He didn’t move.

Fear was colder than the icy water. “Is he d-dead?”

“Wait.” Kneeling, Caz put his head on Mako’s chest. “Heart is alive. Breathing. Him arm broked.”

Now what? Hawk looked at Gabe. So did Caz.

But Gabe had his arms wrapped around himself and was shaking. They all were. How were they supposed to deal with this? To help the sarge?

“Yo.” Bull bumped his shoulder against Gabe’s. “What now?”

Gabe blinked, then hauled in a breath and planted his feet like he was getting ready to fight. “O-okay. Um. Guess we’re staying here for a while.”

“He cold.” Caz held Mako’s big hand in both of his.

“Right.” Gabe motioned to their backpacks. “Dig out your emergency blankets. We’ll wrap—”

Deep huffing and growling sounds made them freeze. Hawk knew that sound from the river by the cabin. It was a bear.

Oh fuck. He was shaking so hard his knees started to give out.

The bear was farther down the stream. Looking right at them. It didn’t have a hump on the back, so it must be a black bear, not a brown…even though it was kinda brownish.

Mako had said to get real noisy for the black ones.

Hawk swallowed hard and glared at Gabe. “Be noisy.”

Gabe nodded and snapped at Bull and Caz. “Start yelling. Scare it off.”

Bending, Hawk snatched the giant gun from Mako’s holster.

The other boys were screaming and waving their arms.

Damn bear didn’t run. Why didn’t it run?

Hawk gripped the gun and pointed it at the bear. The pistol was really heavy.

“Wait.” Gabe leaned over and shoved the safety button thing—and stepped back.

Okay then. Gritting his teeth, Hawk pointed the gun toward the treetops, cuz hitting the bear would piss it off and it’d attack for sure.

He pulled the trigger.

Bam. The gun jumped up in his hands and hit him right in the forehead.

Ow. His face hurt, and his ears were ringing from the noise.

But the bear veered off and disappeared into the trees.

Gone.

The others cheered, then silence fell. Because…now what?

Caz had pulled his blanket out, and they worked to wrap the thin crinkly thing around the sarge.

Mako was so quiet, like he was dead, only he wasn’t, was he?

Tears stung Hawk’s eyes, and Caz was blinking hard, and Bull kept patting the sarge’s chest like he was a dog or something.

Gabe was frowning. “We’re gonna need a fire.”

“Yeah,” Hawk said.

The other two nodded. And looked at Gabe.

Then Mako groaned.

His eyes opened, blue eyes in a tan face that was all scratched and bloody. He started to move, grunted, and scowled at his arm. “What the fuck?”

Bull grinned. “The trail fell apart—and you fell too.”