Plain Target

by Dana R. Lynn

  Falling back on the moves he’d learned during his days on the high school wrestling team, Seth twisted away and dove for his attacker’s knees. Using his weight, he pushed the man off balance. Where his attacker had breadth and pounds on Seth, Seth had agility and years of weight training behind him.

  The larger man managed to get an elbow into Seth’s windpipe, but it gave Seth the opening he needed to hook the man’s arm with his, forcing it back. Using his legs as leverage, he forced the man over, the one arm twisted at an impossible angle. The man’s breath started to come out in wheezing gasps.

  Suddenly, a bright light shone upon the two on the floor.

  “Seth! What are you doing? Bob? Is that you?”

  Ted moved into the room.

  Seth let Bob Harvey go and stood next to his uncle, keeping his glare fixed on Bob.

  “He was going through Jess’s things. I’m guessing he’s her attacker.”

  Bob’s head jolted up. The sneer melted off his face. “Hey! I never attacked your girl.”

  Seth clenched his fists. It would feel so good to slug the dude. But it would solve nothing. “Then what were you doing? This—” he swept his arm out, indicating the mess Bob had made “—doesn’t exactly look like innocent behavior.”

  An angry flush stole up the man’s thick neck. Any second, steam would pour from his ears. “I told you, her brother was spinning stories about me before he killed himself. I’m aiming to see if she’s planning on messing with my rep.”

  As far as excuses went, it was pretty weak.

  Seth started to scoff, then realized something. If Ted was here, then Jess was...

  “Ted! What are you doing up here? Where’s Jess?”

  “I got a text from you that you had the intruder and needed my help.”

  Alarm bells went off in his head. “I never sent any texts.”

  Reaching into his back pocket, he found just what he was expecting to find. Nothing. His cell phone was gone. The last time he had had it was last night on the stairs.

  “My phone’s gone! I dropped it last night when I tried to catch Jess. Someone must have picked it up.”

  Ted cast a threatening look at Bob.

  Heart sinking, Seth knew they had a problem. “It wasn’t him, Ted. He was in here searching her room when that text must have been sent. And he had no idea I was with him until I burst in on him.”

  The uncle and nephew looked at each other, horror dawning on both their expressions.

  “Jess!”

  FIVE

  Where was Seth?

  Jess put her hearing aids in and glanced at the clock on the wall. Ted had only been gone for a few minutes. She thought back to the text Ted had received. Why had Seth specifically said he needed her to stay where she was? Why wasn’t it safe for her to accompany the older man?

  Her phone vibrated in her back pocket. Finally! Grabbing the phone, she swiftly swiped her finger across the screen to unlock it and access the text.

  The number was unfamiliar.

  This is Seth. Situation under control. I need you to meet me by the back door.

  Did she ever give Seth her number? She couldn’t recall, although maybe he got it from Ted. His uncle was listed under her business contacts. But it would have made more sense for Ted to have sent the text. Unless Ted was busy with whatever they were doing?

  She shrugged, trying to rid herself of the prickly unease dancing over her skin. Every instinct was screaming for her to stay where she was. She pulled her bottom lip in between her teeth and gnawed at it gently while she juggled her choices. She could, of course, remain in the room near the warm fire. That seemed the sensible thing to do. But what if Seth honestly did need her? She hated to think of him waiting for her. Especially if he had found something important. But why couldn’t he have just said so? Maybe he was afraid someone else would see the text.

  Whatever. How much could it hurt just to go to the door and look out? Maybe if someone friendly, like Ted or even Deborah, came by, she could ask them to go with her.

  Replacing her phone, she got to her feet and strode to the door with the intention of just sticking her head out and peeking down the hallway. Instead, she opened the door and came face to face with Willa Taylor. So much for Ted’s declaration that Willa wouldn’t awaken before eight. Seeing the frozen sneer on the lady of the house’s face silenced any hesitation ringing in her head. She couldn’t remain in the same room as Willa.

  Not giving the lady the time to say anything snide, Jess ducked past her and into the hall. She couldn’t resist turning her head to look over her shoulder. And grimaced. Willa had marched straight into the room and was dramatically spraying disinfectant over the slept-on furniture.

  Ouch.

  Jess hurried on to the kitchen. She slowed her pace as she heard voices coming from the living room. She definitely didn’t want to run into anyone else. Not in this hostile environment. Tucking herself in against the wall, she peeked around the corner. The cowboy she had met on the stairs was in the room, talking to Lisa Harvey.

  Whipping her head back before they saw her, Jess struggled to control her breathing. Again, she doubted her wisdom in coming to find Seth. She should have just sent a text back telling him to come and get her. Now she was stuck. She couldn’t go back to the parlor where she’d spent the night, not with Willa prowling around in there. And she couldn’t stay here, out in the open.

  Sucking in a deep breath to calm her nerves, she muttered a prayer under her breath. Then, she gathered up her courage and peered around the corner again. A sigh of relief slipped from her. Cowboy and Lisa Harvey were heading out the front door. A few moments later, she spotted Lisa out the window, heading away from the house.

  Now was her chance.

  Staying close to the walls, Jess continued on to the large kitchen.

  To her dismay, she found the room empty.

  Seth was nowhere in sight.

  Doubt whispered to her again. Maybe it hadn’t been Seth sending the text. She should have followed her gut and stayed locked in the parlor, safe and out of sight. Too late now. Most likely, one of the other guests was holding him up. Maybe even trying to question him about her.

  She shuddered.

  Surely he would understand if she sent him a text telling him to meet her somewhere else. Somewhere more secure, where she wouldn’t feel so vulnerable and out in the open. Decision made, Jess started to turn. The aroma she’d smelled on the stairs tickled her nose right before an arm wrapped tight around her neck. She couldn’t breathe!

  Clawing at the arm, she kicked her legs and fought to pry the arm off her windpipe. Spots danced in front of her eyes.

  A burning sensation bit into the tender skin on the side of her neck. Her vision blurred.

  Even as she struggled, a heavy, weighted feeling slid through her.

  She was going down.

  * * *

  It was freezing.

  Why was she on the floor? Pressing her palms against the smooth surface—concrete?—Jess pushed herself to her hands and knees. A rush of dizziness threatened to send her toppling. She bowed her head and waited for the wave to pass.

  Steady now, she slowly gained her feet. Wherever she was, it was pitch dark.

  A whimper crawled up her throat. She bit her lips to keep it inside. She shuddered, and knew only a fraction of it was from the cold.

  Had she slept through the day? That hardly seemed likely. Something had happened...

  The memory of her struggle with her attacker slammed into her, robbing her breath. She could still feel that arm around her throat. And the burning sensation in her neck. Reaching up, she touched one cold finger to her neck, wincing at the tender spot covered in something crusty. Blood. She must have bled when the person jabbed her with whatever it was th
ey used. She slipped her left hand to her back pocket, reaching for her phone. Her jeans were icy and stiff. For the first time she realized that her back was wet. And apparently covered with mud. She pushed her frozen fingers under the mud, and was unsurprised to discover her pocket was empty. Her phone was gone. She really hadn’t expected her attacker to leave it on her.

  The dark pressed in on her. The silence surrounded her like thick cotton. One hearing aid was missing, the other was weak.

  Okay, Jess. Okay. Think. Don’t panic. Seth is going to be looking for you.

  But what if he wasn’t? What if he was trapped, too?

  This line of thought was helping no one. Please, Lord, help me. And please let Seth be okay.

  She needed to figure out where she was. She held her arms out to start feeling her way around the space, shivering at the cold air swirling around her. Her jaw was starting to ache. Her teeth had never chattered so hard in her life.

  Taking a small step forward, her left hand bumped into something. Something cold. Hard. It was large, and swung slightly.

  Horror dripped down her spine as a suspicion began to grow in her mind. She blocked it. She had to be mistaken. Until her right hand bumped a second one.

  She was in the slaughterhouse freezer.

  She knew Ted ran a slaughterhouse on his property as a second business. Many of the Amish in the area used his services since he was so close.

  What she couldn’t figure out was why she was in it.

  There was a high probability that she wouldn’t be found until the flood waters receded. Which could be days. No one was going to coming to pick up their meat or drop off new orders before then.

  Every instinct in her urged her to scream. She was stuck in a cold, dark, small enclosed area. Images of dying here popped into her head. She squeezed her eyes shut and focused on breathing normally. Forcing panic aside, she turned her body and felt for the door. Her fingers were tingling. Was she getting frostbite?

  Ignoring her physical distress, she bumped around the cold freezer, her movements growing clumsier as the cold started to take its toll. She no longer noticed her aching jaw.

  Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she bumped into the door. It wouldn’t budge. Locked. Or blocked. It didn’t matter which.

  Banging her fists against the door, she screamed. Pain shot through her hands. Her wrists. Up her arms and into her shoulders. She kept banging as the air became thin. The walls...she couldn’t see them, but they were closing in on her. Something crawled across her skull. A spider? Panic gained control.

  “Help! Help me! I’m stuck in the freezer!”

  She yelled until her throat became raw. She leaned her head against the door. It was no use. Who was going to hear her out here? Everyone else was safe inside the warm house. Weariness melted into her bones. Wait...when had her eyes closed?

  Dragging them open, she blinked. It was so hard to keep them open, but she continued to struggle to do just that. After a while, she forgot why it was so important. She was so tired. All she wanted was to rest. Leaning against the freezer door she gave in and let her eyes close. Just for a minute. All she needed was a short nap.

  Her legs seemed to lose strength. Weariness weighed her down. The door was smooth against her cheek as she allowed herself to slide down. Down, down, down until she was sitting on the floor.

  Dropping her hands to her lap, she let her head fall forward. Her chin touched her chest.

  There was something she needed to do, but whatever it was eluded her.

  Something about Seth?

  She’d worry about it later. She was so sleepy. Needed...nap...

  * * *

  Seth dashed down the stairs, his uncle hot on his heels. Tearing through the house, he ignored the few guests who dove out of his way, muttering in displeasure. He arrived in the parlor to find his aunt inside. Jess was nowhere to be seen.

  Where was she? Every fiber of his body screamed at him that she was in danger.

  One thought darted across his brain, standing out.

  I should pray. Jess would want me to pray.

  The impulse was an uncomfortable one, and his inclination was to ignore it. But he couldn’t shake the feeling that Jess would want him to pray. And if he was the one missing, she would no doubt pray for him.

  Lord, protect her.

  Was that enough? He hoped so.

  “Aunt Willa, where’s Jess?”

  His aunt faced him, her lips pinched and eyes narrowed. He winced. He hadn’t meant to raise his voice to her.

  “Please, it’s really important.”

  She sniffed. “I came in just after she snuck out of here. No telling what she was up to.”

  Calm. Stay calm. “Any idea where she was headed?”

  “Well, I didn’t actually stop to talk with her. She could have tried to swim home for all I care... Hey! Seth Travis! Come back here!”

  Seth ignored her voice, shrieking after him. He dashed out the door, nearly colliding with his uncle.

  “She’s not here. We have to find her.”

  To his credit, Ted didn’t stop to ask time-wasting questions. Although Seth did note that he tossed an angry glare toward his wife. The two men began to search the house inch by inch. Unsurprisingly, no one was willing to admit that they had seen Jess. Over an hour later, he met his uncle again in the kitchen.

  He stopped in the doorway. Jess wasn’t in the room. He hadn’t really expected to find her there, he admitted to himself. His eyes scanned the room. And stopped. He crouched down. There, a couple of feet away from the door, lay a Behind-the-Ear, or BTE hearing aid. He had missed it the first time through. It was half hidden by the welcome mat. He reached out one hand and picked it up, bringing it close to inspect it.

  “What is it, son?”

  Seth looked into Ted’s concerned face. Flicking his eyes behind the older man, he could see a group of the other guests gathered there. His mouth tightened when he saw Bob Harvey amongst them.

  “It’s Jess’s hearing aid,” he answered his uncle. His uncle’s face paled. “It’s broken. I’d say someone stepped on it.”

  Willa entered the room. The haughty expression she normally wore had been replaced by confusion. “She left her hearing aid in the kitchen?”

  Shaking his head, Seth stood and walked to the back door. “No. She would never go without her aid. She’s completely deaf without them. Something happened to her.”

  Why had he left her alone? Noticing that his fingers were trembling slightly, he closed them around the fractured hearing aid. The shattered plastic scratched his palm. He felt it all the way to his heart.

  Ignoring the burst of chatter that broke out, he walked outside. And sucked in a breath.

  Amidst the rain-soaked muck that was out the back door, a clear path had been left by something being dragged. Something that was big enough to be a human body. All the moisture in his mouth instantaneously dried up. The path was narrow and straight enough that he doubted the person being dragged had been conscious enough to struggle. And, knowing that person was Jess, he rushed outside, regardless of the rain pelting his head, molding his hair to his scalp and running mercilessly into his eyes.

  None of that mattered. Neither did the clomping feet behind him.

  Except...

  “First-aid kit!” he barked at his uncle.

  Ted nodded once before pivoting mid-step and rushing back toward the house.

  The path wound around the side of the house. Seth quickened his pace, gritting his teeth in frustration when he was forced to slow down or risk slipping and falling flat on his face.

  The path led to the front of his uncle’s slaughterhouse. Ripping open the front door, he saw immediately that the path continued. The scant light from the cloudy skies was enough for him to
see inside the building. His uncle reappeared just as he entered.

  “Open the blinds!” Ted yelled. He and another guest went from window to window, pulling up the blinds to let the morning light filter inside.

  Seth stopped in front of a large metal door, horrified. He knew from memory that the door in front of him was to the walk-in freezer. Granted, there was no electricity right now, but there was enough frozen food in that freezer to keep it artic for days.

  Shoving the latch aside with fingers that shook, he pulled the huge door open.

  And caught Jess as she toppled out.

  Her face was white, tinged with blue. The back of her head and body was covered with a thick coat of crusty, frozen mud.

  Gently, he picked her up and carried her into the main room. As he held her close, he glanced down, and nearly lost his composure at the sight of the blood dried on the side of her throat. Swallowing the rage that vibrated in his gut, he laid her down on the floor as if she was made of porcelain.

  And then he set about doing what he did best. For the first time in his life, he wondered if God had put the desire to be a paramedic in his heart for this moment. Ridiculous. He drew upon his training to focus all his thoughts, all his energies, on his patient. Now was not the time for philosophizing. Or for letting worry for the lovely, deathly pale woman at his feet distract him. Box up your emotions and ship ’em out, Seth.

  The well-known mantra calmed him.

  First thing first, check her vitals.

  She was breathing, and had a steady pulse. Check.

  Now, to get her warm.

  Someone shuffled too close to him, hampering his movements.

  “Get back!” he ordered, barely recognizing the harsh voice as his own.

  “Seth,” his aunt quavered, wringing her hands. Her normally haughty expression was edging on frantic, her voice whiny. “I’m sure this was an accident. No one here would...”

  “Get. Out. Of. My. Way.” He bit off each word, all but snarling at the woman beside him.

  Willa jumped away, her expression an odd combination of dismay and affront. He’d worry about smoothing her feathers later. Maybe. Right now, Jess was all that mattered.