Withdetailed and nail-bitingrescue scenes, Warren("SkyKingRanch" series) beautifullysets up her new adventure, while alsobaitingreaderswithhertrademarkEastereggsfromherotherbooks.ReadersofromanticsuspensebyLynnH.Blackburn andLynetteEasonwilldevourthisone
One Last Shot kicksofftheAlaskaAirOneRescueseriesanddeliversexactlywhatI’vecometoloveandexpectfromSusan action,suspense,romance,relatablecharactersandbiblicaltruththatleavesyoubothedifiedasabelieverandexcitedfor thenextadventure
One Last Shot heldmecaptivefromstarttofinish!SusanMayWarrenmasterfullycrafts anarrativethatnotonlyimmersesyouinsuspensebutmakesyouanactiveparticipantintheheartoftheaction.
Yeah, no “I’mgoing down there” Boo slammed her ice axe closer to the edge, testing the snow near the side of the crevassewhereshesat.Overhead,thesungleamed,nohelpatall toforestall theperil onthebacksideofoneoftheCopper Mountainresortskiareabowls.Justalittlemoreheatandtheentiresnowpackmightrelease.
Andofcourse,killthemall.
Butthat’swhyshewashere.Andfrankly,hangingoffthesideofamountainbeatsittinginfrontofawarmhearth,watching rerunsofChicago Fire
She’d heard Shep’s dispatchonthe radio onlymoments ago. “The winds are still too highfor himto come in, and ifhe does,he’sgoingtoloosenthispackupwiththerotorwash”
“That’sright,Mace”TheskisnappedoffandMaciescreamed “Letitgo!Letitgo!”Boosaid,grabbingMacie’sshoulders.“C’mon,Macie.” TearsburneddownMacie’scheeks,butshenoddedandstartedsingingagain “Okay,Axe.Haul her up!”ShedirectedMacieup,holdingunder her arms,thenunder her backside,asAxel andLondon hauledherup.
“Almostthere,Macie!” Thegirlwasstillsinging.
Axel appearedover theedgeandreacheddown Nexttohim,Shepappeared,andtogether theypulledMacieupandout andontothesnow. Booblewoutabreath.
She rolled onto her back “Please Don’t patronize me The onlyreasonyoudidn’t go downthere is because you’re a moose.”
Axel’sblueeyeswidened “Hey?I’mnotthemooseinthefamily” ”Right.” Moose, the boss of this little rescue team, outweighed his brother bya good twentypounds. Wider shoulders, taller
ButAxelwasnoslouch.Nowheheldouthishand,grippedhers,andpulledherup. Awayfromthecrevasse,Macielayinthesnow,Londonaffixinganinflatablesplinttoher leg.Nearby,aski patrol sled waited with Copper Mountain patrols, ready to ferry her down Her mother held her hand, weeping, her dad behind her, holdingtheirskis.
“Okay, the sound levels are right. We’re nearly ready.” Huxley Shaw, the associate producer, gave Beto Gomez, the cameraman,a nodas he trainedthe camera onOaken.She steppedawayandaddressedOaken.“Don’tforgettosmile.Your fansloveyoursmile”
Oakenshovedhisglovedhandsintohisparka,thesnowliftingoffthesemi-frozenlakebehindHuxleyintothepellet-gray horizon. Adifferent day, different circumstances, and Oakenmight not hate fiftyhours alone inthe woods of Alaska. Even maybeatatiny,remotelogcabinliketheonebehindhim.Althoughhe’dpreferonelessramshackle,withtheroofintact,and mayberunningwaterandanouthousethatdidn’tlisttooneside.
Still, the momentthe chopper fromAnchorage settled themdownonthe shore, the snow crustyand thin, meltingafter a snowstormdumpedfiveinchesonthemountainstwodaysago,themomenthebreathedinthethickpine-scentedair,thesense ofwildlurkinginthedenseforestsurroundingtheclearing,hefeltit...
Peace Ormaybejustthehintofit Still,maybehere
“Okay, we’re rolling, so anytime.” Huxleystepped back, her gaze onhimbehind her mirrored sunglasses. She wore her darkhairintwoshortbraids,awhitecap,ayellow parka,mukluks,andasenseofeaseinthisruggedlandscape.Butmaybe thatwasthebyproductofstandingintheshadows,filmingthewildadventuresofMikeGrizzandhisvictims
Hetookastepback “I’mprettymuchwaitingforabearorwolftorunoutofthewoods,anditlookslikeablizzardmight be headingmydirection, butthenagain, it’s April. InAlaska. And notAnchorage buta hundred miles into the bush. Infact, that’sDenalibehindme.”Heturnedandpointedtothefuzzyoutlineofaruggedchainofmountains,justoverhisrightshoulder. “Andit’sfreezing”Hepulledhishatdown,justforemphasis
No wonder they’d made him sign a couple thousand waivers. But what did he expect? Mike’s shows were all about survival,epicadventure,andcrazyfeatsofbravery
Oakensteppedback,holdinguphishandtoprotecthisfacefromthesnowthatwhiskedoffthelakeshore,andwatchedas the blue chopper settled where the other bird had landed earlier. Amansatonthe deck, dressed ina ski jacketand thermal pants,wornhikingboots,andahelmet,andwavedtohim.
Oh boy. Hewavedback
MikeGrizz.FormerNavySeal,survivalist,freeclimber,brandicon,andnowcelebritytrailguide.Abonafidehero. Oakenjusthopedhedidn’tlooklikeacompleteidiotnexttohim Please just let me keep up Mikejumpedout,ducked,thenranovertoOaken.Hewaslean,chiseled,andworeabitofabeard everyinchthepicture ofanactionhero.
Andhereitbegan.
AlreadyOakenfelt like a chump inhis blackCloudrockhikers, his fleece-lined jeans, the oversized parka. He wore a slightbeardbutonlybecausehehadn’thadachancetoshavethismorninginAnchorage,stilltryingtosurvivejetlag Yep,hewasmurderingGoldienexttimehesawher. Go to Alaska, be a tough guy, generate some social-media love. Write a song Land an album. Forgetaboutthelasthorrideightmonths. Yeah, whatever Theholeseemedtobegettingdeeper “Hey,Mike!”heshoutedandheldouthishand.Mikegrippedit.
“Yougotthatfaster thanmost!” Mike was grinning. He pointed to the bag. “Here’s your cutaway, and here’s the reserve chute Butifyourunintotrouble,I’llbethere Iwon’tdeployuntilyou’regoodtogo”
He letgo, falling, and ina moment, found his rip cord. Pulled. His chute deployed, jerked himup, and suddenlyhe was floating.
Hisheartstillhammered,nearlyinhisthroat,buttherushingdiedtoawhisper,andonlythegloriousfrontierbeautyofthe Alaskanwildremained.Hespottedacabintothewest,settledonalake,andrecognizeditaswherethey’dtakenoff.Andto the south, the gray-blues of the river that Mike wanted to cross He even caught a glimpse of a fire tower The road ran perpendiculartotheriver,andalongit,hespottedalodge.
But mostly, toweringpine, rugged cliffs and rushingmountainrivers, the snow-topped granite mountains So muchwild beautyitswepthimup,hollowedhimout.
The lines tangledaroundMike’s pack,andhe foughttocutthemawayfromhis rippedandflappingchute.The trees had beguntotakeshape,theforestcomingintofocusevenasMikestruggled C’mon, Mike!
Ifshe closedher eyes,Boomightbe backhome inMinnesota,sittingaroundthe familytable inthe middle ofthe raucous Kingstonsiblingchatter Sure,theloglodgeofSkyKingRanchhereinAlaskadidn’texactlypossesstheVictoriancharmof herfamily’sKingInn,butitboreitsowncozyaura,withtheopen-conceptgreatroomandthemassivestonefireplacethat rose two stories And nothingcould compare withthe grandeur of the Alaska Range, white and majestic, risingfromtheir backyard althoughtodaystormcloudshidit,theskyableakgray.
EventheAlaskaKingstonsresembledherownfamily heruncleBarryalmostthespittingimageofherfather,hercousin Dodge like her bossyoldest brother, and Larke, the oldest of the Alaska Kingstons, reminded her of her sister, despite the eighteen-month-oldonLarke’slap.
Butthey weren’t the Minnesota Kingstons Her cousins inthe far northweren’t judgmental and bossy, and as far as she knew,DodgeandLarkeandUncleBarrydidn’tknowabout...well,theGreatBetrayal.
“It’safamilyrecipe”Echoranahandoverherexpandingbelly “AlthoughIthinkIneedtocutdownonthechilipowder” She made a face. “Heartburn.” She wore her dark hair down and pulled back in a loose braid, and one of her husband’s sweaters,maybe,becausedespitebeingatthemiddleofhersecondtrimester,itseemedtoswallowher.
“No, the perils of beinganactive-dutySEAL” Dodge grabbed his bowl and filled it withseconds fromthe pot inthe middleofthetable.“Howmuchleavedoyouhaveleft?”
Her uncle’s gaze onher seemed fuzzyand he nodded Dodge had filled her inonUncle Barry’s macular degenerationa couplemonthsago,aftershe’darrivedinAlaska.Toughendforabushpilot.ButUncleBarrystillhelpedwithdispatchforAir OneRescue,theSkyKingRanchbranch.
“AirOneiscontractedfortransportationandanyemergencyextraction,”Dodgesaid.“I’mnotsurehe’ssupposedtocheck in maybehecan’t.Butwiththeblizzardcoming,I’mhopingthey’rehunkereddownsomewhere.”
He laughed. “Yeah.” Dodge folded his arms, his dark blue eyes meeting hers. “I just want to know how you’re really doing,”hesaid “Igotyouintothismess ”
AftercrossingtheriversouthofCopperMountain,sheputhercaroncruise,turningupthevolume.AnoldBenKingsong played,andshesangalongforamoment “Heythere,prettygirl,letmesingyouasong ” Her phone buzzed on the seat, and the face of her sister appeared, her dark hair short and curly. She laughed into the camera Austen Boopoppeddownthevolumeandpickedthecallupthroughhercar “Hey ’Sup?”
Laughter,andshecouldimaginehersister,dressedinshortsandaT-shirt,sittingonhercharterboatinbetweengigswith DoctorsWithoutBorders “Yeah,butAlaskahasbears” “They’restillinhibernation.” Probably.“ButIlikeithere.” Or was starting to. “I know Listen I talked with Doyle, and he said that Jack and Conrad are coming home for Mom’s birthday Even Steinbeckisgoingtotrytogethome.DoylethoughtIcouldtalkyouintoit.” Sheswallowed.“Oh...sis,I ”
Sherolledherwindowhalfwaydown Set theguninherlap.“I’mcalm.Thisisjustincaseyou’reacrazyperson.Whatareyoudoingouthere?”Shedidn’tseeacarin theditch.“Where’dyoucomefrom?”
“MikeGrizz?”Thewomankneltoverhim,herheadlightsshiningacrosstheshadowyhighwayevenashepushedhimself up Oh,hisstupidjawthrobbed That’swhathegotforscalingacliffinthemiddleofthenight Now,“Yeah.He’shurt.”
Sounded like the low baritone of the chopper pilot he’d met in Anchorage, what seemed like thousands of years ago “Mike’schutefailed.He’s...reallyhurt.Walkiewasdamaged Ihikedout.”
The sun had begun to drop behind the mountains, bleeding out red against the cloud cover that seeped into the valley. Flurries swirled inthe air, downthe neckofhis jacket The temperature musthave dropped a good fifteendegrees over the pastday.
Please be alive, Mike Thewoman Boo pocketedthephone.“Mooseisonhisway.DoyourememberwhereyouleftMike?” Oakenshrugged.“Maybe.Idon’tknow.”
Heclosedhiseyes,tryingtoremembertheflightfromthechopper.Openedthem.Staredatthemap.“Iwalkedalongthis river” He traced his finger back along the river, away fromthe road Widened the map, then turned on the topographical feature.“Ifellsomewhereinhere,downthiscliff.I’mnotsurewhere itwasthemiddleofthenight.” Hermouthpinched “WasMikewithyou?” “No. Ilefthim. . . ” He followed the river, thenaway, near the scrub offoothills. “Idragged himto the cliffbutknew I couldn’tgetdown,soIbacktrackedandfoundacave Ilefthimthere”
“He was all tangled up inthe lines and finallymanaged to cutthemaway. Another chute popped out, buthe was really closetothegroundbythen Helandedreallyhard”
“Idebatednotmovinghimforalongtime AndthenIrealizedthatifIlefthimthere,he’dbeeaten Ordieofexposure SoI decidedtomakeabackboard.Irolledupsomeoftheparachuteandmadeasortofaneckbracethenfoundapieceofthick birchbarkand rolled himonto that I used some of the parachute cord to tie himonto it ThenI made a litter with broken branchesandtheotherparachuteandsecuredhimtothat,insidethesleepingbag.ThenIhauledhimthroughthewoods.”
“Oh, wait. You’re withAir One Rescue.” He pointed atthe logo onher jacket. “Imusthave seenyouwhenIgotonthe chopperinAnchorage.Ormaybeapictureonthewalloftheoffices?”
“Yep,that’sprobablyit.”Sheflashedathinsmile. Itfeltwrong,butwhatever itdidn’tmatterbecauseinthedistance,thesoundofachopperthundered,shiveringthenearby trees
“Hey, Axel,” she said and slapped his hand Then she turned and showed the pilot Moose, if Oaken remembered correctly herphone.“HesaysMikeisabouttenclickseast,onacliffonthenorthsideoftheriver.”
Oaken had woken up when Mike flatlined the first time. And after Boo had brought Mike back, Oaken had appeared stripped,hollowedout,andhorrified.Nevermindthesecondtime.
She should probablygo over and talkto him Tell himhe’d done well, keepingMike alive Ifhe’d lefthiminthe field wherethey’dlanded,Mike would havediedofexposureor,asOakenhadsuggested,beeneaten.
Sothe guywas a hero, andmaybe, givenhis desperationwhenshe’dnearlymowed himover onthe highway, he should hearthatinsteadofwhatevervoicescurrentlyplayedinhishead
But, “I know I’ve seen you somewhere before. Have you ever been on television?” Ohboy
Except,maybehe had recognizedherpicturefromtheAirOneRescuelineup,soshemightbepanickingneedlessly. Still
Moose had walked over to a group of people standinginthe lobby a womanwithshoulder-lengthhair and a yellow parka,amanwithdarkbrownhair,inchinos,boots,apulloversweater.HeheldoutahandtoMooseandgreetedhimlikehe knewhim
Herstomachgrowled,andsheglancedattheclock Nearlymidnight Sheneededsleep Andfood Maybenotinthatorder Whatshereallyneededwasawaytosloughoffthetensionstillstirringinside. She glanced over at Moose and found his gaze on her. Then he turned back to the conversation, and for some reason, Dodge’swordssurfacedinside.
“You haven’t really connected with the team. And that’s an issue.”
The crowd near the coffee machine had also walked over The man in chinos reached out his hand “Reynolds Gray ExecutiveproducerofGo Wild with Grizz.Hiswifeandkidsareontheway.I’dliketogivethemanupdate.”
Dr Bensonmethishand,shookit LookedatBoo “I’llhavetowaitonanyspecificinformation,buthehasquiteabitof internalbleeding.We’regoinguptosurgerynow.”HelookedatOaken.“Idon’tknowhowyoukepthimalive,butanylonger outthereandhewouldn’thavemadeit.”
Oakenswallowed “Actually, she kepthimalive”HeglancedatBoo Sheheldupherhands.“It’smyjob.AirOneRescue.”
She caughta lookpassingbetweenMoose and Reynolds evenas the doctor nodded and headed backthroughthe double doorsoftheER.
Butno wonder the manhad raised the tinyhairs onthe backofher neck Note to self: Veer hard around Reynolds and, frankly, Oaken.
DespitethefactthatOakenseemedtoactuallybeagoodguy Notthekindofguytoleapoffthestageandbeatupafan So maybeanotherreasonnottobelieveanythingshereadonsocialmedia.
Fine SheglancedagainatOaken,whowasnowgettinganimatedinthecorner,hishandsout,shakinghishead Probably Reynolds delivering the bad news show canceled. Of course.
Sheshovedherhandsintoherpockets,noddedatMoose.
HetossedhisCokecanintotherecyclingbinonthewayout.
Thisfarsouth,theskyarchedclearandbright,somanystarswinkingdownather.Winter,however,stillhunginthebrisk air, the temperature in the low thirties She zipped up her jacket and spotted Moose’s F-150 in the parking lot under a streetlight.
Anchorage resembled a war zone duringthe thaw muddy, crustysnow alongthe curbs, piled into the center ofparking lotssurroundedbyskeletal,nakedtrees.Afoghoveredoverthesound.TheydrovepastMerrillFieldAirfield,theairportfor smallbushplanesandtheheadquartersofAirOne ThechopperwasundercoverinthedomedQuonsethut,therescueplane tieddownonthetarmac.
Theypassed the other commercial and international airportand then, instead ofturningsouthwestto her cute, converted 1930sthree-bedroomcabin,heturnednorth,droveoneblock,andpulledintotheSkyportDiner
Hetookaboothnearthedoor,andsheslidinoppositehim Thewaitresscameoverwithaglassofwaterforbothofthem “Midnight chicken?” she asked. Closer, she seemed in her early thirties, pretty, and definitely a sweet smile for Boss Mulligan Hernametagread“Tillie”
“She’s myfavorite waitress.” He leaned forward. “So, youdid a great job tonight. And everyrescue we’re on, you’re calm,youknowwhattosayanddo.Frankly,Boo,you’reoneofthebestEMTsI’veeverworkedwith.”
“Chicken’s up,” said Tillie as she set two plates of crispy chicken in front of them. And then in the middle, a pile of glisteningfries.“Anythingelse?”
“The fact is, the emergencyservices are relyingonvolunteers and outfits like Air One more and more. Last summer, a group ofcampers was mauled bya bear, and theywaited nine hours for rescue because the SARtroopers outofAnchorage werebusylookingforlosthikers.Whichtheyneverfound.Twoofthosecampers teenagers died,waiting.”
“It’sabrutalshow Younotonlyhavetosurviveinthewildernessorislandorjungleordesertorwherevertheydropyou, but you have to reach a destination every day, like The Amazing Race. You compete individually, but you have to make alliancestosurvive Andthen,despiteyouraudiencepoints,yourownteammatescanstillvoteyouofftheshow” “Andyoumadeittothesemifinals.Whatisthat threepeopleleft?”
“Knockyourselfout.” She pushed awaythe plate. “This is a bad idea, Moose. Reallybad. Youdon’tknow producers changefootage,makeitseemlikeyousaidthingsyounevermeant.”Shelookedoutthewindow,butitsimplyreflectedback theinsideofthedinerwhereTilliewasboxinguphispie
“I’llaskHuxleytoletyoureviewthefootage.”
Sheknewhewassincere,butthatwasn’thowitworked Still Shefoldedherarmsoverherchest ShelikedAirOne Wantedtostay.Buildalife.“Okay.I’lltrainhimandkeephimalive.Butnocameos,nodiggingupfootageof Survivor Quest. Andmostofall whenthisisover,wedon’ttalkaboutit,ever.” Heraisedaneyebrow.
Sheheadedoutsideintothecold,holdingherpie,lookingatthestars. Perfect. Just perfect. Becauseapparently,BooHooKingstonwasback Letthefunbegin.
“She’s my favorite waitress ”
Moose’s stupid words followed himhome like a burr under his skinafter he’d dropped Boo off As he pulled into his timber-framedhomeseatedonthebanksoftheKnikRiver,Axel’sYukonsatinthedoublegarage.Moosepulledinandsatin thedarkness,listeningtohistruckshutdown
Closingthe garage door behindhim,he tookthe pathtothe side door ofhis home,wentinside,setthe containers down, tookoffhisboots,andthenwalked,wool-sockfooted,intothekitchen.
Hewalkedovertothewindow,handsinhispockets.Justasliverofwaxingmooninthesky,thestarslikeeyes,watching. HedrewinabreathatthememoryofhiswordstoBoo “I need to get creative here, Boo I have a fundraising event in the fall, but right now we need cash flow.”
He turned and headed upstairs to the master. The other bedroom, a mini-master, remained empty, Axel havingtakenup residenceinthedownstairsbedroom,turningtheotherintohisoffice
Suchabighouse.Itneeded...more.
Family,maybe Awife Kids
Yeah, right. The lastthinghe wanted was somethinghappeningto himand leavingbehind a widow and fatherless kids. Mostly,hedidn’twanttoletanythingslowhimdown,makehimthinktwiceaboutriskinghislifeforastranger.
And Aren, of course He picked up her picture Sixteen, and she sat with him and Axel around a campfire, squished betweenthem,holdingupamarshmallow,laughing.He’ddugupthepicturefromanonlinetributeanddownloadedit.Keptit onhisbureaubecause,well,reasons.
OakenstoodoutsidetheICUunit,holdingacupofcoffee,watchingthesunarchovertheAlaskaRange,hisbodybuzzing after justa few winks inthe seedyhotel across the street He’dhadtoomanynightmares ofthings crawlingonhim,sohe’d gottenup,showered,andreturnedtotheICUlobby.
Reynolds hadthendraggedhimtothe corner withHuxley,their groupconversationquietinthe shadowedwaitingroom Across the way, Boo and her boss, the chopper pilotMoose, were leaving, buthe didn’tbother to raise a hand. Theywere
Reynolds, the smooth-talking jerk that he was, had a point Oaken needed to stir up some love on social media if he wantedtoresurrecthiscareer.Andnevermindwritinganysongs withMikeinacoma,hedidn’thaveahopeoffindingany creativity.
HisconversationwithBoolastnightawakenedinhishead
“I heard you sing once. At a concert in Minnesota. You were good. Some great love songs. ”
Yes, once upona time, maybe, he’d beengood He’d like to be good again, butsomehow the love ofwritingmusic and playingmusichadgottenclutteredupwithperformingandroadtoursandbandsquabblesandtheambitionGoldiehadforhim. Ambitionshe’doncehadforHollie
He didn’t need the reminder, thanks. Maggie and her organization sat front and center in his brain most of the time. Thumbingawaythecall,heheardfootstepsbehindhim Turned.
They’d never met, but he recognized Seraphina Grizzright away Aformer model, of course, she wore no makeup and appearedtired,herblondehairmussed.Shewastrolleyingacarry-on,woreanoversizedleather-and-sheepskinjacketopen,a pinkvelourworkoutsuitunderneath.
Beside her walked their kids a daughter and son bothcarryingbackpacks. He put the boyat about sixteen. The girl younger,maybeeight.Theylookedastiredattheirmother.
Exceptevenasthedoorsopened,heheardHuxley “You stick around Alaska for three weeks, maybe a month You write some music, train with the Air One team, go out on a few calls, and let us inside the life of a training rescue tech. . . . ” Hewalkedtowardthecoffeeshop,thesmellreelinghimin.
“Reynolds will get your money. ” HeorderedSeraphina’slatte,amacchiatoforhimself,andfourfreshlyglazeddonuts.
Problem was, he needed the money. Because the lawsuit had cost him. He’d cleaned out his savings and liquidated property.
Please, God, don’t let Mike die Couldbeafutileprayer,buthedidn’tcare Hehadnowhereelsetoturn Seraphinapushedaway,croucheddownnexttoJasmineandpulledherintoherarms. OakenwalkedovertoLiam. Thekiddidn’tlookathim Silence,saveforJasmine,softlycrying.Someonehadturnedoffthealarm,andhehopedthatmeantsomethinggood. Thedooropenedandanursewalkedout ShestoppedandcrouchedinfrontofSeraphinaandJasmine “Wegothimback.”
“I wouldn’t go that far” He took a sip of coffee “Mike is the hero I read his survival book before jumping on that chopperwithhim.ThoughtI’dimpresshim.Turnsoutitsavedusboth.”
“I’m not sure how, but we’re in the red Mike took a second mortgage out on the house to produce this season, and now...”Sheclosedhereyes.Drewinabreath.Openedthem.“Ikeeptellingmyselfnottopanic.Mikealwayshaseverything undercontrol.But...it’shardnotto,withhimintheICU.Andnowhealmostdied.”
