Tessa threw another log onto the fire in case they couldn’t dig their way out enough to make it to the main road. Having used up all the cheese puff snacks, it seemed prudent to be proactive.
She filled the copper tub then piled another stack in a large iron kettle like her grandmother used to plant flowers. When she joined Handsome, the walkway out to the car was free of snow with walls on each side, three feet high. The snow blower, now without gas, sat idle while he used a snow shovel to dig around the car. Spotting another shovel on the porch, Tessa pitched in to help.
Once they stopped to examine their work, Handsome wiped his forehead. He glanced over at her with a pinched brow. “I’m sorry, Tessa. I didn’t expect this storm. You would think growing up in Canada a chunk of my life, I’d know better.”
Tessa cocked her head. “Canada?”
He changed the subject. “I will do my best to get you home.” He sounded frustrated.
She followed his gaze across the road. Tessa noticed how close Lake Tahoe was to them. Down a small ravine and a few trees, the view beyond was magnificent. She could imagine sitting on the front porch in a rocking chair, sipping her morning coffee in the summertime, drinking in the beauty of this place.
“Handsome, my goodness, this is a breathtaking view.” Having lost her fear with such an inspiring landscape, she walked up beside him. “Hard to understand how, after seeing this, people can still not believe in God.”
He sighed and nodded. “I feel the same way when I float the Okavango Delta. I bought this place as an investment with what little money I had, thinking I could sell it for a profit to use when I go to Botswana. I won’t need much once I’m there.”
The sound of her voice seemed suppressed with so much snow. “How will you use the diamond, Handsome? Do you mean to sell it?”
“No. It doesn’t belong to me. I want to give it back to the people to remind them even though the black rhinos are gone, freedom and choice are not. I want them to have schools, medicine, and jobs while they keep their way of life on the delta and Kalahari. Flooding these lands will destroy a way a life that can never be restored or duplicated.” He spoke like a Baptist preacher telling his flock about Heaven. “To pole through the waters in a mokoro at sunset is like nothing else you’ve ever experienced. I was born to be there, Tessa.”
Tessa somehow believed him. “Who are you really, Handsome Jones?”
“The one who intends to make a difference.”
~~~
The snow and wind grew so blinding after getting on his way again, Chase realized he needed to stop or get into more trouble. Vernon kept him apprised of the weather, road conditions, and Tessa’s whereabouts. Since he drove a gas hog to get this far, he didn’t leave the engine running to stay warm while he waited to move on. Once an hour for about five minutes he turned the heat on for a few minutes. He pulled on more layers of clothing and topped them with the thermal blanket Ken threw in the back seat at the last minute. The sun revealed the road ahead would be slow going, but his four-wheel drive should be able to handle it.
“Vern, update.”
“The forecast for the next six hours says good weather, but another front moving in. Got a satellite feed showing a structure, a car out front, and a couple of people moving around. Pretty grainy. The director gave the okay for Carter to send in a drone, but he has to be in Truckee or closer to get a good look. He and Zoric are on their way.”
“I need someone to check on Robert and the kids. Keep them occupied. Can you call the Irvins to figure it out?” Martha and Francis Irvin lived next door to the Scotts. Robert didn’t realize the couple actually worked for Enigma. Martha helped Tessa with childcare when things got hairy at work or school, and Francis was a good-natured biblical archeologist known for getting his team in and out of Middle Eastern hellholes in times of need.
“Already tried. They are in Ireland this week, visiting Martha’s family. Sent Sam. She jumped at the chance.”
He couldn’t resist a smile. “We both know she is really good at distraction. I’m not sure Tessa is going to like this.”
“Text from Carter came in. He is setting up. I got you, too. Two miles ahead, on your left, you’ll see a road where it’s been cleared of trees. Should be a large rock outcropping on the one side where a landslide hit during the rainy season.”
“Might be covered with snow now.”
“Doubt it. Pretty massive slide. Anyway, you should be able to see past it all the way to Lake Tahoe. If the snow plows haven’t been down there, then you’ll see an eight-foot-high sign honoring the Washoe tribe.”
“Maybe the ancestors will be with me.”
“Hope so. There’s a steep descent. You could fishtail right off into the lake.”
“I’ll be careful. Thanks, Vern.” Chase used his windshield wipers to remove the snow flying back. One more thing to slow his progress.
The sun rose high enough he felt more confident about picking up more speed. The truck’s four-wheel drive traveled easier than expected. He paused at the road to survey the outcropping of rocks then up the mountain before calling Vern back.
“Vern, any avalanche warnings out?”
The click of computer keys mixed with the humming of some Maroon 5 song had Chase puffing out his cheeks in exasperation.
“Not where you’re at, but Squaw Valley has posted no skiing until late afternoon so they can trigger slides. What’s up?”
“Not sure.” He pulled out his binoculars to scan the area ahead. “What does the area around the cabin look like?”
A pause then a whistle. “There are some chutes past the cabin indicating avalanches have occurred there. Debris piles of trees and rock. Those are signs of a run-out zone for an avalanche. Appears to be a dead end, but topo maps say there should be a road. Another clue it’s an avalanche zone. Privately owned, so it could be abandoned. I guess Handsome may have found the place if he’d been living up here for a while. He seemed like he knew his way around when he picked up Tessa and the kids a few days ago. Maybe why he chose to take Tessa there. Think she’s okay?” Vern switched from goofy kid genius to concerned agent.
Chase ignored the question. “I’m going forward.” He hadn’t gone more than the length of two football fields when he heard it.
Avalanche.
Chapter 21
“I think we should finish what we came up here for and be on our way.” Handsome grabbed her shovel, tossed it in the back of the Scout, and shut the hatch tight. “Might need this again.”
Tessa took bigger steps than normal to keep up with him. “Is the Kifaru far from here?”
“It is here. I carelessly knocked it on the floor last night. I noticed you tossed it on the chair this morning.”
“What are you talking about? You must have been dreaming.” She scrambled up the steps to face him. “Handsome, is this another diversion because I’m not amused and I want to go home?”
He gave a patient smile and pushed past her before opening the door. “Baby doll.”
“Don’t call me that,” she fumed.
“I wasn’t,” he chuckled as he motioned for her to come inside. “The doll.” Walking to the wingback chair, he lifted a doll with a plastic head and soft sculptured arms, its faded red-printed dress frayed around the edges. Gently, he pried the head off and dumped the largest diamond Tessa had ever seen into his hand.
At first, she gasped as her hands flew to cover her mouth in awe. She stepped closer and gazed upon the black diamond he believed would change a nation.
“It’s true!” Lifting her eyes to meet Handsome’s, she reached out to gently touch his arm. “I’m sorry, Handsome. Forgive my behavior and mistrust.” She could feel her mouth smile so big it almost hurt. “It’s beautiful.”
Handsome dropped it back inside the head of the doll and reattached it. “You must keep this safe for me. I helped you avoid disaster when you needed me, and now I need you. Please, Tessa.”
He handed her the doll as she whisp
ered, “To save the people of the Okavango.”
“To save a nation from itself.”
She clutched the doll to her chest. “It would be my honor, Handsome. Let Enigma help us.”
“I don’t trust them.” He frowned. “But if you do, then I hold you responsible.”
“Let’s get out of here.” She kissed the doll then hugged it again. “We have work to do.” Her excitement built with the possibilities to make a difference for the people of the Okavango and Kalahari.
Together, they snuffed out the low-burning fire by banking the coals in the back of the firebox then put the fireplace screen in front. Besides a plastic bag of trash from the snacks, there wasn’t anything else to clean up. Handsome walked with a lighter step and even took a moment to lop a snowball at Tessa who returned the gesture after stuffing the doll into a plastic bag in the back seat.
For the first time, he laughed at her antics as they got in the car. He pulled the International Scout forward then around, causing the tires to spin. “I brought up some bags of kitty litter after buying this place in case I ever got stuck.” He switched off the engine. “We better take it.”
“I’ll get it,” Tessa volunteered, swinging open the door. “I saw it under the sink this morning. Besides, I want to make sure I unplugged the coffee pot.”
Tessa stopped at the porch when she heard a rumbling sound up the mountain, past the cabin. “Handsome,” she screamed as she jumped off the porch and waved her arms frantically.
She saw him roll down the window and frown at her in what appeared to be confusion then he, too, saw the mountain chute, left by other avalanches. Tessa could only watch in horror as a river of snow and rocks slammed into the Scout and flipped it several times. Then it righted itself and wobbled toward the embankment. Nothing could stop the cry of desperation escaping her mouth as she stumbled forward, landing flat on her face. When the crunch of metal suddenly stopped, Tessa scampered to her feet and ran to see the Scout still upright and careening on the edge of another drop-off. The sides were smashed and the back window had flipped up, void of glass. She could see Handsome moving. Even though she tried to step with caution and speed at the same time, she lost her footing several times, contorting like a rag doll a child might drop on the floor.
“I’m coming, Handsome!” she called seeing him try to open the door that was a twisted mess.
“I can’t get out,” he called through the open window, squeezed together in the middle. “I’ll try the other side.”
Tessa climbed over an exposed rock the size of the wingback chair in the cabin to get to the other side of the car. A couple of rocks and a tree limb partially blocked the door. She worked to remove them and was able to tug on the door as Handsome managed to get into the passenger side of the car.
“I can’t get it by myself. Put your shoulder into it, Handsome,” she ordered as she continued to jerk on the door handle, which then came off so suddenly she fell back into the snow.
Handsome rammed his shoulder into the door hard enough it came loose enough for him to pry it the rest of the way open. The car rocked, scooting it forward.
Tessa rolled to a standing position and reached for his hand. Blood trickled down his face in several places. His bottom lip was busted open, and he seemed dazed. “Come on,” she demanded as she tightened her grip on his hand and jerked. He fell out of the car and onto her, pushing a gush of air from her lungs.
Handsome rolled off almost immediately, but Tessa lay still, gasping for air. He rolled on his side and laid a hand on her diaphragm. “Take some deep breaths. Do it,” he ordered.
She rolled her eyes over at him and tried to nod and breathe at the same time. It worked. Although she didn’t feel like moving too fast, Handsome was pushing himself up then grabbing the front of her coat to lift her. Both of them shifted their eyes to the Scout when it creaked, a signal it was moving toward the lake.
“Hey down there,” came a familiar voice from twenty feet up the hill. “Are you hurt?”
Tessa fell against Handsome and hugged him. “I told you Chase would find me.” She laughed.
“Can you come up? I’ve got a winch.” He grabbed the winch hook then navigated the debris field. “We can secure the car until we figure out what to do next.” He took a couple of cautious steps down toward them.
“Oh. The doll,” Tessa said to herself more than to Handsome as she pulled open the back seat door.
“Tessa, stop!” Chase cried out as he started to pick up speed to join them. “Handsome, stop her. The car will go over.”
Handsome grabbed for her as she slipped into the car. “Tessa. No. I’ll get it.”
She reached over into the back-cargo area where the airborne plastic bag with the doll landed and lifted it over. “Got it.” She raised it in the air.
A sudden shift in rocks beneath the vehicle slammed her into the back of the front seat as it slid toward the icy water. Her screaming echoed off the lake as she watched the men try to reach her. As the Scout tipped forward to sink in the blue waters, Tessa lost sight of them as they scrambled down the embankment.
~~~
Robert glanced at his watch and wondered for the tenth time why Tessa hadn’t called him to say she was on her way home. She had a morning class to teach at 7:00 a.m. Who would ever sign up for such a time anyway? And why would his wife agree to do it? This teaching position at the university got in the way of his job at the firm, sometimes. Just because President Austin provided a way for her to get her PhD didn’t mean it needed to consume her life.
He had enough to worry about with the FBI watching him, or so he thought. Maybe paranoia had led him to be cautious or too sensitive to change. Either way, she’d said she’d be home by ten, and now it was ten fifteen. The kids’ school had the day off because of a teachers’ scheduled workshop for the district. He heard the front door alarm chime and sighed with relief. Finally.
“Daddy?” It was Heather standing in the doorway of the bedroom. She watched him adjust his tie then lift his suit coat from the rumpled bed. He thought about straightening the covers, knowing how an unmade bed drove Tessa crazy. She sometimes would make the bed before they went to sleep at night if it hadn’t been done. He curled his lip in protest. Maybe next time she’d get home on time like she promised.
“What, sweetie?” He smelled coffee. Yep. She was back. “Why didn’t you run to Mommy like you usually do when she wasn’t home to tuck you in at night?”
Heather shrugged. “Mommy says I shouldn’t talk to strangers.”
“I know. Good girl.” He kissed the top of her head. “Let’s go see Mommy.”
“Are we going to her school?”
“She came in the front door. Remember?”
“Mommy told me never to talk to strangers.”
Robert straightened to his full six-foot height. “Who was at the door?”
“A stranger.”
“Hey, Dad,” Sean Patrick called from his bedroom. “We got company. Whose car is in the driveway?”
“Stay here, Heather. Daddy is going to go check on something. Sean, stay with your brother and sister for me.”
The first thing Robert imagined was either Special Agent Martin had decided to make himself at home by brewing a pot of coffee, or those thugs who’d ushered him to a parking garage then showed up at his house to pick up one of Tessa’s stray humans, had come to pay him a visit. Either way, the hair stood up on the back of his neck.
He heard humming as he walked into the kitchen. A woman stood bent at the waist with her butt in the air, resting her elbows on the counter, her slim legs showcased by a short faux-leopard skirt. The first thought entering his head was what a lithe, beautiful creature. She tilted her head toward him and smiled like a goddess. At first, she stared at him, not bothering to change her provocative stance. Later he remembered how she stood to her full height in slow motion. In her spiked leather boots, she was as tall as him. Her long dark tresses fell down to the middle of her back after she
pushed it off her shoulders.
“You must be Robert.” Her husky tone paralyzed him as she took a step toward him, smiling like a beautiful feline about to devour a loved canary, and he decided he would be okay with that.
“Umm. Yeah. And you are?” He really tried to sound nonchalant as her almond-shaped eyes, hazel green with flecks of yellow, narrowed ever so slightly, taking him in, head to toe. One of her eyebrows lifted.
She extended her hand and he probably took it too eagerly. “I’m Dr. Samantha Cordova, Tessa’s friend from the university.” Robert thought he felt her squeeze his fingers.
“Whose friend?” he mumbled like a forgetful old man.
“Tessa? Your wife?” She withdrew by drawing her fingers slowly across his palm that he continued to dangle in midair until he realized how ridiculous it must look and snatched it back.
“Oh sure. Of course.” His nervous laugh filled the kitchen. “Tessa. I don’t remember her mentioning you.”
This time Dr. Cordova laughed, and Robert joined in because he thought it felt almost musical.
“I’m not surprised, Robert. She does like keeping secrets, doesn’t she?”
“No doubt.” He felt like a grinning idiot.
“Anyway, Tessa went to pick up her car and there was some kind of problem. She panicked knowing you needed to get to work and her neighbors were gone. Of course, she called me, since I planned to be in Grass Valley for a book signing at the Bee Hive Bookstore later today.”
“You’re an author?” He really wanted to sound impressed. “Romance writer?”
“I wish. I’m an economic advisor for a nonprofit group in D.C. Really cut and dried. Boring unless you’re into that sort of thing. Tessa and I collaborated on the geography angle.” Again, the flirty smile.
The Enigma Series Boxed Set Page 118
