They tripped over each other’s feet as they tried to escape. The snow mobiles’ headlights created frantic shadows on the snow. Dink was knocked to the ground. He felt Josh crawling over him. Then he heard a bark. Were they being attacked by wolves, too? “Natasha!” KC cried. More barking. Dink sat up. Natasha was lying on top of KC, covering her face with kisses. The dog’s red sweater was caked with ice and snow. As the other kids watched, Natasha stopped licking KC’s face. The dog whimpered once, then rolled over into the snow. “Something’s the matter with her!” Marshall said, crawling over to KC. The man and woman climbed off their snowmobiles. Dink realized that they were not Ace and Jo Payne after all. The man was too short, for one thing. And his voice sounded young when he said, “Your dog is awesome. She led us here from a mile away.” He was wearing some kind of padded snowsuit that zipped up the front. Ski goggles and a helmet covered most of his face. Only his eyes showed.
