Death Cache (5 page)

“Don’t worry so much. Besides, if one of us needs to worry, it’s you. What was Robert doing in here?”

“I don’t want to get into it.”

“What about Gage? How was the trek up the glacier today?”

“Cold.” No point in adding the searing kiss they’d shared on that piece of ice. “Let’s try and get some sleep. It’s been a long day.”

But when she was zipped up into her sleeping bag, sleep was the last thing coming her way. Silence settled over the camp, and all that could be heard was the repeating ‘who-who’ of an owl.

She wished she had an answer.

C
HAPTER
F
OUR

Tern was the first one awake the next morning. She’d given up the pretense of sleeping and silently snuck out of the cabin in the wee hours of the morning and crept back down toward the lake to wash. When she’d been there the night before, she’d caught a whiff of sulfur and decided to investigate. Sure enough, a half mile or so west of the lake was a pocket of hot springs. The interior of Alaska was pitted with thermal activity. She tested the water for heat with a long stem of pootschki—a member of the parsnip family which made an okay celery substitute in soups and stews. Stripping off her clothes, she slowly waded into water just this side of scorching. It was heaven to relax and let the heat burn off the stress and unrest of the day before. When she started to feel like her insides were beginning to boil, she quickly washed, dressed, and hiked back to camp with renewed energy.

Mac was already up as she knew he’d be. The man might be older than the rest of them, but that didn’t mean anyone was going to get the jump on him.

“Morning,” she greeted.

He paused in pouring a cup of coffee, the strong, dark smell enticing her closer. “How do you do it?” he asked.

She raised her brow in question.

“Look so fresh and inviting all the way out here?”

“Like I’m going to give away my secrets. You don’t look too bad yourself.” She admired his rugged appearance—salt-and-pepper hair in a military cut, fresh stubble soon to be a beard, and laugh lines crinkling around steel-gray eyes. Not many men could roll out of a cot and look as sexy as he did in the morning.

She took the cup of coffee he poured her, reaching for the sugar and evaporated milk he’d set out for those who needed to dilute the strong brew. “How’d you sleep?” she asked.

“I’ve had better nights. Doesn’t help that Robert is mooning over you. Damn, gal, does every man fall under your spell?”

Gage obviously hadn’t. She ignored the question and asked one instead, “Why the rough night?”

“Something doesn’t feel right about this setup. I can’t place my finger on it. But I’m uneasy.” He sipped his black coffee.

Gage had said almost the same thing yesterday. She took a sip of her coffee and held back the wince as the bitter concoction hit the back of her throat and burned its way down into her unsuspecting stomach. One cup of Mac’s coffee would erase her sleepless night. “How so?”

“Do you realize how easy this situation can turn into a survival game?”

“Anywhere you go in Alaska can turn into a survival game.”

“True, but I think we might be tested more than we signed up for.” He sipped his coffee again. “It’s too much of a coincidence, all these men and you as the common dominator. You
know
what I think of coincidences.”

“Yeah, but I did introduce all of you to geocaching.”

“I want to know who the mystery person is behind this expedition. He clearly knows all of us. Or at least you. Any ideas?”

“Not a one. I’ve racked my brain.”

“Might want to rack it again.”

“I’ll do that.”

Mac took a deep sip of his coffee. “Seriously, are these idiots really in your level of found caches? Besides, me, of course.”

She bit back a smile. “Lucky, definitely. Gage can hold his own against you, but he falls short of me.” In many ways, it seemed. “Nadia and Robert I’d still consider amateurs, but you didn’t hear me say that.”

Mac nodded as though he’d already come to the same conclusions. “You have any enemies?”

She scoffed. “Are you serious?”

“As a rutting moose.” His piercing steel eyes met hers and had her sobering fast.

She swallowed and put aside the coffee, her stomach suddenly pitchy. “No, Mac. Not that I know of.”

“Rack your brain for that too.” He refilled his cup. “Like I said, something doesn’t feel right.”

The rest of the group eventually woke, sauntering toward the fire pit looking for coffee and something to eat. Mac rehydrated eggs with boiled water from the lake and scrambled a pan’s worth, adding in cheese and cubes of steak. Tern dug up some Hedysarum alpinum, better known as Eskimo potatoes, boiled and served them with the steak and eggs, and made a poor man’s biscuit out of the flour.

Gage silently studied her under his brows, while Robert tried to engage her in conversation. She ignored them both. Robert eventually wandered off toward the lake, but Gage continued his scrutiny. Lucky and Nadia were cozy as doves while they ate, and Tern felt a pang every time she looked at them. It hadn’t been long ago that she’d had that kind of connection with a man. And no matter how many times she told herself different, she still wanted Gage. Wanted that intimacy they’d shared, the rapport, the promised future. The reality of it pissed her off and had her scouring the pan until its reflection had the power to blind someone.

Mac came up behind her after everyone had taken off to do whatever they needed to do to get ready for the day. “Woman, you’d better figure out what you’re going to do about him.”

“Shit. You’re kidding me.”

“Yep, pretty damn obvious.” He gave her a pathetic look. “Give me that pan before you scrub a hole in it.” He took it out of her hands. “Take a walk. Shake it off.” Mac glanced at his watch. “Meet back here in thirty.”

“You running a drill camp here?”

“All you nitwits would be lost without me.” He smiled and ruffled her hair. “Now, get.”

“Yes, sir.” She saluted.

“Smartass.”

Laughing and feeling more herself, Tern gladly handed KP duty over to Mac.

Since Robert had ventured toward the lake, and she didn’t want a repeat of last night, she headed for the hills. Mac’s comment yesterday of her being more mountain goat than human wasn’t all in jest. It was one of the things that had attracted her to Lucky Leroy. He’d shown her some amazing views in the time they’d spent together. Why couldn’t she have been satisfied with him and what he offered? Life would have been one wild ride. But then she knew herself well enough to know she was too set in her ways. She wanted roots, family, and someday grandkids to tell tall tales to.

The birch and the diamond willow thickened, and she had to find a way around them on what looked like a bear trail. She kept her eyes open and made noise as she crashed through the brush. Being on a thirty minute time table, she didn’t venture too far from camp, but couldn’t resist climbing the rock cropping that presented itself.

She found Lucky at the top, meditating. “Should have known you’d be up here.”

Sitting in lotus position, Lucky opened his eyes. “Hey, babe.” He smiled and nodded to the space next to him. “Take a load off.”

Lucky had a strong belief in daily meditation. What the hell, it could be just what she needed. She sat, copying Lucky, and closed her eyes. He began to hum and softly chant. Years ago when he’d climbed the Himalayas, he’d spent a winter with the Tibetan monks and embraced Buddhism. She let his soft, soothing sounds clear her mind.

The slight breeze was enough to discourage the mosquitoes and carried the sharp scent of spruce. She calmed and felt one with the mountain, as though she could hear the sap running through the trunks of the birch, the heartbeat of the earth, the breathing of the air as it traveled over the great land.

For the first time in days she felt a measure of peace.

“Better?” Lucky asked.

She opened her eyes, and the scene that greeted had her catching her breath. They were high above the treetops, and the view went as far as the eye could see.

“Yes,” she breathed the word. “That’s got to be the Yukon River down there, don’t you think?”

“Don’t know. Everything pales with you sitting next to me.” The breeze ruffled his sun-bleached hair around his heavily tanned face. He never stayed indoors if he could help it.

“Aren’t you with Nadia?” she asked.

“For now. She’s fun I’ll say that much for her.” He lifted a brow that suggested they could pick up where they left off, all she had to do was give the word.

Why was it that the men she didn’t want were willing to be with her, but not the
one
man she
did
want? Fate had a perverse sense of humor.

Lucky stood and stretched. “Ready for me to beat your pants off in this competition?”

“In your dreams.” She was glad he’d relaxed the atmosphere between them. She stood, feeling the stretch of muscles that hadn’t been pretzeled in a while. When she got back to Fairbanks, she needed to take up yoga again. “Mac wanted us back in thirty.”

Lucky grimaced. “Don’t see why the old man should be in charge.”

“Because he’s earned it.”

Mac was a former Ranger for the military. SEALs listened when he spoke. None of that would impress Lucky as he didn’t believe in using military force. In his opinion, everyone should sit in a circle, hold hands, chant, and all would be right in the world.

They hiked back to camp. A shadow passed over Nadia’s face when she saw them exit the forest together.

Oh, come on.
Nadia had to know nothing had been going on between her and Lucky.

“Good, you’re here.” Mac checked his watch.

Apparently she’d made it in time, because he didn’t knock her for being late. She took a seat next to Nadia around the fire pit.

Nadia wasn’t the only one sending her daggers. Gage sat across from her, and the heat coming from his gaze rivaled the fire smoldering in the middle of the circle.

There was at least one fire she could douse right away. She leaned closer to Nadia, and in a low voice said, “I came across Lucky and walked back to camp with him. That’s all.”

As quick as the shadow had darkened Nadia’s face, it cleared. “I never should have thought any different. I’m sorry.”

“Nothing to be sorry for.”

Lucky sat down on the other side of Nadia after refilling his cup of coffee. “Babe,” he greeted Nadia, running his hand over her shoulders.

Nadia reached over and placed her hand on his knee.

Seemed all was right between them. Tern glanced again toward Gage whose expression was still hotter than coals. To hell with him. He had no right laying claim. Not when he’d thrown her away.

Robert settled in, and Mac began. “As you know, we had instructions in the caches we found yesterday.” He held up the GPS coordinates typed on pieces of paper. “Even though they are addressed to individuals, I suggest we stay in teams, like yesterday, to find each of them.”

“Give me a break, old man,” Robert said, rising to his feet. “What the hell kind of competition is this if we stay in teams?”

“One that you’ll live through.” Mac didn’t back down.

“We’re armed, and we aren’t novices. Quit mothering.”

“Listen you little pissant, I’m not losing anyone on my watch.” Mac shook his head when Tern opened her mouth to help dispel the argument. “Call it a gut feeling. Besides, our targets are much farther away from camp. Give me this today. We’ll reassess the situation tomorrow.”

Robert swept a glance over the group and shook his head. When no one jumped in to help him argue his case, he muttered, “Whatever.”

Mac handed out the GPS coordinates. “It doesn’t need to be said, but I’ll say it anyway. Watch out for bears. This early in the season, they’re still hungry from hibernating. Remember, three shots, followed by a full second between each shot if you get into trouble.”

They disbanded after filling up water bottles and dividing what food they could take along for snacks, which wasn’t more than a few slices of cheese, smoked salmon, and biscuits for each person. One day and they were already running low on rations. Tern hoped the geocaches had more food or this high-tech treasure hunt would turn into an actual hunting party.