Page 43 of Maddox: Wild Alaska
The conversation ends just as the radio crackles to life. "Sheriff," Hunter says. "We've found a body.” Pause. "Come to our location. Call in Janice and the team. Over."
"Fuck," Branson curses before replying, "Copy that. Over."
"I want you and Kalluk to head back to the truck.” He turns to the agent and asks, "Can you make the call to Janice and get her moving?"
"Will do." Kalluk dabs at a deep gash on his hand before fastening a bandage around it.
"You both need to get those cuts taken care of, especially you." Branson nods at Kalluk, then at me and adds, "You look rough. Drop Kalluk off at the medical center, then go home and see your girlfriend. We're going to be overflowing with people soon. We've got it. Thanks, bro."
Relieved that he's dismissing me, I nod, yet I hesitate to leave him. "What about Olly's family?"
He sighs. "Unfortunately, they will have heard the radio."
I wince, feeling incredibly sorry for the family. I rub my forehead and hold my brother's gaze. "Call if you need me."
Branson gives me a tired nod.
Sheridan hands me more gauze and a bandage, and I wrap Kalluk's hand as well as I can. "That should hold."
"The rockslide was man's fault," he says. "What I don't understand is what the bastard gained from that. Nothing, as far as I can see. Not when he left Olly elsewhere for us to find.”
“Unless we were getting close to where he was keeping the women.”
Upon hearing this, Kalluk stares in my direction, and I get an uneasy feeling. The man smiles. "Branson said there's another way around the path we took. It's worth a look while we're here." He heads off in the direction that Branson and Sheridan went, but then he stops and looks embarrassed. "After you."
I snort. "We need to get to the trucks. You make the call to Janice, and I’ll drive you to the hospital."
Cursing, Kalluk trudges behind me.
"I takeit you're not going back to the B&B?" I ask Kalluk. He just had eight stitches and was told to clean up before applying the thick dressing to his hand.
He winces. "I'd rather be on scene with Sheridan, but I know your brother has her back." He follows me out of the emergency room. "I'll drive the SUV up the mountain once I've cleaned up."
"I'm desperate for a shower. I stink."
Kalluk huffs out a laugh. "Then I'm in good company."
We stay silent until I drive past the sheriff's station, where my eyes linger.
"Has your woman finished up?" Kalluk asks.
"She has." I glance at Kalluk, then return my gaze to the road. "Sofie. It's her friend Judean who works there." I chuckle. "Today was her first day."
“The sheriff mentioned.”
I pull up beside the feds' ride and wait for him to exit, but he sits, contemplating. "Talk to your brother." His eyes meet mine. "He lied to us. It doesn't look good for him." He climbs out and heads inside.
Gabriel is a jerk for lying to the feds. If he was going to do that, he could have at least prepared a convincing lie.
On the drive back to the lodge, my heart lightens at the thought of seeing Sofie. But at that thought, a wave of sadness washes over me, knowing Olivia Denver is dead. The poor girl. She had her whole life ahead of her. Like Andrea and the others.
Tired and smelling of sweat, I wince as I exit my truck. I glance at my cabin, and there she is: Sofie is standing on the small front porch, watching me with a sense of relief. I walk closer and hold up my hand to keep her away. "I stink."
She smirks and rolls her eyes. "You're not getting in the shower until you kiss me hello."
My face splits into a smile as I approach her and kiss her on the cheek. "Seeing you here does something to me. Waiting for me."
"I love being here," she whispers, going up on her tip toes and pressing her lips to mine. "Get in the shower. You have two minutes to soak before I join you."
