Page 72 of Into the Storm

Two hours after they set out, Audrey and Xavier reached the perimeter of the lodge complex. They’d traveled a long and twisted route high on the hillside along the backside of the boot until they reached Kaxo Creek. After crossing the stream, Audrey directed them on a route that skirted George’s cabin along with the meadow and forested area that were home to the village site, but still brought them around to the rocky outcrop where she’d enjoyed tea with the elder two or three times a week for most of a summer.

Thousands of years before, glaciers had carved this land, including the falls and lake, and the five boulders that formed her favorite break hideout ranged in size from a Mini Cooper car to a basic minivan. They were jumbled together, with trees and ferns sprouting in the crevices and a thick layer of mossy padding that made the flat top of one boulder comfy to sit on.

She’d called that rock her Flintstones recliner.

There was a gap between her recliner rock and the next boulder in which she and George would leave their mugs, snacks, and whatever book or magazine George was reading at the time, sealed in a round bear canister that she restocked at the beginning of each week.

The crevasse was hidden by moss and ferns, a perfect hiding place, but also, nothing of real value was left behind so if hikers discovered her cache and absconded with the canister, it wouldn’t be more than an inconvenience.

The canister had been packed up at the end of the summer along with the rest of the field school equipment. There would be no stale protein bars or tea bags to be found. But Audrey knew without a doubt if George wanted to find her, this was where he’d come.

They circled the rocks and logs, moving quietly as Xavier scanned the ground and trees, looking for evidence George—or a mercenary—had been here. Xavier gave her his NVGs so she could scan the rocks, and she was disappointed to see her recliner was empty. But that didn’t mean George wasn’t on his way, or he hadn’t been and gone already.

At last, Xavier decided it was safe to approach. She followed him in the darkness, crouching low as she climbed over logs and rocks. Adrenaline surged as they moved in, her heart pounding so hard, she could feel her pulse in her fingertips.

She climbed up onto the rock and crawled across the soft surface as Xavier stood guard at her back with the rifle he’d acquired last night at the ready.

She flicked on her red-tipped flashlight and shined it in the gap between boulders, lifting the moss blanket as she did so.

Her light landed on a silver cylinder, sealed tight against the elements and bears.