by C. J. Corbin
I had to figure out how to get more water. Lisa's cookies didn't help the situation either, so I decided it would be best if I stopped eating them. I hunkered down into the seat to wait for morning. Through the pain and the thirst, somehow I managed to drift off.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
(Michael)
It was early when I woke but I immediately checked my phone. No call. Damn. I rolled over and scrubbed my face with my hands. This was not like Elizabeth and worry began to sink deeper. She could be scatter-brained at times, but eventually she always checked her phone. It began to eat at me as I lay in bed, with just a hint of dawn coming through the window. With the time difference, I was sure to wake her father if I called now, but I couldn't stave off the urge.
Her father's muffled "Hello?" came immediately after I pressed his name on my phone.
"I'm sorry to call you so late," I started, "this is Michael, is Elizabeth there?"
"Who?" came the reply.
"Elizabeth, your daughter."
He replied gruffly again, "I know my daughter's name is Elizabeth! Who is this? Why are you calling in the middle of the night?"
"This is Michael," raising my voice a little in case our connection was poor.
"Oh, you. You don't have to yell at me. I can hear you perfectly well. Now what the hell do you want?"
I almost rolled my eyes Elizabeth fashion. "I'm looking for Elizabeth. She isn't answering her cell phone."
"Well, I'm not surprised she's not answering, it's the middle of the freaking night! Damn it son, don't you have a clock where you are?"
"Yes sir, I'm sorry for calling at this hour. Could you just put her on the phone?"
"No son, I can't," he answered. "She's not here."
"She's not there?" I asked. Immediately my mind flooded with dozens of questions.
"No," her father replied. "She left early yesterday morning. Said her work was finished and she wanted to get back home."
Anxiety took hold of me at that instant. I didn't want to alarm her father unnecessarily, especially if she was snug in her bed at home. We exchanged a few more pleasantries, mostly on my side and finally disconnected the call. Immediately dialing my house phone only brought voicemail again, and calling her cabin number didn't bring any different results. I could feel it in my gut, something was not right.
I took a deep breath and pressed Don's name on my cell. He'd be angry that I woke him, but Debi and Don were the closest to the house, and they had keys.
Debi answered the phone, "What's wrong Michael?"
"I'm sorry to wake you two, but I haven't heard from Elizabeth. Her father just told me that she left Los Angeles this morning, I mean yesterday morning ... you know Friday morning." At this point, I was babbling into the phone, and I wasn't sure what day I meant.
"Have you tried reaching her at home?" Debi asked.
"Yes, I tried both places. No answer. Christina is in San Francisco so she's not at Elizabeth's cabin either." I replied as I started nervously running my hands through my hair. "Could you have Don go down to the house and check? I'd really appreciate it."
"Just a sec," she said and then I heard muffled voices on the other end of the phone. "Okay, Michael, Don’s getting dressed and he'll check the houses. Stay by the phone and he'll call you right back."
It wasn't ten minutes later and my cell phone rang.
"Hey Michael," Don's voice began, "I tried both houses and they are locked up tight."
"Are the dogs there?"
"No. Why?"
"If the dogs aren't there then she probably didn't make it home to pick up the dogs. They were boarded at the vet. Shit."
"Are you sure she left Los Angeles?" He asked.
"Yeah. I talked to her Dad. She left Friday morning."
"Did she fly home?"
"She was supposed to."
There was a pause at the other end. "Let me call my dad," Don suggested. "The airlines aren't going to give you any information, but they’ll give it to law enforcement. Let's see if she was on the plane."
"That's a good idea. Thanks man. I owe you one. I appreciate your help."
Don chuckled, "Well, it looks like we're going to eventually be in-laws."
"What do you mean? Did something happen?"
Don chuckled again, "Yeah. You have quite a sister, but then I'm sure you already know that. Let's find out where Elizabeth is and we'll all sit down and have a talk. I'll call you back as soon as I've learned something."
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
I awoke with a scream on my lips. Damn! The Kevin dream. I lay back against the headrest, this time the dream was different. What was it? Then it dawned on me. This time, after the knife sliced through me, I pushed him back. I could actually feel my hands on his shoulders shoving him away from me. This time in my dream, I fought back!
Rain pounded on the roof of the car. Hearing the rain only reminded me of how thirsty I was. I rummaged around in my open suitcase and found a clean pair of socks. After unrolling them, I opened the car door and placed them on top of the roof. I didn't have a cup to collect the rainwater, so I figured that at least the socks might soak up enough rain for me to drink. It was worth a shot.
Exhaustion permeated my entire body and it still was several hours away from dawn. The road would be a muddy mess in the morning. It was going to be difficult to get to the main road and no part of my body was particularly happy with any movement I made. At least, I was warmer. The car didn't have much draft, and most of the contents of my suitcase now covered my body.
Before the rain lulled me back to sleep, I thought of Michael. Did he miss speaking to me tonight? Probably not. He'd be busy with Marcus and Tommy. More than likely, the three of them would be drunk, smoking cigars, and causing trouble.
The thought made my determination stronger. I was going to get myself out of this situation.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
(Michael)
The ringtone on my cell phone blasted me awake. How the hell had I fallen asleep? An hour had passed since I talked to Don.
"Frank, what do you have?" I said as I answered.
"Michael, I just got off the phone with Southwest Airlines. They confirmed she took the flight yesterday morning which landed in Sacramento. I've opened up a case and have notified the highway patrol. We'll get her picture circulated. Is there a chance she would have stopped between the airport and home? Perhaps at a hotel? How has she been feeling? Maybe she decided to stop because she was feeling ill?"
I started pacing the room. The room was too small for me, and it felt like it was closing me in. "Shit, Frank, I don't know. Stopping doesn't sound like her. She would be anxious to pick up the dogs. The last time I spoke with her, she said she was feeling okay. Most of her morning sickness had passed. I can't think. I have to get home."
"I think that would be a good idea Michael. We'll work on this on our end. If you can think of anything, give me a call."
We ended the call after Frank promised me he'd be in touch if he had any new information. I started throwing my clothes into the small bag I’d brought to town for the weekend. Most of my clothing and gear were still at the lodge.
Dawn had fully appeared through the curtains and I could already smell coffee from the breakfast area downstairs. The next call I made was to the airline charter company to get on a flight to Winnipeg. Normally, they only flew out late in the evening, but I was already prepared to charter a flight.
I knocked on Marcus' door while listening to the recorded message they wouldn't be open for another hour.
"Shit." I spit out under my breath and left them a message to call me.
It took another two hard knocks on the door before Marcus answered and actually, Tommy answered his door first. Both of them looked like they had been to an all-night frat boy party.
"Jesus, Michael. What the fuck?" Marcus whispered. He looked up at me bleary eyed and I wasn't sure if he was even awake yet.
"Sorry man. Sorry." I apologized.
"Elizabeth is missing. I need to go home."
At the news, both of them immediately straightened up, as if the adrenaline that was coursing through me had leapt over to them.
"What do you mean she's missing?" Tommy asked.
"Just that," I said. "No one has heard from her since yesterday morning."
"Oh shit." Tommy exclaimed.
Marcus left the doorway open and fumbled for his phone in the pockets of his jeans draped over the chair near his bed. As he walked back to the door, he spoke into his phone, "Sam? Hi, it's Marcus. Yeah, sorry for the early call, but it's an emergency. I need a plane ASAP for my friend Michael, Winnipeg to SFO." He paused briefly, "Yeah, Canada. He's a U.S. citizen. Michael Hoffman. Just a second." He looked up at me and said, "What time do you think you'll hit Winnipeg?"
I did quick calculations in my head, "Probably around noon."
"He said about twelve. Yeah. Thanks man. See you at the wedding." Marcus disconnected. "All set. They'll have a car on the tarmac which will take you to the jet."
I swiped my hand through my hair, "Thanks Marcus. Jesus, I can't even think straight. I'm sorry for ruining your trip."
"Don't worry," Marcus said as he patted me on the back. "We'll go to the lodge and get your stuff. Damn it, let's get some coffee, my head is about to explode! Why did you guys make me drink like that?"
Tommy took me by the shoulder and led me back to my room. "We've got you Michael. And, don't you worry about your sweet Cher, everything will be okay."
I nodded, not really hearing him. I was already thinking about the call I would make to Elizabeth's dad. He would never forgive me for not taking care of his little girl. I needed to be home.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
The sun was shining through the car window when I awoke. Stiffness had set in through my entire body, and there wasn't one spot which didn't ache. Sucking on the wet socks from the roof of the car was the nastiest thing I’d ever done, it didn't quench my thirst, but at least it wet my mouth.
Getting to the main road was the top priority today. Even with the sun, a blast of cold air hit me when I opened the car door. I found the branch I’d used yesterday and wrapped a couple of t-shirts around it to help with the grip. The fall and walk to the car scraped and blistered my hands badly. I had to lean heavily on the stick to walk since my swollen ankle hurt to put any weight on it.
Moving slowly, I set out on my journey. By my calculations, the journey would be a long one. I was about five miles from the main road and it was very slow going. I couldn't walk more than fifteen minutes at a time before finding a place to sit and rest. Even though the early morning had been cold, the temperature warmed up through the day and I peeled off layers as I continued the arduous trek.
That’s when my bad mood set in. Angry with myself for having come out here to begin with, I thoroughly berated myself as I walked. Each time I sat down, it became harder to get up again. I was tired, sore, nauseated, and thirsty.
When the sun began to set, new fears pressed me forward. I would have to speed up to make the almost two miles I still had to go to hit the main road. I also knew that with the sun setting the temperature would start dropping quickly. Now my ankle throbbed even when I didn't put weight on it. A sense of foreboding came over me, and if I didn't make it to the main road, I would have to spend the night out in the open without the protection of the car because there was no going back.
Finally, with the darkness surrounding me, I could go no further. Choosing a tree which would give me cover if it started to rain, or worse yet snow, I pushed around plenty of old pine needles to make a comfortable resting spot. All the clothing I’d peeled off during the day went back on and after that, I pulled the blanket tightly around myself.
Pulling up my legs against my chest, I wrapped my arms around my knees and rested my head. Trying not to think about the aches, hunger and the thirst, I shut my eyes. It felt good to rest, and if I kept my body absolutely still the throbbing pain stopped. At least, it did for a few minutes.
I thought of my baby. My muffin had been uppermost on my thoughts all day. I hadn't started bleeding which I supposed was a good sign, but the worry made me nauseous. The more I thought, the more my tears bubbled up and then they flowed. They streamed from my eyes, wetting my dirty face, wetting my filthy arms. They tasted salty. And I cried some more.
I sniffed them back and wiped my eyes on my sleeve. I needed to be strong. Strong for my baby, strong for Michael. But I wasn't strong. Not really. If something happened to our baby, Michael would never forgive me. It wouldn't be possible. He would leave me. He would hate me.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
(Michael)
"We've checked all the motels and hotels along the highway from Sacramento to Mintock. There has been no sighting of Elizabeth," Frank said over the phone.
"Shit, Frank. She's got to be somewhere!" The Jeep passed the sign marking Mintock's city limits. I had been in contact with either him or Don during most of the trip from San Francisco.
"It's almost like she disappeared. She was on the plane, picked up her luggage, and then nothing."
I stopped at the light. Turning right would take me to our house, which would be empty. Not completely empty, Christina would be there, and Tammy, and Elizabeth's father. Turning left would take me to our favorite location...I paused. "Fuck, Frank! I know where she is. Meet me up at the eagle's nest!"
"Why would she be there?" He asked.
"She's there. I know it. I feel it. Oh god! Hurry!" I disconnected the phone and threw it on the passenger seat.
My foot hit the accelerator hard and while the light was still red, I ran it, making a left turn and headed up toward Mt. Mintock. "Baby, I'm coming. Hold on, Elizabeth, please hold on." I prayed. Tears were burning my eyes making it hard to see. I wiped my sleeve across my face. "Get a hold of yourself Hoffman!" I admonished myself.
The trip up the mountain took forever. The sky was black with no moon. Even though I exceeded the speed limit, it seemed as if the miles were crawling by. When I saw the utility road, adrenalin was coursing through me. I hit the switch for the high beams and had to slow to a snail's pace because the dirt road was unforgiving. This was not the time for a flat tire.
About one-half mile on the utility road, a small bundle flashed in my peripheral vision and my foot slammed on the brakes. Had a hiker left a blanket? I recognized it immediately because I had one just like it with a face of an otter on it. A picture that I had taken.
Maneuvering the Jeep so the lights were on the blanket, I was out of the front seat in a flash. The blanket moved. Oh god, was it? "Elizabeth?" I wrapped my arms around it. Her scent was fresh lemongrass, and mountain air. This was my girl. "Baby, I'm here." My breath gave out.
"Michael?" She opened her beautiful green eyes, and they showed disbelief. Her voice sounded strange. Weak and cracking. "Is it really you?"
"Oh baby, you're safe here in my arms." My voice rumbled through me.
"Michael, I don't feel well and I think I need to go the hospital. I fell, my foot is bad," she rasped out.
My hand ran down her legs, and we both winced when I reached her ankle.
Strong lights lit up the area surrounding us and I turned to shout over my shoulder. "Frank, get an ambulance. It's Elizabeth. She's bad off. We need to get her to the hospital."
"Can I have some water? I'm so thirsty," she asked. I moved to get up but she pulled at me with all the strength she had left. "No! You can't leave me. Don't leave me. Don't hate me."
I turned once more toward Frank who was approaching us with blankets. "Frank, I have water in the backseat of the Jeep."
Frank handed the blankets to me and I tucked them around her.
"On it," he said as he hurried back to get the water.
"I tried to get to the main road, Michael. Please believe me."
"Baby, ssshhh... You don't have to talk right now," I whispered.
Frank joined us as another set of headlines appeared. I hea
rd car doors open and the footsteps of Annie and Don running over to us.
"How is she? How did she get here?" Annie asked as she knelt down.
Opening a bottle of water, and I held it to her lips. "Not too much, sweetheart. Slowly."
She gulped the water down and tried to grab the bottle from my hands. "It tastes so good."
I shook my head and looked at Annie, "I don't know. Her ankle is either broken or severely sprained."
Annie's sharp intake of breath said it all. "Oh Mija, what did you do?"
"I saved Ethel." Elizabeth burrowed her face into my shoulder.
"Help me lift her, Don. I want to put her on your truck bed until the ambulance gets here."
It was a major project to move her over to Frank's truck, but we needed to get her off the cold, wet ground. She was so weak she couldn't help us. The several layers of clothing she wore didn't help us either and every time we came close to her ankle, she cried in pain. Her hands were almost raw and it was evident it was painful for her to grip anything. To top it off, it appeared her injured shoulder was also causing her pain.
Every time she mentioned falling from the tree Annie and Frank looked to me. I knew we were all thinking the same thing. The baby. I had to drive those thoughts far away from my mind. They could not be thought about now, most important was Elizabeth and getting her to the hospital.
It seemed like forever, we all knew it wasn't, but each of us inquired after the ambulance several times. Finally, the flashing lights appeared, and she was quickly put on the gurney and an IV was started.
As we closed the doors to the ambulance, I asked Annie to contact the group at the house to let them know we found her. At the moment, speaking to Elizabeth's father was low on my priority list.
