Hunted

PART III

Though long days graced the Yukon in May,Kali and Cedar still did not make it to Sebastian’s camp beforenightfall. The faintest hint of twilight lightened the horizon, butfull darkness blanketed the forest. Fortunately, a well-used trailran along the Sixty Mile. The sound of rushing water guided themfurther, though they had to step carefully when they reached theclaims. Sluice boxes, pans, and mining tools littered the rockybank, and in places water flowed over the trail. With the snowmelting, the river ran wide and high. One might stand on one sideand shoot a critter on the other, but swimming would be a trickyendeavor. Since Wilder’s claim lay on the far side, she assumedCedar would have to borrow a boat to investigate.

“Are we getting close?” Kali asked softly,aware of men nearby.

The claims were long and narrow, each with asmall piece of waterfront, so numerous camps were visible along theshoreline. Cedar and Kali had already passed through severalwithout the prospectors noticing.

“Yes,” Cedar said.

Campfires burned at intermittent spots, mostnear the water. Men’s voices rose and fell in conversations andsometimes song. Drink gave some of the voices a boisterous slur.Kali doubted there were many women out here, if any, and she wasglad to have Cedar at her side.

She tapped a pocket where she carried twosmoke nuts. Her Winchester, fastened to her packsack, was withineasy reach as well. She trusted Cedar still had her two vials offlash gold flakes; they were not weapons but, given time, theycould be made into useful tools.

Kali picked out a familiar voice, fortunatelynot singing.

“That’s him,” she murmured to Cedar, whowalked quietly, even with no light to brighten the trail. Shereached out to brush his arm now and then to make sure he was stillthere.

Sebastian sat with five other men around afire pit. All had the bearded, grizzled appearance of veterans, andmore than one sported a scar on his face. A fellow with a greasybeard dangling halfway down his chest scratched beneath an eyepatch with the stumpy nub of a half-missing finger. Rifles andshotguns leaned against logs or rocks, no more than an arm’s lengthfrom their owners.

Rectangular shadows behind the men delineatedtents. The claim farther up the bank from Sebastian’s lay dark, itsprospectors either gone to sleep or perhaps into town, but a fireburned at the one diagonally across the river, the one thatsupposedly belonged to Cudgel’s crony. Nobody sat around it, thougha tent and the beginnings of a log cabin rose near the flames.

“Doesn’t look very active,” Kali said.

“Your old beau?” Cedar asked. “Well, he has aflask of whiskey in his hand. That slows a man down.”

“I meant the camp we’re here to spy on.”

“Ah. I’ll sneak over tonight if I can find away across the river. Let’s get settled in here first. Those menlook rougher than I expected based on my initial encounter withyour Sebastian.”

“I’d appreciate it if you’d stop calling himmy this-or-that,” Kali said. “And just because he’s a dandydoesn’t mean he’s not a fine flannel-mouth. I’m sure he talkedthese fellows into helping with promises of riches, and theybelieved him. As for their roughness, Sebastian probably pickedthem for that. It’s dangerous up here, and you’re like to have yourclaim jumped if anything shiny comes out of it.”

“Understood.”

When they were within a dozen meters of thefire, Kali called out, not wanting to surprise anyone with twitchyreflexes. “Sebastian?”

Sebastian bolted to his feet, eyes largerthan Francis Barton’s prize nuggets. “Kali?”

“Yes.”

Despite Sebastian’s acknowledgement, the manbeside him grabbed his shotgun. He raised it to his shoulder andKali tensed, ready to throw herself to the ground. A riflethundered a foot away from her ear. The shotgun flew from itsowner’s hands. Cursing, the man flung himself behind a log even asthe rest of Sebastian’s cronies lunged for their weapons.

Cedar fired two more times.

“Sebastian!” Kali ducked and scrambled behinda stump. She found her own rifle, but she did not want to fire, notif this was a misunderstanding. “What’re you-”

“Stop!” Sebastian called. “Everyone stopgrabbing for your firearms.”

None of his men had managed to fire a shot,not with Cedar preempting them, but they had all found cover, andirritated snarls came from behind the rocks and logs.

“I invited her up here,” Sebastianwent on. “She’s the one I told you about. Albeit, I wasn’texpecting her so soon.”

A twinge of irritation ran through Kali. Whyhad he expected her at all? Did he truly think his offer thatirresistible? If not for Cedar, she would not have taken a singlestep in Sebastian’s direction.

A shadow moved at her elbow, Cedar joiningher behind the stump.

“Have I mentioned how much I’m enjoying theenhanced chambering speed your modifications have granted myWinchester?” he asked while Sebastian calmed down his men.

“Not since Thursday. Do you think that onewas going to shoot me?” Kali asked, already unimpressed withSebastian’s comrades.

“If I thought that, I would have shot hischest, not his firearm.”

“Ah, so that was merely a warning for anambiguous action.”

“Precisely.”

“Kali?” Sebastian called. “Who’s withyou?”

“Cedar,” she said. “The, uh, fellow you metat my workshop.”

“He wasn’t invited,” Sebastian said.

“He’s willing to work too. Why turn down anextra hand? He’ll take a cut of my share. No need to pay him.”

“That so?” Cedar murmured.

She elbowed him.

“He willing to take a cut of your rationstoo?” Sebastian asked. “Because we don’t have enough to feedsomeone that big.”

“We brought our own food,” Kali said.

“You didn’t even bring a blanket,” Cedarwhispered.

“Sshh.” She could see nothing of his featuresin the dark, but sensed his humor was tickled by the situation. Ormaybe gun-slinging put him in a good mood.

“Come in,” Sebastian said. “We’ll work outthe details in the morning. It’s late. Long past when respectablefolk ride up on a camp.”

“Yes…we were delayed.”

Kali stood and walked toward the fire, armsspread to show she had no weapons in hand. She supposed thecourteous thing to do would be to mention that a dangerous womanmight be about and that Kali’s presence could bring danger to theentire camp.

“Getting sexed up, probably,” Sebastianmuttered to the man at his side who snorted and nodded.

Kali narrowed her eyes and reconsidered thelevel of courtesy she would show the man. Such as, maybe shewould warn him if she saw a grenade plummeting toward his head.

Cedar did not stray from her side as sheapproached, and she admitted a smug satisfaction at having himlooming there. She knew Sebastian would not be jealous-that wouldhave required him to have had an actual interest in her-but atleast Cedar’s presence proved she was not so undesirable as hebelieved. Except, she reminded herself, Cedar was not her beau andshe had lied to Sebastian. Her smugness faded.

“You arrived sooner than I expected,”Sebastian told Kali. “The steam equipment isn’t here yet. We’ll bebringing it up on a raft from Dawson soon.”

“That’s fine. We can help with the sluice boxor whatever you have set up so far.” Kali glanced around. Thoughshe and Cedar had passed numerous claims with such equipment, shehad not noticed any on Sebastian’s land. Maybe she had missed it inthe darkness.

“Good. We have lots to set up,” Sebastiansaid. “We’ve barely got the tents pitched.”

“Is there room for us in one?” she asked.

“Sorry,” he said in a tone that assured hewas not. “They’re already claimed. You can bed down over there.” Hesmiled and pointed to rocky ground near the fire.

“Thanks,” Kali said, glad the air did notsmell of rain.

The men watched Cedar as he moved fartheraway from the fire than Sebastian had indicated. He ignored them.Well, Kali doubted that, but he acted as if he was ignoringthem. The way nobody introduced themselves struck her as odd, butthe gunfire greeting had probably set the men on edge. Thus far,the night did not hint of future friendships, so she hoped Cedarcould complete his business with John Wilder within a day ortwo.

She laid down her gear and, under the guiseof performing her nightly ablutions, checked the two smoke nutsnestled in her pocket. She decided to sleep with them and the knifeon her belt as well. While she doubted anyone would bother her withCedar around, she did not like the camp atmosphere.

When she returned from washing at the riverand saw Cedar’s all-in-one bed-blanket-pillow stretched over therocks, she remembered she would be expected to spend the nighttucked into it. With him.

Though the rest of the men had disappearedinto the tents, Sebastian sat on a log by the fire. He probablywanted to see if another man would actually share a bed with her.She glowered at Sebastian and stalked over to join Cedar.

He crouched beside his blanket, waiting forher. He lifted a hand, perhaps asking if she wanted to get infirst. She waved for him to go. Sebastian glanced their way, andshe dropped her hand. Presumably people who shared beds workedthese details out early in their relationships, though she supposedshe could claim this was their first night on the trail together ifanyone voiced suspicions.

Cedar removed his boots, though thankfullynone of his other clothing. A part of her would not mind seeing himsans garments some day, but not with an audience nearby. He slidbetween the blankets and laid his rifle close by.

“Not sleeping with it tonight?” Kali sat downto remove her own boots.

“I didn’t want you to get jealous.”

She snorted.

“Will you be all right here if I leave laterto scout Wilder’s claim?” Cedar whispered.

“I think so,” Kali said. Thus far Sebastian’sstory had panned out, though admittedly coming in at night meantshe had seen little of his claim and his operation. “But on thechance he’s planning something squirrelly, when would you beback?”

“Morning. Early.”

“I suspect I can keep myself out of troubleuntil then.”

“Hm.”

Kali poked around for a way into thecocoon-like bedding. Cedar lay on his side to provide more room forher. Her options were facing him or not. The former seemed far toointimate, so she laid on her side with her back to him. Hard, lumpystones pressed into her ribs, and cold seeped through the blanket.Spring might have come to the Yukon, but all that meant was sheprobably wouldn’t wake with ice crystals freezing her eyelashesshut.

“Can you slip me one of my vials?” shemurmured. “Just in case I can’t keep myself out of troublewhile you’re gone?”

The blanket rustled. The small container hepressed into her hand was warm, and she wondered where he had beenkeeping it. Kali wriggled about, finding space to draw her knee up,and she slipped the vial into her sock. She pillowed her head withher arms and closed her eyes.

“Does this mean we’re not putting on ademonstrative display to convince him of the veracity of ourrelationship?” Cedar asked, his words tickled with amusement.

“You’re my beau,” she whispered, “not myhusband. For all he knows, we’ve just begun our courtship andhaven’t had, er, you know, yet.”

“Ah. No kissing either?”

“Are you just teasing me because it’s fun andyou can right now without risking a punch in the belly, or are youimplying that you’d actually like to do…stuff?”

Long seconds passed without a response, andshe winced. Had she implied she wanted him to say he wanted to do‘stuff’? Because if he did not want to do ‘stuff,’ she certainlydidn’t want him to think she wanted him to do ‘stuff.’ She closedher eyes and groaned inwardly. When had she become sucha…female?

“I only mention the latter thing, because itwould puzzle me,” Kali said, “seeing as how you turned down mysuggestion we might go to the dancing hall last month and I’venever caught you leering suggestively at me when I’m bent over asteam engine.”

That drew a chuckle from him, but thenanother silence. She pulled the blanket higher over her shoulders.Maybe they should just go to sleep. Sebastian had left,disappearing into one of the tents.

“When I was a boy,” Cedar said, “there wasthis hound that showed up in town. He was all mange and ribs, butyou could tell he’d be a handsome boy if you fixed him up. He was asmart feller too. He knew how to open Old Lady Harrison’s screendoor and filch her meal preparations off the kitchen counter. Thedog didn’t have a collar, so I figured I could claim him and he’dbe the perfect hunting companion for a boy. Trouble was, he wasscared of people. He’d flinch away if you lifted a hand to pet him,and if you cornered him he’d growl and snarl like a rabid wolf. Mygrandpa said folks had beat him, and it’d take a passel of patiencefor someone to get past that fear and turn him into a friend. I,being ten or so, reckoned I was just the person.”

Kali was quite positive Cedar had neverstrung so many words together in a row. She was not sure she likedthe implied comparison, but she listened without interrupting,curious where he would take the story.

“I used some meat to trick him into a pen,”Cedar went on, “and I trapped him there. I brought him food andwater every day and I spent hours talking to him and trying to gethim used to me. It seemed to be working. He didn’t growl so much,and he wagged his tail when I showed up. Well, I wanted to pet himpowerful bad, so I slipped into his pen one day, gave him his food,and tried to get close to him. He got real still and wary, but hedidn’t flinch away, so I thought everything was working like I’dplanned.”

Kali had an inkling of how the story wouldend, but she asked, “What happened?” anyway.

“He bit me, jumped the fence of the pen, andran off. I never saw him again.”

“Am I correct in guessing you’re comparingthis mangy, scrawny dog to me?” Though more amused than angry, shehad a feeling she should give him a hard time.

“No, of course not.” Cedar cleared histhroat. “Maybe a little.” Another beat passed, and he switched hisanswer to, “Yes.”

“At least it was a handsome and smart dog,”she muttered. “Under the mange.”

“Very smart,” he said carefully.

“So, this story means…you’re afraid I’dbite you if you took me to the dancing hall?”

“More afraid I’d bite you,” he said.“And then you’d run away.”

“Oh.” Kali caught her bottom lip between herteeth. She grew aware of her heartbeat, its rapid thumps againsther ribs. Her eyes were probably huge too. Like those of a startleddoe. She was glad for the darkness and that he was behind her so hecould not see her face. “I…know I can be a little…standoffishat times.”

He snorted.

“Most times,” she admitted. “But nobody everbeat me. No scars or anything. Well, except for that one scar fromthe time I decided to make guncotton. Oh, and the first time Itried to make those metal dogs and incorporate the flash gold,well, that needed stitches from Doc. Marvin, but I’m notbite-you-and-jump-the-fence damaged. Really.” She winced. She meantthe words, but at the same time she felt like she was trying toconvince herself.

The fire had died down, and men snored. Upand down the river, the sounds of croaking frogs competed with thegurgling water.

“It’s possible to scar someone withouttouching them,” Cedar said quietly.

“I guess.” Between Sebastian, her mother, andher father, she had certainly been hurt often enough. It was hardto dismantle her booby traps and let people get close. She was notcertain she could even have this conversation-admit thisvulnerability-with Cedar by the light of day.

Cedar stirred. Since she had crawled underthe blanket with him, he had been careful to keep his distance, butnow he rested a hand on her waist. Her instincts reacted before hermind, and she tensed. She rolled her eyes at herself and forcedherself to relax.

“You all right?” he asked.

“Just depressed. I am that dog.”

He chuckled softly, his warm breath stirringthe hairs on the back of her neck. He started to retract theembrace. Kali caught his hand to keep it there. She wrapped herfingers about his calloused palm and she shifted onto her back,turning her head toward his. Darkness hid his face, but, for whatshe intended next, maybe that was easiest-safest. She wanted tobelieve he desired a relationship with her, but nobody ever hadbefore, not without an ulterior motive, and it was hard to believesomeone like him would be the first.

Stop analyzing this, came the thought fromthe back of her mind. Do it before you lose your nerve.

Cedar must have sensed her intent for he wasthe one to lean close. She almost grinned when that beard stubblerasped against her jaw, but then his lips pressed against hers, andshe forgot about that earlier conversation. The chilly Yukonevening grew warm. She was vaguely aware of releasing his hand andsliding her arm around him, twining her fingers into the soft,thick hair on the back of his head. The closeness of theirbodies.

Too soon, he broke the kiss. His callousedhand came up to cup her jaw, and he stroked her cheek with histhumb. Another night, the touch seemed to promise, when we’re noton the ground, in a camp full of strangers, with a mission toaccomplish. And, as close as they were, she had no troublebelieving his interest now.

“Milos,” Cedar murmured.

“What?”

“My name.”

Oh! The M on his Winchester. “That doesn’tsound so bad,” she said.

“Milos Kartes. I got close to Cudgel inDenver, and he framed me for an ugly series of murders. There maybe a Pinkerton detective after me. I figured it wisest to go backto my childhood nickname.”

“Ah.” So, someone was hunting him as well.Although it was criminals who sought her, while the law stalkedhim. If she continued to work with him, could that mean trouble forher someday? Did it matter, given all the trouble already courtingher? Once she had her airship, she could evade those who huntedher. No need to stay in any one port for long, not when she had aworld to see. Maybe Cedar would even want to come along. “Thank youfor trusting me with your name. Though I must admit, yourreluctance to share it had me hoping for somethingembarrassing.”

A long moment passed, as if he wereconsidering something. Finally, he said, “My middle name isKallisto.”

“That’s…pretty.”

“Oh, very pretty. It was my Greekgrandmother’s name.”

“Grandmother?”

“Yes, my mama had been saving it for when shehad a girl. After only boys, she decided to pass it on to heryoungest. Me. Apparently it means most beautiful.”

Kali did not manage to keep from laughing,though she stifled it quickly. The last thing she wanted was toruin things by offending him.

“My Han name is Tsul Gah,” she said, feelingthe need to match his honesty. “Small rabbit. My mother thought Iwas going to be a precious little daughter, not a troublemaker whodisassembled the chief’s dog sled to make skis out of the runners.When I went to live with my father, he just called me, “girl,” so Idecided to pick my own name, a white name. The only white women inMoose Hollow were prostitutes. Kali was the middle name of one whowas decent to me. I later learned it was a Hindi name that meansblack. Guess I wasn’t meant to be white.”

He did not speak for a long moment, and shewondered if she should have kept the information to herself. Theexplanation for his middle name was cute and endearing. Herexplanation was… Well, it certainly made her childhood seempathetic.

“Did you ever know happiness growing up?”Cedar asked.

“Making things made me happy. Beinggood at making things. If you’re good at something you liketo do, it gives you the self-assurance and confidence to deal withthe world’s disappointments.” Mostly.

“Then I’m glad you had that.”

He kissed her again, though it had thebrevity of a goodnight kiss. She forgave him for not offering morewhen he slid his arms around her and snuggled against her back.

“I like Milos,” Kali said. “May I useit?”

“Yes.”

“What about Kallisto?”

“Not unless you want me to use your pliers topull your tongue out through your nostrils.”

She smirked. “Do you always threaten womenafter you kiss them?”

“You didn’t think I was a nice boy, didyou?”