Stared at the flickering fire in the hearth.
No. No way could he wait all night—
He headed toward Sully’s room for socks.
“AL7BRP, this is AL7SKY, over.” The sound came from the handheld, and he turned and hustled to the office, picked up the ham.
“AL7SKY, this is AL7BRP. I received your call. What’s up?”
“Echo and I took a look at the weather. There’s a higher pressure system over the area right now. It’s clearing the clouds in your area. I can make it, if we hurry. I’m on my way.”
Dawson sank into the chair. “Thank you.”
A female voice came on the line. Echo. “Button up—it’s goingto get cold, Dawson. I’ll call Deke and let the sheriff’s office know what’s going on. These Sorros brothers are bad news.”
“Yeah. I’m not sure how they found us.”
“If they’re working with the local militia group that was shut down last summer, there were camps located all over this area. Drug manufacturing and trafficking, as well as human trafficking. Heavily armed. I’ve run into them a few times, accidentally, when I’ve been out mushing, or tracking for the forest service. And summer wildfire teams have bumped into them too. There could still be some groups operating. If she really was taken by the Sorros brothers, then you’ll need more than you to find her.”
Caspian had again come over, settled his muzzle on his lap. Whined, as if in solidarity. Again, he put his hand on the dog’s head, more for himself, maybe.
He drew in a breath, then, “Can you call Flynn?”
“She’s already in Copper Mountain. Drove up a couple days ago to be with her sister, according to my mom.”
Echo’s mom, the OB-GYN. “How’s Kennedy?”
“She had an ectopic pregnancy. Lost a lot of blood and, of course, had emergency surgery.”
That accounted for the blood.
“If Sully hadn’t gotten her out in time, she would have died. She’s still in critical condition, I think.”
He could call himself a jerk for still wanting to call Flynn and ask for help. “What about London?” He hadn’t seen the Air One Rescue chopper pilot slash former spy recently, but—
“I think she’s still in Anchorage, with Shep.”
Seemed right that Moose would have someone on duty at HQ while he was stranded in Copper Mountain.
Dawson needed a team. Deke, yes, but he worked with a skeleton crew of youngsters—
What about Vic?The question simply flashed into his brain, bold and scorching.
Vic had been a cop, in seedy underworld Chicago. And he didn’t need to betray Keely to ask for Vic’s help.
“Dawson.” Echo’s voice broke through the static again. “Whywas she taken by the Sorros brothers? Like you said, if they wanted to eliminate her, then why not kill her?”
Maybe it was just the ham static, making her words brutal. But the question slid in between his ribs, turned. Stole his breath.
“They need her.” His gut gave the answer, but it seeded in his bones, felt right. “For some reason, they need her.”
“For what?”
He shook his head. “Ransom? She’s...” And that had to be it. “She’s pretty wealthy.”
A beat. Then, “Who is this girl?”
Aw, he didn’t want to give her away, but if he had any hope of getting her back, then all options needed a good scrutiny. “Have you ever heard of Bliss?”
