Chapter 9

GARVIN WOKE to William returning to bed. "It's still early. I built up the fire to warm the place up, and I let Sasha out." He slipped under the covers, his skin cool to the touch. Garvin tugged him close and lightly kissed the back of his neck.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yes. It's still pitch-dark, and nothing seems to be moving outside. Sasha stayed out just a few minutes and is sleeping in front of the stove." He rolled over and pressed Garvin back, kissing him lightly. "Do you think that maybe we could make up for our interruption last night?" He kissed him, and Garvin hummed his most pleasant agreement, sliding his hands down William's back to cup his perfect behind.

"Are you sure?" William asked, and Garvin showed him by kissing William deeply. He was quite a man, and Garvin let his hands roam. More than once he had gotten a feel of William as they slept together, but he had always been careful because he didn't want William to think he was perving on him, even though he was. After all, William was stunning, with his highlighted hair, intense eyes, and fantastically lean body. Something about William really got him going, and Garvin wanted William to know that. He wanted him to feel it, not just hear the words.

"What are you thinking about?" William asked.

"How amazing you feel in my arms," he answered without missing a beat. "I was a fool to not have seen you for all these years."

William nuzzled his neck. "You see me now, and that's what matters. The past is just that, and neither of us can change it." He wriggled his hips, and Garvin groaned as William's cock slid alongside his own. "All any of us can do is move forward." He captured Garvin's lips and held him tightly as the two of them slowly rocked together. It was sweet and slow. Garvin should probably have been in a rush after all this time, but he didn't want to hurry William. They deserved to take their time, and Garvin was a patient man. William was the one who usually rushed into things, and he seemed more than happy to go at Garvin's pace.

"Do you work out a lot?" Garvin asked as he ran his hands down William's chest.

"Yeah. It's part of the job description. Everyone wants their models to be slim. Hell, I swear it's the most unhealthy profession there is. When I'm home, I have to watch everything I eat." He smiled. "But I don't have to do that with you. I can just be myself."

Garvin didn't think he had heard anything more generous than that. Knowing that William didn't think he needed to put on an act or hide who he was was a high compliment. Everyone hid parts of themselves, and knowing that William had let his guard down was sexy as hell. "No, you don't. You open yourself in a way that's pretty amazing."

Their kisses intensified, as did the passion between them. The air in the room might have been chilled, but in that bed, under those covers, he and William scorched those sheets. Garvin didn't want this to end, but the heat built between them fast, and there was nothing he could do about it. The electricity between them was like a runaway engine, completely out of control with no way to slow it down before it overheated. William's skin against his provided just enough friction that there was no way Garvin could contain himself.

"Garvin," William whimpered, and Garvin gripped that perfect ass, clutching it as he pushed them harder, lifting William up as they slid together. He clamped his eyes closed, trying to hold on to some shred of control but losing it by the second. William was too sexy, and it had been so long since he'd allowed himself to feel anything for another man. Suddenly the dam burst and Garvin tumbled into sweet oblivion, taking William along with him.

He lay still, panting. "Damn…," Garvin breathed softly.

"I know. I guess there was a lot of pent-up anticipation on both sides." He laughed softly. "If I'd known that just having you in my arms like this would be so explosive…."

"I know. I wouldn't have waited so damned long either." He chuckled right along with William, closing his eyes and just letting himself be happy to exist in the moment. There was no need for anxiety or worry about what was to come next.

A bark, happy and energetic, broke their spell as Sasha raced into the room and up onto the bed. He pranced on top of the covers before jumping down once more. "I think someone is here."

"It isn't even light yet." William leaned over to glance at the clock.

"Yeah, I know. but I have to get up and start class anyway." He slipped out of bed, kissing William gently before heading to the bathroom, where he quickly cleaned up and then dressed before peering out the window, where Sasha had propped himself up against the sill.

"It's just snowshoers heading to the lake. They aren't here to play with you." He stroked Sasha's fur, rubbing him down. Garvin didn't dare let him out or he'd follow them, and Garvin didn't want him straying too far. Once he built up the fire, he logged in and waited as his students connected. Sasha put his front legs on the chair to get himself in the picture. The kids loved seeing Sasha, and they said hello to him as they connected, with Sasha barking his greeting back.

For the next few hours, Garvin conducted class, taking the kids through their lessons and answering questions. Then he gave them their homework assignments for that afternoon. Since they had been away for a few days, Garvin wanted to make sure they didn't fall behind.

"Let's go to the trading post for lunch. I have a few hours before I need to be back, and I want to talk over some things with the guys about what I saw," Garvin told William. "Sasha can go with us. It would be good for him to get out."

"Okay." William came right over and kissed him. "I wanted to do that all morning, but I didn't think your students would appreciate me making out with you during class." He smiled and then hurried over to start getting his outdoor gear on.

"WHAT HAS you so concerned?" Enrique asked once Garvin and William, along with Devon, were seated in the side room at the trading post. The walls were covered with some of Devon's local landscapes, making the trading post the closest thing to an art gallery in the Alaska bush. The thing was, folks had been driving up from Anchorage to look at his latest work and even buy pieces that fetched many thousands of dollars. Garvin had always admired the work and had his eye on one of the smaller pieces that hung on the main wall.

"Well," Garvin said, "when we found those three people after the avalanche, they were supposed to be caretakers at some mining operation. But what sort of mining is happening up where we found them? Think about it. You shut down an operation on the river a few years ago, and no new permits have been issued. I'm assuming that their camp was higher up, given the way the avalanches run downhill."

Enrique nodded. "There are still some old permits that are active, but they have mostly played out, and I've been told that they had largely ceased operations because they weren't finding anything viable, even with high gold prices."

William patted Garvin's leg. "What did you see that the rest of us missed?" He smiled. "What has you so worked up?"

"Well… you remember that the three people we found were in a hollowed-out depression and there were bits of the building they were in around them. It was all mixed in with the snow, and they used some of that wreckage as tools to dig with." He met the gazes of the other three. "But I noticed that some of those pieces of wood had been charred. They were black on the outside."

Devon and Enrique shared a look, while William gasped. "Which would mean that their building burned before the avalanche."

William sighed, his eyes as big as saucers. "Remember that night how I thought I felt an earthquake or heard winter thunder? In the morning I thought I heard the avalanche… and I did. But there were two rumbles, one sharper, and then another five minutes later that lasted longer. I thought the second was an earthquake. But what if neither of them was? What if the first was an explosion and the second was the avalanche?" He smiled, and Garvin tugged William into a hug.

"You're brilliant, you know that? And you're right. An explosion could cause an avalanche, which is why all explosives are banned in the winter. Mining ceases, and they have to wait till spring. Most responsible operations pull all their explosives because of the effect the cold can have on some of them."

All four of them gaped for a second at the implication. "So what if they weren't caretaking, but trying to mine this time of year?" Devon asked.

"Yeah, and their cache of explosives went off, bringing down half a mountain of snow on top of them. They're lucky to be alive," Enrique observed, but it was William who got to the heart of the matter.

"What if it's even more stupid? What if they didn't clear out their supplies of explosives because they wanted to get a head start in the spring, and their camp caught fire? An explosion would blow everything apart, and the snow and cold would douse everything fast, I'd think. So what if the fire came first, then the explosion, followed by the avalanche?"

Garvin nodded. "Either way, they are responsible for destroying miles of forest and thousands of trees, and God knows what else."

"True. But the only answers are out there," Devon said. "So what's the plan?"

Garvin leaned forward. "Tomorrow is Saturday, and I don't have class. My plan was to go back up there and see what I could find out. Bring back some of the charred wood as proof of what happened and see if we can find anything else. The longer we wait, the more everything will be buried under more snow, and by spring…."

"Everything will be covered by new growth, and everyone will have moved on to other issues," Enrique finished with a nod. "I'll make sure Angie can handle the Saturday breakfast crowd. We'll go on up at first light tomorrow. No storms are predicted, but who knows about the weather otherwise. At least we know right where we're going. We'll travel light and as fast as we can. Get in, take what proof we can, and get out before the mining company can get people in there, because once they do, everything that could tell us what happened will either be gone or lost until spring."

"I'm in," William said.

Garvin wasn't so sure that was a good idea, but judging by the set of his jaw, arguing with him would only cause a fight. Garvin would feel a lot better if William stayed here or back at the cabin .

"Are you sure?" Devon asked. "I know you helped out with the rescue, but tomorrow is going to be even colder. They're calling for clear skies, which means that temps are going to get well below zero, and even the sun isn't going to provide any heat."

William hesitated, and Garvin hoped he'd agree to stay back, but the set of his jaw returned. "I'm going."

Enrique and Devon nodded before getting up. Devon went back to his studio, and Enrique to work. Garvin and William ordered lunch and took a place at a table. "You know you don't have to do this."

William glared at him and leaned forward. "If you don't want me to go, just say so. I'm not going to intrude where you don't want me." Damn, Garvin was trying to figure out when William became so stubborn. He had always thought of him as this rather happy-go-lucky kind of guy that fortune just shone her light on. "I offered to go because I thought I could be of help, but if you think I'm just going to be in the way—"

"I didn't say that. I just thought that you might be more comfortable here at the trading post or back in the cabin where it will be warm. Sasha can stay with you, and…." He could see by William's darkening expression that he wasn't making any headway. "Look, this could be dangerous. We don't know what we're going to be getting ourselves in for. The mining company may already have gotten people up there to try to clean up their mess." The truth was that Garvin was concerned and just wanted William to be safe, but he was doing a shit job of explaining it.

"Sure. I'll sit back here and wonder the entire time if you've run into trouble or gotten hurt. You go on out in the severe cold and expect me to stay back here. If it's so dangerous, then none of you need to go, and you can all stay where it's safe and deal with this in the spring." Their burgers arrived, and William left his plate alone. "This is obviously important enough for you and your friends to go out in the cold to figure out what happened."

"It is. Mining is big business here, but it comes at a huge price, and the environment is what suffers. We put an end to an earlier operation, and if these people are breaking the law, we'll put an end to them too. Hopefully word is going to get out that this part of the state is just too expensive and that their kind isn't wanted. The rivers and streams in this area are clean, and we want to keep them that way. In the spring, the pass over the mountains is glorious with wildflowers and covered with tundra grass that wildlife feed on. We want all of it to remain that way."

William put up his hands. "I get it. You want to keep this area wild and as natural as possible."

"Exactly. We have osprey and hawks, bear and moose, as well as tons of fishing and natural streams, and they all need to be protected. Besides, who knows what these people were up to? It's likely they already caused a great deal of damage."

"Then we need to get up there and try to see what's truly going on, and the more sets of eyes, the better." He was being stubborn, and Garvin, while worried about him, didn't have the right to tell him not to go. "I'll be careful, and I'll dress warmly. I don't want to repeat the night I got here."

"Me either." There was no use fighting over it. William could be an asset to the team. He had sensational hearing, and he was observant. "We'll be up early so we can go as soon as it starts getting light. That way we can get there and back and not worry about the dark." Though Garvin had plenty else to worry about.

"ARE YOU set?" Garvin asked the following morning. He poured William some coffee and had him drink some extra water.

"Yeah." He drank the water and coffee before pulling on his gear. Garvin did the same, checking that William had everything on and that he was bundled up enough. He also had the snowmobile fully gassed up. He fed Sasha and let him out and back in before he and William headed over to the trading post, twilight just starting to build in the sky.

Devon and Enrique were ready and waiting, and after taking care of final plans and using the bathroom, they all headed out, zipping over the snow, following the same route they had the last time. In case they got separated, they agreed to use the same rendezvous point before heading out to where they had found the survivors.

"It's right over there," William said with a pat on the shoulder. Garvin shook his head, and William tapped him again, pointing.

"The GPS says it's still up ahead. "

"But that tree right there. We turned just past it, and that's when I heard them." He pointed again, and Garvin turned. He was sure they were in the wrong spot until he saw the bits of wood and broken building. They came upon the field where the helicopter had landed and continued on. William's directions and the GPS converged as they approached the rescue site.

Garvin pulled to a stop, and Enrique did the same. "It's right over there. We have to be careful. The wind has probably blown snow into the shelter they dug, and we may not see it."

Enrique motioned. "Let's circle the area. We don't need to find where they took refuge. Let's head up the debris field and see what we can find. Follow me, go slowly, and watch for obstacles." He moved forward, and Garvin followed, treading carefully over what seemed like a huge field of snow and ice. But he knew the avalanche could bring down plenty of rocks and boulders as well, so who knew what was under the pristine white covering?

They made a wide arc before ending uphill, where larger pieces of the building were to be found. "You were right," Enrique called as he picked up a hunk of wood, brown on one side and black on the other. It was about three feet long, and Enrique attached it to the light sled he was pulling behind his machine.

"There's another," William said. "Can you get over there?"

Garvin maneuvered, and William stepped over the side of the machine and reached down to tug at the piece of wood. He grunted, and when the wood came loose, William overbalanced and fell off the snowmobile and into a snowbank up to his hips.

"Don't move," Enrique and Garvin said at the same time. "If you do, it will only dig you deeper." Enrique came around the other side and got as close to William as he could. Jesus, seeing him buried like that made Garvin's mouth go dry, and he had to force his mind to stay clear. All he wanted to do was go in after him, but that was a terrible idea. Stay calm and think straight—he knew that was what was needed, but his mind screamed at him to get William safe. "Hold on to the side of the snowmobile," Enrique said as Garvin's heart beat a mile a minute. "Good. Now lift yourself up and take Devon' s hand."

"That's it," Garvin encouraged, his heart roaring in his ears as more of William emerged from the snow. He moved forward and around in a circle, approaching slowly on the other side. "Devon is going to lift you, and then you can climb back on." It took a few tries, but Garvin could breathe again, and the knot in his belly eased once William was safely on behind him again. The piece of wall lay about three feet away, and Devon and Enrique got it on the sled, covered it with a tarp, and bungee corded everything down.

"My guess is that the mine building was somewhere up that way. We could try to see what else we can find," Devon said.

"Turn off the engines," William said, holding Garvin tightly. Garvin cut the engine, and Enrique did the same. "Listen. It sounds like someone is coming. I think we should get the heck out of here. I think it's a chopper."

"I'm taking pictures of the area so we can document where we found the wood," Devon said as they started the engines once more, and Garvin took off across the open field toward the standing trees. The helicopter grew louder, the sled behind Enrique's snowmobile bouncing slightly.

"There it is," William said, and Garvin followed where he was pointing.

"Hang on. We aren't going to stop for a while." Garvin was afraid that snow might have gotten under William's winter clothing. It would melt closer to his skin, and the moisture would wick away heat. They continued forward as the helicopter made a loop over them. Garvin motioned to Enrique to keep going, and they slipped between the short, scraggy evergreen trees.

"What are you doing?" Garvin asked when William released his hold with one hand.

"The chopper is right over there. I'm waving to be friendly," William said. "If we run from them, they'll know something is up. But if we look friendly, they'll discount us and probably move on." Garvin felt him wave again, but Garvin continued forward. The trees would make it harder to see them, but all anyone had to do was follow their trail in the snow. Still, Enrique continued forward, intersecting their trail out and following along that same track. The chopper made a final circle and then continued on .

"Good thing they left. I think they thought we were hunters or something," William said, holding on once more. Garvin felt much better knowing William's hold was more secure, and he picked up speed again.

"I think they wanted to see what we had on the sled. It's a good thing Devon covered what we found, but they can follow our tracks to the avalanche area. We need to get back," Garvin said. An hour later, they broke out near one of the roads in the area and headed right back toward the trading post.

"Do you think there will be trouble?" William asked.

"I don't know." Garvin was more concerned about getting William inside where it was warm. He could feel him shivering a little and knew the cold had to be seeping in under his clothes. As clear as it was, there was nothing to hold in any heat, and it would get colder, even with the sunshine. When they reached the building, Garvin pulled up to the door and sent William inside, then parked next to Enrique's snow machine and helped unload the pieces of wood they'd gathered. "Where do you want to put them?"

Devon and Enrique shared one of those looks like they were talking silently to each other. "In the studio. We can let them warm up in there and then look them over." Devon went inside, and they each carried in a piece. Devon had cleared a space on the floor, and they laid them out. They were very clearly charred on one side, with ragged edges. Garvin was no expert by any means—hell, he taught school—but these pieces could have been part of an explosion and fire before the avalanche carried everything away.

"What do we do with this?" Enrique asked as he stood with his hands on his hips, looking down at the wood like it was going to offer up the answers as part of a grand speech.

"I say we call the state police," Garvin offered.

"I have Trooper Nelson's card in my office somewhere. I'll go find it and give him a call. See if he'll come on out."

Enrique left, and Garvin went through to the main room of the trading post. William had taken off his coat and snow pants and turned them inside out. His pants looked damp, and he sat at the bar, his hands wrapped around a mug of coffee.

"Are you getting warm again?"

"Yeah. I'm okay. I stayed pretty warm even though I was damp until I got in here. Then the chill started to take hold. But I'm getting better now, and I figured I should let everything dry out." He sipped his coffee, and Angie brought him a bowl of stew, which William began inhaling. "I guess it was pretty stupid of me to go in the first place. I wanted to help, but it's obvious I don't know shit about life up here."

"Hey, you rescued folks," Claude said from a stool two down. He was an old sourdough and had seen plenty of winters up here. "And you learn. The biggest thing is not to take chances unless you have to, and always have a backup plan." He smiled, or what came as close to it as Garvin had ever seen on that grizzled face.

"You got good gear, and falling in the snow happens to everyone." Garvin sat next to William.

"It sure as shit does. One time I was wintering out on my claim over closer to Palmer. I was out working traps when my snowshoes failed. Ended up with the frames up near my balls and me half buried in the white shit. I had to dig myself out and work my way back home. I was lucky and found some shelter and was able to build a fire and roast the rabbits I'd caught. Got me through the night, and I was able to make it home the next day." He patted William on the back. "You had friends who had your back."

"That I did," William said. "But what would have happened if…?"

"Don't go borrowing trouble," Claude warned. "You're here and safe, and the rest you learn from." He turned back to his bowl of stew, and Garvin motioned to Angie and requested a burger.

"You did good. You got us to where we needed to go, and you did it by landmarks and trees. That's something even Claude here would be impressed about."

"For a greenhorn?" Claude asked, nodding. "That's dang good. Young folks use GPS for everything, but I know the land."

"Well, I still feel stupid," William said and went back to his stew. Garvin clapped him on the shoulder, holding his gaze when William turned to him. Part of him had wanted to scold him for overbalancing. Seeing William tumble the way he did had scared him. He could have gone in headfirst, and God knows what could have been under that snow. Even once he knew William hadn't been hurt, his stomach had clenched and his heart raced until they got William back on the snowmobile. He hadn't wanted William to go in the first place, not because he thought he couldn't handle it but because he wanted him to stay safe, and he'd nearly buried himself in a snowbank. If it had been deeper and not packed down by the avalanche, he could have fallen to the point that the snow covered him. That idea sent a frigid chill up his back even in the warmth of the trading post. Still, William was fine, and they had gotten him out.

As it was, he was still concerned about what the helicopter had been about and if there was going to be trouble.

Garvin lightly patted William's knee to reassure him. "The biggest thing is that you didn't panic. You kept your head, and we were able to get you out." He felt like he needed to say something to help remove that hangdog expression from William's face.

William gave him a gentle smile, and Garvin squeezed his knee before pulling his hand away. There was no need to make too big a thing about the two of them in public. Still, he wanted to comfort William as best he could.

Enrique came out from the back room. "He's on his way."

"Who?" William asked.

"Trooper Nelson," Garvin answered softly. There was no need to start a bunch of rumors and talk running through the place. There was already enough about William's mishap and why they were up there in the first place. No need to add fuel to the rumor-mill fire.

Devon and Enrique went back about their business like nothing was going on. "Are you feeling drier?" Garvin asked William, who nodded as he ate the last of his stew.

"Yeah. I'm okay. It wasn't all that much snow, but it's nice to be where it's warm." He asked for another coffee and a glass of water, and he drank the entire glass before sipping the coffee more slowly.

Just as Garvin finished his lunch, Trooper Nelson came inside. Enrique met him, and the two men headed through to the back. "We may as well hear what he thinks." Garvin and William followed them back into Devon's studio and closed the door behind them.

"What's this?" Trooper Nelson asked, looking down. Enrique relayed the story of the rescue and their trip up today. The trooper knelt and examined the wood. "What made you suspicious? Avalanches happen, especially in heavy snow years like this one."

All of them shared a look. "Okay," William began. "First thing, I heard the avalanche. It happened after one in the morning. I woke to what I thought was thunder during the last storm. Then, five minutes later, there was a deeper rumble that went on for a while."

He nodded. "And you think the first one…?"

"Was an explosion at the mining site that caused the avalanche itself. As you can see, the remains are charred. That had to come from a fire. I suspect that the fire started because of the explosion, and then the avalanche wiped everything away. All we saw were pieces of buildings, but Garvin noticed charring when we were up there during the search and rescue."

Trooper Nelson nodded. "I need to go back to my car." He left the room, pulling on his coat and gear. He returned with a heavy plastic tool kit. "This isn't going to tell us what caused the charring, but it will show if there is any sort of explosive residue." He wiped the wood like they did in airports and put the swab in a small sensor in the case. It beeped and flashed red. "Okay, I think we have an answer."

"Damn," William said softly, meeting Garvin's gaze. "I wish I knew what it meant and what they were doing."

Garvin moved next to William and slid an arm around his waist. "Me too. Who would try to mine, much less use explosives, at this time of year?" The only answer that came to mind chilled him to the bone.