True North (The Bears of Blackrock Book 4) (21 page)

Theron did as he was told, taking back his post at Sinead’s side. She was still unconscious, but her lips were trembling.

“Bastard unhooked the battery. That man was a special brand of evil. Come on, baby. Enough of that. Get in,” Pearl called out to the darkness before shutting the driver’s side door. A small flash of white darted in front of the now lit headlights, then Buniq appeared at the passenger door and climbed inside. An instant later, Pearl Holden threw that run down Volvo into reverse and followed the wheel path back toward the main dirt road.

They hit the road with a jolt, Pearl wasting no time cutting the wheel toward the south. That car wasn’t built for these roads, but Pearl clearly didn’t care one lick about the suspension. She had a fire in her eyes, even in the quick instances that Theron caught her eye in the rear view. They were on the main drag less than a minute when truck lights appeared in the rear view.

Theron didn’t bother glancing back. He had more important things to worry about.

“Sinead, baby. Can you hear me?”

She didn’t respond. When Theron couldn’t find anything fabric to wrap Sinead’s bare foot in, he made Darrell tuck the foot under his thigh to warm her up.

It was only then that Theron realized how strange it might look when they came careening into Kilikut, four bareassed naked natives in a Volvo with a half frozen Nova Scotian.

Buniq’s face hovered at the front seat, watching her teacher lying there, still blue lipped and motionless. Theron reached up and tussled her hair. Seeing the grief, and he was sure guilt, on Buniq’s face hurt his heart. He knew damn well there was nothing his little cousin could have done differently to change what had happened. And the thought that Baird Davenport had put such a little girl in the situation in the first place made him seethe. He remembered the frightened figures that ran scurrying off into the wilderness to escape his clan. He hoped they were now trudging into the dark, naked and delirious.

He hoped some hungry animal would find them and feast by dawn.

It was the only thought that quelled his fury.

“Let me take point. I’ll go into the station first.”

Charlie’s voice came through the radio as his truck closed in behind. Pearl glanced into the rear view, then down to the front seat. She snatched up the radio and brought it to her lips.

“I don’t need you holding my hand, officer.”

There was a pause. Then Charlie’s voice returned. “I’m not holding your hand, Mrs. Holden, but I do know a little something about ‘protocol.’ She may well need to be airlifted, and the boy in that station is no more equipped to handle this than a god damn sea urchin.”

Pearl brought the radio up again, inhaling as though she were about to unload on him. Then she took a moment, clicked the radio, and spoke. “Alright, fine then. We’ll go in together.”

No more than an instant later, the lights of Kilikut came into view. Theron scanned the cars as they passed the first few trailers and small homes. No familiar cars parked outside, no trucks from the Extension that night. Everyone and everything that happened by the Extension gate remained in the wilderness, unknown to the people of the small fishing town.

Pearl cut the wheel and came careening into the center of town before she finally slammed on the brakes. “Alright, where the hell am I going, damn it!?” She said, roaring into the radio.

Charlie’s truck snuck past them, leading her the rest of the way to the station. It was as though a silent pissing contest was in full swing between the senior officer of Blackrock’s police force, and the chief of the Holden clan. Theron would have bet Pearl the victor in such a match, but as they pulled up outside the station, and Charlie lunged out of the driver’s side door of his truck in mid stride, Theron was beginning to question.

Theron didn’t think twice as he grabbed Sinead and hauled her out of the car. He could feel the cold air against his bare skin, but he didn’t care. Clearly, neither did Grandma Pearl, as she climbed out of the driver’s side door and marched right up the wooden steps and into the small police station.

Theron was barely two steps from the car before he heard the young desk clerk within. “Ma’am! Are you alright?!”

Pearl took no time responding. “No, I’m not alright!”

Darrell stayed in the car with Buniq as Theron hoisted poor Sinead up into his arms and followed Charlie and Pearl.

“Hold on, son. Hold on.”

Theron turned just in time to see Uncle Gregory climb out of Charlie’s stolen truck, holding up a pair of jeans. Gregory had managed to find some of their clothes left down by Charlie’s truck.

He followed Theron up into the trailer, holding the door open for him to get Sinead inside. Theron heard Jared’s concerned calls, but he ignored them Let Pearl and Charlie take care of the explanations. He needed to settle Sinead. He slumped her on a small couch, fighting to drown out the cacophony of Charlie trying to get the young man to call in emergency services while Pearl threatened to throttle the young man for the simple act of wearing a badge.

“I didn’t know, Ma’am! I’m sorry, I didn’t know. What did you say they were doing?”

Charlie gave an exasperated sigh and stormed behind the desk, snatching up the phone. Theron couldn’t make sense out of any words between them as Uncle Gregory tried without success to calm Pearl down. She wanted an explanation as to how the entire town of Kilikut could allow the near extinction of her entire family through years of internment and near starvation. Theron couldn’t blame her. Still, he fought to ignore them, holding Sinead in his arms, the jeans waiting on the arm of the couch beside him.

“Ma’am, we didn’t know! I swear I’ve never been out to the Extension. I’m just here to answer phones, Ma’am. I can call someone. Can I call someone for you?”

“Here.”

The voice was strangely calm compared to the row going on by the desk. Theron turned to find Uncle Gregory standing over him, holding a steaming cup of hot cocoa. Theron gasped at the sight. He helped prop Sinead upright, touching his hand to her cheeks to try to coax her awake. It was no use. She wouldn’t wake up.

“Yes, we have a Miss Sinead Dalton, here. She’s in need of emergency services. Thank you,” Charlie said, then hung up the phone. “There’s no clinic here in Kilikut, is there?”

Jared frowned, shaking his head as Pearl continued to demand his undivided attention. Uncle Gregory was up at Pearl’s side now, softly asserting himself, trying to explain that her uproar wasn’t helping Sinead.

Theron shifted her in his arms, lifting her legs across the couch. He caught a glimpse of her bare toes and cringed. They were turning black.

“Hello. Yes, this is Officer Charles Black of Blackrock, Maine jurisdiction. I’m currently in Kilikut, Labrador and we have an emergency situation.”

Pearl was still regaling both Gregory and Jared now, throwing her own interjections toward Charlie, despite having no clue who he was speaking to. Suddenly, the door to the trailer opened, and Darrell stepped inside wearing Pearl’s sweater and jeans, Buniq curled up in his arms in his own flannel shirt. He glanced across the room toward Theron, but didn’t say a word as Gregory appeared before him, offering up another cup of that hot cocoa.

Buniq took it and devoured it in one swallow. Just as the door began to close, another unfamiliar face appeared in the doorway. She scanned the faces, clearly taken aback by the sight of Pearl standing naked by the desk. She touched Pearl’s shoulder, but Charlie waved at her from behind the desk, pointing toward Sinead. The woman turned her warm eyes toward Theron and rushed across the room.

Charlie continued his conversation. “We’re on the tail end of a kidnapping and hostage situation. Shots were fired.”

Pearl hollered at Jared. “You hear that? You sons of bitches did this!”

The woman’s concerned face leaned in to Theron, her voice hushed. “I’m Laurel Cabot. I’m an EMT – or as close to it up in these parts. How long was she out there?”

Theron swallowed. He hadn’t prepared himself for this. He could see the calm concern on her face and suddenly found himself on the verge of tears.

He couldn’t answer her. He shook his head, and two tears poured from his eyes, falling onto Sinead’s down coat.

“Alright, I’m gonna get an IV set up, get some warm fluids in her, then we’re going to need to transport her to Black Tickle. My partner is on his way with the ambulance.”

“You tell them everything, you! Leave nothing out!” Pearl hollered.

Laurel began a quick inspection of Sinead, making a soft hissing sound when she saw Sinead’s toes. Theron frowned to hear it.

“Hey. Hey,” Laurel said, touching her hand to Theron’s bare arm. “We’re gonna take care of her, ok. We’ll warm her up.”

Theron tried to force a smile as Charlie’s eerily calm cadence picked up again.

Pearl stood there by the desk, still naked from head to toe, her long gray hair swaying just below her backside.

“Yes, sir,” Charlie continued. “Suspect’s name is Baird Davenport. He was dead on the scene. Two other officers involved in the event – one Officer Reed and Officer Miller -are both injured and still on scene. I did not have backup and was forced to leave the scene for the safety of the victims. I cannot attest to the suspects’ status.”

Laurel’s hands stilled. She looked up at Theron, her expression one of shock and disbelief.

Charlie continued. “I was placed in a position where Deadly Force was required. Yes, sir, I shot Baird Davenport.”

The room went silent, and Pearl Holden stood slack jawed, staring at Charlie Black.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

SINEAD

“This little piggy went to market. This little piggy stayed home. This little piggy had roast beef, and then shanked the other two piggies for lookin at his sweet meats.”

Sinead giggled, kicking her foot free of Theron’s fingers. She’d been self-conscious about the loss of two toes when she first woke up in the clinic, but as the days wore on, and Theron kept trying to make light of it, she was growing used to it.

Sinead lay on her parents’ couch, watching Netflix for a full week with Theron always at her side.

Her parents, notified of her status once she reached the clinic in Black Tickle, had hopped every flight and ferry they could to get to her.

It turned out Baird Davenport hadn’t been sending her letters all that time. There’d been a missing person’s report on her for two years.

They’d thought she was dead.

Her mother was understandably doting. “Are you hungry, baby? Do you two need anything?”

Sinead glanced toward the living room door and smiled. “No, Mom. I’m fine.”

Sinead hadn’t told her mother that it was her childhood home and her kitchen that she’d escaped to in the moments of her death. She hadn’t told Theron that he’d been there in that room, sitting at the kitchen table watching her bake with her mother, as though he’d always been hidden in her memories, waiting to make himself known.

Frances and Kevin Dalton worshipped Theron Talbot. As far as either of them were concerned, he could do no wrong. Officer Black relayed much of the story to her parents when they arrived in the clinic – Sinead moved with her students to the Extension, refused to leave them, electric fence, the death of several tribe members, deliberate malnutrition, et cetera, et cetera.

It was old news to Sinead, but needless to say, Frances was on a
tear
and had cooked Sinead’s favorite – Turkey Lasagna – three times that week.

Little did Frances know, bears tend to eat – a lot. Theron had no
complaints about
her mother’s cooking spree.

“Does it still hurt, baby?” He asked, rubbing his thumbs into the sole of her still intact foot.

Sinead glanced down at Theron who sat perched with her feet in his lap. The bandages were still covering the surgical wounds, but the rest of her toes were bare now, warmed by his body temperature and the sunlight casting in from the sunny day outside.

She shook her head. “It’s not so bad now - as long as my feet are up.”

Theron nodded. “Well, good, then. I’ll just carry you everywhere and we won’t have any problems.”

Sinead laughed and turned back to the TV, happily losing herself in
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
for the afternoon.

Her crutches stood leaning against the doorjamb of the kitchen. Sinead still hadn’t used them to venture outside. Despite being locked away for two years, the last thing Sinead wanted to do was leave the quiet solace of her parents’ house.

There was a soft humming from the kitchen as Theron suddenly shifted on the couch. She glanced in time to see him pull his phone from his pocket.

Sinead fought to keep her attention on the television.

Locksley! I’m going to cut your heart out with a spoon!

“Yeah, I have a minute. What’s up?” He said, slipping from beneath her feet.

This had gone on for the week since they left Labrador. Theron took calls from Darrell, Charlie Black, the Labrador Police, the Blackrock Police, his mother – everyone who might have information or need information about the Extension and those who’d been on it.

And died on it.

Sinead couldn’t tell who this call was from, yet.

The Holdens were released and returned to their home on the reserve, and the mounted police were still in process of questioning everyone involved. Two of the men who ran from the Extension gate that night were found, but one was still unaccounted for. Officers Reed and Miller were both being charged for their involvement. Sinead had given her statement there in the clinic in Black Tickle. She’d received a few phone calls since arriving home – clarifications needed by various police officials, but for the most part, the storm was passing.

The Holdens were home on their reserve, and the news was plastering pictures of Baird Davenport on screens across Canada, calling him a madman. It seemed all was as right with the world as it could be.