Death Cache

DEATH CACHE

Tiffinie Helmer

A
CKNOWLEDGEMENTS

To Kristin Morgan for sparking this idea of geocaching when I needed a new fresh survival premise for my Alaskan books. I have enjoyed the time we worked together and hope many great things come your way. When you read Death Cache, I hope it doesn’t put you off geocaching. Just maybe don’t enter any competitions where you are flown into the middle of nowhere and dropped off.

To Cindy Stark and Kerrigan Bryne for the last minute plot sewing and character weaving. I’m so lucky to have you both on this journey with me.

To Writers of Imminent Death: Mikki Kells, Kerrigan Bryne, Cyndi Olsen, Ariadne Kane, and Heidi Turner. Our weekly B&N Thursday night writers group have helped keep me focused, inspired, and on schedule.

To Anselm Audley for becoming a fan of my work even though romance isn’t your genre. Thank you for helping clean up my mess. I have really enjoyed our collaborations and will never forget that Wild Men don’t moan.

And to my agent Christine Witthohn for the continued support and whip-cracking motivation.

Thank you!

M
AP

D
EDICATION

For my youngest daughter, Tess. You started out as a surprise and have continued to surprise me since the day you were born. Your sweetness is laced with just enough sour to make you interesting and unpredictable. I am truly blessed to have you in my life. Love you, babe.

T
HE
I
NVITATION

By Special Invitation Only

1st Annual Extreme Geocaching Competition

June 7
^th
– 14
^th

Time & Place: 8:00 a.m.
N64° 49.098’, W147° 55.0349’

Lodging: Rustic cabins on a pristine glacial-fed lake.

What to bring: Pack for survival in Alaska’s Extreme Backcountry.

Do you dare to be the best?

C
HAPTER
O
NE

“Oh my God, I’ve slept with everyone here.” Tern Maiski’s gaze swept the airplane hangar with mounting dread. Good heavens, she sounded like a slut. All four of her exes stood next to the Cessna outfitted like they were headed on the same geocaching trek competition she was.

“Except you refused to put out for me when I wanted to experiment in college.” Nadia Hanson, best friend extraordinaire, came to a stop next to her.

See, she wasn’t
that
sexually promiscuous. Four men in twenty-eight years didn’t make her easy. Besides she’d bet ‘easy’ would be the last word these men would use to describe her.

Nadia gave a slow whistle at the impressive line-up of testosterone. “Damn, girl. Remind me again why you let these guys go.”

All eyes turned their direction. The men stood in a row like a reception line from hell.

Tern tightened her hold on the strap of her backpack. She’d only let two of them go. One had moved her to the friend pile and the other had broken her heart. She had no problem meeting each of the men’s stares. Except Gage Fallon’s. The bastard had walked out on her without a word six months ago. Just up and disappeared. Not an email or lousy text message to explain the hard dumping he’d given her. This was the first time she’d seen him since their last night together when they’d loved each other into a coma. She wanted to devour him with her eyes, and rail at him for making her worry so much. If she hadn’t called and pestered his boss, who’d reassured her that no foul play had befallen him, she would still be worrying and wondering what had happened to him. Obviously he was fine. “I should tuck tail and run right now,” Tern murmured.

“You back out now, what do you think that’s going to say?”

Right
. She’d introduced them to the high-tech sport of geocaching, a treasure hunt where the participants used GPS to find hidden caches. Damned if they’d prove they were now better at the game than she was, not with how wide her competitive streak ran. Nadia’s comment had Tern straightening her shoulders and moving forward with a walk that was part take-no-prisoners and part promise-to-rock-your-world.

Addison “Mac” MacFearson greeted her with a crushing bear hug and a kiss on her cheek. A rugged Alaskan Bush guide with a ‘No Crybabies Allowed’ attitude, he’d been her first love, and still held a special part of her heart. He’d called a halt to their relationship as he was two decades older than her twenty-eight years. He hadn’t wanted another family, and she really wanted children, but they had remained good friends through it all. She hadn’t seen him in a few months and cheerfully returned his hug. He released her, held her at arm’s reach, and cocked a knowing smile. “You’re in for a trial here, sweetcakes.”

Yeah, she’d gotten that idea the moment she’d seen the stud reunion.

Standing next to Mac, Lucky Leroy Morgan winked at her. His come-hither smile and surfer good looks, tempted Tern to sidle a little closer.

Man, he’d been fun.

“I thought you were in Peru climbing the Andes,” she said, staying just out of reach. A lot of good that did her, as he took a step forward and swung her around in a tight clench.

“I was until this little adventure presented itself. Damn, but it’s good to see you.” He followed the swing with a dip and planted a searing kiss on her lips. When he’d righted her, she was dizzy, flushed, and half tempted to follow up on that kiss. But she knew better. Lucky was a gambler, not only with his money but his life.

“I stopped by the shop last night, but they said you were in Chatanika visiting your family,” Lucky said. “Seems lately every time I try to look you up, you’re busy.”

“Thought I was waiting around pining for you?” Their relationship had ended amicably. Both of them wanted different things—she a home and family, Lucky the next adventure—but he still looked her up whenever he was in the hemisphere.

He covered his heart and his bedroom eyes warmed. “A guy can hope.”

Tern introduced him to Nadia, and those eyes heated further in appreciation for her best friend. Another reason she’d cut Lucky loose. The man had a weakness for the ladies, and she didn’t share.

Nadia held out her hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“’Bout time I met Tern’s sidekick. I’ve heard a few things about you myself.” Lucky took Nadia’s hand in his, his approving gaze roving up and down her body. “We should compare notes.”

Oh, heavens.
Tern moved on.

Robert Coate was next. He solemnly nodded his head. “Tern,” he greeted. His steady gaze had the power to nick her heart. She’d broken his and the guilt of it still weighed heavily on her.

A business owner of a sporting goods store just down the street from her own shop, The Arctic Tern, Robert had made the most sense in her husband search. He was involved in the community, regularly attended church, loved dogs, and was a single parent in need of a mother for his beautiful six-year-old daughter, Chloe, who Tern adored. He was about as close to Mr. Good Enough as she’d found, but an inner voice kept whispering she wouldn’t be happy settling. And to be honest, she didn’t want to be known as Mrs. Tern Coate.

“Hi, Robert. How are you doing?”

“Fine.” He straightened his shoulders, his eyes hooded with scowling brows. It was like this every time they ran into each other since their breakup. Though Tern had tried to let him down easy, easy hadn’t worked. She’d been forced to be brutal in order to make it clear she was no longer interested in anything more than friendship from Robert. Since then they had stuck to ‘fine’ and ‘okay’ as they felt around for a more comfortable footing.

And then there was Gage.

Tern’s heart hurt just knowing he breathed the same air. It had the added benefit of pissing her off too. She had no business caring about a guy who wasn’t man enough to pick up a phone.

While she refused to look at Gage as she’d greeted the other men, she’d felt his eyes burn through her. An answering heat rippled under her skin. She’d done her best to ignore it, but failed.

As she finally turned to face him, hunger consumed her, and it was all she could do not to lick him like an ice cream cone, all six feet and three inches of him. He’d changed in the long months since she’d seen him, exuding an edgy danger that unfortunately made him even more attractive. Her blood raced and her heart thumped harder in her chest. She wondered if he could hear it.

His jade eyes were colder, his dark hair longer, and it looked as though he hadn’t laughed in a long time. The biting remark hanging on her tongue died.

“Tern,” he said, in that same husky, deep baritone that had her insides clenching. “Seems you know all the players. Are you the one who set this up?”

Like she was a masochist.
“No. I’m just as surprised to see you as you are to see me.” She met his gaze and tried not to baulk. He didn’t look happy to see her at all. She’d bet he wouldn’t be here if he’d known she’d been invited on this excursion. It hurt knowing he hadn’t missed her the tiniest bit.

Deadbeat. He wasn’t worth her heartache.

Nadia bumped into her, and she grabbed a deep breath hoping it would settle her down. Nadia greeted Gage with a welcoming smile and a hug. They were both employed by the University, Nadia as a math professor and Gage as a scientist for the Geophysical Institute where he studied the aurora borealis and Earth’s magnetosphere. Nadia had been the one to suggest Gage check out her shop when he needed to do his Christmas shopping.

Tern didn’t like seeing Nadia in Gage’s arms. He returned Nadia’s smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners as they caught up with each other. Why couldn’t he have greeted her like that? She turned away before she gave in and kicked Gage in the shins or fell into a blubbering puddle at his feet begging to know why he’d left her.

Through the door of the hangar her white Jeep beckoned, promising escape. She even took a few steps toward it, before realizing what she was doing and stopped. She couldn’t back out now. Not with Gage’s eyes boring into her back. If she walked off, he would know how much he’d hurt her. But then, how could she spend a whole week with him in the wilderness and refrain from killing him? Or worse, sleep with him again?