Chapter 19: Tangerine, Snow, and Gravel

In all honesty, Clark found his companion a little bit daunting. Somehow she'd managed to procure them false papers and plane tickets just by typing at a rented laptop in an internet cafe for a few hours. It was then that he'd learned that Darcie was only nineteen and had her pilot's license. Whoever her abuser was, they'd made sure she got a good education.

He was secretly relieved when they arrived at the airport and their pilot turned out to be a balding man in his mid-forties with a thick French-Canadian accent and not her. The bush plane's temperature was just above freezing, but the two travelers seemed to be the only ones who didn't mind the cold.

There were no direct flights north, so they traveled in short hops from airport to airport, switching planes as they made their way towards the Arctic Circle. A few hours northeast, another hour north, half a day west, cold seats and grey clouds. Until they reached Tulita.

Darcie knew something was wrong the moment the tiny airport came into sight, the way the small planes were parked immediately catching her attention and she tensed apprehensively. Clark sensed her unease and followed her gaze out the window.

"They're grounded," she muttered and it wasn't long before she was proved right. Upon landing the passengers were alerted that all departures had been delayed by the airline until a complete check could be completed to ensure the planes were all in condition to fly. Darcie swore when she heard the news and glared daggers at the LexAir representative behind the check-in desk, but to her companion's relief, refrained from confronting the man. Duffel hitched over his shoulder, Clark concentrated on the two display screens in the entire one-room airport, scanning it for any flights within the next twelve hours while she stood nearby trying to hone her enhanced hearing.

"-said all LexAir flights from Norman Wells to Fort McMurray have been canceled."

"We have to find a motel before they fill up."

"-not flying for at least another week."

"What about the winter road? Too far for the kids."

"-stuck here-"

"Call your aunt-"

"Clark?"

He realized he'd let his hearing wander and that Darcie had her hand on his arm, trying to get his attention. "Clark, we have to go. Now."

The tone of her voice was urgent enough for him to know something was wrong, but looking around he couldn't see anything that implied danger. He sighed. "Hold on, let me finish reading the-"

"They have guns," she whispered, nodding towards a squad of security guards each with an orange X emblazoned on their vests. "We have to get out of here before they notice us."

Clark honestly couldn't see their weapons and remembering when she'd 'abducted' him without much explanation decided she was probably just nervous, if a little paranoid. Ignoring her tugging on his coat sleeve, he went back to watching the display board for another flight when suddenly the tugging stopped and was replaced by her pulling him forcefully towards the exit.

"Hey! Let go!" he protested, catching the security's attention.

"Sir, is everything all right?" one asked as the squad approached and Clark heard Darcie's respiratory rate increase rapidly as he turned to face them. "Yeah, everything's fine, my sister just gave me a little scare, that's all."

The officer looked skeptical, but didn't push the matter and let them continue out of the building. Keeping himself between Darcie and the retreating troopers, he looked back over his shoulder to catch a glimpse of a handgun tucked in a holster under one's arm. It was perfectly reasonable for law enforcement to be carrying firearms, but the fact that she'd warned him of them made Clark uneasy. Darcie stayed as close as possible even after they were outside and on the road to Tulita, her heart rate a little slower, but still fast enough to be considered racing while her breathing remained labored.

"You okay?" he asked and she simply nodded in reply, staring down at the gravel road. Her silence was a little disconcerting, giving him the sense that something was still wrong. They weren't being followed and no one was on the lonely road except a few airport buses carrying passengers into town, but the way she was cradling her chest made him worry. It was only when she started trembling that he realized how serious it was.

"Please tell me you're not having an allergic reaction," he frowned, stopping her in her tracks so he could look her over, but she pushed past and kept walking.

"'M fine." she panted. "Just-just a bit winded-"

A wave of nausea caused her to stumble, but Clark caught her and helped her back to her feet. "Darcie, you're not fine. Are you sick or something? You could be hurt-"

"Panic attack."

She spat the two words out, hating how weak they made her. There was no room for weakness, especially now when her hunters were so close. Her chest tightened at the thought and Darcie gasped involuntarily, struggling to keep herself from crying.

"Do you know what caused it?" he asked gently, and she hesitated a moment before nodding, biting her lip to hold back the tears.

"Those security guards… they were looking for me."

Clark wasn't surprised by the news, considering how she had reacted back in the tiny airport, yet it added a whole slew of complications to their situation. If those men had recognized her it wouldn't be long before the entire town was searched and they were discovered, which could only end with her back with her abuser and he couldn't let that happen. The plan hadn't changed, they just had to keep moving.

By now she had calmed down enough to wipe her eyes and speak a bit more normally, touching his arm to get his attention. "Clark, we can't stay here."

"But the planes are grounded." he pointed out and she shook her head.

"There's a truck-rental back by the hangers and the winter road opened early this year. If we leave now we can reach Norman Wells before nightfall and Fort Good Hope by tomorrow evening."

Before he could ask how she knew all that she was heading back towards the airport at a steady pace and he jogged along beside her. He noticed how she held her head high, drawing herself up to her full height (which was surprisingly only up to his shoulder), but what she lacked in height she made up for in sheer determination and intimidation, purposefully keeping herself between him and the tiny airport building. Clark admired her ability to shove down the fear that had left her paralyzed a few minutes before and smiled a little when he saw how fast she'd recovered.

The rental building wasn't much bigger than a small garage with four cars parked outside while the inside was completely blank except for a window, a row of chairs, and a desk behind which sat a very bored looking manager who brightened up the moment they stepped in. "Hi, can I help you with anything?"

Clark put on a smile as he approached the counter and gave the man a friendly nod. "Yeah, me and my sister are trying to reach Fort Good Hope, but all the planes have been grounded. Is it possible for us to maybe rent a smaller car to get us up there?"

The man's face fell slightly and he glanced out the window at his line of 4x4 hauling trucks. "Well, I don't really have any smaller cars, and even if I did none would survive long on the winter road at this time of year."

He sat considering for a moment, then turned to the phone.

"You know what I'll do," he said, dialing a number, "I'm going to see if any mail choppers are going that way and maybe you can hitch a ride with someone."

Clark thanked him and glanced back over his shoulder at Darcie, who was sitting quietly on one of the uncomfortable waiting chairs with her bag open on her lap as she nibbled at a bagel. He sighed in relief, happy that she was at least getting a little food in her after suffering a panic attack, and turned back to the manager who was scowling at the ground with the phone to his ear. Clark only caught the last few words, saying, "Sorry, John, no one's allowed to leave till next week. They'll need to take a car."

John nodded stoically before hanging up and turning back to his customer. "One-way trip, right? If you won't be returning to Tulita, I cannot allow you to take the car farther north than Norman Wells so it can be returned to our company, but I'm sure from there you can get another one to reach Fort Good Hope."

It was a tough proposition, one he was not in the mood to accept, but Clark knew he had no choice. "How much?"

"One-hundred-sixty, sir. Tax included."

He froze, immediately knowing he didn't have enough and was about to say something when Darcie silently slid two hundreds across the desk to the man. Neither said anything as he counted out the change and passed it to her before hesitantly handing the keys to Clark.

"Have a safe trip!"