the river. It madesense that the woman would need to return to town to have her woundtreated.
“She stopped here.” Cedar pointed to theground next to the bicycle. “The tracks are deeper where thevehicle came to rest.”
Kali groaned. She spent the next fifteenminutes inspecting the SAB, checking all the spots she would boobytrap if her goal were to incapacitate someone’s steam vehicle.
Cedar spent the time leaning against a tree,cleaning beneath his fingernails with a knife. “Shall I set upcamp?” he asked at one point.
“No, but I wouldn’t mind something to eat, ifyou’re offering,” Kali said, her voice echoing oddly since she hadher head stuck in the furnace. The fire had burned out while sheand Cedar were roaming the hills. When he did not respond to hercomment, she withdrew her head and looked at him. “Oh, was thatsarcasm?”
His eyebrow twitched. “Possibly.”
He had to be getting impatient with this sidetrip. Might he be wondering why he had bothered to take her along?Aside from providing a mode of transport, what had she done toassist him? Even the transportation was of dubious worth. He wouldbe closer to Wilder’s claim by now if he had walked up thetrail.
Maybe they would catch this woman and findout she was some sort of super villain with a huge bounty on herhead, and that would make this detour worthwhile.
Kali climbed on top of the SAB seat. Thoughthe bicycle was a broad, sturdy contraption, it wobbled under herweight, and she kept a hand on the smokestack for balance. Shepeered inside it. And froze.
“What the blazes is that?”
“What?” Cedar strode over.
Something dark and lumpy nestled inside thesmokestack. It lacked the clean lines of the booby trap from thetrail and did not appear mechanical-or explosive-but Kali stared atit for a long moment before reaching an arm inside. Her fingerscame up a foot short. Her own body blocked the daylight when sheleaned in farther, and the bicycle seat wobbled beneath hertoes.
“I need help,” she said. “Can you hold me, soI can lean in farther?” She must sound ridiculous with her headstuffed in the smokestack.
Hands squeezed her waist, and she squawkedwhen Cedar lifted her off the seat so her feet dangled in the air.His firm grip had the steadiness of steel, though, leaving her moresecure than when she had been relying on her own balance. Thanks tohis height, Cedar could also boost her entire body above thesmokestack without trouble.
“Thanks,” she called, her voice supremelymuffled now. “I appreciate your strength and-” She inhaled soot andbroke into a coughing fit. The stuffy, hot environs pressed in fromall sides, and she could see nothing. Lingering smoke made her eyestear.
“My strength and what?” Cedar asked, hisvoice distant to her ensconced ears.
When she tried to speak, she ended upcoughing again.
“Ah,” Cedar said. “I’m to guess at the rest.I see. You appreciate my strength and…masculinity?”
The confines of the smokestack made movementawkward. Kali had to wriggle and twist to loosen a shoulder enoughto extend her arm to touch the obstruction. It was hard, lumpy, andfaintly sticky. It did not tick or whir or do anything to suggestmoving parts or a timer set to spark an explosion. More likely itwas there to stuff up the smokestack, which could cause anexplosion of its own volition if built-up exhaust could notescape.
“Strength and virility?” Cedar asked.
Kali felt around the edges of theobstruction, hoping she could remove it, but the solidified massstuck to the inside of the stack with the tenacity of a badger. Shescraped a sliver off and held it to her nose. Though the sootysmokestack made it hard to put her olfactory organs to satisfactoryuse, the gunk had a pungent identifiable scent. She groaned.
“No? Strength and good looks?”
“Pull me out,” Kali said.
“Not until you finish that sentence.”
“What?” She had barely been paying attentionto him.
“You appreciate my strength and what else?”Even though the smokestack dulled the nuances of his tone, she hadno trouble imagining the amused smirk on his lips. Better than thesarcasm, she supposed.
“Strength and willingness to grab myhindquarters and hold me aloft,” Kali said. “Now get me down.”
“Hm, I doubt that’s a trait unique tomyself.” Cedar lifted her free of the smokestack and lowered her tothe ground. The smirk she had anticipated rode his lips, and ittransformed into a full-fledged grin when he saw her face. “Youlook like one of the black gang on a steamship.”
“What?” Kali wiped her face. Her alreadysooty sleeve grew sootier. “Ugh. I’m losing my love for this woman.She’s starting to vex me.”
“Did you get the…whatever it is yousought?” Cedar asked.
Kali scowled. “No. It’s just pitch glue, butit’s wedged in there good. We can’t use the bicycle until I can getback to my workshop and find some turpentine or something suitablefor breaking the bond.” Kali jammed her hands against her hips. “Weshot this woman, Cedar. How could she possibly be spry enough toperform all these pursuit-delaying feats with blood gushing downher arm?”
“Human beings are resourceful and dangerous,doubly so when they’re desperate. Which is why tracking them isalways perilous and takes experience and expertise.” Cedar foldedhis arms over his chest. He must be employing great restraint notto add, “I told you so.”
“All right, I apologize for belittlingtracking,” Kali said. “I know your work is dangerous and hard, andI know a dog couldn’t do it. I was just…irked about the money,even though I knew you were right and I hadn’t done anything tocontribute, much as I haven’t done anything today.” She curled alip at herself. “I’m not…good at patience. I had hopes of gettingmy airship together this summer and escaping this place before Iwas stuck here for another dark endless winter of being haunted bymemories that are impossible to forget when you face constantreminders.”
Cedar lifted an arm and stepped forward, asif to hug her. Her eyes widened. She was just letting loose somesteam; she didn’t need a hug. What kind of female meltdown did hethink she was having?
He must have read her expression, for hedropped his arm before touching her. He clasped his hands behindhis back, and she wanted to kick herself. No wonder he had nointerest in going to the dancing hall with her. She was as warm andinviting as a glacier.
“We better go if we want any chance ofreaching Sebastian’s claim before it’s completely dark out here,”Kali mumbled. “Especially since we’re walking.”
“Do you want me to go after the woman? I candeal with her and meet you at the claim.”
“No, it looks like she’s heading back toDawson. Her annoying booby-trap skills aside, she’s still human, Iassume, and she’ll need time to heal and recover. I bet we can findher there when we’re done up here.” Besides, as good as Cedar was,Kali worried this woman might have tricks up her blood-saturatedsleeve that could thwart him. “And,” she added, “if I show up alonewith my bedroll forgotten, Sebastian might think I want to reunitewith him.”
“I assume you would be quick to disavow himof that notion,” Cedar said, but he was already heading up thetrail.
She caught up and walked beside him. “With myWinchester if necessary.”
“Good.”
PART III
Though long days graced the Yukon in May,Kali and Cedar still did not make it to Sebastian’s camp beforenightfall. The faintest hint of twilight lightened the horizon, butfull darkness blanketed the forest. Fortunately, a well-used trailran along the Sixty Mile. The sound of rushing water guided themfurther, though they had to step carefully when they reached theclaims. Sluice boxes, pans, and mining tools littered the rockybank, and in places water flowed over the trail. With the snowmelting, the river ran wide and high. One might stand on one sideand shoot a critter on the other, but swimming would be a trickyendeavor. Since Wilder’s claim lay on the far side, she assumedCedar would have to borrow a boat to investigate.
