Page 21 of Smoky Lake

“That they’re the ones who fired that missile? No. But maybe they knew someone was in the area with that kind of firepower. A foreign entity, say.”

Her head swam at the thought. “Someone from another country is chasing after Victor and his research?”

“It’s a possibility.”

It seemed beyond surreal to talk about foreign missiles while they were quietly paddling across the most serene body of water she’d ever seen. She glanced back at the column of smoke rising above the treetops. Smoky Lake was certainly living up to its name.

“Great. Now we’re in a spy movie. Any chance you can James Bond us out of this mess?”

“I have to be James Bond now? I was hoping MacGyver might be enough.” His dry tone made her giggle, but she quickly suppressed the sound. It was bad enough that they were whispering away as they rowed. Her laugh would really give them away. She possessed one of those full-body laughs she had no control over. If she started laughing, Gil would think she’d lost it completely. Maybe he’d toss her overboard.

“MacGyver would be even better. Where are we going, by the way?”

“There’s only one other structure out here. I thought we could go there for now, until it seems safe. Then we should get back to town and find the soldiers who wanted to talk to us. This just got serious, and they need to know what happened if they don’t already.”

She nodded in agreement. “This is way out of our league. My league,” she corrected herself. “Maybe you do this kind of thing all the time.”

“Yup, it’s all in a day’s work.”

Ani smiled to herself. She liked his dry sense of humor. Even though he’d seemed standoffish at first, he didn’t take himself too seriously.

“For pediatricians, too,” she told him. “One minute you’re telling a three-year-old to say ‘ah,’ the next you’re dodging missiles fired by mercenaries. Happens every day.”

They reached a curve in the lake, as it widened out to nearly twice the expanse of the narrower section where the Institute was located. She saw no hint of a cabin anywhere along the shoreline. That was probably a good thing, since it meant their safe haven was nice and hidden.

“In the winter, all of this freezes over,” Gil said, in tour guide mode now. “See that little island?” He pointed to a rocky pile populated with dead trees and a few saplings. “We haven’t had a jökulhlaup in a few years, which is why those saplings are still alive. When the jökulhlaup comes through, it’s like a freight train running over everything in the way. That’s why the tree line is so far back from the shore here. The flooding is that intense.”

“Have you seen one?”

“No, I’ve just heard stories from my brother.”

Her arms were getting tired. She paused for a moment to catch her breath and he followed suit. “Are you doing okay?”

“I’m fine. I just need a second.”

He cleared his throat, seemed uncomfortable. “I’ve been watching you and I’ve decided that you’re an impressive person.”

“Oh. Well, it’s too bad you weren’t around during my divorce.” Her face flamed; where had that stupid comment come from? She didn’t want to talk about her divorce with this seriously attractive man. “Sorry, slip of the tongue. I didn’t mean to bring him up.”

Gil nodded and dipped his paddle back into the water. She did the same, and they propelled the craft forward across the surface. In this wider section of the lake, a slight wind was blowing. It held a chill that surprised Ani.

“That wind comes right off the Korch glacier,” Gil explained. “Do you need something warmer than that jacket?”

Her camel suede jacket hadn’t been designed for wilderness adventures. “Yes, please,” she told him. “All this rowing is keeping me warm, but that wind…Are we close?”

He handed her his jacket, which she draped over her own. The red-and-black wool shielded her from the wind, but she still felt it on her cheeks and exposed skin. “Not far.”

So…pretty far, she figured; he just didn’t want her to lose heart. “Do you think we can talk normally now? I can’t even see the fire anymore.”

“You want to talk?”

“Distraction,” she explained. “Also, I can’t stop thinking about Victor. I keep going over my conversation with him. He was rambling a lot. I even wondered if he was in an altered state of consciousness. Drugs, maybe? Did he do any drugs, as far as you know?”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he did, but I can’t say for sure. Victor was very curious about a lot of things. If he did drugs, it would probably be as an experiment, or for an experience. He might have mentioned ayahuasca, come to think of it.”

Through the ache of fatigue in her arm muscles, a theory formed in Ani’s mind. “Maybe he discovered some new form of hallucinogen that people are after. Drug running is big business. If it’s crossing international boundaries, then the military could get involved. Maybe that’s why those soldiers came.”

“Hmm.”

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