by Hoff, Stacy
“You were absolutely fantastic,” Devon confirmed. “Don’t you guys agree?” he asked the newcomers.
James cocked his head to the side when he addressed Redd. “How come you didn’t tell anybody you could sing like that? Teleworld would have selected you on the spot if they’d known.”
“Because my voice is my own business. I wanted to be on a survival show. Otherwise I would have applied for America’s Got Talent.”
“You’d have a shot to win that show, too,” Tom said. “Can we tape you singing before we drop you in the Yukon?”
“No way,” Redd responded calmly. “I only sang now to help you out of a money situation.”
“Please? Mark will love us if we can get you to agree.” Tom’s eyes were round and hopeful.
“Sorry. I only wanted to make sure Mark didn’t kill you.”
James held a full beer glass out to Redd. “Here, drink this as a thank you for helping us today. If you change your mind about singing, let us know.”
Ana smiled to herself. James’ low-key way of trying to persuade Redd made him worthy of his lead camera role. If Redd was going to relent, she didn’t know. With the twelve days they’d have together, she’d have time to figure him out.
Devon waved over the skinny female bartender for more beers. When she handed them out Devon raised his glass in the air. “To Ana and Redd,” he shouted, “our soon-to-be millionaires.”
“Here’s to their having an exciting adventure,” James offered.
“Here’s to their becoming overnight celebrities,” Tom chimed in.
Redd stared intently at Ana over his beer glass. “Here’s to me keeping my partner safe.”
Ana trembled. Redd’s voice sounded so ominous. He thinks I don’t know what the heck I’m doing. He’s right. “Thanks, to all of you, too,” she answered softly. “Cheers.”
They clinked glasses, finished their beers and headed back to their bed and breakfast. Ana knew her night in the soft, warm bed, would be her last for a long while.
Chapter 9
Redd awoke the next morning to the sound of a loud bang. Gunshot? He tensed, ready for battle, before realizing where he was. Man, I need to learn to stand down. Upright in the bed, he hoped his heart would stop hammering. He noticed his right hand was fisted, no doubt from his initial urge to grab a gun. He tried to relax. I’m safe. I haven’t even left the inn yet.
The loud sound reverberated again through the thin walls of his room in the little bed and breakfast. Whoever was pounding on the door was going to be very sorry. He was contemplating just how sorry when the phone on the night table rang equally loudly. Grumbling, Redd picked up. The banging on the door subsided.
“William Redding,” he barked.
“It’s Devon. James is banging on your door. Don’t you hear him?”
“Obviously. The whole inn hears him, I’m sure. Y’all are gonna get thrown out of here. Ana and I have park accommodations. Y’all gonna join us?” He was so pissed he didn’t bother hiding his Southern drawl.
“I wouldn’t exactly refer to the park as accommodations, but I’m happy if you’re happy.” Devon laughed. “Anyway, we were trying to give you a head’s up before you came downstairs. You guys are leaving now to start your twelve days. Be prepared to have our cameras in your face.”
Redd felt his whole body tense up. This is it. Time to do or die. He swallowed hard. “Thanks for letting me know. Did you tell Ana?”
“Yes, a minute ago. She sounded just as thrilled as you. Better get going.”
A dial tone kicked in. “I’m sure she is,” he muttered, hanging up. Without lingering any more on the unpleasant prospect ahead, he tossed the bedding aside and got himself on his feet. He flung off the tee shirt and underwear he’d slept in and headed off to the bathroom. He turned on the hot water in the shower but walked back to take a last look at his guest room. The next time he saw this place he’d be a million dollars richer. Either that, or the next wooden structure he’d be staying in would be a pine box.
The thought made him jolt. Immediately he stepped back into the bathroom and closed the door. Shutting out the memory of how he’d last seen Hailey.
Ana stepped gingerly downstairs to the inn’s reception area. She had no idea why she bothered walking softly. Thanks to Devon’s head’s up she knew the film crew was there, waiting to tape her descent. And not just her descent down the stairs—her descent from society. She’d literally be going wild.
Seconds later the cameras were rolling, Tom, James and Devon’s faces behind their shoulder-borne video cameras.
“Tell us what you’re feeling right now,” Tom called out.
Not much, since I’m in panic mode. “Excited to go on the adventure of a lifetime,” she answered.
The cameras swung around to focus on Redd, who was already in the lobby. “And you?” Tom asked him. “What’s going through your mind?”
“In twelve days I’m going to be a million dollars richer.” Redd’s arms folded across his chest, his demeanor cool.
Ana was impressed, and jealous. The best she could do was not throw up.
“What’s your biggest fear?” James shot out at him.
“Not winning the million dollars,” Redd answered dryly.
“Not meeting a grizzly?” James pressed.
“Or a freak storm?” Tom asked.
“Starvation?” Devon suggested.
Ana shot each of them a look. On the one hand, they were only doing their job. If they didn’t follow Mark’s marching orders, they’d be marching right down to the unemployment line. Ana certainly didn’t want pink slips aimed for them. At the same time, these questions were ratcheting up her fear factor. They were also forcing her to answer questions she didn’t feel she could answer truthfully. Telling the world she was terrified, and that the only way she’d been able to get this far was by blocking out bad thoughts, was not an option. She pictured everyone back home writing her off before she even started. Down for the Count Ana. The painful thought had a positive impact. She squared her shoulders, ready for the cameramen to turn their lenses back on her.
“What about you,” James shot out. “What are you afraid of?”
“Nothing. I just gotta stay focused,” Ana answered in a voice surprisingly strong and firm.
Maybe if she acted like she believed it, it’d come true. And the faster, the better, because her knees were getting weak and her forehead was starting to break out in a sweat.
Redd looked at her. “Ready to start our journey?”
Again mustering her conviction she answered evenly, “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”
“Then let’s go,” Redd said.
Ana tried not to show any emotion. Her eyebrows wavered, fighting the urge to crease. She would not give in. She would be strong.
The crewmen parted and Redd walked over to her. “C’mon, partner.”
She took the outstretched hand he offered. It felt warm and dry, a stark contrast to the swamp hers were. If he picked up on her nervousness, he said nothing about it.
Together they walked out the front door of the inn. Him in the lead, her following close behind. Exactly the way it would be for the next twelve days.
Chapter 10
Ana stood on a rocky bank in Gates of the Arctic National Park blinking at the bright sun. It was five o’clock in the afternoon, and a cool fifty degrees, but one would never know the time from looking at the glowing, sunny sky. Daylight was pouring down with such impunity it was as if darkness itself was being mocked. “No wonder they call this place the land of the midnight sun,” she wondered aloud.
She’d been talking to herself for a while. Redd was far away, tinkering with something. He looked as if he were lost in thought. He wasn’t the only one. But instead of
wondering like him about the particulars as to what they needed to do, she was preoccupied as to whether any of their efforts was going to make a difference. Could they—could anyone—survive in a place like this? Despite her doubts she remained cautiously optimistic as to their chances. Redd very clearly knew what he was doing. Observing him in action had the amazing effect of both calming her down and getting her hopes up.
“Need a hand?” she called out to him for the umpteenth time.
“No,” he responded tightly. Again.
From the tone of his voice, she was hesitant to keep asking. Yet standing around useless didn’t seem to be doing either of them any good. She walked a few feet to plunk herself down on a mossy area, her butt sinking into the spongy ground.
He’d have to let her help at some point. They were truly on their own and there was no way one person should, or could, do everything. The crew had left them with more supplies than she thought but a whole lot less than what they’d need. Even if she had wanted to beg them for more, they were no longer around. The single-engine plane that dropped them off had left as soon as the crew set up one of the two cameras on a foldable tripod.
For the rest of their journey she and Redd would have to use this camera or the lighter weight one if they traveled. But if they did, they’d have to make their way back to this spot on the twelfth day in order to be picked up by the plane.
The very thought of hiking endlessly in the Yukon was exhausting. But given the barren appearance of their immediate surroundings, they would inevitably have to travel to find food and shelter. The only abundance at this location was rocks, moss, and some ugly low-lying plants. A few wild flowers dotted the landscape, but not enough to look inviting. Even the snowcapped mountains in the distance looked ominous.
When the plane had left, Redd had taken off, too. He had gathered whatever it was he wanted, and had returned just minutes ago. Not that his presence was helping conversationally. The only thing he uttered was a repetition of the word “no” every time she asked to help.
Ana garnered her courage and went over to him. She had never been the sort to take no for an answer and had zero interest in starting now. Still, approaching Redd made her apprehensive enough to feel a rock in the pit of her stomach. Ruffling her partner’s feathers wasn’t going to make their time together any easier. For both safety and filming reasons they would have to stay together. Twelve days would pass by a lot faster if they got along. Bonus prize if they could actually enjoy each other’s company.
In any other place and time, Ana would have a great time with such a gorgeous, rugged, enigmatic man. Especially one who could sing like Elvis. But Redd was clearly disappointed to be stuck with her. His apprehension about it seemed darker since their plane took off.
Disheartened, she walked over the boggy ground, her legs feeling springy from the weird, spongy terrain. Her footwear was lightweight leather boots with no tread so she didn’t damage the tundra’s fragile terrain. She hoped her feet wouldn’t be cold in these less-hearty boots, though the ability to walk noiselessly was a solid perk. She had read it was less easy to attract grizzlies if they didn’t hear you.
Redd’s back was to her as he continued to work on something. About to put her hand on his shoulder, she heard him let out a sharp curse. Her hand froze in midair. Maybe now is not the best time to approach him. Slowly she took several steps back. She’d give him another minute. Or ten. His mood was ominous, as dark as the night sky, which would not be setting in.
She turned her head and saw rays of light glinting off the snow covered peaks of the Brooks Mountain Range. The white gleam of snow was a stark contrast to the gray, olive, and brown boggy tundra they stood on. Very few trees could be seen. The ones that could were in a tree line high up the mountainside.
Redd cursed again, louder this time.
“Are you sure I can’t help?” she asked timidly.
Upon seeing his expression, she was sorry the words had flown out of her mouth.
Redd closed his eyes in an attempt to control his annoyance with his novice. “Look,” he said in as patient a tone as he could muster. “I know you want to help, but help right now would mean you being quiet.”
“I thought we were supposed to be partners,” she said. “We can’t spend the whole time having you do everything and me just sitting here like a lump on a log.”
“It’d be great if you could.”
“Hey—”
“No disrespect intended. I simply meant I could use a log.” He held up the broken lighter he’d been trying to fix. “Because even if I can get this lighter to start there isn’t much loose wood around, as you can see.”
“I can pull out some of those low-lying, curvy-looking branches from the ground over there,” she said, gesturing off to the side. “There’s a bunch of those ugly plants.”
“Wouldn’t work,” he answered, his focus back to fixing the lighter.
“Why not?”
“For one, those branches are too green to burn. For another, we’re not allowed to tinker with the environment like that.”
“Geez. They’re just some ugly branches.” They looked like sprouted, flat ginger roots.
“They could be a hundred years old. Don’t touch them.”
“Really?” she said, wonder apparent in her voice. “These little things?”
“Yeah. Here in the Arctic, the combination of a short growing season and a harsh, windy winter makes for low-lying plants that take a very long time to grow.”
“No kidding? Well, we can use any dead wood I find though, right?”
“Sure, if you can find some. Which I seriously doubt.” He put down the lighter. “I’m not sure I can come up with a game plan for tonight. We may need to set up camp as best as we can and hope the night is warm.”
“It’ll be warm. It’s June.”
He shot her a look. “Ana, you do understand exactly what we’re in store for out here, don’t you?” He didn’t wait for her to answer. “You know June is unpredictable in the Arctic. The weather can drop off in a heartbeat. We really need to be prepared for the worst.” He saw her eyes widen and then noticed her back stiffen.
“Sure I know that,” she said. “I always prepare for the worst. But I hope for the best. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” She turned away from him and headed off.
“Ana,” he called out. “Don’t go far. You don’t have any weapons and you never know what animals are around.” Seeing her walk away made his back tense up. If he couldn’t instill a sense of safety in her, both for them and the environment, they’d be in for a heap of problems.
“Don’t worry, I won’t,” she called back. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
You’d better.
If anything happened to Ana he’d be racked with guilt. He still felt horribly guilty he hadn’t been able to persuade his father to cough up the money needed for Hailey’s care. No matter what Redd said, his father had remained convinced that Hailey wasn’t sick at all, but a mere shake-down attempt by his ex-wife. Redd hadn’t even be able to talk his father into traveling to Texas to see for himself how ill Hailey really was. He had never felt more useless in his life.
How ironic. Working for the Marines he’d undoubtedly protected thousands. Millions, even. But those were people he never knew. Protecting a single individual was much harder. You knew exactly who you’d be letting down if your mission failed. You’d have the image of her eyes staring back at you, pleading, for all eternity.
That was how it’d been with Hailey. If he had been able to persuade his father to cough up the necessary money to save her, maybe she’d be alive today. Or if he himself could have raised the funds to save her. Now all he could do was raise funds for other people in her memory. To try to ease the guilt. The pain. And for the knowledge that at least he could help some folks. Assum
ing, of course, he won this ridiculous show.
Redd grit his teeth and steeled himself. I’ll make sure Ana gets through this. And that I get the prize money. He’d be damned if he couldn’t help as many people as possible.
Of course, if he couldn’t get a fire started, he’d be well on his way to failure. Uttering another curse, he scraped the metal end of the lighter against a shale-like rock. When a burst of sparks ignited into a flame, he let out a satisfied grin.
Ana waved away Redd’s cautionary words as she wandered off to find firewood. If she could spot a weirdo in a subway station two train cars down, she could certainly spot a grizzly bear from across the barren tundra. Besides, she wasn’t going too far.
Down a slope, out of sight from their makeshift base camp, she made her way along a narrow stretch of river. There was more gravel than water in the riverbed, although she could hear the faint rush of water somewhere down the way. Must be low tide.
Bits of wood debris had been left behind when the water receded. It gave an unexpected bounty, Christmas in June. Manna from heaven. A lifeline. Though most of the scattered wood pieces looked petrified she found quite a few that looked like they could burn. Quickly, she gathered up as many as she could and braced herself for the short, yet cumbersome, walk back to camp.
When Redd came into view he seemed to be having some luck himself, if the fire springing forth from the lighter was any indication.
“Redd,” she called out, not wanting to startle him with a flame in his hands.
He spun around. From her distance she could see the glint of a smile on his face. He gave her a slow, single nod. Then he shut the lighter and put it down. He walked over to her to take her load.
“Impressive,” he remarked. “How the heck did you find this? And so quickly?”
