EDGE (16 page)

“Woke me up too.”

“No more heading out to the seals. Stick to the puffins and otters. In fact, don’t even leave the cove. “

Mel thought better of informing Linnet that she’d seen orcas hunting in the cove too. “Okay.”

Linnet stood and held up her hand. “Warning. I’m going to get mushy, here.” She faced Mel, her eyes swimming with moisture. “I love you. You’re my family. I have a feeling that these incidents are adding up to something bad, and I can’t shake it. Be damned careful out there, okay?”

Hell’s bells. A lump appeared in her throat and Mel had to swallow in order to speak. “Okay,” she repeated.

Linnet patted Mel’s shoulders. “Good. And no more baptisms. We’re done with being converted or whatever the hell Sergei was talking about.” She walked toward the door and said over her shoulder, “Open the damn curtains. It’s as dark as a grave in here.”

C
HAPTER
T
EN

Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.

~2 THESSALONIANS 1:9

Cache joined Garrett outside on the deck. The lodge had been empty all day with just Nicole, her daughter Emily, and Linnet in residence. He hadn’t liked staying behind with the women as the group went glacier hiking. He’d wanted to be with them. It had left him in a bad mood, which he’d tried to dispel by taking pictures and writing in his journal, but all that had come out was drivel. He doubted any of the pictures he’d taken today would be worth the time to download.

All in all, the day had been a waste. He wanted to take it out on someone, and since Mel wasn’t there to assuage the beast within, he’d decided—when he saw Garrett hanging around—that he’d make a good target.

“Garrett,” Cache acknowledged, when he walked out of the lodge onto the suntanned deck.

“How’s the leg?” Garrett greeted.

“Fine,” Cache said. He’d noticed strength returning since coming to Alaska. A bit more agile every day despite the pain after the kayaking trip.

“Mel tells me you were hurt in the Middle East,” Garrett said. “Spent some time there myself.”

“Yeah?”

Garrett looked to the cove. “Retired military.”

“What branch?”

“Navy SEALs.”

Well, that
sealed
it. A Navy SEAL knew how to kill a man a hundred different ways with just his hands.

“Want to tell me what that was about yesterday?” Garrett asked.

He grimaced. “I could have said it better with more tact.”

“What’s your game?” Garrett leaned against the deck railing, looking relaxed and not threatened by Cache. “You’ll only be here another, what? Ten days or so?” Garrett asked. “Ten days doesn’t make a lasting relationship. I won’t see Mel hurt or used. I did some checking and couldn’t find anything on a Cache Cruise.” Garrett anchored Cache with eyes that had visited hell and returned with souvenirs.

“I’m known more by C.S. Calder.”

Garrett took in the camera around his neck, straightening as recognition dawned. “Now, that name I know. Nice work covering that incident in Afghanistan. I’ll never forget those pictures of the children.” There was a long pause and then Garrett continued, “I can guess, but tell me why you’re really here.”

“To do a follow-up story on Mel.”

Garrett’s brows dug a trench in his forehead. “Did she agree to this?”

“She will.”

Those brows channeled deeper. “She has no clue who you are, does she?” Garrett swore when Cache shook his head. “What about, Tom? He in on it too?”

“My editor.”

“You’ve got balls, I’ll say that for you.” A crooked grin tilted Garrett’s hard mouth. “When she finds out your true identity, I won’t have to get my hands dirty getting rid of you.”

“Spell out your relationship with Mel?”

“We’ve always been friends. As of last night, we’re friends without benefits. Come winter, I’d like those benefits back. Get my drift?”

“You serious about her or just using her?”

“We use each other respectfully. For the record, she’s the one who gave me the ‘no strings attached’ speech before we added benefits to our friendship.” Garrett smiled with real humor this time. “I see you’ve heard it too.” He shook his head and chuckled. “Woman’s a piece of work. I don’t know why I’m bothering to look out for her. She can take care of herself.”

“Yeah, I heard about the reporter she’d left as a blood donor for the mosquitoes.”

“Nope. That was me.” A sinister smile curled around Garrett’s mouth this time. “I go for the dramatic. Like to make a point, you understand. Mel had no idea the man was sniffing around Homer, asking questions about her. She’d have filled his butt with buckshot if he’d made it out to The Edge. Now you...since you’ve gotten closer, she won’t be nearly as considerate.”

Mel entered the kitchen to the smell of baking sourdough bread and King Crab legs boiling in a pot. Her favorite. The day had been long and she was hungry. She reached into the pantry and grabbed a handful of cinnamon bears, popping one in her mouth to hold her over until dinner. The soft, sticky treat exploded with heat.

She greeted Linnet, spared a nod for Nicole, and headed toward her room to freshen up for dinner.

She grabbed a change of clothes and headed for the shower. The hot water exhilarated after the exercise of the day and she found herself humming a happy tune.

Too bad Cache had to miss out on the trek. It was a favorite among the guests. The group had boated over to Halibut Cove and taken the Glacier Lake Trail, about two and a half miles over the dry out-wash plains of Grewingk Glacier.

She turned off the faucet, slicked back her hair, pressing the water from the long length, and reached for a towel. The bathroom was full of steam, she’d once again forgotten to crack a window to let the moisture escape, and fixed the oversight. She dried off, leaning over to rub the towel over her hair, flinging the mass back as she stood.

“The Son of Man came to seek and save the lost ~LUKE 19:10”
was written in the steam of the mirror.

Goose bumps rose over her body and it became hard to breathe. Who would have done this? This couldn’t be real. Had someone come in while she showered? She glanced at the lock on the door. She always locked the door. It was unlocked now. Shaking, she wrapped the towel tightly around her body.

Who was playing games with her? Or was she going crazy? First the image of Jedidiah in her window and now this. She’d hallucinated before but usually with the help of illegal drugs. She was stone sober now and had been for twelve years, four months, and six days.

She opened the door and peeked out into the hallway. Cache stood at his door. His hand tightened on the knob, while his eyes roamed over her state of undress. His throat convulsed as he swallowed.

“Did you come into the bathroom while I was showering?” she asked, though it had come out more as a demand.

“No,” he said, puzzled. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” She slammed the door and depressed the lock, and tried the knob. It didn’t budge. She looked back at the mirror.

It was clear, except for her pale reflection.

Time passed as she stared at the mirror. Had she imagined it, like she’d imagined Jedidiah watching her from outside her bedroom window.

Oh God, this had to stop. She was in control, had been for years. She wasn’t going back there, to the dark maze in her mind that she’d barely escaped.

She took her time dressing in blue jeans and a green flannel shirt with a white tank top underneath, combing her wet hair off her face, and leaving it to dry down her back. Her hands shook as she picked earrings, the Alaskan King Crabs made of ruby-colored glass that she’d found in Dutch Harbor, in honor of their dinner.

Mel entered into the great room, through the glass windows, she noticed Cache talking with Garret on the deck.

Were they buddies now?

Last night, Cache had played cave man, drawing a line in the sand. Tonight they seemed in deep discussion and by the looks of them no blood had been drawn.

She joined them, feeling weirded out over her former lover with her future one.
Oh, no she hadn’t just thought that.
She’d known Cache was going to be trouble the minute she’d welcomed him to Alaska.

“Hi, Garrett. Cache.” She locked eyes with Cache. “How are you feeling?”

“Fine.” Cache studied her, frown lines appeared on his forehead. “You okay?”

“Of course.” Did he see nerves swimming on the surface? She’d thought she’d done a fair job of hiding them.

Nicole announced dinner was ready and being served outside on the deck. For the first time, Mel noticed a row of tables had been set up with red and white checkered tablecloths.

Linnet came up to them and Mel leaned toward her. “Why are we eating outside?”

She shrugged. “Nicole thought it was such a nice day and suggested it.”

Nicole stepped out on the deck, carrying a serving dish pilled high with steaming King Crab legs. She was followed behind by a line of hungry guests, each holding a dish.

Why hadn’t she and Linnet thought of eating out here before? This was nice and the view couldn’t be beat.

Everyone took their seats and dished up hearty servings. All the while, conversation danced around the table as guests reported on what they’d witnessed that day.

Mel sat at the end of the table and listened to snippets here and there, from the wondrous glacier they’d hiked up to, to mountain goats that had surprised and fascinated.

Could one of them have snuck into the bathroom?

Who here knew her aversion to anything religious? Nicole, of course, but would she have had time to break into the bathroom and write in the steam of the mirror with cooking a dinner like this? Besides, what would she have gotten out of tormenting her? When they were teenagers, Nicole had enjoyed making life miserable for her, both before and after the kidnapping. It didn’t ring true now.

The Whitneys were cuddled up together talking quietly and feeding each other bits of crab meat from their fingers. They weren’t aware of anyone but themselves.

Jonah and Quentin where animatedly describing the family of foxes they’d seen on the glacier hike.

Tom and Emily sat across the table, and Mel paused. They seemed to be getting along better than they should.

Mel was of the mind that Emily might have been the one to cut the rope securing the kayaks days ago. While she’d been bitchy from day one, she seemed to prefer shock value. If she’d written on the mirror, she’d have stuck around to catch Mel’s reaction.

To her left, Linnet was quiet. Every now and then, she would sneak a peek at Sergei who was busy talking with Garrett and dredging crab legs in melted butter and lemon.

On the other side of Linnet, Cache sat, and Mel jolted.

How long had he been watching her watching everyone else?

“So, Cache. What were you doing in the Middle East?” Garrett asked.

Cache tore his gaze from Mel and centered it on Garrett. “Working.” He refused to take it further than that. Mel didn’t need to find out who he was at the dinner table with everyone looking on.