her.
Francesca.
She eyed the woman's shadowy form. "Where'd you go?"
"Had to pee. You and Petey sure seemed cozy."
Miki ignored her, snuggling into the warmth of the sleeping bag.
But she couldn't sleep.
Instead, she pictured the line of code.
No zeros. Why?
Nine
A ngry shouts and thundering footsteps roused Del from a troubled sleep. Bewildered, she emerged from the cave and was startled to see Francesca standing at the water's edge puffing on a cigarette, while Miki stared across the river, her mouth gaping.
As Del approached, the young girl looked up.
"We're down to three canoes."
The girl pointed and Del shielded her eyes against the sun.
One of the canoes drifted slowly down the Nahanni. Caught by a meandering current, it rounded the bend and vanished from sight.
Jake stormed toward her. "Who moved the goddamn canoe?"
"I don't know," she snapped. "I just woke up."
He tossed her a rueful look, then raked a hand through his uncombed hair. "Sorry."
Ignoring him, she turned to Hawk. "Anything else missing?"
"No, just the canoe."
"Who would do such a thing?"
"Your guess is as good as mine. We're not the only ones out here."
She twitched nervously. "Someone lives out here?"
"The forest is home to many of my people. Some don't want trespassers on their land."
"So what do we do now?" Miki asked.
Francesca's laugh was brittle. "We'll have to go back."
Del clenched her jaw stubbornly. "I refuse to give up."
Not now, not when we're so close.
Hawk sighed wearily and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Gary can go with TJ and Francesca. I'll come with you and Jake. It'll be tight, but we can make it."
Relieved, she slipped away to the cave to pack, eager to put her suspicions out of her mind. But Hawk's word's kept returning, haunting her.
We're not the only ones out here.
Someone had tried to sabotage their trip. Somebody who didn't want her to find her father. But who?Had an intruder crept into their camp and untied the canoe, or was it someone closer―someone she trusted?
"You did it!"
Turning to face her accuser, Francesca arched her brows in surprise, then smiled mockingly. "Whatever do you mean?"
Miki's eyes were like poisonous darts. "You pushed the canoe down to the beach last night and let the current take it. Why?"
Francesca struggled to keep her composure. The last thing she needed was someone spying on her. Yeah, she could play dumb…if she had to.
Casually leaning against a tree, she lit up a cigarette, inhaling deeply before speaking.
"Hey, I had nothing to do with that. I don't know who moved the canoe, Miki, but it certainly wasn't me. Hawk thinks it was some low-life Indian―"
"He never said that! I know you did it."
"I'd watch it, if I were you. People have a tendency to go missing out here. Remember?"
Miki stepped back. "Are you threatening me?"
"No, I'm just giving you a bit of friendly advice."
She blew out a stream of smoke, her eyes resting on Miki's quivering lip.
The girl was easily intimidated. Good. A little fear would go a long way. At least it would shut her up.
Miki clenched her fists. "When I tell everyone that you were out of the tent last night―"
"And when I tell everyone how you came to Canada as an escort for a very influential man…"
She flashed a slow smile, noting the sickened expression on the poor girl's face. It was priceless.
"H-how―"
"It doesn't matter how , Miki. I did my homework before coming here. You should've done yours."
She pushed away from the tree, looking back over her shoulder.
"How do you think Peter will feel when he finds out you're nothing but a tramp? And do you really think Del will trust you with her precious book if she knew that you'd slept with men three times your age?"
"Bitch."
Francesca's mouth stretched into a catlike smile. "And you're a whore." She flicked the cigarette in the girl's direction. "We all have our titles to wear."
Leaving Miki to fend for herself in the woods, Francesca strolled down the
Francesca.
She eyed the woman's shadowy form. "Where'd you go?"
"Had to pee. You and Petey sure seemed cozy."
Miki ignored her, snuggling into the warmth of the sleeping bag.
But she couldn't sleep.
Instead, she pictured the line of code.
No zeros. Why?
Nine
A ngry shouts and thundering footsteps roused Del from a troubled sleep. Bewildered, she emerged from the cave and was startled to see Francesca standing at the water's edge puffing on a cigarette, while Miki stared across the river, her mouth gaping.
As Del approached, the young girl looked up.
"We're down to three canoes."
The girl pointed and Del shielded her eyes against the sun.
One of the canoes drifted slowly down the Nahanni. Caught by a meandering current, it rounded the bend and vanished from sight.
Jake stormed toward her. "Who moved the goddamn canoe?"
"I don't know," she snapped. "I just woke up."
He tossed her a rueful look, then raked a hand through his uncombed hair. "Sorry."
Ignoring him, she turned to Hawk. "Anything else missing?"
"No, just the canoe."
"Who would do such a thing?"
"Your guess is as good as mine. We're not the only ones out here."
She twitched nervously. "Someone lives out here?"
"The forest is home to many of my people. Some don't want trespassers on their land."
"So what do we do now?" Miki asked.
Francesca's laugh was brittle. "We'll have to go back."
Del clenched her jaw stubbornly. "I refuse to give up."
Not now, not when we're so close.
Hawk sighed wearily and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Gary can go with TJ and Francesca. I'll come with you and Jake. It'll be tight, but we can make it."
Relieved, she slipped away to the cave to pack, eager to put her suspicions out of her mind. But Hawk's word's kept returning, haunting her.
We're not the only ones out here.
Someone had tried to sabotage their trip. Somebody who didn't want her to find her father. But who?Had an intruder crept into their camp and untied the canoe, or was it someone closer―someone she trusted?
"You did it!"
Turning to face her accuser, Francesca arched her brows in surprise, then smiled mockingly. "Whatever do you mean?"
Miki's eyes were like poisonous darts. "You pushed the canoe down to the beach last night and let the current take it. Why?"
Francesca struggled to keep her composure. The last thing she needed was someone spying on her. Yeah, she could play dumb…if she had to.
Casually leaning against a tree, she lit up a cigarette, inhaling deeply before speaking.
"Hey, I had nothing to do with that. I don't know who moved the canoe, Miki, but it certainly wasn't me. Hawk thinks it was some low-life Indian―"
"He never said that! I know you did it."
"I'd watch it, if I were you. People have a tendency to go missing out here. Remember?"
Miki stepped back. "Are you threatening me?"
"No, I'm just giving you a bit of friendly advice."
She blew out a stream of smoke, her eyes resting on Miki's quivering lip.
The girl was easily intimidated. Good. A little fear would go a long way. At least it would shut her up.
Miki clenched her fists. "When I tell everyone that you were out of the tent last night―"
"And when I tell everyone how you came to Canada as an escort for a very influential man…"
She flashed a slow smile, noting the sickened expression on the poor girl's face. It was priceless.
"H-how―"
"It doesn't matter how , Miki. I did my homework before coming here. You should've done yours."
She pushed away from the tree, looking back over her shoulder.
"How do you think Peter will feel when he finds out you're nothing but a tramp? And do you really think Del will trust you with her precious book if she knew that you'd slept with men three times your age?"
"Bitch."
Francesca's mouth stretched into a catlike smile. "And you're a whore." She flicked the cigarette in the girl's direction. "We all have our titles to wear."
Leaving Miki to fend for herself in the woods, Francesca strolled down the
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