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“Why there?”
Matt shrugged. “You’ll have to ask the wolves, Alpha mama. Four of Yellowstone’s eight wolf packs, the Junction Butte, the 8 Mile, the Rescue Creek and the Lapita Lake packs are found in this area.”
“Then it’s a good place to start. I need to hide my truck. Any suggestions on that?”
“Yeah, let me get one of the hands from the ranch to ride back over here with me later on and drive it back to the ranch. I hear from Gunner that he plans to join you in the park once the Navy cuts him loose.”
“Yes.”
“Do you have a phone?”
“I do, but I won’t use it.”
“Why?”
“Can’t risk giving away my position. Besides, we have a system we worked out. With your help, I’ll draw a map of how we’ll conduct our search pattern. You can help me figure out the time it’ll take to get from one point to another. Then I’ll draw it, and when you speak with him, arrange to give him the map, and he’ll find me.”
“You sound mighty sure.”
“I am.”
“Why? If you don’t mind me asking.”
“Because he’s Gunner, and if he says he’ll do a thing, only death or imprisonment will stop him.”
“Amen to that, sister. Okay, let’s get busy so you can get on your way. Draw yourself a simplified map, and I’ll mark this one for Gun. The best bet is to follow the shoreline here, around the lake. If you look here,” he put his finger on a point on the map. “There’s good cover here, some small outcroppings to give you some protection at night.”
“Sounds good,” she agreed, and they worked to devise a route and mark it on the map. She drew a fairly accurate, but much smaller representation on a piece of paper she had in her pocket, contained in a small plastic bag. “All he’ll need to know is where the wolves and I entered the park.”
“Exactly.”
It took fifteen more minutes to finish marking the map for Gunner and drawing her own. Once complete, she refolded the paper and returned it to the small Ziplock bag, which she stuffed into one of the pockets of her camo pants.
“I appreciate your help, Matt.”
“My pleasure. One more question. Have you ever had to survive in his kind of climate?”
She chuckled. “I grew up on the res in Wyoming and spent a decade with the Rangers. This will literally be a walk in the park.”
Matt grinned. “Gun’s a lucky man.”
“I don’t know so much about that, but I do know he’s a damn fine one. And I think maybe you rank right up there with him. Again, my thanks.”
“You bet.” He shook her hand. “Stay alive.”
“That’s the goal.”
The look he gave her said he didn’t quite believe that quick quip, so she added. “Along with a few other things.”
“I won’t ask.”
“Smart man. Okay, time to get loaded up.”
“I’ll leave you to it. Are you sure I can’t leave you some supplies, a sat phone or something?”
“We’ll be okay, but thanks. Oh, here are the keys to the truck.”
“Thanks. I hope to see you again, Oakley.”
