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Even with the pup’s help, it took longer than she would’ve liked to free the sled, repair Moonbeam’s harness, and repack their gear. She settled both Ellis and Aleu in the sled bag, though Aleu was not happy about it. Even hurt, she wanted to run. When Bree dragged her away from her spot at the front of the pack, she got nipped. It didn’t break the skin, but she’d have a bruise.
“I know. I know. This sucks, but you have a more important job right now. You have to protect Ellis for me and keep him warm.”
Sometimes she swore her dogs spoke English because after one last glower at Norte for taking her spot in the lead, Aleu climbed up and settled next to Ellis with a huff.
All right. Now to find Solitaire.
Bree pulled out her map and compass and in the light of her headlamp, figured they were still ten or so hours from the town. The dogs were in good form and Norte used to be a competent lead. They could make it tonight. Theywouldmake it tonight. They didn’t have a choice. Ellis couldn’t stay out here another night, or he’d die.
As she folded her map, she heard that sound again. The one that had roused her after the storm. An engine. A snowmobile. She hadn’t been imagining it before. She whipped around to scan the tree line behind them.
“Am I really hearing that?” Ellis asked, his voice rusty.
“If not, we’re both hallucinating.” She laughed. “I think we just got lucky.” She spotted the headlights and lifted her arms to wave…
But the headlights flicked off.
“Wha—”
Something thunked into the ground a few feet from the sled. She turned to look at the hole in the snow as the bang of the shot echoed through the still air. She jumped.
Ellis, more alert now, pushed himself upright. “Was that a gun?”
She couldn’t answer. The sudden noise had spooked the dogs and they lurched forward, struggling against the snow hook holding the sled in place. She tried to release it but every time they pulled, it dug itself deeper.
Another thunk, this time on wood. The bullet had hit the side of the sled, close to her leg. This wasn’t an accident, a hunter mistaking them for prey. Someone was targeting them and getting closer with each shot.
They had to go.Now.
She yanked her knife from the sheath at her belt and sawed at the rope holding the hook to the sled. The third shot came so close she heard it whistle by. The dogs lunged against their harnesses again, panicked, and finally, the rope snapped. The sled bounced hard behind them, jarring every bone in her body.
All she could do was hang on and trust that, even panicked, Norte wouldn’t run them off the cliff.
16
Norte banked hard to the left and ran straight for the cliff.
By the time Bree realized where he was going, she had no hope of stopping them. Applying the break now would only slow them down and lead to certain disaster. At least right now the odds leaned toward semi-certain disaster. They needed all the speed they could gather if they stood any chance of not dying.
And maybe she didn’t want to stop him. Behind them, the snowmobile roared to life. They had no hope of outrunning the machine in a flat-out race, but they had one advantage. They could go where it couldn’t.
Like over the edge.
Oh, God.
The team had run down steep inclines many times, and once before had leaped off a cliff when the sled crossed too-fresh snow and triggered a small avalanche. The dogs knew what they were capable of. She had to trust them. Had to trust Norte hadn’t lost his lead dog instincts in the past year that Aleu had been in lead. But it was hard when she’d spent the last year transitioning Norte from sled dog to house pet. Had all that pampering dulled the edge that had made him such a fantastic lead in his younger years?
She was about to find out.
Norte disappeared over the edge, followed by Nugget, who was running in single file in the swing position. Mozart and Moonbeam, running in tandem, disappeared next. Moonbeam howled with delight as the world dropped out from under her. Because of course she did. Once again, she was too dumb to be afraid.
Last in line were Chilly and Diggy. Chilly was her usual chill self, happy to go with the flow, fully trusting that her leader wouldn’t lead her to harm. But Diggy’s step faltered as they neared the edge. He glanced back at Bree, a question in his young eyes.
“Yes, Diggy. Hike!” The pup couldn’t balk now, with half the team plunging down the cliffside and the sled bearing down fast. If he didn’t follow his teammates, he’d tangle the gangline and the sled would run over both him and Chilly.
Chilly also saw his hesitation and in a very uncharacteristic move, she nipped at him. He yelped and looked at her like she’d betrayed him but picked up the pace again and the two dogs disappeared over the edge.
Bree held her breath, tightened her grip on the handlebar, and planted her feet. “Ellis! Hang on to Aleu!”
