Going inside, Jack dumped his dishes in the sink and looked at the dirty oatmeal pot and the half-filled coffee maker but damned if he was going to do the dishes for Liz. Picking up his pack, he attached the snow shoes then took a last look around before pulling the door closed behind him. Taking the bungee cords from off his pack, he snapped the pack to the front of the Polaris. It made the snowmobile a little top heavy but the pack held essential survival gear in case they needed to spend a night outdoors in the snow.
Chase already had the motor running but he stood aside to allow Jack to take the controls, even though he was the more experienced of the two in snow conditions. Jack was grateful that Chase realised he didn't have the strength to manage the powerful machine. A pair of goggles hung on the handlebars and Jack offered them to Chase, but he shook his head no, he preferred to keep the Raybans as the lenses were darker for the bright snow.
The initial going was rough. Jack had only operated a snow mobile a couple of times and that was always solo. It was more difficult with the extra weight of Chase and the pack, but after two dumps into the snow, they both became better at coordinating movements and Jack was able to pick up some speed.
Skimming over the snow was exhilarating as he retraced the route he'd taken in. Occasionally they would hit a patch of slush but so far they had managed to keep enough momentum to reach firmer snow. In no time they had skirted Flora Lake and were headed to Azalea Lake when the snow gave way beneath them and they found themselves in a hole two feet deep.
Chase scrambled up to the front. "It's a spruce trap," he offered as he removed the pack and placed it against a spruce tree further up the hill.
"What the hell's that? asked Jack as the two of them worked at getting the machine out of the hole. Chase was panting hard, unable to speak for the moment, and Jack was reminded again of how weakened he had become. But eventually they were able to get the Polaris up and out.
Chase sat exhausted in the snow. "A spruce trap is when a tree falls over and the branches form a bridge so when the snow builds up it looks like solid terrain because you can't see the air pockets underneath. If you step on one you fall in, sometimes to your waist, sometimes over your head. Snowshoes can also get stuck in them, you need to take the snowshoe off to get yourself out."
Jack fetched the pack and got out some energy bars and water. Accepting both, Jack noticed Chase drank some water but slipped the bar into his pocket. Apart from the few spoonfuls of soup, Jack hadn't seen him eat any food since his arrival and he had had nothing for two or three weeks before then. He couldn't recall the medical treatment for starvation but he wished he'd eat something.
Hoping to find a neutral subject, he said, "I saw wolf tracks outside the cabin yesterday, it looked as if it was following my trail."
Although Chase didn't say anything, Jack could tell he had his full attention. "We'll need to be careful, it must be hungry with all this snow cover."
"They won't harm us," Chase stated flatly.
"They? No, I only saw the tracks of one."
"His mate, the female, will be pregnant; she'll be nearby, but hidden. Anyhow, no human has ever been attacked by a healthy wolf."
"You mean no one ever survived to talk about it," Jack joked.
"It's considered good luck to see a wolf while on a journey. The Native Americans' regard them as pathfinders."
"Your Great Grandmother's wisdom?" Jack asked kindly.
"Perhaps my Great Grandfather's," Chase said. "His name was Wolf."
"Oh," said Jack at a loss for words. "Are you ready to continue? We'd better keep going before the snow gets any softer."
Continuing on, the way was clear and fast but Jack could feel his unease increasing. He wondered if it was the proximity to Lake Azalea, or talk of the wolves.
Without warning, he found himself falling, tree branches pulling and grabbing, the snow falling with him and getting down his collar. Eventually, after what seemed minutes, he found himself lying prone across the front of the snowmobile. Looking up through the branches, he could see he had fallen into a hole about 12 feet deep.
"Chase?" he called, and he was relieved to see him looking down, concerned.
"Are you okay?" Chase asked.
"Yeah, nothing broken."
"Are you on stable ground, or is it going to move again?"
"It seems firm," Jack responded, bouncing up and down on the tree branch to test it, causing Chase to wince.
"Jack, we can't get the Polaris out so pass me up the pack, then I'll get you out."
For a fraction of a second, Jack paused, undecided. Could he trust Chase? Should he trust him? He'd been alone with Liz for almost a month and he had stated himself he needed professional help. But no, Chase was like a son and he knew his love for Chase was returned... or it had been.
"Jack!" Chase called down, "Come on."
Working quickly before he could change his mind, Jack unsnapped the cords and held the pack as high as he could manage, ensuring there would be less lifting for Chase to do. Even so, it was an effort for Chase to pull the pack out, and then he disappeared. Jack waited impatiently, trying not to let his paranoia dominate. Thinking of his second gun and ammo being with Chase, he took his gun from his pocket and clicked off the safety. I'll count to 100 he thought, but even after counting to 200 Chase hadn't reappeared.
"Chase?"
"Yeah, I'm sorry but my fingers aren't working well and I couldn't get the straps on your pack open."
Throwing down the thin cord, Chase said, "Here, I don't have the strength to pull you out, but this is attached to a tree so you can climb yourself out."
"Thanks," Jack wound the cord around his leg and began climbing. Reaching the lip of the spruce trap, Chase reached in an arm and helped him up.
"Thank you Chase." Looking back into the trap, he knew he couldn't have made it out of there without help and he turned smiling his pleasure, but Chase was back in
his anxious mood.
"Jack, we're going in the wrong direction. We need to go west," and taking Jack's arm, Chase led him to the bluff overlooking Lake Azalea. "See, we need to go down over to that clearing by the lake."
"Why? I don't see anything there." Was this a trick laid out by Liz? He looked at Chase who was becoming more agitated by the second.
"Jack, I'm sure about this, please."
Shaking his head, Jack began to turn away, "I'm sorry Chase but we'll keep to the trail I came in on. We can't be following one of your feelings." Jack went to pick up the cord but Chase's voice stopped him dead, the hairs on the back of his neck and up his forearms rising in alarm.
"Jack!" Chase's voice was low and full of menace. Swivelling, Jack saw the hatred in his eyes, his hand rising to fire, and his instincts kicked in. Jack raised his gun and fired.
Her scream rent the air and tore at Kim's heart. Dropping the load of washing she ran into Angie's bedroom to find her staring into space, her arms wrapped tight around the doll she had been playing with. Falling to her knees beside her, Kim took her into her arms.
"Honey, what's wrong?"
Getting no response, she turned Angie's head towards her and looked into her eyes, "Is it Daddy? ... Angie, has something happened to Daddy?"
Angie began sobbing loudly and she buried her head in Kim's embrace. "Shhh," Kim soothed quietly as she rocked the weeping child. "Shhh, it's okay honey," but she found herself trembling and she closed her eyes tight as she silently whispered over and over, please let him be okay, please let him come home to us, please.
Angie's sobbing quieted and she turned and snuggled into Kim's arms. Kissing the top of her head, Kim continued the rocking as she began to hum a favourite lullaby, trying to calm her own shattered nerves as well as Angies.
"Mummy, if you love someone and they do something bad, do you still love them?"
"Yes, yes you do," she declared with more confidence than she felt. Dear God, what could he have done? "Angie, did Daddy do something bad?"
Angie shook her head as the tears started again, "No, it's Grandpa Jack... he shot Daddy."