Chapter 7

Alyson slows the car to a stop as she parks it just off the road. "This is it," she says. "We're going to have to walk the rest of the way."

"Looks like we're not the only ones out here," I say, pointing to a car parked off the other side of the road.

"That's Tyler's car," Alyson says, her breath quickening. She runs over and puts her face to the window of the car. "Nothing." She hangs her head before turning to Avi, "So, how can you track?"

"I can shift into a saber," Avi says. "They have a pretty good sense of smell. And being lower to the ground means I can notice tracks easier. We just have to keep an eye out for other people."

"Well, that should be relatively easy to do out here," Alyson says. "Let's go."

Avi quickly shifts into her saber form and walks over to Tyler's car. She sniffs around it. She takes a look at the tire tracks in the snow, "These don't look very recent. He's been here a while."

Alyson's face falls as she asks, "Do you see footprints or smell where he went?"

"No footprints," Avi says, "but I think I have his scent. It's faint though."

"God, Ty…where are you?" Alyson calls out as she balls her hands in fists.

"We're going to find him," I say, putting a hand on Alyson's back.

"I'm almost scared of what we're going to find," Alyson says. "He's been missing for over twenty-four hours now in the freezing Alaskan wilderness. Anything could have happened."

"Don't think about that right now," I say. "Let's just focus on finding him or finding Tom and we'll take it from there."

"I've got it," Avi says as she turns to face us. "Follow me." Avi sniffs at the ground and heads toward the woods. Alyson and I follow close behind, watching for any animals or people.

The sun begins to set as Avi continues to lead the way further into the forest. "Do you still smell him?" Alyson asks, her voice sounding distraught.

"I do," Avi says. "It's definitely the scent I smelled at the car. I feel like it might be stronger but it could be wishful thinking." Avi suddenly stops dead in her tracks. She perks her ears up and sniffs the air frantically.

"What do you smell, Av?" I ask, my eyes darting around.

"…blood," Avi says, dropping her ears. My heart sinks as Avi puts her nose back to the snow and runs toward a drop off. She pauses at the top before calling out, "Someone's down there." She disappears over the edge as we catch up. I look down and see a figure lying half buried in the snow. I look over at Alyson. Tears rim her eyes as her face turns white. We both bolt down after Avi to the bottom of the drop off.

As I approach, I quickly notice that the figure is a man lying on his stomach, his face turned away. Avi carefully nudges the accumulated snow off his back. As the back of his coat becomes visible, Alyson freezes and starts to shake, "Oh my God…it's…it's Tyler. I'd know that symbol on his jacket anywhere." She sprints down to meet Avi as the saber shifts back into human form. "Is he alive?" Alyson asks frantically.

"Help me turn him over," Avi says. "I'm too shaky to feel a pulse on his wrist." Alyson nods as they gently turn him over onto his back.

"Oh my God," Alyson gasps. Blood covers the snow under Tyler and more blood seeps from a large stab wound just above his hip. "Who did this to you?" Alyson breathes. Avi gently presses two fingers to the side of Tyler's neck. "Avi?" Alyson pleads, tears beginning to fall down her face.

"It's faint, but it's there," Avi says as she moves to put pressure on the stab wound. "He's alive but we have to get someone out here fast. Aly, call your uncle." Avi watches the slow and shaky rise and fall of Tyler's chest and then locks eyes with me. The fear in her eyes causes my heart to sink.

"Uncle?" Alyson whimpers into the phone, putting it on speaker phone as she cradles Tyler's head in her lap.

"Alyson?" Eddy's voice crackles through. "What's wrong? Michael said you were going out to Hoonah and I should probably check on you."

"We found him," Alyson cries. "We found Tyler. Someone stabbed him…he's alive…but he needs help."

There is a long silence before sirens are heard on the other end of the phone. "I'm on my way Alyson. I'm calling back up now. We'll be there as fast as we possibly can. Hang in there." The line goes dead as Alyson sobs, bending over to press her forehead against Tyler's.

"Stay with me please, Ty," she cries. "I can't lose you."

"This wasn't where he was stabbed," Avi says. She glances back further into the woods, "There is a whole trail of blood leading wherever he came from. And they're faint but I can see footprints and the blood stains are droplets. He walked from wherever he was attacked to here."

"So, he lost way more blood than even what we see here," I say. Avi nods and Alyson's face falls.

A weak groan sounds from deep within Tyler's throat as he slowly blinks his eyes open. His breath quickens a little as his eyebrows furrow in pain. His eyes finally lock with Alyson's. "A-Aly?" he says weakly. "What are you doing here?"

"Trying to find you," she says grabbing her brother's hand. "You've been missing for at least twenty-four hours. You had us all worried."

"Aly, it's not safe for you out here," Tyler gasps. "You need to go back. Leave me here."

"There is no way in hell I'm doing that," Alyson says forcefully. "Who did this to you?"

"Who do you think?" Tyler says, grunting in pain.

"Tom?" Alyson asks. Tyler nods. "I'm going to kill him," Alyson growls.

"You're not going out there," Tyler says. "He could hurt you too and you need to get out of here in case he comes to find me."

"I'm not leaving you," Alyson repeats. "I'm not out here alone. I have Chloe and Avi with me if Tom wants to try anything. We'll take him out."

"Chloe and Avi?" Tyler says confused. "Is that who you went to Oregon to meet?"

"Kinda? It's a long story," Alyson says. "I'll explain after we get you to the hospital and patched up."

"Aly," Tyler gasps as he squeezes Alyson's hand. He looks up at her and I see tears rim his eyes.

"He knows, Al," I say gently, a sinking realization settling in my stomach.

"Knows what?" Alyson says, her breath quickening.

"I-I don't think I'm going to make it to the hospital," Tyler gasps, his breath getting more labored as he tries to talk.

"No," Alyson says firmly, squeezing her brother's hand, "you don't get to talk like that. Eddy's on his way. Just stay with me." Her eyes plead with him, "I can't lose you." Tears fall down her face and splash in his hair as she squeezes his hand. "I love you, Ty."

"I love you too, sis," Tyler gasps. Tears slowly run down his face as he gasps again, "I'm so sorry."

"Stop talking like that," Alyson says. "Eddy is almost here. Just hang on." Tyler looks back up at her as his breaths get shallower. His eyes slowly roll back and start to close. "Ty? Tyler!" Alyson taps his face as his head falls limp in her lap. "No, Tyler, stay with me! Don't leave me!" Alyson's sobs start to echo through the forest as Avi takes a bloodied hand and places it on Tyler's neck and then under his nose.

"He's still breathing," she says. "Barely, but he's hanging on."

"Over here!"