Love on the Horizon (A Northern Woods Novel)

by Roberts, Charliann

  “I don’t know sweetheart, I don’t know. We’ll find him, and he’ll be just fine. I’m sure that’s what he’s thinking right now, that we’re playing a game of hide and seek.”

  He rested his chin on top of her head and rocked her back and forth. Lillie nodded at him, indicating that she would sit and comfort Mariah. Then she mouthed the words for him to leave and wished him luck.

  Lillie sat down on the couch next to Mariah, picked up her trembling hands, and prayed.

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Anya pulled her car into the Burger Land Café, turned the engine off and looked in her rearview mirror. Ivan had been sleeping for the past hour. She leaned over the front seat and lightly tapped one of his shoes.

  “Come, Ivan. We’ll go in and get us some supper. Are you hungry?”

  He opened his swollen eyes and began to cry. “I want my mommy.”

  “I told you Ivan, we’re playing hide and seek with your mommy and daddy. We’re going to go and find them.”

  “My name is Nicky,” he whimpered.

  She climbed out of the car and opened the back door, gritted her teeth, and looked him in the eye. “It has been three days young man. You should be able to remember your new name. If anyone asks you, it is Ivan. Now let’s go get a hamburger. That sounds good, doesn’t it?”

  His face was dirty, which caused the tears to leave trails down each cheek. He climbed out and stood next to the open door while she reached into the front seat for her purse and searched for a tissue.

  “Come here.” She wiped the filthy grime from his face and looked at his swollen eyes, knowing there was nothing she could do for them. She knew he’d start crying again. She grabbed his arm and led him across the parking lot and into the café.

  “At least there are only a few customers in here. Now you straighten up. Nobody wants to listen to a crybaby.”

  When they entered the restaurant, Anya spotted a booth along the back wall. She pushed Nicky along the seat as far as she could and slid in next to him, blocking his view from other customers.

  “You be very quiet now, Ivan. People are eating and they don’t want to hear a spoiled brat bawling his head off.”

  The waiter came up to their booth, set two glasses of water on the table, and laid a menu down in front of Anya.

  “Thank you, but I don’t need this. I already know what we’d like.” She handed the menu back to the waiter.

  “Okay, Ma’am.” He smiled and placed it under his arm. He removed a pen from behind his ear and pulled a notepad from the pocket of his apron. “What can I get for you this fine evening?”

  “Two regular burgers and one order of French fries.”

  “And what would you like to drink?”

  “I’ll have coffee and Ivan will have a root beer.”

  He glanced at the boy and smiled. “I’ll get you that root beer right away young man. You look mighty thirsty.”

  Nicky sat quietly and stared down at his lap.

  * * *

  Nick stood on the deck and gazed up at the brilliant stars. He shuddered as he drew in a deep breath, and then looked over his shoulder when he heard the screen door open. Art stepped out and stood next to him.

  “Why, Art? What have we done to deserve this?”

  “Some things happen that just can’t be explained, Son. It seems God has tested you in so many ways. You’ve always shown Him how strong you are. It’ll be okay. They'll find him. Someone will soon recognize her car. Nicky is going to be fine. You have to believe that.”

  “I hope she’s treating him well. I don’t understand why she’d do this to us. If Jake hadn’t been so set on a mail-order bride, none of this would have happened. She’s been nothing but trouble since she arrived.”

  “Don’t blame this on Jake. He had no idea something like this was going to happen. He’s hurting too.”

  “I know. Please tell Lillie and Bess how much we appreciate their help. Mariah wouldn’t have made it this far without them. The twins need her, Art. They sense something is wrong.” Nick again looked up at the sky; the darkness pressed down on him. The treetops stirred with the whisper of a warm breeze across the fields. He looked out over the meadow and noticed a dim light glowing behind the closed curtains over at their neighbor’s cottage.

  “Did you happen to see anyone arrive at Cassandra’s dwelling?” Cassandra Becker is the owner of the adjoining property to the south of Nick’s ranch.

  “Nope, didn’t notice.”

  “Well there seems to be someone there. I’d better drive over and check it out. I haven’t heard from her for quite some time. Never know who it might be.”

  “Want me to go along?”

  “Nah, I’m fine; but there is one thing I need you to do for me. Those men we hired for the horse rescue team; they’re supposed to start working tomorrow. Jake won’t be here. He's searching for Anya. If you’d show them around and keep them busy I’d appreciate it.”

  “Will do. I’ll see if Mariah needs anything while you head over to check on Cassandra’s place. Tell her I said hello, if she’s there.”

  “Okay, I’ll be right back.”

  Nick knocked on the cabin door, backed up and leaned against the porch rail.

  “Hey, Nick,” Kayla said, and opened the door wide. Kayla was Cassandra’s daughter. She held out her arms and gave him a bear hug. Corey, Kayla’s husband, appeared alongside her.

  “What brings you here?” Nick asked, and a weak smile was all he could manage.

  “We heard the news about Nicky. Corey and I were able to get some time off work. We caught an early-morning flight to Minneapolis, and rented a car from the airport.

  “Well, it’s good to see the two of you, although not the best of times.”

  “We want to help, Nick.”

  “That’s great. We need all the help we can get, so thanks, thanks a lot. I’d better get back to the house. You’ve had a long trip. You’ll need a good night’s sleep before you help in the search. Give us a call when you wake up. I hope we’ve received good news by then. Make sure you stop in and say hello to Mariah. It’s been quite a while since we’ve seen the two of you. It might cheer her up. We’ve had someone there with her day and night to help with the twins. She’s in no shape to be alone.”

  “We’ll be up early,” Corey said, as he waved and closed the door.

  * * *

  Anya looked down at Nicky. He was falling asleep, his head bobbing up and down.

  “Come on Ivan. You haven’t finished your meal. I guess we may as well spend the night at the motel next door.”

  She waved the waiter over to indicate they were ready to leave.

  “My son is too tired to eat. He had a big day. I’d like to take his burger with us. Do you know if the motel has a vacancy?”

  “Yes, Ma’am, they do,” he said and placed her check on the table. “Just enter through that side door over there.” He pointed toward the opposite end of the restaurant.

  “Thank you. Come, Ivan. We’ll get a room so you’ll have a nice comfortable bed to sleep in.” She paid the waiter and picked up Nicky’s burger, which the waiter wrapped and placed in a paper bag. She took Nicky’s hand. He hung his head down low as they headed toward the door connected to the motel.

  * * *

  Anya checked in, giving the desk clerk her name as Karina Chepelskii. She looked forward to a short nap before they would again be on their way.

  The clerk heard the little boy sniffle and leaned over the counter to see him. “Very tired young man you have there.” He smiled and slid the key across the counter.

  When they disappeared down the sidewalk to locate their room, the clerk turned on the television in the corner behind him. The news had just begun, and they were talking about a boy kidnapped from his school in Pinewood Hills.

  “That’s where I’ve seen him before. I saw his picture on the early evening news,” he muttered to himself.

  The door to the café opened quickly, and his nephe
w entered the lobby.

  “Dad, that woman who checked in, did she look familiar to you? I couldn’t pinpoint it until I thought it over. I think she’s the one I’ve seen on the news for the past few days.”

  “I just watched another news alert and that was definitely the little boy who’s been missing. Go out and check the make of the car.” He handed him a pencil and a notepad. “Also write down the number on the license plate, Skip. I had a funny feeling myself when she checked in and paid in cash.”

  * * *

  Anya heard a noise in the parking lot. She carefully pulled the edge of the curtain to the side and watched, as the waiter from the restaurant appeared to be walking away from her car. She turned around quickly.

  “Ivan, wake up! We have to leave.” Thankful she’d only removed a few items from her suitcase she threw them back in and snapped the latch closed. “Ivan, come on,” she repeated and grabbed his arm roughly, while carrying the suitcase in her other hand. Setting the baggage down, she opened the door slowly. The wind had picked up, causing the leaves to scatter across the sidewalk. Dust blew into her eyes, her hair gathered around her mouth. She looked toward the restaurant then glanced over at the motel lobby. With no one in view, she held a tight grip on Nicky’s wrist, picked up the luggage and rushed over to the car. Not having a free hand, she left the door standing open. It didn’t matter. She had to leave before the police arrive. She pulled the rear door open and shoved Nicky onto the seat, throwing the suitcase in alongside him. “Now you keep quiet, young man. I mean it. One peep out of you and you’ll never see your mommy or daddy again.” She shut the back door as quietly as possible, climbed into the driver’s seat and started the engine. When she passed by the motel entrance, she noticed the clerk on the telephone, while he watched her drive away.

  Chapter Twenty-five

  “I want my mommy,” Nicky cried.

  “Shut up! I told you, we’re playing hide and seek. She looked in the rearview mirror. A police car was following her with its lights flashing. “Oh shit. Hold on, Ivan. We’re going to go fast. This will be fun, just like in the movies,” she laughed and hit the pedal. She took off at a high speed, forgetting about the sharp curves up ahead.

  Nicky held tightly to his armrest while he tried to look out the window, but it was so dark out there, and without his car seat, he wasn’t up high enough to see. He was scared. “I want to go home,” he cried.

  After the first curve, she noticed an abandoned road on the east side of the highway, barely enough room for an automobile. She turned the steering wheel to the right, and the car swerved. Nicky’s seatbelt became unlatched, tossing him about. He screamed while Anya drove recklessly down the dark and bumpy road. Opening all four windows, she laughed at the large clouds of blowing dust behind them. Between the murky sky and the dirt in the air, they’ll never find us, she thought, and again laughed loudly.

  She spotted an old building up ahead. “Now there’s a perfect place to hide. I’ll phone your daddy from there. He has plenty of loot. Soon as he digs up the ransom money, they’ll be able to come and find you. I’ll be long gone. One million dollars will return me to my lover back home and we’ll live happily ever after.” She banged her fist against the steering wheel and laughed hysterically. “See Ivan? Just like I told you. A game of hide and seek!”

  The car bounced over deep potholes, and tree branches jabbed into the open windows. Lying down, Nicky tried desperately to hang on to the edge of the seat.

  “Isn’t this a fun game, Ivan?” She laughed again and pushed harder on the accelerator. She looked at the speedometer. It now read 95 mph. “At least we lost that stinking cop…”

  Suddenly, the tires hit a patch of sand, and her car spun at a forty-five degree angle. She tried to straighten it out, but her sweaty hands slid across the steering wheel. With her foot still pressing hard on the gas pedal, the vehicle flew over five hundred feet of pasture. Anya laughed, and her eyes glowed with a savage inner fire. Nicky screamed hysterically.

  “Shut up, you little brat!” she yelled, then abruptly threw her head back and bellowed a guttural cry of terror as the car soared through the wall of a dilapidated barn, stopping with a deafening blast against an old Allis-Chambers tractor.

  * * *

  “I don’t know where the hell she disappeared to, Hutch,” Officer Lewis said. “I kept my eyes on her tail lights at all times, but she vanished. It’s pitch black out there.”

  Hutchinson shook his head. “She must have turned off somewhere before we came around one of those curves.” He slowed down, and made a U-turn. “Watch for any side roads.”

  They’d driven about a mile when Lewis leaned forward and pointed off to the east of the highway. “There – take a left on that trail; those tracks look like a car may have driven through recently.”

  Moving slowly among the trees and brush, they shined their spotlight along both sides of the dirt road, camouflaged by tall grass and weeds.

  “Don’t know how she could have made it down this trail you call a road,” Hutch muttered. “We’ll be lucky if we make it back out.”

  “Over there.” Lewis pointed to a track of tire marks freshly imprinted across knee-deep dried out hay and thistle.

  Hutch made a sharp turn and headed toward the area, which clearly showed that a vehicle had been here recently. The fresh tracks led them to the south side of a decrepit barn. The wall had caved in, and the damage appeared to be recent; then they saw it. The trunk of the Lincoln Continental they’d been following. He parked the car. They climbed out and quickly approached the barn.

  When they stepped through the havoc, they found what they were looking for. Both officers rushed over to the driver’s side. Hunched forward, the woman’s head pressed against the steering wheel, facing the open window. Leaning toward her, Hutch peered into her eyes, examined them closely, and then checked for her pulse. There was none. He sighed and said, “Call an ambulance, Lewis. Let them know she’s already gone.”

  Lewis had been searching for the child. The rear door on the passenger side was open and hung on its hinges. He looked into the back seat, but it was empty. “Where the hell did she leave the boy?”

  They slowly moved around the car and the tractor, into which it had crashed. They searched with their flashlights, turning in every direction. The barn reeked of wet wood and mold. Lewis carefully covered the east end while Hutch walked slowly to the west.

  After he’d taken a few steps, Hutch stopped in his tracks. “Listen,” he said quietly, holding his palm in the air when Lewis turned to face him. They both stood still, and Hutch heard the noise again. A soft whimper was coming from the haystack several feet away from them. He walked slowly toward the muffled sound, and there he found the lad. He was lying in the pile of hay, moaning in his sleep.

  “Nicky?” Hutch whispered, so as not to frighten him. When he knelt down beside him and placed a hand on his forehead, Nicky opened his eyes. He could see how terrified the poor boy was. “You’re okay now, Nicky. You’re going home to your mommy and daddy. Everything will be all right.” He gently ran his hands along Nicky’s legs.

  “He must have been thrown from the car and landed on this stack of hay,” Lewis said quietly.

  When Hutch reached over and carefully felt Nicky’s left arm, the boy let out a blood-curdling scream.

  “That’s okay sport. I’m not going to touch it. The doctor will be here soon. We’ll stay right where we are, and I’ll sit here with you. How does that sound?”

  He nodded his head slightly and continued crying, tears streaming down his tiny cheeks.

  “His arm must be broken badly. Did you make that call for an ambulance?”

  “They won’t be long.”

  “Call the Pinewood Hills Police Department and tell them we have the boy. Let them know he’s hurt, and we’ll need another ambulance. Also bring a couple of blankets from the trunk.”

  Lewis nodded, hurried out to the police car, and immediately returned with a bla
nket and a teddy bear for Nicky. He was grateful that they always kept a stuffed animal in their vehicle for this type of incident.

  “You’ll be home soon, buddy. I promise,” Hutch said quietly, and blotted Nicky’s tears with the corner of the blanket. The poor little kid; he’s been through hell and back.

  * * *

  Nick hung up the phone with a grin and yelled out, “They found him! Nicky’s safe. They’ll be at Huntington Hospital within the hour. Mariah, let’s go pick up our son!”

  “Let me grab my purse,” she said, crying as she hurried to the bedroom. This time they were happy tears; she could hardly wait to see her baby.

  “Is he all right, Nick?” Art asked quietly.

  “Don’t know everything yet. All they told me about was a broken arm,” Nick whispered. They stopped talking when they heard Mariah returning down the hall. She entered the kitchen, grabbed her windbreaker, and they hurried out the door.

  “I’ll call the men back in. They’ll be relieved that he’s safe. Don’t worry about the twins. Bess and Lillie will stay with them. Get on over there to Nicky. We’ll all be here waitin’ for ya,” Art told them when he followed them out onto the porch. “Drive careful, Nick.”

  * * *

  Corey and Kayla stopped and spoke with Art before heading back to the cabin.

  “Hey, Art,” Corey said, and greeted him with a smile.

  “How have you two been? You haven’t been up here in quite a while.”

  Kayla explained that they were unable to leave their jobs, until now. “Corey and I finally had some time coming, and we wanted to help with the search. We can’t wait to see the little guy. We haven’t seen him since he was a baby. We’ll be here for a couple of weeks, so we’ll have plenty of time to visit. Nick just informed us that Mariah had twins.

  “Yup, cute little rascals too,” Art said with a grandfatherly grin.

  “We’re anxious to meet them. Kyle and his wife wanted to come, but neither of them was able to leave work.” Kyle was Kayla’s twin brother.