Emma said.

They headed down the road to Jared’s house, just outside of Ingriq proper. Basically a one-room log cabin. His nice boat sat in his driveway with his nice SUV. Just like when they were dating. He was a solid guy, a for-real church guy. A hot guy, with intense gray eyes, a perfectly trimmed mustache and beard, and a bald head. But their lives hadn’t been heading in the same direction.

Obviously.

Jared had wanted a woman who would stick around. Not one who flew all over, jumping out of planes to fight fire.

Then she’d met Vince, who’d understood the wild, untamed thing inside her. Because his heart beat to the same rhythm.

When they got to the house, she walked up and knocked on the door, hoping Jared wasn’t gone, running around town helping people.

He opened the door, mid-bite of the sandwich in his hand. “Cadee!” He wiped the crumbs off his mouth. “What a surprise. Glad I stopped in for some food, since you showed up.” He set down the sandwich on the shoe bench right inside his door, wiped his hands on his AST shirt, and ran his hands through the stubble on his chin. He then caught sight of her sister. “Hi, Emma. Hi, Ava,” he called. He waved at them and stepped outside.

Froze for a second.

His voice dropped to almost inaudible, and he pivoted, pulled back his denim jacket so Landon could see his gun but Ava couldn’t. “What are you doing with Landon Russo, Cadee?”

She dropped Ava down. “Go see if your mama has a granola bar or something, okay?” Ava ran over, and Emma walked her to the top of the driveway, where they’d left their suitcases and the fire packs she and Vince were carrying.

Jared crossed his arms and just stood there.

“He tried to kill us. Shot at us, twice. We flanked him, took him out.”

Jared cleared his throat, jerked his head toward Vince.

Oh yeah. “Jared, this is my co-firefighter, Vince Ramos. Vince, this is Trooper Jared Jensen.”

Jared turned, waving backward as he jogged to his SUV and pulled a pair of handcuffs out of the console. He jogged back and switched out the zip tie for the cuffs. “We’ve been looking for this guy for a couple months. I’ll drive him into the Copper Mountain lockup for a formal arrest.”

He held Landon’s head as he pressed him into the back seat of the SUV.

“I have rights,” Landon shouted.

Jared closed the door. A little hard. Cadee grinned. Just like Jared.

He turned to Vince and reached out his hand. “Hello, Vince.”

Well, this was awkward.

Vince reached out to shake the trooper’s hand, something tightening in his gut. Cadee had turned a little red.

As if embarrassed? Why?

Jensen shook his hand. “I’m Jensen, AST.”

“Ramos, former DEA.”

Jensen tipped his chin in the air. “Pleasure. We’ve needed this guy for a long while. We’ll add attempted murder to his drug and militia charges.” He pointed at Vince’s Nomex pants. “That his gun?”

Oh. Of course. “Yes.” Vince pulled it out of his front pants pocket and held it out to the trooper so he could enter it into evidence.

Cadee wore a strange, tight smile.

Jensen stuck it in the back of his pants, then stuck out his hand toward Vince. “Thank you.”

Vince nodded. “Thank you, Jensen.”

“Call me Jared.”

Gone were the days where, as a Fed, he’d dealt with local law enforcement. Now Vince had to wonder, was this guy being nice to him because Vince was a firefighter…or because he was with Cadee? He had to admit, Jared seemed like a decent guy—someone Cadee would love to build a life within the community she loved.

But then he thought about her smile around Midnight Sun. Yeah. She wouldn’t be happy staying home. She was too happy firefighting.

“I’m Vince.” He chuckled at himself. He’d been trying to impress with the whole former-DEA thing. “Smokejumper now.”

Jared smiled. “What’re you two doing up in Ingriq?”

“Fire and evacuation assessment.”

“I hoped you’d say that. The warning went out a couple hours ago. Some have left in their own vehicles. Others are meeting the bus at Corner Store. I’m guessing the bus will need to take two trips to get everyone out of there.” Jared glanced at Vince, then back at Cadee. Under his breath, he said, “The gray house needs help.”

Cadee winced.

Jared simply nodded.

Vince took a look at the smoke billowing up from the Ingriq fire as the wind whipped through the valley, flinging debris in the air. “Can’t guarantee there’s time for anyone to make two evacuation trips to Copper Mountain. The wind is shifting from this morning.”

Jared nodded. “I’ll let people know to pick up their pace. We don’t have long.”

Was this guy going to be the last one out of town, like a captain going down with his ship? Vince tapped his toe inside his boot, waiting for further discussion about this gray house, but there was none. Not from Jared or Cadee.

He’d have to ask straight out. Vince crossed his arms, looking at Jared. “We can hit all the houses to check evacuation, but what is this ‘gray house?’”

Jared narrowed his eyes at him, then looked to Cadee.

“Jared, this is Vince Ramos, as in the son of Captain Ramos.”

“Oh. I’ve heard of the captain.” He looked at Vince. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Thanks.” Vince swallowed against the lump in his throat.

Cadee said, “Vince is a solid guy like his father.”

And still, neither of them answered his question about the house.

Jared stepped toward Cadee. “I didn’t know you were still with Midnight Sun. You haven’t messaged me in a while.”

She stared at the ground.

“Do you still have my number, or did you conveniently lose it?” The edge of a smile curled up Jared’s lips.

Vince didn’t really want to be standing here for this.

She looked up at the trooper, smiling. “Of course I still have it.”

Right. Vince was out of here. “We should get to work.”

“Please text me when Ingriq is empty.” Jared jerked his head toward Landon. “I have to get him to Copper Mountain, of course. But since the two of you are here…”

“I’ll let you know how the evac goes. And I’ll tell Vince about the gray house after we’ve gotten Emma and Ava to the Corner Store to catch the bus.”

Jared gave Cadee an awkward hug, waved at Vince, and jumped into the SUV with the Alaska State Trooper decal on the side.

“Let’s go.” Cadee headed out.

Vince watched her ponytail wave back and forth as she headed up the driveway to where Emma and Ava were playing. Yeah, he’d talk to Cadee about the ex later.

Maybe she’d left a trail of broken hearts all across Alaska, and he’d never known.

He followed her, and they grabbed the two suitcases. Ava started to jump on Emma’s back, but Emma gave her the duck face, rubbed her back. “No, ma’am. I’ve carried you a lot of the way so far. It’s only, like, a three-minute walk from here, and you’ve got the inhaler in your pocket. Let me know if you need to jump on my back, but only if you need to.”

Pouting, Ava flopped to the ground.

Emma’s eyebrows rose. “Ava…”

Ava giggled, stood up, and started skipping down the road into town.

Emma shook her head with a grin. “It’s more like five minutes, but don’t tell her that.”

Vince picked up the small suitcase and the concentrator. Cadee gave her sister a side hug, picked up the other suitcase, and they walked single file down the road behind Ava.

They entered the city from the west and found the Corner Store easily: log-cabin style, next to another log cabin—a local art center. A plant store, and an after-school-program building looked the same except for their signs. Denali and Copper Mountain made a gorgeous background to the cozy city home and the forest they’d walked through.

No wonder Cadee had been so determined to join the Midnight Sun crew as soon as she was done with smokejumper training. That way she could stay close to home. That and her obvious heart for her family. She’d gone to Ember because, by reputation, it was the most challenging training course in the nation. Vince had been there for the same reason.

To get ready for Midnight Sun.

Vince looked at his watch. “Four minutes.”

“Thanks for the help,” Emma said, and crushed him into a hug. “I don’t know what we would’ve done if you hadn’t found us.” Then she gave Cadee a long hug.

Ava took a leap, flying into Vince’s arms, landing on his fire pack like a chair. She circled her arms around him.

Startled, he chuckled and swung her around.

If he hadn’t broken up with Cadee, this adorable kid would’ve been in his life by now—in more than just the bare-bones stories Cadee had told him about her family.

A gentleman wearing a wide-brim blue baseball cap that matched his sky-blue eyes came jogging out of the store, followed by a teen couple holding hands, a family of four, and an older gent. The man was apparently the owner, since he matched the logo on the sign. “Emma,” he called. “You and Ava riding the bus? It’ll be here in about two minutes. We’re lining up by the gas pump.”

Ava slid down like it was a big adventure. “Yay!”

They all said their goodbyes as Emma and Ava walked in, the store owner carrying their suitcases for them. Man, they’d still have been on their way to Corner Store if Emma’d had to carry all of that herself. And they wouldn’t have the concentrator. Ava coughed as she waved at him and Cadee. Emma nudged her, and she pulled out her inhaler.

He waved back. “What’s up with Ava’s dad?” His eyes were drawn to the smoke in the sky.

“It was a divorce situation that Emma didn’t want but couldn’t help,” she said, eyes on the sky.

“Mm. Rough,” Vince said, looking at the trees to judge wind speed and direction. Time was breathing heat down their necks. He emptied his water bottle, wiped his mouth with his sleeve. “This is the main road?”

Cadee chuckled. “Mostly. The gray house, with the rose bushes beneath the window two houses down?”

He nodded.

“It’s a safe house for abused women,” she said under her breath.

Oh. “How do you know that?”

“A friend of mine. That’s all I have to say. Hang back a bit, but we need to go in there together. Several of the women might need help.”

No wonder Jared had worried about him finding out the location of a safe house. “And I’m male.”

“But it will take two of us to help. So yes, you are male, but you are trustworthy, solid, steady, gentle, sensitive…”

He didn’t know what to do with her words or the way they landed in soft soil. And the trust in her relentless, fearless blue eyes turned him mute.

“…pigheaded, irritating, argumentative.”

Oh. Well.

Her stoic expression split into a grin. Cadee slapped his shoulder. “I wouldn’t want to overinflate your ego.”

Vince shook his head, started to say something, but then he spotted a guy down the street waving his hands and jogging in their direction.

Instinct had him dropping the suitcases by the vehicle and moving to intercept the man. When he got close enough, he stilled.

What was Nick Atwood doing here?

In a rush, years of his life flooded back into his mind, like falling into that river, being swept away by a current so much stronger than him.

Nick Atwood, his colleague for three years. A fellow DEA special agent.

Here.

On a day when Vince had found out there was a warrant out for his arrest? Yeah, right, it was a coincidence.

Nick still looked all DEA with deliberately messy hair and a scruffy face, jeans, and his eyes roving around.

Vince didn’t want to introduce him to Cadee, because he needed to find out what was up. He turned to Cadee. “I’ll meet you out in front of the gray house in five minutes.”

She gave him a weird look but jogged toward the first house on the left side of the road.

Nick crossed the street. “Hey, Vince! I thought that was you. How are you, Mr. Midnight Sun?”

They gave each other a quick hug, thumping each other’s backs.

“Wow, man, you stink. Have you been swimming with fish?”

Vince laughed. “Long story, but I bet my boss will hose me off at the jump base. Crazy running into you up here. Were you trying to find me?”

It was some kind of coincidence, his former partner finding him up here.

Nick shoved Vince’s shoulder. “Figures you’d be in trouble out here and need my help.”

Vince snorted. “I’ll have you know, Cadee and I arrested a bad guy earlier.”

“Cadee?”

“My colleague.” Why was he twitchy about introducing her to his former California DEA partner? He was the man who—after all of the DEA’s suspicion and chaos—advised him to go into firefighting. Alaska for adventure. The Midnight Sun with Dad. It was the best advice.

He hadn’t told Cadee anything about his DEA past—only that he’d been an agent for a few years. It wasn’t as if he’d wanted to admit he’d walked away under a cloud of suspicion.

At least Nick had believed Vince had nothing to do with it. Vince had never been a dirty Fed.

His friend said, “I’m up here on a last-minute real-estate business trip, thought I’d see you while I’m here. Your boss said you were in Ingriq, so I came up here to catch you.”

Vince couldn’t help but grin. This larger-than-life guy was a friend—more than just a partner. Vince said, “So, how’s your new job?”

Nick huffed a laugh. “You know me. I couldn’t totally give up my connection to the DEA, so I’m still doing contract work. But I’m loving it. Making money.”

Vince tapped his shoulder. “How’s your wife?”

His face softened. “You should see what she’s done to our landscaping. A huge greenhouse.”

“Nice.”

“Yeah. She’s turning it into a garden business.”

“Of course. What a perfect way to add to your beautiful house.” An expensive house. For a DEA agent. Something that had never quite seemed to jive for Vince. Not that he’d ever have said anything about it, given the accusations flying around the DEA at the time. Everyone had been under suspicion. Which meant they’d had no idea who was dirty.

But Nick had never given Vince reason to doubt his integrity.

The wind sent a gust down the street, blowing more smoke into the area.

“Listen, it’s real good to see you, but this isn’t a safe area. There’s a wildfire up here. Cadee and I are here to assess the fire and the process of evacuation. You need to evacuate with the rest of these people.”

Nick laughed. “I know, I know. I heard about it when I got to Ingriq. Was just getting ready to leave when I saw you, Mr. Fire Hero.” He thumped Vince’s back. “Maybe we can talk more later.”

One corner of his mouth rose. Nick was always a tease. Made partnering with him both fun and successful. “Yeah. Hope so, partner.”

Nick chuckled and ran toward his sedan a couple blocks away.

“Hey, one sec, Nick!” Vince jogged to his friend. “Do you know anything about the DEA having a warrant out for my arrest?”

Nick shook his head. “I haven’t heard anything about it.”

“Okay.” Vince stepped back, more than a little disappointed he still didn’t have answers. “Thanks, bro.”

Nick gave a backward wave as he ran to his car.

If Nick knew nothing about the warrant, then the situation couldn’t be that bad. Right?

The wildfire caught his eye, the blaze lighting the sky above the spruce trees. The smoke was thick like pea soup fog.

Whoa. It had grown.

He looked at his Kestrel. The fire had created its own weather, and the crazy wind they’d landed in yesterday had suddenly gone crazier. It was headed this way. Fast.

He looked over at Cadee, who had noticed it as well. Their gazes met, and he gave her a brief nod.

She came over. “We’ve got to get the gray house ladies out of here.”

“Yep.”

They walked up the rock path to the door. Cadee knocked.

A big-haired woman, about their age, opened the door. Behind her, the place was chaotic with eight women trying to make phone calls, pack suitcases, make sandwiches—obviously trying to prepare to leave. In a sort of organized panic.

“Mackenzie!” Cadee said. “I heard you became director here. How exciting. Our school did its best by you.”

“You too, Cadee!” Mackenzie clasped her into a hug. “You’re a firefighter, so of course you’re here. We need some help, and you just sensed it.”

Cadee laughed. “Or Jared told me.”

“Ooh! Jared, huh? I wanna hear more.”

Cadee fiddled with her shirt sleeves, looked over at Vince. Then she turned on a warm smile. “Mackenzie, this is my partner, Vince. What can we do to help?”

Mackenzie looked behind herself, then stepped onto the porch, closed the door. “Actually, Jared texted me a few minutes ago. He knew I needed help. He sent another trooper, and she is waiting in a van down the block. The Anchorage PD said they’d get these women somewhere safe until the wildfire’s out. The bus driver was willing to drive them that far.” She pointed away from Corner Store. “I somehow have to get three women and two kids to the van. and keep them from getting noticed and found by their abusive men.”

Cadee nodded, bit her lower lip. “I have an idea. Are you all ready to go?”

Mackenzie nodded.

“Great. Go get them standing at the front door. Let me text Aunt Claire.” She tapped into her phone, and Mackenzie jogged into the safe house.

A few seconds later, they heard Claire down by the bus at the Corner Store. “Bus leaving in three minutes. We’re leaving in three minutes. Get on board. Now!” Cadee waved at Emma and Ava, who were already boarding.

Shouting, calling to one another, people gathered and boarded the bus.

Now was the time. Vince hustled to the back safe-house porch and grabbed some of the ladies’ luggage. Behind him, Cadee took one baby in her arms and held a toddler’s hand. Mackenzie led them to the van practically at a race walk. The women dove into the van while Vince loaded it up.

Mackenzie gave Cadee a hug and gave him a silly salute. She waved and climbed into the van, which took off.

Cadee turned around to the bus, where people were still loading their luggage. Emma stuck her head out the bus window and waved at them. Cadee waved back with both arms.

Vince just looked at Cadee. He’d seen her in training, in competition, facing fires. He hadn’t seen her at home like this.

“Hey, we have to get out of here,” he said.

“Wouldn’t be dumb to do so.”

“The friend of mine I ran across, you want to catch a ride with him?”

“Makes sense to me. We need to get back to base, get back with the team in case this wildfire explodes even more.”

He started to call out for Nick but paused. He took a long look at Nick, standing by his sedan down the street, talking to someone.

“Yeah. Right.” He frowned. What an intense conversation Nick was having. “Wait. That looks like Tristan Winters, Jamie’s brother. I thought he was back in Copper Mountain.” Already out of the Copper Mountain Clinic after his escape from the militia?

“Probably not him. His back is to us.”

“True.” He eyed his ex-partner, swaying back and forth in a heated conversation.

The other guy—in the usual jeans and T-shirt and boots of the men in the Alaska backcountry—turned their way. His beard had grown slightly beyond the scruff he’d had earlier, but this man must be Tristan. Had to be.

Vince was pretty sure Tristan saw them, recognized them. But then he turned, pulled on some earphones, and jogged away—practically sprinted away—and Nick jumped into the sedan and screamed off down the road.

“All right. Looks like we’re hoofing it. We need to get out of here before the fire reaches us,” Vince said.