Choices

Chapter 3

A deep hollow bellow from the bear behind them was all it took to get Sheila moving. One back leg of the mare slid sideways as she scrambled over the loose scree along the creek, almost unseating Deeks as he turned to look back. The bear rose up on its hind legs and then slammed back down on its front paws, roaring out another challenge. Its pink mouth yawned wide open, showing teeth that made him think of the horror movies Kensi loved so much. He could almost picture the movie poster. Killer Bear of the Sierra Madre. Purty Kemp was swearing between groans and Deeks realized how tightly his arm was wrapped around the man's waist, crushing his cracked ribs. Sheila righted herself and leaped forward as he moved his hand down to get a grip on Kemp's belt. As they crashed through the low growing willows bordering the creek, Deeks took one last look behind him. Two small bear cubs peeked out behind their mother, and she turned her attention to them. Blowing out a relieved breath, Deeks smiled.

"It's a mama bear. She has babies," he shouted as Purty Kemp steered his mare around a series of jagged boulders.

"This ain't Disneyland, city boy," Purty huffed out. "A bear protecting her cubs is damn dangerous."

"Well they took her mind off us…so I'd say that's a good thing. Right?"

Purty didn't reply, hunching over the saddle horn as they made their way down the creek. Deeks slid the rifle back into the scabbard, grateful that he hadn't had to shoot the bear and leave her cubs motherless. Snow was falling heavily now, making the world around them gray and indistinct. He had no idea where they were, or how far they still had to go. His damp clothes no longer gave him any protection from the icy wind and he missed his hat, his hair still wet from his swim in the creek. Purty would curse every now and then, but he wasn't interested in talking, or telling him where they were going or how long it would take to get there. Deeks assumed he was heading for his ranch, but when he asked, the man only grunted. The creek became a series of tumbling rapids, and the trail, if you could call it that, turned steep and slippery with icy snow. Gnarled old willows choked the side of the hill making it difficult to pass by, their whip-like branches slashing at them in the bitter wind. Deeks worried the path they were on would end at some point, giving them no way out, and he wasn't sure Kemp was up to crossing the creek if they had to. Sheila slowed, picking her way down the rough track, and he was glad to have her.

"Gotta rest," Purty mumbled, and pulled back sharply on the reins before slumping dangerously to one side.

"Don't you pass out on me, man," Deeks said, wrapping an arm across his chest to hold him in the saddle. "If you fall off, I'm not sure I could get you back up."

"My head's hurting like a sonofabitch," he said. "Hell…everything hurts."

"Not surprising," Deeks replied as he eased the man back up against his chest. "But, you're a tough Wyoming cowboy, right? Would be kinda embarrassing if I had to tell everybody that you fell off your horse."

"You'd really enjoy the hell outa that, wouldn't you?"

"Oh, yeah," Deeks said honestly. "Now…you want to tell me where we're headed and how long until we get there?"

Kemp raised his head and stared down the creek for a few seconds before shaking his head. "Hell if I know. Can't see nothing in this blizzard."

"Not what I wanted to hear," Deeks said softly.

"This creek runs into a small lake somewhere down below," he said. "Just not sure how far that is. Never come to it this way."

"When we reach it, is your ranch house close by?" Deeks asked, his concern mounting.

"A couple of miles."

"Seriously?"

"Want some good news?" Kemp asked.

"No…Tell me something that'll ruin my day even more," Deeks snarked.

"We've got a small cabin by the lake," he replied, turning to look back at him with a smile.

"We? You mean it's on your land?" Deeks asked with surprise. "But you said your house was two miles from there."

"We own a lot of land," he said with a simple shrug, "Five thousand acres, give or take."

"Wow," Deeks replied, stunned by the size. "Hope there's a fireplace in this cabin of yours. And food. Maybe a hot shower?"

"All that," he replied. "Our family uses it during hunting season. Elk, moose, deer, and a helluva lot of pronghorn antelope. There's a horse barn, and feed for your mare."

"Awesome," Deeks said and gave Sheila a sharp nudge with his heels, making her grunt and blow out her breath.

The lower down the trail they got, the more the creek began to wind and turn back on itself. The mountains around them eventually began to soften into foothills, and the track they were on widened as did the creek. The snow had been heavy here. Deeks figured there was at least four inches or so on the ground, and Sheila was huffing and puffing from the weight she was carrying. She slogged through the drifts that had collected at the base of the crowding aspen trees that lined the track they were on, their new leaves straining to hold on against the wind like their lives depended on it. When the trail finally broke into the open, Deeks was just able to make out an oval plateau ahead. He couldn't tell how big it was or even see the lake that was supposed to be there. The whole thing just looked like a void in the middle of the steely gray and white blizzard that swirled around them.

"There," Purty said, pointing off toward a couple of dark forms in the distance.

"Let's go, Sheila, old girl," Deeks urged. "You've earned a rest and a nice bucket of oats."

"You always talk to your horse?" Purty asked.

"Don't you?"

"Its a horse," he replied with a snigger. "They don't know what the hell you're saying, or give a shit, for that matter."

"Maybe if you'd talked to your horse more, it wouldn't have run off and left you face down in the creek," Deeks said.

"Bullshit."

They both became silent after that. As they made their way out onto the open meadow, Deeks could just make out a mass of cottonwoods strung out along the now visible lake. Their heavy branches swayed slowly in the buffeting winds, reminding him of the trees in Lord of The Rings as they went into battle. The Ents, if he was remembering right. The odd thought made Deeks suddenly realize just how exhausted he was. The cold had sapped his strength and muddled his mind. He couldn't feel his toes, his fingers or his nose. He'd ceased shivering and he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. He couldn't imagine what they must look like. They were both covered in snow and hunched over against the icy pellets of snow slashing at them from seemingly all directions, including the ground. The further they went the farther away the cabin seemed to get and he worried he had altitude sickness, something George had warned him about when he first took him up into these mountains. Purty Kemp was growing heavier by the minute, and Deeks was beginning to think he had passed out. He reached around and took the reins and met no resistance.

"Dammit," he whispered.

He knew how tired Sheila must be, but he gave her a small kick anyway. They needed to get inside and out of this weather. He had no desire to tell Molly that her half-brother had frozen to death on his watch. His mare suddenly nickered and he looked up. Two buildings loomed out of the grayness and he heard a horse return Sheila's call. They had come upon the barn, and there was obviously someone in the cabin by the horse's presence, and the light in the windows. Maybe Soldier and Molly. He suddenly felt lighter as he urged Sheila past the sturdy looking log barn toward the large cabin just ahead. There was a wide porch along the front that was banked with snow, and he smelled wood smoke. The door suddenly swung open, and Soldier stepped out, bathed in a shaft of warm and welcome light. Deeks smiled and felt himself losing his grip on Purty.

"Purty's hurt," he said when the boy reached him, then slid off Sheila's rump and fell on his ass in the snow.

"Uncle Deeks," Soldier cried out, rushing to kneel beside him.

"I'm good. Help him," Deeks said, and struggled to get up.

Molly was suddenly beside him, helping him to stand. Purty looked as if he had regained consciousness, and was stumbling toward the open door with his arm around Soldier.

"Glad we found you," Deeks said as she guided him up the steps to the porch. "Wait. Sheila."

"Who?"

"My horse. She carried us a long way."

"I'll see to her," Soldier said as he came back out and stared at him for a few seconds.

He wasn't sure what he saw in his eyes, but the boy nodded to him before jumping off the porch and gathering up Sheila's reins. When Deeks stepped inside the cabin the heat from the fireplace made him feel as if he were melting. Molly had a worried look on her face, not anything like the flippant girl he'd met that morning. It made him wonder just how bad they both looked.

"You're frozen," she said, her eyes wide as she stared at her brother. "And…and why are you here?"

"Met Dalton on the trail. Said you'd gone off again," Purty said, managing to get one arm out of his coat. "Sent me to bring you home before the storm got too bad."

When she turned her eyes on him, Deeks saw a hint of rebellion and possibly fear. "It was snowing. You and Soldier weren't exactly dressed for it so I tried to follow you. I brought Soldier's coat and a blanket for you…"

He suddenly felt very tired and dropped into a large leather chair in front of the fire. He started to shiver uncontrollably and his fingers were tingling. He leaned toward the fire, water dripping from his hair onto a large brown and gray Navaho rug. He wanted to apologize, but no words would come. Even in the heated air of the cabin, his inner core still felt like ice. The warmth was almost painful. He looked down at his hands, and was surprised to see them shaking. He coughed, releasing a tightness in his chest as if he'd been holding his breath for a long time. He unwrapped the scarf from around his neck and wiped at his face, suddenly weak from the realization that they both might have frozen to death out there if they hadn't found this place. It shook him. He was a California boy after all. He felt Molly touch his shoulder and he saw kindness in her eyes when he looked up.

"Better get out of those wet clothes," she said gently. "You too, Purty."

"His elbow's broken and probably a couple of ribs," Deeks said as he forced himself to stand and begin to strip off his coat and shirt.

"What happened?" She asked, turning to help her brother.

"That damn gelding of mine spooked and threw me in the creek," Purty spit out. "City boy here, saved my ass."

"You forgot to mention he fell on top of you," Deeks said.

"I'm gettin' a new horse," Purty said, mumbling a few swear words under his breath.

"I'll go find some dry clothes. Collingwood's stuff should fit Deeks," she said quietly, dragging a red blanket off the back of the couch and draping it over Deeks' shoulders.

"Get us a glass of brandy first," Purty ordered. "We sure as hell could use one."

Deeks had never been offered brandy in Wyoming. Most of the bars Joe took him to didn't even carry it. They had lots of beer, multiple brands of whiskey and even scotch, but brandy was scarce. He began to scan the room. It was almost as big as the front room and kitchen combined at the ranch. The fireplace was made out of smooth river rock and the walls were shellacked logs, the spaces between filled with white plaster. Old, yellowing maps of the area were framed and hung on either side of the fireplace. All of the furniture was dark leather, but had modern lines. Molly stood at a large, unfinished pine sideboard, the top covered in bottles of whiskey, scotch and several decanters of brandy and what looked like sherry. The glasses were cut crystal. A huge painting of a man shooting a dying elk against a backdrop of dark pines hung above it. The Kemp family sure as hell peaked his interest.

Soldier came in the front door, practically blown in with a swirl of snow. He stomped the snow off his boots and unwrapped a wool scarf from his neck and hung it on hooks made out of a couple of antelope horns by the door. Deeks was pretty sure Soldier had been here before, which made him sad to know the boy had lied to him about how often he'd seen Molly since they first met.

"You followed me," Soldier said bluntly, his anger suddenly back.

"It was starting to snow…" he replied, wondering why he was on the defensive.

"Show some gratitude, kid," Purty snapped, surprising Deeks. "He didn't have to go out in this shit to find you, but he did."

The man had finally managed to get his coat and shirt off and Molly almost dropped the glass of brandy she'd brought him.

"Oh my god, Purty," she said.

His elbow was a swollen mess and matched the purple and red bruising along his left side. His face was bruised as well and the cut on his forehead was once again oozing blood.

"What happened, Uncle Deeks?" Soldier asked, now looking over at him with concern.

"To make a long story short. He fell off his horse, and his horse came down on top of him," Deeks said. "Unfortunately, it was in a creek."

"Purty said your uncle saved his life," Molly said, handing Deeks a cut crystal glass half full of brandy.

Soldier's expression softened and he smiled. "He's good at that."

"You some kinda angel of mercy, city boy?" Purty snorted in derision. "Going around the country doing good deeds for your fellow man?"

"Yeah…he is," Soldier said sharply. "He saved my Uncle Joe and…"

"Let it go, Soldier," Deeks said, reaching out to grip his shoulder. "He's hurting."

Purty Kemp glared at him, not willing to admit how bad off he was.

"Any pain meds here, Molly?" Deeks asked, taking the last swallow of his drink. "Your smart ass brother looks like he could use some."

"I'll be fine," Purty grumbled, downing his brandy in one gulp.

"I hear you're supposed to savor a good brandy," Deeks said with a grin.

"Shut up and give me a hand, city boy," Purty asked. "A hot shower will feel pretty damn good right about now."

"Wait. That sounded like a very disturbing invitation," Deeks said with a smirk.

"Is he always an annoying pain in the ass?" Purty asked Soldier.

"Not all the time," Soldier replied. "But Papa told me stories."

"Those are family secrets," Deeks warned with a quick smile.

"Everybody's got those," Purty said as he pushed himself to his feet. "Now, you gonna help or not, Deeks?"

It was the first time the man had used his name and he grinned at him as he walked over to give him a shoulder to hold on to. The cabin was bigger than was visible from the outside. As they turned a corner, and moved slowly along a wide hallway, they passed a couple of bedrooms. Even though the only light came from windows, Deeks could see they were not the least bit rustic. The wall on their right was all glass, and looked out on a courtyard with an ornate stone fountain filling up with snow at its center. There was a small tree in each corner and outdoor furniture between, the snow covering the seats like fleece blankets. The cabin wrapped all the way around it. He could see what he assumed were additional bedrooms on the other side and a sliding entrance door at the end.

"Molly's mom likes to sit out there," Purty mentioned as they passed. "She doesn't like to watch us hunt. A real animal lover, that one. Hates guns too. Don't know why the hell she married into a Wyoming family. Dad shoulda told her everybody out here hunts and everybody has guns."

"Where did she grow up?" Deeks asked as they stopped in front of a huge bathroom.

"Paris. If you can believe that," Purty said, letting out one of his patented snorting laughs.

"She's French?"

"Half French. Speaks it too, especially when she's arguing with my dad," he replied. "Her father was an American diplomat or something. Her mom was French."

"Soldier can speak a little French," Deeks said.

"I ain't even gonna ask about that," he responded. "I'm dead tired, sore as hell, and I want a hot shower. Now all I need to happen is for you to leave."

"Copy that."

Deeks turned away as he closed the door, stopping to stare out at the intimate little courtyard. There was a sadness about it. It looked so isolated, a solitary place to wait out the killing going on outside. He wondered if Soldier had told Molly he spoke French and had spent time in both Paris and Normandy. It would be quite an interesting connection. He headed back toward the fire, feeling chilled again. As he pulled the red blanket tightly around himself, he almost ran into Molly coming out of the first bedroom.

"Sorry. This should fit you," She said, blushing slightly as she handed him a soft, dark blue flannel shirt with snap buttons and suede elbow patches.

"Thanks," he said, discarding the red blanket and slipping the shirt on, grateful for its warmth.

"Guessing from the number of bedrooms here, you have quite a big family," Deeks said, following her back into the front room.

She didn't say anything, just plopped down on the couch in front of the fire next to Soldier. The boy wouldn't look at him, and Deeks figured he realized he'd been caught in a lie.

"I heard your uncle tell Purty you speak French," Molly said, a teasing note in her voice. "Moi aussi."

"You do?" Soldier's face broke into a huge smile and Deeks did too.

"Oui. My mother's half French," she said, obviously pleased by his reaction. "She lived in Paris until she met Sheffield Kemp and married him. She hates it here, except for the horses."

"But you don't hate it here, do you?" Soldier asked.

"No…but I understand why she does sometimes," she replied. "We're the only women in a house full of men."

Her comment seemed like something an adult would say, not a thirteen-year-old girl.

"How many brothers do you have, Molly?" Deeks asked, backing up as close to the fire as he could.

"Too damn many for me, and they all have these stupid names." she said, back to sounding like a kid.

"Really?"

"They were given the last names of one of their mother's ancestors," she replied. "Weird, don't you think?"

"How weird?" Deeks grinned. "Like Dunkledorff? Or Doodlesquat?"

Her laugh was full throated and honest, ending in a giggle as she covered her mouth.

"I wish. Now they don't seem so weird," she said. "Purty was her second great grandmother's maiden name. The oldest is named Collingwood, after her fourth great grandmother. We call him Colly, which he hates. Says it makes him sound like a dog. Masefield was named for her third great grandmother, and we call him Mase, which he prefers. Says it sounds manlier. Then comes Dalton. He's a real ass…sorry…but he is. Can't remember who he's named for and don't care."

"Wow. Those are a mouthful," Deeks said.

"Okay, your turn," she said.

"Only child," Deeks replied.

"Then why does Soldier call you uncle?"

"That's a very long story I'm too tired to tell right now," Deeks said gently. "I have a question about your name though. Nothing weird about the name Molly. How'd that happen?"

"Her given name is Raynesford," Purty said as he entered wearing a bathrobe. "Dad insisted Alison name her after one of my mother's ancestors. Lots of French flyin' around that night."

"Molly's my middle name," she looked defiant when she said it. "Only my dad and Collingwood call me that stupid name."

"Not that she answers to it," Purty said as he sat down by the fire. "I try calling her Raynie just to irritate her once in a while, but she just ignores me and does whatever the hell she wants."

Deeks detected a note of fondness in his voice, and saw that Molly was grinning. He thought the two were closer than either one of them wanted to admit.

"I hear that hot shower calling, but first," Deeks said. "Soldier…did you call your father? I'm sure he's worried."

"No service up here," Purty said. "I've always liked that about this place until now."

"Not even a satellite phone for emergencies?"

"Collingwood usually brings one when we come up to hunt," he replied, his voice tinged with pain that he was trying very hard to hide.

"I'm hoping there's a first aid kit at least," Deeks said. "We need to do something to immobilize that elbow of yours until we can get you to a hospital."

"I'll get it. And some of Mom's pain meds," Molly said, shooting a worried look at her brother as she hurriedly rose from the couch and went through the kitchen.

"Take your shower first, Deeks," Purty said. "Your hands are shaking, so I know you're still pretty damn cold."

"I'll make it fast."

"And I'll have another brandy."

"That doesn't mix well with pain medication," Deeks warned.

"You Florence Nightingale all of a sudden?" Purty snapped.

"He's trying to help you," Soldier said, his anger still there.

"Yeah, well…I didn't ask for it," the man snapped back.

Before Deeks could say anything, the sound of a snowmobile broke his train of thought, and it was closing fast.

"Sounds like the cavalry's here," Purty said, smiling and looking greatly relieved.

"Hope you're right," Deeks said. "Guess they missed you, Purty. No…wait…probably looking for Molly."

"Smart ass city boy."

Soldier stood up, but hesitated to go to the door. Deeks could tell he was nervous about meeting anymore of Molly's relatives, and he didn't blame him. Molly had heard it too, and hurried into the room, setting the first aid kit on the counter before rushing to the door. Someone pounded on it before she could open it, and Deeks shot a quick look at Purty, who pushed himself up from the chair.

"Family don't knock," he said.

"Molly, wait," Deeks warned, but she had already pulled the door open.

Two men carrying high powered hunting rifles with scopes stood in the doorway. They were dusted with snow, their beards frosted with it. Deeks cursed under his breath, angry that he'd left his rifle in the scabbard of his saddle. It had been the only weapon he'd brought with him.

"Who the hell are you two?" Purty growled. "This is private land and you're trespassing."

"Well, fuck you," the tallest one said and lifted the barrel of the rifle until it pointed at him.

"Everybody just calm down," Deeks said, putting his hands out to try and placate them both.

Soldier had moved to stand behind Molly, taking her arm and pulling her back toward Deeks. The second man saw that, and smiled.

"She's a cutie, ain't she, Bryce?"

"Shut up, Harley," Bryce said. "We ain't here for that."

"What are you here for?" Deeks asked as the other man raised his weapon and pointed it at him.

"Case you ain't noticed, it's snowin' a fuckin' blizzard out there," Harley said.

"We got caught out in it huntin' elk," Bryce said, as both of them moved inside and closed the door. "It got a little too nasty out there, and this place looked like a good place to wait it out. Didn't expect nobody to be here."

"You're poachers," Purty said with disgust. "Ride on out the way you came and I won't turn you in to the game warden."

"You ain't real neighborly, are you?" Harley said, his voice cold and definitely not friendly.

"Which Kemp are you?" Bryce asked as his eyes roamed the room.

"I'm Purty Kemp, and the longer you stay here the more trouble you'll be in," he shot back.

"Some folks just don't know when to shut the fuck up," he replied. "Specially you Kemps. You got all this land all to yourselves. All the wildlife too. Think you own the damn world."

Deeks shot a look at Purty, begging him with his eyes not to escalate the situation. He nodded slightly and sat back down. These men knew exactly where they were, and had probably hunted here before. They were arrogant and showed no fear of reprisal, and that in itself put Deeks on alert. He wasn't sure he could talk them out of here, but he had to try. If that didn't work, and if he thought he had no other choice, he had to figure out a way to get one of their guns.

"We got us a buck and a cow," Harley bragged. "Easy pickins from a snowmobile. One drives and the other shoots."

"That's illegal…" Molly blurted out, but Soldier tugged at her arm before she said more.

"Sounds like you had a plan. Too bad you got caught in this weather," Deeks said easily, trying to cut the tension in the room. "I know it's cold as hell out there. We just got in ourselves. So, why don't you lower your weapons, and warm up by the fire."

"Didn't think it'd get this bad," Harley said, his rifle still pointed in his direction. "We was gonna take the ATV, but when we saw how heavy the weather was gettin'…well, you get it."

"You one of them Kemp's too?" Bryce asked, looking hard at Deeks as he sauntered over toward the bottles of liquor on the sideboard.

"No. Visiting from California," Deeks replied, watching one and then the other, a bad feeling settling into his gut.

"You one of them hippies?" Harley asked.

"No, just a surfer," Deeks replied.

"None of that around here," Harley said. "You're kinda like a fish outa water."

His laugh was self-congratulatory, and Deeks actually thought it was sort of clever himself. He'd been around men like them before, and his experience told him these two had a hair trigger and that anything might set them off. They obviously weren't afraid of using their real names, if those were in fact their names, and that worried him. He thought about telling them he was a Federal agent, but decided it just might get him and everyone else, killed. He felt his stomach knot as Bryce picked up a bottle of Wild Turkey and examined it. Things would only get worse if they started drinking. The man laughed to himself and looked over at Molly.

"Come over here and open this for me, little girl," he said, slouching against the table.

"Open it yourself," Soldier said firmly.

"Soldier," Deeks said quickly, and moved toward the man. "I'll do it."

"You take another step and I might just forget my manners like that fuckin' Indian kid just did," the man said, leveling the rifle at his chest.

Molly walked around Soldier, looking up at Deeks as she passed him. He could see both strength and fear in her eyes, and he decided he really liked this girl. She took the bottle from Bryce's hand and twisted the cap off, tossing it on the table before she shoved the bottle back into his outstretched hand.

"Don't choke on it," she said flippantly, and turned away.

"Stop right there you little shit," Bryce said, placing the barrel of the rifle on her shoulder.

Soldier instantly made a move towards them. Before Deeks could say anything to stop him, Harley swung the butt of his rifle into the boy's ribs, doubling him over. Molly yelled out his name as he dropped to his knees. She ignored Bryce and his rifle and rushed to help Soldier as he groaned on the floor. Deeks was enraged and started for Harley just as Purty did the same towards Bryce. Harley fired a round into the ceiling and yelled.

"Don't try it, or I'll shoot you both."

Deeks was seething, but he believed him and stopped. Purty halted as well, and Bryce laughed. "We got us a couple of amateurs here, Harley."

"Unarmed amateurs," he snorted. "You cover 'em while I take a closer look at this little girl here."

He grabbed Molly's arm and yanked her to her feet, but his rifle was now pointed at the floor. Soldier moved so smoothly and fast that it surprised Harley and Deeks as well. The boy grabbed the barrel of the gun and twisted it up toward the ceiling and shoved the man up against the door. Bryce swore and swung his rifle toward the boy and Deeks jumped him. The man still held the bottle of bourbon in his left hand, dropping it when Deeks grabbed his rifle with both hands. Ripping it away from the man, he brought the stock up and slammed it into his jaw, knocking to the floor. He quickly turned and fired a round into the door above Harley's head as he struggled with Soldier.

"Let go of the gun and step away, or I'll put the next one in your ear," Deeks shouted.

The man looked shocked, but he held on and smirked back at him. "Bet you ain't even fired a gun before."

"I'll take that bet. I'm a Federal agent. Knowing how to shoot a gun is kind of a requirement," he said quietly and aimed the rifle directly at his head. "Move away from him, Soldier."

The boy limped back, and Molly wrapped an arm around him. Harley looked over at his partner, who was now propped up on one elbow spitting out blood and a couple of teeth.

"You have one second to drop your weapon," Deeks warned. "I won't ask again."

The rifle clattered to the floor, and the man instinctively raised his hands. Deeks nodded at Soldier, and the boy picked up the weapon and moved back toward the fire, keeping Molly behind him. When Deeks glanced quickly over at Bryce, Purty was standing by an open cabinet in the corner holding a hunting rifle, his eyes never leaving the man on the floor.

"Shoulda shot the bastards, Deeks," he said.

"Still might if they don't cooperate," Deeks replied. "Turn around Harley, and assume the position. I'm sure you're familiar with it."

"We can lock 'em in the storage room in the barn," Purty said, motioning for Bryce to get up. "Come on boys. Time to freeze your asses off for being assholes."

By the time they had the men tied up and locked in the barn, the winds had died down and the snow had stopped. Deeks could see the lake now, it's edges softened by cottonwoods and willows. It was beautiful. Molly was checking out the snowmobile and called out as she held up a satellite phone. In the distance he heard the odd bugle call of an elk, and he caught Soldier looking at him. He was smiling.