Дана Стейбнау - Spoils of the Dead

“Arrowheads?” Liam said, pointing.

“A bunch of them. If I can get them dated I might be able to work up a decent timeline, but you can see the evolution of the technology, stone to iron to stainless steel.” He grinned. “I admit the metal ones don’t exactly help prove my thesis, but it does show that the locals have been using this cave for a long time. These are axe heads.”

“What’s that groove?”

“Where they tied it on to a handle. See where the twine or rope or whatever crossed over?” Erik was practically glowing with excitement and appeared delighted to share his expertise, and Liam warmed to him. People who liked their jobs were the luckiest people in the world, and by far the most fun to talk to. “Those shaved areas are where they shaped the striking edge with another tool.”

Even Liam could recognize a fish hook when he saw one, but Erik had discovered one carved from wood that was as big as his hand, flat with wicked-looking barbs.

“For halibut,” Erik said. “You’ll see stainless steel hooks almost exactly like that on a halibut boat today.”

“If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.”

“Exactly.” Pleased, Erik nodded his head. “This is that snare I told you about.”

To Liam it looked like a jumble of old bones, although he could see in places where they had been shaped by human hands. For what purpose, he had no clue.

He turned to look at the Bay. The rock outcropping extended out at least a hundred feet and was almost exactly perpendicular to the bluff that edged the beach. Nothing but sand on either side. Good bottom for landing a boat. The location was halfway between the head and the mouth of the Bay, so reasonably accessible to anyone living on the other side, especially experienced seamen like the Aleuts. He looked at Erik. “How did you find this cave?”

The archeologist’s smile faded, but he said readily, “A friend and I were beachcombing around here when I was a kid. I remembered the outcropping, and since it’s such an anomaly on this side of the Bay, I thought I’d take a look.”

“Lucky guess.”

“No kidding.” Erik’s voice was flat. He dropped one of the snare parts and shoved his hands in his pockets. “It would be something.”

He spoke in such a low voice that Liam was not sure he was meant to hear. “What would be?” he said.

“If I pull this off. If I find proof. It would be something to give. Something to leave behind. Do you have kids, Liam?”

“Two,” Liam said. Charlie might have died but he was never gone to Liam. “You?”

“I’m told it makes you think differently about things.”

“It does.” Liam pointed. “Is that a rock hammer?”

“Yeah. How’d you know?”

“ Shawshank. ”

Erik laughed. “Good movie.”

“Any movie with Morgan Freeman in it is a good movie. I would have thought the last thing an archeologist would need is a hammer. You’re all about the not breaking of stuff.”

“It’s not mine. I found it here.” He gestured. “With the rest of the artifacts.”

Liam picked up the hammer. The head was rusty and the paint had faded from the handle.

“Erik!”

They both looked up as if trying to see through the top of the tent.

“Erik? You down there?”

“Hey, Gabe!”

“You got company, I see. You mind more?”

Erik laughed. “Not that kind of company, Gabe. Come on down.”

A cascade of small stones preceded the visitor, who maintained a lot more control over his descent than Liam had. Probably only because he’d had more experience.

“Who’s Gabe?”

“He’s just my neighbor up the hill.” Liam was pretty sure he was holding back a smile.

Liam remembered the big roof and the stone chimney. “Ah. Your landlord?”

“Sort of, but not really.”

“Cryptic.”

“I try.”

A pair of long jeans-clad legs appeared beneath the top of the tent and both men turned to watch as the owner of the voice galloped down the incline and jumped the last four feet of the trail to land neatly on the beach, the impact scattering gravel and sinking him ankle deep in the sand. He punched the air. “And the crowd goes wiiiiiiiild!”

Erik laughed and the third man turned and grinned at them. “Hey, Erik!”

“Hey, Gabe! What brings you down the hill?”

“And a slalom of a hill it is, too. Who’s your friend?” He squinted into the sun.

“Liam. New to town. I met at him Jeff’s this morning when I went in for a growler. I told him about the dig and he came out for a look.”

Gabe walked forward to get under the tent and out of the sun. “Nice to meet you, Liam.” He stuck out a hand.

“And you, Gabe.”

He tried to let go of the handshake but Gabe held on. “Wait a minute. I know you.”

“We have met.” Liam had recognized him immediately but he had not expected to be recognized in turn.

“I’ll say. In Newenham. Sergeant Liam Campbell.”

“That would be me.”

“You still a trooper?”

“Yep. You still a movie star?”

“Yep.”

They both laughed, and Gabe McGuire, Oscar-winning action film star, breaker of a billion hearts and a bona fide box office bonanza, turned to Erik and said, “We met in Newenham, what, two years ago now.”

“Almost. Still have that FBO in Chinook?” Liam said.

A shadow crossed McGuire’s face. “Sold it. The lodge, too.”

The FBO at least had some Erland Bannister DNA so Liam could understand it, but still. “Damn. Sweet properties, both of them.”

Gabe smiled. Usually you couldn’t see him acting, but today wasn’t his best effort. “Too much baggage.” He spread his hands. “And hey, I’m a Bay boy, now.”

Erik snorted, and Gabe laughed. “Reason I came down is, I’m throwing a little watch party this evening. I’m inviting all the neighbors. Booze and I’ve got hot dogs and hamburgers for the grill, and six different kinds of ice cream for after.”

Erik laid his hand on his heart and let it thump a few times. “You had me at booze, but Dom, too?” Gabe rolled his eyes and Erik snorted again. “Like you wouldn’t tap that.”

“Seriously, dude? That woman comes with her own freight train of baggage.” He turned to Liam. “You’re invited, too.”

“Thanks, but—” He looked at his phone. “I’ve got just about enough time to get from here to the airport to pick my wife up when she lands.”

“The hot pilot, right?” Liam raised an eyebrow and McGuire grinned. “I’m not blind. Bring her along.”

“I’ll ask her,” Liam said, knowing he would do no such thing. He hadn’t seen Wy for a week and what he had in mind for the evening didn’t include an audience.

Gabe read his expression. “Yeah, never mind. Rain check.”

“Works.” He looked at Erik. “Thanks for the tour.”

“Anytime.”

“I’ll follow you up,” McGuire said.

The way up was arduous but less death-defying. They stood at the top for a moment to catch their breath. “You get this view from the house?” Liam said.

“Oh, yeah.”

Liam looked towards it but the trees were impenetrable. “How long have you been here?”

“Almost a year.”

“Buy or build?”

“Bought. Some dot-com gazillionaire built it, spent about twelve days in it, and decided it was too far from the nearest server farm.” Liam laughed and Gabe smiled. “Seen anything of that FBI agent or that reporter?”

“Mason and Dunaway? Dunaway’s always in and out on stories. I’ve talked on the phone to Mason a time or two.” Liam looked at him. “Did I remember to thank you for giving Kate Shugak a ride back from Adak that time? I still owe you for that.”

Gabe shrugged. “I can always use more hours in the G-2.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked away. “I was real sorry to hear.”