Okay, the plan was the same. She just had to stay focused. Crawling on her hands and knees, she retrieved the fallen shelf and slid it over the top of the box of canning jars. She had to get that fishing pole. Moving slowly to keep the dizziness at bay, she cautiously stood on the board and reached upwards. She had a moment of vertigo, but her fingers almost immediately found the fishing rod. She grabbed it and sank back down quickly.
She remembered seeing hedge clippers in the corner. She got to her knees and crawled there. After reeling out a large amount of fishing line, she was able to clip the ends and make her makeshift hat. She used several pieces of line to secure it to her head, making a final knot beneath her chin.
What else could she do? The ground was so cold! If only she had something like a tarp sit on. She looked around, finally thinking of the plastic bags holding the potting soil. As she pushed the box of canning jars out of the way, she considered the cardboard box. Cardboard was a good insulator as well.
When she flattened the box out, she was thrilled to see that she could curl up on it. It wasn't much. But at this point she would try anything to avoid freezing to death. She crawled over to the bags of potting soil, dragging the clippers behind her. Her blood sugar was dropping. If only she had some of those stupid glucose pills, she thought. And then she stopped, feeling along her back waistband. Shit! They were gone!
Starting in one corner, she searched the cold, packed ground. She crawled a few inches at a times, making large sweeping motions with her hands and arms. Finally, right by the door, she saw that the precious vial had rolled off to the side. With shaking hands, she fumbled with the cap. The pills spilled on the floor and she fought to pick them back up with the thick gloves.
Finally, she got one of the large, orange tablets into her mouth. As the glucose melted on her tongue, she groaned with relief. If she ever saw Hunter again, she was going to tell him that he was the most brilliant person in the history of the world. She ate two more before carefully scooping the rest back into the container.
Energized, she sliced the end of the potting soil bag and quickly scooped out huge piles of dirt. Finally, she was able to drag the partially empty bag off the wheelbarrow and dump out the remaining soil. Clutching her prize in one hand, she slowly crawled back to the cardboard mat as she shoved the clippers ahead of her. She sat on the cardboard and rested.
After some consideration, she shook out another glucose pill onto her dirty gloves. She popped it into her mouth, not caring that she got some potting soil in her mouth in the process. She closed her eyes, willing more strength to return. Using the clippers, she cut out a coarse plastic dress. When she was finished, she slipped the bag over her head. She smoothed the plastic dress over her body, getting to her knees so that her thighs were covered as well.
She wanted to curl up on the mat and simply sleep. Her ridiculous hat had shifted and she reached up to straighten it. The edge of the gardening glove was uncomfortable against her cheek and the fishing line bit into her neck. But that was a small price to pay if it helped keep her from freezing to death. She forced herself to crawl back for the second plastic bag.
After emptying the second bag, she noticed how much warmer the soil was than the frozen ground. She shoved a thick layer in a pile and then put her flattened cardboard on top. She then stepped into the second empty potting soil bag. This was one time it paid to be short, she thought, as the bag reached her waist. Finally, leaning forward, she scooped piles of soil on top of the plastic to increase insulation. As she worked, her breath steamed in front of her face.
Finally, her energy flagging, she rested on the cardboard mat. With the second bag now covering her legs, she could allow herself the luxury of shifting the bag on her upper torso a bit higher. She adjusted the bag so that only her eyes, nose, and mouth remained uncovered. The top of her head and ears were now shielded in plastic. Her only fear was smothering. At the moment, however, that seemed like the least of her worries.
She tried to close her eyes and sleep. But the lumpy dirt beneath her hadn't made the earthen floor any more comfortable. She ached all over. For the first time, her mind was somewhat clear. She thought of Hunter and his amazing emerald eyes. Had she ever told him how incredible he was? He called her gorgeous and baby all the time. But she had felt uncomfortable giving him affectionate nicknames. Why? Had she always just assumed that this relationship was temporary?
Was she keeping an invisible wall between herself and Hunter? Had he seen that? Was that why he had never mentioned the “L” word? Was that why she refused to use the word herself? Ugh! She was so messed up! Lying here, on the verge of potential death, she started to think about how precious life was. If she ever saw Hunter again, she was going to tell him how she really felt. Did she really love him?
Yes, she realized. Hunter was the one she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. And if she lived through this experience, she could deal with anything Kayla and her crazy mother threw her way.
Lying there in the dim moonlight, Amber imagined that Hunter was here with her, holding her in his arms. Warm arms. His chest would be radiating heat. He would look at her with those hypnotic green eyes and she would forget about how hungry and thirsty she was. She would forget about the cold and the way her body ached. She would only float in those eyes as though they were a sea of calmness. Breathe, he told her. Breathe in. Fill your belly. Exhale, let your anxieties go. Breathe in. Breathe out. Sleep.
Amber woke to the sound of an engine. She sat up, panicking. Was John coming back to finish her off? She should try to find a weapon. Instead, she found herself paralyzed with fear. She tried to cry out, but her voice wasn't working.
The approaching engine got closer. Amber squeezed her eyes shut and curled into a tight ball as though she could make herself invisible. Surely, Hannah wouldn't let John kill her. Or had John killed Hannah? Amber's heart raced and she started to sob. She did not want to die like this!
Chapter 10
Several doors slammed. Running feet pounded in the distance. She heard confused shouting. When Amber dared to open her eyes, she saw bright lights flickering around in all directions. Then somebody banged on the shed door.
"It's locked!" someone called out.
More feet pounded outside. More voices circled closer. Then there was a thundering crash as pieces of the door began to splinter. Amber moaned. She backed away from the door, huddling in her plastic bag. When the door crashed open at last, she squeezed her eyes shut against the blinding white light, sobbing wildly. Please don't let him kill me, she thought.
She felt hands moving over her. Then she was being pulled out of the dirt blanket and scooped up.
“She's here!” a hoarse voice screamed.
In her delusional state, Amber thought it sounded like Hunter. But that couldn't be. Hunter was in Paris.
“Amber, baby, it's me! It's Hunter!”
Hunter? Amber opened her eyes, blinking in the bright light of flashlights that surrounded her. So many faces and uniformed men. But, impossibly, Hunter was the one holding her in his arms, his face wet with tears, those amazing eyes staring at her with such fear.
“Hunter?” she croaked.
“Don't talk, Amber. Everything is going to be okay.”
Amber shook her head, moaning. “He has a gun. John has a gun and he has Hannah.”
“That ass wipe is never going to hurt you, baby.” Hunter's voice was hard as steel.
“They got him. He's in jail. You're safe now.”
“Sir, we should get her to the hospital,” a voice said.
"We're taking you to the hospital," Hunter said, placing her on a stretcher.
“Don't leave me,” Amber begged. Whether from relief or just overwhelmed, she started sobbing.
“Please don't leave me.”
“I'm right here.”
Hunter held her hand and leaned over her. “I'll be sitting right by you in the ambulance.”
Once in the ambulance, the medic leaned ov
er and began to clip away the plastic bag. Amber felt her glove hat pulled away and then lights were shined in her eyes. The medic pulled out a stethoscope and held it against her chest.
As Amber's body began to warm, she began to shake violently.
“I'm going to give her a light sedative,” the medic said, holding up a syringe. “It won't knock her out, but she'll feel calmer.”
“Look at me, baby. Look at me,” Hunter commanded.
Amber stared into Hunter's safe eyes and felt a pinch in her arm. She could feel the medicine traveling up her arm, warming her, making her feel sleepy. Those green eyes. She could swim in them forever.
“You can close your eyes if you want. I'm not going anywhere.”
Amber shook her head. She needed to see him, needed to know that she was not going to wake up alone in the shed.
At last, the ambulance stopped and the doors swung open. Everything else after that was a blur. There were ceiling tiles flashing by overhead as Hunter gripped her hand. The lights. Oh, the lights were so bright. And everything was finally so warm. But there were scary things too. Police officers and badges. But the doctors pushed those people away. Hunter?
“Hunter?” she croaked, her voice desperate.
“Let us check you out first, sweetie,” a soothing voice said somewhere above her head.
“We'll let him back in later. I promise.”
Someone was dabbing at her face while another person pulled away the remaining plastic on her body. She closed her eyes. So tired. She found she couldn't keep her eyes open any longer.
The next time she looked, the bright lights were gone. She was lying on a hospital bed and Hunter was sitting in a chair, holding her hand. The room was softly lit.
She stared at him in wonder. He had fallen asleep with his head on her lap.
She tried to move her free hand, but it was stiff and attached to something. She looked up and saw that her arm was connected to an IV. She tried to speak, but her throat was still raw. She stared at Hunter's face until she fell asleep again.
Another time she woke and Hunter held her hand while she answered questions from a police officer. At one point, she remembered sobbing and a nurse giving her medicine to help her sleep. Then everything had grown soft and fuzzy before she fell asleep again.
Chapter 11
It was morning when she woke again. The IV was gone, but there was a Styrofoam cup on a table by her bed. She vaguely remembered a nurse helping her take sips of juice from it earlier. Hunter was gone. Had she simply imagined him in the night?
She heard a soft click and the door to her room opened. Hunter appeared with a large vase of flowers. He put them on a side table.
“Hey, gorgeous,” he said softly. “How do you feel?”
“I love you,” Amber whispered. “When I was . . . all alone, I kept thinking that I never told you.”
“Oh, baby! I love you, too!”
Hunter leaned over and kissed her gently on the cheek. Were those tears in his eyes?
“When I found out that you were missing, I thought I was going to go insane.”
“I don't understand . . .” Amber started to say when there was a knock on the door.
She looked up to see Caleb and Megan with their faces pressed against the window.
“If you feel up to it, baby, they really want to see you,” Hunter said, squeezing her hand gently.
“They've been here since we brought you in.”
Amber nodded. “It's okay. I'd like to see them.”
Hunter gave a thumbs up and Caleb and Megan tumbled into the room.
“Amber, are you really okay? We've been so worried.”
Megan and Caleb gave her gentle hugs.
Amber tried to sit up in the bed. “I'm a little achy. But other than that, I feel okay. I'm wondering if they would let me eat something.”
Hunter reached over and pressed a call button for the nurse.
“That should be easy enough to take care of.”
Amber studied her friends. “I still don't understand how you guys found me.”
Hunter leaned over anxiously. “You don't have to talk about this now, baby.”
Amber gave him a wan smile. “It's okay, really. Talking about it means that I won't simply be wondering.”
Hunter looked doubtful. But he scooted his chair closer to her and took her hand.
“In that case, Caleb and Megan should start with their end of the story.”
The nurse entered and motioned everyone aside. “What can I get for you, sweetie?”
“Is it okay if I eat?” Amber said. “I'm famished.”
The nurse checked her watch.
“You're still in time to have breakfast sent up. Let me check your chart and see if the doctor placed any restrictions on what you can have.”
Caleb leaned over and whispered in her ear.
“If they don't have decent food, Megan and I will sneak you something later.”
The nurse swatted Caleb with Amber's chart.
“I heard that young man. Lucky for you, the doctor said she can have whatever she wants.”
The nurse held up a pressure cuff.
“Let me just check your vitals while I'm in here,” she said, smiling. “If the doctor clears you later this morning, you can go home this afternoon.”
Amber filled out a request for pancakes, bacon, and juice and the nurse took it on the way out.
“Okay, you two start filling me in,” she said, motioning for Caleb and Megan to pull chairs up.
“Well, I think you knew that I was picking Caleb up yesterday morning so we could hang out at the park,” Megan started.
Amber gave her friend a nod. Megan's eyes look tired from lack of sleep. Her coppery locks were pulled up in a messy ponytail and stray pieces floated around her face. Amber got the impression that none of her friends had slept while she was gone. She felt such a sense of gratitude that she had friends who cared so deeply.
“So when I came by to pick him up, I saw a canvas bag in the drive,” she said. “Seemed a little weird so I asked Caleb about it before we left.”
“I knew you always wore your sneakers to work,” Caleb jumped in. “So we figured you put them down and just forgot about them.”
“Right,” agreed Megan. “So we decided to bring them to the store for you.”
“We probably got there not more than a half hour after your shift started,” Caleb continued. “And that was when things got a little crazy.”
“One of your co-workers said that you had gone out to say goodbye to a friend but never came back,” Megan said. “Nobody knew what to think. Your boss said that you were really responsible. She couldn't imagine you simply leaving without telling anyone.”
“Hannah lied to me,” Amber whispered and Hunter put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
“Then a bunch of us went back out and checked the whole parking lot,” Caleb said. He paused, looking as though he didn't want to say the next part.
“We . . . um . . . We saw a purse on the ground and Megan recognized it.”
Amber felt Hunter stiffen beside her. She knew he was remembering how she told the police how John had been pointing the gun at her.
“It's okay,” she said. “It was scary as hell, but it's over now.”
Caleb let out a breath and continued. “Your supervisor called the police and I called Hunter. We searched the parking lot for the Range Rover while we waited. But of course it was gone.”
Caleb winced and Amber realized how hard that phone call must have been for him. He must have felt at least partially responsible. She suddenly knew that he needed to hear that it wasn't his fault.
“Caleb,” she said carefully. “I was really stupid about Hannah. You tried to warn me that something was going on, but I let my ego get in the way.”
“Amber, baby, don't,” Hunter tried to say.
But Amber squeezed his hand firmly. “No, let me finish,” she said softly, just to him.
Hunt
er didn't look happy, but he nodded.
“When Hannah sent me the text, I should have immediately been suspicious. The whole time she had been trying to borrow . . .”
Here, Amber paused for a breath and to gather her courage.
“No . . . That's wrong. She was trying to steal the car. I kept telling myself that she would never actually go through with something like that. But the truth was that Hannah probably wasn't a true friend for the last couple of years.”
“Amber, really. You don't have to explain to us,” Caleb said, his voice anxious. “Honest!”
Amber faced her friends. “But I have to explain to myself. I had a lot of time to think yesterday. This is something I need to say out loud for my own sake.”
Megan reached over and patted her hand. “Say whatever you need to. Just know that you don't have to.”
Amber smiled ruefully. “That's why it feels important for me.”
She turned and gave Hunter a quick peck on his cheek. “For us.”
Amber saw that Hunter was trying to keep himself from objecting so she quickly continued.
“Even when I saw that there was not another car around that she could have driven, I ignored my instinct. I wanted so hard to believe that she hadn't changed, that she wasn't out to use me. But that was a lie. Even in high school, she used me. I was always her alibi when she went to parties. I would be sitting in the library and she would be getting wasted. Then I came home and lied to the very people who had given me nothing but love.”
Amber sniffled.
“Okay, Amber, this is enough,” Hunter warned, his voice a growl. “You've been through hell and you don't need to do this to yourself. This was not your fault!”
Amber squeezed back her tears. She turned and put a finger on his lips. “I'm just telling you and Caleb and Megan and myself that Wimpy Amber is gone now. I'll never let someone treat me like that again.”
“Nobody is ever going to hurt you again, Amber,” Hunter said, his green eyes smoldering.
Shades of Deception Page 6
