He found cover behind a slew of boulders, probably blasted out of the mine decades ago.
More sounds from the mine, and he spotted Mars again, carrying another bucket, although larger, this time carried between him and ... the hunter, aka, Sloan Sorros.
“She showed up at the Barrow place,” Sloan was saying. “She’s going to be trouble.”
“Both of them,” Mars said as they hiked the bucket into the back. He shut the tailgate. “You were right about Tatum. He’s still alive.”
Sloan’s face had cleaned up, leaving a mottled bruise and a dark wound across the cheekbone. “I’ll find him. No loose ends.”
“And Wilder Frost too. He’s still out there,” Mars said. “He could bring it all down.”
Jericho unclipped his radio and set it to emergency signal—a continuous ping that search and rescue could home in on. Wouldn’t help now, but if things went sideways...
Orlando growled. Clearly he hadn’t forgotten Mars.
Jericho held out his hand. “Stay.”
The two men headed back into the mine, the entrance gaping like a black mouth in the mountain face.
He needed a way to lock them in—Except,wait,maybe...
He reached inside his pack and pulled out a hand charge. He just had to loosen the snowpack. They wouldn’t die—just be trapped long enough for Deke to get here. Once he got ahold of him...
Jericho edged out into the lot—
“...finish this today. I’m done waiting...”
He lit the charge. Orlando heeled beside him, tense. “Stay,” he growled.
Then he threw the bomb.
It landed thirty feet up on the mountain, and Jericho grabbed Orlando, scrambled to hide behind a tumble of rocks. “Down!”
Orlando lowered himself to the ground.
Bam!The bang went off, and snow splattered the air. Orlando didn’t move—good dog, but shoot, the layer didn’t budge.
He needed another go—
Footsteps echoed in the tunnel.
Mars ran out, carrying a gun. So that was great.
Jericho’s hand on Orlando’s head came a second too late to stop his growl.
Mars turned.
Orlando barked. Yeah, scent found.
Jericho stood up as Mars aimed his gun at them. He reached for Orlando’s harness.
“Well.” The voice behind him was ice. “Look who finally caught up.”
He turned and spotted Sloan emerging from the tunnel. The man also held a gun.
“Hands up,” Sloan said.
Jericho raised one hand.