Fatal Frost

by Nancy Mehl

  “I don’t know,” Tally said. “I tried my cellphone, but I can’t get anything. Is your phone in your purse?”

  Mercy nodded. She tried to reach down for the purse she’d placed next to her on the floor, but it wasn’t there. For the first time she realized she wasn’t in the front seat any longer.

  “The windshield shattered,” Mark said. “I moved you to the back. I’ll get your purse.”

  Mercy heard the car door open. It screeched as metal scraped against metal. A few seconds later, Mark was back. “I’ve got it. Do you care if I go through it?”

  “Of course not,” she replied, wondering why her words sounded so thick and muddy. She touched her mouth with her fingertips and came away with blood.

  Tally squeezed her hand. “Don’t worry. You just cut your lip.”

  Mark pulled Mercy’s cellphone from her purse. “What’s your code?” he asked.

  Mercy rattled off the numbers before realizing what she’d done. She searched Mark’s face, but he didn’t seem to notice anything unusual. She breathed a sigh of relief. She was still using the date he’d first told her he loved her. She’d meant to change it many times but just hadn’t gotten around to it. A voice inside her whispered Liar! She ignored it and steeled herself to concentrate on the situation at hand.

  “Nothing,” he said, scowling at her phone, exasperation in his tone. “I can’t tell if it’s because of the storm or if we’re just out of range.”

  “Can we drive out of here?” Mercy asked.

  “No. The engine is toast. The inside light is working . . . for now, but I don’t know how much longer we’ll even have that.” Mark cleared his throat. “Batterson knows we’re on our way to the subject’s house. He’ll come looking for us when we don’t check in.”

  “Maybe,” she said. Her voice shook from the cold. “But if the cell towers in this area are affected, he may assume that’s why we haven’t contacted him.”

  “Seriously, Mercy. He’ll send someone for us. We’ll be okay.”

  How could he be so certain? Mercy didn’t want to argue with him, yet they had to assume Batterson had no idea they were in trouble. They needed to formulate a plan to save themselves rather than wait for backup that might not reach them for hours. She was just about to say that when an odd sound cut through the noise made by the ice and wind. She could tell Mark and Tally heard it too.

  “Stay here,” Tally said, letting go of her hand. He pulled the hood of his parka up over his head. The car door creaked open again as Mark got out of the car to follow him.

  “Not likely,” Mercy muttered under her breath. When she moved, pain cut through her chest, but she kept going anyway.

  Tally turned around and saw her struggling to get out of the car. Instead of protesting, he held out his hand to help her. Obviously he knew better than to argue with her. She covered her head with her parka hood, swung her feet out into the snow and ice, and carefully stood to her feet. She started to slip, but Tally caught her. She gently wrestled out of his arms, determined to make it without help. He nodded at her and then navigated his way to the back of the vehicle, holding on to the car for support. The ground was covered with about a foot of snow, but it was the ice layered over it that made walking so dangerous. Grabbing hold of anything she could to steady herself, Mercy struggled toward the front of the car. As Mark had said, it was totaled. The car had slammed into the tree so hard the engine had been pushed up toward the front seat. Another few inches and they probably wouldn’t have walked away.

  Mercy headed back toward the rear of the car, where Mark and Tally stood. As ice continued to fall, the three of them waited, peering out into the murky light, hoping the noise they’d heard was the whine of an engine. Was help on its way? Moments later a light cut through the darkness.

  “It’s a snowmobile,” Mark said.

  “I don’t care if it’s a sleigh with eight tiny reindeer,” Tally said, “so long as we can get to someplace warm.”

  They waited until the snowmobile pulled up next to them. The man driving put the vehicle into idle and got off.

  “You okay?” he asked through a ski mask. He wore a heavy all-weather coat with a hood. He was protected from the elements much better than they were.

  “We’re fine for now,” Mark said, “but we need to get inside. My partner’s hurt.”

  “Any chance you folks are from the Marshals’ service?”

  Mercy tensed. How did this man know who they were? She moved her hand close to her holster.

  “Who are you?” Tally asked.

  “I’m Daniel Andrews. I guess you’re here to rescue me? You’re certainly off to a great start.”

  “Yeah, sorry,” Mark said. “This storm was a surprise. How did you find us?”

  “When you didn’t show, I began to wonder if you were stuck. Since this is the main road to Piedmont, I figured you might be here. Good thing I found you.”

  Mark nodded. “It sure is. Thanks for checking on us.”

  “Living in the middle of nowhere means you have to be prepared.” He gestured toward the snowmobile. “I can only take one at a time.”

  Mark pointed at her. Usually, Mercy would argue with him. She didn’t like being treated as if she were weaker or more vulnerable because she was a female agent, but this time she had no intention of quarreling with him. The pain in her chest made it hard to breathe, and the cold air wasn’t helping.

  “Okay,” Daniel said. “You guys stay inside the car. It’s your best protection. This will take some time. The ice makes it slowgoing. It might be an hour before I get back to you.”

  “We’ll be fine.”

  “Don’t forget the food and water in the tote bag,” Mercy interjected. “Help yourself.” She looked at Daniel. “I have a small bag in the trunk. Is there room for it?”

  He nodded. “As long as you can hold on to it—and me—it’s not a problem.”

  Mark took the car keys out of his pocket. Mercy held her breath, hoping the trunk would open. It did. He took her valise out and handed it to her, then slowly walked back to the car and got her purse.

  “Can you handle both of them?” he asked.

  Mercy put the strap of the valise over her shoulder and the purse strap around her neck, shifting it onto her back. It was all she’d brought with her except for the tote bag with food in it. Mercy knew how to pack. She brought clothes that could be mixed and matched, and she’d learned how to tightly roll everything so it didn’t take up much room. At least now her hands were free to hold on to Daniel. So long as her purse didn’t choke her to death, she’d be fine. Besides Tally’s and Mark’s suitcases, there was the gym bag with all their tactical gear in the back. One of the guys would have to bring it with him. She couldn’t carry all three bags.

  Mark moved to her right side while Tally held her other arm. They both helped her toward the snowmobile. First Daniel sat down, and then Mercy lowered herself gingerly behind him. She positioned the valise so it would be between them. That way it wouldn’t fly off the snowmobile. As she moved closer, the bag pressed against her bruised chest. She almost cried out, but stopped herself. She fought back the pain and wrapped her arms around Daniel. At least she felt fairly secure. Tumbling off a snowmobile in the middle of an ice storm wasn’t her idea of a good time.

  “I’ll be back as soon as I can,” Daniel yelled. Growing in strength, the wind mixed with ice pellets swept furiously around them. “Lean against me,” Daniel told her. “It will protect your face.”

  Mercy did as he suggested, burrowing her face into his thick jacket. When he put the snowmobile into gear, she jolted and it took every ounce of her strength not to cry out from the pain. As they took off, she turned around to see Mark and Tally making their way back to the car. If she were a praying person, she would have asked God to keep them safe. Leaving them behind felt wrong, but for now she had no choice. Her fate was in the hands of a stranger.

  Chapter

  Eleven

  It seemed li
ke hours had passed by the time they finally arrived at Daniel’s house, yet it had only been twenty-five minutes. As he’d promised, Daniel had been very careful, albeit too slow for Mercy’s liking. When they pulled up in front of the house, he leaped off the snowmobile and helped her to her feet. She was so stiff, not only was it hard to walk, it was distinctly painful.

  “Let’s get you inside and then I’ll go back,” he said loudly so as to be heard over the wind.

  Mercy took the arm he offered. She was glad to see that he had cleaned off the sidewalk leading to the house. When they reached it, Mercy pulled her arm away. “I’m fine,” she said. “Thanks.”

  He reached into his coat and pulled out a set of keys. Though she couldn’t see much of the house due to the storm and the hood of her parka, it appeared to be a large cabin. After they stepped inside, the cabin feeling continued and stopped all at the same time. The walls were of polished wood, and the ceiling stretched to the second floor with its wooden rafters spanning the entire building. That was where the cabin feeling ceased. With modern and attractive furnishings perfectly arranged, the interior looked like something out of a magazine. Mercy couldn’t stop looking around as she removed her parka. The room was actually very warm and inviting, and a crackling fire in the huge fireplace chased away the chill that seemed to have permeated every cell in her body.

  “This is beautiful,” she said.

  Daniel held his hand out for her coat, and she gave it to him. He carried it to a coatrack near the door and hung it up.

  “Thank you. I like it.” He pointed to the wide kitchen that was part of the main room. “There’s a coffee and espresso maker in there with lots of choices. Make yourself something hot.” He swung his hand another way, toward the back of the room. “The bathroom is over there, and next to it is one of the guest rooms. You can put your things in there. I think you’ll be comfortable. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Without saying another word, he turned and walked out the door. Mercy still hadn’t seen his face.

  She carried her purse and her valise to the room Daniel had indicated. The knotty pine paneling continued on the walls and ceiling, the floor covered with thick gray carpeting. The king-size bed had a beautifully crafted quilt for a bedspread. The furniture was dark oak and looked antique. Mercy noticed a small fireplace in the corner. Hopefully she’d get to use it tonight to warm up. Her legs were blocks of ice, and she felt like she’d gone ten rounds with a heavyweight boxer—and lost.

  She went to the bathroom and found a towel to dry her purse and valise. Afterward she carried them both back to the bedroom and slung them onto the bed. While the parka had kept her upper body dry, her pants were covered with snow and ice that was beginning to melt. Mercy needed to get out of them as quickly as possible. Thankfully she’d packed two pairs of jeans. She slowly removed her holster and gun, trying not to cause herself any more pain, and then she pulled off her pants. Even though her blouse was dry, she took it off as well, deciding to put on a sweater. She glanced at herself in the mirror and was shocked to see how bruised her chest was. It looked even worse than it did after the shooting. Her skin was mostly red now, but she could tell it would turn black and blue before long. She poked around a little and was relieved to find that nothing was broken. Bruises hurt, but in time they would heal.

  Her face was still sore. Except for her cut lip, she hadn’t sustained any damage that would show. All in all, she’d gotten off pretty easy.

  After changing her clothes, she traded her leather pumps for sneakers. Feeling better, she grabbed her brush and went back to the bathroom to check on her hair. She’d pulled it up into a loose bun, but now of course it was a mess. She took it down, planning to pin it up again, but then decided against it. It was easier to leave it down. She brushed it out until it looked okay. Then she found some hydrogen peroxide and cleaned the cut on her lip. When she was finished, she gave the bathroom a closer look. A claw-foot tub sat in the corner with a shower head above it. A curtain on a rounded rod encircled the tub.

  Although Mercy was used to quick showers, she longed to soak in the tub for a while. The hot water would help thaw her bones. It would also help to relieve the soreness from the crash. Hopefully she’d get the chance. The rest of the bathroom was comfortable and fully equipped. Lots of clean towels and washcloths, and a closet held several fluffy robes. It looked as if Daniel was used to company. It struck Mercy as odd for someone in witness protection. He must have really settled into his new identity and become comfortable with it. That didn’t always happen. Most of the people in WITSEC came from big cities. The majority of them were criminals who’d turned on their associates. They were used to a very different kind of life than the small towns and out-of-the-way places where they were often relocated. Some of them didn’t make it and left the program after a while. Daniel appeared to be the exception.

  Before going to the kitchen, she went back to the bedroom and got her spare gun from her purse. It might seem silly to anyone else, but Mercy had a habit of hedging her bets when she was in a new place, faced with unknown circumstances. She went to the bathroom again and took steps to make sure her usual backup plan was in place in case she needed it. She’d never told anyone about it, not even Mark. Thankfully she’d never been forced to use it. However, knowing it was in place gave her a sense of security.

  Once she was back in her room, she strapped on her primary weapon. Though she’d rather leave her holster off for a while, she was on assignment. No matter what, her gun would stay with her at all times. She gingerly fastened the shoulder strap. It reached across her chest and hooked onto her belt.

  After attaching her holster, she decided to try her cellphone once more. Still nothing. As she put the cellphone back in her purse, she noticed the bottle of pain pills she’d been given for her shoulder. She’d barely taken any of them, not wanting to feel impaired in any way. But with the bruising on her chest, and her shoulder throbbing, she felt she needed the pills so she could function. Hopefully they wouldn’t make her too fuzzy. She stuck a pill in her pocket and left the room.

  In the attractive, modern kitchen she found the espresso machine Daniel had mentioned and selected a pumpkin spice latte. As it brewed, she poured herself a glass of water and swallowed the pain pill. A few minutes later, she was curled up on the couch with her latte. She checked her watch. Daniel had been gone a little less than thirty minutes. It would be at least another ten or fifteen minutes before he returned. After she’d finished her coffee, she decided to check out the rest of the house. She had no idea if Daniel’s concerns were valid. This wasn’t the first time someone in witness protection had felt unsafe, and it wouldn’t be the last. In most cases, the threats weren’t real.

  A quick look around revealed three more bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs. The large loft area upstairs was obviously Daniel’s domain. The rustic furniture was all made of pine, matching the walls, ceilings, and floors. The bedrooms downstairs were more like the guest room Mercy was in—classy but comfortable.

  Mercy went over to the glass doors that led to the back deck. She opened one of them and peered out. Small ice pellets continued to fall. She remembered being in an ice storm years ago. It was bad, but this was much worse. How long would they be trapped here?

  She could see a structure about two hundred yards from the house. It looked to be an old barn. She’d assumed someone who bred horses would have stables. Maybe the barn had been converted for that purpose. She wondered if there were horses inside. Would the cold harm them? A light from inside the structure made her think the area might be heated. She hoped so.

  From what she could see through the storm and the dark, Daniel’s house really did sit out in the middle of nowhere. There were no visible lights from neighboring houses. It would be easy to see anyone approaching if there really was somebody out there stalking him. Of course, even if Daniel were in danger, whoever wanted to harm him wasn’t likely to try anything in weather like this.

  They needed to fi
nd out why Daniel felt unsafe so they’d know what they were facing. She checked her watch again. He should have been back by now. Could something have gone wrong? As if in answer to her question, the sound of the snowmobile’s engine grew louder. He’d returned.

  Mercy grabbed her parka from the coatrack and stepped outside. Daniel and Mark had just parked when a loud pop rang out and the glass in the door behind her shattered.

  Chapter

  Twelve

  Without hesitation, Mercy snatched up her gun and ran over to where Mark had pulled Daniel off the snowmobile, shielding him with his body.

  “Get him inside,” she yelled. “I’ll cover you.”

  Mark grabbed Daniel and dragged him toward the house while Mercy walked backward, following them toward the front door while keeping her eyes and her weapon trained on a target she couldn’t see. But no more shots were fired. After closing the door behind them, Mark secured Daniel several feet away from the front of the house. Then he turned off the front porch light.

  “We need to reinforce that door,” Mark barked. “Do you have any plywood? Anything that might work?”

  “There’s plywood in my workshop downstairs,” Daniel said. “But before you get carried away, I think you need to look a little more closely at the bullet that hit the door.” Daniel pulled away from Mark and opened the front door before Mark could stop him. “Look here,” he said.

  Mark and Mercy walked slowly toward him, their guns drawn. In the middle of the shattered glass was a large chunk of ice.

  Daniel pointed to a tree in the front yard. “That big branch broke off, and when it hit the ground, ice went everywhere. That’s what hit the door. It wasn’t a bullet.”

  Feeling foolish, Mercy holstered her weapon. “Sorry. It’s just automatic. Protecting you is our top priority. It’s in our DNA.”

  “Thanks,” Daniel said. “Now I know I’m safe if we’re attacked by ice.”