Page 44 of One Last Chance

Oh no.Smoke lifted from somewhere between the lower foothills to the east. Except it didn’t seem the deep black of a forest fire but gray, as if coming from a factory.

So, that was weird.

A shot cracked deep in the valley, echoing. She jerked.

And then another shot split the air.

This time, rock chipped off below her.

What—

She stepped back as another shot blew up rock behind her.

Was someone—shooting—at her?

The next shot was so close it nicked her pack. She spun, fell.

Another shot hit the rocks behind her.

She scrambled down the side of the mountain, jumping from rock to rock, her heart slamming into her throat.

Then a shot pinged off a rock right where she put her hand, and she screamed.

Tripped.

Just like that, she was falling, slamming against rocks, launching into the air, and careening for the valley, some two thousand feet below.

* * *

“For the record, this is a bad idea.”

Yeah, whatever, whatever. Axel ignored his brother, who stood like a sentry at the end of the bed, arms folded, legs apart, as Axel pulled out his IV. Gently, but enough that some blood formed on his forearm. He grabbed a nearby cloth and held it as he swung his bare legs out of the hospital bed.

“Six hours ago, you were dangerously close to dying.”

“And now I’m not. I’m fine and I want to go home.” He stood up on the linoleum. Okay, yes, a chill still ran through his body, but other than hunger—he still wanted that sandwich—and some dehydration, maybe some fatigue, he felt fine.

Aces, actually. Because who lived through both a sinking boat and a deflated life raft to land on the only island in the Cook Inlet?

He didn’t want to suggest some sort of divine favor—didn’t want to get used to the idea, really—but this time, he’d let God have the credit, no argument.

“No, you don’t,” Moose said. “You want to go find that woman on the other end of the ham radio.”

Axel didn’t look at him as he waited for Boo to return from her mission to score him some clothes. “Listen. I need her to know I’m safe.”

“I’m sure Echo radioed her.”

“I want to tell her personally.”

Moose gave him a look, rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, well, you weren’t there. She . . . Not to be too dramatic, but she kept me alive. It was her idea to find the life-raft suitcase—if not for that, I would be swimming with the fishes.”

“Agreed. Great idea. But it doesn’t mean you should get out of bed while you teeter on the edge of death and trek into the bush to find her.”

Boo came into the room smiling like a thief, holding clothing wrapped in plastic under her jacket. She tossed it to him. “Hope you’re a large, because that’s all I could find.”

“It’ll work,” Axel said as he caught the open back of his breezy hospital jammies and headed to the bathroom. His red jumpsuit, thermal shirt, long johns, and underclothes lay soggy and wadded into a plastic bag hanging in a closet, his boots, now mostly dried, on a shelf at the bottom. He untied the gown and climbed into the surgical pants, pulled on the shirt, and even found socks at the bottom of the package.Sweet.

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