Junior For The Mountain Man

by Crowne, K. C.

  “Call the cops, now,” I yelled. “And go to the bathroom down the hall, the one without any windows. Lock yourself in there until you hear from me, got it?”

  Piper was reaching for her phone when I left the room. She nodded to my demands, and I saw her leave the room and hurry down the hall. She stopped, preparing to argue with me. I knew she wanted to help.

  “No, remember what I said. You’re a civilian. If there’s someone out there, you’ll only put Caleb at greater risk. Get Teddy over here, now.”

  Piper nodded again and locked herself in the bathroom. I heard her talking to Teddy as I ran from the house, toward the backyard, which is where the intruder would have had to leave through. The snow had come down hard and was still coming down in thick layers. I looked for any signs of footprints near his window, and lo and behold, I found them, faintly. Almost covered up.

  They led to a thick forest behind the house. I took off in that direction, following the footprints as best I could. I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face. The cold bit into my skin and my bare arms, but I didn’t let anything stop me.

  Nothing would stop me.

  I’d get Caleb back. I wouldn’t lose another little boy.

  Ooo000ooo

  I was shin-deep in the snow. I had to have been searching those woods for close to an hour when they found me. Teddy and several of his deputies had come out to search for Caleb as well. It was hard to walk, even harder to breathe from the dry, frigid air, but nothing would stop me.

  I’d lost the footprints, but I hadn’t given up. There was no sign of him.

  Teddy called, “Hey, man, take a break. Go inside. We’ve got this.”

  I didn’t want to stop looking. I didn’t stop. But Teddy grabbed my arm and forced me to look at him. “Piper needs you right now.”

  I was torn. I knew Teddy and his guys could continue the search, but I felt like I needed to be there. But Piper needed me too. I had to make sure she was okay. But she was definitely not going to be okay.

  “I’ll be back.”

  “I know you will, Grant. Unless we find him first.”

  God, I hoped they did. And soon too.

  I walked back to the house, flashbacks hitting me hard. How was it possible for me to fail two boys who were very much alike? What kind of horrible person must I be? I tried to tell myself Caleb wasn’t lost yet, not completely, but it felt like he was.

  I feared that he was.

  I was physically numb from the cold upon entering the house, but hearing Piper’s sobs tore something deep inside me. It caused every nerve in my body to come alive, and it hurt. God, it hurt to hear her suffering like that.

  She was in the living room with one of Teddy’s men beside her. He didn’t seem to know what to say or do. Hell, nothing anyone could say or do would matter, unless it brought Caleb back.

  When Piper saw me, she rushed over, her eyes wide. “Please tell me you found him.”

  I shook my head, and the tears continued to fall. I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her tightly, letting her sob into my shoulder. I wanted to tell her everything would be alright, but I couldn’t promise anything.

  There was a knock at the door that startled us. The deputy stood up. “I’ll get it.”

  When he came back into the room, he had someone with him, a huge man built like a mountain. I’d seen his face before, and I’d also seen his ads around town, but had no fucking clue what he was doing here in the middle of the night during the first major snowstorm of the season.

  He reached out a hand. I didn’t unwrap my arms around Piper to shake it. He dropped it.

  “My name is Cyrus Whitaker,” he said, a hint of a southern drawl in his voice.

  “I know who you are. Why are you here?”

  Cyrus ran an extreme sports type company, offering dangerous hikes and excursions for people who liked to live on the edge.

  “I heard about what happened, I have friends at the sheriff’s department. I’m a former Army Ranger. I have specialized training in search and rescue.”

  “So you think you can do more than Teddy and his guys?”

  Cyrus shrugged. “Listen, Teddy’s a good sheriff. I’m sure he knows these woods like the back of his hand. But I figured you could use all the help you can get. One more set of eyes out there might make the difference.”

  He was right. The more experts, the better.

  I was just about to tell Piper I was going to walk Cyrus out back, when in stormed Grace and John.

  “What the hell did you do?” Grace shouted, running over to Piper. “You incompetent little twit. Can’t even keep an eye on the boy in his own home, can you?”

  I was glad Cyrus was there. He grabbed Grace’s shoulders and stopped her from getting any closer. “Hey there. I think you need to leave.”

  Piper lifted her head up to watch what was happening, her tiny body rattling with sobs against me still.

  “Get your filthy hands off me!” Grace shouted.

  John was his usual self, standing in the background as if he didn’t know why he was there. He didn’t say anything to Cyrus, was probably too scared. John wasn’t a large man and Cyrus was massive.

  “I’ll go find Teddy and escort these fine people out,” Cyrus said.

  He guided Grace out the front door, and John followed without complaint. Grace continued to hurl insults toward Piper, which only caused her to cry even more.

  “She’s right,” Piper wailed. “I failed him. How could I have let this happen?”

  “You didn’t let anything happen, Piper. You’ve done nothing wrong.”

  I believed it, too. I didn’t blame Piper, but I blamed myself.

  I took her by the shoulders and held her firmly in front of me, staring her in the eyes. “I’m going to find him.”

  She didn’t look convinced at first, but she nodded her head. “Who would have done this?” she cried. “Why? Why would anyone take him?”

  It was a good question. Besides her family, I could think of only one other person who might be interested in Caleb. Piper’s family was scum, but they weren’t violent criminals.

  More deputies came into the house, and Piper stared at them with hope in her eyes. “Please tell me you found something.”

  Teddy stepped forward. “I’m sorry, we haven’t found anything. It’s an outright blizzard out there right now, but we’ll keep doing what we can. Just needed to warm up. Cyrus is still out there.”

  “I’ll join him,” I said.

  Piper held onto my arm and I thought she might stop me. But she just stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to mine. “Find our little guy, Grant. I’m begging you.”

  Our little guy. Yeah, he was my little man. And I’d do everything in my power to find him and bring him home, and if there was even a scratch on his body, someone would pay for it.

  Chapter 18

  Piper

  Sunrise came and went. I got tired of waiting and went outside to search. Teddy didn’t want me going too deep into the woods. Grant was out there. So were Cyrus and Kellen, having joined the search efforts in the middle of the night.

  “Get some rest,” Teddy said to me. “We have deputies and volunteers casing this entire town, the forests around this place. Everywhere.”

  The snow kept on coming down, and I couldn’t see several hundred feet from the house. The air was bitter cold and hurt to breathe. I was bundled up in layers, but the cold reached deep into the bone. It was unbearable. I prayed Caleb was inside, safe and warm, wherever he was.

  “I can’t sleep, Teddy. I need to be doing something.”

  Teddy nodded, as if he knew he wouldn’t win the argument. “Alright, stay with me then. I’d hate to lose you out in this blizzard,” he muttered.

  Grant was out there, somewhere, but I couldn’t see him. He’d been searching for hours now without giving up. I knew that with his prosthetic, sometimes it made it hard to walk in the thick snow or to keep going for hours on end like this, but I also knew he
wouldn’t give up so easily.

  I just prayed both my boys were alright.

  I had my cell phone in my pants pocket, and when I felt it buzz, I stopped in place. Teddy froze as well. “Everything okay?”

  “Yeah, my phone is ringing, one sec.” My hands were shaking as I removed the gloves and answered my phone. It was an unknown number.

  “Piper Davis?” a distorted voice said on the other end.

  “This is her.” The voice sent a chill down my spine that hurt more than the cold. “Who’s this?”

  “I have the boy. If you want him back, do exactly as I say.”

  I looked to Teddy, who must have sensed something was wrong. He stepped closer and tried to listen.

  “No cops if you want to see the boy alive again. Tell the officer by your side that everything is fine, then go inside. There’s someone who wants to speak with you.”

  The line went dead.

  I looked at Teddy, unable to find my voice.

  “Who was that, Piper?”

  I choked on my words. Whoever I was speaking to could see us. He was close by, or otherwise was watching us. I had to do as he said or else.

  “Uhh, social services,” I lied. “I need to go to the house and make some phone calls. Be right back.”

  I hustled back toward the house, each step taking longer than I thought it should. My feet felt like bricks as I walked up the stairs to the patio and into the back door.

  As soon as I stepped inside, it felt overwhelmingly warm and I began stripping out of my layers. The man on the phone said someone was waiting for me inside. I hurried through the kitchen and into the living room, where a deputy was meeting with Ashley Sutter - I’d been right when I told social services had wanted to speak with me.

  When Ashley saw me, she excused herself from the deputy and walked toward me. “Ms. Davis, I heard about what happened with Caleb. I’m so sorry.”

  Even though she was saying sorry, there was an air to her that made me think she blamed me for what had happened.

  I held my phone in my hand, begging it to ring. It didn’t.

  “Well, we’re going to find him, don’t you worry,” I said matter-of-factly. My phone buzzed, but it was only a text message.

  It read, Do not tell her anything. Tell no one.

  My hand shook and I nearly dropped my phone, but I didn’t want Ashley to see the screen. I hurried and put it back in my pocket.

  “Are you alright, Ms. Davis? Are you handling this okay?”

  “How am I supposed to be, Ms. Sutter? Caleb is—” I couldn’t even say the words. The guilt hit me hard. I’d lost Caleb. She knew I’d lost him.

  “Shh, it’s okay,” she said, reaching out and stroking my arm. “Let’s have a seat over here. I just wanted to ask a few questions, then I’ll be on my way.”

  I let her guide me to the sofa. I was eager for her to leave so I could find out what the kidnappers wanted. Ashley started in with the same questions I’d been asked countless times already.

  “Tell me what happened.”

  I went over everything in detail, as best I could. She took notes, nodded her head, asked question after question. It felt like an interrogation of sorts, and I figured it was only a matter of time before I’d be taken away and locked up for neglect. After all, he was in my care. How could I have let this happen?

  “I’m going to talk to Teddy, then be on my way,” she said softly. For a second, I saw a hint of sympathy in her eyes. She felt bad for me.

  I wiped the tears away and struggled to breathe. I’d spoken so fast, I nearly hyperventilated. As soon as she excused herself, I stared down at the phone, debating whether I needed to message the person or try to call them back.

  It felt like an eternity, but my phone rang.

  “Go into the bedroom and shut the door,” the voice said.

  I did exactly as I was told, trying not to look suspicious in the process. The deputy inside the house watched me, but I whispered, “Teddy wanted me to lay down for a bit.”

  The deputy nodded. “I’ll be right out here if you need me.”

  I glanced at his name badge. “Thank you, Deputy Edwards.”

  The man, who I actually hadn’t met before, offered a goofy grin. “Please, call me Mike.”

  I didn’t return his smile. There was no reason to be smiling at a time like this. I hurried into the room, shutting the door behind me and scurrying to the far end of the room so Deputy Edwards couldn’t hear me.

  The phone rang again. I answered and waited for the man to speak.

  “I’m going to text you an address. Meet me there in an hour to discuss our arrangements. And come alone. Sneak out the window in the bedroom. Don’t let anyone see you.”

  I nodded, even though the man couldn’t hear me. There was a blizzard outside, the roads were probably not clear, but none of that mattered. I’d find a way to get there. To save Caleb. Luckily, I had picked up my car, along with a few things from my house, before we stayed at Andy’s for the night. Otherwise, I couldn’t have done it alone. Not without alerting Grant.

  He didn’t wait for an actual response before hanging up. I was already checking the window, making sure the front was clear. Everyone was around back still, so I knew I could make it. I threw back on the layers of clothing and grabbed the keys from my purse. My phone buzzed as I was climbing up on the dresser and pushing the window open. The locks were jammed, but I managed to force them open. The window creaked as it opened, and I flinched, fearing that I might give myself away. The deputy in the living room didn’t come inside, so I figured I was clear.

  I slipped out the window, falling and landing in the snow. I was on my back, staring up at the sky. My head was spinning, and I was already frozen. My body ached from the cold. I pushed myself up just in time to see a familiar car pulling into the driveway.

  Dammit. Grace and John were back. No one was there to escort them out this time. I’d have to face them. I didn’t have time to deal with their shit, though. I tried to get to my car before they got out of theirs, but they pulled up next to me. I was trapped between my car and theirs as I fumbled with my keys. My hands were shaking from both cold and nerves.

  “Piper, where are you going?” Grace’s voice struck something deep inside of me.

  I turned on my heels, ready to fight. “It’s really none of your business, Grace.”

  “It is my business when you lost Caleb, and now you seem to be running off before we’ve even found him.”

  “And what are you doing to help find him, Grace?” I put my hands on my hips and glared at her.

  “I didn’t lose him. Just proves you’re too incompetent to care for him. Once he’s found, they’re obviously going to give that boy to me - where he belongs.”

  “Whatever,” I mumbled. Don’t let her get under your skin, I told myself. My lower lip was trembling, and I felt my blood boiling inside my veins. She was right, though. I did lose him.

  I turned and ignored the rest of her insults, trying not to let them get to me. It didn’t matter what she thought of me. All that mattered was getting Caleb home safe.

  I unlocked my car and slipped into the driver’s seat, positioning my phone in the GPS holder and hitting the address. When it popped up, it said it would take thirty minutes to get there. Because it was in the middle of nowhere, I’d have to drive down some backroads that were probably covered in snow. I wasn’t even sure my car would make it, but what choice did I have? No choice at all. I had to do this. I’d freaking walk the entire way if I had to.

  I started my car and barely made it out of the driveway. My tires were old and worn down, not good for the snow like Grace and John’s, I guess. I slipped and slid across the narrow country road leading to the more public road into town. That one may have been cleared, though the snow was still coming down hard and it probably wouldn’t do any good to clear it until the snowfall stopped.

  Luckily, I was a mountain girl, born and bred. I learned to drive on these roads in worst
conditions than this. Sure, it was always in my dad’s pickup truck, but my little Toyota was a trooper.

  My wipers couldn’t move fast enough to clear my windshield, so I had to drive at a snail’s pace.

  “Come on, come on,” I muttered, gripping the steering wheel so tight, my knuckles were white. I feared it might actually take an hour or longer and didn’t know what the man would do if I didn’t show on time.

  My phone buzzed, causing me to jump.

  Tabby’s face showed up on the screen. I couldn’t talk and drive, so I cancelled the call. She called right back. She had to be at the daycare since I couldn’t close at the last minute. She’d wanted to be with me, and honestly, I had wanted her to be with me. Now I was relieved that I’d insisted she work instead.

  She just kept calling me.

  Dammit.

  I hit the talk button. “Can’t talk right now. I’m driving.”

  I hung up before she could ask any more questions.

  The GPS told me to turn right onto the main road, heading out of town. As expected, the main road was a little clearer, but not much. I could only relax a little bit.

  I drove for about fifteen minutes, but it felt like hours. The GPS voice caused me to jump. “Jesus.” I spoke out loud, holding a hand to my chest as the voice told me to turn right in two hundred feet.

  The road up ahead was even narrower than the one from Andy’s place, and it wasn’t clear either. I took a deep breath and turned, praying I didn’t get stuck. I could barely see where the road began and ended, but I did my best to stay in the center of what I assumed was the path.

  As with most dirt roads in Liberty, there was nothing around me. The snow fell harder and thicker, and the trees surrounded the road, almost giving it an eerie feeling. It hit me, at that moment, what I was about to do. I was literally walking into the bad guy’s hands without any backup. He could kill me or do other unspeakable things to me, but I didn’t dare turn around. He’d been watching Andy’s house; he’d have known if I told Teddy or anyone about what was happening. I couldn’t risk Caleb.