Page 102 of Dark Sky

Nate steadied his revolver and visualized where Earl’s body should be on the other side of the center tree. Then he fired squarely into the trunk six and a half feet from the ground.

A shower of needles fell as the tree rocked with the impact as the bullet passed through it. Earl, practically headless, tumbled to the ground in a heap.

The riderless horse crow-hopped from the surprise, then did a high-stepped canter out of the trees into the clearing with its tail swishing with relief from the sudden absence of two hundred and twenty pounds on its back.

—

Joe sat back on the rocks with the sun on his face and his oldest daughter next to him and Nate joining them from below. Price paced around them giggling and shaking his head from side to side, saying, “I can’t believe we made it.”

He was kind of delirious.

Nate scowled at him while he slid his revolver into his shoulder holster.

“I’m sorry,” Price said about his laughter, “I’ve never been through anything like this before. I can’t help it.”

“You can try,” Nate said. Then to Joe: “Are you all right? You look like shit.”

“Never felt better,” Joe said with a grin. “It’s good to see you.”

“He saved my life,” Price said to Nate about Joe. “So did you and Sally...”

“Sheridan,” she corrected.

“Whatever,” Price said, still giddy. “The Thomases tried to kill me, then we nearly froze to death, then we were attacked by wolverines.Wolverines!”

Price stopped abruptly. Joe looked up to see Price pointing toward Brad’s big body splayed out behind them.

“Shoot him in the head,” Price said to Nate. “We need to make sure he doesn’t get up again.”

“He won’t,” Nate said. “Neither will Earl. Kirby might survive, but I’m not going to get too worked up about saving his sorry ass.”

“He’s alive?” Joe asked.

“Barely. Broken neck. Do you want me to finish him off?”

“No,” Joe said with vehemence. “Come on, Nate. We can try to get him airlifted out.”

Nate shrugged.

Joe noted that Sheridan had watched the exchange with interest, turning from Nate to him as if watching a tennis match.

Then he heard it: the deep bassthump-thump-thumpof a distant helicopter. He couldn’t yet see it in the sky.

“That should be the search-and-rescue team,” Sheridan said. “The sheriff finally got things rolling.”

“I need to call them in,” Joe said. Sheridan helped him to his feet and stayed close to him as he limped down the slope toward the grazing packhorses and his satellite phone. It bothered her that he seemed frail. It was a thought she’d never had before.

“You take first class,” Price called to him. “I’ll sit in coach this time.”

“Is he always like this?” Sheridan asked Joe.

“Off and on,” Joe said.

“I can’t believe we’re here with Steve Price himself,” she said with awe. “I mean... it’scrazy.”

“It is, I guess,” Joe said, putting his arm around her shoulders. “But I’d rather hang out with you.”

“Call Mom as soon as you can. She’s beside herself.”