Robby nodded. He collected his own snowshoes from the back of the trailer and debated whether he should put them back on. Instead, he decided to use his break wisely and he moved a few paces away from Nate and turned his back. As he urinated in the snow, he heard Pete and Nate greet each other.
“Hey,” Pete said.
“Pete,” Nate said.
“Any problems with the rig?”
“Nope.”
“How ‘bout you, Robby?”
“No problems, Pete,” Robby said, walking back to the two men.
“If either of you see any change in engine temp, let me know right away,” Pete said.
“You expecting any?" Nate asked.
“Always expect problems and you’ll never be surprised by them,” Pete said.
“Fair enough,” Nate said.
Pete walked over to the other side of the trailer and looked up and down the highway. “Who’s with Brynn?” he asked.
“Nobody,” Robby said.
“Jesus,” Pete said. “I thought we decided we should always stick together when we’re not in the tractors?”
“He’s right over there, I’m sure,” Nate said, pointing in the direction of Brynn’s footprints.
“That’s what we thought about Brad,” Pete said. “Fuck.” He shuffled off, following the tracks.
“Wait, Pete!” called Robby. “Brynn needs privacy.”
“I’m not going to watch or anything,” Pete called back over his shoulder.
Brynn was spared embarrassment. He crested the snow bank before Pete got there. Pete waited for Brynn to catch up and then the two came back to Robby’s tractor together.
“There’s an overpass just north of here,” Nate said. “Do we have a plan? Just go under, like the last one?”
“Nope,” Pete said, shaking his head. “Brad told us the snow was right up to the structure. I figure we’ll have to find a way around.”
“He also said he found a thick crust from Falmouth north,” Robby said.
“On a snowmobile, it might have seemed thick,” Nate said.
“We’re making terrible time,” Pete said. “We’re not going to make Kingston Depot before sunset.”
“I say we hole up in Freeport,” Pete said. “Brad said we can get into the L.L. Bean. We’ll follow his tracks there if we can and stay the night.”
Robby bowed his head and considered his plan for several moments.
“Probably worth checking out,” Nate said.
Brynn shed his snowshoes and climbed on top of the snowmobile lashed to the trailer. He turned the handlebars back and forth, grinding the skis on the deck of the trailer. Pete, leaning back against the edge of the trailer, reached back and stilled the skis. Brynn let go and stood up on the seat.
“Women coming back,” Brynn said.
“Wave them over here,” Pete said, turning his head to address Brynn.
Just as Romie, Lisa, and Sheila rounded the corner of the sled, Robby looked up from his concentration.
“I’m a little wary of following Brad’s path,” Robby said. “But as long as we’re cautious…”
“What are we talking about?" Lisa asked.
“Let’s go back and run it by Ted,” Pete said. “So we don’t have to repeat ourselves.”
EVERYTHING TOOK LONGER than they thought—navigating around overpasses, refueling, crossing the river. Even following Brad’s snowmobile tracks was a chore. In some places the wind scoured all tracks and left an icy flat plain. In others it looked like the tracks were only hours old.
They used the GPS to get close, but in the end the sunset reflecting off of jagged glass led them to the spot where Brad had broken into L.L. Bean’s retail headquarters. With the line of tractors and trailers parked at a safe distance, Pete poked around in the snow with a ski pole and found a row of shattered windows. He pointed his flashlight inside and found the top-floor offices of the retail store. He waved everyone over and they climbed inside as a group.
Between headlights and handheld flashlights, more than a dozen beams cut through the entombed office.
“Jesus,” Lisa said. “Why didn’t Brad just turn around and leave?”
“He was cold, and this was the first he’d seen of civilization since leaving his house,” Ted said.
“I bet they sell heaters downstairs,” Pete said. “Let’s go get one going.” He motioned to Ted and they headed towards the door next to the elevator.
Lisa turned back to the windows, where Robby was still looking at the snow drifted in through the broken panes.
“Why would Brad break so many windows getting in here?” Lisa asked.
“He only broken one getting in. This one,” Robby said. He pointed his light towards the floor where it glittered off shards of glass. “These windows were all broken outwards. That’s why we found the glass on the snow out there.”
Robby led Lisa back to the rest of the group, who followed Pete over to the stairwell door.
Ted picked up a fire extinguisher from the carpet. “He used this to wedge the door open,” Ted stated.
“I’ll do him one better,” Pete said. He produced a screwdriver and hammer from somewhere inside his coat. He popped the hinge pins from the door in seconds and then opened the door halfway before pulling it off and setting it on its side.
“Take it easy, Pete,” Romie said. “What did that door ever do to you?”
“Better safe than sorry,” Sheila said.
“Always expect problems, and you’ll always find them,” Nate said.
Pete whipped his head around and shot his light in Nate’s face until Nate raised his hand to shield his eyes.
“Let’s go,” Ted said.
“We could just stay here,” Lisa said. “Camp in the corner and then head out in the morning. Why do we have to go deeper into this tomb?”
“Supplies, heat, snacks,” Pete said.
“What do you think, Robby?” Lisa asked.
“I don’t see a reason not to,” Robby said.
Pete turned the beam of his flashlight down the stairs and led the way. As they descended the flights to the bottom, they mostly focused their beams on the snow packed against the windows. One whole side of the staircase was floor-to-ceiling windows, and the snow layers varied in color and consistency. At the bottom landing, Sheila ran her gloved hand down the glass where some of the layers of snow looked brown and black.
“All that snow out there,” Sheila said. “If this glass breaks we really are buried.”
“There are other ways out of here,” Pete said. “But if the glass hasn’t broken yet, it’s not going to in the next few hours. I’m going to set up camp.”
They turned the last corner to the door. The bottom corner of the thick, metal door was peeled back, exposing a hole so big that Robby could fit through it. Ted kneeled down and pointed his light at the hole. Lisa crouched next to him and the two looked through.
“What would bend a door?" Lisa asked.
Pete reached forward and turned the handle. It turned smoothly. He let go and let the door latch again without opening it. He scanned his light around the seams of the door. Aside from the corner bent out of shape, the door looked to be in perfect condition—nothing to indicate it had endured any stress.
Pete reached for the handle again and gripped it before Sheila stopped him.
“We’re not going in there,” she stated.
“Why not?" Pete asked.
“There’s something in there that can tear open doors, that’s why,” Sheila said.
“No, that’s not necessarily true,” Pete said. “Whatever was in there, looks like it left. If anything, it might be dangerous to be anywhere except in there.”
“You can’t believe that,” Sheila said. “Where would it have gone? Is there anywhere for it to go? No, it must have come into this stairwell and then returned back through this hole. It’s just not safe.”