Moses shakes his hand. There’s a wariness in his eyes. Veiled curiosity rather than hostility. Maybe a hint of trepidation. Felicity has mentioned Sebastian, then, and Moses isn’t quite sure what to make of the blossoming relationship. His expression reminds me of the mother grizzly’s when she’d been staring down at me.
Are you a threat to my baby?
I don’t think so, but I’m not sure, and I need to be sure.
I do not doubt for one instant that Sebastian spots and correctly analyzes Moses’s reaction. Sebastian is an alien placed on Earth, knowing he must emulate humans if he is to survive. I consider myself skilled in the interpretation of body language, but when I’m with Sebastian, I feel like I do when I watch Dalton navigate the forest—witnessing a skill level I will never reach, because for me, it will always be a matter of interest, never one of survival.
“My name is Moses,” Moses says after a moment. “This is Leon and his son, Angus, who I believe you’ve met.”
“Briefly.” Sebastian eases back with his most disarming smile. “He doesn’t come around much. Shame, really. As much as I like Rockton, it’s nice to hang out with people my own age.”
Sebastian turns to Dalton. “Did I hear something about Felicity and her grandpa?”
A smooth segue, punting the ball in the direction it needs to go. And then, with a look, Dalton lobs the serve my way. Yes, Sebastian was correct to send it to him first—as the sheriff—but Dalton recognizes that he might not be the best person for this conversation, not when he’s still seething.
“Felicity and Edwin are missing,” I say.
Sebastian’s eyes widen, and I can’t tell whether he’d already overheard that or not. “After they left Rockton?”
I nod. “Did she say anything to you?”
He shakes his head and looks over at Moses. “Felicity and I were hanging out while Edwin talked to Eric and Casey. I did make some comment about whether her grandfather was okay with the long walk. She said they stopped to rest, and that’s where they left the villagers who’d accompanied them. They planned to do the same on the walk back. I’d guess that’s where they are—resting—except that I’m also guessing you guys are the ones they were meeting.”
“We are.”
“Where were you meeting?” I ask.
They tell me, and it’s roughly three-quarters of the way from their settlement to Rockton. They’d been hunting there while they waited. Edwin had arrived in Rockton around eleven this morning. He’d left a couple of hours later. He should have reached his escort by midafternoon.
At that time, we’d been at Lynx Lake. Moses, Leon, and Angus had headed toward Rockton. They made it almost to the town with no sign of their leader. As they’d been deciding their next move, they’d heard Dalton and me talking, our voices carrying in the quiet. They’d headed out to intercept us. Moses decided he still had time to pee, stepped away to do that, setting down his bow … and found himself between the mother grizzly and her cub.
I glance at Anders. “When were you last in town?”
“An hour ago. The kid and I were patrolling maybe a hundred feet in when we heard the shots. We’d been close to town up until then. So, no, Edwin and Felicity didn’t come back, presuming that’s what you’re asking.”
“It is, thanks.”
I don’t ask whether there’s a chance Edwin left the path for a bit of hunting. He was an old man with a very long walk ahead of him. He wasn’t adding any extra activity to his day.
So now, on top of everything else, we had two people lost in the forest.
Except there was zero chance they actually were lost. Even if they stepped off the path for a rest, they’d find their way back to it easily.
They’ve been taken. I don’t say that. I just exchange a look with Dalton and then turn to the men.
“We’ll help you find them,” I say. “Storm here is trained for tracking. While we are busy handling the hostile problem, we recognize that this is an emergency, and so we’ll divert our resources temporarily. As a gesture of goodwill between our communities.”
“We still need one of your people to come with us,” Leon says.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake!” Dalton explodes. “Really? Are we back to this?”
“If it was your wife missing, Eric, and we promised to help, you’d want some assurance of that.”
“No, actually, I wouldn’t. I’d appreciate the offer, but I’d understand you don’t owe me shit.”
“You do owe us. Edwin and Felicity were taken because of you. Because of the trouble you’ve stirred up with the hostiles.”
“I didn’t drag Edwin’s wrinkled ass—”
Moses cuts him off. “You are wrong, Eric, when you say you wouldn’t require assurances if the situation were reversed. If it was the best way to get your wife back, our promises would not be enough.”
Dalton starts to argue, but Moses shakes his head. “Whoever we take will be treated as an honored guest. We promise that.”
“The more time we argue, the colder the trail gets,” Anders says. “Casey needs to work with Storm, and Eric’s our human tracker. So…” He turns to the men. “You get me.”
Their gazes slide up and down him, taking in his height and the size of his biceps.
“I … believe we can come to another arrangement,” Moses murmurs.
Anders chuckles, but Dalton only advances on Moses. “You’re right. We can. And that other arrangement is that you turn around and go look for your leader and hope—just hope—that we don’t say ‘fuck you’ and continue investigating our case, leaving your leader and your daughter in the goddamn forest.”
“Take me,” Sebastian says.
Dalton spins on him. “No. Just no. Stop this shit. First him”—a finger jab Anders’s way—“and now you. We are the ones in charge here. We have the guns. We have the dog. They don’t have jack shit, and they need to remember that.”
“But I’d like to go with them,” Sebastian says softly. “As their guest. Think of me that way. Not a hostage you need to worry about, but a line of communication between the communities as they sort this out. I’ll take Casey’s dirt bike if she’ll let me. I can ferry messages back and forth. And…” A sheepish look Moses’s way. “It’s a chance to get to know Felicity’s people. As her friend.”
“What?” Angus squawks. “You are wooing her.” He spins on Moses. “You see that, don’t you? He wants you to get to know him better so he can ask for Felicity’s hand.”
Sebastian shrugs. “I’m not looking for a wife. I just want to get to know her family.”
It’s impossible to fake a blush. That’s a physiological reaction no one can force. But there are ways to emulate the same look without the actual coloring, and Sebastian does an Oscar-worthy job of it. His eyes drop, his gaze slipping just a bit to the side.
It’s not just that. His brows lower, and his expression would do a blushing maiden proud, demure and just a little coquettish. His stance, though, is far from maidenly. He holds himself straight and tall, head turned to his best advantage, muscles flexed.
Sebastian’s appearance is so average that, on a college campus, he’d be one of those guys whose name you never remember. Blandly innocuous. But he’s pleasant-looking, with a lean build that’s been putting on muscle since he arrived in Rockton. The outdoors agrees with him, too; he’s like a plant kept indoors far too long, bursting into glowing good health in the sun and fresh air.
That’s what he’s putting on display here. Youth and health. A young bull in the cattle market. Healthy and strong. No signs of deformity or breeding issues. Good, viable stock. Because that’s how Moses is looking at him, and Sebastian knows it. A potential suitor for his daughter. A potential mate for his daughter.
If the settlements have one problem, it’s a lack of external bloodlines. That’s the reason Edwin finally relented when Sidra brought Baptiste home. He might not like her husband being from the other settlement, but at least there was no question of inbre
eding. That’s what Moses is thinking here. A healthy, strong, intelligent young man who cannot possibly be related to his daughter.
Sebastian is setting him up.
“Sebastian?” I say. “May I speak to you a moment?”
He follows me off to the side. He doesn’t jog after me with his usual puppylike enthusiasm. He strides purposefully. A strong-willed young man who recognizes authority but retains his self-assurance in the face of a possible reprimand. Keeping up the persona he wants to present for Moses.
“What are you up to?” I ask once we’re out of earshot.
Anyone else would feign surprise, confusion, maybe even irritation at the accusation. Sebastian only grins, unperturbed.
“Nothing bad,” he says. “Don’t worry.”
“I didn’t think it was something bad,” I say. “Which doesn’t mean I’m not still worried.”
His grin grows. “Good call. But in this case, you don’t need to be. I’m defusing the situation in a mutually beneficial manner.”
“Uh-huh.”
“I go with them, of my own volition and against Eric’s wishes, so it’s clear he didn’t cave to their demands. I take the bike—if that’s okay—so I can leave anytime I want. And, yes, I can run messages between you. Also, if I really am an honored guest—which I think I will be, if I play this right—then I’ll get access to things you and Eric can’t. Information on the settlement.”
“So you’re spying.”
He shrugs. “If you want to call it that, sure. But also…” Another shrug, one shoulder lifting. “I’m worried about Felicity. The settlers are being assholes, and they’re pissing off Eric. I want to shove past the stalemate.”
I eye him.
“I promise not to hurt anyone unless my own safety is at stake,” he says.
“It’s not them I’m worried about. They might call you a guest, but you’re still a hostage.”
He winks. “I can look after myself.”
I still hesitate.
“They didn’t want Will because he’s big and scary. They’ll take me because I’m neither of those things. Which proves they are shitty judges of character all around, so we might as well use it to our advantage, right?”
I nod and wave Dalton over to make the final decision.
TWENTY-SEVEN
Sebastian will go with the settlers after he gets the dirt bike. Also, the settlers may not “escort” us back to Rockton. If Sebastian really is a guest, they’ll accept that.
As for Edwin and Felicity, the settlers will conduct their search, and we’ll conduct ours independently, which keeps them from breathing down our necks.
Moses agrees. So does Leon. Angus is furious, but he’s too young to have any say in the matter. Maybe his hostility should make me worry for Sebastian’s safety but, like Sebastian said, he can take care of himself. I may feel weirdly protective of him, but he isn’t a child.
We’re quiet on the walk back. Anders keeps glancing at Dalton, and then over at me, his mouth tight with worry. What happened back there was a shit show, and Anders doesn’t even know the half of it. I’ll tell him the rest later.
We saved the settlers, and they turned on us while we’d been recovering from the shock of the bear attack. They’d demanded a hostage and, while we’ve been clear that’s not what Sebastian will be, Dalton still feels as if he’s lost ground here. It’s not so much about the hostage as the fact that they won their original goal—getting our help—and there’s not a damn thing we can do about it. What’s our other option? Abandon Edwin and Felicity to prove a point?
See, you can’t boss us around. You need to ask nicely. Otherwise … well, sorry for your loss.
But Felicity deserves better. If only they’d asked. That’s all it would have taken to resolve this happily. We save Moses from the bears. They tell us their dilemma. We magnanimously offer to throw our resources into helping them. We come out as heroes and good neighbors, and everyone’s happy.
Except everyone wouldn’t be happy with that scenario, because it would place Edwin’s settlement deeply in our debt. Instead, sure, we helped with the bears, but they cleverly secured our assistance afterward.
The endless balance of debt and obligation. Who owes whom. People out here will risk their own lives to keep from dipping too low on the scale. Dalton cannot abide that. Burn the damn scales and act like civilized people who recognize we’re all fighting the same battle and should help each other when we can.
It doesn’t work like that. It should, but it does not.
As we walk, Anders isn’t the only one glancing at Dalton. Sebastian checks, too, and while his face never gives anything away, I know he’s concerned. Worrying that he’s made this situation worse. When we near Rockton, he asks if he can speak to Dalton while they get the dirt bike, and we let them go. Storm glances at me. She senses Dalton’s mood, and she’s asking permission to stay with him. I grant it with a wave, and she jogs after them, her huge paws pounding the ground.
Once they’re far enough away, I tell Anders about the bears. Shock turns to outrage. Demanding a hostage to secure our help was heinous enough. Add the fact that we rescued them first, and it’s the worst kind of betrayal, backing Dalton into a corner where he can only do what feels like surrender.
Speaking of betrayals …
I spot Petra heading back from her shift at the general store. A few hours ago, I’d been making my way to Rockton, hell-bent on confronting her with my suspicions. Now, seeing her, there’s a moment of “Hey, didn’t I want to talk to Petra about something?” before it all crashes back.
I take one step in her direction before checking myself.
“Everything okay?” Anders murmurs as I stop short.
No, everything is miles from okay. This particular problem, though, must wait. Spring days may be long, but they are not endless, and it’s past six already. We need to find Felicity’s trail, and I cannot get distracted by confronting Petra. Also, I cannot confront Petra and then walk away, leaving her with the chance to tell Émilie what we know and let Émilie—possibly both of them—fly beyond my reach before I can return.
Would they flee? That’s the question. Whatever they’ve done, the council will undoubtedly back them. Yet the council isn’t here. In their shoes, as much as I’d like to stand my ground, I’d know that the smart thing to do would be to get out of Rockton. Fast.
“Throwing Émilie in jail for the night would be a bad move, wouldn’t it?” I murmur. “Politically, I mean.”
Anders glances over. “Uh … not even sure I want to touch that one.”
“Have you seen her?”
“Not since she left the station earlier.” He glances at me and lowers his voice. “If you want her locked up, we’ll do that, but you might want to talk to Phil first. See how bad a move it would be. I can’t believe I’m suggesting consulting him but…”
Anders is right, of course. We’d need to ask Dalton, too, but he’ll agree without a second thought. If I think a suspect is a flight risk? In the cell they go, no matter who they are. It’s Phil whose opinion I’d need. I won’t ask, though, because even I know it would be a very bad idea. I’m only voicing a wish while letting Anders know we need to keep an eye on her.
I’m saying that, as quietly as possible, when Petra spots me. I tense, and Anders murmurs, “You want me to head her off?”
Will I be able to resist confronting her? Yes, with effort. Can I hide the fact that I want to confront her, that something is wrong? Probably not, and if I don’t, then I tip my hand, and we might very well come back to find Émilie and Petra gone.
I should tell Anders yes. Run interference, please, and distract her while I escape. Yet even that could be a tip-off, however deftly handled. And there is another way. A way to divert her and make sure that, even if Émilie bolts, she won’t take Petra with her.
“Hey,” I say.
“Hey, yourself. Everything okay?” Her gaze trips over my clothing, and her lips twitch in a grin. �
�Looks like you and Eric took the opportunity for a little couple time in the woods.”
I glance down to see just how dirty and rumpled my clothing is.
“Bear,” I say.
She stops short, grin freezing. “What?”
I shrug. “I was tripped by a young grizzly. Landed flat on my back. It’s okay, though. Momma Bear considered devouring me and decided against it.”
“I … I think you must be joking but … you’re not, right?”
“Nope. It’s been a very long day. And now I could really use your help finding Edwin and Felicity.”
Another blink, as if she’s still not hearing right. “The old man and the kid? They were here, right?” She pauses. “Does this have something to do with the bears?”
“I really hope not. The more likely suspect is hostiles. Or a search party looking for the missing hikers. Or, possibly, whoever killed the settlers and the tourists, if it wasn’t the hostiles.”
“I…” She looks at Anders. “This all makes sense to you, does it?”
“Sadly, yes,” he says.
“So,” I continue, “what I really need is you, Petra. I’d like you to help us find Edwin and Felicity. I know you aren’t a tracker, but if they’ve been taken hostage, I might need your particular skill set.”
“Sure. When do we leave?”
“As soon as possible. I’m just going to check in with April and see how the patient is doing. Then I’ll grab a takeout dinner. We want to catch as much daylight as possible.” I pause, as if just now considering something else. “Wait. Émilie. Will she be okay by herself?”
Petra chuckles. “She flew here by herself. Believe me, she doesn’t need me to feed her. I will pick up something for her, though. She’s been resting.”
“Taking it easy?”
She hesitates long enough for me to know she suspects there’s more to it. Then she shrugs and says, as nonchalantly as possible, “That meeting took a lot out of her. She said it stirred up memories, and she needed some time. That’s why I went into work. I had the day off, but she very clearly wanted to be alone with her thoughts, and my apartment isn’t big enough for that.”
A Stranger in Town Page 23
