by Sharon Dunn
FIFTEEN
As they hurried toward a snowdrift that would provide some cover, Lacey pushed aside the panic that filled her. They slipped behind the drift, pressing close together.
If the man with the rifle stopped to look over the edge of the road, they would be spotted, their brightly colored snowsuits easy enough to see in a field of white. If he kept going down the road, there was a chance he would whiz past them.
Heart racing, she bent forward hoping no part of her showed above the drift. Jude faced her, crouching low, as well. He stared into her eyes. Neither of them dared make a sound. Though her legs were starting to cramp in the tight position, she remained still. They listened to the snowmobile putt putt along. The guy must be looking all around to be going that slowly.
The motor was the loudest as it passed by them on the road.
She stared into Jude’s eyes. Just a few more minutes and they would be in the clear as long as he kept heading down the mountain. She raised her head getting a glance at the back end of the snowmobile before it disappeared. Her breath caught. There was a second smaller passenger on the snowmobile. Maria.
“He has her! He has the little girl. That’s why he didn’t come after us last night.”
Jude’s eyes grew wide and round. “The roads must be open. He’s taking her out of here.” Standing, he reached in his snowsuit for his gun, but thought better of it. He couldn’t risk hitting Maria. “We have to stop him.”
He jerked his head to one side. Before she even had time to look up the mountain to whatever had alarmed him, a thundering roar surrounded her.
Avalanche!
All that snow and then days of it warming up a little had caused them to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
They bolted and headed downhill trying to outrun the wave of snow. She felt her body being picked up and tossed around. She saw flashes of color. Jude’s snowsuit. She landed on her bottom. The snow cascaded around her, enveloping her. She had a terrifying moment of not being able to breathe. The wall of snow moved past her and then she felt herself thrust upward. Though she was covered in snow from head to toe, she was upright. She wheezed in a shaky breath.
A pile of boulders in front of her had created a sort of pocket where the snow had gone around her. Her stomach and her cheek were pressed close to one of the rocks. Lacey stood up brushing the snow off her face and sleeves. She traced the pathway of the snow which now blocked part of the road. She’d been right on the edge of the avalanche. Frantic, she looked around for Jude. All she saw was a field of white.
With some effort she climbed up on the rocks and looked all around. She prayed that Jude was not buried. It would be only minutes before he suffocated. Whiteness everywhere. The kidnapper hadn’t gone that far down the road before the avalanche hit. She saw his taillight far away down the road. He was getting away and he had Maria with him.
Her priority was finding Jude.
She saw some thirty feet from her a spot of pink in the white field. It was a hand. The depth of the snow slowed her down as she raced toward where Jude was. As she drew closer, she deduced that the force of the avalanche had ripped his boot off. His pink foot stuck out, as well. She sank deep into the snow. Pulling her leg up, she took as big a stride as she could. Each step was laborious. By the time she reached Jude, she was out of breath. She dug furiously where she thought his head might be. She saw curly hair and then a forehead.
“Jude?”
He didn’t open his eyes or move. His lashes were white with snow. His face red and lifeless from the cold. Her emotions plummeted to the depths of despair as she pulled off a glove and reached a hand out to touch his cheek.
He wheezed in a breath, and his eyes shot open. He stared at her as though not comprehending who she was.
“Jude.” Her voice filled with elation. “Let’s get you dug out of here.”
She freed both his hands first and then his upper body so he could help dig out his lower half. His body had twisted at an odd angle and she feared something was broken and he just wasn’t feeling the pain of the injury because he was numb from the cold. She scraped the snow away from the leg that no longer had a boot.
She stood back and reached for his hands to pull him up. “Is anything broken?”
Jude still had a dazed look on his face. He shook his head slowly.
He was shivering. She unzipped her snowsuit and slipped out of the top part of it. She was dressed in layers. She pulled her sweater off leaving only a T-shirt. She pointed for him to sit back down and wrapped the sweater around his bare foot. The makeshift boot was awkward, but the wool would wick some of the moisture away at least.
He was probably weak from being buried alive. “Can you walk?”
He nodded. She reached a hand out to help him get to his feet again.
They walked a short distance. When they were free of the deep snow the avalanche had brought down, he stopped and leaned against a tree.
He reached out and touched her face. “Thanks for digging me out.”
His hand was cold on her cheek. “I’m just glad I found you in time,” she said.
His expression changed. His jaw hardened, and he drew his eyebrows together. The light still had not come back into his eyes. “I almost died back there...just like you in the freezer.”
She leaned toward him. “It’s not like your whole life passes before you, but you do have a moment of wondering if you made the right choices.”
“Yeah, exactly.” Jude seemed to be very far away in his thoughts.
She touched his face. “We have to keep moving. I’m afraid you’re going to end up with frostbite.”
“Yes, we have to get to town. Alert the authorities about the kidnapper having Maria. I doubt he’s headed to Lodgepole. We can’t catch him now.” He touched his side. “It hurts when I breathe. I wonder if I broke a rib or something.”
Though progress was slow, they found a path where the snow was smashed down, probably by deer, outside the perimeter where the snow had cascaded down the mountain.
They walked for at least a half hour before Jude needed to rest against a tree.
She heard a tremendous roar. She left Jude and stepped out into the clear where she had a view of the road down below. It took several minutes before she saw four snowmobiles headed up the mountain. They must have seen the avalanche from town and come up to assess the damage. She hurried back to get Jude.
Jude still sat slumped by the tree. His eyes had life in them again. She sat down on the ground, as well. Her heart pounded. They needed to get out to the road to be spotted by the snowmobilers.
Knowing that the avalanche risk was still high and could be triggered by the noise of so many snowmobiles would the men even come up this far? She caught a flash of movement through the trees. Several deer stepped out into the open, tails flicking nervously as they looked around and then took off running. The avalanche had stirred them up.
It sounded like the snowmobiles were still headed up the mountain.
She tuned in to the sounds around her. Her heartbeat drummed in her ears. She tensed, drawing her lips into a tight line. She prayed another avalanche would not be triggered by the snowmobiles.
Because of the echo effect, it was hard to tell exactly how close the snowmobiles were. Jude leaned forward. From where he was sitting, he must have a view of the road. He motioned for her to get up.
They ran through the trees and out to the road. Two snowmobiles were a hundred yards away but headed toward them. The others must have remained behind. Lacey thought she might collapse from relief. She peered over her shoulder just as the deer disappeared back into the forest.
The men stopped. One of them was Lev. He pulled his helmet off. “Boy, are we glad to see you. Thought for sure you were goners. Is the road blocked off farther up?”
Jude nodded.
Lev glanced do
wn at Jude’s foot wrapped in her sweater. “You two probably need to be looked at. Get on and we’ll take you back to town.”
Jude pointed down the road. “The man who took Maria is escaping with her. He’ll have an hour head start on us.”
“The roads are just now opening up. I can make some calls to have law enforcement be on the lookout for a man with a little girl.”
“Okay, but nothing that draws attention. The kidnapper threatened if law enforcement was involved something bad might happen to Maria,” said Jude.
“Can do.” Lev’s voice filled with compassion. “Let’s get you to a place that is safe and warm. We’ve got another man missing.”
Lacey opened her mouth to explain that the missing man was dead, but she was experiencing a sort of shock now that they were safe.
“Is the man tall and thin with short blond hair?” His voice as well sounded weak.
“Yes, his name is Dale. He volunteered to go out and look for you two,” said Lev.
“He’s dead. The man who has Maria shot him,” Jude said.
Lev stared at him for a moment. He lowered his voice. “I didn’t know Dale. He kind of kept to himself. He was new around here.”
Jude’s voice was solemn. “He said his wife had cancer.”
Lev nodded. “I heard that too.” Lev let out a heavy breath. “Sounds like you have quite a story to tell the sheriff over in Garnet. My priority has to be your safety.”
Jude stood for a long moment. His jaw set tight. But then, he nodded. Maybe accepting Lev’s plan.
Jude took Lacey’s hand and led her toward the second snowmobiler. She got on and he patted her back. The gesture of care touched her. He walked with some effort over to Lev’s snowmobile and got on. He looked like he was about to fall over from exhaustion.
The trip down the mountain went by in a blur. At some point the two other snowmobilers joined them.
Lacey felt herself nodding off as the edge of Lodgepole came into view. She had a vague awareness that the snowmobile had stopped. A moment later, someone picked her up and carried her. She opened her eyes briefly to see Jude’s soft smile. He was clearly as worn-out as she was, not only from lack of sleep but from all the trauma.
She felt herself being placed somewhere soft and a blanket was put over her. Jude’s voice sounded very far away as she heard him saying he needed to talk to the sheriff.
She recognized Nancy’s voice telling him he needed to be looked at by a medical professional. Her sleep felt more like she was passing out.
She awoke when the growling of her stomach overwhelmed her need to rest. She sat up. She was alone in Nancy and Lev’s living room asleep on the couch. The curtains were drawn and the lights were out. Hushed voices came from another room.
She rose to her feet and entered the kitchen where Jude and Nancy were sitting at the kitchen table. Jude rested his hand on a cell phone that he must have borrowed. An empty bowl sat beside him.
Nancy smiled. “I’m sure you’re hungry. Have a seat.”
Lacey nodded and sat down beside Jude. He had dark circles under his eyes and his skin looked sallow. “Did you get a doctor to look at you, Jude?”
“Later. We’ve got things to take care of. I’ve been on the phone to the sheriff over in Garnet.”
Nancy sat a bowl of soup down in front of Lacey. She pushed some crackers that were on the table toward her.
“Jude’s foot looks like it has some frostbite,” Nancy said. “His ribs are bruised too. I tried to tell him that getting over to the sheriff could wait a few hours. The sheriff has put out an all-points bulletin for the kidnapper and the little girl.”
“I need to talk to the sheriff in person. I want to help with the search for Maria,” Jude said. “I haven’t been able to get hold of George yet. He’s not picking up.”
Lacey spooned up the soup. The warm liquid soothed her empty stomach.
“Lacey, would you be willing to go with me since you can identify the kidnapper? I gave the sheriff a basic description over the phone based on what you told me. But can you look at mug shots so we can put a name with the face?”
Lacey nodded. If she still felt tired after a short rest, Jude must be beyond exhausted.
“It’s an hour drive to get to Garnet,” Nancy said. “Why don’t you at least let Lacey drive so you can sleep?”
“That would work.” Jude turned toward Lacey. “Nancy is loaning us her SUV. We need to hurry.”
“I’ll finish my soup so we can go.”
“I’ll go warm the car up for you.” Nancy rose to her feet. “And, Jude, grab a pair of Lev’s boots from the closet by the door. He has big feet, so your feet might be swimming in them but at least you’ll have boots. I’ll get some extra pairs of socks.” Nancy left the room.
Lacey heard the outside door open and close.
She finished her soup. The meal had strengthened her. Ten minutes later, she was behind the wheel of Nancy’s SUV. Jude crawled in the back along with a blanket Nancy had given him.
Lacey backed out of the driveway. “I know you have a lot on your mind, Jude, but Nancy is right about rest.”
“I know,” Jude said. “But I don’t want this guy to get away with that kid. Who knows what he has planned?”
She rolled up the street toward the edge of town. Would the man with the rifle hide Maria somewhere and come after them? She checked her rearview mirror as she came to the city limits and pulled out on the two-lane road that led to Garnet.
Damage from the snowstorm was still evident. Snow was piled high on either side of the road and there were cars covered in snow that must have slid off. She prayed that the people in the accidents had made it to safety.
“I talked to Lev while you slept. The man who was shot in the bowl was from Lodgepole and his wife was in a hospital in Denver. Lev said Dale was antisocial and not mentally stable. He lived in a run-down old Victorian on a big lot. Lots of junky cars in the front yard. Kept to himself.”
“I remember walking by that house when we were searching.” And she remembered seeing the dark-haired man standing by the window who had slipped out of view. Maybe he was Dale’s paranoid brother. “Did he live alone?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t ask. Why?”
“There was someone else in that house, a dark-haired man.”
“A friend maybe?” Jude’s voice grew weaker as exhaustion had set in.
She drove for another five minutes passing only fields with drifted snow.
She looked down at the gas gauge. She should have thought to fill the tank before leaving town. Conditions were still not perfect. She drove slowly. Several cars passed her. An equally cautious driver in a black van eased by her. A sign indicated that a gas station was up ahead.
She pulled in. When she peered over her shoulder, Jude was fast asleep. She filled the gas tank up. She had only cash, so she went inside to pay. The clerk was a lanky teenage boy who leaned over the counter flipping through a magazine. She handed him the cash and waited while he made change.
A news program on a television, mounted to the wall, droned in the background as the kid counted out her change and excused himself. He exited out the side door. He had smelled of smoke so maybe he was out having a cigarette.
Her eyes were drawn to the television set as a breaking local news story flashed on the screen. Her breath caught and she looked around for the remote control to turn up the volume. She found it behind the counter. She pressed the volume button.
She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. The news story was about how Maria Ignatius had been returned safe and sound to her parents in a Montana town. A news story that should have made her happy. Should have made her want to run out to Jude and shake him awake so he could hear the good news.
As she stood alone in the gas station though, she knew something was terribly wrong. On the scr
een flashed a scene of little Maria with her father, George. Lacey felt like an elephant had just sat on her chest. George was the man she’d seen at the window of the Victorian house where Dale lived. George had been in Lodgepole at the time of his daughter’s kidnapping, and he knew Dale.
He had led Jude to believe the calls were coming from out of state. Was it possible that George was somehow connected to his own daughter’s kidnapping? Why?
Lacey hurried outside to tell Jude. She swung open the back door of the SUV. Jude wasn’t there.
A hand went over her mouth.
A gruff voice spoke into her ear. “Where’s your boyfriend?”
She shook her head.
“Fine, we’ll just use you as bait.”
The scenery whirred around her as she was dragged across the icy gravel lot. A door clicked open and she was shoved into the back of a van. She caught a glimpse of her kidnapper just before he slammed the door. The black van must have followed them from Lodgepole or just outside of it. She recognized the man as the one who had hunted her and Jude from the beginning on the mountain, the gray-haired muscular man. He must have turned Maria over to somebody who did the exchange giving him time to come after Lacey and Jude. The van smelled like grease. Her hand touched dirty carpet.
She wasn’t tied up. She could still get away. She lurched for the side door that had just been opened. Her hand reached for the door handle. She slid it open.
Jude was just coming around the side of the building. A look of horror spread across his face.
A man shoved her back in and slammed the door. She caught sight of Jude running toward the van.
The front door opened and shut. The motor of the van roared to life.
She heard a fist pounding on metal and Jude shouting her name as the van gained speed. Would the information that George Ignatius was somehow connected to his own daughter’s kidnapping die with her? Lacey collapsed on the dirty carpet.
SIXTEEN
As he raced toward Nancy’s car, Jude had the sensation of being punched in the stomach and hit in the head at the same time. He jumped into the cab and turned the key in the ignition. He’d awakened to find the car stopped and assumed Lacey was inside paying for the gas. He’d noticed the bathroom on the side of the building and gotten out of the car to use it.
