Tundra Threat. Sarah Varland
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to another village or city where there was a regular trooper post.
She shook her head. This wasn’t where she was supposed to be. Since early in high school, she’d started creating a list of goals for the year every January first. They weren’t just resolutions, they were more specific than that. Like when she’d set a goal to graduate as valedictorian, which she’d eventually accomplished with a perfect GPA and quite a few advanced-placement classes. After she had her yearly goal list, she’d rework her five-year plan to include the current year and write out specific steps she’d need to take to keep herself on track.
This promotion taking her to the middle of nowhere was most definitely not on her five-year plan. Neither was pretending to be some kind of detective when she’d become a trooper, a wildlife trooper to help make sure wildlife in Alaska was managed and treated properly.
McKenna shoved the chair back and stood, frustration building in her. She hated when things didn’t go according to plan.
Knowing there was nothing else she could do today, she shut off the light and let herself outside. Sunset wouldn’t come for several more hours, since even September liked to remind the world that Alaska was the “Land of the Midnight Sun.” McKenna kept herself alert as she walked to her car. She was new in town, with no idea who she should trust. And though the site of the murders had been miles away, Barrow was the closest town to the crime scene. Chances were good either the murderer or the victims had started out in Barrow. Questions terrorized her mind as she thought through the case again. Would the culprit kill again? Who might be the next victim? She had only a theoretical idea of how crimes like this worked. She’d been through regular training at the trooper academy but lacked the experience to back up what she’d learned. Maybe she’d call her brother later. He’d know what to do.
She dismissed the idea as soon as it came to mind. She loved Luke, but he already saw her as his baby sister. Calling him for help would just reinforce the perception that she needed him to take over and decide what was best for her. She’d been trying to break him of that habit since she was about ten years old, begging Luke and his best friend, Will, to take her with them on their adventures, and hearing time and time again that she was too young. No, she’d have to handle this herself. She was an adult.
McKenna climbed in her car, slamming the door shut behind her and jamming her thumb against the lock button with more force than necessary. Hopefully she could solve this case fast and wrap everything up before anyone else ended up hurt.
Or worse.
Chills started at the back of her neck and chased each other down her spine. She was as sure as she’d ever been about anything—someone was watching her. Not just watching. Observing. Studying.
Stalking.
She studied her surroundings. There were too many places someone could be hiding. Under the trailer that made up her office. Or farther away, in another car, behind a building.
It was impossible to know.
But she knew for sure she wasn’t imagining it. Someone had her in his sights. And since she’d never felt this way before, it seemed safe to assume it had something to do with the case today. Someone knew she’d found the bodies. Now they were following her.... Why? To see what she did with that information?
McKenna didn’t know. And she didn’t know what to do about it. Her mind tried to form a coherent prayer, but part of her resisted. She wasn’t in over her head yet. No need to bother God about it now when she could still handle it herself.
She drove away, the uneasiness dissipating with the distance she traveled, confirming further to her that it hadn’t been nerves, but that someone had been very nearby, watching.
Maybe she was closer to over her head than she’d thought.
* * *
Will Harrison shut his locker and blew out a deep breath.
“Rough day, Harrison?” His friend Matt Dixon entered the staff room and gave him a slap on the back as he walked by him.
“You could say that.” The tourists he’d taken out today were hardly competent to hunt wildlife, as they’d paid to do through his employer, Truman Hunting Expeditions. He’d spent the day on edge, cringing every time someone picked up a gun. If it had been up to Will, he would have refunded their money and sent them home, but Rick, his boss, had made it clear that he’d accept whatever clients came their way, take them on a successful hunt and keep them safe.
Some days that seemed like a lot to ask for.
“Want to come over tonight? Lexi’s cooking caribou stew.”
Lexi’s food was some of the best Will had ever tasted. But he shook his head anyway. “Thanks, man, but not tonight. Think I’m just gonna go home and crash.” Maybe look at his bank statements again and see if he had enough yet to open his own guide service. One where sure, he’d have the stress of running his own business, but he wouldn’t have the hassle of taking people he didn’t feel comfortable giving guns to on dangerous hunting trips.
The door opened. “Good day, guys?” Rick Truman asked as he walked in. Matt nodded his answer, Will said nothing. There were some things he and Rick didn’t see eye to eye on, and the clients were one of them. But overall he was a good boss, and besides, Will needed this job. Just until he finished saving money. Then he’d have his own agency, do business his way.
“I have a little bit of bad news. Those raises I promised you guys?” He shook his head. “They won’t kick in quite yet. It may be a few more months.”
Will raised his eyebrows, waiting for more of an explanation.
“Seriously?” Matt shook his head. “Man. I was counting on that so Lexi could stay home when the baby comes.”
Rick’s expression was pinched. “Sorry. You’ve earned it. Both of you. But things are tight. Tighter than I thought they would be.”
Will took in Rick’s camos, which looked as if they’d never been worn, in contrast to his and Matt’s, which had seen more than a few hunting and guiding trips. Maybe Rick had a different definition of “tight” than they did.
Rick sighed. “It’s the economy right now. It’s tough on everyone. But we’ll push through it, take some more trips, come back out on top.” He sounded as if he was reassuring himself as much as them, which made it easier for Will not to hold the lack of raise against him. “You’ll see, guys.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Will finally spoke up. “It’s just money.”
Matt nodded along with him, as did Rick, who cleared his throat and added, “Just money indeed.”
“Listen, I’ve got to head out. I’ll see you both tomorrow.” Will waved on his way out the door.
Barrow Dry Goods was crowded when Will ran in to pick up dinner. Maybe he should have accepted Matt’s invitation. Anything would have been better than eating alone at a two-person table in his kitchen, listening to the silence in the house that screamed of how alone he was.
Nights like this made him miss what he’d had—before the accident had taken Rachael from him.
He fought to push those thoughts away as he headed down the aisle toward the frozen foods. The past was long gone and he knew—he’d heard it often enough—that it was time to move on.
Still, as he surveyed his options and weighed them—frozen pizza versus frozen Chinese food—he couldn’t seem to stop the memories from coming. Marrying right out of college had probably been half-crazy, but they’d been kids in love and unwilling to listen to anyone who thought they knew better. And they had several happy years. At least they were happy for Will. He’d always felt a little like he was holding Rachael back. She’d wanted to explore all of Alaska, take every adventure life had to offer, and he’d just wanted to live life with her. He wasn’t afraid of taking chances, but he didn’t seek them out the way Rachael did. The avalanche that had claimed her life on a wilderness skiing trip had been