Chapter 71

The weather over Sunken Lake turned even shittier as the morning turned to mid-afternoon. Cold clouds were gathering densely overhead, like frozen bags of garbage.
Rawle’s heart was sinking lower and lower into his stomach as he walked beside Cst. Keith, through the parking lot.
He was shivering all over, in part because it was cold, but also because his friend’s were dead.

Tamara Lee’s father, stepmother and mother, Jack’s parents, brothers, sisters, uncles and cousins, 60 people, were crowded around Big Orange at the far side of the parking lot.
Many of the relatives had their arms locked tightly around Jack and Tee’s parents, supporting them emotionally and physically.
The family members were waiting for somebody of authority to tell them what was happening.
All these protectors of society, dressed in uniform: Police, firefighters, SAR techs. Surely someone would be able to fix this situation.
Rawle walked slowly towards the crowd, already knowing it was too late and the rescuers had all failed.
Cst. Keith draped his heavy arm on Rawle’s shoulder, slowing him down, on purpose probably, comforting him regardless.
A ramrod-straight RCMP Member with a silver moustache and pressed-black uniform stepped down from the search and rescue bus.
It was Inspector Palipschuk, CO of Kings RCMP.
Cst. Keith and Rawle were 20 metres away when they saw Insp. Palipschuk tell the family the grim news. They couldn’t hear the words being said, but saw the crowd react to them, flinching at the end of Palipschuk’s sentence, as if he had reared up and lashed them all with a bullwhip.

“Jack’s truck was spotted by the helicopter,’ Cst. Keith muttered. “It’s in a ditch along the edge of a fire road, a couple clicks further up. A cop with an ATV found the bodies about 20 metres away from the truck, buried in snow. The Member checked for pulses and called in the code.”
Rawle put the cell phone to his ear, like a zombie, and whispered to Kyle that he better get down to Sunken Lake, right away.
“What is it?” Verryn begged.
“Just do it, now!”