by H. L. Wegley
“Keep studying that map, or someone might not get the chance to know.”
Ouch!
Maybe she didn’t always ignore his comments about her appearance.
They found a place to park the car, got wet, struck out at the second mill, and got even wetter on the walk back.
When they climbed back into Jennifer’s SUV, he wondered how they were doing for time. Nearly 1:00 PM. He shook his head. Approaching the mills in a cautious manner took more time than he’d planned.
When Jennifer pulled out onto Highway 101, his stomach grumbled. A foot-long BLT smothered in jalapenos. The image, the spicy smell, and the delightful tingle on his tongue had leased a chunk of his gray matter. “You know, I don’t remember actually planning to fast today.”
“When we left I wasn’t thinking about lunch.” She glanced his way. “If you’re hungry, we could go to Kalaloch before mill number three. We’d only have to backtrack three or four miles.”
“Sounds good to me. Let’s hit the deli in the convenience store. We can probably find a sandwich. If not, there’s always the junk food.”
****
Jennifer drove as fast as she dared—forty-five miles-per-hour in the heavy downpour. When the road turned parallel to the shore, she turned on the defroster.
“It’s on the outside, Jenn. Fog. The defroster won’t help.”
Soon the visibility dropped to less than fifty yards.
“And you say tomorrow the rain will be worse?”
“To start the day it will, and then the winds come.” Lee pointed his thumb towards the mountains to the east. “The rivers down the lee side of the Olympics will certainly flood. Some rivers out here could also. Don’t worry. Highway 101 usually stays open except where it skirts Lake Crescent.”
“If we have to drive this slow all the way back to Seattle and maybe even slower coming out again, that’s twelve hours of driving. It doesn’t make any sense to go home if we don’t find the mill today.”
“No, it doesn’t. If we don’t hit pay dirt before dark, we need to stay out here.”
“Do you think that’s a good idea?” Jennifer glanced at him again. “I mean you and me—”
“I know what you mean.”
Their marriage counseling with Pastor Nelson had begun with a commitment to enter their marriage morally pure.
Not only had Lee made this promise to God, but also to Jennifer’s granddad when he asked to court her.
Granddad held a sixth-degree black belt in karate and had promised to kick Lee’s head into orbit if he dishonored or hurt Jennifer in any way. Knowing Granddad meant it, and knowing he could deliver on his promise provided yet another motivation to keep the commitment he’d made to God.
“We could get a two-bedroom suite at that inn on the edge of Forks. We’d have separate rooms, and they have Internet access. That is your laptop case on the back floorboard, isn’t it?”
She nodded.
“Then we’re all set. You can use the laptop to check out any other sites we locate, and I can get storm updates on the Internet.”
Jennifer laid her hand over his. “But even with separate rooms…well, there are temptations we’ve been careful to avoid.”
“Surely you can restrain yourself for one night.” He grinned.
“Not funny. And it’s not me who needs to be restrained.”
“Can you think of a better option?”
“Better than what? Restraining you, or staying out here?”
“Considering what’s at stake, Jenn, we’ve got to stay out here tonight if we haven’t found them by this evening. Look at that stuff. I’ve never seen so much fog and rain at the same time.” He nodded towards the low visibility outside.
Jennifer’s eyes widened. “Was that the ranger’s station?”
“I think so. Visibility’s really bad. The ocean water here cools the air until it becomes pea soup, even with the heavy rain.”
“Well, the Kalaloch store should be right—there it is.” She steered hard left.
An air horn blasted. A logging truck swerved, inches from their rear fender.
“Sorry. No way I could see him coming.”
“It wasn’t your fault. We haven’t seen another vehicle in the last hour, so it’s pretty improbable he would pass us just as we turned in. Makes you think Someone’s watching out for us and wanted to drive the point home.”
Jennifer pulled into a parking spot by the store. “We need Him to keep watching out for us. We could encounter things a lot more dangerous than that truck.”
2
Lee groaned at the deli stripped bare of everything. Tourist season at Kalaloch had ended. So much for his BLT. Instead it would be imperishable, semi-junk food, or hardcore junk food.
Jennifer stood at one end of the hardcore row.
Like her face, Jennifer’s figure was something most girls would die for and most guys would—he needed to keep his thoughts in check.
God had blessed him with a soul mate, soon-to-be wife, with incredible beauty and an IQ that was off the scale. To him, she represented perfection, except for her temper, her difficulty forgiving people, and maybe—
“Lee Brandt, what do you think you’re doing?”
In front of the rack, his hand was frozen onto a king-sized candy bar. His gaze had been following Jennifer as she walked up and down the aisles of the small store. He didn’t have a clue how long he’d been staring at her, soaking her in.
“Wake up. Let’s get going. We’ve got work to do.”
All things considered, they hadn’t done too badly. An assortment of protein bars, energy bars, juice, and one king-sized candy bar. They walked out of the store and rounded the corner.
Enveloped in pea-soup fog, there would be no prying eyes. How convenient, except for the deluge.
He tugged on Jennifer’s arm and pulled her close.
She turned her head up and let him pull her nearer, obviously not opting out of his kiss.
It started out wonderfully, but she pulled away coughing. She put her cheek against his neck and whispered half-choked words. “Was that…for anything…special?”
“Not unless you consider me special.”
“I do, but the water dripping off your hood kept running up my nose. You nearly drowned me and—” Jennifer put her arms around his neck and pushed his hood forward. Then she joined him under the hood’s shelter, returning his kiss without the deluge.
If she was exercising a woman’s prerogative, he wasn’t going to complain about it.
When he opened the car door a few seconds later, his thoughts followed a familiar migration route…from Jennifer to food. “Let’s get in. I’m hungry. Can’t live on love, you know.”
“How could you possibly know that, Lee Brandt?”
“Good question. Maybe someday soon we can test that hypothesis.”
They devoured their lunch while Jennifer drove slowly up Highway 101 towards Forks. In a continuous roar, the rain peppered the vehicle with watery bullets, building up a thick blanket of water on the surface. Perfect for hydroplaning.
The brief interlude at Kalaloch seemed to restore something missing since Jennifer’s discovery of the trafficking, a full realization of the depth of their love for each other. Lee sent a heartfelt thank You to the Lord.
As they passed Ruby Beach, he swallowed his last bite of a peanut butter and chocolate candy bar. He gathered up the paper and stuffed it in a trash bag. “Great meal. Should we thank the chef?”
“If he sampled his own cooking very often, he’s probably dead.”
“Dead, but well preserved.” He paused. “Uh…Jenn?”
“Just ask me, Lee. It’ll save time.”
“OK. Why are we driving to Forks when we were supposed to check the third mill site?”
Jennifer slammed a palm into her forehead. “How could I have forgotten what we—it was your fault, Mr. Brandt. You…you made me forget.”
He couldn’t let her mood slide into the abyss where i
t had been this morning. “You’re right. It was my fault. I distracted you and I got…really distracted.”
Jennifer drove in silence for a while, then reached across and took his hand. “It wasn’t your fault, Lee. I wish we could’ve stayed at Kalaloch for a while. But we don’t have any time to waste and—”
“Let’s assume it was providential and choose our next target.”
She gave him her squinting frown. “Providential? A kiss, providential?”
“Let’s see what it provides. Right now it’s providing us an opportunity to check out the mill north of Forks. We both thought it was one of the most promising sites.”
“On to Forks, then. You know, it’s looking awfully dark for the middle of the afternoon.” Jennifer craned her neck to look up through the windshield.
“Yeah. The cloud depth is increasing as we approach the rainiest part of the storm. It’ll get dark around 4:00 PM. That means we probably won’t get to visit all the sites today, and we’ll still be here tomorrow when the wind picks up. We don’t want to be on this highway in the afternoon.”
Water droplets still covered the back of Jennifer’s neck. He wiped them off. “When we go through Forks, we need to stop at the supermarket and get you a proper raincoat—one with a hood.”
“Aren’t those usually bright yellow, orange, or florescent green? I thought you wanted to marry me, not make me a target.”
“Some are camouflage-colored. After the store, and then checking the two sites near Forks, we need to stop and get a room.”
“Rooms, Lee. A suite with rooms.”
“That’s what I meant, sorry. Provided we haven’t found the girls.” He smiled at her. “You know, it would be kind of nice to say goodnight, and then close a door instead of having to drive home alone.”
“Mmmm…very nice.”
They rolled through the timber land south of Forks in silence. Would the trees still be standing after tomorrow? Probably not all of them.
Soon they entered the south end of the town.
Jennifer pulled the SUV into the supermarket parking lot. “Look, the coffee shop in the store is open.”
“I could use some caffeine.”
They walked into the store, and then turned towards the coffee shop’s entrance.
The barista popped out from behind a row of flavoring bottles. “Hey, it looks like two more vampire lovers—oops. You’re not into those famous vampire books, are you? You’re the gir…uh, lady doing research, right?”
“Yes, and we’d like two grande caramel macchiatos. Extra hot, please.”
“Coming right up. By the way, who’s your friend?”
Jennifer took his hand. “This is my fiancé. He’s helping me with some of my research.”
“Fiancé. Lucky girl.” The barista smiled at Jennifer, and then let her gaze linger on Lee. “Oh, and lucky guy too.”
Ten minutes later, Jennifer sipped the last of her coffee while they checked out with their accumulated goods—water, snacks, and one olive-green foul-weather coat. When they walked to the front entrance, they passed the coffee shop.
The barista waved to them. “Try to stay dry out there tonight.”
Jennifer held up her new raincoat.
“Good choice,” the barista responded with a smile and another lingering look at him.
Jennifer stopped under the covered area by the entrance. “You certainly seem to have gotten her attention.”
He raised his cup, smiled, and took a sip. “She got my attention, too. She can make me a caramel macchiato any day. But, Jenn, only you can make my day.”
Jennifer gave him a side hug. “And your evenings and your—”
“You’d better stop there…and we need to run for it unless you want more rain down your neck.”
They sprinted towards the vehicle while the rain pelted the pavement, creating miniature explosions with each drop that pounded the water-blanketed parking lot. Both jumped into the car and buckled into their seats, shaking droplets off their clothes.
“Harder tomorrow?” Her dark eyebrows pinched until they nearly touched. “Any harder and the atmosphere may as well turn to water.”
“That’s exactly how a sea captain described it when he sailed through the wall cloud of a Caribbean hurr—”
“Look. I’m glad you went back into meteorology last summer, but I’ve heard your story, and I don’t want to hear about hurricanes.” She squeezed the steering wheel until one of her white knuckles popped. “We’re not having a hurricane on the peninsula. No way, Lee.”
“Actually a hurricane did hit the peninsula in 1921. You’re right though, it’s technically not a hurricane. But if I had my choice, I’d pick a Florida hurricane over what’s going to happen out here tomorrow afternoon.”
Indeed, I would.
3
Lee took a sip of his coffee. The caramel syrup lay thick, salty, and sweet in the bottom of his cup, a delightful taste that filtered through the hot liquid. He looked at Jennifer’s full lips. A good comparison, but he needed to get focused on the next mill and the potential danger there.
He pulled out the map and satellite photos for the two mills that lay a short distance to the north.
“We need to make the most of the time we have left today, so let’s take the closest mill first, the one three miles north of Forks.”
He scanned the area around them, and then found their location on the map.
“In another mile or so, we’ll see a small road on our left. Then turn right onto the next dirt road and hide the car just off the highway. I think we should walk to the mill.”
The driving rain still obscured visibility and Jennifer nearly missed the small road on their right. She drove beyond the trees lining Highway 101 and parked between two large bushes.
After they slid out, he checked her new raincoat and adjusted the hood. “How does that feel?”
“Dry. Much better.”
“We need to walk about two or three hundred yards parallel to the highway. We’ll be close to the mill at that point. From there, we wing it.”
“You were the point man at the last mill.” Jennifer stepped in front of him. “It’s my turn.”
The thought of Jennifer walking into danger brought a nauseating cramp that tightened deep in the pit of his stomach. She was fully capable of protecting herself, something she’d proven time and again. But still…
“OK. But be careful and keep out of sight of the building. Use your camouflage to—”
“I can handle it.” She gave him an exasperated look. “Let’s use the long line of bushes for cover.”
“I don’t think we have to go any closer.” He grabbed her shoulder and pulled her to a stop. “This isn’t the place.”
“How do you know that?”
“I’m taller than you. I can see all that’s left of the buildings. There’s nothing there with four walls still standing. We couldn’t see that from the satellite pictures.”
She stepped beside him as they walked back. “You knew this wasn’t Trader’s mill, didn’t you?”
“I was fairly certain.”
“Is that why you let me lead?”
“Yes.” He knew better than to deny it.
Jennifer stepped in front of him, and then placed her arms around his waist. “I understand, sweetheart. I feel the same way whenever you take the lead. No matter what precautions we take, what we’re doing isn’t safe.”
“You got that right. With each site we visit the probability of danger increases.”
“I know. I’m a mathematician, remember?” She paused. “You take the next mill, and we’ll alternate.”
“OK. That’s how we’ll proceed. But you’d better be careful when you lead, or I’ll…”
“Or you’ll what? Kill me if I misbehave?”
“No, I’ll probably do this.” He kissed her and for a few seconds became oblivious to everything except the sweetness of Jennifer. The caramel in the bottom of his cup wasn’t even a close second.
She leaned into his chest. “You’ll do that if I misbehave. Are you trying to get me to throw caution to the wind?”
“No.” He gave her his warmest smile. “I wanted to remind you of what you’ll miss out on if you’re not careful.”
“I think about that a lot more than you realize. It would drive me crazy if I thought the God who brought us together in such a wild and wonderful way wouldn’t allow us to spend our lives together. And Lee…” Her warmest smile finished her sentence. No more words were needed.
Her smiling face also broke the remaining tension…as well as his ability to concentrate. He took a deep breath to focus. “Let’s head for the next site. It’s not far from here.”
They walked hand-in-hand through the downpour back to the SUV.
“When we hit the highway, go north for two miles. Maybe we’ll find them there.”
“I hope so.”
The map and the satellite photo painted a troubling picture.
“This site could be tricky to reach on a day like this.”
“It’s on the other side of a bridge, isn’t it?”
He nodded. “But the river under the bridge is the problem. I should’ve checked for flood warnings on the Sol Duc River while we passed through Forks. I guess we can check it for ourselves in a few minutes.”
“Lee…” Alarm spread across her face. “We can’t chance getting the car stuck on the wrong side of the river.”
“No, we can’t. If it looks that dicey, we’ll cross on foot.”
Jennifer turned right onto Highway 101. “Where should I hide the car?”
“We’ll have to look for a parking spot this side of the bridge. That leaves us about three-eighths of a mile to walk in the rain.” He pointed ahead. “There’s the road.”
Jennifer parked in a spot surrounded on three sides by a mixture of bushes, berry vines, and scrubby trees. “I don’t think anyone will spot us here.”
“This is fine. Let me show you our approach.” He traced the path to the mill on the satellite picture. “If we cross the bridge, and then cut between the river and the mill, we can approach from the south. That’s a direction they won’t be expecting anyone. There’s nothing but forest for several miles. What do you think?”
