by Kathi Daley
“I still have a couple of granola bars, which should be plenty. I like to keep a mostly empty stomach when I have to really exert myself anyway. Remember that if I decide to continue down the mountain rather than coming back for some reason, I’ll hang the piece of red material I tore off from my top on a tree limb.”
Ellie nodded. “Okay. I’ll look for it.”
I glanced out the window. “It’s getting dark. I need to go soon.”
“Are you sure you heard what you think?” Ellie asked tentatively. “Maybe you misunderstood. Maybe you are risking your life running through the woods in the middle of the night for no reason.”
I took Ellie’s hand in mine. “I didn’t hear the word ‘kidnap,’ but I most definitely heard enough to know that something is up. I don’t know why Adira and her goons selected Alex and Pepper for it, but it seems that they have. I’d hoped I would have a chance to talk to Alex and see if maybe she knew why the four of them had been selected to participate, but it looks like she may not make it in time.”
Ellie’s eyes grew larger. “Money. We wondered why Alex and Pepper were selected. We discussed the fact that Alex is a genius, while Pepper is closer to average academically. That doesn’t make them both a good choice if the defining factor was intelligence. But both Pepper and Alex come from families with a lot of money. I mean, think about it: not only do Alex’s real parents have money, Zak does as well, and they must know he would pay any ransom demanded. And it is well-known that Pepper’s dad is loaded. I don’t know about the other two, but it makes sense that if the men in Adira’s house are planning to kidnap the four girls, they probably selected the ones who would fetch the biggest ransoms.”
“I guess it could be that. All the girls at the Academy come from well-to-do families, but of the ones who came along, Alex and Pepper do come from the families with the most money.” I paused to consider that. “If that is the reason Alex and Pepper were singled out, perhaps they won’t be harmed. Zak will pay any ransom demanded, not only for Alex but for all the girls if need be.” I glanced out the window. The sun had set. “I have to go. Be sure to get that phone and note to Alex one way or another.”
Ellie hugged me. “I will. Please be careful.”
I hugged her back. “I will. Don’t worry about me. Concentrate on keeping yourself and the girls safe.”
I slipped out the door and down the first embankment I came to. The last thing I wanted to do was to have someone see me and wonder what I was doing roaming around after dark. The forest had been thinned near the camp, so the light from the moon was enough for me to see where I was going. I had a general idea of the direction in which I wanted to head. I’d taken some compass readings earlier and calculated a route in my mind. It was fortunate that I’d not only taken an orienteering class in high school but I’d been teaching one every summer through a local enrichment program, and I used the skills I had gained to find my way when I was hiking and backcountry skiing. As long as I didn’t run into any insurmountable barriers, I should be fine. The biggest risk, I realized, was that the trailer would be occupied and the resident would not be keen on having a visitor. If someone lived all the way out here, even just for the summer, there was a good chance they weren’t the hospitable sort.
It occurred to me as I stepped over fallen tree trunks and picked my way through groves of manzanita that while there weren’t any roads wide enough to accommodate a motorized vehicle, there could very well be horse trails I could follow. According to what I’d learned from Hera, there had been horses on the grounds as recently as a couple of years ago, and a horse trail, once established, wouldn’t have grown over in such a short period of time. I had no guarantee, of course, that the trail would lead to the spot where I was heading, but still, it did seem that if there was a straight shot to get there, the lake below the camp would make as good a destination as any. I knew I’d need to be careful not to let any trail, should I find one, cause me to veer too far off the course I had set just because it was there. It wouldn’t take a lot for me to lose my bearings and end up lost in the dense forest.
I paused to check my compass and to make a few notations in my notebook. I’d gone about a mile, and other than a few scrapes as I picked my way through the bushes I was unscathed and making good time. A coyote howled in the distance, which got several others howling in reply. I’d always enjoyed the sorrowful cry of the four-legged carnivores who lived in the forest surrounding my home, but being alone in the dark without anything except a very modest knife as a weapon was not the best time to party with the beautiful animals.
I made a few adjustments to my route and continued on. Eventually, I came across an old hiking trail that seemed to be heading in the right direction, so I was able to pick up the pace. I figured that by now, Alex would have found a way to meet up with Ellie. I just hoped that she would fully understand my directions and would know exactly what to do in the event I didn’t make it back in time to prevent whatever was about to happen.
I had been hiking for about two hours when I came to the first natural barrier. The river wasn’t particularly wide, but it was running swiftly. Too swiftly to just wade across. There wasn’t a bridge of any sort, but there was a fallen tree, which, if I was careful, I should be able to shimmy across. The main problem was that the trunk was wet and would likely be slippery. I’d need to tread carefully so I didn’t end up in the river, which, at a guess, would probably carry me down to the falls I could hear in the distance.
I took a few minutes to study the area. I was most definitely open to a better option should one occur to me. I walked down the river for a bit, but it looked as if the river wound away from where I wanted to go, so I’d have no choice but to cross. I so did not want to do this. I could continue to hike down the river in the hopes of finding a better place to cross, but that would take time and there were no guarantee I would find one. Deciding to go for it, I headed back upstream toward the log, took a deep breath, and then stepped onto the rickety thing.
As I’d predicted, the log was slick with moisture, so short steps were required. I reminded myself to take one step at a time and to look toward my destination, not down at the water rushing just an inch beneath the log. I started to slip once, found my balance and corrected, then hopped my way along the rest of the log and onto the opposite bank.
I figured that by this point I must be getting close to the lake that was my goal. I paused and checked my compass settings again. The trail I’d been following had taken me slightly off course, but I was pretty sure I’d compensated for the slight detour after the trail had changed direction, making it dangerous for me to continue to follow.
A cloud passed over the moon, which cast me into darkness. I paused and listened to the lonely sound of an owl in a nearby tree. I looked carefully in all directions, listening for predators, then I turned on my flashlight and continued toward the trailer. There was a slight chance that a flashlight could be seen from the ridge above, so I preferred to travel by the light of the moon as much as possible, but there was no way I was going to make it without artificial help once the cloud strangled the moon.
I walked another thirty minutes and came to the same river I had already crossed. It looked like it must wind around like a snake and I would have to cross it once again to stay on track. The river was wider here, but it was moving much less swiftly. I didn’t have a handy tree trunk to use as a bridge, so I looked around for some other solution. A tree grew from the bank at water’s edge. It was tilted to the side, most likely pushed into place by the rushing water during the spring runoff. There was a branch about halfway up that reached out over the water. It looked to me as if I could swing myself onto the opposite bank if I climbed the tree and shimmied out onto that branch. It was risky and success was not guaranteed, but I didn’t see a better alternative, nor did I have time to look for one. On the way back I’d simply remain on the other side of the river even if it did snake around and make the trip longer.
I made s
ure my backpack was secure, climbed the tree, and crawled slowly out onto the branch. Once I started across with the river running beneath me, I realized the branch wasn’t as sturdy as I’d thought. If it broke before I made it across, I was done for. I thought about turning back, but then I thought about Alex, Ellie, and the other girls who were depending on me, and went forward. The branch dipped toward the water as I continued out onto the end. I just hoped it was still high enough to provide the angle I’d need to propel myself to the other side. The roar from the rushing water filled the night air as I tried to work up the courage to do what I had to. When I realized I’d gone as far as I dared, I said a brief prayer, hung from my hands, swung my legs, and twisted my body to provide the momentum that I hoped would propel me to the other bank.
When I landed in the mud I let out a breath of relief. One of my legs had ended up in the water, which would make the rest of the hike a lot less comfortable, but I was alive and I hadn’t broken anything, which was what mattered. I continued along the river until it reached the lake. I paused to look for the trailer, hoping I had ended up at the right lake. When the clouds passed and the moon reappeared, casting a shadow on the large metal object, I let out a sigh of relief. Adjusting my backpack, I took a deep breath and went forward.
The trailer was dark, which, to be honest, I half-expected. I knocked on the door and waited. According to my watch, it was almost two a.m., so I just hoped that if someone was home, they wouldn’t blow my head off before I was able to explain who I was and what I wanted. When no one answered I tried the door. It was locked. I could try to pick the lock, but I didn’t have a lot of supplies and it wasn’t like I was a master lock picker anyway. The trailer had a small window, so I picked up a large rock and broke it. I cleared the glass, put my extra sweatshirt in the opening for protection, and climbed up onto a nearby log. I grabbed onto the window ledge and pulled my body toward the opening. It was a good thing I was petite, because I was barely able to squeeze through.
It looked like no one had been inside for a while. I didn’t find any fresh food, but I did see canned goods. It was obvious I wasn’t going to find a computer, but there was a radio, which I hoped was on a different frequency from the one at the camp. I turned on the unit, but it was dead. I realized I needed to turn on the generator, which I assumed would be outside. I headed out through the door and looked around. It was dark and the brush grew thick, but eventually I spotted the small generator behind the trailer. I tried to get it running, but the dang thing refused to start. I realized that it was most likely out of fuel.
If the trailer were mine and I depended on fuel to run my generator, where would I keep it? I wouldn’t keep it inside the trailer because of the risk of fire, but I would keep it somewhere nearby and out of the elements. Perhaps in the truck? I headed over to the truck and looked in the bed. Empty. Then I checked through the side window at the passenger area. Bingo. There was a gas can sitting on the floor of the passenger side of the rusty old cab. As with the trailer, the truck was locked, so as with the trailer, I broke the window. I grabbed the can and jiggled it, only to find that was empty too.
“Okay, Donovan, what now?” I groaned in frustration.
I supposed there might be gasoline inside the tank of the truck. I had a gas can, so I just needed a hose. There weren’t any hoses in sight, but there were hoses in the engine compartment, so I found the longest one I could and went back to the back of the vehicle to find the gas cap. Once located, I stuck the hose into the opening as far as it would go and gave the hose a hard suck.
“Eww.” I spat the gasoline out of my mouth, coughing loudly as I did. At least there was gasoline to be had and the hose seemed to reach it. When I had enough to start the generator, I used one of my bottles of water to swish and spit, took a drink, and then filled the generator. When all it did was sputter and rumble, I was sure it was inoperable, but after a few well-chosen cuss words and a good kick in the side, it started at last. I realized it was going to continue to growl and thunder and let out a breath of relief.
Once the generator had found its rhythm and was humming along, I returned to the interior of the trailer. I picked up the radio receiver and spoke into it, although I wondered who I might make contact with in the middle of the night.
“Hello. Is anyone out there?”
All I heard was static.
“Can anyone hear me? Please reply if you can.”
Again, nothing but static. I adjusted the knob just a bit, hoping once again that I didn’t connect with the radio at the camp. “Hello. Can anyone hear me?” I tried again.
Still nothing.
I made another small adjustment and tried again.
“Hello. Ten four. Can anyone here me?”
“Fletcher?” someone asked before the voice cut out and the static continued.
“Can you hear me?” I tried. “My name is Zoe. I’m in trouble and need help. Can you hear me?”
No one answered. I must have lost whatever connection I had. I tried for another half hour and finally realized it was time to throw in the towel. I set the radio aside and began rooting through drawers for something to write with. Not only was there some shotgun shells, but I found an old map and a pencil. I put the shells in my backpack and scratched out a message on the back of the map explaining who I was, why I had broken in, what was going on up at the camp, and promising to pay them for the damage I’d caused as soon as I got myself out of the mess I was in. I provided my phone number as well as Zak’s, and then looked around for the shotgun that went with the shells but came up empty. I left the trailer and headed to the truck. I knew it had gas, so I had a small chance of getting it running. I didn’t have a key, but the truck was old, so hotwiring it shouldn’t be all that hard. Not that I was a car thief, but I’d watched it done on television on numerous occasions. I was filled with hope and confidence for about a minute until I realized that the transmission was laying on the ground. I was filled with the sad certainty that driving out wasn’t going to be an option.
By now it was almost three thirty and I needed to get started back if I was going to arrive before I was missed at breakfast. The journey back was going to be mostly uphill, but I wouldn’t waste time crossing and then recrossing the river, so I still hoped to be there by nine. Ellie would start worrying by seven, but no one was expected to be seen by the masses until breakfast, so I figured I should be fine.
Now that I knew what to expect from the trail in front of me, I changed into my dry socks and took off up the mountain at a jog. I was disappointed that I hadn’t managed to get through to anyone, but there was fuel left in the generator and I knew the radio worked, so if need be I could return and try again during the day, when it was more likely there would be folks around to hear my SOS and, hopefully, respond.
Chapter 13
Wednesday, July 17
It took me somewhat longer than I’d hoped to make the trek back up the mountain. By the time I arrived, everyone was in the dining room. I assumed that Ellie would have explained my absence by claiming that I had gotten a late start on my morning jog. I was a muddy mess, so I needed to go back to the cabin before I did anything else. I’m not sure what made me peek in the window of the cabin before barging in. My Zodar, I supposed. When I peeked in, expecting to find it empty, there was Ellie, talking to Isis and Alex.
“I completely understand.” Ellie smiled, although I could tell it was forced. “I’ll let Zoe know what is going on once she gets back from her run.”
“As I mentioned, the girls will be tied up all day, so let Ms. Zimmerman know not to expect to see them until dinner.”
“I will,” Ellie replied. She hugged Alex in a manner that appeared just a bit too tight to be natural. “Have fun today, sweetie.”
“I will. And tell Zoe not to worry about me. You know how she is.”
I watched helplessly as Isis left with Alex. I waited until they disappeared from sight, then went inside.
“They have Alex and th
e other girls,” Ellie said the minute I walked in the door.
“I know. I saw them take Alex.” I tossed my backpack on the floor.
Ellie was crying. “Alex stayed here last night hoping to see you when you returned. Isis came for her. I didn’t want to just stand by while they took her, but I had no idea what to do.”
“You did the right thing by doing nothing,” I responded. “Trying to prevent Alex from going wouldn’t have stopped them from taking her and it might have gotten you killed. Did they gather up the same four girls as yesterday?”
“As far as I know. The only one I know for sure is Alex. The poor thing. I know she put on a brave front, but she must be terrified.”
“Alex is fine. She has a plan. She knows what to do and she knows that as long as she has the phone, we will find her. She does have the phone?”
Ellie nodded. “I gave her the phone and the note when she first got here. She tucked the phone and the letter into the lining of her sweatshirt. The sweatshirt is bulky, so it didn’t show. They will have no reason to look for it because they collected everyone’s phones days ago. We made sure it was charged, and Alex made sure the GPS was turned on. Once we had that handled she turned off the ringer and anything else that would make noise.”
“That’s good. If we can’t find a way to stop them, and they do take the girls, at some point she should come into an area with cell service. Then she just has to get a message to Zak. She’ll be fine. Alex is going to be fine.” I guess I figured if I said it enough I’d believe it myself. “In the meantime, we need to try to figure out a way to stop them from taking the girls off the mountain in the first place.”
“Were you able to contact anyone?”
I bowed my head, then shook it slowly back and forth. “Unfortunately, no. There was a radio, but I couldn’t connect with anyone. It was the middle of the night. I can go back down and try again if I need to.”
