Page 44 of Gunn's Mission

She let go and moved to the other side of Perry’s head.

“What do you want to tell me?” Maddie asked, tears in her voice.

“It was me… All me…” His eyes closed, then fluttered weakly open. “I killed Mateo. Needed money. No grants left…”

“Who gave you the money?” Gunn asked.

Perry’s eyelids drifted closed again. “All me… Cards… Fucking sub. Who gives a shit?”

“Who?” Gunn asked. “Who paid you?”

Perry’s gaze focused for a second on Gunn, then went to Em. “Always loved…you.”

“Perry…” Em sobbed, then leaned down to kiss his cheek and whisper in his ear.

Perry’s chest deflated on a last wheezing breath. Then he went still.

Nate pulled off his glove and slid his hand beneath Perry’s neck cover. “He’s gone.”

Gunn gripped Maddie’s elbow and helped her stand. Nate went to Em and lifted her by the waist. “Go to your snowmobile,” he said.

Em was still crying as she walked slowly toward her machine.

“We’ll need the sled at the other site,” Nate said to Gunn and Maddie.

Maddie sniffed and then squared her shoulders and turned to Nate. “Take Em with you and leave her with Eric. I’ll stay with Gunn until you get back with the sled. We’ll worry about Perry’s snowmobile and the drill later. We might have to get them tomorrow if the weather holds out.” Her breath gusted on a sob. “Shit, I can’t turn off my brain. Perry’s dead, and I’m fucking worried about the equipment…”

“You should go with Nate,” Gunn said, “and get the others back to the facility.”

She shook her head. “I’ll stay with you in case that bear comes back. We don’t know how badly it’s injured. If he’s still looking for a meal, he knows where he’ll find one.”

“I’ll be as fast as I can,” Nate said, then left.

When Nate and Em were driving away, Gunn reached out and drew Maddie against his chest. “You have to stop crying, baby.”

“I know. Eyes freezing.” She gave a sad laugh, and Gunn pushed her face inside his hood to provide her with some added warmth.

“It could be days before Polardyne can get back out here,” she said. “If he’d been injured, and we’d been able to get him back to camp…”

“If his injuries hadn’t been as terrible as they were, Nate could’ve done a lot. The way Perry was…his injuries…I don’t think he would’ve made it if we’d been in the middle of a city. He just lost too much blood. I’ve seen it happen too many times. He didn’t stand a chance.”

“I can’t believe it was Perry,” she whispered.

Gunn’s jaw tightened. “I can’t either.”

CHAPTER14

Maddie madethe call to Polardyne with Gunn sitting beside her in the kitchen. One of their scientists being attacked and killed by a polar bear was horrifying enough, but when she’d relayed Perry’s confession, Clive Patton had gone silent. “It was Perry?” he asked. “For money? We just offered him and his partner another contract here on the mainland.”

“That’s what he said. Maybe he made the deal before you contracted. I don’t know,” Maddie said. “It’s hard for me to believe as well.”

“How’s his partner taking it?”

Maddie shook her head. “She’s inconsolable. She’s lost her boyfriend and her partner.”

“Perry and Emily were doing good work. Important work. It’s a damn shame.” He cleared his throat. “I had just scheduled a meeting with the board for tomorrow to discuss whether we should close the facility early because I was concerned for your safety after Mateo’s murder. I think, given that Perry has resolved that issue, I should offer you some input regarding that decision. Do you want to talk to your people? I would completely understand if they all want to come home. Morale is hard enough to sustain in that kind of isolation. To have lost two of your crew… Well, I’d like your input before we make a final decision.”

Maddie swallowed. She didn’t know how they’d feel. She didn’t know how she felt—other than numb. “I’ll speak with them and let you know.”

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