For the next hour, that’s precisely what he did.
Ripper and I sat on the dock behind Nicole’s cabin, dangling our feet into the water of Lost Dog Lake while Hannah and Levi made breakfast.
“I’d like to go to La Pine with Hannah and Levi.” I cast a sideways glance at Ripper, gauging his reaction.
“Was gonna suggest the same thing. Doesn’t feel right to send them off by themselves. Like as not, Levi’s Grandpa Kurt is dead, and anybody could’ve set up camp at his place. I owe them and don’t want them walking into trouble.”
“I’m glad we’re on the same page. I’m sure Kyle and Sahdev will agree.”
“Might set us back a day getting to Valhalla, but our schedule’s already been shot to shit. One more day won’t matter.”
“Pancakes are ready,” Hannah called.
We joined the others around the kitchen table. Levi stood at the stove, flipping the last of the pancakes onto a platter. Without a hint of self-consciousness, he wore Nicole’s red-and-white polka-dotted apron over his jeans and tee. Hannah had set the table. An old Mason jar filled with wildflowers and fern fronds sat in the center. Empty coffee cups and glasses of Tang—I spied the container of orange-flavored drink mix on the counter—stood by each plate.
“No butter, but we’ve got lots of syrup,” Hannah said cheerfully as Levi walked around the table, depositing pancakes on each plate. She followed behind him, carrying an enamel coffee pot. Hector sat by my chair, his eyes wide and hopeful.
We tucked in. When the last pancake had disappeared, I shot Ripper a look.
He nodded and took a final sip of coffee. “Mac and I were thinking, how about we drive to La Pine with Levi and Hannah? Make sure everything’s good at Grandpa Kurt’s place before the rest of us head to Valhalla.”
“I like that idea,” Kyle said quickly.
Sahdev nodded his agreement.
“We don’t want to hold you up.” Levi frowned. “I know you’re eager to get to the ranch, and you’ve already been delayed a week.”
“Seriously?” Hannah blew out an exasperated breath and rolled her eyes at her boyfriend. “I’d feel lots better if they drove to Grandpa Kurt’s place with us. And besides, I’m not ready to say goodbye to Kenzie.”
She reached across the table and we clasped hands.
I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to Hannah, either. With her sunny spirit and zest for life, she reminded me of Ali, my dead best friend. Ripper, Kyle, and Sahdev were great, but I missed having a girlfriend. And Hannah was like the little sister I never had. I’d miss her like crazy when we parted ways.
Levi glanced at Hannah. He obviously adored her and would probably do just about anything to make her happy. He swung his gaze to Ripper. “You sure, dude?”
I suppressed a smile. How often did anybody call Ripper dude?
“Yeah. We’d all feel better knowing you two are safe.”
“All right, then. We appreciate it.”
Hannah squealed, hopped up, then planted herself on Levi’s lap. She kissed his cheek. “I’m so happy!”
We cleaned the cabin, then packed up our things. Hannah and Levi would drive Nicole’s car. Ripper found three five-gallon gas cans in the boathouse. He distributed the fuel among our three vehicles, preserving our own precious stockpile.
Hannah asked if Hector could ride in the back seat of Nicole’s car with her, at least for the first part of the journey. Ripper had accused me of fussing too much over Hector, of babying him, but my attentions couldn’t hold a candle to Hannah’s. She tied one of Nicole’s silk scarves around the dog’s neck—bright red roses against a leopard-spotted background—and secured it with a giant bow.
Ripper took one look at his dog and shot the girl the stink eye. “Nope.”
The scarf went back into a dresser drawer.
Our small caravan headed out in late morning. In case of emergency, each driver carried one of Miles’s walkie-talkies. About one hundred and sixty miles separated Mt. Hood from La Pine. We planned to follow the shortest route south, through the Warm Springs Reservation, past Madras and Bend, until we reached Grandpa Kurt’s property on a country road outside the La Pine city limits.
We stopped at a park in Madras so we could all stretch our legs and pee. By midafternoon we reached La Pine, took the exit for Burgess Road, and headed west toward the Deschutes River.
According to Levi, Grandpa Kurt had purchased his five-acre property decades ago. The dense pine forest hid his house from nosy neighbors, giving him the isolation he desired for creating his survivalist compound. Deer, elk, and wild turkeys roamed the area, and he was close enough to the river to fish. It was an ideal location for an apocalyptic retreat.
Miles would have loved it.
When we reached the turnoff to Grandpa Kurt’s property we caught our first inkling of trouble. The gate that restricted access to the driveway hung open, the lock blasted to smithereens.
Ripper signaled for a halt and asked me to join Kyle and Sahdev in the jeep, with my Sig at the ready. We proceeded slowly up the long drive. Within a few minutes the house came into view.
“Oh, shit.” Kyle craned his neck, taking in the sight.
Broken furniture and boxes littered the front yard. Somebody had attempted unsuccessfully to bash in the steel front door with a battering ram, leaving its surface gouged and dented. Bullet holes dotted the door and the siding, and all the glass windows had shattered. The security bars covering the windows were Grandpa Kurt’s undoing. Whoever gained access to the house had pried the bars off the largest window, demolishing the surrounding wood and siding. The welded metal bars had fallen onto the lawn.
Ripper cut the engine and climbed off his bike.
“I wanna check the place out first.” He drew his Colt from his holster and stalked around the house.
“I should go with him,” Levi said.
Hannah hung on his arm. “Don’t you dare.”
Five minutes later, Ripper returned.
“Sorry, kid,” he addressed Levi. “I found Grandpa Kurt dead in the back bedroom. Looks like the flu got him.”
“Dammit.” Levi’s eyes filled with tears and he bent over, hands on his knees while he sucked in deep breaths.
Hannah rubbed his back, her own eyes brimming with tears. “I’m so sorry, baby.”
After a minute, Levi straightened and scrubbed at the tears with his hands. “I knew grandpa was probably dead. I mean, what were the odds he’d still be alive? But I had to find out for sure, you know?”
Ripper clapped a hand on Levi’s shoulder. “I get it. It would eat you up if you didn’t know what happened here.”
“What did happen here?” Sahdev asked.
“Grandpa Kurt had a reputation for being a survivalist. Everybody knew he’d stockpiled food and weapons. People came to steal what he had.”
“Looks like they got what they were after,” Ripper said. “The place has been tossed, all the cupboards and closets are empty. Furniture overturned. Everything knocked off the shelves. Whatever they didn’t take, they busted. I’m sorry, Levi. They cleaned out your grandpa’s stash.”
Levi snorted. “You didn’t know him. No way they cleaned out Grandpa’s stash. Follow me.”