by Sharon Dunn
Jason peered into a window. “We made it this far. There has to be a solution.”
She ran toward the clubhouse door. It too was locked. Even if there was a landline in there, it might not be working. She hung her head, squeezed her eyes tight to keep the tears from coming.
Come on, Izzy. You’ve been in worse situations. Be strong.
Jason squeezed her upper arm. His voice filled with compassion. “We’ll figure something out. If I had something like a paper clip, I could pick the lock. Split up. Let’s keep looking for a way in.” He took off in one direction and she ran around the side of the clubhouse. The windows of the clubhouse were high and small, but maybe they could climb in.
“Isabel.” Jason’s voice came from behind the garage.
She ran along the garage wall to the back, where Jason was sweeping the snow off an ATV with a plow on it.
“Your chariot awaits.” His voice was almost jovial.
“Someone must have left it out here because they knew they’d be plowing again.”
“There’s no key,” he said as he dug into his pockets. He handed her a set of keys. “There’s a tiny flashlight on there.”
Isabel shone the light where Jason pointed.
On the road on the other side of the garage, a car rumbled. Isabel’s heart squeezed tight. It had to be the thieves. No one else would be out on a night like tonight.
“Give me the light. I can kinda see if I put it on the seat.” Jason’s focus never wavered from the ATV. “Check to make sure it’s them. It might be the guy coming back for his plow.”
Jason’s optimism didn’t make much sense to her. All the same, she ran to the edge of the building and peered around the side of it. A car was parked on the road. A man had gotten out and was making his way in the deep snow toward the clubhouse. Though it was hard to see any detail, he was built like the short muscular man she’d encountered at the Wilsons’ house.
She hurried back to where Jason was still pulling wires on the engine of the snowplow and then shining the light on what he’d done.
“I think it’s one of them.”
“Just a couple more seconds here.” Jason’s voice held no hint of the panic she felt. “Hold the light for me.”
She shone the light toward his hands. While she appreciated Jason’s cool head, she was having a hard time taking in a deep breath. She turned slightly but saw nothing. It would be just a matter of minutes before the thief found them even if he circled the clubhouse first.
Jason clicked something into place, and the engine sputtered to life. Now for sure the noise would send their pursuers toward them. He swung his leg over and got on. Isabel slipped in behind him before he had even settled in the seat. After he lifted the plow, the ATV lurched forward.
A gunshot echoed behind them. Isabel leaned close to Jason and held on tight. Jason steered around the building toward the road. But instead of taking the road, he cut across it down the hill. Smart. The car would only be able to traverse the road.
Another gunshot resounded behind them. Isabel held on to Jason even tighter. Her heart pounded wildly as adrenaline surged through her.
Behind her, the car engine started up. As Jason maneuvered the ATV straight downhill, the roar of the car seemed to press in on them from all sides. The snow grew deeper, slowing their progress. They might get stuck. They had no choice. Jason veered the snowmobile back onto the road.
The headlights from the car encapsulated them. Jason switched up a gear and increased his speed. They were risking an accident, but the ATV was able to progress on the unplowed road faster than the car. They slipped out of the grasp of the headlights as Jason put a little distance between them and their pursuer.
He cut off the road and headed straight downhill again. The ATV caught air and landed hard. Pain shot up Isabel’s back but she held on. She peered over Jason’s shoulder. Up ahead was a cluster of trees. Jason slowed as they drew close. He wove through the trees. As he lost speed, the noise of the ATV motor kicked down a notch. The hum of the car engine in the still night reached her ears. She could see the flash of headlights through the trees.
Fear squeezed her stomach into a tight knot. The car couldn’t follow them into the trees, but they were going so slow, he could cut them off when they came back out on the road.
Jason steered sideways and continued to navigate through the labyrinth of the trees. The sound of the car faded into the distance. Gradually, the landscape became more open and flat. The ATV picked up speed once again.
When she looked to one side, the faint outline of the Wilsons’ house was visible up the hill. They’d gone in a circle. Jason drove the ATV toward the road she’d come up hours earlier in her car. She took in a deep breath. It was only a couple of miles down the hill until the private road intersected with the two-lane that would take them back into town.
Jason didn’t slow down when he got to the road. She caught the glimpse of headlights in her peripheral vision. They weren’t home free yet. The car was still following them.
* * *
The exposed skin on Jason’s face tingled from the wind and snow hitting it as he couched low. Though he couldn’t hear the car, he knew it had made it to the road they were on and was still chasing them.
He revved the throttle. Isabel pressed close to him as he gained speed. He could feel the pressure of her arms around his waist though they both wore too many layers of clothing to feel her body heat. He liked having her so close. Maybe now she’d come to trust him.
With the motor humming, they descended the hill. The ATV seemed to almost hover over the snow, providing them with a smooth ride.
Isabel leaned close to his ear and shouted, “He’s getting closer.”
They must be within a half mile of the two-lane road. He turned the handlebars and directed the ATV toward the bumpier, more foreboding landscape where a car would not be able to follow.
He aimed toward a patch of trees, swerving expertly around them. The rough terrain didn’t scare him. He’d grown up riding ATVs and dirt bikes with his father. The ATV headlights cut a swath of light in front of him so he could plan his next move.
Chances were the thief would patrol the two-lane and wait for them to emerge, but he could only go back and forth on a small section of road at a time. If he took the ATV far enough out they’d be able to get on the two-lane without being spotted.
A steep drop on the hillside caused them to catch air again. As they sailed through the air, he tried to maneuver the machine for a successful landing. The nose of the ATV pointed downward. Isabel screamed but held on tight.
They dived into a snowbank. The crash seemed to make all his bones vibrate.
He took in a breath and patted Isabel’s gloved hand. “Are you okay?”
“I don’t think anything is broken.”
The motor of the snowmobile had died. “Can you get off? I’ve got to see if I can get this thing started and out of this snowbank.” He was still a little shaky from the impact of the crash.
Isabel swung her leg over and stepped back. She pulled his keys out and shone the light for Jason.
“It looks pretty stuck.” Her voice was monotone, devoid of any emotion.
Maybe she was just as exhausted as he was from all the running.
Fragments of light flashed below them, a car going by on the two-lane.
He lifted his head and met Isabel’s gaze. Was she thinking the same thing he was? “This time of night there won’t be many cars going by.” Even fewer because of the storm.
“I still think it’s our best shot.” Her voice filled with resolve. “Maybe the snowplows are out by now. We can flag one down.”
It was a huge risk. They’d have to dodge the thief in the big car and hope that another vehicle came along. “We can’t stay here.” The ATV was dead. Either the cold or the thief would be their demise.
>
Isabel held the flashlight in such a way that it illuminated her face. She nodded, but he saw the fear in her eyes.
“We’ll stay in the trees as much as possible.” He reached a gloved hand out for hers. She lifted her hand and he squeezed it, hoping the gesture would help quell her fear.
He turned. “Only use the flashlight when you absolutely need to. It makes us too easy to spot. The bright colors of my coat will draw attention too.”
“I can turn it inside out.” She slipped out of his coat and turned it to the dark lining.
He started walking. She trudged behind him. He breathed in a silent prayer that a car would come by sooner rather than later. Though the storm was no longer raging, staying out in the cold for any length of time would not be a good idea.
He was unable to see the ground clearly, so his footsteps were slow and measured. Isabel whispered something.
He kept walking but turned his head slightly. “What did you say?”
“Oh sorry. I didn’t realize you could hear me. I was...praying.”
“Yeah, we could use some of that.” He felt closer to her, knowing that she’d thought to pray.
“Sometimes things have to be at their darkest before I think of it,” she said.
He opened his mouth to answer but stopped when he spotted headlights through the trees. The car eased along the road. Most likely it was the thief searching for them. He crouched and Isabel slipped in beside him. The car stopped and the driver got out. Shining his flashlight, the man peered up into the trees where he and Isabel were hiding. It was clearly the thief. He must have seen their flashlight when they had it on. The thief continued to walk toward them in a zigzag pattern.
The car engine still hummed. The thief had left it running to keep the engine warm.
An idea sparked inside Jason’s head. They could get to the thief’s car and drive it to safety.
Jason squeezed Isabel’s arm just above the elbow and tilted his head. She nodded in understanding. They’d be spotted if they went straight for the car. Still crouching, he moved from tree to tree, working his way down to the road in an arc. Isabel stayed close.
The thief’s light bobbed through the forest maybe twenty yards from where they were. Jason scanned the landscape below. It was hard to discern much of anything. He chose his path and made a run for it, knowing that Isabel would be right behind him. He put his foot forward but found only air.
The hill dropped off abruptly. He lost his balance. He tumbled, rolling through the snow. He righted himself. The chill of the snow soaked through his skin. Isabel came to a stop beside him.
A gunshot reverberated through the silence as the light came toward them. The noise of the fall had been enough for the thief to find them. Cold and wet, he grabbed Isabel’s hand and made a run for it, coming out on the road behind the running car.
Another gunshot stirred up snow in front of them. Isabel stumbled. He pulled her toward the car. The thief emerged from the trees, lifting his gun. Jason pulled Isabel to the ground as the third shot whizzed over them.
She bolted to her feet and raced toward the car. Jason pulled his gun from his waistband and fired a shot to deter the thief. He didn’t want anybody to die here tonight.
The thief dodged back toward a tree. Isabel climbed into the driver’s seat and slammed the door. Jason raced toward the car, grabbing the back-door handle as Isabel eased the car forward. He jumped in as another gunshot shattered the back window. Jason stayed low in the seat. Isabel hit the gas and sped down the road.
They’d have to turn around and go past the thief one more time if they were to get to town. The car rumbled down the road. Though it swerved on the unplowed pavement, Isabel kept it moving.
Jason glanced at the shattered back window.
Isabel stared straight ahead. “Just looking for a place to get turned around.” Her calmness surprised him. She waited until she found a shoulder and performed a three-point turn with ease.
“Nice driving.”
“Thanks. I’ve had a little experience.”
He wondered what she meant by that. “He’ll be waiting for us.”
She focused on the road in front of her. “I know, but there is no other way off this mountain.”
He liked that she was so cool under pressure. They rounded a curve. They weren’t far from where they’d left the shooter. Jason pulled his gun out, rolled the window down and then crouched low in the back seat. Isabel did the same, though she had to stay high enough to see the road.
He listened to the rhythm of the car’s tires rolling over the compressed snow where they’d driven before while he watched the trees for a flash of light or movement. He held his breath.
Isabel increased the speed of the car.
Tension threaded through his chest as he rested the barrel of the gun on the windowsill.
A single gunshot boomed through the air. Jason caught a flare of gunfire by the trees close to the road. He aimed his gun in that direction. The car fishtailed and swerved.
“I think he must have hit the radiator or something vital.” Isabel sounded like she was speaking through gritted teeth. “I’m going to take this thing as far as it will go.”
The car limped along down the dark road. The engine began to chug and then quit altogether.
Isabel sat behind the wheel, staring out at the darkness.
After a long moment, Jason said, “There must be a house between here and town.”
“Not on the main road there isn’t,” she said.
“Maybe hidden back in the trees. We’d see the lights at this hour.”
“Maybe.” Isabel nodded. “There’s that convenience store that sells fishing supplies in the summer. Maybe the owner lives there. Must be a couple of miles. Course, everything seems closer when you’re driving.”
A heaviness seemed to descend into the car. All of these ideas for getting to safety were long shots at best.
He pushed open his door, stepped out and reached for Isabel’s door handle. Preparing to trek through the snow—again—he didn’t need to see her face clearly to know that she was feeling the same despair as he was.
They hurried down the road, both of them looking over their shoulders from time to time. Maybe they had gotten enough of a head start on the thief to outrun him. Jason’s feet padded on the fluffy snow. He scanned the area around them, peering through the trees for any sign of a dwelling. Isabel trudged beside him, her shoulders slumping forward.
“We’re going to make it.” Jason tried to sound upbeat. “We’ve made it this far.”
She just kept lumbering ahead.
At one point, he had a view of the road below them with the switchbacks. No sign of any cars. The storm had dumped a ton of snow. Though no rational civilian would go out at this hour after such a downfall, he’d hoped to maybe see snowplows or the highway patrol.
Snow swirled out of the dark sky. Under different circumstances, the scene would have seemed almost serene.
Isabel stopped and turned toward the forest. “I thought I saw a light.”
He followed the line of her gaze as a lump formed in his throat. Seconds ticked by and he saw only the shadowy outline of the trees. Was this just wishful thinking on her part?
“There.” She grabbed his arm just above the elbow and pointed with her free hand.
He still didn’t see anything. “Isabel, I—”
“I know what I saw.” She planted her feet and continued to stare.
He glanced up the road, half expecting to see their pursuer. He caught the flash of illumination and turned to where Isabel was looking.
A light emerged from the trees and seemed to be gliding across the landscape. A cross-country skier with a headlamp and reflective clothing.
Isabel took off running. She shouted. The skier stopped, turned and came toward them.
/> Isabel spoke breathlessly. “Can you help us? Our car went off the road.”
With her hat and gear on, it was hard to judge the skier’s age. She wore a reflective vest that looked official. Her gaze moved from Isabel to Jason.
“Are you avalanche patrol?” Jason asked, hoping to allay the woman’s suspicions.
“Yes. With all the snowfall, I thought I’d better get out and have a look. Plus, there’s nothing in the world like skiing at night in the silence.”
“Please, if we could just use your phone.”
The desperation in Isabel’s voice must have won the woman over. “My place is back through the trees. You can call, but I wouldn’t recommend anyone come get you until the plows have been up this way. They get them out as soon as the storm lets up, so I would say another hour or so.”
The woman led them back to a small trailer that had been skirted around the bottom to keep the plumbing from freezing. They followed her into the tiny space. The woman tore her hat off, revealing braids and a bright smile. She probably wasn’t more than twenty.
She did a half turn in her trailer. “It’s not much. But they pay me to ski, so I can’t complain.” She grabbed a phone off the counter and handed it to Jason. “You’ll have to go outside to get a signal. I’ll put a kettle on for tea.”
Jason took the phone and stepped outside.
His contact at the Bureau would be the best choice. That way he could run the idea of going undercover past them. They’d been through a lot tonight, but maybe he could turn it around for the best.
The biggest concern was Isabel. She didn’t need to be caught up in the middle of this, but the thieves had seen her. Even now he felt himself drawn to her. She was a hard person to read. That kind of complexity intrigued him. More than anything, he wanted to protect her.
His contact picked up on the third ring. “Michael?”
“Hey, Jason, we were starting to worry about you.”
Jason gave the edited version of what had happened and his approximate location. Michael agreed to send an agent to pick them up and decided on a location to meet them when they got to town. He and Isabel would probably have to hike out to the road to be seen. He’d have to make arrangements for his van to be towed from the location.
