Page 85 of Guess Again
“I have to head into town for supplies,” Ethan said. “We came up unexpectedly and didn’t have time to make our usual run before we left. We’re going to need some food and water, especially if the storm prevents us from leaving the cabin tomorrow.”
Kai looked to the sky. “You’d better hurry.”
“I’ll go now. Do you mind keeping an eye on the cabin and Maddie, in case she needs something? She can take care of herself, but she’s still pretty rattled.”
“Of course. I’ll be right around the corner.”
Kai’s home sat on a bluff above Ethan’s cabin. Tall lodgepole pines formed a barrier of privacy, but Ethan knew the foliage had never been much competition to Kai’s vision and awareness.
“Thanks,” Ethan said as lightning blinked far off on the horizon.
CHAPTER 89
Lake Morikawa, Wisconsin Tuesday, August 5, 2025
“SURE YOU DON’T WANT TO COME WITH?” ETHAN ASKED AS HEstood at the front door of the cabin.
“I’m exhausted,” Maddie said.
“I bet. I’ll be back in an hour. Any special orders?”
“Wine. A cold sauvignon blanc so that I can sleep tonight.”
“Done.”
Ethan kissed her.
“You’ve got your Glock?”
Maddie nodded. “In my duffle upstairs.”
“Keep it close. It’ll make me feel better.”
“We came up here so I wouldn’t have to use it.”
“Humor me?”
“I’ll grab it. Hurry back.”
Another kiss and he was gone.
Maddie watched Ethan climb into the old model Ford Bronco he kept at the cabin and drive off into the night. The wind howled and for the first time in weeks, as she closed the front door she felt a hint of coolness in the air. The relentless heat wave was coming to an end.
She locked the front door and headed up the stairs to the bedroom, where her duffle bag sat on the bed. She unzipped the top and removed her Glock 45 from the inside pocket, carrying it back downstairs. The windows blinked with a flash of lightning, and a crack of thunder followed. The wind whistled through the windowpanes of the old cabin just as she heard the first drops of rain on the rooftop. Five minutes later there was a steady downpour. Ten minutes after that, the trees down by the lake were bent to the east and fighting against an angry wind that had brought the rain.
Maddie moved from the window and settled into the couch. She clicked on the television and tuned to local news out of Duluth, hoping for a weather report. Her Glock sat on the end table.
CHAPTER 90
Lake Morikawa, Wisconsin Tuesday, August 5, 2025
ETHAN PULLED THEBRONCO ONTO THE MAIN HIGHWAY FOR THEfifteen-minute ride into town. The rain came from nowhere and fell in sheets, his wipers barely able to keep up.
“Damn,” he said as he squinted through the windshield.
The pines that flanked the highway were bent against the wind, and he considered turning back. But it had been two months since he’d been up to the cabin, and the refrigerator and pantry were empty. He at least needed water and dinner for the night.
He tried the high beams but they lighted the falling rain and made visibility worse, so Ethan switched on his fog lights to help navigate the road. Headlights appeared in the distance. He was used to an empty road when he ventured into town and was surprised to see someone else braving the elements. He slowed the Bronco as the oncoming vehicle sped past, barely able to make out that it was a Range Rover.
