by Liz Bradford
Patrick cut the engine and faced them. He had been eerily silent the entire drive, so when he finally spoke it sent chills down Jocelyn’s spine.
“Time’s up.” Patrick’s voice was entirely too chipper, like he was playing a horrific game and he had all the winning moves. He walked back to them, and—gun in hand—cut the zip ties holding them to the floor. “Out the door. This is it. I hope you remember this spot. That flat tire. I’ve played that time over and over in my mind. I can’t believe I didn’t see it. You two were always too affectionate with each other. No wonder Nikki killed herself.”
Gavin leaned forward.
Patrick lifted the gun toward Jocelyn’s head. “Oh no, you don’t.”
Gavin backed away.
Jocelyn tried to stand, but her legs didn’t want to cooperate and cramped.
“Get up, you stupid whore.” Patrick grabbed her hair and pulled her up.
“Stop it, Patrick!” Gavin yelled.
The cold metal of the gun pressed into her temple. “I’ll kill her right here and make you carry her body into the woods.”
Jocelyn couldn’t breathe. She was going to die. She’d never get to hold Gavin or David again. Her lips trembled.
“Well, then, let’s go. Move, Riley.” Patrick waved the gun toward the door.
Gavin opened the side door of the van and stepped out. Jocelyn followed, while Patrick gripped a chunk of her hair.
As if Jack Frost slapped her across the face, the cold winter air hit her. She wished she could zip up her coat, but at least she hadn’t taken her coat off earlier. She looked at Gavin, thankful he had his coat as well. But they weren’t dressed for being out in the snow swirling around them.
“Go. Into the woods.” Patrick shoved her forward like he had a thousand times before.
She stumbled forward and slid down the slight ditch, barely staying on her feet.
He had parked the van on the narrow shoulder of the twisty mountain highway. Only fifteen feet farther down the parkway, the mountain was inches from the road in a sheer rockface. They were pretty high up, close to Mt. Mitchell. The time would be about right for how long it took. She didn’t recognize the location, but she did remember the trip and the flat tire.
So high up, and so far from Hazel Hill.
Gavin threw his legs over the guardrail and slipped on the snow. He fell forward and caught himself on a tree.
Jocelyn struggled to lift her leg over the guardrail. She was acutely reminded that she had never made it to the restroom. Gingerly, she set her foot on the ground. She didn’t want to fall.
Patrick stepped over the guardrail with ease. “Come on, you stupid fools. Get moving.”
She slowly inched forward, unsure where she was stepping. The darkness of the woods was only half as terrifying as the man behind her.
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
Adam leaned against the wall of the station lobby, the acid in his stomach eating him alive. He watched Ella pace back and forth. His wife was going to wear a groove in the floor. She hadn’t stopped since they had gotten back from a quick run to Jocelyn and Gavin’s house to pick up a few things, including milk for the baby. The CPS social worker was on her way with David, but they couldn’t get here soon enough. Adam pushed himself off the wall and approached Ella as her pacing brought her closer to him.
“Adam…” Her brow was wrinkled.
He reached out and drew her into his arms. “I know. I’m worried, too.”
“I’ll feel a little better when I know David is safe.” She looked down at the bottle in her hand. As soon as they had made it back from the house, she had prepared it for David in case he needed it.
“I know. Me too.”
“But Jocelyn… Gavin… Oh, Adam, what if…”
“We can’t think that way right now. We have to trust they will be okay.”
“And pray.”
“Can’t stop praying.”
She started pacing again, back and forth across the lobby. He wished he was out there searching for them too, but his place was here, for now. He and Ella would both sign for custody of David since he was the blood relative. And God forbid something horrible did happen… I can’t think like that! God, help. Please protect Gavin and Jocelyn. Provide a way out for them. Help us find them. Thank You for the clue of the baby. We at least have a direction to go in now.
The front door opened, and Ella stopped abruptly. A step behind her, Adam hurried toward the woman walking into the lobby. She carried a car seat that held a screaming baby.
“David!” Ella was on her knees unbuckling him before the social worker had set the carrier on the ground. “Oh, sweet baby. Auntie Ella’s here. It’ll be okay.” She pulled him out of the car seat.
“Assuming you two are Adam and Ella Jamison.” The social worker reached out to Adam.
“We are.” Adam shook her hand.
“Here you go, buddy. I got a little of your momma’s milk for you.” Ella offered the baby the bottle, and he frantically suckled it.
“Oh, good!” the social worker said. “He’s been crying for the last hour. We tried to give him some formula, but he was not impressed. Figured he was breastfed when I didn’t find any bottles in his diaper bag.” She handed the bag to Adam.
Adam slung it over his shoulder. “Thank you for bringing him here. I’m assuming there’s some paperwork we need to sign.”
“Yes.”
They took care of the formalities while Ella fed David. And, before long, the social worker finished her job and left the baby with Adam and Ella.
Ella looked up at him and said, “Go find them.”
“You’ll be okay?”
“Of course. I think I’ll go back to their house so David’s in familiar surroundings.”
Adam’s stomach tied in knots. “I’d rather you didn’t.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know what Patrick’s planning.”
“He left the baby in the car. If he cared about hurting him, he would already have done so.”
“True, but I’d rather you not be alone. Can you go to Caleb’s? He’s got Becca’s girls too, and he could use another set of hands I’m sure.”
“Probably. I can do that. Just bring them home. And be careful.”
“I will, and I will.”
Ella pulled him into a one-armed hug and prayed, “Jesus, please keep Gavin and Jocelyn safe. Help Adam and all the other law enforcement officers and detectives find them. Keep Adam and all the police safe and bring them home with Gavin and Jocelyn. Work supernaturally now, Lord! We trust in you! In Your holy and precious name, amen.”
“I love you.” Adam smiled at his wife.
“I love you too. Come home, and bring David’s parents with you.” She reached up and kissed him.
He kissed her back, stroked David’s little head, then turned and headed out the door.
“Adam”—Ella called to him as pushed the door open—“your coat!”
He turned and chuckled. “I’ll probably want that. Should tell the Captain I’m leaving too.”
“Yeah.” She knelt and strapped David back into his seat.
Adam headed into the squad room and called Amelia, who had left with Becca and Jared.
“Hey,” she answered.
“David is safely in Ella’s arms.”
“Oh, thank You, Jesus.” He heard her pass the news on to the others.
“Where are y’all right now? I’m coming to join you. Ella’s going over to help Caleb.”
“He’ll appreciate that. We’re at the state trooper station in Marion. They’re about to show us the video from the rest stop.”
Adam grabbed his coat from the back of his chair. “Great. I’ll meet you there, hopefully you’ll have a lead by then.”
“Be careful, Adam. The snow is starting to fall here, and the roads are getting nasty.”
His stomach sank. A bad storm had been predicted, but he had hoped it would pass over them or this would be over before it hit.
“Will do.”
They said goodbye and Adam stuck his head in the captain’s office. “I’m headed to meet Amelia and the others in Marion.”
The captain stood. “I’m coming with you.” He grabbed his coat off the rack in the corner.
The two men left the station and headed west.
Gavin balled his hands into fists repeatedly. He had to keep the blood flowing to them. Very little snow made it to the ground through the trees, but the wind managed to cut through without much resistance.
“Patrick, what’s your plan?” Maybe getting the sociopath to talk about himself would give Gavin the clue he needed to get them out of this.
“This is the plan, moron. Now shut up and walk.”
So much for that.
“Go up there.”
Patrick was pointing around the bluff. If only he’d let them climb the bluff, then Gavin could take the upper hand on Patrick while he was climbing. God, give me something.
Silence.
The woods were even quiet. Too quiet.
Gavin trudged forward. He didn’t have a choice. “Jocelyn”—he kept his voice low—“you okay?”
She sniffled. “Stupid question.”
“Sorry.”
“Whatever.” Her voice softened. “What’s your brilliant plan?”
“Hoping God will send angels down to fetch us.”
“You said the angels are watching over David.”
“Probably not all of them.”
Jocelyn let out a tense giggle.
Pkew. A gun shot rang in Gavin’s ears.
Jocelyn screamed.
Gavin grabbed her and dropped them to the ground.
“Get moving, you stupid buffoons.” Patrick stood over Gavin and raised his fist. “No. Not yet.” Patrick lowered his arm and shook it out.
Gavin scrambled to his feet, then helped Jocelyn up.
“Move.”
Gavin swallowed hard and kept trudging up the mountain. He tried to take a picture in his mind of every step they took to make a mental map of their location. If they could get away from Patrick, they needed to know the way back to the highway.
To his left he spotted a tree that was growing around a rock in such a way that it looked like a soldier ready to go to war. God, You said You’d fight for us, right? How’s that going? Because I’m not seeing any evidence yet.
He’d shoved his badge into a tree early in their trek into the woods, but he hadn’t been able to leave any other clues. And the wind and snow would probably do a good job of covering their footprints in a short time. Speak to me, Lord. I’m listening.
Adam shoved open the door of the state troopers’ station. Going ninety miles an hour down the interstate put him and Baker in Marion in only forty-five minutes. He scanned the office. As soon as his eyes locked with Amelia, he ran to her. “Please tell me you found something.”
“Adam!” Becca gripped his arm.
“We did.” Amelia pointed to the computer screen in front of Jared.
Adam patted Becca’s back and leaned over her husband’s shoulder. “Whatcha got?”
Jared pulled up an image, and in the corner of the picture was Ella’s car with a dark conversion van next to it. He hit play. Adam’s stomach collapsed on itself as he watched his cousin and friend be shoved into the van. He closed his eyes and tried to swallow.
“But here…” Jared said.
Adam opened his eyes. Jared pointed at a frozen image on the screen and zoomed in. The license plate! “Have you been able to find it on any other camera?”
“Well, that’s where it gets a little less encouraging. We put out a BOLO for it, but so far no reports. There aren’t a lot of cameras out this way, and we haven’t seen it on any of the ones south or west of Ashville.”
“So they went north?”
“Perhaps.”
Adam punched his fist into his palm. “We need more.”
“I know,” Jared said. “But every cop in the state is keeping their eyes out for that van. We’ll find them.”
Adam ran his fingers into his hair and laced them behind his head. “We have to.”
Jocelyn shivered and tried to keep her feet moving forward. Patrick pushed her farther into the woods. She had lost track of time. It felt like it had been forever since they started this trek through the woods. How long was Patrick going to lead them up the side of the mountain?
Her entire being ached. The terrain was increasingly rocky and inclined, so she was struggling to keep her footing. Patrick continually pushing her was not helping. She needed her hands free to keep her balance, and there was no way for them to get the advantage without their arms. The snow had tapered off, but the sky was still spitting out a few flurries. Snowflakes landed on her eyelashes and blurred her vision.
Her foot caught on a rock. She started falling forward, but Gavin caught her arm before she hit the ground.
“You stupid klutz!” Patrick shouted.
Gavin let out a heavy sigh. “How far are you going to make us hike up this mountain?”
“Until we are at just the right spot. They’ll never find you, at least not until spring.” Patrick walked out ahead of them a little toward what looked like a drop off. “Oh, perfect. Up there. That’ll be a good spot.”
Gavin’s hands tightened their grip on her arm. The tiny sliver of the moon’s light barely penetrated the evergreen branches above their heads, but Jocelyn didn’t miss the contemplative look on Gavin’s face.
“What is it?” she whispered.
He shook his head.
“Gavin.”
“Shh. Don’t move.”
She froze. The sound of rushing water met her ears, but there was something else. A low moan or grunt. What was that?
CHAPTER FORTY
Out of nowhere, Ella’s heartrate skyrocketed, and her stomach lurched. She was sitting on the couch with Dani snuggled against her leg and David asleep in her arms. They were happily watching a movie, but she knew something was wrong. She eased Dani off her side and stood. After easing David down in a Pack ’n Play, she went over to the kitchen where Caleb was cleaning the dishes. She sat at the breakfast bar and stared at Caleb.
His eyes met hers. They were as serious and scared as she knew her own had to be. “You too?”
She nodded.
Without skipping a beat, Caleb turned the water off and prayed. “Jesus, we ask for Your protection and wisdom for our friends and family. Protect Jocelyn and Gavin and bring them home safe. Give them wisdom and direction of how to get out of their situation, whatever that is right now. We know You’re with them. You know exactly where they are and what they need. Give them a way out.”
When Caleb became quiet, Ella prayed. “Jesus, You are God of heaven and earth. You have power over all creation. Save them. We implore You to bring our friends out of the trial they’re in right now. Jesus, fight for them!”
“The Lord will fight for you. You only need to be still.” The verse from Exodus pounded in Gavin’s head over and over again. He pulled Jocelyn close to his left side and back toward the large conifer that towered behind him. The sound of water rushing through the gorge a mere eight feet away echoed in his ears. Lord, I will obey Your commands. Command my action now.
Another low moan bounced off the rocks. A huff was followed by a bellowing growl. Gavin stepped closer to Jocelyn. He studied their surroundings.
To his right, Patrick walked along the edge of the gorge. He had started into a speech about how they would pay for their sins. But Gavin didn’t let his ears focus on Patrick’s words; he was more aware of the sounds of nature. He was more focused on finding the source of the growling and moaning. His eyes scanned the rocky cliff that shot up ten feet to their left.
Movement between the trees.
His breath stuck in his throat. Lumbering out from under a rocky overhang was a large black mass. A bear.
“What is it?” Jocelyn’s soft voice brought his eyes down to her.
“Shhh.” The
Lord will fight for us. He wanted to tell her what was going on in his mind, but if there was any time to obey God, it was now. He moved his body in front of hers and looked back at the new threat.
She squeezed his arm. She had seen the bear.
Patrick was still going on. “See, I spent months trying to decide exactly what the best death would be for you both. I thought about shooting you but decided that would be too simple. Then I realized that maybe pushing you off a cliff might be perfect. In fact, I hope you don’t die right away. While I’d love to watch the light go out of your eyes, I’d much rather know you suffered. I hope when you fall you each break a leg and can’t move. You wanted to be together, well, now’s your chance. You can die together. Slowly freeze to death, or die from your injuries, whichever comes first.” He let out a low cackle and turned around.
Gavin and Jocelyn stood still. Quiet. As calm as they could. Gavin forced his breathing to slow. They could scare the bear away if he and Jocelyn acted as one large being, waving their arms and making noise, but God’s command was to stay still. They needed that bear now, here, not running away.
The bear rose to its hind legs, making it nearly seven-feet tall. It was easily the largest black bear Gavin had ever seen. The clouds above broke, and the moon shone down a little more, illuminating the bear as it let out a loud growl.
Patrick let out a high-pitched scream. He stepped backward.
“Pa—”
Gavin quietly turned and pulled Jocelyn against himself. He could hear Patrick fall, but he didn’t want her to see it. His stomach churned as relief washed over him. The mixed emotions rocked his soul. He’d have to deal with them later since there was a massive bear less than twenty feet away. He turned his head. The bear dropped back to all fours and sauntered over to where Patrick had been standing and peered down the embankment. Then it disappeared back under the rock overhang it had come from.
Air rushed back into Gavin’s lungs. He briefly touched his forehead to Jocelyn’s. Quietly he said, “You okay?”
She stared past him.
“Jocelyn, look at me.” She turned her face toward him. “We’re okay. We need to get out of the woods.”
