Snow Rising (The Great North Woods Pack Book 4)

by Shawn Underhill

  David gave a single nod of acceptance. Whether he liked it or not, he knew the old Snow spoke truly. Revenge came and passed quickly. It would not bring his sister back into the world. But patient justice would be a horrible punishment to the Merrill woman. It could be savored for years to come.

  “First light,” said the silver-white. Her head was raised to the faint and distant piercing of the blackness in the east. She said it partially because she observed it, and partially because she wished to take the focus from David.

  “Yes, I feel it at my back,” Abel said. “Let us cross the road before light pierces the shadows of the trees. Let us all look on the prisoner as the sun rises. I will confer with my brother. Then, we will rest.”

  19

  Merrill’s phone sounded just after entering southern New Hampshire.

  “Keep your composure,” Jason said. “You can handle this.”

  “Yes,” he said, and tapped to open the call.

  “What do you say?” Kraft asked.

  “I’m on my way to retrieve MK.”

  “Already?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. Glad you made up your mind on your own. I wasn’t enjoying leaning on you like that.”

  “I know. Just business, right?”

  “Unfortunately.”

  “That’s the nature of the beast,” Merrill said, knowing full well that Kraft did enjoy his secure position and his ability to ‘lean on’ people.

  “What’s your plan?”

  “Diplomacy,” answered Merrill. “One business man to another. I’ll tell him I don’t give a damn about my sister, only the cases. We’ll hash out some sort of a deal. If he wants more than I can offer, I’ll fail on the payments once the cases are out of my hands.”

  Kraft laughed quietly, then said, “Perhaps you should consider moving to the west coast.”

  “I have no other choice. Unless you’re willing to spot a reasonable sum to barter with.”

  “No, I’m not willing. Your presence alone should impress the man. And we both know that he has no interest in MK. He might be glad to get rid of it, along with you and your sister.”

  “I hope so.”

  “You would be wise to call ahead. I can provide you with numbers. The Ludlow businesses are all listed publically.”

  “I have contact information … from my sister,” Merrill lied. “As brazen as she could sometimes be, she also made sure to plan ahead. In most cases, anyway.”

  “Doesn’t surprise me,” Kraft said, sounding satisfied with the false explanation.

  “We watched one another’s backs in spite of our differences.”

  “Understood.”

  “And if the phone numbers fail, I’ll simply go to one of the businesses and ask. Someone will have to deal with me one way or the other.”

  They were silent a moment. Merrill figured Kraft was planning a way to get ahold of MK-2 should the Ludlow’s decide to kill him upon arrival in their town. There could be no cheap or simple solution. But the cases were worth almost any price, human or otherwise.

  “Well,” Kraft said, “I could arrange a chopper to speed up the trip. Maybe out of Concord or Manchester.”

  Merrill exhaled as he said, “Thank you, but no. I’ve decided to make the drive and approach Mr. Ludlow humbly.”

  “The exact opposite of Rowan’s tactics.”

  “That was my thought.”

  “Smart. The approach, that is. But it leaves one problem. If you get into trouble, a car makes for a very slow escape when you’re in the middle of nowhere. Especially if these things can move through the boonies with ease.”

  “A chopper did nothing for Rowan,” Merrill pointed out.

  “True.”

  “If I do get in trouble, I’m toast. It’s that simple. Once I came to terms with that fact, my nerves settled.”

  “Progress.”

  “Is it?”

  “You’re thinking like a foot soldier.”

  “You would know, I guess.”

  “I do know. Keep your cool, Raymond. It will be over soon enough.”

  “One question,” Merrill said. “In your opinion, will Ludlow be trusting enough to let the cases go in exchange for my word and moderate collateral? He’ll know that eventually I’ll be getting at least some sort of insurance payout.”

  “We’re not talking about selling a car or a logging truck. He must realize how secretive business goes. You can assure him that someone has already got buyers interested. Tell him that with a stern voice. He’ll understand.”

  “Have you really got buyers already?”

  “Several.”

  “The other reason Ludlow won’t be worried is that he knows exactly who you are.”

  Merrill was silent.

  “What if Ludlow holds us as collateral?” Jason whispered.

  Merrill repeated the question to Kraft.

  “To be honest, I think he’ll be impressed with your nerve, Raymond. He kills your sister and burns your buildings to scare you off, and instead of running, you show up offering to make a deal for the cases. Either he’ll assume you to be crazy, or else a bold son of a gun.”

  “Fear can make people crazy.”

  “Certainly. And also keep in mind that the man doesn’t want for money. Be up front about getting out of his life forever, and I think he’ll settle to be rid of you and your cases.”

  “Easy for you to say,” Merrill returned. “You’re not the one driving into his town.”

  “He burned your lab, not your home,” Kraft grumbled. “Don’t you get it? If he wanted you dead, you, Debra and your kids would already be dead. Understand?”

  Merrill thought silently about that fact.

  “I don’t pretend to understand the skills required for your line of work,” Kraft said. “My skills, however, pertain to people. I understand them. Always have. I can judge them even by their voices. And I know how to make them do what needs to be done. Get it?”

  “Yes,” Merrill said.

  “Okay then. Ludlow is not an unreasonable man—or whatever he is. If he was willing to give you a chance to live, the odds that he’s also willing to do this transaction with you are very good.”

  “All right,” Merrill sighed. “Good point.”

  “I know it’s a good point. That’s why I’ve decided on this course of action.”

  Merrill shook his head. Arrogant bastard thought he was Al Capone.

  “I’ll call you when I know something,” he said.

  “That’s what I like to hear,” Kraft said. “Now, think positively and prosperously. Stand up straight when you meet the man. Speak with confidence. You’ll get through it.”

  “I’ll try, Brandon.”

  “I’m not asking you to try. I’m telling you to make it happen.”

  End of call.

  ***

  Kraft selected the number of a contact in Concord, New Hampshire. The man answered after the second ring.

  “Get two or three guys ready to move.”

  “When?”

  “Thirty minutes.”

  “I can get two. A third might take longer.”

  “No time. Two, plus yourself, should be fine.”

  “Where to?”

  “North of the White Mountains,” Kraft said. “Top off the tank on your way out.”

  “Target?”

  “Silver Mercedes, two male occupants. Tracking info is in the system. Project password: ultra. Watch and follow. No contact until I authorize. They should be receiving two cases. Big value. If their transaction fails, could turn into a smash and grab.”

  “Danger?” the man said as he was logging into the computer system to check the tracking.

  “Low for the two primaries. Could be a big ten for the ones holding the cases. Bring heavy rifles. Just in case.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Got insurance?” Kraft asked after a second thought. By insurance he meant Kevlar vests. Not because he cared about the men but because he really
needed those cases delivered.

  “We do.”

  “Bring them. Just in case.”

  “Exits?”

  “Chopper. Only if necessary. Coordinates to be determined. I prefer a quiet drive in and out.”

  “Got it.”

  “No contact whatsoever unless I authorize. Clear?”

  “Understood.”

  “Get on it.”

  Call ended.

  Then craft made another call.

  20

  Lars stepped out the slider onto the porch. He had eaten eggs and biscuits and English muffins topped with the old style of fruit preserves his mother had fed him as a child. His coffee had been refilled yet again and now, feeling warmed through and full, he lit a cigar in the growing light. He placed the spent match in his coat pocket once cooled and stood there watching the vast sky as the new day dispersed the long night. He could hear animals stirring in the barns.

  I feel no loyalty, he thought. None whatsoever. Brandon Kraft—if that’s actually his name—has had his day. It’s him versus them and now I choose them without hesitation. He’s dead now. It’s as good as done.

  That easily? In a few weeks you turn on your employer?

  It looks that way.

  But if not for him, you wouldn’t have come back up here. You would have stayed away because of the experience in Maine and you wouldn’t have had the chance to see them and get to know them. Being among them. Talking. Being fed by them as a friend. Standing on their porch enjoying their view.

  No, none of this would have happened. But Kraft never counted on that, did he? He operated on Rowan Merrill’s information. Through her, he knew more than I did. Sent me up here like it was no big deal. Just you and the three boys. Just a fishing trip. Except we were the fish. Shark bait. A means to an end. Now he’s using this Merrill guy likewise. Well, that’s enough. He’s done. He crossed me and my team and he crossed this whole family and now he’s done. I feel nothing. Everyone gets theirs sooner or later.

  Yeah, and you’ll get yours, too. Count on it.

  Sure I will. Someday. We all do. But Kraft will go sooner than me.

  The slider opened. Lars looked over his shoulder and saw Joseph Snow stepping out wearing a robe. Bare feet on the cold porch, like it was nothing.

  Not much phases them, he thought. Cold and sleepless nights sure don’t. They’re not factors like they are to me. And to me those things are easier to deal with than for most. Most can’t cover a target all night, hardly moving, make the shot and then hike out fast to a safe zone. It’s no wonder Rowan Merrill wants to dissect them. And no wonder Kraft would be interested in the results.

  “My brother has arrived,” Joseph said.

  “Has he?” Lars returned, trying to speak casually.

  “Odd as it sounds, I don’t have to see him to know. I can sense it.”

  Animal instincts. Lars had read something once about dogs and their abilities to pick up on the brain chemistry of their human companions. They could sense seizures half an hour ahead of time, and fluctuations in glucose in the blood of diabetics. But it wasn’t exactly magic. The article went on to suggest that primarily canines were mood readers rather than thought readers. Keen observers who could recognize miniscule behaviors. But the door was left open on factors still beyond human understanding. Further study was required.

  “Pretty impressive,” Lars said.

  “Not really. Not when one has had as much practice as I have.”

  “I know what a hunch is,” Lars said. “A strong gut feeling.”

  “What I’m talking about isn’t much different. Just slightly stronger.”

  “Is it as reliable as the gut?”

  “Mostly,” Joseph said. “But nothing is perfect. Now and then I do overreact or underreact to certain stresses. As you’ve observed.”

  Lars nodded. He was referring to the burning of Raymond Merrill’s place of business. He wanted to take that move back now. That was one thing they had in common. No rewind button. No do-overs. Once an act was committed, it became unalterable history.

  “Battlefields get foggy sometimes,” he said.

  “They do,” Joseph agreed.

  “No one was harmed.”

  “Actually, a couple dozen beagles are probably quite thankful for my decision. Paul and Lester chased them out of the place before the fire. Ended up bringing one back to town and took him to Edmond’s place in the middle of the night.”

  Lars smiled and said, “Good place for a beagle.”

  “It’s a step up in the world,” Joseph said. Then, in a more serious tone, “In a few hours I’ll need you to be ready to work. I want the road just south of town monitored when Merrill gets close.”

  “Don’t trust him?”

  “Actually, I do trust him. It’s Kraft who worries me. If he’s threatening Merrill, he must want those cases in a very bad way. And if so, it would reason that he’d send some sort of insurance plan, in case Merrill failed, to make sure he receives his prize.”

  Lars replied, “Or he’ll have Merrill get the cases and then have his own men take them once their safely out of town.”

  “That’s my concern.”

  “So, identify the tail on the way in, then wait and see?”

  “Identify on the way in, and immobilize on the way out. It’s either that or else let Merrill take the fall. Kraft would probably like nothing better than to eliminate all other claims to the device. That way, all profits are his.”

  “I doubt that Merrill guy would put up much of a fight,” Lars said. “Is it possible that Kraft will just take it and threaten him to keep his mouth shut?”

  “Possible,” Joseph said. “But I won’t count on it.”

  “Yeah,” Lars said. “We can’t count on him to grow a conscience now.”

  “I think he’ll send someone to tail and then intercept Merrill on his way south again, take the cases and dispose of him. The man’s disappearance will fit well with the fires at his laboratories.”

  Lars nodded. He’d wondered about that himself but hadn’t been sure when to bring it up. Primarily he was concerned with Kraft. He was thinking ahead to finding his hideout, setting up, and taking a shot. Now it was clear that Joseph intended to keep Raymond Merrill alive. To do that meant that before the sun rose on another day, he would have to kill more than just Kraft. More young guys. Clueless. Maybe dirt bags or maybe decent guys that just needed the income. But if Joseph said they had to go, then they had to go.

  “Hopefully it will be nothing,” Joseph said.

  Lars nodded as he thought, Yeah, hopefully. But probably not. Most likely it will be something.

  “Things would be much simpler if Rowan Merrill could be convinced to talk.”

  “Ever considered waterboarding?” Lars asked, half grinning.

  Joseph shook his head. “Some of my family have suggested harsher methods.”

  I’ll bet they have.

  “If Raymond Merrill is a decent man, I can’t stand by and do nothing as he gets murdered.”

  “I hear you,” Lars said.

  “I get the feeling that he’s just as much of a victim of his sister and Kraft as we are.”

  “Yeah.”

  “And there’s no telling who Kraft might sell this technology to. Can you imagine the power it would grant the one who perfects it?”

  “If it’s perfectible,” Lars said.

  “Yes, if,” Joseph said. “Who knows what else is being developed somewhere out there. Maybe something worse. But having this here, in my possession, puts a certain responsibility on me.”

  “Are you sure Merrill can be trusted with it?”

  “Not entirely.”

  “But he seems less slippery than Kraft.”

  “Certainly.”

  “Quite a mess,” Lars said, exhaling.

  “Indeed.”

  They fell silent. Each in their own thoughts.

  Finally, Joseph said, “We’ll discuss everything in further detail when I
return.”

  Lars started to turn his head. From the corner of his eye he saw the old man step out of his robe, rise up from the porch and become a massive white wolf. He did it faster than Lars could turn his head and utter an acknowledgement to his last statement. He was over the railing, the robe lightly settling on it, then onto the frosty grass below and moving away. Loping, not running, he cleared the fence and moved toward the distant tree line of the upper pasture. Then he swung about and glided along the edge of the pasture, his white outline silvery in the shadows beneath the brightening sky. Then he was gone.

  21

  Evie saw her grandfather waiting on the trail. Being the quickest, she was running at the head of the small troop. Now she surged ahead further and reached him seconds before the others in a flurry of excited yips and whines. She bowed and jumped and nuzzled him as the others drew near, slowing and closing round.

  “Welcome,” the white wolf said, looking from his brother to his granddaughter.

  Erica bowed and flicked her tail.

  “My regards,” Abel said and stood opposite his brother with his head held equally high, an equal. “I have heard of my gift. You captured her easily, so I have been told. My respect, dear brother.”

  “The sooner she departs, the better for all of Ludlow.”

  “I do not intend to end her now, here.”

  “Very well.”

  “Send her by truck,” Abel said. “Let her feel every bump of every logging road from here to the eastern village. I will escort her each mile of the way.”

  The white wolf nodded, then looked to Erica and said, “You look well. Strong.”

  “I feel well,” she said.

  “To live easily like the human slugs does not please her,” Abel said.

  “We live not only for ourselves,” his brother returned. “The pack is first and the self must follow.”

  There was a moment of silent tension and exchanging glances. Neither of the old brothers would relax their dominant posture.