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Steph was relieved to find the first part of the new plan involved going to the cabin where Roger and the others were. There was a part of her that wondered whether it was sensible to use up the battery on two of their few resources, but that was outweighed by checking on the safety of the others.

“Well, why are we staying here if two gun-wielding maniacs are running around?”

Calum snapped from the sofa.

“Calum, if you wish to leave, then you know where the door is,”

Kelvin replied.

“How the hell am I supposed to leave with this?”

Calum gestured at his leg, which if anything looked worse than when Steph had last seen it.

“Well then, there we are,”

Kelvin shrugged. He then continued his speech.

“We must ensure our own safety, but we must also protect others. These two cannot be trusted with the animals. Nor should their bankroller get his hands on our hard work. God knows what they’d do with them.”

“Because you’ve done such a sterling job with them,”

Calum muttered.

Kelvin ignored him.

“It’s simple. We need to get them where they have no choice but to leave the safety of their vehicle, and there we ambush them with superior numbers. Whoever came up with this whole operation clearly doesn’t believe that I have trained enough personnel to patrol and protect the land. They’re right. I am not a warlord; I’m a businessman. However, it means that the two out there will underestimate us. I also doubt that – despite their custom truck – coming in here was part of the initial plan, so I highly doubt they know what their next steps are. That being the case, we are the ones in control.”

Calum muttered under his breath. Once again, he was ignored.

“So we need to track them down if we’re going to lure them anywhere,”

Davey said.

“Yes, but first we must agree on where to lure them to.”

“But what about the cave bear?”

Steph asked.

Kelvin turned towards her; his eyes slightly narrowed.

“Well, what do you think? You’re the field biologist.”

Steph thought about it. There was no mucking about with the question. She supposed her response should be of a similar clarity.

“It’s clearly the top of the food chain here, which is why we all seem to forget that the animal is actually an omnivore. It has yet to show any desperate tendencies like those under it. The cave lion has been detained, so even he is not an issue. Based on how it reacted to you guys running into it…”

She swept her hand over in the direction of Martina, Davey and Calum.

“I suspect we won’t have any issue with it if we stay out of its way. It is the wolves that bother me the most.”

“And they are manageable,”

Kelvin replied dismissively.

Steph suspected that, next to the cave lion, they were the least manageable aspect in a ten-mile radius, but she kept it to herself.

“Davey,”

Kelvin said.

“where’s the best place to lead them?”

Davey got up, still looking at the floor. He then walked slowly to the window accidentally catching Steph’s eye briefly as he passed – he looked away as soon as he realised that she was looking at him. From there he looked out. Steph guessed that looking outside better helped him picture trouble ahead.

Eventually he turned around chewing his lip. Once more he looked at Steph, looking away quickly as she looked him in the eye. What was that about?

“I have two suggestions,”

he said.

“Each with their ups and downs. I’m not completely sure which is best as there is danger with both of them. I suppose with those guys there is always the risk that…”

“Spit it out!”

Martina snapped, tensing her hands into claws.

“There is danger. We get it. Just tell us your ideas and let us assess!”

Davey looked momentarily to Kelvin who said nothing.

With his eyebrows furrowed, Davey said.

“We could try and lead them just upstream from the beavers. The track deviates further away from the river at that point, and the beavers haven’t cleared that area of trees which are still thick, so it will be easy for us to ambush them as they won’t be able to use their truck.”

“And the other idea?”

Steph pushed, her voice purposely softer than Martina’s.

“Well – and I know it is going to sound ridiculous – but I thought the cave that belongs to the cave bear might work.”

The others stared at him.

“You want to set an ambush for these guys whilst waiting at the mouth of a cave of a six-hundred-kilogram prehistoric monster?”

Calum asked slowly.

“What do you care; you won’t be coming along, will you?”

Martina said, gesturing at his leg.

“Why there?”

Kelvin asked, chewing a knuckle.

“There’s a ledge plateau leading up to it and it’s surrounded by trees. They wouldn’t be able to get their truck near it, so they’d have to come out on foot. The fact the bear is there would be the added incentive to get them up there – just in case trying to kill one of us isn’t enough. More importantly, they’d be in the open and we would not be.”

Kelvin lowered the sides of his mouth in appreciation of the idea. One thing troubled Steph, however.

“How would they know the cave bear is there? Wouldn’t that rely on them chancing upon the animal or some equally stretched hope?”

Davey looked at her again. This time, however, he didn’t take his eyes off her. Steph adjusted her sitting position.

“Well, that’s another issue with the plan,”

Davey said slowly.

“I mean, it is an issue to an extent – quite a risk in fact – but it is also an integral part.”

“What is?”

Steph asked, her voice no longer soft.

“The cave bear plan involves them catching bait.”

“Right?”

“I wondered whether you’d be up for being the bait,”

Davey said before finally losing his nerve and looking at Steph’s feet.

Everyone was quiet. Steph felt like she should be infuriated by the suggestion. Instead, she found herself wanting to know what being the bait entailed.

“So when you say ‘bait’…?”

“I think you should allow yourself to be captured.”

“Why not you?”

Calum interrupted.

“Because she is a woman, so I believe – although I might be wrong – that they would be less inclined to kill her.”

Steph wrinkled her nose.

“Why not Martina in that case?”

Calum continued. Steph didn’t understand why he insisted on being so argumentative. She supposed he was angry. Angry at his situation, thus lashing out when he had the chance. Roger, Steph noted, was being incredibly reserved on the matter.

“You can’t have Martina because she is an asset,”

Kelvin said, not looking at Calum.

“Exactly,”

said Davey before turning to Steph with open palms.

“Sorry, Steph, but she did all the research and has all the knowledge, so she is worth taking as much as the lion or bear. More so even. They’d take her and run.”

It made sense, Steph supposed. Although was there something everyone was missing here? An angle they weren’t seeing. Everyone seemed too sure of the situation and their analysis of the men they were dealing with.

“So what’s the rest of the plan?”

Kelvin prompted.

“Why the bear’s cave?”

“Like I said,”

Davey continued.

“The geography is good there. But the idea is that Steph leads them there in exchange for them acting more favourably towards her. My concern is that they would be looking out for some sort of mischief in both my plans, and this was the best I could think of to dull their caution. By that I mean they could still wonder whether Steph is leading them into danger, but what with the ground being as it is after the rain, there should be numerous tracks leading up towards the cave which should confirm Steph’s story – in their heads at least. Focusing more on whether Steph is lying about the bear which constitutes the most distracting danger, they’ll then forget to worry about the danger we pose.”

Steph was mildly impressed with the logic. Kelvin more so. For the first time in a long time, she saw him smiling.

“Misdirection,”

Kelvin said, almost to himself.

“Very clever.”

There was quiet for a moment as people digested the plan a little further. Then leaning against a counter in the kitchen area with tea in hand, Roger said, his eyes directed at Steph,

“And are you willing to put yourself in such danger?”

Everyone looked around. There was an unspoken feeling that she had already accepted. That was certainly Steph’s impression. So much so that she hadn’t even questioned it herself. But did she want to put herself in such danger?

“Of course, she does!”

Martina sneered.

“It will give her something to write about.”

Steph snorted at Martina. She had been inclined to say yes, but Martina’s comments opened a fresh window on the situation. Why should she risk her life for people who clearly didn’t respect her? Why not let Martina risk herself and then let Kelvin and Davey figure out how to get their asset back? What did she care?

Kelvin seemed to read the situation and calmly said to Martina.

“You cannot fault someone for seeing an opportunity. She obviously understands her market just like you understand yours.”

Martina folded her arms and looked away. Kelvin then turned to Steph.

“Of course, any writing would have to adhere to the contracts you signed but, yes, you could write about some of this. I dare say that putting yourself in this situation would be good marketing.”

Roger could not help but laugh and look away. Steph understood why. It was odd that, even in the current situation, Kelvin the businessman was still active. Even so, Steph knew he had a point. Which, more irritatingly, meant so did Martina.

Steph thought for a moment, clicking the lower knuckles of her right hand. What did she really have to lose? Lots, from an objective perspective. Fortunately, her attachment to those elements that were objectively measurable – a reasonable income, her own flat in San Francisco, a season ticket to the Giants – somehow didn’t mean much to her at that moment. Not something she would have expected to feel just a few weeks previously.

Her fingers wouldn’t click anymore. She looked up. Five faces were turned towards her.

“OK. Tell me where the cave is.”