the shorts and tee I was sleeping in. Then I let myself out of the cabin as quietly as I could.
The figure had disappeared by the time I rounded the cabin and crossed the meadow. But he or she had been heading toward the same trail into the woods that Tatjana had used earlier, so I hurried that way too.
The woods were a lot darker and spookier at this time of night. Animal calls and rustling noises came from every direction. I did my best to ignore them, listening for any sound of human footsteps.
Enough moonlight filtered through the treetops for me to follow the narrow trail through the woods. I hurried along until the trail split, then hesitated. ÂTatjana had gone right earlier. Should I go that way now?
Then I heard the crack of a branch somewhere off to the left. I turned and went that way.
After walking for a few more minutes, I started to doubt my decision. I hadnât heard another sound from up ahead. What if that cracking branch had been caused by an animal? My quarry could be a long way down the other fork by now.
Then I froze as I heard a sudden loud sound up ahead. It was muffled by the trees surrounding me, and I wasnât sure what had caused it. It didnât sound like footstepsâmore like a loud but muffled grunt or squeal. What if it was an animal?
My heart pounded as I suddenly flashed back to all those wildlife warnings theyâd given us on this cruise. Not to mention Bessâs comments about dangerous moose, and Tobiasâs excited talk about grizzly bears and other native wildlife. What if I was about to stumble across a bear, a wolf, an irritated moose?
I stayed rooted in place, waiting for the sound to come again. But all I heard were the normal noises of the forest. Finally I crept forward again, moving slowly and carefully, wondering if I was being foolish. Maybe it would be smarter to go back to the lodge, get some backup. . . .
Then I saw the trees open up into a clearing just ahead. It was larger than the one where Hiro and ÂTatjana had met earlier. But that wasnât the only difÂference. This clearing had a ramshackle corrugated shed in the middle of it.
I crouched behind a tree and scanned the clearing for the hooded figure. When nothing moved, I stepped carefully into the clearing.
The shedâs door was standing ajar. I realized that could explain what Iâd heardâa rusty metal door scraping over the earth might make just that sort of weird sound. Scurrying over, I peered inside. It was dark in there, of course, and at first I couldnât see a thing.
Then my eyes adjusted a little, and I saw something large and square shoved into the darkest corner. A box? What was it doing way out here? And what was inside?
I carefully dragged it out. It was fairly large and surprisingly heavy. When I peeled back the packing tape holding it shut, a strange musty odor tickled my nose, and I let out a sneeze.
BANG!
Suddenly a shot rang out. I gasped and jumped back as a bullet pinged off the metal shed wallâinches from my head!
CHAPTER TEN
New Connections
ACTING ON INSTINCT, I LUNGED FOR COVER behind the shed as another gunshot exploded out of the woods. Leaping across the clearing and into the trees, I ran for my life.
My breath came in ragged gasps, making it hard to hear whether anyone was following me. But no more shots came. Finally I dared to slow to a jog and glanced up at the moon, trying to gauge which direction I needed to go to return to the lodge. I made my best guess and circled around that way, hoping I wasnât too far off. If I went the wrong way, I could end up hopelessly lost in countless acres of Alaskan wilderness.
It wasnât a comforting thought. I ran as fast as I dared, trying not to make too much noise. After a while I found myself on a trail. Was it the same one Iâd taken in? I had no idea. The trees all looked the same, and I couldnât see the moon anymore through the thick canopy
The figure had disappeared by the time I rounded the cabin and crossed the meadow. But he or she had been heading toward the same trail into the woods that Tatjana had used earlier, so I hurried that way too.
The woods were a lot darker and spookier at this time of night. Animal calls and rustling noises came from every direction. I did my best to ignore them, listening for any sound of human footsteps.
Enough moonlight filtered through the treetops for me to follow the narrow trail through the woods. I hurried along until the trail split, then hesitated. ÂTatjana had gone right earlier. Should I go that way now?
Then I heard the crack of a branch somewhere off to the left. I turned and went that way.
After walking for a few more minutes, I started to doubt my decision. I hadnât heard another sound from up ahead. What if that cracking branch had been caused by an animal? My quarry could be a long way down the other fork by now.
Then I froze as I heard a sudden loud sound up ahead. It was muffled by the trees surrounding me, and I wasnât sure what had caused it. It didnât sound like footstepsâmore like a loud but muffled grunt or squeal. What if it was an animal?
My heart pounded as I suddenly flashed back to all those wildlife warnings theyâd given us on this cruise. Not to mention Bessâs comments about dangerous moose, and Tobiasâs excited talk about grizzly bears and other native wildlife. What if I was about to stumble across a bear, a wolf, an irritated moose?
I stayed rooted in place, waiting for the sound to come again. But all I heard were the normal noises of the forest. Finally I crept forward again, moving slowly and carefully, wondering if I was being foolish. Maybe it would be smarter to go back to the lodge, get some backup. . . .
Then I saw the trees open up into a clearing just ahead. It was larger than the one where Hiro and ÂTatjana had met earlier. But that wasnât the only difÂference. This clearing had a ramshackle corrugated shed in the middle of it.
I crouched behind a tree and scanned the clearing for the hooded figure. When nothing moved, I stepped carefully into the clearing.
The shedâs door was standing ajar. I realized that could explain what Iâd heardâa rusty metal door scraping over the earth might make just that sort of weird sound. Scurrying over, I peered inside. It was dark in there, of course, and at first I couldnât see a thing.
Then my eyes adjusted a little, and I saw something large and square shoved into the darkest corner. A box? What was it doing way out here? And what was inside?
I carefully dragged it out. It was fairly large and surprisingly heavy. When I peeled back the packing tape holding it shut, a strange musty odor tickled my nose, and I let out a sneeze.
BANG!
Suddenly a shot rang out. I gasped and jumped back as a bullet pinged off the metal shed wallâinches from my head!
CHAPTER TEN
New Connections
ACTING ON INSTINCT, I LUNGED FOR COVER behind the shed as another gunshot exploded out of the woods. Leaping across the clearing and into the trees, I ran for my life.
My breath came in ragged gasps, making it hard to hear whether anyone was following me. But no more shots came. Finally I dared to slow to a jog and glanced up at the moon, trying to gauge which direction I needed to go to return to the lodge. I made my best guess and circled around that way, hoping I wasnât too far off. If I went the wrong way, I could end up hopelessly lost in countless acres of Alaskan wilderness.
It wasnât a comforting thought. I ran as fast as I dared, trying not to make too much noise. After a while I found myself on a trail. Was it the same one Iâd taken in? I had no idea. The trees all looked the same, and I couldnât see the moon anymore through the thick canopy
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