Page 9 of Smoky Lake

“No, no. God, not ‘take care’ of you, like some kind of mob boss.” The very idea made him laugh. “He wanted me to protect you. He mentioned the airport, and said someone might be after you too.”

Ani frowned. “Did he mean the state trooper?”

“He didn’t mention state troopers, but he did mention grasshoppers. So I’m not sure how seriously to take it.”

“Grasshoppers?”

“He was a little incoherent. You said he seemed feverish. He might be in a hotel room somewhere, sweating it out. Once he caught typhoid fever in India, and that’s what he did. He took Cipro and locked himself in a hostel until the fever passed.”

“So you’re going to Blackbear to search all the hotel rooms?”

“Maybe at some point. But I want to check something else first. Be right back, I just need to pack a few things.”

He strode into his bedroom and began tossing clothes into a backpack. No need to delay. If he left now, he could get to Smoky Lake by early afternoon.

Ani followed him and leaned against the doorjamb. “What are you checking? Where are you going? What’s the problem you want my help with?”

He stopped in the midst of slinging extra pairs of socks into his pack. Would protecting her mean bringing her with him, or leaving her behind? Which option would be safer for her?

“Listen, this doesn’t have to be your concern. You said you’re a doctor?”

“A pediatrician, yes.”

“And you don’t really know Victor. My advice to you is to walk away and stay out of this. Stay close to your friends or your boyfriend or whoever you feel safe with. That’s how you can help.”

Her eyebrows lifted. “You think I’ll be in the way.”

“I don’t know what’s going on.” He tried not to sound exasperated. Alone, he knew his capabilities. He didn’t know hers. “It could be risky, or dangerous, or a big waste of time. I’m sure you have better things to do than tromp around the wilderness after someone you spoke to only once in an airport.”

His effort to discourage her seemed to fly right over her head. “So you think something fishy is going on?”

“I don’t know. But I intend to find out. Alone. So the best thing you can do is keep yourself safe, so we’re not letting Victor down.”

Yes, this was best, despite her downcast expression. Ani would be a huge distraction. He found it hard to think straight when she was looking at him with those radiant dark eyes.

He zipped up his backpack and flung it over his shoulder. She backed up to allow him to leave the bedroom. “Go back to your regular life, Ani Devi. Whatever is going on, I see no reason for you to be involved.”

But just then, everything changed. Over her shoulder, he caught a glimpse of a vehicle bounding down the road toward the property. Not just any vehicle—a camouflage military jeep.

Don’t trust anyone. Don’t say a word. Promise.

“Okay, change of course. Quick question,” he said to her urgently. “Would you rather come with me or talk to the military?”

“What?”

Victor had told him to protect her, but he couldn’t force her to do anything she didn’t want to. If she wanted to talk to whoever was in that Jeep, she could. “An Army vehicle is headed our way and I don’t intend to be here when it arrives. You can come with me, or you can stay and talk to them. I won’t tell you what to choose.”

She looked in the direction he pointed, and swiftly turned back. “You. I choose you.”

Those words had an impact on his solar plexus that he didn’t have time to explore right now.

He nodded and took her hand, pulling her toward the back deck. From there, a trail dipped down into a ravine with such thick growth of pushki and fireweed that they could easily stay out of sight until the military folks had decided to move on.

Nothing against the military, of course, but he needed to find out what the hell was going on—for Victor’s sake.

“Stay low,” he murmured as they slipped through the sliding door to the back deck. “Stay quiet.”

She nodded and did as he asked, moving gracefully and silently in his wake. Using the shelter of the back deck, he slid down the bit of gravel that led to the trail. If you didn’t know there was a trail there, it just looked like scrub grass and construction debris. When he was stable, he turned and offered his hand to Ani.

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