Some outdoorswoman I make.
On her hikes, she always carried water, granola, and the like. Tonight? Nothing, not even gloves. What she wouldn’t give for dry socks and a baseball bat. A small laugh escaped through frigid lips when she realized she had no way to hold a weapon.
What’s that snuffling sound?
Terror, suffocating and complete, choked her as she imagined someone breathing. She managed to inhale a deep breath. Cold air numbed her throat, but her belly heated when the handsome face of the man she loved came to mind. Destiny suddenly knew what was important.
Hope eased her mind when she realized the sound was only the wind whipping through the dried leaves. She had to keep moving. Jacob would find her before it was too late.
“I know he will.”
Commanding both of her bitterly cold feet to keep walking, she crept from her hiding spot, then continued up the coal-black trail. The scent of towering pine trees no longer comforted her.
The forest trail she loved to hike by day had turned treacherous on a snowy, moonless night. Nocturnal creatures, falling limbs, and other dangers lurked amid the shadows.
The pungent aroma of moist, muddied earth tickled her nose. The trail and trees no longer cocooned her within a sense of calm. Tonight, its sodden surface and the stones jutting out sprouted memories of ghostly graveyards and heartbreaking funeral pavilions. Wind-swept mountain air seared her lungs with its icy breath.
The more she transformed into a land-locked iceberg, the less her nose’s deadened senses were able to recognize smells. Her limbs shivered and flapped like sails in a mighty breeze. Her thighs strained with each step, moving like blocks of ice. Under a moonless night, she struggled along. The icy mist of her breath flew back on the breeze and slapped both frozen cheeks. Born near this mountain, she’d climbed its cliffs and hiked its trails many times, but never in conditions so raw.
Can I do this? I have to, or the bastard wins.
With hard-earned distance between her and the faceless voice and, she hoped, her stalker, she slowed to a crawl. Still blinded by darkness and sleet, safety required she tread with care. Tonight’s objective was simple: stay alive and escape her pursuer.
Her numb fingertips groped at her zipper. Her ice-encrusted throat trembled with pleasure as soon as the ski jacket closed tight against her chin. Staying warm was prudent. Bending over, to keep the brisk wind at bay, Destiny crept along the unending tunnel of darkness. Familiarity with the path aided her, and November’s early snowfall muffled her footsteps. His, too. Fury bubbled out of her in the absolute quiet, and she fought to keep silent.
This mountain belongs to me, not that lowlife scum. Rage caused a low growl to escape just before a spasm rocked her throat. She sucked in a breath then stifled a cough. All she could do was continue her cautious journey and pray she’d lost him.
“Don’t slow down. Anger, hatred, and death approach.”
The moment the voice called to her, Destiny shivered from cold and renewed fear. The warning made her resume her hasty retreat, while both bare hands flailed in front to guide her way. Why hadn’t she grabbed her wool gloves and hat?
“Please. Who are you?” she asked the voice. “Why can’t you run with me? The two of us can fight him. Please talk to me.” Her whispered pleas went unanswered. Still, courage shot through her with the realization someone helpful ran nearby.
Destiny concentrated on deleting the vision of her confrontation with her stalker. She based calling him a stalker on their history, but to call him a rapist or even a murderer had no basis. Unless…
Could he have had anything to do with that college girl’s death?
What did he plan to do if the unthinkable happened and he caught her? She couldn’t give him that chance.
When she forced open her eyes, the sleet had lessened, but total darkness lingered, and she remembered that these woods were home to bear, coyotes, and bobcats. She swallowed the new fear and moved forward. The madman chasing her was the real unknown. Fear spurred her frantic race up the mountain. Destiny’s feet managed to move, but their once rock-steady gait turned as wobbly as a foal on newborn legs. Numbness had taken over. Both knees locked up. Calf muscles burned with the physical exertion of running higher and higher. She’d tripped several times on unseen tree roots.
“What I wouldn’t give for a chance to sit down and rest.” The wind did not answer her plea. The path grew slick as the snow continued to fall like an icy blanket. If she kept running, she’d most likely fall flat on her face.
Destiny picked her way up the mountain trail by touch and sound, squinting through the darkness. A soft glow of unknown origin lit the path above. Unearthly light reflected off fat, white snowflakes, guiding her in silence.
Relief proved brief when the blackened outline of something large and low to the ground appeared. She inhaled to steady her nerves before reaching out with caution, allowing her fingers to tap along its shadowy form.
Happily, the object was not human. Cloaked by rough layers of bark and prickly branches, a soft, dry spot on its rigid form beckoned her closer. The huge dead tree lay on the snowy earth next to Wolf Rock Trail. It felt at least six feet in circumference. Wondering how long it had lain there, she realized she’d never noticed it before. Could she have lost her favorite trail? Had she taken a wrong turn in the dark? Or, had its bulk lain buried behind thick forest vegetation recently killed by the frost?
The night was still too dark for her to verify her location. Ice-cold fingers brushed away the snow as she pictured the color of its rough bark. Destiny shivered, slid her hands over the log’s rough surface, then sat. To stop here invited danger, but her body screamed for a small respite. She sat on the hard, cold log and listened to the night sounds.
Snowflakes made gentle tapping sounds on overhead branches. An arctic gust jiggled branches above her, as the flakes fell toward the earth. Dried leaves rustled as the weight of the snow sucked the weighted branches toward the wet ground. Something skittered in the underbrush and a night bird sang in the distance, both muted by the weather.
With numb fingers, she reached out and slid along a branch until she touched a dried leaf. Before she could decipher its species, the leaf crumbled, releasing the pungent odor of decay. Such a simple aroma gave her reason to pause and inhale. The earthy scent soothed her, reminding her of sweeter days spent hiking these woods.
When Jacob Oliver’s face flooded her vision, a smile cracked her frostbit lips. They’d shared the magic of these woods on one enchanted September afternoon. They had met by accident, but memories of that day conjured up a pleasurable gush of warmth, deep inside. What grew between them had felt real. Endless.
What a joke!
Destiny shook her head to clear her mind of such frivolities, as she brushed away accumulating snow from her hair and arms. Usually, she welcomed a night full of odd sounds, but whispers on the frigid wind reminded her of her precarious location. Where had the owner of that mysterious voice gone? Could she count on the stranger to warn her if danger still loomed?
She’d run for hours. Her unknown friend proved helpful. But, why wouldn’t she reveal herself? If her stalker came across the mystery woman, she’d also be in danger. Would the monster take out his rage on the owner of the mysterious voice? Groaning, Destiny’s frozen mind had no answer of how to send a warning.
“Worry about yourself.”
Trembling with fright at the ghostly answer to her unspoken words, Destiny tried to get her frozen body to moving, to no avail. Bending forward, she hugged her knees for warmth with childlike despair. Suppressing tears, she told herself to breathe.
Earlier today, she’d been a healthy adult woman. Tonight, her body betrayed her. Frosty air stung her nose, and her throat felt like she’d inhaled shaved ice. Her chest heaved as if crying out for oxygen, and weariness threatened her very existence. The attack’s adrenaline rush had dissipated hours earlier. Destiny listened to her body and forced her lungs to take slow, deep bre
aths and to do it as quiet as possible.
She squinted. A dark shape grew closer. Was it him? Had he found her? Staring into the darkness, she urged her eyes to adjust. With fragments of light coming from somewhere up the trail, her eyes grew accustomed to the night. Gazing down the pathway, something moved by the trees, but it seemed bigger than a man.
A bear? Shouldn’t they be hibernating by now?
It moved closer and a snuffling sound escaped. Bushes to the left of the trail shook.
CRASH!
CHAPTER 17
Whatever was crashing through the undergrowth was coming closer, and Destiny held her breath. She squinted, and when his musky scent wafted her way, she recognized her visitor. Her body relaxed. The moose stopped so close that its warm breath dried her sleet-encrusted cheeks. It must have smelled her, because it grunted, then trotted off up the trail.
Moments later, sweat froze against her skin. Comfortable as this log might feel, she’d freeze to death if she stayed put. A new game plan was in order, if she wanted to take control of her life. First, she’d stand and see if her legs had the strength to hold her weight. Accomplishing that, she’d continue her journey up to Falcon Ridge. Maybe she’d spot a climber who would offer protection.
During the night? In November?
In weather such as this, no one in their right mind would be out at all. With no possibility of heading back down the main trail, since that maniac probably followed close behind, she focused on an image of a trail map in her head. He was somewhere between her and safety, but other trails curled around the mountain. Darkness urged her to stay on the one trail she knew best, but she worried that she had veered off onto a smaller trail. Once daylight arrived, she could escape another way. The man chasing her was athletic, but he wasn’t as fast, or he would have caught her by now. Besides, the moose hadn’t smelled him, which proved he lagged far behind.
Where was Jacob? She could really use his company right about now. What was he doing at this moment? Was he home asleep in his bed? Did he sleep alone? He never called her or just stopped by. He ignored her at the dining hall and rarely said a word the few times they met in town. She couldn’t enjoy a plate of apple crisp without recalling their weekend together.
Still, that time he came upon her in the store brought a warm rush of desire that warned her from the inside out. He’d been about to suggest something before Josie turned up and ruined everything.
Shivering, and on the verge of tears, she knew she had to take control of her own destiny, and save herself. The blackness of the woods proved both a curse and a comfort.
If I can’t see my stalker coming, then the jerk can’t see me.
Holding her breath, she cocked her head and listened to the dark, filled with the crackling of snapping twigs amid something shuffling through dead leaves.
A light blanket of crunchy snow coated the trail, which added to the bitter cold of a moonless sky. At least a partial moon would have given her a chance to see the man chasing her. Her only advantage over her hunter was that she knew this mountain better. Every twist and turn, every rock and gorge was imprinted in her brain. This was her home, not his.
Gathering her wits, she was sure she had not yet passed her favorite waterfall. Opportunity Falls lay off a side trail, near the top, but offered no caves or overhangs in its cliffs, in which to hide.
If it wasn’t winter, she’d be able to hide inside the pool or even behind the foaming falling waters, but its water would have slowed to a trickle, and the pool was either dangerously cold or frozen over. The last thing she needed was to get any wetter.
Falling snow saturated her jeans even though she continued to brush it off. Her palms were damp from wiping snow from her bare head and face. She was freezing up fast.
As she trudged along, Destiny wished she could see clearly, but that wasn’t going to happen any time soon. She ran, surrounded by trees and heavy vegetation. The forest would thin as she got closer to the treeless peak called Falcon Ridge. There, only small bushes and granite boulders dotted the flat plateau. Once she reached the top, she’d have to find something large enough to hide behind.
She’d spent her visits to the summit staring at the valley below. The panoramic view was worth the long hike and she enjoyed it every time, but she wished for a hiding place, not an awe-inspiring view.
Destiny forced her frozen body to move as quietly as possible. By the time she reached the top, daylight would have arrived. To survive the night, she needed to stop and hide until dawn.
She scanned the eerie darkness the best she could and listened to the night noises. The quiet was complete. Memories of the last time she’d hiked this trail caused a slight smile to pull at her frozen lips. Meeting Jacob had been fate, and she’d felt an instant bond of trust that let her relax and love him.
“So, Jacob Oliver,” she whispered, “Where the heck are you?”
***
As Jacob’s Land Rover clawed its way up the snow-covered dirt road toward Destiny’s small cabin, he noticed the faint snow-filled depression of tire tracks. They veered off and disappeared up a side road leading to what appeared to be a private logging operation. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled against the collar of his ski jacket collar. Loggers had stopped working weeks ago. Could the tracks belong to local deer hunters getting set for a dawn deer hunt?
He’d seen a poster advertising last night’s hunter’s dinner at the fire department. Too bad he’d missed it. As if he and woodsmen had anything in common. He liked to hike the woods, not walk through dense forest with a rifle over his shoulder. Grief made his chest tighten the moment he remembered that hunters had discovered the grisly remains of Cindy Nelson.
When his tires spun, he eased back on the gas, then continued through the lightly falling flakes. The sun, pushing its way up over the horizon, would soon turn this road to mud. As his rear bumper suddenly swung to the left, he cranked the wheel and tapped his brakes. Running off the road into a tree would make a perfect ending.
***
“Back to reality, Destiny dear,” she moaned, “because you’re in the middle of nowhere, and no one knows you’re gone.”
She plodded on and thought about the cabin she’d turned into a home. She was furious with the jerk that chased her up the mountain. No way was he ever going to touch her again. The feel of his hands, his wet kisses, and his assumptions that she’d gladly jump into his bed still lingered. She had to keep going, because he could be getting closer. Maniacs like him puzzled her. She hardly knew the man, barely spoke to him, but he insisted on propositioning her any time she ran into him around town or on campus…and the increasing frequency of those encounters gave her the creeps.
The adrenaline that shot through her veins, when she had encountered the moose, had faded. She plodded along, listless as a rag doll. She had to keep moving, even if she dragged her feet, and fought the urge to lie down and rest. Neither the jerk chasing her nor the frigid November air was going to bring her down tonight.
***
As his Land Rover skated around the last bend, Jacob spied the lights of her cabin straight ahead. She was home, and probably awake. The illuminated cabin blazed through the darkness like a New England lighthouse.
His heart leapt.
As he got closer, he spied her rusty VW van parked in the yard. He pulled up next to it and cut his engine. Squinting, he stared at her cabin and scratched his head.
“What am I looking at?” Something wasn’t right. Sudden comprehension chilled Jacob’s blood. Jumping from the Land Rover, he sprinted to the cabin. Sliding to a stop on her small front porch, he stared at the broken glass and splintered wood.
“Destiny!” No answer. He scanned the small living room, then picked his way over the debris, to her bedroom. He threw open her bedroom door and flicked on the light. She had not slept in her bed, even though morning approached. Pushing away memories of making love with her in that bed, he checked the bathroom.
Damn! Empty.
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Returning to the living room to gather his thoughts, he ran shaking fingers through his hair. Ingrained police training made him pause and listen while he used other senses to figure out what happened.
“Evil is after her. She needs you. Hurry!” the ghostly voice said.
He’d finally recognized the voice. Grief filled his chest as he thought of the poor woman he’d found raped and near death that night in Boston, who had died in his arms, his last night as a cop.
“Pain does not define your life,” the voice whispered.
“What the heck do you mean by that? I want to understand, but at the same time I have to focus on the cabin.” The chilled breeze swirled inside through the shattered front door, while a noise coming from the back of the house grabbed his attention. The back door banged open with the wind.
“What went on here? Where has she gone?”
***
The November night was winning. Destiny’s feet barely supported her numb legs and shivering torso. If she sat down for a while, she’d be able to rest her legs—especially if she lay down out of the wind—but she knew to stop brought other dangers besides allowing her stalker to reach her. If she fell asleep, hypothermia might kill her. She’d heard of people found naked in the snow. They’d tossed off their clothes when the cold addled their brains. Josie told her some horrible stories about rescues that hadn’t gone well. A night without shelter killed strong, athletic mountain climbers.
I have to stay awake, keep walking, and stay fully dressed.
An owl hooted from a high perch. Something skittered through the underbrush. She froze in her tracks until she realized it was too small to be a man. When she fled her cabin, the terror she’d felt at the sound of her assailant crashing through her door, had subsided. Her mind turned to the puzzles of the night’s events, such as what had brought him to her cabin?
And where was Jacob? They’d hardly seen each other since that fateful weekend, and she hadn’t had time to talk to him in town. She knew he had wanted to do more than stroke her cheek. Had she wanted him to do more?
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