Page 74 of Adam's Rising

He didn’t care. He was already running.

* * *

Adam didn’t waitfor permission. He threw open the tack room, grabbed the topo maps Clara Mae kept stashed in the filing cabinet, and spread them out over the feed bin.

His hands moved quickly, scanning terrain, tracing trails.

Denali was massive, nearly incomprehensible in its expanse, but he had to start somewhere.

Rusty stepped up beside him, propping a foot on the stepstool and lacing up his boots. “You’ll need more than guts out there, kid.”

“I’ve got guts,” Adam said, “and Bolt.”

Clara Mae leaned in the doorframe. “I’ve already called the authorities.”

Adam didn’t look up. “Walt Wheelan? Like Roger’s dad is going to believe his son’s involved with drugs and a kidnapping.”

“Walt’s a good man,” Clara Mae said. “Son’s friend or not, Walt’ll go by the letter of the law. He’s sending a team, but with budget cuts and red tape, he needs something to go on. I told him you were Samuel Belgarde’s son, so he just said not to let you go off half-cocked.”

Adam rolled up the maps. “Half-cocked is how I’ve gotten through the last two years of my life.”

“Wait!” Peter’s voice cracked as he burst in. He looked terrible, but there was a flicker of fire behind his bloodshot eyes. He knew Claire and his brother had always been close, but there was no time for crying. “I’m coming.”

Adam studied him a moment, then gave a single nod. “You keep up, or you stay behind. No exceptions.”

Rusty tossed Peter a pack. “You’ll need this.”

“Boyd said a cabin,” Adam muttered, mostly to himself. “Could be anywhere between Kantishna and Wonder Lake. Hell, even deeper.”

Clara Mae’s voice cut through. “Adam.”

He looked up.

“We all want Claire back, but don’t get yourself killed.”

He gave a tight smile. “Not planning to die, but I won’t come back without her.”

Clara Mae slid a map into his hands. “This should help.”

“I have the topo map.”

“This is better,” Clara Mae said. “A map of all the abandoned homestead cabins in Denali.”

He hugged her. “Thank you.”

Then they were off.

Three horses. Three riders.

And a trail that would stretch his strength… and break his heart once and for all if he didn’t find Claire.

Somewhere, in the still, cold silence of Denali, she waited.

And Adam would find her.

Whatever it took.

19

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