* * *
Isabel’s heart pounded as they stepped inside what looked like a storage area for an auto-parts store. She could hear voices faint and indiscernible.
Jason held her hand as they rushed around the shelves of parts toward an open doorway. He signaled for her to crouch by the door while he got on the other side and peered out.
The three-story warehouse-like structure was built into the side of the hill, and they had actually stepped into the middle floor. One floor up was a glass wall that looked to be some sort of office. Two people, a man and a woman, were talking. The woman, dressed in a fur coat, threw back her head and laughed. Something about her seemed familiar. The man reached out and gathered the woman into his arms and kissed her. He was a broad-shouldered man with a belly. Judging from the gray hair, he was substantially older than the woman.
Isabel scooted over to where Jason was so she could look down below. If they had gone around to the final wall of the structure, it would have been obvious what they were dealing with. Down below on the ground floor were four huge garage doors and four snowplows. Men, including Nick, were standing around talking. Suited up and ready to get on the snowplows. One of the garage doors opened, and a man headed toward a plow, leaving Nick and two other guys. The rest of the ground floor looked like a repair shop with a scattering of tools and machines and one plow blade.
Jason whispered in her ear. “He’s just going to work?”
“He takes odd jobs. Nothing permanent,” she said. “So I guess this is a dead end.” Disappointment colored her words. She wished she could place the woman in the glass office. Why did she look so familiar?
Nick glanced up in their direction. Her heart skipped a beat. She shrank back against the wall.
“We’d better get out of here.” Jason hurried toward the door and Isabel was right behind him.
Jason pressed along the wall, preparing to ease around the corner if the coast was clear. He put a protective arm on her, letting her know it wasn’t safe to go yet.
Several inches of snow had fallen in the short time they’d been up here. It was coming down fast and heavy.
Jason peered out again, then pressed his back against the metal wall. “They’re starting to get busy. They didn’t seem alarmed by our car. But I don’t want to take a chance that they would know we didn’t work here. I think this is a legit snowplow business but something still feels off to me. We should circle through the trees and then down into the parking lot.”
That would take an extra ten minutes at least. Jason dived behind the bare brush that was part of the landscaping close to the building. Isabel followed as a man came around the corner from the parking lot.
He shone a light in her direction just as she dipped behind the bush. “So it’s you. What are you doing here?” the man shouted.
Her heart beat faster. She’d glimpsed the man’s face. “That’s the guy with the gun from the Wilsons’ house.”
They both sprinted deeper into the trees, knowing that Mr. Gun would probably come after them.
It took only a moment before Isabel heard the footfalls behind her. Following the path Jason chose, staying close on his heels, she glanced over her shoulder at the dark figure pursuing them. The terrain became rockier as they ran past some large boulders. She could see her breath in the cold night air. Her legs pumped hard as they worked their way uphill.
Jason grabbed her and pulled her into a crevice between two boulders. She was so out of breath she was afraid the man would hear her inhaling and exhaling. The rock was hard and cold against her back as she faced Jason.
Were their tracks visible in the snow?
The crunch of footsteps landed on her ears. She took in only a shallow breath, fearing that the pursuer might see her breath.
The man turned a half circle, searching. Both of them slipped deeper into the crevice. She willed herself to be smaller.
Fear settled in around her, heavier than the snow falling from the sky. If Mr. Gun was at that warehouse too, there was something going on with that place other than snowplowing.
Mr. Gun spotted them and lunged in their direction. They slipped through the other side of the crevice and kept running. They were getting farther away from the warehouse. Would it even be safe to go back down to the parking lot? What choice did they have? They had to get out of here.
They ran for several more minutes before Jason glanced over his shoulder and then stopped, surveying the snowy hill below. They’d just come through an open area. “I think he gave up.”
“I doubt it. He probably went back for reinforcements,” she said.
“You’re probably right. The fact that two people connected to a smuggling ring are working there can’t be a coincidence,” he said. “We need to get this information to someone we can trust.”
That was a tall order. The men in the warehouse would probably be watching the parking lot by now. “How far away was that house we passed on the drive here?”
“It didn’t seem that far when we were driving, but on foot—” Jason shook his head “—it could be an hour or more of walking.”
“It’s closer to get back to the parking lot. Maybe we can catch them with their guard down.”
Her heart raced at the thought of plunging into the danger that awaited them. If the kingpin was one of the men in that building, he would be combing the mountain for them soon enough. The man in the glass office kissing the younger woman must be the owner or manager of the place. Was he the kingpin?
They ran along the ridgeline and then dived back down the mountain, passing another rock outcropping and coming out on an unplowed road. Isabel mulled over all they had seen. She slowed her steps. “I know who that woman was.”
“The woman in the office?”
“Yes. I couldn’t place her because she wasn’t wearing the uniform, but it just clicked in my head. She was the maid who handed Nick that envelope. Whatever was in the envelope, he needed it before he got to the warehouse.”
Jason nodded as though he were making sense of the information. “The guy with her was probably in charge of the snowplow business, maybe even the owner.” Jason trudged along the unplowed road.
“They were clearly romantically involved. I don’t know what it all means—maybe he has nothing to do with anything, but she does.”
“Would maids have access to security codes?” Jason said.
“Yes, they would. And snowplow operators would know when a house was empty.”
Before she could process all the conclusions they had come to, a mechanical roar filled the forest. A snowplow rounded a curve in the road. In the cab of the plow, Isabel could see Nick behind the wheel, barreling toward them.
EIGHTEEN
Jason turned and ran in the opposite direction as the snowplow loomed toward him. With Isabel right beside him, he searched the woods for a place to escape off the road.
The road had been cut into the side of a mountain. One side was sheer cliff and the other a steep rocky drop-off.
The rumble of the plow’s motor was menacing. Isabel skirted toward the edge of the road and then jumped down the incline. Jason followed her down the steep slope.
Above them, the plow stopped. When he glanced up, Nick had gotten out of the cab and was stalking toward the edge of the road, holding a rifle. Jason grabbed Isabel and pulled her behind a boulder. The first shot glanced off the rock just above their heads.
He surveyed the area around them. Nick would probably chase them down the mountain on foot. The incline was steep and treacherous. He pointed to the next rock they needed to make it to for cover. Half crouching and half running, they dived toward the boulder.
He caught a flash of movement in his peripheral vision, the reflective material on Nick’s snowsuit. Nick had not left the road yet. The rifle had substantial range, hundreds of yards.
Jason huddled down behind the rock. Is
abel pressed close to him. He couldn’t see anything below him that would shield them. They’d have to move sideways, which meant they were still within rifle range.
“He can’t shoot at both of us at the same time. I’ll go first. Then you run and get behind that outcropping as fast as you can.” He pointed. “I’ll get to you as soon as I can.”
She tore off her glove and pressed a hand to his cheek. Her round brown eyes filled with warmth. “You’re making yourself a target...for me.”
“It’ll be okay.” Her touch, the softness in her expression, drew him in and warmed him to the marrow of his bones.
“You could die. I don’t want you to die.”
He kissed her forehead and then her lips. He loved her. In that moment, he knew that he loved her. Even if they couldn’t be together, he loved her. “I don’t want to die either but this is the best way for us to get a safe distance from him. We have to work our way down the mountain and get out of rifle range.” The plan was not foolproof. Nick still might choose to follow them.
Another rifle shot reverberated through the forest, stirring up snow close to the rock. They both crouched lower.
“After I go, count to three and then run as fast as you can.”
She nodded.
Jason burst up from the rock and ran in a zigzag pattern, jumping around the smaller rocks. Two rifle shots zinged past him, one so close that the displaced air pummeled his eardrum. He dived to the ground.
He caught a flash of color below him. Isabel had chosen to go toward a cluster of trees instead of the outcropping. Another shot shattered the silence of the wild. It was aimed at her. From where he lay on the ground, he prayed that the shot had missed her.
She disappeared into the cluster of trees.
Using the moment it would take Nick to reorient himself, Jason burst up from the ground and darted toward the shelter of the trees. He glanced to his side. Nick had worked his way down the mountain by maybe ten yards. He’d have to stop to line up another shot.
Jason could see the trees up ahead and spotted Isabel’s jacket again. His foot hooked on a rock and he stumbled and fell facedown into the snow. The fall shocked and disoriented him. His brain told him he needed to stand up and to keep running, but his body remained unresponsive.
Isabel emerged from the trees, reaching out to pull him to his feet. Another shot sounded. So close. They hurried toward the shelter of the trees five yards away.
Another shot echoed down the mountain, breaking a branch above them. Birds fluttered into the sky. Jason grabbed Isabel and held her close.
“Don’t do that ever again. You could have died.”
She nestled against his chest. “I didn’t want to lose you, Jason.”
More than anything, he wished they could remain suspended in the moment. He wanted to hold her forever. He kissed the top of her head. “Not if I can help it.”
A groaning noise reached his ears, followed by a thud: Nick’s feet as he jumped off a large rock, making his way down toward them.
“We have to keep moving.” Jason peered through the trees, searching for their next point of cover. It was dark enough that most objects were only shadows.
“What if we worked our way back up to the road and got to that plow?” she said.
“It’s worth a try. Move parallel to the road for a while, so he doesn’t figure out what we’re doing,” whispered Jason.
Through the trees, he could see Nick turning from side to side, searching the landscape for them. The glint of the rifle caught in the moonlight.
They sprinted from one rock outcropping to another, from brush to clusters of trees. Twice, rifle shots zinged over their heads, forcing them to drop to the ground and crawl.
Jason gasped for breath as they ran toward a boulder closer to the road. He could see the edge of the road just above him. Isabel kept pace with him as they half ran, half climbed up to the road.
Once they were on the level footing of the road, he leaned over, resting his hands on his knees to catch his breath. It had been at least ten minutes since a shot was fired. He didn’t see Nick anywhere down below.
Isabel patted her heart and took in a quick breath. She glanced nervously down the steep incline, shaking her head. “He doesn’t give up easily.”
As crazy as Nick was, he seemed to have the stalking instincts of a lion.
Once his breath slowed, Jason pivoted and jogged down the road with Isabel beside him. His leg muscles strained from all the running and climbing they’d done. They rounded one curve and then another. Still no sign of the plow. They must be getting close.
Jason slowed down enough to talk. “He may be waiting for us at the plow, suspecting that we would try to get to it.”
Most of the landscape was repetitive. It was hard to know how close they were.
Isabel shot ahead of him. “I see snowplow tracks down there.”
He saw them now too, but no snowplow. When they got to the tracks, it was clear that Nick had backed the plow up until he came to a place where he could turn around and head back down the road.
“So much for that plan.” Isabel slumped down onto a tree stump beside the road.
The plow probably had a radio in it. Had he been told to get back to work? Or maybe he’d just decided to leave them to the elements for now. How far were they from shelter?
“This road has to lead somewhere.”
“Can I rest for a minute?” she said.
He could tell from her tone of voice she was giving up hope.
“Sure.” He paced down the road, looking for smoke rising in the air from a woodstove or lights, any sign of civilization. He didn’t see anything but trees and rock.
It was a sure bet that whoever was behind all the smuggling wouldn’t risk their getting back to civilization. Sooner or later, someone would come looking for them to kill them.
* * *
From the tree stump where she sat, Isabel tilted her head. Clouds slipped over the moon, making it darker. The snowfall had stopped at least.
Sitting still made her feel the cold more intensely. She rose to her feet and rubbed her arms, pushing the despair that plagued her to the back of her mind. No matter what, she needed to not give up hope. They couldn’t be that far from a place where they could find help and shelter.
Jason returned and held out a gloved hand for her to take. “Let’s head down the road. We’re bound to run into something or someone.”
“I suppose that’s what we should do.” She couldn’t hide the weariness in her voice.
Jason scanned the area above them as though he were looking for potential threats. Then he looked at her. His eyes filled with compassion. “It’s the best plan I have for now.”
They were both exhausted and cold, but being with Jason somehow made it bearable.
They ran for what felt like miles. The ground leveled out. They passed an area that was fenced off with barbed wire, but there were no cows or ranchers, no sign of life anywhere.
They drank from a mountain stream, the water icy cold as she cupped it in her hands. Isabel stood up from the creek and put her hands on her hips. With the terrain so flat, she could see for miles and still there was no sign of people.
“I guess we were pushed farther back into the hills than I realized.”
They heard the sound of a vehicle on the road before they saw the headlights. Any noise echoed in the quiet. Both of them moved toward some brush and crouched. If it was someone who could help them, they’d have a hard time catching up to him, but they couldn’t risk being spotted if Nick or one of his cohorts came looking for them.
The battered old truck came around the bend and stopped. A man got out and peered down the road, shining a flashlight. Their tracks where they’d made their way down to the mountain stream were clearly visible.
“It’s not Nick. Not his build.�
�� The truck hadn’t been one of the ones in the parking lot at the snowplow facility.
Isabel jumped to her feet and waved. “Hey.” She ran across the field as the man took notice of her.
Jason followed her.
She hollered as the man came to the edge of the road. “Boy, are we glad to see you.”
The man was maybe thirty years old. Fringes of red hair peeked out from beneath a knit cap. He pointed across the field. “Saw your tracks. Not many people come up Copper Junction Road. You folks break down or something?”
“You could say that. Could you give us a ride back into town or at least some place where we can phone for someone to come pick us up?”
The man pulled his hat off and rubbed his hair. He wasn’t wearing gloves. “Sure. I can do that.”
They made their way up the hill. Isabel got into the cab first. Jason squeezed in by the passenger-side door of the old truck as he and the man made small talk about fishing and hunting.
The truck lumbered down the road until they came to a crossroads and took a right turn.
Isabel tensed. Maybe she’d gotten all turned around when they were running away, but it seemed like town was in the other direction.
“There’s a little gas station up the road where you folks will be able to make your phone call,” said the man as though he had read her mind.
Maybe because they’d been running for so long and seen the dark side of humanity, her trust in the goodness of people had been dismantled. She couldn’t let go of the feeling that something wasn’t right.
The man continued to drive down a two-lane that didn’t connect with a main road.
Isabel squeezed Jason’s leg just above the knee to get his attention. She raised her eyebrows, hoping he would indicate that he felt the same uneasiness.
Jason kept talking about where the best fishing holes were, but he pressed his shoulder a little harder against hers.
The bleak unsettled landscape rolled by.
“How far did you say it was to that gas station?” She hoped her voice didn’t give away the fear that had taken up residence in her body.
Mountain Secrets Page 34
