Page 80 of Snow River

Grant’s expression slipped for just a moment.Bear pounced.

“Was she your mother?Is that why you came back here?”

“What the fuck are you…this is a waste of time.”With a sudden movement, Grant whipped a shotgun from behind the armchair and aimed it at Bear.

Bear could tell that it wasn’t Grant’s weapon, and that he wasn’t entirely sure how to use it.He needed to take charge of the situation before Grant did something really stupid.He calmly held up his hands.

“Hey now.No need to go overboard here.Put the gun down before you make a mess of this.Plenty of people know I’m here, and that I came to see you.”

Grant waved the rifle at him.“So let’s not be here.Go on.Out the door.”

Bear backed toward the door.He’d learned something important already.Grant was right in the middle of this, whatever his specific role.That was enough for now.

“Is Nancy Butcher your mother?”he asked as he felt for the front step behind him.Grant was pulling his coat on, grabbing a wool hat with ear flaps off a pegboard.“If she is, I just want you to know I get it.I had a fucked-up childhood.You want to understand, you want to make it right.You want answers.”

“Just shut up.Turn around.”

Instead of obeying, Bear backed down the steps.If a bullet came for him, he wanted to see it.

Would Grant shoot him?Lila didn’t believe Grant was a killer, and neither did he.But people could do unpredictable things when pushed.His heart pounded as he stepped backwards down the snow-packed path.Grant was watching his every step.Brandishing a weapon he didn’t know how to use.

“Does your truck have a trailer hitch?”Grant asked.

Where was this going?“Of course.How do you think I pulled my truck out of the woods after you made Lila crash it?”Stab in the dark, but why not?

“What?Jesus, why would I do that?You think you know shit, but you don’t.Just keep walking.”

Bear considered calling his bluff.The guyprobablywouldn’t actually shoot him.Then again, how could he really know that?He didn’t know what was motivating Grant to do any of this.

He could surprise him, pretend to slip in the snow and use the opportunity to wrestle the gun away.It might work.He was a lot bigger and stronger and probably faster than Grant.On the other hand, maybe he’d learn something if he just went along with this.“Are we going somewhere?Why do you need a trailer hitch?”

“Because the snowmobile’s on a trailer.Over there.No, to your right.”

Bear quickly looked to his right, because his first instinct—to look to his left— had given him a glimpse of something that turned his blood to ice.A truck was parked on the side of the road, butted up against a snow bank.He recognized it as Sam’s pickup truck.It seemed to be empty.Was Sam somewhere around here?

Or Molly?

That possibility made him even more worried.What would Molly be doing out here?As far as he knew, neither Sam nor Molly had anything to do with the Community.

Lila.

She was here.He knew it.Maybe some of her intuition had rubbed off on him.Or maybe he had cop instincts of his own.But he was absolutely sure she was nearby.

That changed things.Whatever happened, he couldn’t let Grant see that truck.He might panic and do something stupid.

Still holding his hands high in the air, he slanted his body away from the road.The way he was positioned, if Grant wanted to keep that shotgun trained on him, there was no way he could see the truck.“Where do you want to take the snowmobile?I’m an excellent driver, I have lots of experience with them.Seven winters out here.You tell me where to go and I’ll take you there.”

“No.It’s too far.We have to drive as far as we can get.”

“Is the road even plowed?Lots of them aren’t yet.”

Grant scowled at him from under his fleece-lined hat.“I know what I’m doing.”

“A lot of people come here thinking they know what they’re doing.Then reality hits.This wilderness can be fatal.It doesn’t care what you want.It doesn’t care about that gun.You can’t shoot a blizzard.And if you fire it off in the wrong place, you can set off an avalanche.”

“I did my research before I came here,” Grant said through clenched teeth.

“Research isn’t the same as experience.You need me.Now come on.”He took a step toward Grant.“Put down the shotgun and let’s get that snowmobile up and running.”

---