Back of Beyond

If they were all back his world would be in order again, even if Dakota had split the blanket for good. He could cope for the rest of the trip without a petulant Dakota dragging him down.

He’d make sure that future didn’t have any women like Dakota in it, he thought with a crooked grin.

As he wound his way up the mountain directly west away from the trail he caught a glimpse through the trees of a J-shaped glacier on the side of a mountain face. He recognized it and nodded to himself, then reached back and undid his saddlebag to compare it against the Google map printouts in his file. The file was missing, and he bellowed, “Dakota! You bitch!”

* * *

He thanked God she hadn’t dug deeper and found the satellite phone. He’d never even told her it existed, or that he brought it along on every pack trip just in case he got into some kind of trouble. He was afraid she’d make a casual reference to it and a client would hear her and want to use it. Pretty soon, he’d have clients lined up wanting to call home, check on their kids, call the office, and so on. He was a purist about the wilderness and about the experience he wanted to impart on his trips, and that experience had very much to do with isolation and forcing his guests to not keep in contact with home.

But this was different. This was about him. He punched in the number he was told not to call under any circumstances until he was done with the trip and it rang three times before it was picked up.

“What?”

“This is Jed. I’ve got a problem.”

“I know who the hell it is. It’s not a good time.”

“I said I have a problem. I need your help.”

“You’ve got more problems than you know, Jed. I’ve been trying to reach you for two fucking days. Don’t you ever turn that thing on?”

“No,” Jed said. “I told you. I don’t even tell anyone I have it. If someone heard me talking on it-”

“I know, I know, you already told me, for Christ’s sake. But given the circumstances, I thought you’d at least check it.”

Jed said, “Someone took the map.”

Silence.

“I said-”

“I heard you! How in the hell did that happen? Who took it?”

“Don’t worry,” Jed said. “I know who it is and I’ll deal with her later. She works for me. Correction: worked for me. I don’t think she’s smart enough to figure out what we’re even looking for. But right now I’m practically there. I can see the glacier. I need you to send me that map again as an attachment. You can do that, can’t you?”

“If she’s got the map she might figure it out.”

Jed took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. “She won’t figure it out. I’ll make sure she doesn’t. I’ll make up a story about something-don’t worry about it. Right now, I need another copy of that map. Can you send it or not?”

A long sigh. “I told you it wasn’t a good time. I’m on the way somewhere now. I’ve got to deal with a problem of my own.”

“Are you on duty?”

“Yeah. But what I’m doing is off the books.”

“Can you send it to me when you get back to your office?”

“Yeah.” He was distracted. “Yeah, I can do that.”

“How long before I can expect it, then?”

“I don’t know. Forty-five minutes at the latest. Providing there’s no one around.”

Jed nodded. “Okay then. Good. So what’s the other problem you referred to?”

“There’s a cop after you.”

Jed felt his insides contract. “What?”

“There’s a cop after you. His name is Cody Hoyt, and he’s completely fucking nuts. His son is on your trip, I guess. Jed, he somehow thinks there’s a connection between some murders and someone on your trip. That’s why he’s after you.”

Jed shook his head. “I don’t understand. What murders?”

“The last one happened up here a week ago. He thinks whoever killed this guy-his name was Winters-is on your pack trip. He wants to find him.”

“So what are you telling me?”

“To watch out. I lost track of him two nights ago in Bozeman, but he was definitely headed your direction.”

“Are you saying he’s in the park?”

“I don’t know. I’m going to find out. That’s where I’m headed right now. I know a guy who probably knows where he is.”

“He’s in the park?” Jed said again.

“I told you, I don’t know.”

“And what do you mean he thinks there’s a killer on my trip? Who in the hell is that supposed to be?” Thinking: If anyone, it’s Wilson.

“I don’t have a name. I don’t even have a description. I’m not sure he knows.”

“The boy must be Justin because he’s the only boy on the trip.”

“Okay.”

“Why in the hell would a killer book a pack trip? This makes no sense.”

“I know, I know. I’m just telling you what I know.”

“Look,” Jed said, trying to keep his anger at bay, “You told me you’d take care of the back end. You told me all I’d need to worry about was finding that wreckage and you’d handle your end and make sure nobody put things together. You fucking told me you’d use all your … influence … to make sure I was the only one looking for that plane.”

“I know all that. You think I don’t?”