by Sharon Dunn
“Jude? Are you down here?” Above her, she could hear people stomping around and laughing. There was a scraping sound like tables and chairs being set up. She heard footsteps on the stairs she had just come down. She couldn’t see around the shelves. The footsteps came toward her. Fear encroached.
A young pregnant woman came around the first wall of metal shelves. “Oh, I didn’t know someone else was down here,” the pregnant woman said. “I was just looking for some napkins. We should be eating here pretty soon.”
“I think I saw some a couple shelves over.” Lacey helped the woman find the napkins. She listened to her footsteps tap up the stairs.
Convinced that Jude must have gone somewhere else, she was about ready to head back up the stairs herself when she heard a screeching noise deeper in the basement.
She stepped out into a hallway where she’d heard the sound. “Jude?”
Someone grabbed her from behind, cupping a hand over her mouth and dragging her down the hallway. She struggled to break free or at least scream for help. The man held her in his tight grip, dragging her farther down the hall.
She kicked and tried to twist free.
He let go of her. She felt herself being pushed. A door slammed. Cold enveloped her. She was inside a walk-in freezer. A single lightbulb hung from the ceiling. She banged on the door and shouted for a full five minutes. Her fists hurt from pounding.
Already the chill had sunk into her skin. She could feel her body shutting down. Her mind fogged.
Above her, she could hear people moving around. Settling in to eat a meal together. The cooking was done. It was unlikely anyone would come back down the stairs for at least twenty minutes. By then she would freeze to death.
* * *
Jude stared around at the throngs of people as they shuffled into the gym. Some stood in line to get their food. Others were already sitting down enjoying their soup. He didn’t see Lacey anywhere.
He’d gotten tangled in a conversation he couldn’t get out of for just a few minutes.
He popped his head in the kitchen. Only two of the women remained. “Have you seen Lacey?”
Both of them shook their heads.
“She might have gone looking for you,” one of the women said.
Jude hurried down the stairs to where the food and supplies were stored. He called Lacey’s name. He raced around the tall shelves.
A pounding noise led him down a hallway to a walk-in freezer. He swung the door open and Lacey fell into his arms. She was crying and shivering.
“Stay here, you’re going to be okay.” He ran back to the supply shelves and grabbed one of the thermal blankets. He enveloped her with it. She tucked in close to him as he led her up the hallway.
She backed up against the wall and slid down to the floor. He pulled the blanket over her shoulders and sat next to her.
“Someone pushed you in there?”
She nodded, still unable to speak.
He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. After a while, she stopped shivering.
“This has to be connected to what happened on the mountain. The people in this town might not like outsiders but they’re not killers.” She turned her face toward him and wept.
She swiped at her eyes.
He continued to hold her as her tears dampened his neck. He rested his hand on her shoulder. “I don’t know what is going on here, Lacey. But you are safe now. I’m here.” And it was clear he needed to stay close to her no matter what, for her protection.
She pulled away so she could make eye contact, her gaze searching. “I thought I was going to die in there.”
“But you didn’t.” He looked into her eyes.
“That thing about your whole life flashing before your eyes is true.” She drew the blanket around herself. “I mean, it’s not like I saw everything that happened to me. But I could feel my body and my brain slowing down. And I just wondered if the life I’d lived mattered. To other people, to God especially.”
He pulled away. “God and I are kind of not on speaking terms.”
“But you were at one time?”
Jude took in a deep breath. He had to tell her the truth. “It’s a long story. Two people died on my watch back when I was on the force. I prayed I would be able to prevent it.” He shook his head as the bitter taste over what had happened, over what he could not stop, rose up inside of him. “There was a child who witnessed the murder-suicide. She will never be the same.”
“After my parents and my brother died, I just figured I could get through with just me and God.” She tilted her head toward the ceiling where they could hear the sound of people enjoying food and fellowship. She shrugged. “Now I don’t know. Maybe that was wrong thinking. I really thought I was going to freeze to death in there.”
The experience had made them both want to share more about themselves.
He hugged her and held her close. “I’m glad you didn’t.” He hesitated but then plunged forward even as fear wanted to steal his words from him. “This last day or so with you, Lacey. It’s been nice...in an unexpected way.”
She elbowed him playfully. “Thanks. You’ve been a good surprise too.”
Jude stared at the ceiling, tightening his arms around Lacey. Her soft hair brushed his cheek. While he relished this moment they had together, it was clear that wherever they went in this town they were not safe.
SIX
Lacey turned to face Jude, staring into his brown eyes. His expression had grown serious as he pulled away from her. He stared at the floor and then rose to his feet.
The warmth of his embrace faded. She liked being close to him. Nearly dying in the freezer made her realize how much she’d missed out on in life. Some part of her had closed off and shut down after her parents and brother died. Her life had become about surviving. She didn’t want to live that way anymore. She pushed herself off the floor and reached out to touch Jude’s arm. Lacey felt as though she was on some kind of crazy roller coaster ride. She had no idea how to live differently. The irony was that now that she wanted a more abundant life, her physical well-being was under threat. Someone wanted her dead. “What do we do now?”
He turned to face her. “Are you hungry? First of all, we should maybe go upstairs and find some food.”
“I’m starving,” she said.
He tilted his head toward the ceiling. “While we’re up there, look closely at everybody around us. One of them could be the tall thin man. Try to remember anything you can.”
Her stomach had tightened into a hard knot.
“Let’s just be practical here, okay? We both need food in our bellies.” He must have recognized the fear in her expression. His voice held a note of tenderness. “I’ll stay near you.”
“I didn’t see him...at all this time.” She wrapped her arms around her body, feeling herself going numb. She didn’t want to think about any of this.
“Try to remember anything you can about today and last night’s attack, a smell, an article of clothing.” He touched her arm lightly at the elbow. “Food first. Let’s go upstairs.”
She managed a nod. Upstairs, most people had finished eating but many continued to sit and visit. The cacophony of voices made Lacey wince. Jude led her to a seat. He patted her shoulder. “You just sit. I’ll get the food.”
Lacey sat staring at the table, then she lifted her head and looked around. There were plenty of tall thin men. She saw the two hunters from the hotel. They nodded in recognition at her.
Jude set down a steaming bowl of soup in front of her along with a spoon, napkin and roll.
“They’re out of the salad,” he said.
He sat down beside her with his own bowl of soup.
She still didn’t feel like her brain was working at a hundred percent. She studied Jude’s face. Worry lines formed around his mouth and forehead. Muc
h too intense for a man so young. Always, from the first time she’d met him, there was a warmth in his eyes that made her feel drawn to him. He wasn’t wrong about her needing to stay close to him.
She tore the roll in half and dipped it in the soup. It tasted salty and comforting. She took several spoons full, relishing the warmth of it.
A man dressed in snow gear stepped up on the stage and tapped on a microphone that had been set up. The chatter in the room tapered off.
The man spoke in a clear voice. “I trust all of you have filled your bellies.”
The people nodded and laughed.
“For the few of you who are not from Lodgepole I am the mayor. I’ve been in radio contact with the weather service and we are looking at two more days before the roads are passable by car at the very least.”
Everyone groaned.
“If you are low on food or other cold weather supplies, please see my wife, Nancy, and she will issue you some. Another meal here at the school is planned for tomorrow. Right now, the most pressing thing is for us to check on the welfare of people in the cabins and homes outside the city. There may be people who need medical attention or food or they may not have heat. The roads should be passable by snowmobile. I need five sets of volunteers, two people in each team, to check on the residents and report back.”
Jude perked up. He squeezed Lacey’s shoulder. “We should do that.”
His remark caught her off guard.
“I can’t leave you here alone. It’s not safe.” He leaned closer and whispered in her ear. “I think the little girl might be in one of those houses that connects with that road.”
“Okay.” What else were they going to do, sit in their hotel room wrapped in blankets, watching in case someone tried to break in? Hang out with the townspeople so the attacker could have another crack at her? She was used to being outside in adverse conditions; she thrived on it. The safest place was with Jude.
They both raised their hands. The mayor nodded at them while several other people raised their hands, as well.
“Good, meet me back at my office in fifteen minutes. We’ll get you suited up and ready to go.”
She followed Jude out of the school into the whirling snow, realizing that a little girl’s life might depend on what they found at the houses.
* * *
Jude only had to ask one person on the street to find out that the mayor’s office was inside the bank because the mayor was also the bank manager. They hurried across town to the bank which had a single light on inside. The mayor came to the door and let them in.
“So glad you volunteered. You didn’t have to, being from out of town and all.” The mayor held out his hand. “I’m Lev Stevenson by the way.”
There was another team of two men coming up the street, as well. One of them was tall and thin. Jude needed to make sure they searched the cabins on the mountain road where his car had been run off the road. “I’m a little bit familiar with this area. I’ve driven on Mountain Sun Road close to Shadow Ridge.”
“You can have that area, then,” said Lev. “Come with me.” He led them to a back room that had snowsuits and helmets. “Find your size. The city owns several snowmobiles. They’re in the back lot. I’ll print out a list of the residences that connect with that road and the landmarks to look for. I’ll show you where they are on a map, as well.”
Lev pointed out that there were four homes on that road. Two that were occupied by locals and two that were seasonal cabins. The other two men came in and suited up. Jude watched Lacey shrink back.
“I don’t know if either of those cabins were occupied at the time of the storm,” said Lev.
One of those cabins had to be where the man was keeping Maria. Lev seemed like an honest man and he was not tall and thin, but he couldn’t say anything to Lev while the two other men were within earshot. “We should be able to hit all four residences?”
“Weather and conditions permitting,” said Lev.
Twenty minutes later, he and Lacey were suited up. Lev loaded a backpack of emergency supplies to the back of the snowmobile. He handed Lacey a radio as she got on behind Jude.
Several other teams had shown up, as well. Some were inside suiting up. Others already on their snowmobiles.
Lev pointed to the radio. “You can communicate for limited distances with that.”
“Thanks,” said Lacey as she put the radio in an inside pocket of the snowsuit. Both of them got into their helmets. Lev gave them a thumbs-up.
Lacey wrapped her arms around Jude and he took off on the snow-covered road. Snow had drifted across part of the road causing the snowmobile to bump along and catch air. Lacey held on even tighter.
Jude hoped that he had made the right decision. He couldn’t wait until the roads were cleared to try to find Maria. Every second counted. Since he could not communicate with George Ignatius, he had no idea if the ransom demand had been made yet. Maybe he could find the little girl, break her out and get her to safety.
He hoped too that he had made the right decision for Lacey’s safety. Staying back in town seemed to guarantee another attack. He suspected that it was just a matter of convenience to go after Lacey first at the school. She was more vulnerable than him. The kidnapper and whomever his accomplice was sure didn’t want him to solve this case.
Jude leaned forward, tucked in behind the snowmobile windshield as the cold stung the exposed part of his neck. The mountain road wound up and up. They passed the grove of trees where Lacey had parked her truck.
He twisted the throttle as the road became even more precarious. Lacey pressed in close and held on tight.
He slowed when they came to the place where his car had gone off the road. It was covered in drifts and barely visible. There were deep dents and grooves where he’d slid and then rolled over. He probably wouldn’t be able to get it towed out until spring, the least of his worries.
He’d studied the map before taking off. This main mountain road connected with several spur roads where there were houses. He had an obligation to check on the residents, but what he really wanted to do was see if anyone was in the cabins. Someone could be up here for hunting season, but they could also be holding a little girl in one of them.
Up ahead, Jude spotted a handmade signpost, a piece of wood shaped like an arrow. The wood looked like it may have at one time had something painted on it, but it was now too faded to make out. That had to be the first spur road. Lev had said that an old man lived there by himself.
Jude took the turn on the road. The road wound through forest that grew denser cutting out much of the midday light. Up ahead he saw a house. There was no smoke coming out of the chimney and the windows were dark. Not a good sign.
He stopped the snowmobile twenty feet from the front door. Lacey got off first, and he followed. They pulled off their helmets. The wind chilled his skin.
“Let’s hope he is open to having some visitors,” said Jude.
“Let’s hope he’s okay,” said Lacey.
They approached the dark house. Their boots crunched in the snow. Jude pulled his glove off, raised his hand and knocked on the door.
SEVEN
Lacey felt a tightening in her stomach as Jude pounded on the door. He pulled his hand away.
“What if he’s...frozen or hurt?” She turned to look around the place. There was one car now half-covered in snow, and no sign of a snowmobile. The wind rustled through the upper branches of the pines. It sure was isolated out here.
Jude raised his fist and knocked again. The knocking seemed to echo. He stepped back, letting his hands fall at his sides.
His expression was pensive.
“We should probably check around the property before we try to get inside, don’t you think?”
He put his finger to his lips indicating she needed to be quiet. “Do you hear that?”
She l
eaned toward the door, tilting her head. There was some sort of noise, far away but growing louder. Then she recognized it as the sound of several barking dogs. The barking increased in volume until they were right on the other side of the door.
“What did Lev say this guy’s name was?”
“Mr. Wilson. Angus was his first name.”
Jude stepped closer to the door and shouted to be heard above the dogs. “Mr. Wilson, are you in there? We’re from Lodgepole. We’ve come to check that you are safe.”
The dogs barked and then quieted. She could hear them moving around and whining.
Lacey pictured Mr. Wilson lying dead somewhere in the house.
“Mr. Wilson?”
A man came around from the side of the house dressed in coveralls, a knit cap and holding a rifle, which was aimed at them.
On impulse, Lacey threw her hands up. Her heart pounded wildly at the sight of the rifle.
Jude stepped in front of her. “Mr. Wilson?”
“Who wants to know?” the man said.
“We were sent from Lodgepole to check on your safety. We have a few supplies with us,” Jude said.
The rifle went slack in the man’s arms after he sized up Lacey and Jude. “I’m doing just fine. Sorry about the rifle. Some people use the storm for an opportunity to rob folks.”
Jude thought Angus’s place was a little bit inconveniently located for a robbery, but he understood the man’s fear, being alone and older.
“Is there anything you need?” Lacey stepped toward him. “The house is dark and there was no smoke coming out of the chimney.”
“I’m fine. I’ve been holed up in a little shed in the back that is easier to heat. I’ve got a little generator.” Angus Wilson tilted his head toward the sky and then stared down his long road. “I imagine it will be a few more days before the plows get up this way.”
“The mayor said it would take a couple days to open up the roads around town,” Lacey said. “Are you sure there is nothing we can help you with?”