On his way back from a routine vet trip for his wolf (not many vets are skilled in dealing with a “pet” like his), Mike Bowditch, Maine Game Warden/Investigator, is sent skittering off a booby-trapped icy mountain road into the frozen waters of a river far below. Neither he nor the wolf (Shadow) are amused by this, and he breaks whatever he needs to for them to escape the submerging vehicle. But that means he doesn’t have much in the way of equipment or tools, and since the whole thing was by no means an accident, he will also need to avoid the perpetrators. And bleeding from a leg injury and soaked through as he is, there isn’t a lot of time. Note title.
He had originally been called to the case by a wealthy woman who felt that the downing death of her father-in-law, a professor, was no accident despite what the investigation said at the time. This leads of course to the discovery by Mike of a red-headed and red-neck family of survivalist in the Maine woods who do not agree that this case should be reopened. Thus the booby trap. As Mike struggles to make it through that night so he can find help, he is followed by his wolf, at a distance.
Long story short, he manages to do so, and eventually recovers his wolf as well. Happy ending! Plus it was very interesting to learn how useful your phone can be even though it is damaged and deader than a doornail. Lithium batteries for the win!
