by Kathi Daley
“Would one be likely to find mines in this area?”
I frowned. “Yeah. I guess. There are old mines and natural caverns scattered all over this area. Generally, the higher the elevation, the more you’re likely to find. Why do you ask?”
Houston took another moment to study the map. “It just seems to me that whoever kidnapped Silvia wouldn’t have wanted to go on a long hike through the forest before stashing her somewhere. He wouldn’t want his hiding place to be easily found, but he’d want it to be convenient should he plan to return at any point. We started our grid here.” Houston pointed to the map. “Jake and Sitka started here. They had a scent early on, so they’ve been following the river trail. What if the captor parked here?” Houston indicated a spot north of the parking area and trailhead and below where Jake and Sitka entered the search. “If they came in here,” Houston ran his finger along a dirt trail, “and hugged the river here,” he continued to run his large finger across the surface of the map, “wouldn’t it be possible for the kidnapper to double back and hike up the mountain here?”
“Yeah, I suppose, but why would he bother to head up the river in the first place if his destination was closer to the road?”
“To provide a scent for the dogs to follow leading away from the victim’s actual location.”
I had to hand it to the handsome officer. His theory made sense. “So Sitka picked up the scent at the point where he entered the trail with Jake, which was quite a bit north of where you’re suggesting Silvia’s captor parked.” I looked at Houston. “Sitka would have picked up the scent and followed it to the point where the kidnapper doubled back. I don’t think it occurred to any of us that the kidnapper entered the area from somewhere other than the traditionally used parking area.”
“It did enter my mind at one point that the kidnapper wouldn’t want to take the chance of having his car seen by others hiking in the area, but I wasn’t familiar enough with the topography to make a call on where an alternate site might be until we hiked around for a bit.”
“Harmony to Jake,” I said into my radio.
“Go for Jake.”
“Houston has a theory about where Silvia’s captor might have taken her.” I went through the whole thing step by step, beginning with the alternate parking spot, which would have had Silvia and her captor entering the playing field in a different location.
“That actually makes sense. When we arrived at the place where Sitka picked up the scent, he wanted to go in both directions. If they entered the search grid from a different vantage point and then doubled back, that would explain his behavior. Sitka and I will head back. Unless Yukon picks up on something along the way, plan to meet us at the foot of that little mountain range.”
Jake gave instructions to Wyatt and Landon as well and we all set off. Once we reached the foot of the mountains, both dogs were alerting like crazy. It still took another hour to find Silvia bound and gagged on the floor of one of the lower-level mine shafts. She was alive, but just barely. Jake identified a meadow for Dani to land her helicopter, then the entire team worked together to get our victim to the hospital before it was too late.
******
Jake had sent me home once the rescue was complete and the debriefing accomplished. Technically, I had a shift at the bar that night, but he said I looked exhausted and wanted me to get some sleep. Having unscheduled time off was going to wreak havoc on my budget, but I really was tired, and I did have my menagerie to see to. The last thing I wanted to do after a long, steep rescue was take a long walk, but the dogs—other than Yukon, of course—needed to expend some energy, so I layered on some additional clothing against the late-in-the-day chill and went out with all seven dogs in tow.
As I meandered slowly along, enjoying the summer evening, I decided to try once again to call Harley. We’d been playing phone tag a lot as of late, but I wanted to firm up the plans for the fund-raiser and grand opening. I dialed his number with my cell and this time he answered.
“Harmony, I’m glad we finally connected.”
I slowed my pace just a bit. “Me too. How are things?”
“Good. I’m pretty exhausted and weary of the constant hustle and bustle of my life in Los Angles, but we’ve wrapped up the movie, so once I attend a few more functions my agent scheduled on my behalf, I should be free until the promo tour begins after the first of the year.”
“It’ll be nice to have you around for a while. Any idea when you might make it back to town? I’ve been talking to some of the gang at the shelter about holding a grand opening and fund-raiser, but we want to do it when you’ll be here.”
Harley paused before he answered, maybe to take a minute to check his schedule. “I should be home in a couple of weeks, but you might want to wait until the end of July if you want to be safe. My agent is making noise about me doing a few talk shows before I sequester myself in Alaska for a long-needed break.”
I stopped and sat down on a log near a seasonal creek. All seven dogs were happily playing in the water. I’d have to give them a chance to dry off before I let them into the house, but I figured they could just go with me while I saw to the animals in the barn and checked the pen where I hoped to temporarily house the baby moose. If he made it out of the hospital, that is. “Okay,” I answered. “I’m sure we can work with a date in late July. We should think about a Saturday if we want to attract people from out of town.”
“Did you have a theme in mind?” Harley asked.
“No. We’ve only just begun to discuss it. Initially, I was just thinking of a small event to announce to the community that we’re open for business, but then Serena and I discussed using the event as a fund-raiser. It’d be nice to have enough cash in the bank to hire some paid staff.”
“If you want to wait until September, I think I can arrange to have Lonesome Moments play.”
“Really?” Lonesome Moments was the hottest country band around these days. If they’d agree to play, we’d make enough to staff the shelter through the winter, provided we could find a large enough venue to hold the concert.
“Melissa is coming to Alaska for a month or so after I get home. I’ll need to speak to her before we go any further, but I’m willing to bet she’d be happy to help out.” Melissa Grainger was the lead singer for Lonesome Moments and, based on what I’d read in the tabloids, Harley’s sometime lover. Suddenly, my joy at having such a huge headliner for our little fund-raiser was tarnished with jealousy, but I forcefully pushed it aside. Harley and I were just friends. He could have as many gorgeous brunettes stay with him at his isolated estate on the mountain as he wanted.
I tried for a tone of enthusiasm. “That would be great. Really great. Although we’d need to hold the event somewhere other than the shelter.”
“Maybe we can hold an open house at the shelter during the day and then have the concert that evening at my place.”
“Your place? Are you sure? There will probably be a whole lot of people.”
“I’ll set up bleachers in one of the pastures and we can have an outdoor concert for the masses, followed by a cocktail reception for a few select guests with deep pockets.”
Harley seemed to have it all figured out. Of course, he went to fund-raisers all the time, while I’d been to exactly zero.
“So, how are things otherwise?” he asked after we finished discussing the specifics of the suddenly huge event that seemed to have popped up from nowhere. I was feeling a bit overwhelmed.
“I guess you haven’t heard about Pastor Brown,” I said.
“Heard?” Harley’s voice demonstrated curiosity. “Did something happen to him?”
I filled him in on the pastor’s death and the kidnapping of one of Rescue’s long-term residents, as well as the theory that we’d most likely find a link between them.
“Wow,” Harley said. “I can’t believe something like that could happen in Rescue. Who would do such a thing?”
“I have no idea. Pastor Brown has been a community
leader ever since I can remember. I didn’t belong to his church, so I didn’t know him well, but everyone I’ve spoken to is shocked beyond belief.”
“I’m sorry, Harm. I’m sure this must be difficult for you. Is there anything I can do?”
I wanted to suggest he rush home and hold my hand, but I didn’t. “No. I’m fine.”
“Listen, I’m sorry to cut this short, but the reporter is here for the interview my agent set up.”
“You’re being interviewed at this time of night?”
“Los Angeles is a twenty-four-hour town. I was busy for most of the day, so she graciously agreed to come by my place this evening. I’ll try to call you later. And Harmony…”
“Yeah?”
“I’m sorry again about Pastor Brown. If you need me, whether it’s to brainstorm or just to talk, call me. Anytime. I’ll try to keep an eye out for your number.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “Thanks, Harley. Enjoy the rest of your evening and let me know right away if you firm things up with Melissa Grainger. We’ll want to start promoting the event right away.”
I hung up, then called the dogs to my side and headed back home. As I’d planned, I had them come into the barn with me so they had time to at least partially dry off before I let them into the house. Once the barn was cleaned and the barn animals fed, I took the five house dogs back to the cabin and fed them as well. I popped a frozen dinner into the microwave while I cleaned cat boxes, then settled in with my frozen dinner and a glass of wine. By the time I’d eaten, fatigue was beginning to set in, so I cleaned up the kitchen, then went to bed.
I slowly sat up on what must have been a mattress tossed on the ground. I couldn’t see anything in the windowless room, but I could feel something on the bed next to me. My hands, which had been bound, were freed, allowing me to pick up the object, which turned out to be a flashlight. I turned it on and looked around in horror. I was somewhere underground. The air was stale, the walls made of dirt and rock, so I assumed I was in a cave of some sort. I was no longer as dizzy as I had been when I’d first arrived, but my mouth was dry and the knot in my stomach felt as real as it ever had. Once my eyes adjusted to the dim light, I noticed a tray off to the side of the mattress. It held a glass of water and a loaf of bread. I had enough presence of mind to wonder if they’d been poisoned, but my throat was so dry that not taking a drink wasn’t an option. I sipped the water slowly and ate part of the bread as I tried to figure out my next move. I’d started to get up when I heard a loud noise. I turned toward it, and everything went black.
I screamed as I struggled to consciousness. As I had been the last time I’d had the dream, I was bathed in sweat, my bedclothes twisted and tangled around my body. I threw my blankets to the floor, then sat up and placed my feet on the floor. My heart was racing so I waited to stand.
“It’s okay,” I said to the dogs, who were once again running around and barking. “It was just a dream. A very bad dream.”
Honey crawled into my lap. I buried my face in her thick fur and let the tears come. The dream had been similar to the one I’d had the previous night, but this time instead of observing a woman who had been trapped in a cave from a distance, it felt like I was the one going through the experience. I forced my mind to look back as I tried to remember the two dreams. Both were in cold, dark locations. Both featured a captive who had been brought there while unconscious, and in both dreams, the victim’s wrists had been bound at one point. Could they be visions, not dreams at all? The thought had entered my mind as we looked for Silvia. Of course, a vision had to be of someone who’d been taken before last night and was still being held this evening.
I glanced at the clock. It was much too late to call anyone. I hadn’t heard about any missing persons, so I doubted I was dealing with visions. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to talk to Jake, see what he thought about them.
Once my heart stopped racing, I slowly stood and went into the bathroom. I washed my face, then changed my pj’s and bedding. I grabbed a glass of water and took it into the living room. I sat down on my sofa and let the dogs surround me. After I reassured everyone that I was fine, I went to look for Denali, who was staring out the same window he’d been staring out the previous night.
“What do you see?” I asked as fingers of fear tickled their way up my spine.
Denali didn’t move, and everything about his stance and demeanor led me to believe he was locked onto something I couldn’t see. The idea that there could be someone out there waiting and watching caused my stomach to twist and rumble. Sleep, I realized, would no longer be an option, so I grabbed a quilt, then curled up on the sofa with my guardians to wait until the summer sun showed its face over the horizon.
Chapter 5
Wednesday, June 20
Surprisingly, I actually managed to catch some sleep after I’d settled in front of the television to wait for daybreak. By the time I awoke it was after eight o’clock. As I did every morning, I started my day by walking the dogs. It was a beautiful day, the sun warm and welcoming and the meadow brilliant with wildflowers. As he had the previous day, Denali stayed close to my side rather than running ahead, but Yukon and Shia were just as happy leading the pack. Honey and Lucky didn’t seem to mind that Denali had joined them at the back and made room for him next to my left thigh.
“You know I’ll be perfectly fine if you want to run on ahead,” I said to Denali, who seemed more focused on the woods around us than he was on me or the other dogs walking with us. “You don’t want Yukon to get the idea he’s the alpha dog now. He’s still a pup, and so is Shia, but it won’t be long before he’ll be looking to establish his own place in our little pack.”
Denali glanced at me as if to acknowledge that he’d heard what I was trying to communicate, then went back to scanning the forest. I tried to relax and let the warmth of the sun chase away the tightness in my neck and shoulders. I had a lot to get done today and I needed to be at my best, despite the feeling of terror that lingered after the very realistic dreams I’d had the previous two nights.
As I strolled along and mentally outlined my day, I realized I should call Chloe. She wasn’t going to be happy if she had to find out about Silvia’s kidnapping from Raelene. I also needed to check in with Kelly about the baby moose and the dog who’d had surgery. I might need to bring the dog to my place while he recovered. I had a spare room. I supposed I could make up a bed for him in there.
I was about to call Yukon and Shia back when Denali started to growl from deep in his chest. I paused to look around. I didn’t see or hear anything. Again, I opened my mouth to call Yukon and Shia back when I heard barking from up ahead. Denali hadn’t moved. He continued to growl but didn't take off as he had the first time. I supposed we were in about the same spot we’d been when he’d taken off before but had no idea what was upsetting the dogs so. Lucky and Honey were literally sitting on my feet when Juno and Kodi came running back to me. I let out a loud whistle to call Yukon and Shia back, which they responded to. I took a final look around, then started back to the house.
I wondered if I should come back with only Denali to take a better look around. I hadn’t seen any sign of a trespasser, but then again, I hadn’t looked all that hard either. During the winter, when the snow lay heavy on the ground, it was easy to spot the presence of anyone who might venture too close to my cabin by searching for footprints. At this time of the year, however, I’d need to depend on subtler clues like broken twigs and mashed-down grass.
At the cabin, I fed the dogs, then saw to my phone calls. Kelly reported that the baby moose was doing much better and had real hope for him now that he seemed to have taken to the artificial milk she’d been feeding him around the clock. She asked once again if I'd be able to take him once he was medically stable, and I assured her I could and would. I had no idea how I’d adjust my schedule to include around-the-clock feedings, but I’d done it in the past with other young and ill rescues and I’d find a way to do it again. As for the dog
who’d had surgery, Justine was going to take him home with her until he recovered. Now that, I mused, was service above and beyond the call of duty.
After I hung up with Kelly, I thought about calling Chloe but decided I’d shower and dress for the day, then drop in on her café for breakfast and share the details about Silvia’s kidnapping in person.
******
Chloe’s Café was a locals’ hangout, so I should have anticipated it would be crowded at this time of the day. I waved to Chloe, who was taking the order from a large group, then indicated I’d take a seat at the counter. Perhaps this hadn’t been the best idea after all. It would be hard to fill Chloe in on the details of the kidnapping with so many people within hearing range. Maybe I could pull her aside if there was a lull in the action at some point. Even if she didn’t have time to really discuss what had happened, I’d get points for sharing what I knew before she heard it from anyone else.
“Morning, Susan,” I said as I slid onto the stool next to one of the women who sometimes worked the counter at the local minimart.
“Morning, Harmony. After all your excitement yesterday, I didn’t expect you to be up and about so early this morning.”
“All my excitement?” I asked, hoping she was referring to something other than the search for and eventual recovery of Silvia White.
“You don’t need to pretend with me. I know you aren’t supposed to discuss the things you do as a search-and-rescue team member, but it’s all over town that Silvia White was kidnapped and left for dead in a mine shaft.”
I glanced at Chloe, who was talking to Ryan McGowan from the bank. She didn’t look mad, but with her, you couldn’t always tell.
“I’m curious where you picked up this piece of information,” I said to Susan.
“Jackie Portman told everyone at spin class this morning. I’m not sure where she heard it, but the word must have leaked early because class starts at seven and several of the women had already heard about Silvia before Jackie said anything.” Susan took a sip of her coffee. “You know how it is when you live in a small town. You can’t sneeze without everyone asking if you have a cold.”
