by Dana R. Lynn
For a second, he allowed himself to cast his eyes down at her face. Then he looked longer. What he had expected to see was fear and anxiety. Maybe some tears. Instead, her forehead was pressed against his shoulder, but her face was calm. Her lips were moving soundlessly.
She was praying. He should have figured.
The thought bothered him, but not as much as it would have a week ago. He remembered praying briefly while searching for her earlier that morning. Looking back, he realized that brief prayer had refocused him, given him a small measure of peace. Peace that he’d been too busy working to save her life to analyze. Yet now, here in the forest, he realized that he had sensed something.
Maybe God hadn’t completely abandoned him.
Tentatively, he said a quick prayer for help. Not that he was sure how much good it would do, but it wouldn’t hurt. Surely, they were sitting ducks until the people on the ledge moved.
Or found them.
He drew Jess closer, rubbing his chin against her soft hair. He had failed too many people in the past. Jess. His mom. Melanie. He had let his fear of becoming like his father cripple him emotionally. Now was his chance to set things to right. If that meant putting himself at risk to protect the woman in his arms, so be it. If need be, he was certain he could distract those after her so she could run to safety.
He frowned, feeling uneasy. That would only work if she would run. He had already learned that she had a core of loyalty. Chances of her leaving him to deal with the bad guys weren’t good.
“They ain’t here!” a voice boomed out above, rich with belligerence. The voice was so loud, it echoed several times. It was a voice he was unfamiliar with.
Jess jerked her head up, eyes wide. So she had heard the man, too.
The man’s partner must have answered, even though he couldn’t hear it, because the man continued speaking.
“Disguise my voice? What for? I tell you, there ain’t no one here but us and the squirrels.
“You know what? I think you’re just paranoid. No one’s going to connect her getting stuck in a freezer to me. I didn’t leave that many footprints. Besides, all those other idiots trampled on my footprints.”
Silence. He was probably listening to whatever the other person was saying.
“And I’m sick an’ tired of you giving me orders!” Now the man sounded angry. There was a definite sneer in his voice. “I’m not getting paid enough to take that from you. It ain’t my fault she didn’t die. If you had done your part—”
The other person must have said or done something to cut him off because he was silent for a moment before releasing an ugly laugh. Seth had never heard a laugh so cold and vicious. What kind of monsters were they dealing with?
“I’ll tell you what,” his voice came again, silky and dangerous. “Let’s just renegotiate our deal. I think my price has just increased. Doubled. The kind of things you want done aren’t easy. Or cheap. And don’t think I’m messing around, here, either. It would be no skin off my back to let you take the rap for everything.”
A laugh—but not the same one from before. Seth’s head shot up, shock making his mouth drop open. Was that a woman’s laugh? It was so muffled, it was hard to tell. He looked at Jess. She didn’t look like she had heard it. Either it was too soft, or too high pitched for her to catch it.
Who did it sound like? It was so brief, how could he say for sure?
Was it Aunt Willa? No, he couldn’t believe that. It would devastate Ted. And his aunt wasn’t that cruel, was she? But he remembered the coldness of her eyes as she had looked at Jess when they had first arrived. His stomach tightened.
What about Lisa Harvey? Her hat had been found in the freezer. Maybe this guy had left it there as some sort of insurance.
Even in the cold, he was starting to sweat.
“Wait! What are you doing?” the man said, sudden panic in his voice. “Put that down! There’s no reason we can’t talk about this calm—”
A shot rang out. The woods filled with clatter as dozens of startled birds squawked and flew from their branches.
Jess flinched back against the rock, gasping. Seth covered her mouth with his hand, his heart beating wildly in his chest.
Seth heard a shuffling noise above. Like something large being pushed...or dragged...
Jess looked up, her eyes widening. Noting the color draining from her face, Seth followed her gaze...just in time to see a body start to tip over the edge. Pressing them both against the rocks, he covered Jess with his body as much as he could to protect her. The man’s hand brushed against his boot as he tumbled past them and disappeared into the angry waters below. Seth could see his lifeless face pop out of the water once before it was pulled under again.
Vic Horn.
So now they knew who had locked Jess up in the freezer. But on whose orders?
Hunched down, they waited for Vic’s partner to finish searching. From the sound of things, the shooter was cleaning up. Possibly getting rid of evidence. A flurry of leaves and debris fluttered past them. Maybe Vic’s blood had spilled on the leaves. He wished he could be certain it was a woman who was responsible—it would cut the list of suspects in half. If only he could hear the shooter’s voice.
And how was he supposed to do that? Yell up and say, “Hey, you who just shot this guy and tossed him over the edge...are you male or female?” He almost snorted at the thought.
Then his glance fell on the creek where mere seconds before Vic Horn’s lifeless body had fallen.
He shuddered. He was trained to save lives. Sure, he’d had his share of patients die. But not before he had done his best to save them. The casual way Vic’s partner had shot him and tossed him away like so much garbage was not something he could easily understand. Even more incredible was the fact that it was likely someone he knew who had done it. Incomprehensible.
But what he did understand was that the person mere feet above them would eliminate him and Jess in the same manner without blinking an eye.
Not if he could help it.
He wasn’t a cop or former soldier like his brother-in-law, but he did know how to survive.
Maybe half an hour went by before he felt they could safely move. It had been twenty minutes since any noise had drifted down to them.
Moving slowly, he pushed himself away from the rocks and away from Jess. No one shot him. Letting out a breath, he ran an assessing glance over Jess. She looked tired. And she was shivering. But otherwise seemed to be holding up. Ignoring her protests, he shrugged out of his jacket. He was warm enough in his layers of clothing. And her jacket wasn’t doing the job.
“You need to stay warm,” he signed. “We still have at least an hour or two ahead of us.”
Seth bit back a smile at the disgruntled frown she sent him before she reluctantly agreed and put his coat on. A surge of affection welled up inside him. She was adorable in the oversize coat. Her hazel eyes and ponytail made her look almost fragile. But he knew she had strength. And determination.
He was relying on that determination now.
EIGHT
Jess tugged Seth’s collar up closer to her nose and inhaled. She had noticed how good he smelled before. Now she was overwhelmed by the scent.
Of course, being warm was rather nice, too. For a while, she had wondered if she would ever feel warm again. Now, everything was toasty, except her feet. And she knew they wouldn’t be warm until she could get out of these old boots. Which meant not until they reached the Millers’ house.
She wished she could talk to Seth. It would take her mind off the sight of Vic Horn slamming into the current and being carried away. A shiver worked its way up her spine. She rubbed the spot on her neck that had burned before she’d blacked out and woken up in the freezer. It had to have been a needle of some kind. Knowing that he had so callously drugge
d her and dragged her into the freezer to die was horrible. Knowing someone else was also in on it was unspeakable.
According to Seth, who had given her a quick recap of what he’d heard before they’d started walking again, the other voice might have been female. Unless that was a disguise.
Seth had a disturbed look around his eyes, and his mouth was tight as he looked over his shoulder at her. It made her ache inside. It didn’t take much to understand he was worried that his aunt might be involved in all this. She wished she could take that pain away from him, but knew it was impossible.
Still, the need to offer him some sort of comfort wouldn’t let her go. Half an hour later, they left the narrow path beside the creek and headed west toward the Millers’ house. They were forced to slog through the mud and leaves between the trees, but there was one benefit. There was room to move side by side.
Without giving herself a chance to talk herself out of it, Jess quickened her step and moved up beside Seth. He gave her a startled glance when she took his hand. Embarrassed, and afraid he might take offense, she started to move away. But found he wouldn’t release her hand. Instead, he gripped it, squeezing slightly while giving her a sad smile. Well, not really a smile. Just the corners of his lips curling up. But he seemed to understand her intent.
“Thanks,” he mouthed.
She nodded.
The sky was growing dark when they left the woods and found themselves on a dirt road. The houses were spaced far apart, but they had definitely reached the Amish community. The first house they passed was a large farmhouse with a woman in a plain blue dress and a white prayer kapp sweeping the front porch. She gave them a smile and bobbed her head as they passed. Two little girls splashed through the puddles in the front yard.
“How far is it?” Seth asked, still signing while he talked.
“Near the end of this road,” she replied. She didn’t bother to sign. He could understand her just fine. She pointed to her left. “We’re about a mile from the middle of town, that way. There isn’t a lot of car traffic on this road. Although if we were to go to the end of this road, there’s another paved road. It’s a main road, so it’s pretty busy.”
After what seemed like forever, they arrived at the Miller house. No one was outside, and Jess started to feel panicky. What if no one was home? She knew they had family in Ohio. Sometimes the family traveled there to visit. What if...?
The door opened as they walked up to the wide, wrap-around porch. They came face to face with Levi, whose eyes were wide and troubled.
“Jess? What are you doing here? Rebecca is not here.”
She had to work to understand him. Between his accent and his habit of barely moving his lips while he talked, he had always been a challenge to understand. Thankfully, he was the best signer in the Miller family, so she could always ask him to sign if necessary. Although she would save that for a last resort. She knew that Levi wasn’t comfortable switching to sign.
“I know, Levi. Do you remember Seth, the paramedic?” Impatience made her talk quicker than usual. Any moment she expected someone to burst from the woods brandishing a gun.
“Jah. I remember. It is gut to see you again.”
Yeah, it might have been good, but he still looked troubled.
“Levi, I’m sorry to intrude, but can we come in? We’re in serious trouble.”
Silently, the serious young man swung his kind eyes between them. Finally, he nodded.
“Jah. You are always welcome, Jess. Mam and Dat will be pleased to see you.”
Swinging the door wide, he motioned for them to enter the house.
Jess needed no further invitation. She entered the house, being careful to remove her muddy boots just inside the door. Seth did the same. She hurried into the large, warm kitchen area, aware of Seth at her heels. Rebecca’s mother, Martha, turned from where she stood cooking at the large stove. Jess sniffed in appreciation, her stomach rumbling as the smell of homemade stew hit her nostrils.
“Jessica!” Martha said in her strongly accented English. “We did not expect you to visit. Is the flooding gone?”
Martha’s keen blue eyes swept over Jess and Seth. Jess flushed, realizing the picture they made. A quick glance at Seth showed that he was dirty and looked ready to collapse. It wasn’t hard to imagine that she probably looked about the same, maybe even a little worse after trekking through the woods and going over a cliff. And she was still wearing Seth’s jacket, which hung on her smaller frame.
She cleared her throat, but Seth beat her at answering.
“No ma’am. I’m Jess’s friend Seth. We were stranded on this side of the creek when it flooded, and haven’t been able to get home yet.”
Alarm filled Martha’s round face. “Have you been out in this weather all this time?”
“No, we were at my uncle’s house when it started.”
Jess could see the confusion cross Martha’s face. She had a fairly good idea of what the woman was thinking. Why would they leave the comfort of his relatives’ house and travel here? A sudden dread struck her. What if the Millers felt they were too high risk to let them stay? She had never known them to turn anyone away, but what if her situation was just too much for them to take on?
Her nerves and the cold caught up with her all at once. Her body began to tremble with a vengeance. Even tugging Seth’s jacket around her did nothing to lessen the chill sweeping over her slender frame. The chattering of her teeth caused her jaw to ache.
An arm around her shoulder startled her. Seth. Looking up at him, she noted vaguely that he looked blurry.
“She’s half frozen. And ready to collapse,” she heard him say close to her good ear.
Martha swiftly crossed the room to her, and hustled her to a chair near the wood burning stove. She gave Levi a firm command. Jess couldn’t understand it, but she recognized the sounds of Pennsylvania Dutch. Levi answered in the same language, then stoked up the fire inside.
Soon, she found herself seated, her soggy socks replaced with a clean pair of thick, warm ones. It took another fifteen minutes for her to feel truly warm. When Martha brought her a bowl of hearty stew and a thick slab of homemade bread, she accepted gratefully, thanking her hostess with feeling.
Between the food and the warmth of the fire, she began to nod off. Only through sheer will did she manage to remain awake. She focused her attention on where Seth was seated with Martha and Levi. It took some effort, but she managed to catch most of the conversation flowing between them as Seth explained their situation.
Martha and Levi seemed genuinely shocked and concerned about the predicament they found themselves in. Although not, she was glad to note, in any apparent hurry to shoo them out the door. If anything, Martha’s face started to resemble that of a mother bear as she heard about someone literally gunning for her daughter’s oldest friend.
Warmth tugged at Jess’s heart. It had been so long since she had felt so protected. The feeling was followed by an ache at the realization that such moments were going to be rare for her, and not permanent. After all, she had no family anymore, and her prospects were low.
But she wasn’t going to sit here and have a pity party. Straightening in her chair, she narrowed her gaze on Seth’s solemn face. The sudden longing in her soul took her by surprise. She remembered her doubts about him earlier. Was that really only several hours ago? Now, looking at his honest face, she couldn’t believe she had wondered if she could trust him. He had put himself in harm’s way for her more than once, and never once had he hesitated. He had more than proven himself worthy of her trust.
Shame grew in her as she realized that in doubting him, she was also, to some extent, doubting God. For she could clearly see God’s hand in giving her the perfect protector. Who else would have known how to ensure they’d survive? Or how to save her when she was injured? Even his ability t
o sign proved that he was the perfect person to help her.
No more doubting, she decided. From now on, Lord, I will trust You and Your providence without fail.
Which didn’t mean she would be so foolish as to allow herself to make the huge mistake of falling for him. It would be so easy, she mused as she watched him shove his thick curls back from his forehead. She knew how devastating his charm could be. But even though she believed she could trust him, she also was aware of his determination to avoid any sort of emotional commitment. No, friendship was all she could ever share with him. She had to be satisfied with that.
But she wasn’t satisfied. Her heart had already started to latch on to him.
Well, no more. She would just have to stay on her guard around him.
That resolution firm in her mind, she returned to the conversation in front of her, battling to keep her eyes open. At last, she gave in and let her weary eyelids drift shut, secure in the knowledge that she was safe.
At least for the moment.
* * *
Jess was snoring. Soft little purring sounds that made him think of a kitten.
Seth ducked his head, hiding his grin behind the mug of black coffee Martha had just set before him. His grin faded as he continued to watch her. She was exhausted and scuffed up. There were several scratches on her face and neck.
All at once, impatience swamped him. He wanted action. The need to move, to be doing something, to fix things, crawled over his skin.
Only when Levi gave him a pointed look did he realize his leg was furiously bouncing up and down, his heel making a staccato tapping sound on the hardwood floor. Abashed, he forced his leg to still.
“Sorry,” he muttered.
Levi nodded, his eyes understanding. “You want to be active, jah?”
Seth blew out a breath and ran his hands over his face. “Yeah. I can’t be easy until I know that whoever wants to hurt Jess is out of the way.”