The River (11 page)

A shadow crossed the girl's eyes.

"Hugging is not common where I come from."

Del chuckled, releasing her. "You're not in Japan anymore."

"We're not in Kansas anymore, Toto," TJ mimicked.

"Kansas?" she said, rolling her eyes. "Hell, you're not even on the same planet, TJ."

Miki ripped off the life jacket, threw it on the ground.

"I thought this was supposed to keep my head above the water."

"If there's a rainstorm like this, the momentum of the river increases," Hawk said, his voice apologetic. "It causes crosscurrents, undercurrents."

Miki suddenly gasped. "Thank God you had the journal, Del."

"The journal wasn't what I was concerned about."

Peter and Miki could have drowned. And she couldn't imagine having that on her conscience. The day might have ended in complete tragedy.

But it didn't. We're all safe.

"The Nahanni might flood," Hawk warned. "I know a place nearby where we can get out of the rain and get a fire going."

TJ, Jake, Gary and Peter dragged the canoes up onto the grass, away from the water's edge. Then they flipped the canoes upside down while Hawk stowed the gear safely under a low-branched tree.

"Keep your day bags and a change of clothes."

Francesca glanced in the direction of the canoes. "Won't we need the cooking supplies, Hawk?"

"Not where we're going. There's a cave nearby."

Del groaned when she heard the word
cave
.

Caves made her claustrophobic. She had a deep-seated fear that the ceiling would collapse, that she'd be buried alive.

She stared at the rocky ridge that protruded from the earth a short distance away. She could see nothing remotely close to a cave entrance.

Hawk strode toward the ridge with purpose, heading toward something only he could see. He led them to a gray and white striped rock face. One minute, he was walking in front of them―the next…he was gone.

"Where'd he go?" TJ frowned.

Hawk poked his head from behind a bush. "You coming in or are you staying out there in the rain?"

TJ and Peter immediately squeezed inside a dark, narrow crevice.

With a resolved sigh, Del followed behind Jake.

Please don't let us be disturbing some animal's lair.

Francesca's voice cut through the dark silence.

"Can't we turn a flashlight on?"

"I could smile," TJ said from somewhere up ahead. "Del always says my smile is blinding."

Del snorted. "I don't think we need to be any blinder."

A warm hand fumbled for hers. Jake's.

"You okay, Del?"

"Yeah, if you can call being squished between two rocks
okay
."

Up ahead, Hawk's voice called out a warning.

"Keep one hand above and feel for the rocks."

With her free hand, Del ran her fingertips along the jagged ceiling. She crouched low when a sharp rock blocked her path. When she stepped past it, the air shifted around her and she sensed the cave expanding in front of her.

"Grab your flashlights," Hawk said, shining a light on each of their bags.

Seven flashlights clicked on and there was a simultaneous gasp.

They stood in a large cavernous room. A room that was obviously habited…by something living.

"Welcome to my lair," Hawk said soberly.

Del's brow flared in surprise.

TJ whistled. "Check this out! Dawg! You even got a bed in here."

As Hawk and Jake lit the oil lanterns that hung from hooks on the walls, Del surveyed the room. In the amber glow, she saw large plastic containers that stored dishes and cooking pots. One bin was labeled
Food
and she murmured a prayer of thanks.

At least they wouldn't starve.

Turning, she noticed a large native blanket hung from two hooks on the other side of the room. Moving toward it for a closer look, she noticed dark rusty-colored markings on the cave wall.

"Whose artwork, Hawk?"

"My Dene ancestors. They've been there for decades."

"Have they been documented?"

Hawk threw her an uneasy glance. "No. I'm the only one who knows about this cave. Even the Nahanni Park wardens don't know it's here. The Nahanni is still mostly unexplored."

Del traced the cave drawings with one finger. As an anthropologist, she could barely contain her excitement. An unexplored cave in Canada was a real find. Especially one in an area with such rich history.

Something in the opposite corner caught her attention. Halfway down the wall, the rock receded, creating a natural cubbyhole. Rain dripped down from an unseen vent above it and dripped over a pile of charred wood and ashes.

Hawk caught her eye. "My fireplace. I drilled the flu to the outside."

"Isn't that against the rules of keeping it natural?"

"Sometimes you've got to break the rules. As long as you show the land respect and humility."

"Do you bring your family here?"

He shook his head. "I come here to get away, to think."

Goosebumps crept over Del's skin and she rubbed both arms, shivering slightly, teeth chattering noisily.

Behind her, Jake uttered a soft curse.

"We need to get a fire going and change into dry clothes," he told Hawk. "Especially Del."

She was grateful for the dim light. No one could see the slow blush that spread across her face.

Hawk grabbed dry logs from a bin that doubled as a table. Soon he had a crackling fire burning. It filled the cave with a heavenly scent.

After the men rigged a thick wool blanket over a heavy cord, Del grabbed a change of clothes from her bag. She reluctantly followed Miki and Francesca behind the makeshift curtain. Clenching her teeth to stop them from chattering, she donned a pair of fleece-lined pants and a warm sweater.

When it was the men's turn, she couldn't resist checking out the legs below the blanket. She knew exactly which naked, muscular ones were Jake's. How she knew, she had no idea.

She couldn't deny that Jake had a certain animal magnetism. Or that he had an engaging smile that made her heart skip a beat. No matter how much she tried to ignore it, she felt an undeniable attraction.

All of a sudden, she sensed she was being watched.

She turned and caught Miki staring at her. The girl's mouth curved into a slow smile.

Del looked away, mortified.

Stepping from behind the blanket, the object of her wayward thoughts strolled to the bed. When he sat down to lace up his boots, she peeked at him from beneath her lashes, her face growing increasingly warm.

TJ sidled up to her, resting an arm across her shoulders.

"Damn! Warm me up, girl. I'm freezing."

Jake's head lifted, his eyes brooding and angry.

"Problem?" she asked him.

He looked away, but not before she recognized the impossible.

He's jealous?

She stiffened.

"What's wrong?" TJ hissed.

"Nothing."

He gave her a look that told her he knew she was lying.

"I have to talk to Peter," he said, walking away.

Alone, Del sank to the smooth stone floor and rubbed her aching legs, trying to forget Jake's jealousy. But she couldn't.

Focus, Del! Put him out of your mind!

"I've been thinking about the code," Miki interrupted. "I need to know more about the professor."

Del patted the floor in front of her. "Sure, what do you want to know?"

"How did his mind work?"

"Schroeder was brilliant. He'd always been fascinated by Aboriginal cultures and secret societies…death."

"Was he trained in cryptology―codes?"

"He had an analytical mind, but I don't think he knew anything about cryptology."

"What about mathematical formulas or computers?"

"Computers?" Del laughed. "He hated them. Thought they were the end of civilization. He could barely operate a cell phone, much less a computer. My dad always tried to get him to buy a Palm Pilot, but the professor said the written word was much more accurate."

"So, Schroeder didn't think like your father."

"No, he was the exact opposite."

Miki's eyes dimmed. "Can I see the book?"

Del handed her the bag containing the journal, thankful to get her mind off the fact that she was sitting in a huge cave with only one vent for fresh air―not including the narrow passageway that cut through the rock from the outside.

"Mind if I join the two of you?" Hawk asked.

Del smiled. "Have a seat."

As soon as he made himself comfortable, Miki pushed the book in his direction. "Can you make out any of these drawings?"

The rough sketch that she pointed to slightly resembled a pyramid or mountain. On either side, two lines trailed from behind it, meeting in the front.

"I'm not sure," he admitted. "But this could be Virginia Falls. I think that's Mason's Rock. It splits Virginia Falls in half."

"Then they must've made it that far," Del said, excited.

Hawk frowned. "What are all these numbers?"

"That's what I'm hoping Miki will be able to tell us."

"Soon," the girl promised. "Very soon."

Miki scowled in frustration, scouring the rows of numbers with the flashlight. What was she missing?

Peter flopped down beside her, startling her.

"You should get some sleep. You've been at it for hours."

They sat a few feet from the fire. Everyone else was asleep in the corner by the cot. By mutual vote, they had all decided that Del should take the bed. Even Miki had noticed that her mobility seemed impaired, jerkier.

"I'm not tired, Peter. I've got these numbers in my head. He had to have a key, a base."

"Professor Schroeder?"

"Yes. If he had military experience, he might have used some kind of war code. If he was into computers, he could have used a form of common encryption. I keep trying to see what he sees."

Peter gave her a long look. "Maybe instead of seeing what he sees, you need to see what's
not
there."

She held her breath.

Could Peter be right?

"What's missing, Miki?"

"Zero," she murmured without thinking.

"Nothing?"

"No," Miki smiled, raising her head. "
Zero
."

She shone the light over the first page.

"There are no zeros in this code."

Peter cocked his head. "And that makes it…"

"Very unusual," she said. "But it does give me a clue. Now all I need to do is figure out why there are no zeros, why he only used one to nine."

"Why couldn't he have used a simple alphabet code?"

"You mean like
A
equals one? Too easy."

She pulled a notepad from her jacket pocket and copied the code.

"I'll work on the first line tomorrow morning. Once I figure out the key, the rest is deciphering. That takes time."

"Go to bed, Miki."

She waited until Peter disappeared behind the curtain, then she quietly moved toward her sleeping bag. She was about to drift off when a rustling noise jolted her awake.

Someone sat down next to her.

Francesca.

She eyed the woman's shadowy form. "Where'd you go?"

"Had to pee. You and Petey sure seemed cozy."

Miki ignored her, snuggling into the warmth of the sleeping bag.

But she couldn't sleep.

Instead, she pictured the line of code.

No zeros. Why?

Nine

A
ngry shouts and thundering footsteps roused Del from a troubled sleep. Bewildered, she emerged from the cave and was startled to see Francesca standing at the water's edge puffing on a cigarette, while Miki stared across the river, her mouth gaping.

As Del approached, the young girl looked up.

"We're down to three canoes."

The girl pointed and Del shielded her eyes against the sun.

One of the canoes drifted slowly down the Nahanni. Caught by a meandering current, it rounded the bend and vanished from sight.

Jake stormed toward her. "Who moved the goddamn canoe?"

"I don't know," she snapped. "I just woke up."

He tossed her a rueful look, then raked a hand through his uncombed hair. "Sorry."

Ignoring him, she turned to Hawk. "Anything else missing?"

"No, just the canoe."

"Who would do such a thing?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. We're not the only ones out here."

She twitched nervously. "Someone lives out here?"

"The forest is home to many of my people. Some don't want trespassers on their land."

"So what do we do now?" Miki asked.

Francesca's laugh was brittle. "We'll have to go back."

Del clenched her jaw stubbornly. "I refuse to give up."

Not now, not when we're so close.

Hawk sighed wearily and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Gary can go with TJ and Francesca. I'll come with you and Jake. It'll be tight, but we can make it."

Relieved, she slipped away to the cave to pack, eager to put her suspicions out of her mind. But Hawk's word's kept returning, haunting her.

We're not the only ones out here.

Someone had tried to sabotage their trip. Somebody who didn't want her to find her father. But who?
Had an intruder crept into their camp and untied the canoe, or was it someone closer―someone she trusted?

"You did it!"

Turning to face her accuser, Francesca arched her brows in surprise, then smiled mockingly. "Whatever do you mean?"

Miki's eyes were like poisonous darts. "You pushed the canoe down to the beach last night and let the current take it. Why?"

Francesca struggled to keep her composure. The last thing she needed was someone spying on her. Yeah, she could play dumb…if she had to.

Casually leaning against a tree, she lit up a cigarette, inhaling deeply before speaking.

"Hey, I had nothing to do with that. I don't know who moved the canoe, Miki, but it certainly wasn't me. Hawk thinks it was some low-life Indian―"

"He never said that! I know you did it."