EXCERPT

CHAPTER ONE

Timber Wolf Air did not even have a counter in the terminal at Felts Field Municipal Airport but Reid Tucker eventually found a sign directing prospective customers to an office a hundred yards beyond the building. At least the sign shaped stylized timber wolf looked professional.

"Well, I'm at the right airport this time," he muttered to nobody in particular and headed outdoors. It was early morning and still quite chilly with a drizzle hanging over the airport. He grinned at the expectant look of his Black Labrador waiting, without even a leash on, at the corner of the rental car lot and noticed his trolley filled with his luggage had been left untouched. Cinders was a placid creature but when asked to guard something, she did it with vengeance.

Reid rubbed the dog's ears, spoke a few kind words and pushed the trolley along the pavement. With his wild black beard, over six-foot height and two hundred-pound frame of tanned muscles, he seemed to compliment the Black Labrador that followed him through the throngs of people. Most hastily stepped aside to let him through but one irate businessman stopped in front of him.


"Can't you read?" he glowered. "Dogs are not permitted in the airport grounds. I have a good mind to report you to the authorities."

Reid stopped and fixed his eyes on the man. "My dear sir," he replied in a surprisingly cultured voice. "If your safety is affected so adversely by my companion here, by all means, go ahead and do it. You will find a security guard just inside the main entrance."

The man flushed when a couple of bystanders chuckled and turned away. "Damn hippie," he muttered and disappeared.

Reid returned the grins of the small group around, patted Cinders on the head, and continued towards his destination. In his eyes, Cinders was worth a hundred of the stupid bureaucrats he'd just spoken to. Oh, he'd had his day of wearing suits and ties but he doubted if he ever would do so again.

The covered walkway stopped without any sign of the Timber Wolf Air Terminal so Reid pulled his jacket collar up and strolled on until he came to a second sign and arrow pointing towards a hanger with a small float plane parked on the apron in front. This looked hopeful.

Adjacent to the hanger was a small office with the now familiar stylized wolf painted above the door. Reid told Cinders to stay with the trolley and entered the building. A buzzer rang when he walked in. He was about to knock on an inner door when it opened and a young woman glanced out and smiled. She looked about twenty-eight, was quite tall, slim and had short dark hair t. More unusual, though, was the baseball cap and mechanic's coverall she wore and a smudge of grease across her cheek.

"You aren't the pilot they sending me?" she asked.

"Sorry," Reid replied. "I was told you could help me. I was redirected here from Spokane International Airport. I had tickets with Resolution Air but it seems they've just disappeared."

The woman grinned. "Well, I'm all that remains of Resolution Air. They went bankrupt and I bought two of their airplanes and ground facilities." She nodded around. "That's this." She smiled again. "So how can I help you Mr..."

"Reid Tucker. Call me Reid."

"Hi Reid. I'm Kate Meltz, managing director and chief pilot of Timber Wolf Air." She held out a hand that had a strong grip.

"I need to get to Eagle's Claw Lake. I've rented a cabin on the north arm for the summer season."

"I know it," Kate replied. "The place is somewhat remote..."

"It's what I want," Reid replied with a shrug.

"Okay," she replied. "You're in luck, Reid. I'm flying the Canadair out to the Elf Commune on the south arm after lunch."

"Elf?" Reid queried.

"Eagle Love Family is the commune's full title," Kate replied, screwed her nose up and added, "Strange lot. They'll be your neighbors but I doubt if you'll see much of them. They're one of these self-sufficient places, a hundred or so men, women and kids. I fly them in supplies once every couple of weeks and bring out stuff they have to sell, mainly cheese from their farm and hand-woven rugs, you know the sort of stuff." She stopped and shrugged. "As I said, you're lucky. I was due to fly in yesterday but my plane has been held up. This will be cheaper for you than a special flight in the Beaver." She smiled again and nodded at the aircraft out the door. "I honor Resolution Air tickets, too."

"Great," Reid replied. "What time?"

"Noon," Kate replied. "That's if my plane arrives. It's been up in Vancouver BC getting an overhaul and was promised back today. Yesterday, actually, but now it's today."

"And you don't mind flying my dog?"

"Reid," laughed Kate. "I fly anything. Half my passengers are hunters with dogs."

* * *

When Reid returned just before noon he was pleasantly surprised. A bright orange amphibian aircraft sat in front of Timber Wolf Air's hanger. The Canadair CL-215 had high wings; twin piston engines and was the size of a commuter airliner such as Saab or a vintage DC 3. The fuselage, though, was squarer in design with the underside shaped like a cabin cruiser. Floats extended down from the wing tips. Two doors on the nearest side were open as ground staff loaded piles of equipment aboard from a small tractor and trailer unit. Reid spied his luggage wedged between the gear.

"Well, Cinders," he said to his dog that stood beside him. Her tail lashed and wide brown eyes gazed up as if she understood every word. "It looks as if we'll be in our new home tonight, after all."

Kate Meltz looked worried as she walked out from the hanger and changed direction towards him. "No pilot's come, I'm afraid," she said. "I couldn't even entice the ferry pilots to stay around a few days. I think the idea of landing on water scared them away."

Reid nodded at the Canadair. "It's bigger than I expected. I suppose it needs two pilots."

"Usually," Kate replied." I would take the Beaver but the Elf Commune has heavy stuff they want transported that won't fit in the smaller plane. I'm licensed to fly the Canadair solo but would prefer a co-pilot, especially now I have a passenger."

"Oh, I don't mind," Reid replied and broke into a grin. "I would imagine you're quite capable." He was becoming impressed with his chatty companion.

"Okay," the young woman replied. "The weather will be closing in later this evening so we'll head out as soon as everything's loaded."

* * *

Eagle's Claw Lake did, indeed look like a claw with three long narrow forks of water joined at one end in a mountainous valley filled, except for the lake, by endless fir forest. As Kate dipped the CL-215 and approached the nearest fork, Reid noticed an area of cleared land at the upper end of the fork. Half a dozen buildings, cultivated gardens and several green fields hugged the steep hillsides and smaller triangular flat section intersected by a mountain stream. A road or track followed the river to the apex of the triangle before disappearing into the firs. At the lakeshore, a crossroad followed a small beach area to a wooden jetty that reached out over the water.

"It's like a small town," Reid commented as the view disappeared when the amphibian circled down.

"Military camp, more like it," Kate replied with a touch of cynicism in her voice. "You know the whole area is ringed in a eight foot high fence topped in razor wire. " She stopped talking for a moment as she concentrated on leveling the amphibian off ready to drop onto the lake. "They told me it is to keep the bears and other wild animals out but it is more to keep the locals in." She shrugged. "Not that there is anywhere for them to go even if they decided they wanted to leave."

"As bad as that?" Reid observed.

Kate glanced across at him and smiled. "Oh, I guess not. They're friendly enough when I come but never invite me up for a cup of coffee. The head guy gives me the creeps. Anyhow, you can see for yourself in a few moments. Take my advice and don't tell them you're shifting into old Shelton's place."

"Shelton?"

"The old hermit whose place you're renting. He died a couple of years back. As far as I know, it's been empty since then. I would imagine some relation owns it now."

"You could be right," Reid replied. "I rented it through this reality firm and have an option to buy."

Kate caught his eye but made no comment. She reached across to the twin throttles and, with the casualness of an expert, lowered the amphibian onto the lake. The craft surged forward, bounced a couple of times and came to an almost abrupt halt in the water. Kate opened the throttles a little, the nose rose and they surged forward like a boat with white wake fanning out behind them. A moment later the amphibian circled around, engines were cut and it drifted the last few feet to the jetty where a man reached for an unseen handle and tied the nose to a pole. The rear or the craft was pulled in and they were parallel to the jetty with the port wing stretching across the wooden decking. The outer float cleared the surface by a mere couple of feet.

"I'll give them this much," Kate grunted. "They built this new jetty to handle the CL-215 perfectly. This section floats on the surface so I can come in close no matter how high or low the lake level is." She glanced at Reid. "Remember, don't mention you're going to be a neighbor."

"Sure," Reid replied.

He followed her to the front loading hatch and opened it. Two men stood there and, with a minimum of conversation, unloaded their gear into an ancient trailer hitched to a tractor of similar vintage. Reid was introduced and was met by cold eyes but firm handshakes.

"New pilot for Miss Meltz?" one man asked.

"Yes," Reid lied. The man was quite unlike what one would expect. In the remote hinterland, visitors were usually welcomed and regarded as a source of information. These two appeared as grim as guards at a top-secret military establishment would be.

He jumped down onto the jetty and offered to help load the trailer.

"Thank you but no," the eldest man replied. "We don't require an assistance."

"Okay," Reid shrugged and stepped back. This was when he noticed the women. They were across the gravel road behind the tall chicken-wire fence Kate had mentioned on the way in. Most looked as young as the men were old and wore identical dark blue skirts that reached below their knees, white blouses and had long hair tied back under blue hair scarves. Their faces all looked similar, thin with no make up and large hollow eyes. They stood silently in a line with children ranging from babies to teenagers. Only two of the youngsters gave a quiet smile and one girl wiggled her fingers in a secret wave.

Reid caught Kate's eyes and saw her briefly shake her head. He nodded but still caught the young girl's eyes and smiled. Inwardly, though, he fumed. He'd seen refuges like this from a stint he'd had as a medic in Bosnia, even down to the thin frames and soulless faces, the faces of people with no control over their lives. In disgust, he turned, climbed back in the CL-215 and strolled back to where Cinders sat mournfully in her animal cage.

"No, girl," he said. "I know you hate the cage but you wouldn't want to get out here."

Somehow, the beautiful lake had become sinister and foreboding, the blue water looked black and the silence, ominous.

He turned and saw Kate's head appear in the door. "Got to you, did it?" she whispered. "I thought it might."

"Yeah," Reid responded.

"Look, I'll be about ten minutes. There's a small back load of stuff on the jetty if you wouldn't mind loading it then you could shut the rear door. The Elf commune always pays me in cash, always exactly the right amount and always in crisp new bills." She chuckled at Reid's raised eyebrows. "No it's genuine money. I checked it the first time. Damned if I know where they get it from, though. I suspect they have a floatplane of their own but I have never seen it. There's no other access. The nearest road would be twenty miles away and that is only a forest access road."

" Interesting," Reid replied.

He watched as Kate slipped out of her coverall. Beneath she had a neat maroon jersey and dark skirt that covered an attractive, quite buxom figure. She saw Reid's gaze and flushed.

"More of the protocol," she explained as she reached for a pair of black low heeled shoes and replaced the boots she had been wearing. "They don't like women in trousers or jeans beyond the main gate. It was only after my third visit they even let me inside their compound and that was only when I wore a skirt."

"You look nice," Reid said.

Kate appeared annoyed for a second until she noticed Reid's genuine expression and smiled back. "Thanks," she said in a whisper. "I'm not used to compliments nowadays."

The ten-minute wait became twenty, then thirty. Reid loaded the boxes of cheese, several large cardboard boxes the size of a refrigerator and two crates of fresh vegetables. He shut the back door and sat down beside his dog to wait.

* * *

It was Cinders who heard the noise first. Her ears shot forward and she gave a low growl.

"What is it, Girl?" Reid asked.

The dog was looking at a closed hatch, not the door Reid had recently shut. This was a smaller opening about three feet square on the starboard side away from the jetty. Reid frowned and listened. A slight tapping sound reached his ears. "You're right, Girl," he said. "Perhaps a log has drifted in against the plane. I'll check it."

He walked across to the hatch and gazed through the tiny porthole built into it. Outside was nothing except water and distant trees across the inlet. He was about to turn back when he jumped in fright. A sharp knock rung out from the metal at the bottom of the structure.

He frowned and swung the hatch up on its overhead hinges.

"Help me, please!" shivered a voice.

Two enormous blue eyes stared up at him from the water. A tanned face, long wet blonde hair and full lips were those of teenaged girl. She clasped a small handle below the hatch and appeared to be having difficulty treading water.

"Your other hand!" Reid retorted, grabbed the frozen hand and yanked the surprisingly heavy girl up.

She came out, fully clothed in clinging blouse and skirt, and managed to get a bare foot on the bulkhead and propel herself inside. For a second she lay down gasping and shivering before she turned and gazed at the cargo door and jetty beyond.

"They mustn't find me," she cried. "If I'm found I'll be thrashed or worse. I can't..." A rush of tears replaced her words.

Reid nodded grimly. He searched around for something to help, spied Kate's coveralls and wrapped them, like a towel, around the girl's shaking shoulders. Her lips were shivering from cold and her eyes looked anxious.

"Please," she whispered. "If they know I've gone, they'll search the plane. I need to hide!"

"Your name Lass?" Reid asked as he slammed the hatch down and stepped across to shut the other door. Somehow it seemed safer with the view of the jetty shut out.

"Lorie," the girl replied, " Lorie Somerville." she gulped.

"Okay, Lorie," Reid replied, his voice like steel. "You are safe with me. Nobody will hurt you." "They will," the girl cried. " They'll forcibly remove me and even a big guy like you can't stop four or five of them."

"And you risked a beating and freezing water to swim out here?" Reid replied.

The girl nodded miserably with her eyes downcast. It was as if her courage had evaporated.

"Okay, so we hide you," Reid replied in a soft voice.

He searched around. The interior was half filled with his gear and the boxes he'd just loaded. With a few heaves he pulled the boxes forward so there was a gap in front of the rear wall. "Get in there, Lorie," he said.

She nodded and sprung into action and within seconds was squatting behind the cargo. Reid shifted it back but grimaced. It was an obvious place to search but what else could he do?

"Cinders," he gasped and opened the dog's cage door.

Cinders bounded out with her tail wagging.

"Sit, Girl," Reid ordered. "Guard Lorie, Cinders. Understand!"

The brown eyes stared up and the Black Labrador sat on her back haunches in front of the cargo. The tail stopped wagging and remained straight out behind her. Nobody would touch a thing unless she was called her off. Cinders was a pet but also an excellent guard dog who had been trained with military precision.

They were only just in time. Without even a knock, the jetty door swung open and three men walked in. "We need to search the plane," the old guy who had originally spoken to Reid said. He glared around. "Why is the floor wet?" he hissed.

Reid, though, was not intimidated. "Can I help?" he asked.

"One of our flock is missing," the same man replied.

"So why would he come here?" Reid retorted purposely using the wrong gender.

"Your visit is too much of a coincidence. This girl is a highly neurotic young lady. She can not survive on her own."

"So she's gone for a walk along the shore or to the back of your farm? I have not seen her."

The man glowered and stepped towards the boxes. However, a low growl interrupted his intentions.

"I wouldn't," Reid said. "Cinders there is protecting my gear."

"Call it off," the man ordered but stopped as Cinders rose to her four feet and growled again.

"You are on my employer's airplane," Reid stated in a cold voice. "This is our property, not your land. I respected your customs on the jetty. Here, you can respect mine. I have not seen your missing girl. She is not here. Surely if she had come to look over the plane, your man would have seen her." He glowered at the second man who had, he now realized, been watching the plane since their arrival." As for the wet floor, I opened the door and got some water for Cinders to drink." Reid then decided to bluff and gave a casual shrug. "However, if you wish to move all the boxes, I'll give you a hand." His eyes held the older man's gaze.

For a moment the cold stares held before the man spoke again. "And you never saw a young woman in our uniform on the shoreline or outside the fence?" he asked.

Reid never flinched. "Only the group watching us unload," he said, "but they were all behind your gate."

"Perhaps I was wrong then," The man turned to the other two who returned from inspecting the cockpit. "Joseph, go and search the barn; Jacob, the shoreline."

"Right, Peter," both men replied. Reid was sure there was a sadistic gleam in their eyes as they departed.

Peter turned to Reid and now sounded almost friendly. "If you see her, please tell us," he said and held out his hand. " As I said, she is a highly disturbed young woman half way through her treatment. To stop at this stage could be very detrimental to her health."

"Sure," Reid replied as he gripped the hand.