Mountain Hideaway

by Christy Barritt

  Maybe there were people out there worth trusting.

  Suddenly, she paused as a foreign sound teased her hearing. It had almost sounded like a footstep. Had Trent come back?

  She swirled away from the window and scanned the room around her. It looked the same as always. Nothing suspicious.

  If Trent had returned, he should be here any minute. He always used the same door down the hallway to keep the cold air in the room at bay.

  She waited a few minutes, but he didn’t appear.

  Apprehension crept up her spine. If not Trent, then what was the sound?

  The caved-in roof, she remembered.

  Maybe that was what it was. Was more of the ceiling about to collapse on them? Or maybe the part that had already been destroyed was crumbling more?

  No, she told herself. She could have been hearing things. After all, everything seemed silent right now.

  Why couldn’t Trent be back? She hated to admit it, but she felt much better when he was close by. Again, those crazy emotions of hers were leading her astray, causing her to toss back and forth between trust and distrust, dependence and independence.

  She scanned the area behind her, which was the hallway leading to the old kitchen, according to what Trent had told her. Again, nothing looked out of place. What was going on?

  Just as she reached for her gun, she heard the footstep again. She turned around just in time to hear something click beside her. A man stood there.

  An evil grin spread across his face. “You didn’t think you’d get away from us that easily, did you?”

  At the sound of his heartless voice, her blood went cold.

  FIFTEEN

  Just as he feared—someone was inside with Tessa. Trent ducked behind the corner. How had the man found them? It wasn’t important. All that mattered was figuring out how to get out of this situation. He’d worry about the other details once Tessa was safe.

  Moving quietly, he crept inside, making sure to stay concealed and out of sight. From where he stood, he had a perfect view of everything that was happening. A man—he recognized him as one of the men who’d confronted them at Chris’s house—stood in front of Tessa. He had two things that frightened any warmth right out of Trent: a gun and a diabolical smile.

  “I radioed my other men,” the man said, flaunting his Smith & Wesson in front of Tessa.

  The man wanted to invoke fear; he enjoyed scaring other people. He was the kind of person Trent despised. It took everything in him to remain calm.

  “They should be here any moment,” the man continued. “The snow slowed us up. But all of this was just a matter of time. We never lose our guy—or girl. That’s not going to change now.”

  “What do you want from me?” Tessa stared at the man, not fear in her eyes as much as anger. Her hands were braced on the couch behind her and she favored her uninjured leg. But she wasn’t shrinking. Trent could admire that.

  “I’m just doing a job. Leo wants to handle you himself.”

  She leveled her gaze at the man. “I take it you’re okay with a man beating up on a woman.”

  The man grinned, not even a speck of goodness or mercy in his eyes. “I’m okay with getting paid for a job I was hired to do. Well paid, at that.”

  “I hope there’s enough money for you to live with yourself when this is all said and done.”

  His smile slipped some. “Enough talking. We just need to wait here until the rest of my guys arrive. Where’s the man you came here with?”

  “There was...an accident as we walked here. He didn’t make it.”

  The man stared at Tessa a moment, as if trying to read her. “You don’t seem too broken up about it.”

  She shrugged nonchalantly. “What can I say? We weren’t close. He was hired to find me, just like you were. However, he was ten times the man you are. He’d never hurt a woman.”

  Her words warmed Trent, but only for a moment.

  “Too bad he’s not here now. He might have been able to help you out.” He reached for her, his gun still drawn. “Now, I need to figure out what to do with you to bide my time. I can think of a few ideas.”

  Tessa gasped as the man squeezed her arm and pulled her toward him.

  Fire coursed through Trent’s blood. He drew his gun from his waistband and aimed. In one clean shot, Trent hit the man’s shoulder. The man cried out in pain and dropped his gun. Tessa scrambled to retrieve the weapon, and she raised it toward her attacker, also.

  Trent’s heart slowed. But he knew the battle wasn’t anywhere near being won.

  * * *

  Tessa gasped for air as Trent grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the man. They’d tied him to a chair, knowing his friends would arrive soon enough to help him. In the meantime, he’d be indisposed.

  Trent reached down and grabbed something from the ground. “Put this on.”

  She held up the puffy white snowsuit. “Where’d you find this?”

  “One of the cabins. It’s going to be cold where we’re going.”

  She didn’t ask any questions. At least it sounded as though he had a plan. That was more than she could say for herself. He pulled another coat on over his own and then pulled on a hat. He handed another to Tessa.

  “When they find you, they’re going to kill you,” the man in the chair grumbled. His gaze looked haggard and every once in a while he moaned with pain. But he was still angry and determined.

  “I’d worry about yourself right now,” Trent said.

  The man let out a deep growl before his face squeezed with pain.

  “Now, come on,” Trent said, turning his attention back to Tessa. “We’ve got to get out of here before the others arrive. We don’t have much time.”

  She lifted a two-way radio that had been clipped to her attacker’s belt and listened for a brief moment. “It sounds as if the rest of the guys are within eyesight of the lodge.”

  He nodded, as if impressed that she’d thought ahead enough to grab the device. “Good to know. This way we can stay a step ahead of them.”

  He grabbed her hand and pulled her outside. The cold air was brittle and frosty. It took Tessa’s breath away for a moment. But she had no time to dwell on it. Trent pulled her forward and she let him. A few flakes from the treetops scattered downward and chilled her cheeks and eyelashes even more.

  The wind slapped her cheeks as they rushed through the snow. Of course, rushing through the snow was like rushing through quicksand. Each step tried to suction them to the ground. They trudged forward regardless.

  Another building came into sight. Tessa hoped that was where they were headed, because her legs were becoming numb again. At least that meant she couldn’t feel the throbbing ache from her wound.

  “In here,” Trent urged. He pulled her into the building.

  Just as they stepped inside, the radio at her waist cackled to life. “I see the building, Windwalker. What’s the situation inside?”

  Trent took the radio from her. “Targets are constrained. Waiting for help escorting them.”

  “Roger that. Should be there in less than five.”

  Trent and Tessa exchanged a look. They had to hurry.

  “Come on,” Trent urged. He climbed onto a...snowmobile?

  “Where did this come from?” Tessa asked, climbing on behind him with a touch of trepidation.

  “It must have been left here when the resort closed down. I found some gas and finally got it hot-wired so it works again. All I know is that I’m not complaining. Hold on tight.”

  Her throat constricted at her nearness to Trent. “I am.”

  He took her hands and pulled them tauter around his waist. “Don’t be shy.”

  Her cheeks heated but only for a minute. She didn’t have time to dwell on the solid muscle beneath her hands or the broad back her cheek was pressed against. She had to focus on survival.

  The radio crackled again. “Where are you, Windwalker? We’re inside the building.” A curse followed. They must have found the
ir guy tied up.

  Wasting no more time, Trent burst through the door of the garage. The vehicle hit the snow and sprinkled flakes around them. Any other time it would be amazing. Right now, it seemed like a blur.

  Just as they sped down the slope, three men stepped from the building, guns in hand. Keeping one arm around Trent, Tessa reached into her waistband and pulled out the Glock. Using her best aim—which was difficult because of the speed and the movement—she took a shot. Even if it didn’t hit them, maybe it would scare them off some and buy them a little more time.

  Finally, they cleared the lodge. The men were no match for their speed on the snowmobile.

  “Where are we going?” Tessa asked as reality set in.

  “I have no idea.”

  “To the main road?”

  “Too dangerous. They’ll look for us there.” He headed toward the woods instead.

  “And this is going to be better? You know there are cliffs around the gorge here, right?”

  “Now I do.”

  She sucked in a breath and closed her eyes. No, she couldn’t afford to close her eyes. She stole a glance behind her instead. The men were still chasing them, coming on foot. It was good they weren’t on the road—they’d likely be located much easier. But still, the thought of journeying into the white wilderness ahead of them was unnerving.

  Trent swerved as a tree appeared in their path. The landscape became thicker and harder to manage. They had to slow down. And that meant that the guys chasing them had a better chance of catching up.

  Just then, a bullet whizzed by, lodging itself in a nearby tree. Splinters of wood flew at them.

  Tessa looked behind her. Their pursuers were no longer running. It was worse.

  “They’ve got sniper rifles out!” she yelled.

  As he turned again, a trail came into view. Perfect. At least this would make their journey easier and less treacherous.

  Just as the thought entered her mind, another bullet whizzed by, narrowly missing them. She held on tighter to Trent as the trail became steeper.

  The snowmobile slipped, but only for a moment. They whizzed away until the bullets could no longer reach them.

  Thank You, Jesus.

  Her relief was short-lived, as a fence appeared.

  If they didn’t slow down, they’d ram right into it the tall stone structure.

  * * *

  Trent swerved, trying to miss the wall in front of them. The snowmobile teetered, and he feared it might tip. Snow sprayed behind them at their sudden movement, and Trent’s heart raced as he anticipated what would happen next.

  They came mere inches from hitting the wall, from tipping over. Thankfully, the vehicle righted. He let out a breath of relief.

  He didn’t ease up on the accelerator but kept going. They didn’t have any time to waste. But this wall, this fence, was going to be a problem. He wasn’t sure if it stretched all the way around the resort or not. But somehow, they had to get off this property. Otherwise Leo’s men would definitely find them, and Trent couldn’t let that happen.

  He followed the wall, hoping to find a gate. There had to be a service entrance around here somewhere that led to the main road.

  The snowmobile hit a stump buried under a drift and the vehicle slowed. This was going to be tough. The terrain was too thick to be navigated easily by a snowmobile, but he was going to push the vehicle as hard as he could. He only hoped that the men chasing them didn’t think ahead and search for a service entrance, also. If so, Trent and Tessa were on borrowed time.

  Bingo! Just as he suspected, there was a gate up ahead. Now he prayed that it was unlocked or at least old and rusty so he could break through.

  He slid to a stop and jumped off, instantly rattling the chain connecting the two wooden doors of the gate. It was old and rusty, yet still solid.

  This wasn’t good.

  “Here, let me try,” Tessa said.

  She pulled out a cheap-looking multitool kit, similar to a Swiss Army knife, and began fiddling with the latch. He watched carefully, curious as to what she was doing and where she’d gotten the knife. Obviously, she was attempting to pick the lock. But why in the world did she think she could?

  To Trent’s surprise, the lock popped open. She jerked the chain down and pushed the gates open triumphantly.

  “How...?” Trent started.

  She shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal. “In addition to my self-defense and gun classes, I also learned how to pick locks. It seemed useful.”

  “The toolkit?”

  “I found it in the glove compartment of the car. I slid it into my pocket before we abandoned the vehicle, just in case it came in handy. Looks as if it did.”

  “How fortuitous.” Wasting no more time, Trent and Tessa climbed back onto the snowmobile and took off down the service road, grateful for the smoother surface. They’d make better time this way.

  The cold air slapped him in the face and nearly took his breath away. But he couldn’t think about it now. All that mattered was getting away as fast as possible.

  As he traveled he put together snippets of a plan in his mind. Hopefully he still had phone service, because he needed to call Zach and see if his friend could pick them up ASAP. Then they needed to enlist more help. Find evidence. Put an end to all this.

  He kept his eyes open for a break in the trees. If he found one it could mean the highway was approaching. He hoped this back road had cut enough time off their travel that Leo’s men wouldn’t be able to catch up for a while.

  As Tessa’s arms tightened around him, he wondered if he was projecting his past onto her. Was that the reason he felt so determined to see this through? He knew he had an innate sense of justice. He wouldn’t leave a woman stranded without help. But it wasn’t just his nature. He knew that how he felt about Tessa ran deeper than that. Though they’d only known each other a couple of days, the stress of this situation had quickly deepened their bond.

  A clearing appeared in the distance. That had to be the road leading from the ski resort. It was going to be slick from the snow, but he hoped it was still passable. The road crews probably hadn’t made it this way yet, since the only thing up here was the abandoned resort.

  He slowed, but only for a moment, as he reached the narrow stretch. He spotted no one approaching from either side, so he carefully maneuvered the snowmobile onto the asphalt there. Once he was steady on the street, he started away from the ski lodge.

  This was a different road, he realized. They would have passed their abandoned car by now otherwise. Here, a river snaked far below, probably breathtaking in other circumstances. If he could only make it far enough that there was some sort of landmark where Zach could find them.

  “Trent, they’re behind us,” Tessa said.

  He glanced back and saw a car headed their way. The men were still far away, but that meant they only had a little time. Plus, they were running out of gas. He guessed they had five minutes max.

  “Do you trust me?”

  She hesitated before saying, “Yes.”

  “Then, we’re going to have to jump. Okay?”

  “Jump? Are you crazy?”

  “It’s our only choice. As soon as there’s a good spot, we’ve got to get off and hide.”

  “Okay.” Her voice was stained with uncertainty.

  He couldn’t blame her. The possibility was daunting.

  He saw just the place up ahead. It was a grove of trees they could duck behind. It would be perfect. But he had to time it just right.

  As the area approached, he slowed slightly. On a mental count of three, he eased off the accelerator, swung his leg over the snowmobile and grabbed Tessa. They jumped into the embankment beside them.

  He prayed the risk paid off.

  SIXTEEN

  Trent and Tessa rolled across the ground, tumbling over each other several times before coming to a stop. Snow cocooned them, burying them with cold, icy layers.

  Tessa found herself nestled on top of Tr
ent. Her eyes widened at their closeness. Or perhaps it was the snow, the exhilaration of what they’d done or the astonishment that they’d survived. Whatever it was, her heart beat out of control.

  She had to get focused.

  Laurel, she remembered. She had no right to be attracted to or having feelings for this man.

  “Don’t move!” Trent whispered, obviously unaffected.

  She remained still, all too aware of his presence. Wanting to slide off. To run.

  But instead she stayed still, willing herself to break their gaze. Instead, her eyes went to his lips.

  Bad idea.

  All she could think about was how they might feel against hers. Which she had no right to do. It didn’t matter that she’d misread the bond between them. She had to put an end to this.

  Instead, she stared at the snow, hoping Trent couldn’t feel her heart thumping out of control against his chest.

  Just then, she heard a crash.

  The snowmobile had gone over the ledge.

  Tessa prayed Trent’s plan worked and that the men assumed Tessa and Trent had gone over the cliff, as well. If not, they were both goners.

  The sound of a vehicle crunching through the snow shattered the silence around them. Leo’s men. This was the moment of truth.

  Would they be discovered?

  “You’re doing great,” Trent whispered, his voice light in her ear and his breath soft and warm on her cheek.

  She forced herself to keep her eyes focused on the snow. She feared Trent might see a glimpse of her attraction to him. And that was all it was—a moment of attraction. After Leo, she knew she was better off alone.

  The vehicle slowed and finally there was a moment of silence. It had stopped, Tessa realized. Only feet from them.

  Had they been spotted?

  A car doors opened. Feet clomped on the packed snow on the road.