Page 16 of Alaska Lights

Hearing his name doesn’t stop him from swinging the door open so hard that it smashes against the side of the log cabin that I built with my own two hands.

“Pack up. We leave in twenty.” Glenn is right. Here I am trying to make sure my death is easier for them, yet I’m making their lives worse.

Soren grins, his anger gone in a matter of seconds. “I’ll be ready.” He takes a step inside the house and pauses, leaning out the door. “Thanks, Alaska. For hearing me.”

“Don’t thank me. Thank Glenn.” I grab Mustache Man’s reins and tie him to a post we keep right next to the trough to get ready for the journey ahead.

“Those coordinates are pretty high on the mountain. We might have to go by foot,” I say to Soren, who has been riding right next to me.

“I was thinking that too. Shouldn’t be too much of a problem. We only have where he could be. Not exact coordinates.”

I stay quiet as I think of his statement. I’m not a positive guy. I don’t wake up with a smile and think everything is sugar and gumdrops. I’m pessimistic. I’m negative. I’m more against the world than I am for it, and that has to do with my own experiences. Humans, while some of the nicest people, are also some of the most vile, wicked things I’ve ever come across in all my life.

“What are you thinking about?” Soren dips his head to avoid a branch.

“It don’t matter. It’s stupid. Me being me.” I guide Mustache Man to the left to avoid a big dip in the ground.

The terrain is becoming more rocky and harder for the horses to gain traction.

“Talk to me. You aren’t stupid. A fucking grouch, yes, but stupid no.”

“Fuck you,” I chuckle, knowing damn well he is right.

“What is your negative mind whirling up?”

I peek at Soren under the brim of my hat to see a teasing grin twitching his lips. “Something about this crash feels off to me. You ask for another pilot, for whatever reason”—I cut him a glare—“and he crashes? They don’t let just anyone become a bush pilot. This pilot knew what he was doing. I’m wondering if someone tampered with the plane. It’s a long shot, but how many years have we been getting deliveries without any plane crashes? I hate to wonder if Earl is behind it. I know, I know, I shouldn’t say that. I like Earl as much as I can like anybody.”

Soren snorts so loudly, a few birds fly away from where they are perched on a small branch.

“I don’t know. Something feels off. Something isn’t right.”

Thunder rolls from above. Light patters of rain hit the canopies of the trees. The storm is coming in sooner than we thought. Once we get too high on the mountain, that rain will turn to snow. We don’t have much time.

“I agree with you,” Soren interjects, whistling to get the horses moving again. “Glenn said the pilot had a fuel leak and then the engine blew. The pilot was going to attempt to turn around before the engine went up in flames; after that, he didn’t really have a choice. The plane was going down.”

“Off topic, but didn’t you say you asked for a new pilot for me? What would I do with a man, Soren?”

Soren shrugs. “I don’t know. I didn’t think about it. I’ve never seen you with anyone, so I figured why not try.”

I’ve only been with a handful of women my entire life. I never focused too much on sex or companionship, but I’ve never been attracted to a man before. I’m not against it. I just have no fucking clue what I’d do to another man. I’d be way out of my depth.

Yet the thought doesn’t make me nervous like I thought it would.

“I appreciate your kindness, Soren. I’m alright.”

“You don’t miss having someone in your bed?”

The personal question catches me off guard. I’ve never gotten too personal with Glenn or Soren. I always figured the less they knew, the better. With all they have done for me, it’s time I start giving a little in return.

Just a little.

“I don’t know. It’s been so long since someone else has been in my bed that I can’t remember. If I can’t remember, then I’m not missing anything.”

“You’re missing so much, and it breaks my heart for you. You’ve let two hundred years just pass you by.”

“Two hundred years I’ve never—” I tug on the reins, and Mustache Man comes to a complete stop. “Do you smell that?”

Soren lifts his nose in the air, and his eyes flip to a bright red. “Blood. We’re close.”