Juniper screams but her gag muffles the sound.

  ‘She has a gun,’ Bryce tells her. ‘If I let you go now, you won’t make it. I hope you’ll be okay. You were always a good swimmer, Junie. I never wanted this.’

  His flat tone strips away the last of my hope. Bryce is just as broken as his mother. Out here, in the freezing black water of this lake, Juniper and I are going to die.

  Chapter Fifty-One

  KODA and I step out into the cold. The wind knifes across the rear of Willow's Crossing, sharp enough to sting my eyes. I fumble in my pack for his snow booties, my fingers stiff and clumsy in the cold. Conditions are worsening. By morning, there’ll be at least ten centimetres of snow on the ground. Over the coming weeks, even down here in the valley, lakes will freeze, and the trees will turn to skeletons. If Sarah has left the girls outside in an old grain silo or shed, they won’t survive the night. If they’re anywhere nearby, we have to find them. Tonight.

  ‘All right, Koda. Last search. You ready?’ He glances up, then out across the fields. ‘We can do this. We’ve been in worse situations before.’

  I hold Britt’s fabric under his nose one last time and give the command. Without hesitation, Koda launches himself into the falling snow, unbothered by the harsh conditions. He brackets across the gravel yard outside the barn, nose down, clearly following a trail. Within minutes, he spins, barks, then surges forward. In scent.

  I run after him, but when he reaches a cluster of sheds, he stops and paws at one of the roller doors. Could it be this easy? I wonder.

  ‘Daley, come in,’ I say into my radio.

  ‘Daley, over.’

  ‘Koda’s got something, a few metres from the barn. Can you come over?’

  ‘On my way.’

  Daley arrives and swings open the oversized shed door. Inside is a tractor, a small excavator, a quad bike… and one empty space.

  ‘Shit. She’s taken them in a vehicle,’ he says. ‘You won’t find them now, Thomas. Koda’s good, but that’s impossible.’

  Shit!’ I curse and march back out, shrugging my pack off and tossing it onto the ground. I rub at the back of my neck and curse again, only this time louder and with more passion.

  ‘You did your best, Thomas. And Christ, you stood up to Herm and Jack,’ Daley says, coming to stand beside me. ‘You did it, kid. You took on the most powerful men in Wildling and won.’

  ‘But Juniper and Britt are still in danger.’

  ‘The police will handle it. They’ll get the rego and track the vehicle. You did your best. Koda can’t—’

  A gust of wind tears across the field, cutting him off. The air current shifts to the south. I lift my hand to silence him. ‘Wait. Look at Koda.’

  When we left the barn, Koda had his nose to the ground, trailing Britt’s scent from the barn to the shed. Then it was lost. But now, as I watch him lift his head to the wind, nose twitching, my pulse spikes.

  ‘Daley, hand me my pack.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘My pack. Now. Hurry!’

  He passes it over, and I sling it onto my shoulders, my eyes locked on Koda. ‘Any second now, he’s going to run.’

  ‘What?’

  Before I can answer, Koda barks. Once, twice, three times, and bolts, vanishing into the dark.

  ‘Get the police and follow my coordinates from the car!’ I shout back.

  ‘Mia, what the hell is happening?’

  ‘Air scent!’ I yell. ‘The wind shifted. He’s got them!’

  Up ahead, Koda stretches out, bounding across the snowy ground. Nose high. Tail straight. If the wind is right, his nose can catch a scent source from twenty kilometres away. Wherever Sarah has taken the girls, Koda has found the scent cone.

  Around us, the storm intensifies. Snow blows in sideways, turning the night into a swirling blur of white. My breath comes in heavy puffs, visible in the cold air as I struggle to keep up with Koda. His brown fur is stark against the snow as he bounds over the rise and fall of the land, never missing a beat.

  ‘Koda, good boy!’ I shout, even though my words are immediately swallowed by the wind. We’ve trained for this but seeing him in action amid a snowstorm is something else entirely. He’s a blur of motion as he leaps over a fallen log, never breaking stride.

  My flashlight beam cuts through the dark, but it’s Koda who leads the way, his instinct taking over. The snow stings my face and my legs burn, but I push on, determined to keep up as best I can. Koda disappears over a rise, and I scramble to follow, boots slipping on the icy slope. At the top, I stop and stare down into the valley. A truck sits parked by the lake at the back of the Gilmore property, headlights blazing against the storm.

  ‘Good job, Koda!’ I shout, my voice raw. I fumble for my radio. ‘Daley, I’ve got them! The lake, south corner of the Gilmore property.’

  ‘On our way, Thomas. Do not approach. Do you hear me? She could have a weapon.’

  A weapon.

  Koda is already too far ahead, and the conditions are too intense for me to call him back. He’ll never hear me. Instead, I reach inside myself and find every ounce of energy I have. I need to catch up to him. I have to stop him before he reaches Sarah.

  Chapter Fifty-Two

  Juniper

  I WANT to hurt Bryce. I want to tear at his hair and claw at his face. I want to beg and cry. I want to scream, kick, and lash out until there’s nothing left. But out here in the relentless snow and cold, on this icy jetty, there’s nothing I can do, nothing that will save us from the freezing black lake below. Even if we managed to run, by the time we reach the start of the jetty, Sarah will be there with her gun. All we can do is get out of our ties as soon as we hit the water and try to swim to the other side of the lake before we die of hypothermia.

  In this cold, we’ll have about fifteen minutes before our bodies start to shut down. From memory, the opposite shore is about a kilometre away. Maybe we can make it. We can’t splash or make noise, but maybe—

  Then it hits me. How could I forget? Britt can’t swim.

  I glance at her, and she stares back. Unblinking, her eyes are wide with fear. I hold her gaze, silently vowing that I won’t leave her. If Britt dies, I die. That’s just how it is.

  I take one last look at Bryce, my eyes pleading with him to let us go. Then, without hesitation, he pushes me over the edge. The world tilts, and I’m falling, the wind rushing past my ears. My scream is muffled by the gag. The freezing water hits me like a wall of ice, shocking every nerve in my body. The cold is overwhelming, seeping into my bones and stealing my breath. My heavy clothes drag me down, and I sink fast, the darkness swallowing me whole. Eventually, I kick out and break the surface. I struggle out of my ties and swim over to one of the old piers. Gasping for breath, I cling to it as best I can.

  Above, I hear the scuffle of Britt’s feet on the boards, then a splash as she hits the water and vanishes beneath the surface. Forcing my numb limbs to move, I lunge toward her and catch her just as she bursts up, eyes wide, still bound. I drag her beneath the jetty, yank out her gag, and slip the ties from her wrists. Her skin is already turning blue.

  ‘Hold on to the pier,’ I tell her. ‘The only chance we have is to stay hidden until they’re gone.’

  Britt nods, and I wrap my body around hers, desperate to give her any warmth I can. The cold is unbearable. After only a few seconds, my strength begins to wane, but I refuse to give in. ‘I won’t let you go, Britt,’ I promise her through chattering teeth. ‘Not now. Not ever.’

  Chapter Fifty-Three

  ‘KODA!’ I shout as best I can. ‘Stop!’

  He’s too far ahead. Locked onto the scent and running into the wind, I have no chance of calling him back.

  Every step is a struggle. The ground has turned into a boggy mix of ice and slush. Through the snow, I can barely see more than a few metres in front of me.

  ‘Koda, stop!’ I scream again, but he keeps running. I push harder, ignoring the pain in my legs and the cold seeping into my bones. Every muscle protests, but I force myself to keep moving, to keep following him.

  I climb through the fence that separates Willow’s Crossing from the Gilmore property. As I draw closer to the lake, I catch sight of him up ahead bounding toward the shape of an old jetty. Sarah’s truck sits idling by the water’s edge, her shape silhouetted by the glow of its headlights.

  ‘Koda!’ Every instinct he has is working against him, carrying him straight toward her.

  Over on Wildling Road, I catch the outline of a truck turning onto the Gilmore property. It has no lights on, there’s no police car accompanying it, and no sign of Daley. Why aren’t they flying up the road, lights flashing?

  Koda barks, and Sarah whips around at the sound.

  ‘Canine Search and Rescue,’ I shout at the top of my voice. ‘You have a working dog approaching.’

  Sarah’s hand rises. I follow the motion and see the shape of a handgun pointed at Koda.

  ‘No!’ I scream. ‘Put your weapon down!’

  Oblivious to the danger, Koda keeps running as a gunshot rings out, splitting the air. My heart lurches, and a knot of terror tightens in my chest.

  ‘Koda!’

  I sprint toward the embankment, snow and slush spraying up from my boots. When I reach the shoreline, Sarah lies half sprawled in the water, her hair fanning out around her. The gun is still clutched in her hand and a bloom of red spreads out across out her chest, stark against the snow.

  ‘Mum!’ Bryce screams, running toward us and throwing himself down beside her. ‘Mum, no, get up!’

  I stumble back, and scan the vast sprawl of the Gilmore property for any sign of movement, for anything that will explain how Sarah was shot. The headlights from her idling truck throw light across the lake, cutting through the snow flurries. Beyond that, everything dissolves into shadows.

  Nothing makes sense. No muzzle flash, no second figure. Just Sarah’s truck idling beside the lake, its engine humming while the storm whips whitecaps across the water's surface.

  ‘Who did this?’ Bryce howls, his face twisted with grief. ‘Who shot her? Was it you?’

  He lunges at me, but I pull back, losing my footing in the mud. Before he gets close enough, his legs buckle and he collapses onto his mother. A low, guttural sound escapes his chest, matching the howl of the wind.

  Somewhere in the distance, Koda barks and relief surges through me. Whoever killed Sarah can wait. I need to find him and the girls. I stare out into the darkness, and squint, trying to see through the snow.

  Behind me, the wail of sirens grows louder as the police convoy finally closes in. Blue and red lights sweep across the paddock and I turn to see Daley’s ranger truck leading the way. Tyres fight for traction on the slushy ground, spitting up snow and gravel as the vehicles tear along the access road, then skid to a halt near the fence line. Doors slam. Officers spill out, radios crackling, their shouts lost to the storm.

  Koda barks again, and my head snaps back toward the lake. Finally I see him, further along, spinning in a tight circle as two figures stagger toward the shore. Juniper stumbles forward, dragging Britt along beside her. Their clothes cling to their bodies, ice-crusted hair plastered to their faces. Britt’s legs drag limply behind her and my heart lurches.

  ‘Daley, over there!’ I call, pointing to the girls. ‘Where's the ambulance?’

  He spots them and takes off at a run, his torchlight jerking across the dark. ‘Enroute! Five minutes out.’

  My boots splash in the shallows as I dash after him. As I get closer, Koda bounds toward me, tail high, oblivious to having almost been killed. ‘You’re all right. You found them,’ I whisper, clutching his wet face with both hands. His fur is ice-cold, clumped with snow and mud. ‘You did it. You're such a good boy.’

  Out in front, Daley wades into the lake. When he reaches Juniper, the water is up to his knees. She instantly collapses against him, never letting go of Britt.

  ‘Juniper, Britt!' I shout as he guides them in. 'Are you all right?’

  Juniper looks up and manages a nod. Her hair is plastered to her face, and her skin is grey. Beside her, Britt’s teeth chatter so hard she can barely speak, but she’s alive.

  Together, we hoist the girls up the embankment and toward a fallen log. They ease themselves down and Daley wraps his jacket around Britt’s shoulders.

  ‘They’ll be okay,’ Daley says. ‘They're lucky, though. A few more minutes and—’ He cuts himself off, shaking his head.

  Around us, the flashing lights of emergency vehicles give the property its own uneasy pulse. Down by the lake, a police officer kneels beside Sarah’s body while another tries hauling Bryce to his feet. Despite what they did, the pain of it all is hard to watch. As he fights to stay with his mother's body, I turn away and glance back toward the access road. In the dim wash of light, the lone truck I saw first entering the property moves off slowly, fading into the dark.

  ‘Thomas,’ Daley says with a nudge, drawing my attention back. ‘Ambos are here.’

  I tear my gaze away from the disappearing truck and see two ambulances racing toward us, their lights flashing. Relief hits so hard my knees almost buckle.

  ‘Thank God,’ I whisper. ‘Not a moment too soon.’

  Daley and I pull Juniper and Britt up. They stumble more than walk, hanging off our shoulders. Juniper’s face is grey, her jaw locked tight. Britt’s shaking so hard she can’t keep her head up. Her lips are colourless and her face looks hollowed out, as if the cold’s scraped the life right out of her.

  ‘The police will have questions,’ Daley tells them gently, ‘but that can wait. Let’s get you warm first.’

  The paramedics wrap them in foil blankets. Their voices are brisk but kind, and their hands are steady. When the girls are helped onto stretchers and loaded into the ambulances, I finally feel my body fall slack.

  It's over.

  Daley and I step aside as the last paramedic climbs in and shuts the doors. The siren blips once, and the ambulance rolls off down the access road, taillights swallowed up by the dark.

  ‘I feel like I could sleep for a week,’ I say with a sigh. ‘Big night.’

  ‘Huge,’ he agrees. ‘I’ll be on scene for a while. Want me to organise a ride?’

  I shake my head. ‘Nah. I’m wired. The walk home will do me good.’

  He tilts his face to the sky. Dawn is bleeding over the horizon. The snow’s stopped, and the wind has eased to a low sigh. I follow his gaze, and for a moment, the timing feels almost deliberate.

  'You’re sure?’

  ‘I’m okay,’ I tell him. ‘I need to decompress.’

  I hold his gaze for a moment. The weight of the night's events still hanging heavy between us.

  ‘I’m proud of you, Mia,’ he says quietly. ‘You did real good. Koda too.’

  I kick at the ground, and consider hugging him, but change my mind. ‘I couldn’t have done it without your help,’ I say instead. ‘You always have my back. I won’t forget it.’ I pause a moment and take one last look over the property. ‘Anyway, I’ll see you.’

  I turn, and Koda falls in beside me as we head out along the Gilmore access road.

  At the front gate, I step out onto Wildling Road and then stop. Instead of turning left toward home we go right, headed for Mimi’s. When we get there, she’s already on the porch, a curl of steam rising from her cup of tea.

  ‘You’re awake early,’ I say.

  She nods, warming her hands around the cup. ‘Sounded like a bit of trouble over at the Gilmore place. Woke me up. Looks like you’ve had a night, kiddo.’

  I glance back toward the farm. ‘You could say that. Sarah Stanton is dead. Jack and Herm are in custody.’

  Mimi tilts her head. ‘That so?’

  ‘Sarah kidnapped Juniper and Britt Davis. She tried to kill Koda.’

  ‘You don’t say?’

  I study my grandmother. There’s something different in her eyes. ‘Any chance of a lift back to town? I was going to walk but I'm more tired than I thought.’

  She sets her cup down gently. ‘I’d love to, kiddo, but you know I’m not allowed to take my old truck off Wildling Road.’

  I nod slowly. ‘You’ve got a good view of the lake from up there, Mimi.’

  She peers across. ‘Not so bad.’

  ‘It was you, wasn’t it? That shotgun you keep in the truck. You saved Koda.’

  ‘You finally outed Herm?’ she asks, ignoring my question. ‘He’ll pay for what he did?’

  ‘Looks that way.’

  ‘Jack’s in custody?’

  I nod.

  ‘And Sarah’s dead.’

  ‘She is.’

  ‘Then it don’t matter who did what,’ Mimi says with a knowing look. ‘The three debts have been repaid.’

  ‘Three?’ I ask. ‘Lilly and Hazel. Who’s the third?’

  Mimi stares out toward the Gilmore farm. ‘I always liked young Missy. She had sass. Never did believe she was the sort to take her own life.’

  I stare at Mimi in surprise. ‘How could you know?’

  But in usual Mimi fashion, she just nods and sips her tea. ‘You have a safe walk home now, kiddo.’

  Chapter Fifty-Four

  Three Months Later

  WILDLING is blanketed in white. Most winters, I welcome the snow. I take comfort in the way it transforms the world, creating a stillness that erases the imperfections of the past. But this year, no amount of snow will ever cover the things I’ve seen, the pain I’ve felt, or the secrets I’ve uncovered.

  Everything is different now.

  I’m different.

  The Sweetie’s firepit crackles beside us, warm and welcoming, as Koda presses in against my leg.

  ‘Hey, sorry we’re late,’ Juniper says as she and Britt sit down. ‘There was a bit of debate over who would drive.’

  ‘Still navigating sisterhood, then?’ I ask with a grin.