Nate had been self-taught, just like my dad, but he had some sort of magic when it came to diving and dredging. He could swim like a fish. He had no fear—even during ice diving season when the risks escalated. I understood why he and my dad had been so successful. Nate had pushed my father to do things he maybe wouldn’t have done on his own. Crazy stuff that ran on the edge of safety. But they’d always pulled it out.
“While my dad was diving, Nate and I were alone up top. I hadn’t been paying any attention to him or his moods. I’d seen it before—or so I thought. I’d been more interested in making sure the equipment was working, keeping the dredge where my dad wanted it, doing the comms. That kind of thing. Nate was supposed to be resting up for his turn. Then, out of nowhere he starts ragging on me. Calling me names. Telling me I was an idiot and didn’t know what I was doing. That I’d almost killed him once or some such crap. He suddenly backed me into a corner of the wheelhouse. Screaming in my face. I acted on instinct and punched him in the nose.”
Ben paused what he was doing and gave me a look of surprise.
“I don’t know where it came from. I’d never hit anyone in my life.” The memory of it still seemed so bizarre. As if my hand acted on its own without my direction. “I broke his nose somehow. Blood everywhere. But it got his attention. He backed off. I immediately got my dad to surface—I was worried what might happen far from shore, the two of us alone. I had no idea if Nate would retaliate. But when he heard me call my dad on the comms, he quieted down. He sat on the couch until my dad came up.”
The Nate I saw tonight had been different, more volatile, and seemed to have no boundaries. If Ben hadn’t showed up when he did, the anger in Nate seemed so strong as to overpower his reason. I might’ve been more badly hurt.
“I think he knew he’d done wrong. Knew he’d pushed it too far. My dad had been his touchstone in a way. The one who kept him grounded and on the right path. Dredging is full of people with a need for adventure, excitement, risky behavior. My dad is one of the few dredge owners with a healthy mix of risk and reality. Nate knew that. He’d experienced my dad ignoring his worst ideas and selecting his best—when if Nate had been acting alone, he probably would have pursued them all.”
By the time my dad had surfaced that day, Nate knew what was coming. His posture told the story: slumped shoulders, wouldn’t look me in the eye, quiet.
“I met my dad at the rail and told him what had happened. My dad fired Nate on the spot, and we headed immediately back to shore. Whatever disagreements there were between them apparently included me. Last summer I had no idea Nate felt my involvement with the dredge was a threat to him. I had no idea he believed he’d earned some kind of ownership of the business that had never been given. I guess with my father being gone…”
“Sounds like your dad tried to do right by the guy.” Ben set the trowel down. “Some people are just destined to screw up their own lives.”
“Thanks for saying that.” Not even my dad had acknowledged Nate’s downfall had been coming for some time. “A lot of old timers blamed me for breaking up the team.”
“Forget about them. What do they know?” Ben sidled up to the fire to warm his hands. “Now I can understand a little bit where Nate’s coming from. Might help if he tries something like that again.”
“I think the loss of my dad’s friendship was the last straw. Over the last year, I’ve seen him slipping further away from life, reality.” I needed to process everything, talk to Stella, think of what to do. Maybe it was a mistake not to include the police. My father had been too soft on Nate for years and look where they’d ended up. But deep down, I knew it would be what my father would want. No matter how their relationship had ended, he wouldn’t want Nate in jail. He’d want the best for him, hope that he could overcome his problems and find his way back.
“Yeah, I’ve known a few guys like that.” Ben held up the second bucket and tipped it toward me to show it was empty. “Now what?”
I shut off the Spiral and detached the container. I handed him the refined concentrates—mostly gold dust and little bit of black sand.
“Hell, yeah.” He took it eagerly. His enthusiasm was infectious. “That’s probably the coolest goddamn thing I’ve seen in a long time.”
Benjamin Abel confounded me. A Beast one moment, a boy the next. I was grateful for his protection, but wary of the power he could wield. I had a feeling he’d held back when he attacked Nate. Something about the quiet calm of him, the emotionless look on his face made me wonder about giving Ben my complete trust. For a moment I thought about what would happen if he decided to turn that power on me.
Before I’d been worried Ben would find another dredge with more gold once Nome’s miners found out his skillset. Lured away from Buck’s nutty daughter who thought she could run a dredge for a promise of something better. No longer was that foremost in my mind. He’d settled in with me easily. Eager to learn. He’d stepped in as my rescuer, my protector. He barely knew me, but yet he had been willing to shoulder some of my burden for no purpose I could see. I decided to keep my trust loose and pliable. Maybe I needed Stella’s help to find out more about my mysterious new diver.
“Let’s meet at the assayers tomorrow around nine, and I’ll show you how to turn gold into cash,” I said. “That way you know I’m on the up-and-up.” The last thing I wanted was another angry diver who accused me of owing him money.
He handed the box to me. “Aye-aye, captain.”
His eyes glinted in the firelight. My heart took a leap.
I shook the feeling loose and let it drift away. The last thing I needed was a romance-gone-wrong. My life was hectic and messy enough without doing something stupid like crushing on my new diver.
CHAPTER TEN
I woke up to my phone ringing. I really need to change my ring tone—some hip hop song Kyle had liked. He’d added it to my phone a few months’ back, and it aggravated me. He and I were over, over, over. I needed to put him in the rearview mirror, ring tones and all.
I recognized the number—the hospital in Anchorage. My fuzzy mind sobered instantly. “Hello?”
“This is Dr. Leskiv, your father’s cardiologist.”
“Oh, yes, Doctor, is my father doing all right?” Buck hadn’t been fully conscious since he’d been flown to Anchorage. Some tests had been done to evaluate the reason for his coma-like state. He could respond to simple commands, but hadn’t tried to fight the breathing machine and had been unable to speak, as a result.
“He’s slowly coming out of it, and we’ve been waiting until he shows enough strength for the surgery. He’s had a pretty large trauma, as you know, and it wouldn’t be prudent to put his body through surgery until we felt he could handle the stress.”
“I understand.” I had a hard time imagining my father, in his late 50s, in such a state. I avoided taking a trip to Anchorage to see him because of that fear—and the extra expense for a flight I couldn’t really afford. I felt like a coward. As if I’d let my father down. But it had been easier for me to put my head down and do the work he’d taught me to do: dredge for gold. Since I first came to Alaska he’d instilled in me the same zest as he had for the business. The rush of discovery. The risk and reward. The ups and downs. I loved it all. My father had never given up, never quit. And I wasn’t about to quit while he lay flat on his back in the ICU.
I thought about how Buck hadn’t known I existed until I was in the 6th grade, when I took my first trip to Nome after my mother ran off, I latched on for dear life. Buck had needed someone, too. He’d forgotten what it meant to have someone love him, really love him all the way through. When I’d made the decision to stay in Nome, Buck dove into the role of ‘dad.’
Buck had told me that I’d be the ‘only woman in his life.’ We’d shaken hands on it. A bit strange to reflect on—a girl and her father shaking hands over something so silly. But it had felt right at the time—his calloused palm warm against mine. I’d felt safe. Secure. And I wanted noth
ing to change about that feeling.
The doctor’s words brought me back to reality. Life was nothing but change. As an adult, I knew that to be true. The wishful thinking of pre-pubescent Aurora had been silly. Now it was my turn to fully dive into being a grown-up daughter.
*
The wind blew more strongly today than it had the afternoon before. The view of the waves from the landing at my apartment building revealed large whitecaps. A lone dredge worked the grounds, but it was an unusual dredge—a large excavator mounted on a barge, which scooped gold bearing material from the sea floor into its monster-sized sluice. The Blue Dragon could handle the rougher seas. No divers needed. When conditions were crappy for a smaller dredge like the Alaska Darling, the Dragon could still mine for gold. Theirs was a multi-million-dollar operation, however. Most of us miners in Nome didn’t have the means or the know-how to run such a dredge.
I glanced at my watch. Ninety minutes until I’d planned to meet with Ben at Alaska North Assayers. Hopefully I’d have enough time for a chat with Stella while I ate some breakfast. My refrigerator, as evidenced by last night’s meager dinner, lacked anything I’d call ‘breakfast material.’ Although I was watching my pennies, not only did I need a good meal, I needed my friend’s advice. Worth the $15 or so I’d spend on an omelet and some coffee.
I double checked the seal on the Tupperware container I used to transport my gold flakes and dust we’d collected last night. I tucked it into my largest bag—an old straw beach bag that had seen better days. The weight of the gold pulled on my shoulder. Still surprised me how heavy even a small amount of gold could be.
I zipped up my father’s windbreaker, which fit me better than it fit him, and texted Stella.
U at work?
A gust of wind barely above freezing cooled my cheeks. I tucked my hands and my phone into my pockets. Wouldn’t make sense to buy breakfast, if I didn’t get to chat with Stella. I prepared to walk the extra half-mile to the Safeway to buy a few groceries. Wasn’t worth it to spend the gas on such a short trip.
My phone buzzed.
Yep. Slow morning. :-(
I answered:
Not anymore. Be there in 5.
She sent me a GIF of a kitten clapping its paws together.
I smiled and finished my stroll, sailing into the cafe on a burst of wind.
Stella stood by my favorite table near the window with a pot of coffee ready to pour. “Two days this week. What gives?”
By the time I sat down my mug was full. I unzipped my windbreaker and pushed my windblown hair out of my eyes. “Empty pantry.”
“Ah, the usual. Are you meeting another hottie for breakfast?” Stella tapped her pen against her order pad and studied me.
Blushing was not my thing, but if it were, I’d be as red as a beet. Last night’s situation had been more than just trouble with Nate, it had made me see Ben in a new light. But I stuck to the real question on my mind. “Actually, I wanted to get your opinion on someone else.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“Nate showed up last night during our clean out. Behind the apartments.”
Stella slid into the seat across from me. Only a couple of customers to take care of. She didn’t seem worried about what her manager might think. “Stirring up something?”
“He’d stopped by the dredge a few days ago. Really angry.” I circled my cold hands around the warm mug of coffee. “Said my dad owed him money or something.”
My oldest and dearest friend nodded. She’d heard about last summer’s confrontation, the firing. Maybe not all the details I’d shared with Ben, but she knew the basics.
“Anyway, I brushed him off. Then, later that day I think he followed me back to Kyle’s.”
“You went to Kyle’s?” Stella’s eyes widened in her round face, like two tarnished pennies.
I couldn’t hold back a sigh. “Listen. That’s not the point. The point was Nate tailgated me all the way from the marina to Kyle’s. It freaked me out.”
“Understandable.” Stella relaxed and crossed her arms. “And last night he showed up at your place? What did he want?”
“Same story. But this time—well, he came at me.” A chill ran up my back at the memory. “Tried to really do some damage. If it hadn’t been for Ben…”
Stella’s brown gaze caught fire. “Ben came to your rescue?”
I knew where she was going with it—getting me off track again. “He got Nate to leave.” I swirled the dregs of my coffee absently. “What I wanted to know is, have you heard anything about Nate and drugs? I know he’s been hanging out with Lola and those types over at The Glacier.” The Glacier was a well-known dive bar on the east side of town. Lowlifes and druggies of all types congregated there. Maybe because it was rumored the owner’s son had access to any number of illegal substances. “When he showed up last night he was all hopped up. I mean, the guy’s got problems, but he’d only been a mild alcoholic when I knew him.”
“Hold on. I need to get Rusty his bill.” She got up from the table. “You want me to put an order in?”
“Ham and Cheese Omelet. Side of hash browns.” If I ate a huge breakfast I wouldn’t have to worry about lunch.
Stella scribbled on her pad. “Got it. Be right back.” She rushed to her customer near the door, dropped off his check, then handed my order to the cook through the pass-through window.
My gaze drifted outside. The bright light of an early Alaska morning bounced off the windshield of a beat-up Toyota 4Runner parked outside. If it hadn’t been for the wind, this would’ve been a nice day to be out on the water. I checked my watch. Eight o’clock. Still sticking to my schedule. At least after today I’d have some gold cashed in and some much needed money in the bank.
Stella finished with Rusty and returned with a full coffeepot in hand. She refilled my mug, leaned forward and said in a hushed voice. “Rumor has it that Lola’s dealing meth. If you’ve seen Nate with Lola, that can’t be good.”
Although Nome was far from civilization, it didn’t take long for illicit things to make their way here. “You think she’s making the stuff? Or just selling?” I had a really hard time believing Nate would’ve fallen that far in such a short period of time. But without the rush of dredging, maybe he had to fill in his adrenaline needs with the high only a drug could bring.
Stella shrugged. “Officer Isaacs comes in here at least once a week. He’s got a pretty big mouth. A few weeks ago he mentioned Lola, meth and a drug bust.”
Isaacs was part of the small police force in Nome. With less than twenty people serving the area, they had a hard enough time keeping up with low-level crimes much less tackle the burgeoning drug problem.
“I remember seeing that in the paper, I think.” The Nome Nugget usually covered the latest high school sports achievements, local business news, and goings on around town on a weekly basis. Every now and then, though, a shocking story would appear on the front page. “But I don’t remember Lola.”
Stella’s eyes lit up. “Hold on. I’ve got my laptop in my backpack. We can look up the story on the Nugget Facebook page.” She headed for the back room.
The short order cook placed a plate in the pass-through window and hit the bell with his fist. “Order up.” His gaze trailed after Stella who’d disappeared into the storage room. He locked eyes with me and gestured at the plate with his spatula.
I got up, scooped up my breakfast plate, and carried it back to my table. Things were casual at the Polar Cafe. The Denver Omelet sizzled on the plain white plate and tempted me to take a bite. I’d scooped up a forkful when Stella returned with her beat-up laptop.
“Oh, great, Doug brought you your food. Nice.”
I ate the chunk of omelet and let the truth slide.
Stella tapped on her keyboard and, in a few seconds, she turned her laptop sideways so I could see the result. She’d drilled down to The Nome Nugget Facebook Page and the story she remembered: Drug Bust in Hoodoo Gulch.
We both skimmed t
he story. Stella, a faster reader than I, pointed to the name we’d been looking for: Lola Chang. She read aloud, “Nome police arrested four people and seized drugs including methamphetamine during a bust early Thursday morning. One woman tried to escape on an ATV, police say, which ended in a crash. The woman had moderate injuries and was taken to the emergency clinic for treatment, police say. According to police: The investigation began in May with tips from concerned citizens. Investigators say they discovered a steady flow of customers at the Glacier Bar on East 3rd Avenue and determined it was a drug distribution point. Leads from interviews conducted led officers to a small cabin in Hoodoo Gulch. Officers served a search warrant at the cabin just after 6 a.m. Inside, police say they found cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, prescription medication, handgun ammunition and more than $2,800 in cash. Police say those charged include: Edward Chang, Declan McTavitt, Sean Lewis and Lola Chang, all of whom face charges of possession with intent to deliver drugs, possession of a small amount of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.”
“Wow.” I ate my breakfast and let that turn over in my brain.
“If Nate is hanging out with Lola…well, I’d say that’s a bad sign. You should steer clear of him.”
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