by Marla Monroe
Already aching with how her arms were stretched behind her back, pulling her shoulders into a painful curve, Shelby had to think about each drag of her wrists down the rock’s edge. Her hands and fingers were numb and now that dullness had moved up to almost her elbows. It felt as if her body was shutting down, one inch at a time.
I can’t stop. I have to keep moving or I’m dead. Focus, Shelby.
After what felt like hours of misery, certain that any second she would be found, the rope broke loose and Shelby found herself falling backward against the sharp rock at the same time her shoulders screamed in pain from suddenly snapping forward again. Tunneling blackness swirled in front of her eyes as a sharp stabbing burn dug into her left shoulder.
She bit down hard on her lip to keep from crying out, but couldn’t prevent the whimper that managed to escape. Pain seemed to assault her from all sides. They were going to find her if she didn’t stop making noises. It didn’t matter that it felt as if her arms had been torn from their sockets or that she’d stabbed herself with the damn rock, Shelby had to keep silent.
When no sounds outside of the normal cacophony of insects, birds, and wind in the trees reached her ears, she sighed in relief and focused on breathing normally again. Her arms slowly stopped their burning ache and her shoulders did the same. When she was finally able move her hands back within eyesight, she nearly wept again. Her wrists were turning a dark blue with numerous abrasions and nasty looking cuts from her slips on the rock. The one just above her wrist on the right worried her since it hadn’t stopped bleeding. She started to wrap her other hand around it, but winced at the dirt caked on it. If she didn’t stop the bleeding, not only would she grow weaker, but they could track her by following the blood trail.
Before she could dwell on it, Shelby pulled her shirt over her head and found an already ripped spot to widen and managed to tear a long piece of cloth from it to bind her wrist. After first folding a square of cloth several times, she secured it by wrapping the long swatch around and around her wrist then tucking it back into the edge of the cloth to secure it.
Shelby moved around until she felt that she was steady enough to attempt climbing back up the embankment. With the first attempt, her bandage started unraveling. Cursing under her breath, she ripped the hem off of the T-shirt and after wrapping it once around her wrist to hold the cloth in place, she tied it in a hard knot using her teeth to hold one piece while she looped it around to form the knot.
Who knew the tricks she’d learned as a child with Camp Fire Girls would actually come in handy? She’d have to remember to donate to the organization if she ever got out of this. Of course, she’d have to find a job where she made enough money to donate in the first place. With her track record of running out on employers with no good-bye wouldn’t help her with that endeavor anytime soon.
Once again she started slowly making her way up the trail that seemed more geared toward sliding down than climbing back up. How did the damn deer make it back up once they managed to get down? It took all her concentration to not only climb back up but to do it without cursing and giving her location away to anyone who might be out there looking for her.
Shelby had to rest once she’d made it to the top again. She hid the best she could in some low bushes and rested with her back against a tree, the sting of the bark cutting into her now bare back. She had no doubt she was leaving blood on the trunk from her injured left shoulder, but prayed it would be too low and hidden behind the bushes for someone to see. She no longer felt the blood rolling down her back, so she hoped it wouldn’t be dropping to the ground when she started moving again.
Suck it up! I’ve got to keep moving or they’ll catch up with me. I don’t even know for sure how many there were. I have to stay at least one step ahead until I can find some help.
It took several long seconds for her calm her breathing and ignore the sound of her own heartbeat in her ears before she could listen for any noise that didn’t belong out in the woods. After what she thought had to have been a full minute, when she didn’t hear anything threatening, Shelby carefully stood up from her crouched position behind the underbrush to take stock of where she was.
Nothing looked familiar to her from her earlier flight from the cabin. She wasn’t sure which way she’d come from, then made herself think. The stream had been directly on her left, so she needed to continue in that direction, keeping the stream to her left. Eventually it should lead her to some form of civilization, even if it was only a campsite.
Before stepping out of her hiding spot, Shelby checked the trunk of the tree to see how much she might be bleeding. A wave of lightheadedness passed over her to see the line of blood that led down the trunk to a small puddle on the ground.
Great! That’s all I need. I’ll still end up leaving a trail if I don’t get it to stop.
With no way to bandage it and nothing really to bandage it with, she tied what was left of the T-shirt around her chest, just below her breasts in hopes that it along with her bra would absorb most of the blood so she didn’t leave a continuous blood trail. They might still be able to follow it, but it would take longer for them to determine which way she went if they had to look for the next drop.
Shelby concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other, using a large stick as a walking cane of sorts. It was slow going at first until she finally got her legs back under her once again. Twice, she wasn’t able to follow the stream due to all the dense bushes, vines, and young trees that lined that bank. She worried each time she’d lose sight of it, but finally caught sight of it and adjusted her direction to follow it again.
It was going to be dark soon and she really didn’t want to spend the night in the dark woods. Already with the sun sinking behind the trees, it was dark enough she had trouble not tripping over vines and roots in her path. What would she do in the dark? She had to keep moving. As long as she was moving, she had a chance of finding a safe place and she put more distance between her and the cabin where she’d been held captive.
Time continued to tick by, counting down the hours, then minutes of sunlight she had left. Realizing she wasn’t going to magically come upon a house or even some type of outbuilding there in the thick woods, Shelby started looking for anything that would serve as a safe place to bed down for the night.
Finally she spotted where a huge tree had fallen, creating a natural cave of sorts where the inside was hollowed out. Evidently the middle had been rotten and something had caused it to fall, roots and all. She looked around the massive downed tree to be sure it looked safe and nothing was living in it on the other end. It seemed to be the closest she would get to a sanctuary in the middle of the woods in a place she had no idea of where it was.
Shelby gathered all the dried limbs, leaves, and brush she could find and stuffed it in one side of the opening of the tree, making it look as natural as possible so that it seemed to fall out naturally around the end. Then she did the same with the other end leaving her enough room to crawl inside before she covered that hole up as well. She hadn’t been prepared for just how dark it would be in the small space, but for now at least, she was safe.
With no way to judge the passage of time since it was dark, Shelby dozed off and on, awakening anytime she heard anything. At some point, something nosed around one end of the hollow tree trunk but didn’t breech the carefully placed brush and sticks. Her heart pounded loud enough she was sure whatever it was could hear it, but finally it lost interest and moved on. Once again Shelby was left to slowly calm back down and drift into sleep.
The next noise she heard was a low menacing growl to her right and the end she was closest to. When she slowly turned her head in that direction, she found herself staring into bright, amber-gold eyes and a snout full of sharp teeth and another snarl that had her blood running cold. She quickly dropped her eyes so as not to appear challenging and prayed for a miracle. The wolf growled again before inching forward. Even without looking the animal in the eyes, she c
ould see saliva dripping from his muzzle around the still-sharp, pointy teeth he didn’t try to hide.
This is it. I’m going to die.
Chapter Fourteen
Dalton hated waiting when Shelby was out there alone somewhere, but Bo was right, this was their only possible method to find where she’d been taken. If the men who’d taken her had just wanted her dead, they would have killed her back at the hotel instead of risking being caught or identified by kidnapping her. They had caught her for someone else. That someone more than likely wouldn’t have already been waiting in the state of Washington for them to bring her in.
Bo figured that whoever wanted to see to her personally would fly in under the radar without being noted on any flight log, so that meant not taking a commercial flight and sticking to a smaller airport that could handle a small jet. Dalton just prayed the man would hurry up so they could track him.
The two men had decided to park where they could watch when the planes arrived then already be in place to follow anyone who came in on a jet and looked the part. What part that was, Dalton didn’t have a clue about, but he would let Bo make that decision. They couldn’t wait in the building or it would be obvious what they were doing. Even if they left before the plane taxied in, someone in the building might mention that there had been someone there waiting but they’d left.
No, it was smarter to watch from the truck and be ready to head out as soon as their mark got into a car to head out. They’d follow from a safe distance and pray they followed the right man and that he didn’t catch on to being followed. The longer Shelby was missing the worse he felt. A lot could happen to a pretty woman who’d been kidnapped by at least two men. Things he didn’t want to even contemplate, but his head wouldn’t stop running them around and around like a damn kaleidoscope of fears.
“Here comes one now. Not sure what kind yet, but when it gets closer we should be able to tell,” Bo said, snapping his attention back to the sky in front of them.
Sure enough, a plane was circling to land. At first, it was more like a speck with wings, but soon the entire plane grew closer and clearer. Sure enough, once it was about to land, it was obvious it was a small private jet. Bo’s slight smile gave him some measure of relief. Depending on what type of people got off would let them know if they’d been right to wait for the jet instead of the smaller twin engine that had landed an hour earlier.
“Good, they’re going to disembark right in front of us,” Bo said.
A mobile set of stairs was quickly rolled over to the door and locked into place. Someone on the inside opened the door and stepped out to check the stairs before nodding at someone still inside. After long seconds, a man who looked to be several inches shorter than he or Bo stepped onto the landing of the stairs before turning to say something to someone still inside. Then he slowly descended carrying what looked like a duffle bag.
Another man stepped out. This one was taller than the first man, but still not as tall as he and Bo. He carried a metal briefcase with him and even from that distance the man set the hairs on the back of Dalton’s neck at attention. There was just something about him that made him think dark, deadly, and sinister. He did not want that man anywhere near their Shelby.
“Let’s see if they travel together or separately,” Bo murmured as they watched the two men disappear inside the building.
Dalton watched the plane for a few more seconds, but only the pilot stepped out to talk to the first man who’d checked the stairs. He was probably the steward. They conversed then both walked down the stairs to head toward the hanger instead of the building.
“Here they come.” Bo started the engine as they watched the two men exit the building and walk toward a group of cars they’d already determined were rentals.
To his relief, they both got into the same one, a black SUV. After about five minutes of just sitting there, the vehicle pulled out of the parking space and headed through the small parking lot to the back exit. Bo let them turn onto the road before he eased through the lot as well and took the same exit, after making sure they weren’t in sight. It was risky allowing them as much room between them as they were, but without more traffic, it would look obvious if they left right behind them.
“There they are, just ahead of that red truck,” Dalton pointed out.
“Good, there’s more traffic here,” Bo said as he maneuvered around a slow-moving Volkswagen Passat.
“Watch which direction he goes if he turns. I’m going straight and picking up on the next block,” Bo told him.
Dalton tensed. He didn’t like taking a chance they might lose them, but knew if they stood out as staying behind them all the time, they would get suspicious. He kept his eyes on the black SUV, memorizing the tag in case they ended up with another one that looked like it. As they passed where it had turned, Bo slowed down some so he could watch what it did.
“Kept straight for as long as I could see it,” Dalton told him.
Bo took the next right, drove straight two blocks then took another right to put them on the same street as their SUV. Just as they turned on the road, the SUV made a left turn so that all Bo caught was the tail lights to know which direction.
“I see him.” Bo sped up then slowly turned to the left and followed two blocks back before turning off again when the SUV stopped at a convenience store.
“Damn. Now what?” Dalton asked, rubbing the back of his neck.
“We drive past and pull into that parking lot to see which way the go from there.” Bo pulled back out and passed the store before pulling into a parking lot where there were several black trucks a lot like his.
Ten minutes later, the two men walked out carrying a bag each before leaving the store parking lot. The SUV drove right past where they were parked, having ducked down when it grew close. Once their targets had gotten a good two or three blocks down, Bo pulled back out to follow them. After a few more turns, it was obvious they were heading toward Highway 2 that bordered the Wenatchee Mountains, part of the Cascade Mountain Range. There was only one road that skirted that area. They would have plenty of traffic and be able to see if they turned off ahead of them.
The road wound with the river and the base of the mountains. They did lose sight of the SUV on several occasions but so far, the vehicle hadn’t pulled off on a side road. Dalton was worried it would turn when they couldn’t see it and they it would be a several miles before they realized it wasn’t in front of them any longer. That would make figuring out which road they’d turned off on nearly impossible.
“I don’t like staying this far behind them, Bo.” Dalton sat as close to the dashboard as his seatbelt would allow him.
“If we stay close to them, they could get suspicious. We’ve been behind them since the airport and they might figure it out. I just don’t want to take a chance, Dalton.” Bo’s voice remained steady which also irritated Dalton.
He knew it wasn’t rational for him to get angry over that, but how could he seem so calm and relaxed when Shelby’s life was on the line. He was operating on pure adrenaline and nerves yet Bo didn’t look as if he had a care in the world.
“Settle down, Dalton. We can’t afford to go off half-cocked with Shelby under their control. Think back to your training in the marines. Find that inner calm and hold on to it. She’s depending on us to have our heads on straight and getting her out safe.”
Dalton realized Bo was right. He’d let his emotions rule him and that would get not only Shelby killed but his blood brother as well. He concentrated on calming himself and slowing his heartbeat while he paced his breathing. They’d get her out safe and unharmed because it’s what they did. Failure wasn’t even in their vocabulary. After a few minutes he’d regained control and everything settled inside of him. They would do this.
“Better?” Bo asked without taking his eyes off the road.
“Yeah.”
“Good. Looks like they’re turning up ahead. We’re going to drive past then double back.”
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nbsp; Dalton watched as they drove past the road the black SUV had turned down. It looked to be a fairly straight lane. He prayed there would be no turnoffs where they might miss them. Bo was right though. If they had turned off right behind them, it would have been obvious they were following them.
A mile up the highway, Bo pulled off on another road. He turned around and waited for the way to be clear before pulling back onto the highway. Dalton once again slowed his breathing and vowed he wouldn’t allow his emotions to get in the way until they had Shelby safe in their arms again. Her life depended on them. She might not know it, but they were going to save her and bind her to them forever after this.
“Watch for any turn offs along the road for me. I don’t want to miss them,” Bo said.
Dalton watched either side of the road but so far there didn’t seem to be any other roads leading off. If they were lucky, there wouldn’t be and the road would dead wherever the SUV had gone. Just as he was thinking that, a cloud of dust appeared to his right.
“Slow up, Bo. I think they turned down a gravel road ahead somewhere. Dust cloud.” Dalton leaned forward to watch for a turn off. Sure enough, a gravel road came into sight.
Bo stopped the truck and watched as the dust cloud continued. “If we follow them now, they’ll notice us from the dust we kick up.”
“Once their dust settles, we can drive slow and not kick up as much. They won’t notice it if they’re far enough that we can see theirs,” Dalton pointed out. He didn’t want them too far ahead.
