by Sharon Dunn
He used the restroom and then wandered around the back to stretch his legs where he found a teenage boy sitting on milk crates staring at his phone. He’d exchanged a hello with the kid and then gone to get back in the car. In those brief minutes, Broad Shoulders had had time to grab Lacey. The van may have already been parked there. He wasn’t sure. He was still groggy from his deep sleep and not as observant as he should have been.
He pressed the gas and sped up after the van. Jude was able to stay close to the van as it sped down the highway. He pulled the phone Nancy had loaned him from his pocket. If he drew his concentration away from the road, it meant slowing down to call the sheriff. He pressed the button on the phone and put it on speaker, informing the deputy who answered as to what was going on.
The distance between himself and the van increased. He ended the call and pressed the gas. He drew close to the van and then increased his speed to come alongside it and maybe run it off the road. An oncoming car made him slip back behind the van again. He stayed close to the van’s bumper looking for his chance when the van turned suddenly onto a side road without signaling. Jude took the turn to follow at a tight angle, sliding sideways. This road was paved and plowed but still icy. The piles of snow on either side of it made it into almost a one-lane road. There was no way to run the van off the road. He could only tail it and wait for the road to widen. Several times, he tried to ram the van from behind to make him go into a snowbank, but he only managed to tap the bumper before the van gained speed.
They passed a house with several barns and outbuildings and then the landscape flattened out. Though the fields were covered in snow, they were probably used for planting in the spring.
Jude continued to follow the van. The driver maintained the same distance between them. Clearly this was some sort of trap to get both of them to a vulnerable and isolated place. All the same, he could not abandon Lacey. He had to find a way to free her.
He slowed and tried the phone again. The sheriff would be looking for him on the main road. Before he could press the call icon, the phone slipped out of his hand and fell on the floor of the passenger side.
Jude gripped the wheel and maintained his pace. They drove for what seemed like at least twenty minutes. In all that time, the only living things they encountered were a field of sheep. The road turned from paved to gravel.
He began to wonder what the guy in the van had in mind when he pulled over on a shoulder, the first one they’d encountered.
Jude hung back on the road waiting to see what the man was going to do. His gun was still in his shoulder holster which was in the backseat. He’d taken it off when he’d lain down to sleep. Jude turned to try and reach it. His fingers were inches from it.
He glanced back. Broad Shoulders had gotten out of the van and was opening the side door. What had the man done with Maria? He’d had over a two-hour lead on them. Maybe she was in the van with Lacey? Broad Shoulders reached in and grabbed Lacey, yanking her toward the road as he drew out a gun and pointed it at Lacey’s head.
Jude had the awful feeling that neither one of them was going to get out of here alive. Both of them could identify this man. Though the evidence against him for being connected to the kidnapping was circumstantial, he had probably killed Mr. Wilson and Dale. He had repeatedly tried to kill Jude and Lacey.
No, his intention was clear. He was going to shoot both of them.
The man nodded his head, indicating that Jude needed to get out of the cab of the SUV. Jude glanced back at his gun.
With Lacey in tow, holding her by her ponytail and pressing the gun to her temple, the man marched toward the car. Lacey’s expression was filled with anguish. And then he saw her close her eyes and her features softened.
She was praying.
He needed to do the same.
He pushed open the door even as the words tumbled through his head.
God, help me find a way to get Lacey free and us to a safe place.
He stepped out and put his arms up in the air.
Broad Shoulders pointed the gun at him. “Open your coat. I need to see that you’re not armed.”
Jude held his coat open.
“Turn around,” the man commanded. “Lift your coat up.”
Jude did as he was told and then turned to face the man. Satisfied, the man put the gun back on Lacey’s temple.
His teeth showed when he grinned. “So which one of you wants to die first?”
God, please.
Broad Shoulders grimaced. The rage Jude saw in those eyes was scary.
Jude’s gaze moved upward for just a second as relief spread through him. The man was standing almost underneath a tree whose branches were heavy with snow. One of the lower branches had a chunk of snow that looked like it might slip off at any second.
“Please, there must be something we can work out between us.” Jude kept his hands in the air but took a step toward the man, knowing that it would make the man take a step back. One more step and the man would be right underneath the branch. He needed to buy some time.
“There is nothing to work out. I’m not going to jail,” the man said.
“Do you think they’re not going to find any evidence that links you to those two dead men on the mountain? Let alone the kidnapping of Maria Ignatius.”
The man raised his eyebrows in a quick spasm. Again, it wasn’t solid evidence but what Jude read in that expression was guilt.
“I have a way to get out of the country so fast, I’ll be somewhere they can’t find me before they even bring the body bags in...if they ever find them.”
Fear shot through Jude. “What have you done with Maria?”
Something flashed across Lacey’s features and then was gone. She shook her head. A movement so slight that only he would notice it as he faced her. She knew something about Maria.
Without moving his head, Jude gazed upward. The snow was hanging, ready to slip. He just needed the man to take one more step back.
“Please, let’s try and work something out.” Jude took a step toward the man.
The man held his ground and pressed the gun tighter against Lacey’s head. Lacey closed her eyes, but this time she wasn’t praying.
The laden branch above creaked as the snow started to slide. Jude lunged toward the man. The man stepped back, dragging Lacey with him. The snow fell on them, but because he was taller than Lacey, the bulk of it landed on the man’s head. The man let go of Lacey. The moment of distraction was enough time for Jude to leap toward him and land a blow to his jaw and a second punch to his stomach.
The man held on to his gun. He aimed it at Jude and pulled the trigger. Lacey leaped on his back, which made the shot go wild. The man hit Lacey on the side of the head with the pistol. She toppled to the ground, not moving.
Shock spread through Jude at the sight of Lacey’s still body. He lunged at the man before he had a chance to aim the gun at him. Both men fell on the snowy ground and rolled around.
The man was on top of Jude though he’d dropped his gun. He hit Jude several times in the face. Pain radiated through Jude’s jaw. His vision blurred.
He slammed his fist into the man’s stomach. And then sitting up, he put his hands on the man’s shoulders and pushed him back. Jude tried to get to his feet. The man was already standing. Broad Shoulders glanced around searching for the gun. While Jude was still kneeling on the ground, the man kicked him in the stomach.
Lacey had begun to stir from the shock of the blow she’d sustained.
Once the man found his gun, they would both be dead.
He crawled toward Lacey.
The man stomped around kicking at the snow, still unable to find his gun.
Jude reached Lacey just as she opened her eyes. She sat up, taking in the scene. He scrambled to get to his feet and reached down to help her up.
The man’s body s
lammed him, knocking him to the ground. Jude’s face was buried in the snow. He heard punches being thrown. He flipped over. Despite a valiant effort, Lacey was no match for the man who had grabbed both her wrists as they faced each other.
Jude picked up a hefty branch and landed it across the man’s back. The man remained upright but the blow was enough to stun him into inaction for a moment. Jude grabbed Lacey’s hand and they raced back toward the SUV.
He could hear the man running behind them, right at their heels. Jude swung open the driver’s side door. Lacey got in and scooted across the seat. As he moved to get into the car, the man grabbed him from behind. Jude swung around and punched him several times. The man wobbled and took a step back.
Jude got behind the wheel. Lacey had already started the SUV.
Broad Shoulders ran toward his own vehicle, stopping a moment to pick something up. He’d found his gun.
Lacey was safe with him. Now they just needed to get back to the road that led to Garnet. Their attacker ran toward his van. The shoulder they were parked on was too narrow to make a U-turn without sliding off the side or getting stuck in the deep snow. Jude sped ahead past the parked van, knowing that there had to be a place to turn around somewhere on the road.
Their attacker jumped into his car and raced after them.
Lacey gripped the dashboard and craned her neck. “How are we going to get turned around with him so close to us?”
Jude gripped the wheel and stared out at the flat terrain and the straight narrow road with a berm of snow on either side of it. He didn’t know the answer to that question. His foot floored the accelerator and he sped down the road into the unknown.
* * *
Frantic, Lacey gulped in a breath of air and looked over her shoulder. The other car was drawing dangerously close to them. It was close enough that she could see the man behind the wheel, his teeth bared in rage.
The other car lurched forward and tapped their bumper. The impact jarred her body. She bit her tongue accidently. Her lower jaw stung with pain.
The man hit them a second time. Their car fishtailed, hitting one of the snowbanks. Jude held the wheel steady. “I can’t shake him.”
He sped up.
She feared they’d hit a patch of black ice. At this speed there was a danger of sliding into the snowbank. They came to a crossroads. Jude took a sharp left. The move put a little distance between them and the van.
They drove for several miles. The van remained behind them.
The tension in her chest made it hard to get a deep breath. “He’s not going to give up until we’re dead.”
“I know,” Jude said. “This road has to open up or lead somewhere.”
“Jude, I saw something back at the gas station on television. Maria is home safe with her parents.”
“That’s good news. How did they get her back? Did George pay the ransom?”
“I don’t know the details. All I saw was the tail end of the news story.”
He glanced over at her. “Why do you look so grim?”
“Jude, I didn’t know what George Ignatius looked like until I saw the news story. George was in Lodgepole. I saw him in the window of the house where Dale lived.”
Jude shook his head. “Why would he lie to me? He called me from out of state.”
“What if he had something to do with his own daughter’s kidnapping?”
“That doesn’t make any sense, Lacey. Why would he hire me if he was involved?”
Before she could answer. The attacker’s car rammed their bumper once again. Jude swerved on the road, heading straight toward a snow pile. Her side of the car skimmed the edge of the snow berm. He straightened the wheel and righted the car.
The van remained close for another mile or so.
Jude slowed down. Up ahead, a farmer was moving his sheep across the road. The farmer along with a younger-looking man on a horse stood watch while a border collie ran circles around the sheep nipping at their heels. The men were some distance away from the road. Jude came to a full stop. The attacker stopped his car, as well. He wouldn’t harm them with witnesses around.
“What if we asked that farmer for help?”
“We’d have to run all that way across the field out in the open.” Jude rubbed his forehead and then tilted it toward the van. “We know he’s already killed two other people. I don’t see a farmhouse around here anywhere. It just seems like we’d be risking the guy’s life and that kid’s and I don’t think we could get to them before the shooting started.”
If they could get to town where there were lots of people, they’d be safe.
Jude checked the rearview mirror. “Looks like he’s making a call. Must be cell service out here.” He pointed at the phone on the floor of the passenger seat. “The sheriff’s number was the last one I called. Tell him where we are and that we need help.”
She took the phone. “I’m not sure where we are.”
“I don’t know exactly either. It was the first right turn off the main road after that gas station.”
She laughed. “That’s real precise.”
In spite of their situation, he laughed too. “I know we’ve been driving for a long time. It might be hard to locate us. Maybe they can use GPS to find the cell.” He glanced back at the van. “The sheriff needs to know. Just in case.”
He didn’t need to finish his sentence. She knew he meant just in case they didn’t make it to Garnet. She spoke while the phone rang. “Wish I could remember the name of the gas station.”
“There can’t be that many between Lodgepole and Garnet.”
Lacey spoke to the deputy who answered the phone, giving him all the information she had. She wasn’t sure how to explain about seeing George Ignatius or if she even should. They had no evidence that George was connected to the kidnapping, only that he had lied about where he was at. The connection dropped out before she could explain. The last sheep made it across the road. Jude shifted into First and rolled forward. The van remained behind them the whole time though it seemed to be hanging back and just following them.
Lacey stared at the phone. “Do you suppose I can figure out where we are with the maps feature on this phone?”
Jude shrugged. “Worth a try.”
The road widened a bit. A truck was in front of them for several miles and then turned off.
Lacey stared at the map on the phone. “It looks like there’s a town not too far from here. It’s called Stageline.”
She looked up. Jude’s face had drained of color. She stared at the road ahead where a car was parked facing forward, blocking the road. The road was so narrow, there was maybe a foot of clearance on either side.
“I guess we know who the guy in the van was talking to.”
A chill ran down her spine as she stared straight ahead. Now she knew why the man hadn’t tried to ram them once they were out of view of the farmer. “Looks like he called in reinforcements.”
SEVENTEEN
Jude’s heart pounded. The car up ahead completely blocked the road. There were two men in the front seat. The berm of snow on either side of the road was pretty steep. And there was still snow in the flat field beyond. The van behind them blocked the possibility of hitting Reverse and backing away.
“We don’t have a lot of choice,” Lacey said.
She must have been thinking the same thing he was thinking.
“Can you crawl in the backseat and get my gun?” Jude asked. “We might need it.”
“Sure,” she said.
Jude drew closer to the car speeding up. Maybe the guy would think he was playing chicken and back up. When he was within twenty feet of the other car, he turned the wheel sharply and gunned the engine, heading toward the open field.
The SUV hung at the top of the snow berm. One of the back wheels was spinning.
Lacey sat back
up in the passenger seat, holding the holster in her lap. She glanced out her window. “One of the men is getting out of that car that is blocking the road.”
Jude pressed the gas and turned the wheel. Three of the tires still had traction. He could get them out of here. “You might want to pull that gun out of the holster.” Jude spoke through gritted teeth.
He let up on the gas, hit Reverse, rolled back a foot and then sped forward. This time the SUV broke free. They lumbered over the berm and out into the field.
Lacey pulled the gun from the holster and ducked down. He caught only a glimpse of a man moving toward them before a bullet pinged off the metal of the car. He slipped down in the seat, as well.
The snow in the field was deep enough that it slowed them down, but he was still moving forward. In his rearview mirror, he could see the man with the gun climbing the berm and running after them.
The snow had grown heavy and slushy which slowed them even more.
The SUV chugged like they were driving with square tires. It took him a minute to realize it wasn’t just the consistency of the snow that was slowing them down. One of their tires had deflated. The man with the gun must have shot at it. They weren’t going to get much farther in the car.
“We’re going to have to make a run for it.” Jude turned the SUV so it was facing sideways. Lacey’s side of the car was the farthest from the approaching gunman. They could use the car as cover until the shooter got beyond it. “Give me the gun.”
She handed it to him and pushed open the car door, dropping to the ground. He crawled out behind her and caught up with her as she ran. The shooter was still about thirty feet from the car. Ahead of them lay an open field filled with melting snow.
The shooter had only a handgun which didn’t have the same range as a rifle. As long as they kept twenty feet between them, he wouldn’t be able to get a clean target. If he shot and ran at the same time, the possibility of getting an accurate shot was low. He’d have to stop and aim which meant they could put even more distance between them.
