“My backpack can only carry so much, and I needed to make room for the solar charger I picked up last week.” My lips curved into a smug grin. “In fact, they’re so darn cool, I grabbed two and mailed one to you. It should be in your mailbox any day now. The manufacturer wasn’t kidding when they called it a pocket-sized power plant. The charger is small enough to fit in your pocket, is water resistant, and can charge two devices at once.”
He let out a low whistle. “Nice find.”
“And get this.” I paused for effect before adding, “There’s even an LED flashlight.”
“That feature could come in handy.” His deep chuckle drifted through the line, making me smile. “Thanks for sending me one. You know how I love my gadgets.”
“It’s not the best battery charger out there, and some of the reviews said the solar charging is more of a gimmick since it takes about four days to get a decent charge,” I warned as I got up and padded across the room to tuck my camera case into my backpack. I’d taken it out last night to get a few shots of the sunset but hadn’t gotten out of bed in time to do the same at daybreak.
“If things go sideways and you’re lost in the wilderness, a few days' wait will be a small price to pay to be able to call me for an evac.”
I nodded, knowing my dad was right. “Which is why I bought the solar charger and brought it with me.”
His voice was gruff as he confirmed, “You’ll text each night and call every three days?”
We’d used the same routine on the past three trips I’d taken, so there wasn’t really any need to ask. “Don’t I always?”
“Only because you don’t want me to haul my ass to whatever remote location you’ve picked, track your ass down at the wrong moment, and ruin your shot.” He laughed, but we both knew he wasn’t joking. He’d take even a single missed check-in seriously...for which I’d be extremely grateful several days later.
My trip started out perfectly.The location I’d picked to make camp was great, surrounded by tall trees that provided extra protection from the elements, and I made it there with just enough time to set up my gear. The next day, I got some great images of a mountain lion with her cubs. Then I found a herd of bighorn sheep the following morning. After that, I wasn’t as successful, and I was considering changing locations. I wasn’t sure what had happened, but it was almost as though something had spooked the wildlife into hiding.
After breakfast, as I made my way down to the little stream I was using for cleaning up, the only animals I spotted were a beaver and a king snake. It wasn’t until I had rinsed off my plate and cup that I heard the unexpected sound of male voices. Crouching low, I peered in the direction the noise was coming from but couldn’t see any sign of people through the dense tree line.
I used my Nikon often, to the point where the camera was almost an extension of my body. It was second nature for me tolift the viewfinder to my eye and zoom in as I scanned the area. As I swung the lens to the right, I saw four men moving in my direction. I was about to call out to them when I spotted the holster strapped to the thigh of the guy leading the group.
Carrying a gun in the wilderness wasn’t suspicious by itself, but a pistol wasn’t what any hunter worth his salt would choose to carry. I almost fell into the stream when I saw the weapons the other men were carrying. Any firepower the first guy lacked was more than made up for by the assault rifles slung over their shoulders. They’d be able to take down a bear at three hundred yards. Maybe even more. Something about them sent off warning bells, and my gut told me to get the heck out of there.
With all the hours I’d spent in the wilderness for photo shoots, I should’ve been able to retreat without making a sound. But my adrenaline rush got the best of me, and I dropped my freaking cup as I stood. One of the men lifted his rifle, probably to use the sight in the same manner I’d used my camera’s viewfinder, and any doubt I had about their intentions was wiped away when he pulled the trigger. If the guy next to him hadn’t yanked on his arm, I probably would’ve been dead. Instead, I found myself running for my life.
I wanted to scream in frustration when I realized they were between me and my campsite. It was a damn good thing I was wearing my hiking boots and coat because I couldn’t go back for any of my supplies. The only thing that kept me going was the knowledge that my dad would make good on his threat to hunt me down if I went missing. I just needed to hide from the men who were chasing me long enough for him to come to the rescue.
3
WHIT
Waking up in my childhood bedroom made me think of a simpler time before I enlisted. Back then, I’d thought I was such hot shit. That nothing could touch me, no matter where the Army sent me. I had been so damn young and dumb back then.
Boot camp had been one hell of a wake-up call, but it was my first deployment that had shown me just how vulnerable I really was. One of the guys in our squad took a bullet and died while we were trying to get him back to base for medical treatment. He’d only been nineteen—same as me. Seeing the light go out of his eyes sure as fuck had taught me that I wasn’t invincible.
As I rolled off the queen-sized mattress and my side protested the movement, I groaned, “Not sure about wiser, but I’m definitely older now.”
After a hot shower loosened my muscles and the over-the-counter pain reliever I swallowed dry kicked in, I felt a fuck of a lot better.
When I padded into the kitchen, I found my mom standing in front of the stove. She was cooking up a storm, with all four burners in use. As I headed over to the coffee pot, whichwas already full, I asked, “Did you invite half the town over for breakfast?”
“Nope.” She flashed me a grin over her shoulder. “Hopefully, you’re hungry. Or else I’m going to have a heck of a lot of leftovers.”
After I poured a cup of coffee, I walked over to get a better look at what she was making. “Bacon and sausage links? You’re going to spoil me.”
“Darn straight.” She flipped the hash browns before cracking three eggs into the only pan that was still empty. “My baby’s home. Of course, I’m going to cook up a storm.”
I chuckled and shook my head as I grabbed a couple of plates from the cabinet. “I’m hardly a baby anymore, Mom. I’ll be thirty-five on my next birthday.”
“I know exactly how old you are.” She pulled the pan with the bacon off the stove and set the pieces onto a paper towel–lined plate. “I was there the day you were born, after all.”
She’d shared the story of my birth with me many times over the years. I didn’t need to hear about how she’d been in labor for more than twenty-four hours again. “Your mom radar is working great. I woke up hungry this morning.”
“Good.” She beamed another smile my way before placing the sausage links next to the bacon. “As much as I love leftovers, they’re just not the same when it’s breakfast food.”
