by Kathi Daley
I looked at Alex and Diego, both of whom had frowns on their faces. “What do I do?” I asked Shredder, who was still on speakerphone.
“Give me five minutes to look into this and I’ll call you back.” He hung up.
I knew five minutes was going to seem like an eternity. Ellie, Levi, Phyllis, Ethan, and Hazel had joined us. No one spoke. I was sure no one knew what to say. Zak wouldn’t want me to steal a file that might threaten national security, but I couldn’t let him die. I just hoped Shredder could come up with a solution.
It took Shredder less than five minutes to call me back. I put him on speaker again.
“The file is a compilation of data gathered on a fugitive who’s wanted internationally and recently escaped from a federal prison,” Shredder informed me.
“Who?” I asked.
“Her name is Claudia Lotherman. She’s not only a master of disguise but as slippery as an eel. It took years to track her down and capture her, and now she’s managed to slip out of federal custody.”
“I know Claudia,” I said as a weight that felt like a ton settled in my stomach. “She’s tried to kill me twice: once in Moosehead, Alaska, and once right here in Ashton Falls.”
“Explain.”
I closed my eyes as I tried to picture the woman who really could look like anyone. “The first time I crossed paths with Claudia she was pretending to be an old woman named Ethel Montros. She was staying at the same inn Zak and I were while we were in Moosehead to deliver a search-and-rescue dog to the local team. During our stay, Claudia killed a man named Colin Michaels, who was also staying at the inn. Apparently, he’d been tracking Claudia for quite some time. I’m not sure how long, but I found a whole lot of photos from all over the world in his room. Anyway, he’d tracked her to the inn in Alaska. Somehow, she found out what he was doing and killed him. Zak and I’d tried to figure out who the killer was, but all our theories met with dead ends. Then I accidentally figured out that the old woman who seemed too frail to have killed anyone wasn’t old at all. I realized she had to be the killer because we’d eliminated everyone else. When I foolishly confronted her, she tried to kill me, but I got away by jumping from a moving car into an icy lake and swimming to freedom.”
I took a deep breath before I continued. “The second time Claudia and I came into contact was right here in Ashton Falls. She was disguised as a man named Longines Walters. He was one of the team members my mother-in-law hired for Zak and my wedding and was staying in our home.” I felt my stomach knot as I remembered that very difficult time in my life. “Walters was a very large, flamboyant man who was there to make sure I was camera-ready for all the events Zak’s mom had planned.”
“How did you find out Walters was Claudia?” Shredder asked.
“He—or I guess I should say she—killed a woman named Julianna, who was also staying in our house. After an investigation that seemed to be getting me nowhere I stumbled on to Longines without his padding or makeup, snooping in Zak’s office. I realized right away it was Claudia. She wanted a file that was in Zak’s safe and kidnapped me to force Zak to bring it to her. Once Zak brought the file to her, she tied us up and left us to die in an old mine shaft. Levi and Ellie saved us and the local sheriff caught up with her and turned her over to the FBI.” I felt my voice catch. “If Claudia has Zak she’ll kill him.”
“We don’t know for certain Claudia has Zak,” Shredder reminded me. “We just know the person who has Zak wants Claudia’s file.”
“Can we give it to them?”
“Yes,” Shredder assured me. “I changed a couple of facts regarding our current search for her that shouldn’t be noticed and might actually help us track her down if she’s the one asking for the file. Have Alex go in as instructed. Someone may be watching. Have her access the file, copy it, and send it to the kidnapper as requested. I’ll stay on the line and walk her through it.”
I handed the phone to Alex, who got to work. I just hoped this whole thing would be over soon. I felt my physical and emotional strength waning. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could continue without having a complete and total breakdown. I looked at the faces of those standing around me and realized I wasn’t alone in my journey through hell. Zak had touched the lives of everyone in the room, and there wasn’t a soul among us who wasn’t praying there would be a way to bring Zak home safely at the end of the road.
Once Shredder had helped Alex access and copy the file he rang off, but not before promising to call back for an update. He hoped once Claudia had the file, she’d use the information to make her way into the trap he’d prepared. He had matters to put into place and wanted to be ready.
Although we had the file ready early, we decided to wait until the last minute to send it. We didn’t want the person at the end of the line to get suspicious if Alex finished more quickly than had been anticipated. Whoever was behind the game would most likely assume we’d enlist Pi’s help, if he didn’t know about Shredder. With Pi’s assistance, it would have been difficult to get the file in time; we certainly wouldn’t have finished early.
When the deadline was less than a minute away Alex sent the file. Then we waited for a call or text outlining the next task. By my calculations, there were only two left. I wanted this over with and Zak home where he should be. I just hoped Claudia, or whoever had wanted her file, would release him, as had been promised.
A minute later, I received a text: Alex and Pi have done well. The phone will ring in two minutes with your next set of instructions.
It terrified me that this wacko had Alex and Pi’s names and knew who I would go to for help. Of course, Pi hadn’t actually helped, but it was better they not know about Shredder. If they did they may have questioned the authenticity of the file. Still, that the person who’d killed Will and kidnapped Zak knew about Alex and Pi scared the living daylights out of me. I just hoped I hadn’t put them in danger by playing along with them.
When the phone rang I answered. As before, there was a computer-generated message: The instructions for the next task will be found at Wilbur’s Folly. You have two hours to find them and complete the task.
“Wilbur’s Folly?” Phyllis asked.
“Wilbur’s Folly is a mine,” Hazel explained. “Back when this area was known as Devil’s Den, Wilbur Fortnight came here with a fortune he’d inherited from his grandfather. He didn’t need the money mining might bring, but he had the fever and was determined to find his share of the gold rumored to be found here. The other miners knew he was wealthy, so they came up with a plot to make him think he’d found a rich vein when all he’d really found was dirt. They planted gold in his mine and sold him the equipment he’d need to excavate at ten times the usual rate. In the end he died a broke and broken man and the men who’d tricked him had his fortune.”
“That was really mean,” Alex said.
“It was,” I agreed. “It will take us a good forty minutes to get up to the mine.” I looked at Levi. “Are you ready?”
“Two steps ahead of you.”
“We’ll follow in Ethan’s car,” Phyllis said.
I reminded Alex and Diego once again not to leave the house but to wait by the phone. I joined Levi in his vehicle while Hazel, Phyllis, and Ethan followed behind. The mine was at the end of a dirt road that wound its way up the mountain. We’d have to park at the end of the road and continue up the mountain on foot to the entrance to the mine shaft. Levi and I were young and in good shape, but the three seniors weren’t quite as well equipped to make the hike, so they’d wait by the cars for us to return with the instructions.
“Why on earth would they put clues all the way up here?” I asked as Levi and I climbed the steep trail. We were both in good shape, but that didn’t prevent us from breathing heavily.
Levi gasped for air. “It seems like an odd place to hide a clue. Although maybe this task speaks to the physical part of the challenge. So far, the tests have challenged you in an emotional and intellectual way, but none have been
physically difficult.”
“I suppose that could be true. I just hope we find the clues in time. It took a long time to get here and this hike isn’t easy.”
“We’ll make it,” Levi assured me as we picked up the pace despite our fatigue.
In spots the climb was almost straight up and my legs and lungs were burning by the time we reached the opening to the mine shaft. I hoped the envelope would be sitting there in plain sight, but I could picture the devil behind this plot wasn’t going to make it easy.
“I guess we need to go inside,” Levi said.
I really, really didn’t want to go inside the dark, narrow passage, but I didn’t think we had much of a choice.
“I’ll go in,” I said. “You wait here in case I get into trouble. I may need you to rescue me again.”
“No, I’ll go in and you wait,” Levi said.
I shook my head. “This game is directed at me. I need to be the one to go. I won’t be able to text or call once I get inside; if I’m not back in ten minutes assume I need help.”
Levi didn’t look thrilled with my plan, but he didn’t argue. I used the flashlight on my phone and gingerly took a step into the cold, dark shaft. The farther from the entrance I got the more claustrophobic I began to feel. The ceiling became increasingly lower, the walls seeming to close in on each other. I took several deep breaths to even my breathing. Hyperventilating and passing out weren’t an option. The clock was ticking. I needed to find the envelope and find it fast.
When I came to a spot that looked to have suffered a cave-in I paused. To continue, I would need to lay down and squeeze through on my belly. I had no idea how far I would have to crawl before I could stand up again. I turned and looked back toward the entrance. I could barely see the light, but I could still feel fresh air. I looked back toward the low space. Had whoever left the clues come into the shaft this far? Maybe I’d missed it, or it wasn’t inside the cave at all. Should I go back or should I continue?
I was frozen with indecision. If the clues were on the other side and I didn’t go on I wouldn’t have the information I needed to finish the game and Zak would die. If I went on and the shaft caved in on me, I wouldn’t finish the game and Zak would still die. If I went on and lived but didn’t find the clue, I might not have the time to get back through and look in another location, and Zak would die. Time was running out. I needed to make a decision.
If Claudia was the one behind this she very well could have hidden the clue on the other side. She was a tall, thin woman who I was sure could slip through the space that would be much too small for someone as large as Levi to navigate. The person behind the game had directed it at me. Maybe the small space was the designer’s way of ensuring I would be the one to retrieve the package.
Making a decision, I lay down on my stomach and began to pull my body forward along the cold, hard floor. I could feel the walls brushing my back and both sides. If I were a few pounds heavier I would have been stuck for sure. The farther I traveled into the tight space, the more I felt my panic build. Had I made the right choice? Would I make it to the other side or become stuck along the way? The worst part was that I couldn’t see much in the darkness and had no idea how long I would need to endure the tight space. My heart pounded, my breath quickened, and sweat trickled down my face and into my eyes despite the cool dampness of the mine. I blinked my eyes to clear the sweat, but it did no good. My arms were in front of me pulling me forward, slowly but steadily. It was too tight to bring them back to wipe my face, so I simply endured. Just when I thought I was going to give in to my panic and scream I felt an open space in front of me. I let out a long breath, then took a deep breath in. I pulled myself forward at a faster pace, anxious to feel the emptiness of space around me.
Once I climbed out I took a moment to wipe my face with my arm before looking around for the envelope. I let out a breath of relief when I saw the envelope waiting in plain sight. I wanted to take a moment to calm my nerves, but I was running out of time, so I picked up the envelope and tucked it beneath my shirt. I moved it around until it was between my shirt and my back and then got back down on my stomach again. I just hoped the extra bulk wouldn’t end up getting me stuck. It seemed that might happen, but I needed my hands to pull myself back through, so holding the envelope wasn’t an option.
It was easier going out. For one thing, the risks involved in not knowing what I was getting in to and whether I’d become stuck without even finding the envelope had been eliminated. And the knowledge that there was an open area waiting for me gave me the courage to navigate the tight space without feeling the panic I had on my way in.
When I reached the spot where I could stand up and move around, I took the envelope out and hurried forward. I was just exiting the mine when my phone rang. If it had rung a few seconds earlier I wouldn’t have had reception and the whole task could most likely have been considered a failure.
“Hello,” I said as I paused next to Levi.
As before, there was a computer-generated message. “You have passed the seventh task by conquering your fear and doing what needed to be done. Only one task left. This one won’t be quite so easy. There is an abandoned warehouse at the very end of the old logging road on the north end of town. Enter the warehouse and await further instructions. You may bring one friend. Choose wisely. You have thirty minutes to reach the warehouse and answer the phone, which you will find in the center of the room.”
I looked at Levi. “We need to head to the old logging road on the north end of town. I’ll fill you in on the way.”
Fortunately, the hike down the trail was quicker than the one up. When we reached the others Hazel gasped and Phyllis put a hand to her mouth. “What happened?” Ethan asked.
I realized I must look a fright. Between the sweat and the dirt, I probably had mud on my face, and my clothes and hair must be a mess.
“I don’t have time to explain. We’re heading to a warehouse at the end of the old logging road on the north end of town. We have to hurry.” I ran as fast as I could to Levi’s car without waiting for a response.
Once we were underway, Levi broke every speed limit we encountered. Thankfully, we didn’t have to travel through the busiest part of town on our way to the logging road. As Levi drove, I briefly told him about the narrow space I’d had to crawl though while I tried to decide who to bring into the warehouse with me. My instinct was to go alone. I realized this last test could very well be dangerous, and I didn’t want to put any of my friends in danger. But the voice had said I could bring a friend, and it would be just my luck if I went in alone and then find out part of the task I had to perform was to flip two switches simultaneously on opposite sides of the room.
I wondered if I’d have time to enter alone, check out the situation, and then go back out and get one of my friends if another person was necessary. I sort of doubted it. Chances were, once I was inside the door would lock from the outside until the task was completed.
I wished I knew what would be required of me and whether I’d have cell service. If the task was physical I’d definitely want Levi with me, but he was the friend I least wanted to take along. Levi was a young man with a wife and a baby. He had a lot of life left to live and I didn’t see how I could put him in what very well could be a life-threatening situation. Not that I would take the death of one of my three older friends lightly. But if Levi died… I couldn’t let myself think about that.
I carefully considered each of my friends as analytically as I could. Ethan was intelligent and knew a lot about history, including the history of the area. He wasn’t as strong as Levi by any stretch of the imagination, but he was probably stronger than either Phyllis or Hazel. If the tasks were intellectual rather than physical, any of the other three would be a better choice than Levi, but Ethan had a depth of knowledge I’d long admired. He was a single older man, so his death, if that was the inevitable end to this little game, would be felt less acutely than Levi’s.
Phyllis w
as also single and knew a lot about literature, and Hazel had a lot of general knowledge from working in a library, but she was my grandfather’s girlfriend. Of course, if intellect was needed for the challenge, Alex or Diego would be the best choice by far, but there was no way I was getting them involved, no matter what was at stake.
I sighed as we neared our destination. Logic wasn’t going to cut it. There was no way I was going to be able to ask any of my friends to come with me when the situation we would be walking into was so completely unknown. But if two people were required to complete the task and I went in alone, Zak would die.
I closed my eyes and prayed for an answer. What should I do? Go in alone or ask a friend? If so, which friend? The voice had said no cops, which was unfortunate, because Salinger was the friend I would ask if that were an option.
“What’s on your mind?” Levi asked. He must have noticed the struggle I’d been dealing with. I hadn’t put the phone on speaker, so he hadn’t heard the message and therefore didn’t know about the decision I had to make.
“I’m just freaking out a bit. Now that we’re on the last task I’m both relieved and terrified.”
“I know what you mean. I feel the same way. I want this to be over, but if we fail…”
I leaned my head back against the seat. “I can’t let myself think about that or I’ll end up catatonic, which would render me unable to finish.” I lifted my head. “Do you think there’ll be cell service in the warehouse?”
Levi twisted his lips in a thoughtful manner. “Probably, unless the reception has been jammed. Open the glove box.”
I did as he said and found two handheld radios.
“These are only good at close range. I use them to communicate with my assistant coaches during football games and practices. But if the phone signal is jammed these should work. We’ll take one inside with us and Ethan, Hazel, and Phyllis can wait on the outside with the other one. That way we can access their knowledge base if we need it without putting them in any danger.”
