Rescue on the Run

by Jaycee Bullard

Abby seemed to consider this for a couple of seconds before offering him her hand. “Okay. We can go together. Check the place out. Let me know if you start to feel woozy. We can always stop and rest.”

  It felt nice to hold on to Abby’s arm as they shuffled past the circular staircase in the main reception area and the small gift shop that sold baseball caps and T-shirts emblazoned with the lodge’s red fox logo. And his closeness to Abby gave him a bird’s-eye view of the baby, sound asleep in the sling across her chest.

  He stumbled twice. Abby tightened her grip to steady his gait. Once inside the paneled dining room, they made their way across the carpeted floor. It was a large space, but the tables and chairs stacked around the edges made it seem more like a ballroom than a dining facility. Along the back wall, there was a long table, covered end-to-end with jumbo-size warmers and empty trays. Cal tried to imagine the selection at the breakfast buffet. Scrambled eggs and pancakes. Omelets cooked to order with peppers and cheese. A dessert section laden with cinnamon buns and glazed doughnuts.

  His stomach growled at the prospect.

  Once they passed through the swinging doors to the kitchen, Cal let go of Abby’s arm and braced himself against the stainless steel workspace used to prepare meals for lunch and dinner. He edged along past the pots and pans hanging from racks on the ceiling toward a small refrigerator on the far side of the kitchen.

  He took a deep breath and released his grip on the counter. He had made it this far with Abby’s help, but it was time to put pressure on his leg. “From here on in, I’ll try to do this on my own.”

  “Hmm. Just take it slow and easy. And remember that I’m here if you want to stop and catch your breath. Let’s see what we can find in the fridge. Maybe the custodian left behind a couple sandwiches before he left for home.”

  A guy could hope. The positive effects of that granola bar had long worn off. But nope, the only edible item in the unit was a package of English muffins crumbling at the edges.

  Abby slipped it into the plastic bag that had been left on the counter. From the open shelves next to the freezer, she grabbed a butter knife, a jar of strawberry jam and a gift-wrapped block of cheese still in its packaging and stuffed everything into the sack. “Beggars can’t be choosers, right? Let’s take all this back to the reception area. That way, we can keep an eye on what’s happening outside and feast while we discuss our next move.”

  Feast? Not likely. But this was probably the best of their limited options. He reached across the workspace for one of the large knives hanging next to a prep station. “I’ll take this just in case we need it to slice the cheese.”

  By the look in her eyes, she knew what he was thinking—that a sharp weapon might prove useful if Ricky and the others showed up.

  The trek back to the reception area was twice as grueling without the support of Abby’s arm. His heart raced, and his muscles throbbed with exhaustion. But he gritted his teeth and maintained a steady pace.

  Abby helped him get settled on the couch and then knelt down on the floor. With a colorful throw she found slung across one of the chairs, she made a bed next to the couch and then gently eased the baby out of the sling and onto the blanket she had placed on the floor. Then, pushing aside the ripped fabric on Cal’s pants, she bent over to check his leg. “There’s still some leaking in the area around the stitches. You can rest while you get something to eat.”

  She splashed a squirt of sanitizer on her hands. Once her hands were clean, she spread out the items she had gathered for their dinner. She split open the muffins and smeared them with jam. Though he had been daydreaming about pancakes dripping with butter and syrup, the muffins tasted mighty good, and a second helping went a long way toward relieving his hunger pains.

  Abby ate quickly and then pushed herself up and headed toward the reception desk. “I was thinking that there must be a map of this place around somewhere.” Her head disappeared under the counter. She reappeared seconds later with a brochure in her hand. “Here we go.” She walked over to the couch and unfolded the leaflet on the table. She pointed to a semicircular building on the far side of the map. “This is the hut I was telling you about where they keep the ATVs. But it looks pretty far from the main lodge. It’s way past the cabins in the back of the lot.”

  “I think I can make it.”

  Abby seemed doubtful. “I’m not sure about that. But check out what I found in one of the drawers.” She reached in her pocket and pulled out a lanyard clip with one large key. “It’s labeled ‘Vehicle hut.’ So getting in should be a piece of cake.” She paused, then shook her head. “Wow...um... I just thought of something. Mr. Ratten keeps a stack of brochures like this by the counter at the store. If Ricky and the others do end up going back there, it won’t take long for them to put two and two together and realize where we’ve gone. They might already be on their way.”

  Cal took a deep breath. “Okay. Clearly, we need to get out of here as soon as possible. The first thing we should do is...” He paused midsentence as a tinkling trill cut through the air.

  THIRTEEN

  It took Cal a moment to register the source of the ringing. A phone. Since the storm was still raging, it hadn’t occurred to him to check if the lines might be back up. A rookie mistake. He swung his leg off the couch and stood. A jolt of pain shot up his body as he staggered forward, caught himself against a chair and then limped across the floor.

  “Cal, wait!” Abby called out. “Let me get it.”

  But he didn’t pause. He didn’t know if he could stop even if he wanted to. The momentum of his weight lurching forward was propelling his body across the room. If he could maintain his balance for a few more paces, he might be able to reach the large, marble counter for support. Just two more steps. The ache in his calf was mounting, and so was the pulsing pain ricocheting up and down his leg. One more step.

  Thud! He slammed into the desk. He reached down and plucked the receiver from its stand.

  “Hullo,” he panted.

  Too late. The person on the other end of the line had hung up. But a steady dial tone vibrated against his ears.

  “Cal, are you okay?” Abby set the lanyard down on the table and moved to the spot where he was standing.

  He shook his head as he tried to catch his breath. “I’m great. But don’t you see? It doesn’t matter! The landlines are back up! We can call for backup.”

  His fingers tapped three digits against the keypad.

  “Nine-one-one dispatch. How can I help?”

  “Linette. It’s me. Cal. Again.”

  “Cal! Where are you? Is Abby okay? What about Isobel’s baby?” There was an anxious edge to Linette’s voice.

  “We’re fine. As we speak, I’ve got both Abby and the baby in my sight. We’re at the Red Fox Lodge.”

  “The Red Fox Lodge!” Linette repeated in a high voice.

  Cal pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and his finger and sighed.

  “That’s right. And we need as much help as you can muster. And also—”

  Linette cut him off. “We’ve had squad cars patrolling the roads ever since Isobel reported the attempted kidnapping, but at the moment, emergency crews can’t get past mile marker 103. There’s a four-car pileup that’s blocking the road. The crews haven’t even made it to the bank.”

  Cal frowned. Given the ferocity of the storm, he wasn’t surprised to hear about the accident. Still, it was disappointing to run into yet another roadblock, and a literal one at that. “Okay, Linette, here’s what you need to do. Notify the authorities in Fargo. Ask if they can possibly come to our assistance. Let our deputies focus on clearing the road. Anyone coming in from the north will be on Highway 40, so they’ll bypass the accident. The state patrol can assist at the bank. Remind them that there will be some explosives so they’ll want to bring along a demolition expert. Once we have police on this side of the highway, the
next step will be strategizing on how to apprehend the perps. But if I can find a way out of here, my first priority is getting the civilians to safety.” He paused. “You got all that?”

  “Yes. Okay. I understand.” Linette’s voice sounded breathless.

  “Oh, and Linette, one more thing. Thank you.”

  He hung up the receiver, scrubbed his hand against his face and turned to face Abby. “Help is on their way.”

  “I heard.” Abby gave him a curious look. “Here. Take my arm. We can talk some more when we get you back to the couch.”

  “What’s the matter?” he asked once he had settled against the cushions. He was having trouble interpreting the quizzical quirk of Abby’s mouth. She didn’t seem happy. In fact, she seemed downright upset.

  He was confused. It wasn’t quite time to celebrate, but this was the closest they had been to being rescued all evening. He had faith that Chief Bertram in Fargo would be able to muster a half dozen officers to assist at the scene. It was only about a forty-minute drive under normal conditions. Factoring in the snow-packed roads, the cavalry would arrive in less than an hour.

  But Abby still seemed upset.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked again. “Are you thinking about Ricky? I was just going to suggest that we head over to the hut with the ATVs. What do you think?”

  Abby didn’t answer his question. She bent down and began to examine his leg. “You want to know what I think? I think I should do that, and that you should wait here and rest.”

  “But what if the keys to start the vehicles aren’t on the board or in the ignitions? It’ll be a wasted trip if you can’t start one up.”

  “Cal. That little trip of ours to the kitchen caused your stitches to rupture in several places. If you do too much more physical activity, the whole suture could come apart, and your leg will be severely compromised. And you could die if I can’t stop the bleeding.”

  “Huh?” He could see that Abby was apprehensive, but seriously? Why focus on the worst-case scenario?

  “Just look at your stiches.” She pointed her finger at his leg. There was definitely an edge to her voice.

  “What about them?” he asked.

  Silence stretched between them for the span of ten seconds.

  “I don’t think you’ve been listening to anything I said. Your leg is going to be stressed by a quarter-mile trek through the snow. And that’s going to cause a serious problem.”

  “I’ll take it easy. I promise.”

  “You don’t seem to know how to take it easy. I heard you on the phone to Linette. You didn’t even mention that you had been shot. You should have told her that you needed an ambulance.”

  Cal rubbed his jaw. He wasn’t quite certain how to respond. Abby’s concern was touching, but at the same time, her offended attitude was perplexing.

  “It’s standard practice to report when an officer is down,” Abby pointed out.

  “I guess you’re right. But I’m not exactly an officer down. I’ve already received medical treatment.” He offered her his most winning smile, but it didn’t work its usual magic. Abby fixed him with a steely glare. He shrugged. “I’m pretty sure that they’ll send an ambulance anyway. For the baby.”

  “Right.” She fixed her gaze on the baby asleep on the floor.

  He lay his head back against the couch and tried to make sense of Abby’s change in attitude. They had been getting along so well. Just ten minutes earlier, it had felt like the two of them were on the same team, and now she was acting like he had committed some great offense by not reporting the fact that he had been shot in the leg.

  “C’mon, Abby. What’s the real problem here?”

  She twisted her hair off the back of her neck and pulled it to one side. “I’m just surprised that you didn’t follow procedure. You can’t keep pretending that you’re operating at one hundred percent and that nothing is wrong.”

  “I got shot, okay? And the best paramedic in the county stitched me up. Should I have mentioned it on the phone? Maybe. But Linette was upset. And I wanted to get off the line so she could put in the call to Fargo as quickly as possible. Forgive me for not cataloging all of my various injuries.”

  He instantly regretted his outburst as Abby’s back seemed to stiffen.

  “I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree about what you can and can’t do because of your injuries. Maybe I’m just stressed and need to close my eyes for a minute to think.”

  Remorse flooded his senses. Of course, she was tired. On top of everything else, she’d been taking care of both him and the baby. Why hadn’t he realized that she needed a break?

  He lugged himself back into a sitting position.

  “I’m sorry. Yes. You lie down and rest. I’m going to move over to that big lounge chair by the window. That way, I can keep an eye on the baby and watch the road as well. And when you’re done resting, we can talk about finding a way to track down an ATV.”

  “Okay.” She stretched out on the couch, folded her arms over her chest and closed her eyes.

  Cal watched her for a moment. Then he pulled himself upright and, by hanging on to the surrounding furniture, slowly made his way across the room. He settled himself on the large recliner and picked up the pair of binoculars from a basket by the chair. He swiveled sideways and adjusted the focus toward the highway. Watching the road for suspicious vehicles would keep his mind from straying toward other thoughts. Like thoughts about the woman trying to sleep just a few feet away from him.

  It wasn’t that she was beautiful. Which she was. But it was so much more than that. He’d always admired her strength, but tonight he had seen her kindness, her selflessness, her faith. In fact, maybe he needed to add one more item to the bucket list he kept tucked in the back of his mind. It was the resolve to finally open his heart again. Something had happened between him and Abby tonight, something that had forced him to recognize that what they had shared in the past few hours was more than friendship. And he was ready to risk finding out if Abby felt the same way.

  He was about to set the binoculars back on their stand when a movement in the distance caught his eye. He peered through the lenses. Was that a cloud of snow from an approaching vehicle? His gut clenched, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on edge. There was no way that the Fargo officers could be here already. And besides, it wasn’t a police vehicle that was approaching. Not an official one anyway. It was still far away, but he’d recognize the shape and the color anywhere. It was his own blue F-150. The truck he had left parked in the bank lot.

  And the kidnappers had his keys.

  * * *

  Abby kept her eyes screwed shut. There was no way that she was going to fall asleep, but Cal didn’t need to know that. Pretending to take a nap had just seemed like an effective way to take a couple of minutes to think things through.

  Why had she acted so childish and petulant, chiding Cal for not requesting that an ambulance be sent to the lodge? Usually, she kept her emotions in tighter control. So why had she allowed herself to get so upset? She clenched her fingers into a tight fist. She knew why. It was because she was scared and angry. Scared that Cal’s injuries were potentially life-threatening. Angry that he didn’t seem to care.

  Maybe it was none of her business. But when Cal had told her about Shannon, it had felt for a moment like it was a bridge to something more. An understanding. A bond. A deeper connection. But if Cal continued to ignore her medical advice, there was a very good chance that there might not be a happy ending for any of them, least of all for Cal.

  And the thought of something happening to him upset her to her very core.

  “Abby, wake up!” Cal was suddenly beside her, whispering in her ear. “We need to get out here and find a place to hide. Ricky and the others are headed down the road.”

  “What?” Even though she hadn’t been asleep, a grogginess had du
lled her senses, and a lethargy invaded her limbs. But all of a sudden, Cal’s words penetrated her weary brain. Her eyes sprang open. “They found us?”

  “Yeah. They’re halfway down the entry road.”

  Abby leaped up, her heart sinking in her chest. How had the kidnappers discovered them so quickly? It didn’t matter. They needed to move fast and find someplace safe to hide.

  “I know,” she said. “We should go into the kitchen! It’s big and dark with lots of nooks and crannies. We can probably find a place to hole up in there.” She slipped the sleeping baby back into the sling and hurried to scoop up their supplies with her other hand. Maybe if the lobby looked deserted, the kidnappers would give up and start their search in the cabins along the shore. A loud crash echoed from the other side of the room. She turned her head and saw that, on his way across the lobby, Cal had knocked down a lamp. Her heart squeezed in her chest. She raced over to the spot where he was standing and bent to pick up the fallen light.

  “I’ve got it!” she said. “Just keep going.”

  But when she tried to lift the lamp, the diapers and box of formula dropped from her grip.

  “Let it go, Abby. There isn’t time to worry about that.”

  She started to turn around, but then she stopped. Wouldn’t a tipped over light confirm that something was amiss? She swiveled and retraced her steps. Setting down the baby, she lifted the lamp back onto the table. Then she bundled the infant and his supplies back into her arms and followed Cal out of the lobby.

  Dread thudded in her chest. She had been wrong. The dining room, with its stripped-down tables and stacked chairs, didn’t offer many places to hide. And in the kitchen, the shelves at the bottom of the counters were far too open to conceal two adults and a baby.

  Abby scampered past the small refrigerator where they had found the English muffins and headed into the pantry. But the narrow shelves were far too flimsy to hold their weight.

  “Waaaa! Waaaa!”

  No! Not now! She glanced down. The baby had his lip pushed out and his face was crumpled and red.