Tank couldn’t let go of his daughter. She smelled of dirt and dust, but he’d never inhaled a sweeter scent. She held him just as tightly. He opened his other arm and pulled Haley into the circle, then Libby and Joy joined them as well. His family. He’d almost lost them.
Brooke pulled away. “Daddy, you’re squeezing me.”
“Sorry, baby.” He released her, and she wiggled to be let down. “Go play with Samson.”
“He and Oscar found me,” she said. “And Haley.”
“Go thank them.” He patted her on the bottom, and she ran off to squat beside Oscar and pull him onto her lap.
“I can never begin to thank you,” he said, squeezing Haley around the waist.
“You already did.” Her eyes were luminous. “I had to go in there, Tank. I had to face my fears. And I found God was waiting in the darkness.”
“Oh Haley, that’s wonderful!” Libby embraced her. Joy gave her a shy hug as well.
“I discovered something out here waiting too,” Tank said. “I’d trusted in my own strength about so many things. I realized God delights in using the weak and fearful.”
Haley poked him in the ribs. “Are you calling me a weakling?”
Her grin told him she wasn’t offended. “The people who are the strongest are those who know they can’t do anything on their own. You showed your true strength today.” He wished he could kiss her right here in front of everyone, but he didn’t want to embarrass her. They had a lot to discuss.
“I’m ready to go home,” Libby said, yawning hugely. “I don’t think I slept at all last night.”
“I don’t think any of us did.” Tank turned with his arm still around Haley. “Let’s go home.”
The group walked back to the planes. Chet had his daughter in custody, and Tank knew it wasn’t easy for him. Marley’s face was set in a sullen scowl. She didn’t seem to care that she’d nearly gotten them all killed. They all piled into planes and took off for Stalwart. Chet let a trooper from Anchorage take Marley on to the bigger city. He could barely look at her before returning to pilot the plane Tank and Haley rode in. Libby sat in the front with Chet, and Brooke sat on Tank’s lap. Joy rode with Augusta in another plane.
Tank could see the side of Chet’s face. It looked set and pale. Poor guy. It had to be hard to discover his daughter had nearly killed his granddaughter. The next few months wouldn’t be pleasant for Chet.
Tank scooted over beside Haley, and she leaned her head against him and sighed. “I’ve never been so tired in my life.” She pulled her backpack out of the way, then unzipped it. “Want your canteen back?” she asked, raising her voice above the roar of the plane’s engines.
“Sure.” She pulled it out and handed it to Tank. She frowned, then pulled out the plastic bag of pictures and showed them to him. “I forgot about these.” Oscar jumped onto her lap, and she adjusted him so she could see.
“Let’s have a look,” he murmured in her ear. He settled Brooke against his right shoulder, then took a pack of photos and began to flip through them.
He stopped at the final picture. Two men stood in the moonlight. The fast film had caught both faces. “That’s Joe Wooten,” he whispered, showing Haley the picture.
Haley’s eyes widened. “And Chet’s holding a gun on him.”
“When did you take this?”
“The night we arrived,” she murmured in his ear.
Tank laid the pictures on his leg. “Any more?”
She shook her head.
“This was just two days before we found Joe,” Tank said. “This makes no sense. Why would he arrest Joe and not say anything about it?”
“Is it my imagination, or are we losing altitude?” she whispered in his ear.
His head swiveled. “You’re right.” He leaned over the front seat. “Hey, Chet, what’s wrong? It feels like were going down.”
“Something’s wrong with the engine. I’m going to have to land her.”
There was something in his voice Tank didn’t like. A hint of grim determination. He exchanged glances with Haley.
“I think we’re in trouble,” she whispered. “He saw me take that picture of him. He must be the one trying to get it back. He knows we’re back here looking at them.”
“My rifle is behind the seat,” Tank said in her ear. “I’ll try to get to it when we stop.”
The plane dipped lower, then settled on top of a lake. Chet cut the engines, then pulled his gun. “Don’t go for your rifle, Tank. I’m sorry it’s come to this. Everybody out.” He opened his door, then yanked open Haley’s door and motioned for her to get down. He grabbed a plastic bag by his feet.
Libby was sleeping, but she jerked awake. “What’s going on?” she asked, rubbing her eyes. Her gaze went to the gun in Chet’s hand.
“Get out of the plane, Libby,” Chet snapped. “Tank, put Brooke on the seat.”
“She’s your own flesh and blood, Chet. You can’t want to hurt her.” He’d jump Chet if he had to, gun or no gun. He wasn’t going to meekly let him kill them all.
“I’m not going to. Let her sleep on the seat. This won’t take long.” He gestured with the gun again. “Don’t make me shoot you in front of her.”
Tank laid her down on the seat and pressed a kiss on her forehead. She murmured but didn’t awaken. He climbed down from the plane to join the women. The cold water took his breath away and came nearly to his thighs. Haley and Libby were on shore, but Chet stood close by to make sure Tank did as he was told. Tank slogged through the water. He heard a splash behind him and looked back to see Oscar swimming toward them.
“You tried to get the pictures before we found them, didn’t you?” Haley asked. She picked up her wet dog.
“I never wanted to hurt anyone.” Chet pulled out handcuffs and cuffed Tank. “I don’t think the women will give me too much trouble.”
Tank’s mind raced, trying to make sense of it. Nothing clicked into place. He couldn’t get his mind around the fact that his own father-in-law would want to kill him. And Libby and Haley. Why?
“Joe Wooten was helping my mother smuggle artifacts from the dig, wasn’t he?” Haley asked, her voice neutral. “And you looked the other way. Or were you on the take too?” She stopped.
“Move,” Chet ordered. He gestured with the gun, and the small troop walked toward the woods.
It clicked into place for Tank. “Did Leigh see you and Joe hauling out artifacts? You killed your own daughter?”
“I loved my daughter!” Chet said, raising his voice. “I wouldn’t hurt a hair on her head. But Joe . . .” he broke off.
Tank’s mind raced. “She came to you, didn’t she? Leigh told you what she’d seen Joe doing.” He stopped. “She saw Joe set fire to the Walsh house, didn’t she? She was so upset the night after the fire. She changed then too, grew quieter and more discontented. I thought it was the fire. She didn’t know how to handle it. You told Joe, and he killed her, didn’t he? Did he drug her so she couldn’t swim?” He wasn’t sure if any of this was right, but when Chet’s face changed, he knew he’d hit paydirt.
“He killed my baby girl. He had to die for that. I didn’t know it, not at first. When you asked me about the pills you found at the house, I knew then that he’d drugged her. She would have had no reason to have her mother’s sleeping pills.” Chet shrugged. “When I confronted him that night, he admitted it. He wrote a fake prescription for you, Tank, to cover himself. He was afraid she was going to turn us in. I told him I’d handle her, but he took it into his own hands. She saw me set fire to the cabin, but she would never have turned me in. I hated that she had to see that. It hurt me to see her cry.” He wiped his eyes on his sleeve, but his gun never wavered.
“You killed my parents?” Haley asked, her voice quiet and strained. “Wait, you’re the man my father was blackmailing, right? What did he have on you?”
“I think I know,” Tank said slowly. “You killed Queenie, didn’t you? It always seemed odd she would have a heart atta
ck and drown in the bathtub. She’d never had any heart trouble.”
Chet scowled. “You think you’re clever, don’t you?
Queenie was going to leave me. I couldn’t let that happen.”
“My father saw you?”
Chet’s nod was reluctant. “He stopped by the house to talk about the next shipment of artifacts. He saw us through the bathroom window. It was fine at first, but then he got greedy. He wanted more and more of the take. Joe said he’d take care of it.”
“There’s no need to kill us. It’s going to come out, Chet.”
“How?” He grinned, a humorless grimace. “I’m the law in these parts. I’m not going down.” Chet sighed and rubbed his forehead. “You were like a son to me, Tank. Why did you have to get involved in this?” He held out his hand. “I’ll take those pictures now, Haley.
The negatives too.”
She handed them over. “What are you going to do to us?”
“Why, nothing.” Chet glanced around. “The predatory bear should be around here somewhere. This is near where Kipp was killed. He should take care of all of you.” He opened the plastic bag and upended the contents on the ground. Reeking garbage: old hamburger and french fries, a half-eaten bag of potato chips, and donuts.
Libby stared at him. “I don’t know you, Chet,” she said in a stunned voice.
“Sorry, Libby. I hate this more than you know.”
“I hope there’s a lot of money in those artifacts that makes it worth this,” Tank said.
“Oh there is,” Chet assured him. “I have a collector who will buy the whole lot for two million dollars. I don’t have to share it now either. I’ll go back to Stalwart with the story of how the plane went down, and how we were attacked by the bear. We camped out, and the bear ravaged the camp. Only Brooke and I escaped alive. If I’m lucky, there won’t be much found of your bodies.”
Tank had to figure out a way to get free. He strained at the cuffs, but even his muscles couldn’t move the steel that encased his wrists. He sent a pleading look toward Haley and Libby.
Something crashed in the trees, and Haley jumped. Her face went white. She looked around for a weapon. All Haley had was her walking stick. That would do little to deter a bear bent on finding its next meal.
Chet began to back away. “I think I’ll watch from the safety of the plane. Besides, I want to make sure Brooke doesn’t see it.”
The crashing came again, then a grunt Tank recognized as a bear’s. Adrenaline surged. He couldn’t die here, not like this. He sent a prayer up for help.
The brush parted, and a big brown bear wandered out. Tank recognized the jagged ear with a feeling of despair. “Move away slowly,” he told the girls. “See if you can find a tree, or back into the water.” Browns liked water, but maybe this big guy would back off. Looking at the gaunt animal, he knew his hope for the foolishness it was. This bear was desperate, the most dangerous kind.
The bear dropped to all fours and popped its jaws. It huffed and laid back its ears. “Get ready,” Tank said. “It’s about to charge.” He backed away slowly. “Cluster around me so we look bigger to it.” The women moved to either side of him. Oscar began to bark ferociously.
Chet still stood behind the women and had not yet made the safety of the plane. Tank knew the trooper was afraid to move quickly for fear of inviting an attack. Bears sensed weakness as well as they did carrion.
“Do you have your bear spray?” he asked Haley.
“I took it off when I went into the mine,” she whispered. Terror made her voice tremble.
The bear popped its jaws again and charged. “Don’t run, it might be a test charge,” Tank said urgently. Then he saw the way the bear looked directly at them. This was one bruin that wasn’t going to veer away. “Run!” he shouted. He wheeled and shoved Libby and Haley with his chest. He expected to feel claws shredding his back at any moment. He spared a glance over his shoulder and saw another bear charge from the brush. It ran directly at the predatory bear. Miki!
Tank wanted to cheer, but instead he turned and raced toward the plane with the women. If one of them could get to his rifle, they might pull this out yet.
Zing! A bullet buzzed by his head. He ducked and dived into the water and moved around the tail wing of the plane. The women moved around the nose and joined him. “Get my gun. It’s behind the seat.”
Libby nodded and clambered into the plane. She slid feet first back into the water with the rifle in her hand. “Is it loaded with shot or drugs?”
“Drugs. But they’ll drop a man even quicker than they will a bear.” He peered out the end of the plane and saw Chet approaching. “Don’t miss your first shot, Libby,” he said.
“I won’t.” She took aim and pressed the trigger. A dart popped from the rifle and dug into Chet’s thigh.
He swore and grabbed at it. Chet was trying to move through the water, but his motions slowed. He listed to one side, then crashed to the water. Behind him, the battle of the bears continued. Miki was smaller, but better fed and stronger.
“Get him before he drowns,” Tank said. “And get the key to these cuffs. I need to help Miki.”
Haley ran forward and managed to flip Chet over onto his back. She supported his head above the water. Libby laid the gun on the floor of the plane and ran to help her.
She fished out the key and handed it to Haley. “Get Tank unlocked. I’ll hold up Chet.”
Haley took the key and rushed to Tank. He turned so his hands faced her, and she unlocked the cuffs. Once free, he grabbed the rifle and ran to the shore. Oscar was going nuts—running in circles, he was barking like they were in a circus act and he was giving them orders. “Call your dog,” he yelled back to Haley. He didn’t want the dachshund to get hurt.
The bears’ ferocity was enough to frighten the most stoic man. He tried to aim at the big bear, but Miki kept getting in the way. With a last growl, Miki lunged, and the predator turned tail and ran. Tank aimed a dart into its disappearing flank, and the shot traveled true. The bear disappeared from sight, but he knew he’d find the bear a few feet into the forest.
Miki and Oscar sniffed noses, and then Miki ambled off into the forest. Tank cautiously followed. “I’ve got to secure the bear while I can,” he said. “You two get back in the plane and radio in for help. Call Anchorage and get some troopers out here.”
Haley hesitated. “Don’t go alone, Tank.”
He turned back to her and took her in his arms. “I’ll be okay, Haley. And we have a lot to talk about.” He kissed her quickly, then hurried after the bears. When he reached the forest, he moved cautiously. The old bear was a large mound of reddish brown fur. The drugs had taken it down. He knelt and checked the animal. Dead. The battle with Miki combined with the drugs and its poor condition had finished it off. A kinder end than Chet had planned for them.
Twenty-Eight
Stalwart buzzed with the news of Trooper Chet Gillespie and his daughter both being taken into custody. Within hours, troopers from Anchorage arrived and began hauling out crates of artifacts from the dig. The Walshes’ bodies were going to be exhumed for autopsy. All the tentacles of the plot would be exposed.
Bixby wandered around the scene barking orders. He stopped Tank when no one was looking. “Looks like I owe you an apology,” he said gruffly. He looked at the ground, and his cheeks were flushed. He finally looked up. “I’m never going to like you, Lassiter.”
“I know. But regardless of what you think, I loved Leigh.”
“Not enough to give up anything for her.”
“I thought you said you owed me an apology. This hardly sounds like one.”
Bixby’s face reddened. “You like rubbing it in, don’t you? You like making me look like a fool. Don’t think I don’t know people are snickering at me. But at least I cared enough about Leigh to try to find out the truth.”
“Yeah, you cared about her. And I can thank you for that.”
Bixby regarded him with a suspicious tilt to his
eyebrows. “Are you making fun of me?”
“Nope.” Tank thrust his hands in his pockets. “I’d better let you get back to work.” A soft answer might turn away wrath, but it was hard to do when he wanted to tell Bixby what he really thought. A small part of him wondered if the trooper was right.
Haley sat in Tank’s cabin and looked out the window into the yard. Oscar was curled up on top of Miki’s back. She grabbed her camera and stepped to the door. Easing it open, she snapped some pictures, then went back to her seat at the table. Libby handed her a cup of coffee, and she took it with an absentminded nod.
Libby sat in the chair beside her. “You seem deep in thought. Are you okay?”
“I guess.”
“Want to talk about it?”
Now might be a good time. The film team had gone off to produce a TV special of the last days of bear activist Kipp Nowak, Augusta had flown to Anchorage with Joy to buy the girl some new clothes, and Brooke was down for a nap. This time, nothing could keep the girl awake. Haley could use some woman-to-woman advice before Tank came back from town. “Tank told me he loved me. Do you think he means it?”
A smile began to play around Libby’s mouth. “I knew it,” she said with a triumphant clench of her fist. “Why on earth would you even doubt it?”
“He told me during an emotionally charged moment. I thought he might be reacting that way because of Brooke’s disappearance.” She ran her hand over the blue-and-white gingham tablecloth to avoid looking at Libby.
“Tank doesn’t say things he doesn’t mean. Have you two talked since?”
Haley shook her head. “There’s been no time. He had to document the kill and turn over the carcass to the State, give a statement to the troopers. It’s just as well. I don’t know what to do.” She raised her gaze and directed it at Libby. “I love him, but I don’t know if I can live here, Libby.”
“I thought you got over your fear when you went into the mine.”
“I did, but I’m still a city girl.” She pulled on her shirt. “Rebecca Beeson silk tees. Joe’s jeans. I love shopping and dining out. I like going to plays and museums.