Dead of Autumn

by Sherry Knowlton

  As the vehicle drew nearer, Alexa realized from the position of the lights that it was one of those huge pick-up trucks that were a favorite of farmers in the area. The bright headlights seemed to illuminate the Land Rover’s entire interior. “Turn down your lights and back off,” Alexa yelled. This truck was a pain in the ass and traveling much too close for safety. She slowed a bit more, hoping that the monster vehicle would just pass her.

  Her anger turned abruptly to fear when she felt the Land Rover lurch forward. “What the hell?” Alexa shouted as she realized that the truck had hit her rear bumper. As she struggled to keep her car on the road, the big truck fell behind slightly then rammed her again. Alexa’s heart was pounding as the Land Rover leapt forward and she wrestled the steering wheel for control.

  Just as quickly as it came, the truck backed off and took a left onto a small road. In a few seconds, the truck’s taillights disappeared into the distance. Almost at the same moment, Alexa saw the lights of a car that had just crested the hill ahead, coming toward her.

  “Thank you, thank you,” Alexa breathed a sigh of relief. The driver of the truck must have seen the car coming and had been scared away by the thought of a witness. The oncoming car passed by without slowing. It was likely that those in the passing car hadn’t seen anything of the incident with the giant pick-up.

  Alexa pulled to the side of the road and sat until her legs stopped shaking. Her skin was clammy with nervous perspiration, her breathing ragged.

  When she caught her breath, Alexa fished a flashlight out of the glove compartment. Glancing all around to make sure the truck had not returned, she steeled herself to step out and check the damage. There was surprisingly little damage, at least that she could see in the dark. This Land Rover was built for rough terrain and African safaris, so it was up to some hard treatment. But her beloved vehicle had seen years of use and would need to be checked out fully in the daylight.

  Alexa climbed back in the Land Rover and started for home. She wanted to call the police, but she was too shaky to drive and try to dial the phone at the same time. Plus, she was less than five minutes from where cell phone coverage became spotty. Since it was just a few minutes more until she could reach her cabin, Alexa decided to get home as quickly as she could and make the call from there.

  When she pulled in front of the cabin, Alexa looked around carefully. At this point, she was starting to think that maybe the vandalism at the cabin was not random and it was connected to the truck ramming her on the road. Her window had been broken just like the one at the clinic the night of Emily’s murder. Had Alexa become the next target on the list for the anti-abortion nut who had shot Dr. Crowe?

  But, it seemed more than coincidence that she saw Caleb and the man in the light van less than twenty minutes before her Land Rover was rammed from behind on a dark country road. She had not been able see anything about the truck through the glare of the headlights, other than that it was big. Caleb had a huge double cab Ford F-150 with a grille on the front, and he certainly knew the direction that she would take on her way home.

  Alexa shuddered as she locked the door behind her, threw her purse and cell phone on the counter, and ran to the phone to dial 911. When she described what had happened, she asked the 911 operator, “Please inform State Police Corporal George Branche and Trooper John Taylor about this. I’m afraid the people who hit me tonight may be tied with a murder case they are investigating.” The operator asked if Alexa needed an ambulance. When she declined, the calm voice on the other end of the line advised Alexa to lock herself in the house and wait for the state police to arrive.

  Alexa shrugged off her down jacket and went back to throw the deadbolt on the door. Then, she picked up the phone to call Trooper Taylor directly. She was so relieved when he answered the call. She filled him in on what had happened this evening, first seeing the man in the light-colored van at Caleb’s store and then being rammed by the pick-up truck on her way home.

  The trooper told her that he would be driving out to her house within the hour. He wanted to speak to her further and promised to work with the patrol troopers, who were already dispatched in response to her 911 call. “When we get there, I’ll also tell you what I can about a new lead we have on Elizabeth Nelson’s case. We may have a breakthrough.”

  Her final call was to Reese. Reaching out to him was something that Alexa did almost without thought. As she listened to the phone ring, she realized that this evening’s events had dispelled any lingering suspicion about Reese’s involvement in Elizabeth’s Nelson’s death.

  Just hearing Reese’s voice helped calm Alexa. He was very concerned when she told him about what had happened and promised to come to the cabin as soon as his shift ended. Alexa also mentioned that the trooper had told her that they might have a lead on Elizabeth’s murder.

  “Yes. I just heard about that earlier today. Apparently, a woman who knew Elizabeth just found out about her death. I can’t remember her name … I think it was the name of a state, like Carolina—no, maybe Georgia. Anyway, this woman left the area to visit a friend and ended up finding a new job there. She just returned home to visit her parents last night. They must have mentioned the murder and the victim’s name. When they told her that the authorities were looking for information about Elizabeth, she called the police. This Carolina or Georgia woman used to hang out with Elizabeth socially, and she has given the police the name of Elizabeth’s boyfriend.

  “But we can worry about that later. Just stay inside until the police arrive. I hope they can figure out who was driving that truck.”

  “Me, too. I don’t think I’ll feel totally safe until they track the bastard down. Go ahead and finish your shift. I’ll be fine; I’ve got two state cops on their way here. I’ll see you after you’re done with work.” By the time she ended the conversation, Alexa had regained some of her equilibrium. She was still scared, but beneath the fear was a burgeoning anger at the jerks who had tried to run her off the road. Could Caleb really be involved in all this?

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Tapping her foot, Alexa stood at the kitchen counter, uncertain what to do until the police arrived. She knew it could take some time for a state trooper to reach the cabin. Finally, the chill of the cabin broke through her indecision. She was freezing. Alexa threw a few logs in the stove and ran up to her bedroom for a warm sweater.

  Alexa pulled an ancient wool sweater over her head and then switched off the light. At the threshold of her room, she paused. Was that a vehicle coming down the lane? “Wow; that was fast,” she exclaimed. Almost instantly, she registered the deep rumble of the motor. A big truck, not a police car.

  Oh, no, she thought. They followed me home.

  Shaking, she forced herself to tiptoe across the dark bedroom to the window. Keeping her body against the wall, she edged the heavy drape aside, peering out with a single eye. The vehicle sat below. The chrome bars of its oversized grille gleamed like massive teeth in the glow of the porch light. Alexa cried out softly when the doors of the dual-cab pick-up opened and four men climbed out. They made no effort at concealment, walking boldly toward the cabin.

  One of the men was Caleb. All four men wore dark camouflage and carried nasty looking guns in their hands like the ones soldiers carried in war movies. Although baseball caps shadowed their faces, she knew the other three men had to be Caleb’s best friends: Joel, Daniel, and Gabriel. Just then, the tallest one turned so the light hit his face—the face that Alexa had likened to an Irish angel. Gabriel.

  Alexa’s chill melted into a burning knot of implacable rage. “I’ve had enough of Caleb Browne and his asshole friends,” she spat. She knew these guys were deadly, but she wouldn’t let them get the best of her.

  Alexa scurried to the bedside phone and dialed 911 for the second time that night. She couldn’t get the words out fast enough. “This is Alexa Williams. I live at 1915 Hunter’s Hill Lane, Newville. Four men are trying to break into my house. I think they are the same one
s who tried to run me off the road earlier. They have guns. I need help.”

  Before the dispatcher could respond, a huge crash sounded downstairs. They had shattered the living room window. Unlike the laundry room, the other two big front windows had modern screens. It wouldn’t take these men long to break that last flimsy barrier.

  Abruptly, the noise stopped, and one of the men yelled. “We know you’re in there, bitch. We know what you’ve seen. I hope you are ready for judgment tonight.”

  Then another voice cackled, “That abortion lover ain’t ready for the Lord’s judgment. She’s going to burn in the fires of hell.”

  Alexa moved toward the window again but stopped in her tracks when she heard his voice. Never in a million years could she have imagined hearing that familiar voice in a situation like this.

  Caleb shouted, “Alexa. It would be better if you just open the door and come out. Maybe we can come to an understanding. Hell, you’re a lawyer. You know how to cut a deal. Think about it. If you don’t come out in two minutes, this situation is going to get ugly.”

  In a lower tone, Caleb warned his buddies, “Watch out for the dog. I told you how big this fucking animal is. I don’t understand why he’s not barking. He’s very protective, and he could do a lot of damage. Joel, you need to take the dog out the minute you get a bead on him.”

  Alexa remained silent. No way would she walk downstairs to “cut a deal” with those maniacs. Such horseshit. Her best chance of surviving this night was to get out of the cabin before they found her.

  The police might be on their way, but she couldn’t gamble on them showing up in time to save her. Caleb and his friends could kill her in an instant, and the cops would arrive to find her body. Another young woman, dead in the forest.

  “Bastards,” Alexa muttered at their plan to shoot Scout. But, hell, she thought. If these assholes were prepared to kill me, why not my dog? Caleb should have realized that Scout wasn’t home. With all this noise, the dog would be going nuts. But if these guys were too clueless to figure out that Scout wasn’t around, great. That would work to her advantage and make the men more cautious when they entered the cabin.

  She darted across the dark room to her closet and drew out an indigo fleece jacket. She fished a black watch cap from the jacket pocket and pulled it over her honey hair. Grabbing a flashlight and some shotgun shells from the nightstand, Alexa hoisted the loaded shotgun from beneath the bed. Zipping the extra shells into her pocket, Alexa briefly considered trying to scare the men away with a shotgun blast but quickly passed on the idea. Her shotgun was no match for the arsenal these guys were packing.

  Alexa crept down the unlit hallway to a back bedroom. Holding her breath, she unlocked the window. She hoped like hell that all four men were still out front. Raising the window might make noise and bring them to the back of the cabin. Her fear of being heard was partially allayed when a voice shouted, “You had your chance, bitch. We’re coming in.” A chorus of profane shouts rose from the front deck.

  A ripping noise downstairs signaled the end of the living room screen. Spurred into action, Alexa raised the window. Ignoring the slight screech, she slid over the sill and dropped to the ground in one smooth motion. Although the bedroom was on an upper level, the cabin was built into the hillside, making Alexa’s drop less than five feet.

  She paused to listen after she hit the ground. All the commotion was still around front. Gathering her courage, Alexa fled up the hill.

  She took a left the minute her feet found the trail. She knew that all her options entailed risk. Should she head off the trail and just try to disappear into the woods? She abandoned that plan and decided to stay on the trail to reach the main road. She hoped that she would meet the police or could flag down a passing car.

  Alexa sprinted down the bumpy path. When she tripped over a root, she nearly dropped the shotgun. She needed to slow down. With almost a mile until the main road, it would be better to slow her pace and avoid a fall.

  After a minute or two, Alexa heard shouting and cursing coming from back at the cabin. “Shit.” She’d had no choice but to leave the window open; she couldn’t close it from the ground below. But the gaping window was like a neon arrow, pointing to Alexa’s escape route.

  Panic made Alexa clumsy. Desperate to cover more ground, she lengthened her stride but bumped the shotgun with her knee. Fumbling to hold onto the gun, Alexa stopped again to listen. Her heart lurched when she heard distant steps behind. She thought longingly of the cell phone sitting on the kitchen counter but pushed the thought aside. There was no reception anyway.

  Alexa started moving again. She could hear the footsteps drawing closer and closer. It sounded like just one person. The group must have split up.

  Alexa had relied on her blue jeans and indigo jacket to help her blend into the night. However, the full moon was only a day or two away. The moonlight illuminated the path in front of her. But, it made Alexa a sitting duck if Caleb’s posse spotted her on this trail.

  When she heard the roar of a truck engine, Alexa faltered. The truck was headed her way, and the guy behind her was gaining ground. She had to give up on heading for the main road and change directions. And, she had to do it now—before the truck got there.

  Without hesitation, Alexa left the trail and flew down the steep slope. Abandoning any effort at stealth, she dashed across the gravel lane, making for the pines. Headlights bounced off the trees to her left. The truck was just seconds away.

  Alexa made it just in time. As she entered the deep shadows of the pine forest, the night exploded in sound. Her pursuer signaled the pick-up truck driver with a sharp whistle. The vehicle screeched to a halt. A wild burst of gunfire filled the air.

  A series of soft thuds punched the big tree next to Alexa’s shoulder and she dropped to the ground in terror. Small branches and shards of pine bark peppered the ground, blanketing the forest with the scent of fresh cut evergreens. She could feel the kiss of soft pine needles on her cheek as she closed her eyes and gasped for air. Each time a piece of debris ricocheted into Alexa, she flinched, fearing the worst.

  The shots stopped. Leaping to her feet, Alexa scooped up the shotgun and ran for her life. The carpet of pine needles muffled her footsteps and the towering conifers blocked most of the moonlight.

  On the move, Alexa thought about her next step. The truck had cut off her access to the main road. Running aimlessly through the woods didn’t sound like much of a plan. She needed to find a place to hide. In an instant, Alexa knew where to head. From the moment she had stepped into the pines, instinct had been guiding her toward the perfect place to take cover.

  On high alert, Alexa stole through the pines, placing each step carefully. The forest had fallen oddly silent as if the owls and other small nocturnal creatures sensed an encroaching menace. Even the constant autumn breeze had fallen still. In the unnerving hush, Alexa picked up a whisper of voices behind her; the trigger-happy guy on the trail and his pal in the truck. They sounded a fair distance away, but she worried about the other two. They could be anywhere out here.

  Alexa continued on her course. She had spent so much time in this cathedral of pines that she had little trouble finding her way, even in the black of night.

  When she reached the far edge of the grove, she halted behind a big tree. The trunk of the huge virgin pine could hide three of Alexa. Comforted by the tarry smell of pine sap, Alexa closed her eyes and leaned her cheek against the rough bark. The few seconds of respite helped slow her racing heart. She took several deep breaths and felt calmer.

  Alexa became conscious of a pain in her left shoulder. One of those falling branches must have really wacked me, she thought. She rested the shotgun against the big pine and touched the sore spot. It was soaked. Had she been shot? Alexa freaked out for a minute then explored the shoulder carefully with her right hand. Yes, it was wet and it hurt, but it didn’t seem to be bleeding profusely. Only a small area of her fleece jacket was damp.

  Alexa
struggled to quell her despair. Calm yourself, Alexa, she commanded. She knew that blind fear could make her stupid.

  After a few more deep breaths, Alexa realized that she had no more time to waste. She had to ignore her shoulder and move on. Still, she hesitated, reluctant to leave the shelter of the towering pines. Ahead yawned a wide clearing that she must cross to reach her destination.

  Finally, Alexa pushed herself away from the giant tree. When she stepped toward the broad expanse of low grass, she froze. In the looming darkness she heard a crackling on the left. She stood perfectly still, heart accelerating. Her apprehension increased as the rustling movements drew closer.

  In the moonlight, Alexa made out several low shapes moving through the dry grass. She stifled a laugh. It was only small herd of deer. Her relief turned to consternation when the deer bolted. Their white tails flickered like fireflies in the moonlight as they fled.

  Alexa melted into the protection of the tree line until she could determine what had spooked the deer. The sound of voices ahead confirmed Alexa’s fears. The other two men were on the prowl.

  With each second, Alexa felt more and more trapped. Until she could pinpoint the position of the men in the meadow, it would be a fatal mistake to cross into the open. However, Alexa couldn’t wait much longer to move forward. The two men behind her would eventually find her trail through the pines.

  As Alexa debated whether to follow the deer, she spied movement across the meadow. Two men walked slowly along the gravel road that led to Our Lady of the Forest chapel. Alexa couldn’t make out their faces, but the moon cast enough light for her to follow their progress. They were heading away from the chapel, toward the main road.

  In the still night, Alexa could catch snippets of conversation floating across the meadow. Making little effort to keep his voice down, the taller one complained, “Where can that bitch be? I can’t believe she got away from us. She must be running blind out here in the dark. Maybe Caleb and Gabe got her with those gunshots, but they didn’t signal the all clear. So, she must still be on the loose.”