[Alaskan Quest 02] - Under the Northern Lights (6 page)

For a moment, Leah felt her breath catch. The northern lights were one of the most beautiful sights she’d ever known. She’d never gotten tired of this wonder. She remembered seeing them for the first time as a teenager; one of the sourdoughs in Dawson City had told her that if you whistled the lights would move faster, but though she’d tried it, Leah didn’t think it worked. Still, she had to admit that the display was breathtaking. It made her feel as though God himself were swirling the skies with some heavenly paintbrush.

‘‘Oh, Father,’’ she whispered. ‘‘It’s almost as if you are speaking directly to me—as if you want me to know for sure that you are here for me.’’ Leah felt her heart grow warm in her chest. ‘‘It is a sign for me; I’m certain of it. A sign that I shouldn’t give up hope. You are here.’’ Her voice lowered to a barely audible whisper. ‘‘You are here for me.’’

A peace she’d not known since finding Chase in her house at Last Chance washed over her in waves that matched the pulsating rhythm of the aurora. She had no idea how she would deal with Chase once he finally reunited her with her husband and brother, but Leah felt more confident that, when the time came, she’d know instinctively what to do.

The evening passed quickly, despite Leah’s discomfort with such close quarters. When she announced her desire to sleep, Chase tied her hands and feet together, then secured the rope loosely, but effectively, behind her back. Leah didn’t protest his actions. She knew he needed the reassurance that he would remain in power. She wanted him to have no reason to doubt her full cooperation.

‘‘You’re a beautiful woman, Leah,’’ he said as he pulled a fur around her. He touched her cheek. ‘‘We could really benefit each other nicely on this trip.’’

Leah tried not to react as her stomach churned at the very thought of Chase’s intentions. ‘‘I have nothing to offer you, Chase. I belong to your brother.’’

He frowned but moved away from her. ‘‘That can always change,’’ he muttered. He said nothing more, nor did he try to touch her again.

Leah drifted off to sleep feeling her peace of mind slip away. If he came to her in the night, she would be defenseless.
God, please
keep me in your care. Guard me through the night
.

When she awoke in the morning, Leah felt stiff and achy from having been stuck in pretty much one position all night. Still, she was determined not to complain. Chase slept soundly in front of the tent opening. No doubt he thought this would be just one more barrier to keep Leah from escaping.

‘‘Chase, wake up. I need to check the traps and get the dogs readied for the day,’’ she said as she struggled to sit up. It was impossible. ‘‘Would you please untie me?’’

‘‘It’s still dark outside,’’ Chase muttered.

Leah laughed. ‘‘It’s going to be dark for several more hours, but I still need to tend to things. Unless, of course, you don’t plan on our leaving before it’s light.’’

Chase yawned and unfastened her bonds. ‘‘If it were up to me, we’d forget about the others all together.’’

His words frightened Leah. She suddenly thought, for the first time, that perhaps he would do just that. ‘‘I don’t want to forget the others. You know that full well.’’ She pulled the rope away from her feet and hands. She decided to say nothing more. ‘‘I’ll get a fire going. If we’ve managed to catch something in the trap, I’ll do a quick skinning and cleaning and put the food to cook for our breakfast.’’

Leah didn’t wait for a response. Instead, she hurried to secure another oil lamp to light her way outside, then left Chase to his own devices. The dogs stirred and began to whine for their breakfast. She gathered dried brush and took pieces of driftwood that she’d packed on the sled to start a fire. Once that was going, she put a pot of snow on to melt, then set off to check her traps. By the time she returned, the snow would be melted and she could add more to the pot.

There was no other sound except for the sorrowful howls of the dogs. They were grieved that she would go off along the trail without them. Especially Marty. She could hear his distinct cry even as the others joined in.

The first trap revealed a fat fox. Leah smiled. She would save the skin for trading, should they come to a village, but feed the meat to the dogs. It would stretch their meager breakfast and make a hearty addition to the frozen fish. The other trap revealed a hare. Not as fat as the fox, but a good enough size to feed Chase and herself a couple of meals. She would boil the animal, and they could drink the broth and have some of the meat for breakfast. Later in the day they could have the remaining meat for lunch. The skin would be nice to save as well. If she didn’t sell it, Leah knew it could be useful to them for lining their clothes or making additional protection for their feet or hands.

She had been working for nearly an hour when Chase finally came outside. It was still very dark, not even hinting at dawn.

‘‘What time is it?’’ he asked, yawning. ‘‘I fell back asleep. Good thing you’re a woman of your word.’’ He stretched and sniffed the air. ‘‘What’s that?’’

‘‘Snowshoe hare. I caught one in the trap, as well as a fox. The dogs made quick order of the fox meat, but our rabbit will make two nice meals for us.’’

‘‘Smells delightful. I guess your traps came in handy.’’

Leah looked up from the camp stove. ‘‘Yes. They always have in the past. If you’re ready for something to eat, I can pour you some of the broth. I figured we’d drink the broth and eat a bit of the meat, then save the rest for lunch. Does that meet with your approval?’’

‘‘I’ll tell you after I see how full I get on broth,’’ Chase replied, sitting down on the ground beside her.

They ate in silence, but all the while Leah kept wondering where they would travel and how far they would have to go. ‘‘So are you holding my husband and brother at Mary’s Igloo?’’ The tiny town, if it could even be called a town, had once been a fairly well-populated place. It had originally been called Kauwerak, but when gold came to the area in the early 1900s, a name change had come about due to an Eskimo woman named Mary who offered refuge and warm meals for the miners who were in need.

‘‘They aren’t there,’’ Chase said flatly.

Leah felt the food stick in her throat. She quickly grabbed some water to wash down the lump. ‘‘Why are we going there, then?’’

‘‘I didn’t say we were. I just said that was the direction you needed to go.’’

Leah drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. ‘‘I see. So how much farther will we go? Surely it does you no harm to tell me now. We’re far from Last Chance. There’s no one for me to give the secret to.’’

‘‘I suppose not,’’ Chase replied, ‘‘but I know you to be a very ingenious woman. After all, your survival skills rival mine or any other man I know. If I were to tell you where we were headed, there would be little to keep you from doing me in and slipping away to find them on your own.’’

‘‘But I gave you my word.’’

‘‘A lot of people have given me their word before, Miss . . . excuse me . . . Mrs. Kincaid. I don’t trust you or anyone else.’’

‘‘Maybe that’s your problem,’’ Leah replied rather flippantly.

‘‘Well, now it’s yours as well,’’ he answered, getting to his feet. ‘‘Be ready to leave in ten minutes.’’

Leah watched him walk away. She had no idea where he was headed, but no doubt he’d keep an eye on her the entire time. With a sigh, she quickly went about breaking camp. Within the requisite ten minutes she was ready to roll out. As Chase made his way back into camp, the skies overhead revealed signs of dawn.

‘‘Let’s be on our way,’’ he announced, motioning her to the basket. ‘‘But this time, I’ll drive the dogs.’’

Leah had no choice but to accept the arrangement. But as she settled into the basket, she felt a despairing chill settle over her once again. Gone was the peace from the night before, and in her heart she cried out again for God to help her.

I’m not a very faithful child, Lord, but I’m trying. Please help us. Help
me . . . help Jayce and Jacob. Lord, I don’t know what else to do. I just need
for you to show me
.

Chapter Five

W
hat are you saying, Emma?’’ Jacob looked in disbelief at the woman. ‘‘Jayce hasn’t been here until now. Not since last summer.’’

‘‘But he was here. I saw him. He was here with Leah. They left together.’’

Jacob looked to Jayce. ‘‘It must have been your brother.’’

Fear for Leah mingled with anger—no, rage—at Chase. Jayce clenched his fists. ‘‘I’m sure you’re right. Which way did they go?’’

Emma shook her head. ‘‘I don’t understand any of this.’’ The bewildered woman took a seat at her table. ‘‘I thought Leah wasn’t acting herself, but since she’d just arrived and was so tired . . .’’

Jacob sat down across from her. ‘‘Emma, think back. Tell me everything.’’

Jayce joined them. He feared any kind of delay, but it was evident they needed more information.

‘‘Well, Leah came home with John. They only arrived a few days ago. The man we thought to be Jayce arrived a few hours ahead of her. We thought from the things he said that he was you. He seemed to know us—at least he acted as though he knew us.’’

‘‘My brother is a consummate actor. He has fooled an entire nation into believing we are one and the same.’’

‘‘He was very nice,’’ Emma said, shaking her head. ‘‘I would have expected . . . well, he didn’t seem bad.’’

‘‘Chase has a way of putting people at ease and making them believe whatever he wants them to believe,’’ Jayce said. ‘‘Don’t feel bad.’’

‘‘Well, he certainly had me fooled. He seemed quite kind and very loving toward Leah. Are you sure she would know the two of you apart?’’

Jacob laughed. ‘‘Leah would know. She was probably under some sort of threat. At least that’s my guess.’’

Emma nodded. ‘‘She did tell me that your brother was in trouble. She mentioned his kidnapping Mrs. Beecham.’’

‘‘What about Mrs. Beecham—Helaina? Was she here as well?’’ Jayce questioned.

‘‘No, there was no one but your brother.’’

Jayce and Jacob exchanged a look of concern. ‘‘That’s probably how he gained her cooperation.’’ Fear for Helaina edged Jacob’s tone. ‘‘Leah knew your brother had taken Helaina. If Chase played on this—well, she would probably have done whatever he asked her to do.’’

‘‘Which was what?’’ Jayce looked to Emma again. ‘‘What were their plans?’’

‘‘Leah said they were going north—Kotzebue was mentioned, but she didn’t know anything for certain. She said he had a place up north. I asked if she was going to move away from us, and she assured me she wasn’t. Oh, I wish I’d paid better attention.’’

‘‘Chase spent last summer with the
Homestead
exploration group. They were in Kotzebue for some time trying to get native help. You don’t suppose he really has a cabin up there, do you?’’ Jayce turned to Jacob for answers.

‘‘I can’t imagine Chase being open enough to confide any such news. If he told her Kotzebue, it’s probably just a diversion.’’

Emma began to twist her hands. ‘‘I can’t believe this. It’s so awful. Leah with a murderer.’’

Jayce’s fear and anger mounted. Chase had gone too far this time. What little sympathy Jayce might have mustered for his brother fled in the realization that Leah was now in jeopardy.

‘‘I wonder what he did with Helaina,’’ Jacob muttered.

Jayce realized Jacob was now pacing instead of sitting with them at the table. ‘‘I’m sure she’s fine. Chase would have had no way of knowing Leah would return to the village. If he came here merely to get supplies and new dogs, he probably put Helaina somewhere for safekeeping. Somewhere with friends or someone he could pay to watch over her. Maybe he promised them extra food or needed supplies.’’

Jacob stopped. His face appeared to be chiseled in granite. The expression was one of barely contained rage. ‘‘He could have just killed her.’’

‘‘I don’t think he’d do that,’’ Jayce said, shaking his head. ‘‘Think about it, Jacob. He knows someone is after him. He had to figure that a search team would be assembled. Besides, Helaina would have told him that we would personally come for him. She knew we were only days behind her arrival into Nome.’’

Jacob seemed to consider this and calm. ‘‘That’s true enough.

Still, I don’t trust your brother.’’

‘‘I don’t trust him, either, but I trust his sensibility when it comes to self-preservation. He won’t do anything to jeopardize his safety and survival. Keeping Helaina alive while he gathered supplies and dogs would be in keeping with his manner of doing things,’’ Jayce assured. He could only pray that he was right. It did seem reasonable that Chase would conduct business in such a manner, but it also seemed just as much like Chase to eliminate any extra problems. Jayce would not tell his friend that, however.

‘‘So he came here, and they took ten dogs and supplies,’’ Jacob reiterated. ‘‘Emma, did Leah mention how many supplies they were taking? Did she perhaps say that Chase had told her to pack a certain amount of stuff?’’

Emma frowned and closed her eyes. ‘‘I don’t think she ever mentioned it. We only talked briefly. I told her my sister was coming in the summer and that I was expecting another baby. I told her we had plans to go to the States in the summer. I just ran on with talk about me. I feel so ashamed.’’ She opened her eyes, revealing the tears that had welled.

‘‘Emma, this isn’t your fault,’’ Jacob said. He came to her and put his hand on her shoulder. ‘‘No one blames you for this. Now tell me, did anyone else talk to Leah before she left?’’

‘‘Ayoona and Oopick did,’’ Emma recalled. ‘‘You might talk to them about how that went. Ayoona’s a very astute old woman. She might have noticed something amiss.’’

‘‘That’s true,’’ Jacob said, looking to Jayce. ‘‘She might have known something was wrong but not been able to figure out what it was.’’

‘‘We’ll talk to her,’’ Jayce said. ‘‘So let me get this right. They left two days ago with ten dogs and a sled packed with goods and headed north—but you know nothing more.’’

Emma nodded. ‘‘I’m really sorry.’’ From one of the other rooms a baby began to cry. ‘‘That’s Rachel. She’s not been feeling well. If you’ll excuse me, I need to tend to her.’’