Page 74 of Wind Valley

“Here’s another question. Was it his device that gave everyone that tremor? Did it affect the wildlife too? Are they still being affected? If this energy experiment is the problem, why is it only now that the moose and wolves are acting strangely? Why not for the last ten years?”

He was nodding along—these were all very valid questions. And one more— “Exactly what did they leave behind in Wind Valley?”

39

It took a week to dig out of the four feet of snow that had fallen. Maura’s arm muscles ached from so much shoveling, but she also loved every minute of it after being cooped up in the house for two days.

Pinky took advantage of having two strong younger people in the house and directed them to shovel the paths to the woodshed and his rigs, at least the ones he used the most—his Chevy truck and his two snowmobiles, one of them old and one of them ancient. Meanwhile, he monitored the emergency band on his CB radio.

Every time Lachlan and Maura came into the house for a break, pink-faced and sweating, he’d give them a report.

“Eve Dotterkind lost one of her sheep. Then she found it in the bed of her truck. No one can figure out how it got up there.”

And, later, “The folks out at the Community did something called ayahoo-atta during the blizzard and ran naked into the snow and one of them filmed it. You know what that is?”

“Ayahuasca? Isn’t it a hallucinogen?” Maura downed a glass of water and wiped sweat off her forehead.

“Oh. I get it now. I ain’t going to see that film.”

“You mean they’re actually showing it to people?”

“At The Fang next week. They said it’s called The Blessing of the Blizzard. They’re charging five bucks!”

For their next update, Pinky filled them in on Lasse Ulstrom—“His dogs are itching for a run, but he’s still digging out. Did you know them Siberian Laikas are fine all the way down to a hundred below zero? Those are some tough dogs. He’s hoping to bring ‘em for a run later today.”

And finally, the Chilkoots. “Ain’t no one heard from them. They’re keeping awful quiet. Hope everyone’s okay out there.”

By the time the driveway was cleared of snow, along with the turnaround next to the house, the snowbanks rose well above their heads. “It’s a drive canyon now, not a driveway,” Maura joked.

“A bit of a drive wind tunnel, too. We might have another Wind Valley on our hands. Speaking of which…” Lachlan climbed onto the seat of the snowmobile and turned the key in the ignition. “This might be the ideal time to check it out. We won’t go into the valley, just to the top of the ridge.”

“Do you think we’d be able to see if the Reeds left something behind? Everything’s buried under several feet of snow.”

“Maybe not, but I’m still curious. Anyway, it’ll be a fun ride. We can stop in town and fuel up first and see who’s up and about.”

That sounded more fun to Maura. “I should decide when school will start again, and post a sign at Granny Apple’s.”

Since there was only room for two people on the snowmobile, Pinky told them to go ahead without him, even though Maura could tell he was dying for some oldtimer company. “If we see any of your buddies, should we tell them to come out and visit?”

He brightened immediately. “Tell them I’ll bring out the good whiskey.”

“By the way,” Maura told Lachlan as they bounced across the snow in the Skidoo, “the good whiskey is more accurately described as the less-lethal whiskey. Just in case he ever offers it to you, which he probably won’t because it’s only for his best buddies.”

“So shoveling out his driveway doesn’t put me on his least bad whiskey list?” Lachlan shook his head. “Tough crowd.”

Traveling through the snowy landscape offered one wonder after another. Alder branches arched over the road, buried under the weight of so much snow, their tips pinned to the ground. Spruce trees looked more like towering wedding cakes. A startled magpie triggered a small avalanche of snow cascading toward earth. This much snow had a muffling effect on sounds; even the drone of their engine seemed softer. And the fresh, pure scent of the snow made the world seem washed clean.

They followed the road, because it was the clearest pathway toward town, although occasionally Lachlan made a detour into the forest just so they could experience what it was like to travel five feet higher than normal. It was magically whimsical to witness the entire world covered in white fluff. Maura couldn’t keep the smile off her face.

Lachlan drove because he was more used to operating snowmobiles, and she sat behind him, her arms looped around his waist. Heaven, she thought. Gliding across the snow with Lachlan McGowan, safely in the middle of the wilderness, that was her idea of heaven.

She closed her eyes and soaked in the sensation of movement, the feel of Lachlan’s strong body against hers, the scent of snow and spruce and a hint of gas fumes…and then jerked them open when Lachlan throttled down abruptly.

“Something’s going on up ahead,” he muttered.

Peering around his shoulder, she saw that they were about to reach Pioneer Road, the main artery through town. It had already been plowed, and a snow berm marked the juncture of the two roads.

Just past the berm, she saw a barrier blocking the entrance to the road. “What is that?”

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