Page 43 of Dark Sky

Marybeth sat back. “A full-fledged search-and-rescue operation could be launched, I know. But that takes time and we’ve got this new sheriff who hasn’t done it here before...” She trailedoff. Then: “If I don’t hear from him by this afternoon, I may need to call him, as well as Director Ewig. I don’t want to overreact, though. Lord knows he’s been late or out of touch before.”

“We grew up with it,” Sheridan said. “Dad can handle himself pretty well.”

“He can,” Marybeth said. “I’m sure there’s a good explanation. But right now I want to know he’s safe so I can kill him.”

Sheridan laughed. Then she got serious. “This could turn out to be a huge social media story, but I don’t want to follow it that way. Please keep me in the loop.”

“I will.”

“And I’ll join ConFab to see what Steve-2 posts. I know April and Lucy are on it.”

TWELVE

After leading Price through the sprawling aspen grove, Joe turned around and looked with dismay at the tracks they’d left. The thick carpet of dropped leaves acted as a cover to the surface below, so the moist soil hadn’t dried out. Their muddy boot prints were as distinct as a popular cattle trail.

Price followed Joe’s gaze. “Are they going to come after us?”

“Yup,” Joe said. “And we’re making it easy.”

“So what can we do?”

“Let me think,” Joe said.

“You saw what they did to Zsolt,” Price said. “They shot him down like a dog. I’ve never experienced anything like it before.”

Joe didn’t reply. He carefully studied the terrain and wished he could see through the impenetrable wall of aspen to determine if the Thomases were coming through it from the other side.

“I also can’t believe he ran like that,” Price said, still focused on Rumy. “He didn’t even attempt to save me. He’s been at myside for five years. Man, I trusted him. I always kind of thought Tim might turn on me at some point, but I trusted Zsolt.”

“Can we talk about this later?” Joe asked.

—

They’d come through the aspen grove east to west on a slight decline. Although there were natural rises and ridges in front of them, as well as black timber to navigate, the trailhead and his truck were in front of them, but at least a day and a half away on foot. There would be no doubt where they were headed, Joe thought.

He swung his daypack off his shoulder and dropped to one knee. Inside, he found the folded topo map in a ziplock bag that he’d been carrying with him since he first patrolled the mountains. The map was over twenty years old and had started to come apart at the folds, but the features of the Bighorns hadn’t changed much. He spread it out on the forest floor.

Price got close so he could see the map over Joe’s shoulder.

“They know we’ve got to keep heading west,” Joe said softly. He ran the tip of his index finger over the paper. “There are three drainages to the bottom from where we’re at. We’re currently here on the top of the middle one. If we follow it down and nothing stops us, we’ll eventually reach the trailhead.”

“I see.”

“But that’s exactly what they’ll expect us to do. They can move faster on horseback and they’ve got us outmanned and outgunned. It’s just a matter of time before they’re on us, especially considering that track we’ve churned up.”

“Shit,” Price whispered.

“Do you have anything on you?” Joe asked Price. “Your phone or your PLB?”

“No,” Price said. “They made us turn everything over. That big dumb one smashed all of our electronics with the butt of his shotgun.”

Joe nodded. They’d been rendered completely dark. “Do you have anything with you that can help us?”

“My amulet,” Price said, reaching into his collar and displaying a smooth blue stone the size of a robin’s egg mounted on a gold chain. “I got it in Nepal. It’s supposed to ward off evil.”

“When does it start to work?” Joe asked.

Price smiled bitterly and tucked it back beneath his shirt.

---