Spud tucked the toes of his right foot behind his left knee to try to warm them up. They had been traveling north by northwest. Reed had talked about a river, and a place called Loon Falls, where they could cross into Canada. If Spud kept going in that direction, he would surely find the river. Then it was just a matter of walking along the bank until he found a place where he and Pip could cross.

He didn’t need Reed any longer, did he?

CHAPTER 58

Max set up his bivvy and sleeping bag, unable to escape the question: Where was the search plane?

He had once been involved in a manhunt for a suspect in a triple murder. The man had disappeared into the Superior National Forest, and Max called the State Patrol Search and Rescue unit, who eventually found the man. They had launched both a plane and a helicopter out of Duluth, and within a couple hours had footage of the man hiding beneath a tree, the outline of his body fluoresced in the thermal imaging camera.

Lyle boiled water over a small burner, and Max ate a meal of teriyaki rice that tasted like heaven itself. He hadn’t realized just how hungry he was. As he ate, he tried to make sense of it. How could Bolger not have called out a search plane? Even if he had doubts about the pillow at the shack, the Tahoe at the trailhead was proof that Reed was on the run. Was he really out to protect his old friend? It didn’t make sense.

Max took another bite of his rice and cast his gaze skyward. “I don’t get it,” he said.

“What?”

“Where’s the search plane?”

Lyle didn’t say anything.

“They should be out by now.”

Lyle kept his face to his meal. “Who knows? I told Bolger we found Reed’s Tahoe, but I don’t think he believed me.”

“What do you mean, you told Bolger…?”

“He started flapping his gums about not having evidence. You know the drill.”

Max stopped looking at the sky. “You said you talked to Joanna… not Bolger.”

Lyle stopped eating for a second, lightly shook his head, and said, “I guess I did say that, didn’t I.”

“Let me see your phone.”

Lyle took another bite of food before slowly saying, “You won’t find ’em.”

“Won’t find what?”

“Those two calls I said I made to Bolger.”

“What the hell, Lyle?”

Lyle looked up at Max, his features carrying no contrition or apology. “This ain’t Bolger’s business; I’m not gonna let him get in the way.”

“In the way of what?”

“What do you think we’re doing out here?” Lyle said.

“Saving your grandson’s life.”

“That’s not where it ends, Max. He killed my little girl. You know it. I know it. There’s no way she’d let Pip out of her sight like this—not if she had a breath in her body. Reed’s not leaving these woods alive.”

“I didn’t sign up for an execution.”