by Sharon Dunn
“Naw, I’ve lived here for forty years. Storms come and storms go. I’m prepared.” Angus stepped toward the porch. The dogs were still making noise on the other side of the door.
Jude put a hand out to help Angus up the steps. “Mr. Wilson. I know there is one other occupied house that connects with that main road and some cabins that are often empty. I’m wondering if you’ve noticed any strange vehicles coming and going in the last few days when you were out on that main road.”
Angus Wilson studied Jude for a long moment. “I ain’t seen nothing strange. ’Course I mind my own business, which is what everyone should do.”
Lacey felt like there was a warning in Angus’s words.
“You don’t know if anyone is in the cabins up the mountain and who they might be?”
“You ask a lot of questions,” Angus said.
“Just want to make sure everyone is safe,” Jude replied.
The old man shook his head. “Those folks who come up to the cabins are rarely very friendly to the locals.”
The dogs continued to scratch and whine at the door. Angus opened it, so they could get out. He closed it quickly. “I left them in the main house. They were making me crazy in that little shed.” There were three dogs: a border collie, a Lab-looking dog who moved like she was older and a white short-haired dog that must be some sort of pit bull cross.
Jude thanked the man, and he and Lacey returned to the snowmobile. Lacey grabbed her helmet, waving goodbye to Angus Wilson before getting on the snowmobile behind Jude. She wrapped her arms around his waist. He patted her gloved hand.
The gesture was one of familiarity. It touched her heart. She felt so comfortable with him. Despite her resistance, they were growing closer. After she lost her family, she had dated some. Any time things seemed to be getting serious, she’d requested a research job that would take her to somewhere else. Forming attachments meant feeling pain. It would probably just be the same with Jude.
The snowmobile lurched to life and Jude got it turned around and headed back to the main road. He drove for a while before pulling onto a shoulder. She got off, wondering why he had stopped.
Jude dismounted as well and removed his helmet. He spread the map Lev had given them out on the seat of the snowmobile. He pointed to a spot on the map marked with an X. “That family we’re supposed to check up on is way back here from the road. The cabins are directly off the main road but farther up. I feel like the clock is ticking. I have to know if that little girl is in one of those cabins. If she is up there, I might need your help extracting her.” He stared at her for a long moment.
Lacey’s heart skipped a beat as she considered the potential danger. Jude had protected her, she needed to be a support to him. “A little girl’s life depends on us. I’m all in.”
His features softened, and it was as if a light had been sparked beneath his skin. He clamped a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. “Okay, good. Let’s do this.” Before he put his helmet on he turned back toward her. “Thank you.”
Once they were on the snowmobile, Jude sped up the winding road through the deep snow. Lacey held on and prayed that the little girl would be brought home safe. If she was in one of those cabins, Lacey prayed she and Jude would be able to free her without losing their own lives.
Jude switched the headlights to the higher beam.
They had maybe three hours before it grew dark. They couldn’t stay out here much past sunset. It would just be too hard to see potential hazards in the road.
Jude rounded a bend. He slowed. She peered over his shoulder. The intense headlights of another snowmobile filled her vision.
Jude slowed down even more. He waved.
The other driver did not wave back. It sped up, coming straight toward them. Lacey tensed as she held on to Jude and peered over his shoulder. Did this man mean to crash into them?
To avoid being hit, Jude performed a sharp turn. He was no longer on the road but headed cross-country.
As they turned, she got a look at the other snowmobile, not the same one that had come after them in town. This one had bright colors—orange, yellow and red.
Jude twisted the throttle. Lacey glanced over her shoulder. The other snowmobile was following them and closing the distance between them. They were being chased down.
* * *
Jude peered ahead. It was hard to read the terrain. The whiteness of the snow nearly blinded him even with the polarized visor of his helmet. If the sun had been at its apex, he might not be able to see anything. Though the helmet muffled the sound, he heard the roar of the other snowmobile intensify as it drew closer.
Because it was hard to see what was beneath the snow, there was a danger of hitting a rock or some other object that could catapult them off the snowmobile. He dared not slow down though. The other driver was bent on chasing them. This could only mean one thing—the girl must be in one of those cabins. Word must have gotten to the kidnapper that searchers would be out to check on people.
Jude checked his mirrors. The other driver was within feet of them. They bumped through some drifts, catching air and landing hard. Jude accidentally bit his tongue. He tasted blood. His heart pounded.
In his peripheral vision, he saw the lights of the other snowmobile. He had to do something radical to shake this guy.
He turned sharply, making his way down the mountain in a serpentine pattern until they were on the road again only lower on the mountain. The other snowmobile slipped in behind him though he’d managed to put some distance between them.
He veered off the road and into a grove of trees praying there would be a way through. Once he was hidden by the trees, he switched off his headlight and slowed down to a crawl. The snowmobile putted along until there was no visible way through other than going back the way they’d come. Even then, getting turned around would be a challenge. He switched off the engine.
Lacey flipped up her helmet and he did the same. They could hear the other snowmobile circling around. He hadn’t followed them into the dense forest probably fearing an ambush or getting stuck.
The other snowmobile sounded like it was idling.
“Do you think he’s going to wait for us to come out?”
“I doubt he’ll come on foot in here to find us. We’d have the upper hand unless he is armed.” There was a high probability of that since they were probably dealing with the same man who had shot at Jude with a rifle. Jude turned in a half circle studying the thickness of the trees. “This was a big section of the forest. He can’t watch every inch of this forest.”
The other snowmobile was back in motion accelerating, circling around the grove of trees. The engine noise grew louder, then dimmed and grew louder again.
“Maybe we can find another way out,” Lacey said.
While the other snowmobile continued to run patrol, they searched the forest for a clear path. Jude found a sort of trail where the trees were not as thick. From where he stood, he could see the edge of the forest.
Lacey stood beside him. “Do you think the snowmobile can fit through there?”
“It’s our only choice,” Jude said. “We can’t hope to escape on foot. Come on, let’s clear some of this brush and get back to the snowmobile.”
Once they were on the snowmobile, Jude looked down at the gas gauge. Escaping the other snowmobile had used up a lot of fuel. Even if they could shake their pursuer, there wouldn’t be enough fuel to get up to those cabins and back to town. Frustration caused a tightening through his chest.
Lacey spoke over his shoulder. “You all right?”
“Let’s head back to town before we run out of gas.” Being stranded on the mountain with a kidnapper nipping at their heels would not do anyone any good.
He started the snowmobile but kept the headlight turned off. He maneuvered through the narrow path. He cranked the throttle to get over a mound of snow. U
p ahead, he could see the fading daylight and an opening through the trees.
Jude took in a deep breath. He couldn’t hear the other snowmobile at all. But that didn’t mean it wasn’t close. They came to the edge of the trees. He sped up, zooming out into the open. He looked side to side not seeing the other driver.
He had to get back up to the road. He circled around the trees. Lacey held on tight as the snowmobile climbed up the hill. The terrain was rough. The engine revved and groaned as they navigated around the drifts and snow-covered bumps that might be rocks or fallen logs.
The landscape evened out. He took in a breath when he saw the road up ahead. Lacey pounded on his shoulder. In his mirror he saw the other snowmobile some distance behind them but closing in. The kidnapper must have been waiting for them on the road.
Jude sped up as the other driver drew closer. Jude went even faster, rounding a curve at a dangerous speed. The sparse lights of Lodgepole came into view. Almost there. He looked behind. No sign of the other snowmobile.
They rumbled along the road and he relaxed a little.
His snowmobile clanged and sputtered. When he looked down, the gas gauge read Empty.
EIGHT
Even before the snowmobile came to a complete stop, Lacey knew they were out of gas. Jude swung off the snowmobile and tore off his helmet. He glanced nervously up the road.
She didn’t see any sign of the other vehicle. Could they hope that he had given up the chase because they were so close to town? That seemed unlikely.
He tugged on Lacey’s jacket while she was pulling her helmet off her head. “You have the radio?”
She nodded and placed a gloved palm on her chest where the hard plastic had dug into her skin.
“Let’s hide in the trees. Hopefully we’re close enough to town to be able to call for help.”
Heart racing, Lacey zipped open the backpack and grabbed a packet of food which she slipped into her coat pocket. She took the food on instinct. She didn’t know if they would be out here for only a short time or if they would be dodging the man on the snowmobile for hours and walking back to town.
“Come on, hurry.” He grabbed her hand and they raced toward the trees.
Their footsteps made almost a mushy sound in the soft snow. Her boot sunk down deep. Progress was slow. Jude held on to her hand.
The trees loomed up ahead. She thought she heard the sound of a motor but couldn’t be sure. They entered the forest and kept running. Lacey took in jagged cold breaths as her legs grew tired. Jude kept going. They were moving farther and farther away from the road.
Jude came to an abrupt stop. They were far enough in that they couldn’t see the road anymore. She pulled the radio out of her chest pocket and clicked it on. The green light glowed. She prayed they would be able to reach someone. She pressed the talk button and cleared her throat. “This is Snow Team One. Is anyone there?” She let up on the button, feeling the tension coil inside her belly.
“Try again,” said Jude.
She pressed the button. “This is Snow Team One. We need help.” She let up on the button, hearing only static.
Though the sound was faint, she could hear a snowmobile putting along and then stopping. The kidnapper was out there probably looking at their snowmobile. Their boot tracks into the forest would be easy enough to follow. Her breath caught in her throat. The man had a rifle. He’d used it before on them when Jude had wrecked his car. She hadn’t gotten a good enough look to know if he had a rifle with him now. He hadn’t come after them before when they’d hidden in the trees. Maybe he wasn’t armed.
A voice came across the line. “Snow Team One. This is Lev. What’s your problem?”
Lacey breathed a sigh of relief at the sound of Lev’s voice. “We’ve run out of gas. I don’t know exactly where we are, but we can see the lights of Lodgepole, what there is of them.”
“I can send someone up with gas to get you home.”
“That sounds good. There’s something else.” She looked at Jude, not sure how much she was supposed to tell.
Jude took the radio. “Listen, someone has been after us, chasing us. It’s not safe for us to wait by the snowmobile and you need to approach with caution. He’s dangerous.”
Static came across the line. Lev was probably trying to process what he’d just been told. “Don’t worry about us. Some of us will be armed. So...how will we find you?”
Lacey was glad Lev didn’t ask too many questions. He was just focused on getting people home safe.
Jude pressed the button. “We’ll listen for the sound of your snowmobile approaching. We’ll come out of the trees then.”
“Okay, we’re losing daylight here. How many houses did you get to?”
“Only one, Mr. Wilson is okay.”
“We’ll send you or another team out again tomorrow,” Lev said. “Hold tight. We’ll be up there as fast as we can.”
Jude pushed the disconnect button and handed the radio back to Lacey. “At least we know we can trust Lev. He’s too large to be the guy who attacked you in your room. Now I’m thinking maybe we should let him in on the possibility that Maria is being held somewhere around here.”
Lacey gestured toward the road. “Do you think it’s safe just to wait here?”
“I don’t know. He must know we’re hiding in the trees.”
“I was thinking if he has a gun, he might come in after us,” she said.
“Let’s keep moving. We’re going to have to get closer to the road to hear that snowmobile coming from Lodgepole.”
“If the driver leaves right away, it will take at least twenty minutes for him to get up here.”
Some distance through the trees, Lacey heard the sound of a branch breaking. Her heart stopped, and her breath caught.
Jude must have heard it too. He gestured for them to move deeper into the trees. The noise could be an animal or the wind. But they couldn’t take any chances.
They stepped cautiously, trying not to make noise. If the kidnapper had been close by, he would have heard them talking on the radio. As they moved, Lacey studied the trees. She squinted to discern shadow from substance in the dim light of evening.
Jude seemed to be moving in a sort of arc that would lead them back to the road. They stopped where the canopy of the evergreens cut out nearly all the remaining daylight.
She pressed her back against a tree trunk. She glanced at Jude who seemed to be tuned in to his surroundings. They dared not speak and give away their position.
She listened as well and studied the trees for any sign of movement. All of her senses were heightened. Her heart pounded. She heard the creaking of tree branches as the scent of pine filled her nose. She tasted fear, metallic and cold. She tensed up, ready to run if she had to.
A growling stomach caused her to touch her belly, afraid that even that noise would tell their pursuer where they were.
She pulled the food packet out of her pocket. She had to remove her glove to open it. The chill stung her fingers. She opened the packet slowly and handed a piece of the protein bar to Jude who nodded a thank-you.
They hadn’t heard the sound of a snowmobile starting up, which meant their pursuer was out there watching and waiting or he was searching the forest for them. Either way, he was still a threat.
Once they had eaten their food, Jude gestured for her to follow him. He worked his way back toward the edge of the forest. As the trees thinned, the setting sun shed light on them. Jude came within a few feet of where the evergreens no longer grew. He slipped behind a tree with a thick trunk and peered out.
She chose a tree that provided her with a view of the road. Their snowmobile was parked there in the middle of the road. About ten feet away and off on a shoulder was their pursuer’s snowmobile. The man who had chased them down was nowhere in sight. Was he searching for them? Or had he taken up a position wi
th his rifle, ready to shoot as soon as they came out into the open?
A gust of wind sent a miniature tornado of snow toward them. She closed her eyes and shrank back behind the tree. Both of them pressed their backs against their respective trees. Waiting. Listening. She was not able to get a deep breath.
Jude turned his head so he was looking at her. She couldn’t see his expression clearly. He shrugged his shoulders and shook his head.
Would the sound of the snowmobile from town approaching be enough to scare their pursuer away, or would the kidnapper see their rescuer as collateral damage and take him out too?
Having to be still and wait with danger so close by was harder than running. She was aware of her heartbeat drumming in her ears and the tightness through her chest.
Then she heard it. The faint and faraway sound of a snowmobile drawing closer. She let out a heavy breath. Jude rose to his feet. She did the same but remained with her back pressed against the tree.
Then they heard the sound of another snowmobile starting up and fading. The kidnapper was leaving. She pushed off the tree. Jude reached out a gloved hand to grab hers.
She supposed it was a natural protective gesture. He didn’t mean anything by it. Still, it was a reminder of the affection that had blossomed between them and that she felt herself draw away from. The approaching snowmobile grew louder. They headed down the snowy bank and stepped out onto the road just as headlights became visible around a curve.
She glanced up the road and didn’t see the pursuer’s snowmobile. But if she tuned in to the noises around her, she thought she detected the distant sound of an engine as the kidnapper’s vehicle drew farther away.
She turned her attention to the approaching snowmobile. A spark of fear surged through her. The driver was tall and thin. She reached out for Jude’s hand.
His posture stiffened, as well. He squeezed her hand. “We don’t know anything yet. We have to get back to town.”
The driver came to a stop but left his snowmobile idling.
