Page 76 of Thunder Pass

For as long as there had been settlers in Firelight Ridge, there had been gold prospectors. Goldpan Creek was a popular spot for finding nuggets. After the copper mine had closed, many of the locals had turned to gold-panning. Pinky Bannister, for one, was still living off the proceeds of a thumb-sized gold nugget he’d discovered.

There had even been rumors and legends about a large deposit of gold in the mountains somewhere nearby, but no one had ever found such a thing. Gunnar had always figured it was just wishful thinking, or a publicity stunt to get more people to visit Firelight Ridge. If one was discovered in Thunder Pass, it would belong to the U.S. Government, since all that land was part of the National Park system.

Or was it?

He flashed on the 3D maps that Ben Whistler had shown them in Anchorage. One of those newly created plats edged into Thunder Pass. If mineral rights were included, then the gold would belong to the property owner. Chilkoot LLC. Maybe that was Luke Chilkoot, or maybe this Dmitri person—or both. Or someone else entirely who was staying in the background pulling strings.

A terrible thought crossed his mind then—what if his father was involved? He’s closer than you think, Kelly had said. Gunnar was pretty sure his father had broken into his office, though he’d never had the chance to confirm that with Pinky. And the gunfire at Martha’s place—his gut told him that his father had shot whoever was shooting at him and Ruth.

That database…maybe he too was looking for gold, and the entries were a way to keep track of his explorations? That was the only thing that really made sense so far.

Dad, where are you? What are you up to? What are we in the middle of? Will I ever see you again?

Finally, he fell asleep, only to wake up at first light when Ruth sat up and stretched, rolling her neck to get the kinks out. Her hair was coming loose from its braid, her gray eyes still misty from sleep. She was so beautiful that his heart hurt.

She dug through her backpack and brought out some granola that she’d grabbed at Martha’s place. They ate from their cupped hands, washing it down with gulps of water.

“How much of this stuff did you bring?” he asked hopefully.

“Probably not enough, but don’t worry. We won’t starve. There’s lots of late-season berries just now ripening. I’m pretty good at making snares for rabbits. I brought a lighter and a knife. I know how to survive in the wilderness, at least for a couple of days. And as long as it doesn’t get too cold,” she added with a shiver, wrapping the blanket around her shoulders.

“It’s September in the mountains. We need to be prepared for anything. I’ll pack this blanket too, and I have an emergency kit somewhere in this truck.”

“See that?” She gave him a radiant smile. “We’re two kids from Firelight Ridge. Don’t mess with us.”

They left the truck where it was, tucked into the woods, out of sight from the road. Just in case, they smeared it with mud and covered it with leaf debris. He even took the license plate off and hid it under a nearby rock. Any Firelight Ridge resident would still recognize it, but the out-of-town militia members wouldn’t. If they found his truck, it would look like just another abandoned Firelight Ridge vehicle.

They repacked their supplies into two backpacks, the one Ruth had grabbed from Martha’s place, and a pack where Gunnar kept his emergency kit. His father had taught him that, he remembered. Always be prepared for bad weather. This is Alaska. First Aid kit, water, a backpack in case you have to walk, some basic survival supplies. A hatchet to cut wood. Lighter.

Thank you, Dad, he thought. Now what the fuck is going on, and why didn’t you give me just a little bit more information?

They set out at a steady, slowish pace, knowing that the first part of the hike would be all uphill. Pretty soon, they’d worked up enough of a sweat that they stopped and took off a layer of clothing. Ruth tied her hair back away from her face with a bandanna. A stray lock escaped, and he tucked it under the cloth for her. When she looked up at him with a grateful smile, his heart ached with so much tenderness that it nearly burst. Such a small gesture, and yet it seemed to mean so much to her.

He hovered his mouth over hers, and she rose on tiptoe to kiss him. Another intense wave of emotion swept over him, hotter and needier this time. He linked his arms around her and pulled her close, and they fell into such a deep kiss that he lost track of the where and the when.

This was it, he knew suddenly. Him and Ruth. For good. Together, from now on.

“I love you,” he said soberly. Her gray eyes widened as she scanned his face. He repeated it. “I love you. I’ve never said that to anyone before, not a woman, anyway. So you know it’s a pretty serious situation when I’m saying it to you.”

“I love you, too,” she whispered. The breeze played with the ends of her hair, brilliant red in the morning sun. “I was afraid to say it because of last time.”

“I don’t want you to ever be afraid of saying something to me. I love every part of you, understand?” He cupped his hand around her face, noticing tiny golden freckles on her cheekbones that he hadn’t seen before. How had he missed those? There was still so much to discover about Ruth. He looked forward to every moment of that journey.

A frown drew her eyebrows together. “Are you saying this now because you think we might not survive this?”

Maybe, he thought. But he didn’t want her to be more scared than she already was. He grinned widely. “I’m saying it now because it’s true now. Also I’m wondering if our kids would have freckles like yours.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “And now you’re trying to distract me by talking about kids. You’re worried, aren’t you? Don’t lie to me.”

“I’m not lying?—”

“Or hide things. I don’t ever want anything hidden from me, do you understand? That’s what my whole life was like before now. I won’t go back to that.” Her voice rose, and he glanced around in alarm to make sure they actually were alone on this little outcropping in the middle of the Wrangells.

“I’m sorry. I get it, and I won’t hide anything. I was just trying to keep your spirits up. Of course I’m worried. We’re walking into an unknown situation involving armed men and we have no weapons besides an extremely dull hatchet.”

“I have a knife, too. A Bowie knife.”

“Two weapons, then. Still, it’d be stupid not to be scared.”

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