"You son of a bitch. You ever lock me up again and I'll have you prosecuted for interfering with a federal officer." "I thought you had decided to become a postman." "It's no joke." Kier looked into those eyes, thinking if it were another life, he'd kiss her. He gave her a little smile, waiting to see if she would smile back. She didn't. Overcome with fatigue, he bent and put his hands on his knees. "My cabin's burned. Let's get some supplies before they send in the next wave." She turned without another word and led him toward the burning cabin. He stopped briefly at the pump house to recover the remaining volume. His body, covered in sweat and snow, was out of adrenaline, out of energy, and numbing quickly. Even with the heavy wool shirt, sweater, and the thin white topcoat, he would weaken and eventually suffer the effects of exposure unless he got more insulation or warmed himself. They went to the heat of the burning cabin. They would need to pull supplies from the root cellar as soon as the fire cooled enough.
