White Mountain

by Dinah McCall

  “And?”

  “Oh…it’s about someone you don’t know. His name was John Running Horse and—“

  “But I do know him,” Jack said. “I talked to him only a couple of days ago. He was saying something about getting a guitar and going to Nashville…or Memphis. And he was talking about his mother.”

  “Yes, that’s him,” she said. “He’s dead.”

  “What happened?” Jack asked.

  “He was hitchhiking…at least, they think hw was…and he got hit by a car.” She sighed. “I guess he was finally on his way to Memphis.”

  “That’s too bad,” Jack said. “At least now he’ll be with his mother. A lady at the drugstore told me she’d been dead for years.”

  Isabella nodded. “It’s so sad. Makes you wonder why some people are born whole, while others are missing tiny bits.”

  “Was he your friend?” Jack asked.

  She shrugged. “He didn’t know how to have friends,” she said softly. “But I knew him, and I’m so sorry he’s dead.”

  Jack hugged her, because there was nothing else he could do. As he walked her into the lobby, he couldn’t help wondering about her state of mind. There had been far too much death in her life as it was, and he feared the worst wasn’t over yet.

  David saw them together and started to turn away, but Isabella waved him over.

  “Uncle David…I’ve just received the saddest news,” she said.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  “You know John Running Horse?”

  David’s expression stilled.

  “Yes, of course. What happened?”

  “He’s dead.”

  David’s shoulders slumped, and Jack would have sworn he heard the old man grunt.

  “How?” David asked.

  “He was hitchhiking and got hit by a car. They think he was finally on his way to Memphis. The woman who called me said he was halfway to Butte when it happened.”

  “Oh Lord,” David mumbled. “What a waste…what a waste.”

  Isabella hugged him, then patted his face.

  “We’re going out onto the terrace for a while. Would you like to join us?”

  “No. You don’t need a chaperone. Go enjoy yourselves. Life is far too short.”

  Isabella nodded, then glanced at Jack. He slipped his hand beneath her elbow and led her through the dining room.

  David watched them for a moment and then turned away. He needed to find the others and give them the news.

  Vasili Rostov was standing on the edge of a ravine with his binoculars, scanning the valley below. Something was happening at the hotel, and he didn’t think it had anything to do with the arrival of new guests.

  Four all-terrain vehicles and two large gray vans were parked in the lot, and there were at least a dozen men milling about, wearing what appeared to be army gear. Even from this distance, he could tell they were armed. Cursing himself for ever getting mixed up in this mess, he watched as they loaded up and headed toward the foot of White Mountain. A short while later they disappeared from view, but he knew what would come next. They would disperse into search teams. When that happened, he had better be gone.

  Wasting no time making his decision, he picked up his gear and started moving downward, veering left as he walked, constantly moving away from the last place he’d seen the men. As he walked, he kept pondering his options. He could get out now, go back to Russia and suffer the consequences. But the thought of spending his last years in disgraced exile disgusted him. He’d spent his life in service to his country and even given up a hard-won retirement to carry out this mission for Mother Russia. He wasn’t going to give her the rest of his life just because of one old man’s untimely death.

  There was also Brighton Beach. It was a place where a man like him could get lost. It wouldn’t take much to change his appearance. If he shaved his head and kept growing his beard, he would be completely unrecognizable. But there was the question of money. What he’d come with was almost gone.

  He’d made a mistake going after the woman. He knew that now. She was obviously valuable enough to the men, but she was also too visible. Getting a hostage out of a hotel full of guests and remaining undetected wasn’t going to happen up here. There was no city to get lost in, no traffic to slow everyone down. The wide-open spaces that housed few inhabitants also afforded little cover in which to hide. There were only the trees and the mountains, and in a situation like that, two men with some good tracking dogs could find them within hours.

  But he still had the diary. There had to be something to be gained from it. As he walked, it slowly came to him, and by the time he reached the foothills, he knew exactly what he was going to do.

  It was sundown when Rostov reached the valley. Staying well within the trees, he circled the rear of the hotel grounds until he came to the old gardener’s shed. Confident it would be the last place where they would look for him, he slipped inside and tossed his things beneath a work bench. With one last look toward the hotel to make sure he’d gotten in unobserved, he went to his old room, then shoved a chair beneath the knob and crawled onto the bed. There was just enough time to rest before he put his plan into motion.

  Isabella entered the dining room just as the waitress who’d taken her uncles’ orders was leaving. When they saw her, they smiled and waved her over.

  “Darling…won’t you join us?” David asked.

  “I’d love to,” she said, and then let her gaze rest on Thomas, who’d been released from the hospital earlier that day.

  “Uncle Thomas, are you sure you’re up to this? I could bring a tray to your room if you’d rather.”

  “No, dear, I’m fine, and I’m sorry I gave everyone such a scare. Nothing’s wrong with me except old age.”

  She smiled, but looking around the table at their dear, familiar faces made her heart ache. She’d thought she knew these men as well as she knew herself, and now, for the first time in her life, she felt as if she were looking at strangers.

  “I’ll just catch the waitress and give her my order. Be back in a few,” she said.

  As soon as she was gone, they huddle.

  “She’s upset with us,” Jasper said. “I could tell it when she and that Dolan man came to pick us up at the hospital.”

  John frowned. “I don’t think so. She’s just upset at the whole situation. She has no reason to be upset with us.”

  David shook his head. “Oh, but she does,” he muttered. “She’s not stupid, and that Federal agent is bound to have said some things to her that she doesn’t understand. God only knows what he found out, but one thing’s for sure, he knows about Frank.”

  “Why do you say that?” Rufus asked.

  “He was looking right at me when he announced that the man who killed Frank was Russian. He was watching for my reaction. That tells me he suspects a lot more than he can prove.”

  “Then what are we going to do?” Thomas asked.

  “I don’t know,” David said. “If you come up with any ideas, let me know.”

  “We could always disappear again,” Jasper said.

  The other four moaned in unison.

  “We’re too old,” Thomas said.

  “And there’s Isabella,” David added. “We are not going to abandon her.”

  “I don’t think she would be alone,” John said. “She’s getting involved with Dolan.”

  “How do you know that?” Thomas asked.

  “She spent the night in his room after the attack.”

  “Yes, but did you ever think it could be because he felt she needed to be guarded?” Rufus asked.

  “She likes him,” David said. “I’ve known that for days.”

  Rufus leaned closer, lowering his voice even more.

  “Do you think it’s mutual?”

  David watched Isabella from across the room. Her elegance was inherent with her beauty. Just like her mother’s had been.

  “It it’s not, he’s crazy,” David said. “And by the way,
where is Dolan?”

  “He went with the search team to get them started. Said he was going to show them where he found the Russian knife. But he said he’d be back. Didn’t want to leave Isabella unguarded at night.”

  Before they could say anything more on the subject, Isabella returned. She sat down in her chair, groaning softly as she stretched, then leaned back.

  “My feet are killing me,” she muttered. “What a day this has been.” Then she looked up, aware that the uncles were staring at her. “What?”

  “Nothing,” David said quickly, and gave her a smile. “What are you having for dinner?”

  “Trout with steamed asparagus tips.”

  “So am I,” Thomas said.

  She leaned over and patted his hand, then brushed a wayward strand of white hair away from his forehead.

  “We always did like the same things, didn’t we, Uncle Thomas?”

  He beamed, pleased by her attention and the fact that they shared something so common as their taste in food.

  “Yes, we did. Remember how you used to crawl up in my lap and dig through my coat pockets for my M&M’s?”

  Isabella chuckled. “Those were mine all along. You just pretended they were yours to hear me squeal.”

  They laughed aloud, and the moment passed. A few minutes later their food began to arrive and the banter between the men increased. A lump came up in Isabella’s throat as she watched them. They were so dear to her heart. How could she confront them without hurting their feelings?

  “Isabella?”

  “Hmm? What? I’m sorry, Uncle John, what did you say?”

  He pointed. “The pepper. Would you please pass the pepper?”

  “Oh. Sure.”

  She handed it over, then looked past the diners to the French doors that led to the terrace. It was almost dark. Jack had gone with the search team earlier. She wondered when he would come back.

  “Isabella, isn’t you trout to your liking?” David asked.

  Startled by the question, she dropped the bite of trout on her fork back onto the plate.

  “If I answer your question, will you answer one of mine?” she fired back.

  David felt himself pale but managed to smile.

  “Why, darling…if I didn’t know you better, I’d think you were angry with us.”

  She took a deep breath. Just say it. “I don’t think ‘angry’ is the right word,” she said. “But I am upset.”

  “Why?” Thomas asked. “What have we done?”

  David glared at his old friend. His wording left them open to all kinds of questions, none of which he wanted to address.

  “I don’t know,” she said. “And that’s the trouble. I think you’re keeping something from me, and you know it’s not fair.”

  “What on earth makes you say that?” Jasper asked. “you know you mean the world to us all.”

  “Jack Dolan has a picture.”

  David’s heart skipped a beat.

  “What kind of a picture, darling?”

  “It’s an old picture, taken in the early seventies, I believe. It’s of seven men in business suits in the act of boarding a plane. There’s also a woman, but you can’t see her face, and two pilots. They’re just going up the ramp.”

  She heard a quick intake of breath from one of the men to her right, but she wouldn’t take her gaze from David.

  “I didn’t recognize all of them, but one of the men is Daddy, so I’m guessing the woman is my mother. I also recognized Uncle Frank. And, Uncle David, I think you’re in the picture, too.”

  David frowned, pretending to test his memory, although it wasn’t necessary. He knew damn well what picture she was referring to. It was the last time he’d been called Anton Spicer.

  “My problem is, Jack has a picture of my family and he won’t tell me why. I know it has something to do with Uncle Frank’s murder and with what’s happening now. That’s why I’m upset. Now finish you food before it gets cold. The cook made peach cobbler for dessert, and I know it’s your favorite.”

  David nodded. “That it is,” he said. “That it is.”

  They resumed their meal, but the atmosphere at the table was no longer light and cheery.

  Isabella wanted to cry. Instead, she took another piece of fish and popped it into her mouth, forcing herself to chew and swallow, although it was suddenly tasteless. She made herself find a topic of discussion that wouldn’t cause them any more pain.

  “So, Uncle David…I understand the Silvia family will be leaving tomorrow. How did her procedure go?”

  Glad to have something else to talk about, David nodded and smile.

  “It went well, I think, although you know how risky these things are. Only time and God will tell. And I think they’ve already checked out.”

  “Really? Well, I hope for her sake it’s successful,” Isabella said. “I’ve never seen a woman so desperate for a child.”

  David nodded, then pointed at Jasper. “Would you please pass the bread?” he asked.

  Jasper passed the basket of rolls and their meal progressed. It wasn’t until they were finishing dessert and Isabella started to get up the David took her by the hand.

  “I’m sorry you feel hurt,” he said softly.

  “So am I, Uncle David.”

  He looked at her closely, searching her face for signs of anger, but he saw nothing other than anxiety.

  “Before you go to bed tonight, come to my room. We’ll talk.”

  Her eyes lit from within, and her mouth curved in a smile.

  “Really?”

  “Yes, really.”

  “I’ll be there.” Then she bent down and kissed his forehead. “Thank you, Uncle David. Thank you so much.”

  The moment she was out of hearing distance, the table erupted in a series of gasps and hisses.

  “Have you lost your mind?” Rufus asked.

  “What are you going to say?” John countered.

  “You can’t tell,” Thomas argued. “We promised Samuel.”

  “Shut up, all of you,” Jasper said. “David knows what he’s doing.”

  David shook his head. “I don’t know what I’m going to say, but she deserves some kind of an answer.”

  “Are you going to lie to her?” Thomas asked.

  David’s shoulders slumped. “I’ll do what’s necessary to keep her safe. We all will. Is that understood?”

  They nodded in agreement as the table went suddenly silent.

  “This isn’t good, is it?” Rufus finally asked.

  “No,” David said. “And it hasn’t been for a long, long time.”

  Rostov rolled to the side of the bed and sat up. It was 10:15. The old men would be in their rooms by now, although the dining room would still be open. Plenty of time to do what he had to do and still get out undetected.

  He crept through the shed and then peered through the window. There was no moon, and except for the security lights at the edges of the grounds, the night was dark—perfect for what he had in mind. He moved to the opposite side of the shed and looked toward White Mountain. Somewhere up there, the search team had bedded down for the night. A small grin tilted one corner of his mouth as he thought of them looking for him in that wilderness. They could look for days for all he cared. They wouldn’t find him. No one found the Hawk unless he wanted to be found.

  He didn’t think any guards had been left at the hotel, but it wouldn’t take him long to find out. Fingering the knife at his belt and the gun in his pocket, he slipped out of the shed and disappeared into the darkness.

  Jack squatted down beside Travis as another agent sat nearby, running a ground check on some aerial surveillance equipment. Overhead, he could hear a circling helicopter.

  “What’s he doing?” Jack asked, pointing to the man behind Travis.

  “Checking to see if we’re online with the chopper above us.”

  They’ve got heat-seeking radar on board. It’ll give us a picture of anything warm-blooded that’s on the move.”
>
  Jack shook his head as he stood. “you better tell them I’m leaving camp so they won’t think I’m the target,” he said.

  Travis frowned. “You aren’t going back down this mountain in the dark?”

  Jack nodded. “I’m not leaving Isabella alone and I’m already later than I’d planned. She’s not safe until Ross is found.”

  “I’ll send a couple of my men with you.”

  “No need. I’ll travel faster alone. Besides, you’ve got your thing to do. I’ve got mine.”

  Travis grinned. “Damn it, Dolan, that’s not fair. Yours is prettier.”

  Jack ignored the taunt and shouldered his rifle.

  “Remember what I said. Tell the eye in the sky up there to cut me some slack.”

  “Got your radio?” Travis asked.

  Jack patted the two-way hooked to his belt.

  “Yep, and if I see any boogers, I’ll give a yell.”

  “We’ve already swept the lower east quadrant. We’re starting on the upper side now.”

  Jack said. “With no moon and the trees so thick you can hardly see through tem, it’s not safe to be moving around up here after dark. You’re not familiar with this place. One wrong step and someone’s going to fall off the mountain.”

  “This isn’t the first time we’ve conducted a search in the dark,” Travis said.

  “Fine,” Jack said. “You’re the expert on tracking. Just keep me posted and let me know if you need anything.”

  “Will do,” Travis said.

  Jack looked back at the camp one last time, then turned on his flashlight and headed down the trail. Once he left the perimeter of the search camp, he was immediately swallowed up by the forest. If the path had not been so well defined, it would have been easy to get lost.

  The farther he moved down the mountain, the more aware he became of the sounds above him. Unless Victor Ross had suddenly gone deaf, he had to know what was happening, and if he was the Hawk, as they suspected, there was no way he was hiding in a hole somewhere. He would be on the move and getting as far away from White Mountain as possible.

  But what if he wasn’t? Jack thought. What if he was still willing to risk his life to get what he’d come for? Suddenly anxious to talk to Isabella, he unclipped his cell phone from his belt and dialed the number for the hotel.