by J. B. Hawker
Ljuto and Grgur, the two Croatian miscreants, had seen Bunny’s car being hauled into Olympia. They hadn’t found the flash drive in the sea chest Ljuto snatched from her room or in the car, so they assumed Bunny must have it on her. If not, they felt certain that she could be persuaded to tell them where it was.
They had been watching from the strip mall across the road and followed when they saw her leave the auto repair shop with Scott.
When Scott’s car turned into the State Patrol office they hung well back, fearful that the couple had noticed them. Relieved to see their quarry emerge and head north once more, with no trooper escort, the thugs resumed their pursuit.
“We’ve got to get to them where there’s no one around to interfere, Grgur! We can’t let her get away again.”
“I know that! Just listen, I have a plan. I’m going to run them off the road in that lonely stretch up ahead. We can eliminate the man and take the woman with us to get the flash drive. Now hang on!”
As Bunny was getting out her phone to call Ellery with an update on her revised arrival time, she saw a dark car overtaking them on the left at high speed. She was just thinking something disparaging about crazy drivers when the car inexplicably swerved into their lane, right in front of them.
Scott hit the brakes and swung his car to the right to avoid a collision, but the other car continued to crowd in until both vehicles careened off the freeway.
Scott and Bunny crashed through small pine trees and brush, over a berm and into a dry wash, coming to rest against a large boulder. The other car stopped just off the shoulder, about 50 yards away.
When her airbag deflated, Bunny caught a glimpse of the driver of the other car and recognized him as the one who had shot at her earlier.
Seeing that Scott was stunned, she shook him and whispered urgently, “If you can move, get out of the car, now. We’ve got to run! It’s those men!”
Scott took only seconds to clear his head and respond to Bunny’s urging. Ducking low, the two slid out the driver’s side door and crept behind the boulder to catch their breath and assess the situation.
Scott had a nasty bump on his forehead where he’d banged it against the side window. Bunny felt bruised all over from being bashed by the airbag, but wasn’t injured, otherwise.
As they crouched in the darkness behind the massive rock, they could hear the two men arguing.
“What’s the matter with you, Grgur? You nearly killed us!”
“Shut up! I got them off the road, didn’t I? Now grab a flashlight and come on!”
Two beams of light bobbed along the ground and strobed between the fir trees as the men carefully approached Scott’s car.
“Do you think they are dead? If they’re dead and the woman doesn’t have it on her, what will you tell Kozlov?”
“Shut up! Won’t you ever just shut up?”
When the men reached the car, Scott tugged at Bunny’s arm and gestured for her to follow him quietly through the brush and down into the gully that ran behind the rocks. The boulder shielded them from the view of those near the car.
Scott continued on up the other side of the streambed and into the dense forest beyond, with Bunny following right behind, dodging the twigs and branches that sprang back at her. As they traveled more deeply into the darkness she could hear car doors slamming and angry cursing.
“Where are they? From the looks of this car they must be injured. Come on, find them. They can’t get far.”
“Yeah, they are old and hurt, but which way did they go?”
The men were sweeping the tree line with their flashlights when they heard a siren approaching.
“Damn! Dabogda crko već juče! Come on! We’ve got to get out of here. We will come back and find them when the cops are gone.”
The gangsters jumped into their car. Spraying gravel as they roared back onto the freeway, the SUV was out of sight by the time the patrol car pulled up at the accident scene.
The Washington State Patrol trooper was responding to a report of a possible accident in the northbound lanes. The call came from a driver who had been traveling south on the other side of the divided highway when the two vehicles had swerved so dramatically off the road.
It was too dark to see much, but the trooper was able to ascertain that, although a woman’s handbag had been emptied onto the passenger seat, there was no one in or near the vehicle. When he saw the tire marks where the other car had left the scene he supposed that all the passengers must have left in this other vehicle. It was possible that they had gone to the closest ER, if there were injuries.
People in the Northwest tend to be pretty self-reliant and if the injuries were not life-threatening would think nothing of taking themselves to the hospital, or to a local bar, for that matter.
He noted the VIN number of Scott’s car, secured the cell phone and Bunny’s purse with its contents, called in his report and left the scene, resuming his regular patrol. The day shift would arrange to have the car towed to an impound yard and track down its owner.
As she continued to follow her pastor, Bunny’s heart finally slowed its loud drumming in her ears and she started to wonder if Scott knew just where he was leading her in this wilderness. It seemed that they must have walked at least a couple of miles, so far.
The moon was fully up, now, transforming the cloak of darkness into a sheer curtain.
“Are you navigating by the stars, Scott? Where do you suppose we are?”
“I guess it’s safe to talk, now. I haven’t heard anyone following us. Don’t worry, Bunny. We aren’t lost. I camp and hunt in these woods nearly every year. I know where we are.”
“Are we near a telephone where we can call for help? Mine is still in my handbag in your car, if those crooks haven’t taken it. Do you have yours with you?”
“I had it plugged into the charger, I’m afraid.”
“Are you taking us someplace where we can call the police, then?”
“I really think it might not be a good idea to go anywhere near the road, right now, Bunny. Those men are incredibly persistent. I'm concerned they might be looking for us right now. But, don’t be afraid, they won’t find us. They will be expecting us to stay close to the highway, so we can flag down help. I think we should just lay low tonight and walk to help in daylight.”
“So where are we going tonight? Some cave? Is it far?”
Bunny was emotionally and physically on the verge of exhaustion. She hadn’t eaten since leaving Bannoch, so she was feeling just a little light-headed, too.
“Not too far, now, don’t worry. It’s a snug little cabin tucked away in the woods. We will be safe and comfortable. Just hang in there a little longer, okay? You’ve been a real trooper, so far.”
“I wish there was a real trooper here right now. I’m feeling like a very poor imitation.”
“You’ve been through a lot in the past couple of weeks, Bunny. I really admire the way you are holding up. A lot of people would have gone to pieces.”
“Thanks, but I have to confess to feeling a bit frayed around the edges tonight.”
They continued walking, the silence broken only by the night sounds of owls, the rustling of small creatures in the undergrowth and an occasional coyote bark or howl.
When she was growing up in California, the coyote was only found in the dry hills and desert regions. She knew from her reading that the animals’ territory had increased so that now they could be found in almost every part of the country, even in urban environments.
Coyotes were admirably adaptable critters, but she would not want to encounter one up close in these woods. They had been known to attack people. They weren’t big, bad wolves and she was no Red Riding Hood, but still the howls unnerved her.
It seemed as though the dark forest went on forever in every direction.
Bunny was trying to keep up with Scott’s long stride, but her strength was flagging and the gap was widening between them. Te
rror of being left alone was keeping her going, but she didn’t know how long fear could overpower her fatigue.
Just when she was looking longingly at a nice cushiony bed of pine needles, Scott broke through into a clearing and stood waiting for her to catch up.
“Here we are, Bunny. Home, sweet home. For tonight, anyway.”
Scott walked up confidently to the rock border surrounding the cabin and began to count the rocks, starting from one corner. When he reached “twenty-five” he bent down and picked up a rock, turned it over to open the cover on a hidden compartment, and pulled out a key.
“I was hoping this would still be here. Lots of guys use this cabin, and not everyone puts things back. Tonight we are blessed.”
He unlocked the door and the pair went inside. Scott walked straight to the kitchen cupboard, taking out two lanterns, fuel and matches.
Soon the cabin’s interior was illuminated. It looked snug and cozy, just as Scott had promised. There was one large room, divided into bed, sitting and kitchen areas.
A curtained alcove held a chemical toilet. Not ideal, but better than a walk in the woods.
Braided rugs on the floor, makeshift plank and cinderblock shelves holding books and games, and bright posters on the walls gave the cabin a homey feel. There were two sets of bunk beds, the kind that have a full bed on the bottom with a single bunk on the top. A perfect arrangement for a group of campers or hunters, she supposed.
A river rock fireplace nearly filled one wall and there were a basketful of kindling and a pile of logs beside it. It seemed that those staying last had done a good job of leaving the cabin well-prepared for its next occupants.
Bunny’s stomach gurgled and she wondered if their forethought included leaving any food in the cupboard.
Scott fiddled under the sink, and then turned on the taps. Water gushed forth, rusty at first, and then clear. He got two glasses from the open shelf above, filled them and handed one to Bunny.
“You must be as parched as I am.”
“I am. Thanks.”
Bunny quickly emptied her glass and refilled it, drinking the second more slowly.
Scott was rummaging in the cupboards and managed to find canned baked beans and Spam.
“Looks like we are blessed, indeed. Tonight we eat!”
Chapter Eleven
Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord. – Psalm 114:2
Bunny and Scott joined hands at the little kitchen table to bless the food and give thanks for safe harbor. After a quickly uttered “amen” they tucked into their baked beans and lunchmeat with gusto.
Between bites they rehashed their adventures of the past few hours, as though trying to digest them, as well.
Bunny’s predilection for emotional detachment was serving her well. The most terrifying moments seemed to have been observed rather than experienced firsthand. Although she was nearly petrified with fear when the car swerved off the highway, she recalled the crash, now, without even an echo of emotion.
After helping clear up their dishes, Scott had discreetly taken a walk outside to allow her privacy to use the toilet alcove. By the time he returned Bunny had finished preparing for bed by splashing water on her face and scrubbing her teeth using salt on her index finger.
Habits instilled in childhood prevented her from going to sleep without the nightly rituals of face washing and tooth brushing.
The campers who frequented the cabin brought their own bedrolls and took them away when leaving, so Bunny and Scott would have to make do without the luxury of pillows and blankets.
Scott built up the fire for warmth before they attempted to make themselves as comfortable as possible on the bare bunks.
A side sleeper, Bunny missed having a pillow. She tried to sleep on her back, but discomfort and the crazy happenings of the day replaying in her mind kept her awake.
In the crowded prison, scrunched down on the cold, prickly straw, Htoo whimpered softly. “I’m hungry.”
The door had not been opened since the last group of women was shut in. The atmosphere inside was heavy with despair and rank with fear.
A few empty buckets were stacked at one end of the cramped space, mocking the prisoners’ lack of food and water.
The constant motion of the container told those inside that they were on a ship of some kind and many were sick, but they were no longer vomiting.
There was no way to accurately track the passage of time, but to those trapped inside, it seemed that many hours, possibly even days, had passed in this nearly airless space. Small vents high on the side walls admitted very little light and failed to adequately circulate the air.
Suddenly, with a screech of metal on metal, the door slid wide, showing a cloudless blue sky above and allowing sunlight to penetrate the gloom. Those closest to the door blinked as their eyes adjusted to the intense light.
No one moved or made a sound, but the unspoken question quivered in the air:
What new terror is this?
Three grim-faced men appeared. They set a plastic barrel and some boxes on the floor just inside the doorway, and then moved back. Another man, small, dark and with an air of authority, stepped into the opening and spoke.
“Here is water and food. If you behave and do not cause trouble you will be well cared for and you may be allowed to come onto the deck for a short time each day. If you make problems you will be punished. Continue to be difficult and you will be thrown overboard like the worthless garbage that you are.”
After Pok repeated this harsh announcement in several dialects the door was shut with a clang.
Two women, dressed in ill-fitting garments such as Khu Khu wore, and holding hands for courage, approached the supplies, tentatively at first, then eagerly, as they scooped up the water and pulled rice cakes and fruit from the boxes.
Seeing this, the others rushed forward and jostled for a share of the life-giving provisions.
Once fed and rehydrated, most of the prisoners sank in exhaustion to the hard, crowded floor where they either slept or stared numbly into the darkness, their eyes empty of hope.
In the rustic hunting lodge, Bunny lay watching the flickering flames licking at the logs in the fireplace and listening to the gentle snores coming from the nearby bunk. Apparently, Scott was having no trouble sleeping without the comforts of home. If their relationship had been a bit more intimate, Bunny could be sleeping, too; cozy and warm with her head resting on his chest.
Images of Max flickered through Bunny’s thoughts, but she brushed them impatiently away. If Max couldn’t even come to visit her because of the climate, she was not going to waste her time mooning over him.
Scott was nothing like Max, but he was a lovely man. He was just the sort of pastor and man that she thought Eustace was when she first met him. She had fallen for a façade and never suspected what lurked beneath until she was already married to a stranger.
Scott was genuinely who he appeared to be, Bunny was just sure of that. She wondered why he hadn’t remarried. It had been years since he lost his family in that accident.
It is unusual for a pastor to remain unattached for any length of time. Most churches have an overabundance of single women who are more than willing to provide comfort and solace to the pastor. Perhaps Rosamund kept all the eager candidates at bay.
Bunny’s thoughts shifted to the emerging plot of her romance novel and she subconsciously began to imagine Scott in the role of Captain Prescott and herself as Lady Arabella. Realizing where this train of thought could lead, Bunny felt her cheeks reddening in the darkness and tried to concentrate on something more innocuous.
Ellery must be so worried about me. I wish I could get word to her. I hope she hasn’t called her mother or Linda and worried them, too.
Bunny hated to be the cause of anyone’s distress. She was eager to put everybody’s mind at ease in the morning.
Eventually, the mental trauma and physical exercise of the
day overcame both her agitation and her imagination and sleep claimed her.
Bunny’s restless movements briefly roused Scott from sleep. He had been dreaming of a soft bed and a warm, yielding body beside him. Waking alone in the cold, lonely bunk filled him with fresh grief. He resolutely turned to God in prayer until blessed sleep claimed him, once again.
“You will let me know when you hear anything, anything at all? Thank you,” Ellery put down the phone with a frown. What could have happened to Aunt Bunny?
When Bunny failed to arrive the night before, Ellery had called the State Patrol to see if there had been any accidents or traffic delays between Olympia and Seattle.
This morning an officer had called to tell her about finding Pastor Davidson’s car. They found her aunt’s purse in the car with Ellery’s name on a contact card inside.
Local ER’s had been notified, but, so far there was no sign of Bunny or the pastor.
Though distressed, Ellery went reluctantly to her morning classes at the university, but was unable to concentrate on anything except her missing aunt.
Scott accidentally dropped a log onto the fire dogs while he was building up the fire. Bunny awoke with a start, cramped and shivering.
“It’s still Spam and beans for breakfast, I’m afraid, but at least there’s coffee. How did you sleep?”
“Oh, just fine, thanks,” Bunny lied.
Bunny felt a bit awkward with Scott that morning, as if he might somehow be aware of his role in her brief nighttime fantasies.
“Do you think it is safe for us to come out of hiding and find a phone, now? How far are we from civilization, anyway?”
“It’s about an hour’s hike to the campground where we usually leave our cars on hunting trips. Do you feel up to it?”
Despite early morning stiffness, Bunny was eager to get on the trail back to normalcy. She was finding it difficult to believe that the attacks of the previous day had actually happened. It was just too much to take in.
