The Hermit

by McClendon, Shayne

  Chapter Four

  They ate together and she insisted Ryan let her clean up while he went through his morning routine of checking the clearing and his work shed. He got her the satellite phone and placed it on the counter with the notes he’d given her the first day.

  Leaning his hip on the cabinet and crossing his arms over his chest, he told her, “I’m going to give you some privacy to talk.” Remembering that she had a life to go back to was hard but her friends and family would be so happy to know she was alive. “Daphne, you’ve been through so much but you’re going to be safe now. Back with people that love you. Don’t be afraid.” He grabbed his latest book and headed for the front door, “Call me if you have trouble with the phone.”

  Daphne watched as he walked away from the house and took up a spot twenty yards away against a tree so she could see him clearly. She stared at him for a long time, the bottom of one foot propping him against the trunk while he read. Ryan had boy-next-door good looks, he was educated and kind. In another life, she might have wished for him to love her.

  She knew without a doubt that she was too damaged for anyone to ever love again.

  With a sigh, she grabbed the phone and paper, moving to stand in front of the window to watch the man who’d saved her life. She dialed the number and when a voice answered on the other end, she almost hung up. It took her a long time to find her voice but the person waited patiently.

  Daphne spent thirty minutes giving a detailed account of where she had been, where she was now, and what had happened to her and her husband. They asked if she was safe and she told them she was. Explaining how Ryan had found her and saved her at no benefit to himself.

  When the call was done, she called Janice at home, the only number she remembered. “This is Janice.” It was surreal to hear her best friend’s voice. Daphne was unsure what to say, frozen in confusion at her familiarity with the woman on the other end of the line. She listened as Janice said carefully, “This is an Alaska area code. You’re speaking to Janice Dovecott. I’m still searching for my best friend, Daphne. Please tell me you have information.”

  The words wouldn’t come at first. Her mouth opened and closed several times before she managed to make a sound. “Janice…” Daphne whispered, tears beginning to stream down her face.

  The other woman gasped into the phone, “Daphne…oh my God…Daphne? Is that you, honey?” Daphne completely broke down, sobbing bits and pieces of her story to the person she’d known most of her life. “I’m coming, baby. I’ll be there by tomorrow latest. They’re going to have to airlift you out and that’s going to take time. They’ll likely take you to McArthur, the closest town to where you are. I’ll be there. I’ll be there, Daphne. I love you so much. I’m so sorry I couldn’t find you, baby. I’ll see you soon. Can you write down my cell phone number? Let me give you that so you have it.” Daphne wrote it on the same paper Ryan had given her, folding it and putting it in the pocket of the flannel shirt she wore. “Oh my God…Daphne. I’m so scared to hang up.”

  “I’m safe, Janice. The man who found me…who saved me…is outside. He’ll keep me safe until someone comes. I…I miss you so much, Janice.” They talked for a few more minutes before Daphne disconnected the call.

  Ryan still stood where he’d been the entire time. She carried the phone with her and opened the front door. Calling softly, she said, “It’s cold out here. You shouldn’t stay outside.”

  He looked at her intently, standing away from the tree and walking slowly toward her. “Are they coming?” She nodded. “Were you able to speak to Janice?” She nodded again and smiled. The first real smile she’d felt on her face in so long. It seemed to startle him, causing his footsteps to stutter. “The weather is still good so it probably won’t take them long to get here.”

  He placed one foot on the bottom step and went still, not wanting to get too close. “Ryan…I…,” was all she was able to say before she slowly covered the distance between them and wrapped her arms around his neck. Whispering against his shoulder, she said, “Thank you. Thank you for helping me, Ryan. I’ll owe you for the rest of my life.”

  He raised his arms to hug her loosely, “You don’t owe me, Daphne. I’m so glad you’re going home to friends, to the life you left behind. You deserve all the happiness in the world after what you’ve been through. You’re going to be okay.” He pulled back to look at her and realized again how very small she was, even without the extreme weight loss. She was level with him on the porch, almost a foot shorter than his six-two height.

  “You’ll need a lot of physical rehabilitation and they’ll likely put you on a million supplements to get your body’s nutritional levels back up. Psychologically, I know you have a long road ahead of you. Physically, you’ll probably bounce back inside of six months.” He put one hand on her shoulder and said softly, “You were so strong, you survived so much. You can start over. Make a new life for yourself.”

  She nodded and said quietly, “I will. I’m a fighter.”

  He smiled and walked past her, holding the door open for her. “Let’s get you something to eat. The rescue workers will have to set down in the large meadow about a quarter of a mile away at the base of the mountain.” He gave her a small laugh as they entered the kitchen. “I’ll have to find you something to put on your feet. My shoes will be far too big; no way will you be able to walk in them unless we stuff them with cloth. That might work.”

  They sat in companionable silence while they ate. He’d given her mostly thick broth from the lunch stew and she ate all of it but still had problems with solid foods. “I think I have at least two teeth that will have to be pulled soon. I can’t chew on that side anymore. I used to have such healthy teeth.” Ryan went to get a flashlight and crouched in front of her.

  “Let me take a look. I should have worried more about your teeth.” She opened and he pulled the side of her mouth out to examine her teeth and gums. “Oh yeah, other than the broken teeth, it looks like you have an abscess and two cavities that may need root canals. The antibiotic has probably been keeping the infection in check. No worries, a dentist can get you fixed up quick.”

  He clicked off the light and returned it to the drawer. She sat with him while he ate another large bowl of stew. When he finished, he put the lunch dishes in the sink, washing them and setting them in the drainer.

  As he was turning back to her, they both heard the helicopter. He gave her a big smile that he didn’t feel even a little bit. “It sounds like the cavalry has arrived, Daphne. Let’s get you some boots.” He rushed into a storage room and returned with a battered pair of hiking boots and another pair of socks. Kneeling at her feet, he pulled the second pair of socks over her feet and stuffed a strip of cloth in the toe of each boot.

  Slipping them over her feet, he tied them snugly before standing and holding out his hand. “See if that will work.” She put her hand in his large one and stood, smiling at the huge boots on her little feet. He couldn’t help but laugh. “I know I have boats for feet. Still, I don’t want to risk you going without them.” He grabbed the jacket off the back of the couch and held it for her to put on. She shrugged into it and they laughed again as it fell to her knees, the arms ending six inches past the tips of her fingers. “Well, you’ll certainly be warm. Come on. Let’s go meet your ride.”

  He held the door for her and smiled as she passed him, stepping out on the porch. They made it to the edge of his clearing when they saw the rangers coming up the mountain. They stopped to wait for them, Daphne’s hand on his arm. When the men shouted out a greeting to them, her fingers dug into Ryan and she took a step back.

  “Daphne Pierce! My name is Ranger John Pico. I’m here to take you to McArthur. Your friend Janice will be there tomorrow.” There were three men approaching and Daphne began to panic. She put herself behind Ryan and held his coat with both hands. He could feel her shaking, nearing panic, and held up his own hands to stop the men from coming any closer.

  “Gentlemen, I’
m Dr. Ryan Wallace. This woman has gone through severe physical and psychological trauma. There isn’t a woman with you?” The first ranger shook his head, suddenly unsure how to proceed. Ryan looked over his shoulder at Daphne. Her eyes were huge with unshed tears and her lip was trembling, obviously terrified.

  Turning back to the men, he asked, “If I go with you, can you bring me back?”

  “Yes sir, Dr. Wallace. If you think she’d feel safer, you can come with her and we’ll be happy to bring you back. I apologize, Ms. Pierce, we were so anxious to get you off the mountain we didn’t think to call for a female officer. I’m real sorry. We won’t come any closer.” The man picked up his radio and talked to the chopper pilot, explaining the situation. “If you’re ready, we can head back to the chopper.”

  “Let me grab my wallet and lock up.” Ryan turned to head back to the cabin, not surprised when Daphne followed him, her hand clutching the fabric on the back of his jacket. “It’s going to be okay, Daphne. These men aren’t going to hurt you. I won’t let anyone hurt you.” He stepped inside and moved to the small table beside the sofa, taking out his wallet and a knife that he strapped to his calf under his jeans.

  Daphne watched him with her eyes wide. “I can’t go anywhere in Alaska unarmed, Daphne. It’s too wild here. I won’t bring a gun but I have to have something. Do you understand?” She nodded. Walking into the storage room, he removed the evidence bag he’d collected the first evening and had almost forgotten to send with her.

  She stared at the tattered, dirty clothes inside for an instant before averting her eyes with a grimace of disgust. She said nothing, taking hold of his coat again as he headed for the door. Locking it, they joined the rangers, following them down the mountain.

  They arrived at the helicopter following the other men. Daphne was unable to have them behind her. Only when they were all seated inside, strapped in, did she allow Ryan to lift her in. He followed and helped her buckle in since her hands were shaking too hard to manage it. He took the seat beside her and barely had time to strap in before they were lifting off. He felt a small sense of panic watching his cabin recede in the distance but managed to keep it under control.

  She stayed plastered to Ryan in the helicopter, practically behind him as she continued to tremble. He held her hand and tugged her out a bit as he made small talk with the other men to assure Daphne they wouldn’t hurt her.

  Chapter Five

  They arrived in McArthur after a short ride and he jumped from the craft, turning to lift her down. When she was on her feet, Daphne locked her arm through his. A quiet plea not to leave her. One he couldn’t ignore; he followed the rangers into the police station.

  An older woman stood just inside the door, “Mrs. Pierce, I’m Noel Quincy. I’m the mayor here and I also help out the local police. I know you’re probably overwhelmed and I’m so sorry about that. I need to know if I need to contact a sketch artist. Can you describe the men who took you?”

  Clearing her throat carefully as she hid behind Ryan, she said so quietly they almost didn’t hear her, “I…I can draw them for you. I only know their first names.”

  Ms. Quincy told her that was wonderful and gestured for someone to bring drawing materials. “Please, come sit in one of the small offices so you don’t feel so exposed. Can I get you some water, honey?” Daphne nodded but wouldn’t let Ryan go as she showed them to an office with a table, chairs, and a couch.

  When Ms. Quincy left them alone for a few minutes, Daphne whispered, “Please don’t leave yet, Ryan. Please.” He placed his palm gently over the arm still wrapped through his. “Janice will come. Don’t leave before then, Ryan. I’m scared to be here alone.”

  “Okay…okay, Daphne. I’ll stay until Janice comes. Ssh…don’t worry. Everything is going to be alright. You’ll see.” The elderly woman returned and Daphne took the paper from her. Removing her arm but staying plastered to Ryan’s side, he followed her over to the table where she sat and began to draw. She said nothing but worked steadily and Ryan was amazed at her talent.

  The first picture was of the three men together then she drew each one’s face separately. Two hours later, she felt she’d captured their likenesses exactly. Her hand started to shake again as she neatly printed their names beneath the sketches. Glancing up, she held the papers out to Ms. Quincy and Ryan saw the tears on her face.

  “Dan…Abel…Winston. Winston is dead. I killed him with his knife and left his body in the cave where they held me. I don’t know where the other two are,” her voice broke and Ryan held her hand firmly in both of his.

  “I’m so glad you got away, no matter how you had to do it, honey.” Ms. Quincy handed the sketches to one of the officers, “Make copies and get these over the wire.” Turning back to Daphne, she said, “We need to examine you and I can’t tell you how bad I feel about it. We have a makeshift exam room set up. Dr. Billings is going to examine you. He’s our local MD and one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. Kate, one of our local girls, is going to document your injuries with photos. I know you don’t want to go through it and I wish there was another way. I do.”

  Daphne looked terrified but she nodded. They followed the woman into a small interview room with no windows and only one door. There was an exam table and a small screen set up there. The photographer was a young woman who looked sad to have been given this assignment. The doctor was an older man who had a kind face.

  “Mrs. Pierce, my name is Dr. Billings. This young woman is Kate. We know you’ve been through so much, but we need to document what’s happened to you. I promise you’re very safe here. No one is going to hurt you.” Daphne’s expression said she was unconvinced. “We need you to get undressed and put on a hospital gown. We set up a screen for you.”

  He motioned to the screen and she walked toward it like a zombie. A short while later, they heard her changing. The older doctor turned to Ryan, “Dr. Wallace, it’s a pleasure to meet you in person. When the rangers told us who had found her, we knew she’d be alright. You saved her life.”

  Ryan shook his head, “No. She saved her own life by surviving all this time and escaping. I just patched her up.” Daphne came from behind the screen, her arms tight around her midsection. “Daphne, I’ll wait outside.”

  He was reaching for the door when she shouted hysterically, “No! No, please…please don’t leave me. Don’t go, Ryan. I don’t want to be here alone.” He turned back with a nod and helped her sit on the table. The elderly doctor moved to pull back the gown and she cringed into Ryan with a broken sob, “No, no, no…please no…”

  Ryan stepped directly in front of her, his hands on her quaking shoulders, “Daphne, look at me, just at me. The doctor has to examine you, honey. No one is going to hurt you. I won’t let anyone hurt you. I swear it. Trust me to keep you safe while you go through this.” She stared at him for a long time before giving a small nod. He moved to the side and Dr. Billings carefully opened the gown, causing a gasp from the photographer. Without taking his eyes off of Daphne, he said bluntly, “Young woman, do not make this worse. Take the photographs you need so she can get dressed.”

  A murmured, “I’m sorry,” came from behind him but he focused on Daphne.

  The doctor dictated his exam in a recorder, confirming what Ryan had determined that first day he’d brought Daphne into his cabin, “Severe scarring from various implements. Cigarette burns along the pelvis, razor and knife cuts on arms and legs, an unknown object was used along the jaw line…”

  “The lid from a ca…can of beans,” Daphne whispered.

  The elderly doctor moaned softly and struggled to continue with a calm voice, “Multiple abrasions on wrists and ankles, likely made from rope. Evidence of gradual starvation and exposure to the elements. The loss of smallest toe on left foot due to frostbite. Two fingers appear to have been broken and healed without being set.”

  She was asked to lie down so the doctor could conduct a pelvic exam. Daphne held on to Ryan for dear life, her short nai
ls digging into the skin on the back of his hand. “Evidence of repeated brutal sexual assault. Vaginal and anal tearing, scarring, and now-faded bruising on the inner thighs that likely went clear to the bone.”

  Tears flowed silently down her cheeks into her hair and Ryan reached out to wipe them away. “I…I need my medical bag.” Ryan glanced at the doctor, the question in his eyes as Kate brought over the doctor’s bag. With a sick look on his face, the man said quietly, “She…has…there are splinters inside her. Either wood or metal, I can’t be sure. They’re becoming infected. I…I have to get them out, Dr. Wallace.”

  Ryan’s eyes found Daphne’s and he saw she was biting her lip hard enough to draw blood. He smoothed his hand over her jaw, tracing his thumb over her bleeding lip, “Let go, honey. You’re going to be alright. Bite me if you need to. Don’t hurt yourself. Not yourself, Daphne.” She released her lip and turned her face into Ryan’s hand, crying quietly.