Page 49 of A Rebel's Shot

Besides, he was just a glorified taxi in the airand patrol guard. None of the drama the company was dealing with had to affect him.

He’d just keep his head down, fly Merritt back and forth to the mine site, keep alert to any bears wandering close, and keep his heart firmly in check.

A text dinged on his phone as he crossed the field to his airplane. He waved one last time to his family as he pulled his phone from his pocket. His steps stalled to a halt at the words.

Merritt: I need to talk to you in private when you get back. I need help, and I don’t know who else to trust.

NINETEEN

Merritt’s heart raced as she paced the hotel room, her mind reeling from the revelations of the day. The late evening sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains, casting an eerie glow on the disheveled state of the room.

She glanced at her phone, checking for the hundredth time if Tiikâan had texted that he had made it to Fairbanks. The low hum of the air-conditioning unit filled the room, a constant drone that did little to soothe her frayed nerves.

A soft knock at the door made her jump, her heart leaping into her throat. Peering through the peephole, relief washed over her at the sight of Tiikâan’s impatient face. She opened the door, her hand trembling slightly as she ushered him inside.

His brow furrowed as he took in her appearance, his gaze sweeping over her.

She brushed a hand over her skin to make sure the tears that had refused to stop falling were dried on her cheeks. Glancing in the mirror over the desk, she cringedat her red-rimmed eyes and chaotic hair sticking out from a lopsided, messy bun.

She probably should’ve made an effort to hide her turmoil.

“Merritt, what’s going on?” His voice was tinged with an undercurrent of urgency.

The words poured out of her in a rush. “I think my father was murdered.”

The words hung in the air between them, heavy and oppressive. Tiikâan’s eyes widened, but he remained silent, allowing her to continue. Merritt’s heart ached with her suspicions, the grief and anger and fear all tangled together in a knot that threatened to choke her.

“I met with Dr. Erikson, the geologist my father hired to investigate the mine’s safety. He had evidence, Tiikâan. Evidence that the mine’s plans for mitigating acid mine drainage are inadequate, that the risks are far greater than what’s been publicly disclosed.”

She began to pace again, her hands gesturing wildly as she spoke, the rough texture of the hotel carpet beneath her feet grounding her in the moment. “My father was supposed to meet with Dr. Erikson, but he never showed up. And then the plane crash happened, and I just… I can’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t an accident.”

Tiikâan stepped forward, his hands coming to rest on her shoulders, the warmth of his touch seeping through her blouse and calming her frayed nerves. “Okay, let’s take a breath. What exactly did Dr. Erikson say?”

Merritt took a shuddering breath, the scent of fresh air and spruce that always surrounded Tiikâanfilling her nostrils. She recounted her meeting with Dr. Erikson, the evidence he’d shown her, and his suspicions about a cover-up.

As she spoke, Tiikâan’s intense focus on her both unnerved and reassured her.

“He thinks someone didn’t want my father to meet with him. Someone who had something to hide.” Merritt’s voice broke, the reality of her words hitting her like a physical blow.

Her father’s death being anything other than a tragic accident was almost too much to bear, but she couldn’t ignore the evidence that stared her in the face.

Tiikâan’s jaw clenched, his eyes hardening. “We need to be careful who we trust with this information. If your suspicions are correct, then whoever is behind this will stop at nothing to keep the truth buried.”

Merritt nodded, her mind racing with the implications. She knew he was right, but the thought of keeping this secret made her feel like she was suffocating.

“I know. But I can’t just sit back and do nothing. I have to find out what really happened to my father.”

His grip on her shoulders tightened. “And we will. But we need to be smart about this. Who do you think we can trust?”

Merritt considered the question, her brow furrowing in concentration. She thought of her family, of the people who had stood by her side at her father’s funeral, their faces etched with grief and sympathy.

“Uncle Nolan,” she said after a moment, her voice barely above a whisper. “He’s always been there for me, and he and my father practically raised each other. But Idon’t think we should tell him everything, not yet. He’ll be heartbroken if Dad was murdered. There’s no way I can trust the rest of my family.”

Tiikâan nodded, his expression thoughtful. “Okay, that’s a start. What about Dr. Erikson? Can he be trusted?”

Merritt hesitated, the doubt that had been gnawing at her since their meeting rising to the surface once more.

“I think so,” she said, though her voice wavered with uncertainty. “He seemed genuinely concerned about the safety of the mine and the people living downstream. But he’s also scared. Scared of what might happen to him if the truth comes out.”

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