Mountain Hostage

by Hope White

  “Mr. Monroe?” the receptionist called. “You both may go back now. Down that hall and the first door on the right.”

  Zoe hesitated before getting up.

  “Have you changed your mind?” Jack said.

  “No.” She glanced toward the hallway, her legs still locked in place, unable to support her.

  “You won’t need to see her face, just her wrist,” Jack reminded her.

  With a nod, Zoe stood and took a deep, fortifying breath. Putting it off wasn’t going to change the outcome and the sooner she knew the truth, the sooner she could either start the grieving process or continue investigating her friend’s disappearance.

  The walk down the hall was oddly quiet, her senses attuned to her surroundings: the pale, yellow walls, speckled vinyl floor, and plastic trim around the edges.

  Please, God, don’t let it be Shannon.

  “Should someone else be here?”

  Jack’s question jarred her out of her desperate thoughts. She glanced at him.

  “Other friends or family?” he asked. “We can wait for them.”

  “Why would I want to wait?”

  “For...” he hesitated “...emotional support.”

  “You’re going in with me, right?” she said, sounding a little too needy considering she hadn’t even known the man twenty-four hours.

  “Yes, I’ll be with you.”

  Silence rang in her ears as they approached the large white door. She could do this. She could be strong for her friend.

  Jack paused and looked at her.

  “God give me strength,” she whispered. Then she nodded and Jack pushed open the door.

  A tall man in scrubs stood up from a desk and greeted them. “I’m Dr. Gonzales. You’re here to identify the body?”

  “Yes,” Zoe said.

  “She needs to see the right wrist,” Jack said.

  Zoe shot a quick glance at the glass window, covered on the other side by a curtain. Her heart pounded in her chest.

  “One moment.” Dr. Gonzales went into the other room.

  Zoe took a deep breath and prayed for strength.

  The curtain opened to reveal a body beneath a sheet on a table. The doctor went to the body and blocked their view, she assumed to adjust the sheet so only the arm would be exposed.

  She could use a boost of strength right now. Without looking at him, she gripped Jack’s hand. He didn’t resist the connection.

  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

  The doctor stepped aside, exposing the victim’s bare arm.

  No tattoo. No cross and heart.

  It wasn’t Shannon.

  Zoe let out a sigh, not realizing she’d been holding her breath.

  “Are you going to faint again?” Jack asked.

  She glanced at his worried expression. His blue eyes warmed with concern.

  “No, I’m okay.”

  * * *

  She didn’t seem okay, Jack thought as he drove her back to the command center. Gazing out the window at the towering pine trees on either side of the road, she was taciturn at best, and her pensive expression hadn’t changed since they’d left the medical examiner’s office.

  Although Jack preferred the quiet to nonstop chatter of some people, he found himself missing the verboseness of Zoe Pratt who’d asked him questions about his dog and actually smiled when he’d called Romeo a chick magnet.

  Wait, this was no time to be smiling. Then again, she knew her friend wasn’t dead, so she shouldn’t be too upset, right?

  “The victim wasn’t your friend. Aren’t you...?” He wasn’t sure what word he was looking for.

  “Happy?”

  “No, that’s not the word.”

  “Relieved?”

  “Yes, relieved,” he said, turning onto the access road.

  “I’m very relieved and thankful, but I don’t want to get my hopes up too much.” She eyed the mountain range bordering them. “Shan’s still out there somewhere.” She snapped her attention to Jack. “Did you—”

  “Notify Command that it wasn’t Shannon? Yes.”

  “How did you know what I was going to ask?”

  “It seemed like a logical question. They’ve sent two more teams up the north side of Mt. Stevens. They’re focusing on an old bunker off Trail 415 and Portage Fire Lookout. Sometimes hikers will leave behind food or water bottles for the next person. It’s possible Shannon escaped and found shelter and sustenance at the lookout last night.”

  “If she escaped,” she whispered.

  “It’s a good possibility, considering someone’s looking for her now.”

  She nodded, but it didn’t seem like his explanation satisfied her.

  “They’re doing everything they can,” he said.

  “I know.” She glanced at him. “Sorry about the whole hand-holding thing back there. It was automatic, to reach out for support. I mean, I sense you’re not a touchy-feely type of guy and I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

  “You don’t have to apologize.”

  “You must think I’m a fragile ditz or something. I mean, I’m always leaning on you or fainting on you or holding your hand.” She shook her head.

  “You’re upset about your friend. It’s understandable.”

  This time he meant it. He actually understood. Even though he had little appreciation for emotions, he’d experienced his share of hurt and remorse when he was a child and young adult. It was after his twenty-first birthday that he’d decided to focus all his efforts on shutting down the emotional part of himself and locking it away where it wouldn’t be used against him ever again.

  They pulled into the command center parking lot. Jack let Romeo out for exercise. Jack wasn’t sure if he needed to head back up the mountain at this point, since teams had already been assembled and dispersed. Although he might be able to catch up, something held him back.

  Zoe.

  He didn’t like the idea of her being on her own with the threat still out there.

  “I’d better talk to Kelly,” Zoe said.

  As she headed toward the food truck, Jack walked alongside her.

  “Aren’t you going back up?” she said.

  “I’d like to hear your conversation if possible.” He didn’t want to get into a discussion about his motivations and why he planned to stay close.

  They approached the food tent and found Kelly unloading equipment from the back of a flatbed truck. She saw Zoe and her eyes lit up.

  “I heard it’s not Shannon.” Kelly rushed toward Zoe as if to give her a hug, but Zoe stepped back. “What’s wrong?” Kelly said.

  Zoe motioned her out of earshot of the rest of the volunteers.

  “What was going on between you and Randy?” Zoe asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Shannon thinks you betrayed her, you and Randy together. What’s that about?”

  Kelly sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. “Oh, so you know about the intervention.”

  “What intervention?”

  “Randy was worried about her and came to me for advice. She seemed...depressed. He kept asking her what was wrong, but she blew him off, said she was fine.”

  “But?”

  “Something felt off. Randy asked Pastor Mike for advice. He suggested we have a meeting, me, Randy, Shannon and Pastor Mike. It backfired. Shannon felt ganged up on.”

  “When did this happen?”

  “A few months ago, around the time one of the kids from Angie’s Youth Club was hospitalized for an overdose. I sensed maybe Shannon felt responsible.”

  “Why?” Zoe pressed.

  “I guess because she didn’t realize the girl was using and out of control.”

  “She never told me.”

  “That came
a few months after another teen from the youth club died in the mountains.”

  “Was she close to these girls?”

  “Very. After our intervention, she slowed things down with Randy and could barely fit me in for coffee. She withdrew from both of us and took extra shifts at work.”

  Jack watched Zoe’s reaction to Kelly’s story. Zoe seemed to believe her, but Jack couldn’t be sure. Perhaps she was being polite.

  “I’d like to speak with Randy,” Zoe said.

  “I can text you his number, but I don’t know when he’s coming back. He took it pretty hard when she shut him out.”

  “Hey, Jack,” Sally Frick said, approaching them. “They’re putting together another team. You with us?”

  He hesitated before answering and glanced at Zoe. Although he wanted to stay and make sure she was safe, he read desperation in her eyes, desperation to find her friend.

  “Go on,” Zoe said. “Thanks for everything today.”

  With a nod, Jack turned and joined the team. He had the urge to look back, to make eye contact with Zoe, but wasn’t sure why. Instead, he remained focused on the group assembling by the trailhead. He had to concentrate on finding Shannon Banks.

  And giving Zoe peace.

  * * *

  As Jack walked away, a chill fell across Zoe’s shoulders.

  Kelly reached out and touched her arm. “Hey, they’re doing everything they can to find her.”

  Zoe nodded. “I know.”

  Sergeant Peterson pulled up in a police car. He got out and approached Zoe and Kelly. “Ladies.”

  “Sergeant,” Zoe said. She shot another glance in Jack’s direction but couldn’t see his dark green jacket among the other team members. He must be leading the charge up the mountain, putting his life at risk to find Shannon.

  “I need a moment with Miss Pratt,” Sergeant Peterson said.

  “Sure.” Kelly left them alone and Zoe eyed the sergeant. She suspected he had bad news.

  “Although the body they recovered wasn’t your friend, we found Shannon’s name and phone number written on a piece of paper in the woman’s pocket,” he said.

  “I don’t understand. Why would a stranger have Shan’s information?”

  “We’ll know more after we identify the body. We also found drugs on the victim.”

  “Shannon is not involved in anything criminal, Sergeant.”

  He glanced down, uncomfortable. She was speaking from a place of faith; the sergeant was trained to consider only facts.

  “I can’t offer you 24/7 police protection, but I’ll do what I can.”

  “I understand.”

  “Be careful. Don’t go anywhere alone. I’d strongly suggest you not remain at Shannon Banks’s house. There are plenty of lodging options here in Mt. Stevens.”

  “Thank you. I’ll look into it.” She wondered if he was concerned more about her assisting with the investigation than her personal safety. Okay, now she was growing paranoid. Frankly, she only trusted one person and he’d gone up the mountain to find her friend.

  “Ma’am?” Sergeant Peterson said, interrupting her thoughts.

  She glanced at him.

  “You have my number. Call if you need anything.”

  * * *

  Wanting to stay busy, Zoe stuck around to help pack meals for more SAR teams. She found the work both distracting and rewarding. It gave her a reprieve from worrying about Shannon and Jack. Even though law enforcement had gone up with the SAR teams, she was still concerned about the potential danger waiting for them.

  Then she received a text from Jack stating they hadn’t found anything of significance. A storm front was brewing up above and the teams were heading back down. She was relieved that he was okay, yet disappointed that they were postponing the search. Again.

  The conflicting emotions were taking their toll, so she decided to be proactive and made a reservation at a local bed-and-breakfast. The sergeant was right, she’d be safer in a new location.

  She reserved a room at the Ashford Inn, but needed to get her things from Shannon’s place before checking in. The thought of going back to the house alone sparked anxiety so she called the sergeant and asked if he could have a deputy meet her there as a safety precaution. He assured her he would.

  “Good work today,” Kelly said as she passed Zoe.

  “Thanks.”

  Kelly caught up to a group of women and turned back to Zoe. “You have dinner plans?”

  “No, why?”

  “Some friends are meeting at the Cardinal Café and you’re welcome to join us.”

  “Okay, thanks. I have to check into a bed-and-breakfast first.”

  “Sounds good.”

  The camaraderie of being with a group of women would be beneficial, plus Zoe could ask more about her friend’s state of mind.

  Shannon, why didn’t you confide in me? The thought that Shannon considered Zoe the needy one in their relationship disturbed her.

  She glanced at the trailhead, but the search teams still hadn’t returned. She hoped the weather wasn’t making things hard for them. She prayed Shannon had somehow escaped her captor and found refuge.

  Zoe walked over to the command chief, Lou Treadwell. “Excuse me, how long before the teams return?”

  “Estimated arrival time, forty minutes,” Lou said.

  “Thank you.”

  If they were only a few minutes away, she might have waited for Jack.

  Really, Zoe? Why? So you can lean on him some more?

  This wasn’t good. And it certainly wasn’t like her. She’d been independent her entire life, starting when her younger brother, Ryan, got sick and she had to pretty much take over running the Pratt household.

  Although she could use support during this crisis, she certainly didn’t need to depend on a stranger like Jack Monroe to cope with her situation.

  Her situation. Shannon had been taken more than twenty-four hours ago.

  Glancing one last time at the mountain, she got in her car and headed for Shannon’s place. Although she was an independent woman, she felt more than a little lost. Understandable, she counseled herself.

  A car honked and she glanced in the rearview mirror at a sedan flashing its lights. She slowed down, assuming he wanted to pass. She surely didn’t want to get into an accident on top of everything else.

  She rolled down her window and waved him past.

  Instead he dropped back.

  A car passed by in the oncoming lane. She figured that’s why the car behind her hadn’t passed. She approached a sharp turn and slowed down. Glanced in the rearview mirror.

  And couldn’t even see the sedan’s headlights, it was so close.

  The car slammed into her back bumper.

  She started to skid, turned the wheel into the spin, and lost control, veering off into a forested area bordering the road. Her car smashed into a tree and came to an abrupt stop. The force caused the airbag to burst open in her face.

  Her head ached with the pressure, and her mind spun with fear. She fumbled in her pocket for her phone. Couldn’t get her hands around it.

  The door swung open.

  “Is she okay?” a voice yelled from the distance.

  “Yeah,” a raspy voice called back.

  “I’ll call 911!” the distant voice shouted.

  “Already did,” the raspy voice answered. “I got this!”

  The airbag was pushed aside and the creep who’d broken into the house last night was staring down at her. “Miss me?”

  FIVE

  Disappointed. That’s how Jack felt when he came down the mountain.

  He was disappointed that they hadn’t been able to find anything, any clue as to Shannon Banks’s whereabouts. He was disappointed that the weather had turned on them.

  And disappoint
ed that Zoe wasn’t at the command center when he returned. He found himself worrying about her when she wasn’t around, and worry was a distraction.

  Worry is a waste of creative energy.

  He’d said that in a lecture to University of Washington students last year, encouraging them to be bold and think out of the box, even if it meant risking failure. Worry only served to derail a person from achieving their goal.

  In this case, finding Shannon Banks.

  Jack couldn’t control the weather and decided to take his own advice, not worry about Shannon, and perhaps check on Zoe. Sally Frick approached as he packed gear in his car.

  “See you tomorrow, then?” she said.

  “Or maybe sooner.” Jack gazed across the mountain. The weather was so calm down here compared to the intensity of the storm up above.

  “I heard it’s not supposed to break until tomorrow midday.”

  “Weather reports can be inconsistent with reality,” he said.

  “True. Do you need us to bunk at the cottage with Zoe again?”

  “No, she’s moving to another location. Thanks.”

  “Anytime.”

  SAR members packed up and headed out to various locations, either their homes or temporary housing. Their mission wasn’t over yet, not until they found Shannon Banks.

  As he got into his truck, he wondered how long Shannon could survive up there, either in captivity or on her own. If she managed to escape, she’d still have to navigate the elements.

  He’d do an analysis back at his motel room. Right now, he needed to make sure Zoe was safely checked into the Ashford Inn. He called her number but it went to voice mail. He wondered if this was inappropriate, if he cared too much for the stranger with the expressive brown eyes.

  He wasn’t sure, but he hoped if she felt uncomfortable with his attention that she’d say so. He suspected she would. She didn’t seem like, how did she refer to herself, a fragile ditz?

  On the contrary, there was nothing fragile about Zoe Pratt. She knew her own mind and made no apologies for her decisions. Even if they wouldn’t be Jack’s decisions, like staying at Shannon’s house last night. He was able to acquire protection for her, but what if he hadn’t?