by Brian Quest
“I promise you this: If you scream, the tape will go back on,” James said. Debbie knew he wasn’t joking around, so she nodded. He gently pulled the tape off of her face, and then sat, staring at her.
“Thank you.” Debbie was trying to think quickly, knowing she had to do something to get warm. “Can we have a fire? I’m so cold.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Why?” She asked the question but already knew the answer.
“I think we both know why that’s just not an option.”
“It will be fine. They won’t know where we are.”
James grew annoyed and snapped at Debbie, “Stop it! There will be no fire.”
Scared, having not seen that side of James before, Debbie stopped talking. James walked away, hearing her soft cries, and didn’t seem to even care; he never turned around to look at her. She sat there, her back against a giant evergreen tree. She shivered violently, and wasn’t sure if it was because she was so cold or because she was so scared. She cried softly, wishing she were home with her family.
When James came to live on the ranch, it was instantly obvious he was taken by Debbie’s beauty. There was an attraction that nobody missed; a one-sided attraction. He made Debbie uncomfortable. She didn’t like the way he looked at her, so usually she wouldn’t even look him in the eye. She avoided doing any chores that he took part in, and her father didn’t mind. Now, as she looked across the way at the man that supposedly loved her, all she saw was a monster.
She had been gone only for a day, but she felt like she hadn’t seen her family in years. While the men discussed what their plan was, she worked on the ties that bound her wrists, careful not to let the men see her movements. She almost could hear what they were saying; single words breaking through the mumbled sentences. She wished she could hear more.
To pass the time and calm herself, Debbie remembered the last camping trip her family took before her mother passed away. It was before the world changed, and back when life was simple. They didn’t have to worry about people trespassing on their property. They didn’t have to worry so much about their safety. They were all together, and living life as a complete family.
There were two tents, one for her mom and dad, and one for her and her sisters. They faced each other, with the fire pit in the middle. They fished in the stream, and cooked their catch over the fire while they sang songs. Her father played the guitar after dinner, while her mother sang songs from when they were younger. She had the voice of an angel, and Debbie could remember the way her father would look at her as she sang; he was so in love with her, and it warmed her heart. At night, right before bed, her dad would tell them silly but scary ghost stories and then send them to bed. A smile started to form as she remembered how scared her two youngest sisters would be in the dark of the tent, and how she and Connie would comfort them.
She almost forgot where she was and what was happening. With her eyes closed, she almost could feel the warmth of the fire, but when she opened her eyes she was snapped back into reality. The truth was, she was facing a horrible situation, and she needed to change the balance of power to one that was in her advantage. She knew she had to try again to make him see how important it was for them to have a fire.
While Debbie struggled to figure out what to do. Darkness was falling, and her family still was searching feverishly for her. Thomas went back to the house to stay with Amy and Beth, while Keith and Stewart set out with Andrew and Connie to venture out beyond the borders of the ranch. Because of the seriousness of the situation, the group stuck together, searching the paths they knew Debbie was comfortable with.
“Debbie!” Andrew shouted. They had started out not wanting to alert anyone that they were coming, but then decided that, even if she couldn’t respond, maybe hearing their voices would give her hope that they were close.
Connie was almost in tears as she shouted her sister’s name over and over again. Debbie was the one who helped her get through the death of their mother, and she couldn’t even begin to think about what it would be like to have to go through every day without her. The more she thought about her sister out there somewhere, cold and afraid, the more frantic her pace became. Soon, the men were having a hard time keeping up with her.
“Connie, you need to slow down,” her father said. “Here, you need a drink of water.” Andrew handed her thermos from his pack. They had decided they would fill the containers with hot water so they could hydrate and stay warm at the same time.
Connie drank the water, secretly wondering if Debbie had that same luxury. It struck her as odd that she would consider warm water a luxury, and it sent shivers down her spine. “Dad, we need to keep moving.”
“Well,” Keith said, “Let’s get going then.” He smiled at her, and it was a warm and kind smile that made her feel a little better. Aside from her sisters and father, Keith was Connie’s best friend. He was the one who taught her how to swing the axe just right to chop the fire wood, and he was the one that she would talk to when she and Debbie got into an argument. She was glad he was there to help find her sister.
As they walked, they struggled to see in the growing darkness. Even with flashlights, they only had a small area of light, and it was frustrating. They spread out in a line, hoping to cover more ground. Within moments, they came across something that none of them wanted to see. Laying on the ground, almost covered by fallen leaves and brush, Connie saw the necklace glimmering in the glow of the flashlight. It was the one their mother had given her for her Sweet 16; silver with crystals, and in the shape of an owl, her favorite bird. She bent down and picked it up, a single tear rolling down her cheek.
“What is it, Sweetheart?” Her father asked, draping his arm around her shoulders.
“She never would leave this behind on purpose. Something bad has happened,” she said as she handed the necklace to her father.
Andrew held it as if it was the most fragile item on Earth, and stared. He remembered vividly the day Sandra gave it to Debbie, and his daughter’s reaction to it. He smiled softly and was so happy to see the chain was not broken. He turned Connie around so her back was toward him and put the necklace on her. “You wear it and keep it safe. You can give it to her when we find her.” He turned her back around, looked deep into her eyes and then said, “We will find her.”
“Oh, Daddy,” she said, and fell into his arms. She tried so hard, all of the time, to be strong and mature. Sometimes he wondered who was really the older daughter, Connie or Debbie. At that moment, all he saw was a frightened little girl.
“Come on, let’s keep looking,” he said, holding her hand. Together, they walked over to where Keith and Stewart stood, waiting.
“I think we should keep on this path. It leads to the stream.” Steward spoke with confidence, and Andrew was thankful that the twins understood how fragile Connie was at that moment.
While her family was out looking for her, Debbie continued shivering. No matter how tightly she pulled her coat around her, she just couldn’t get warm. She looked over at the four men, huddled together, plotting and scheming. She knew she had to do something.
“Hey, James?” she said.
James walked over to her and sat down on the ground next to her. “What?”
“I’m really cold. Can we please have just a small fire? It’s dark now, so nobody will see the smoke.”
“I really don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Well, I think it’s stupid to be out here without a fire. Are you wanting to freeze to death? It’s got to be almost freezing out here now.”
“I can’t risk your father finding us.” James was firm in his decision to not have a fire, but Debbie was not about to give up.
“My father never would come out here to look for me. He knows this is the one place I never would go…no matter what the case was.”
“Why do you say that?” James was curious.
“Because this is bear territory, and it’s the worst time of year to be out he
re.”
James was from the city, so when he heard it was bear territory, his expression changed instantly. “Is there really a lot of bears out here?”
Almost in a laugh, Debbie replied, “Tons and, just for your information, this is the time of year when bears go out in search of their last meals before hibernation. They are very aggressive right now, and won’t hesitate to eat whatever they can.” She said what she said hoping it would scare the life out of James, and it seemed to be working. “You might want to fill in your friends on that little tidbit of information, too. They seem to be a little too comfortable right now.”
James sat there for a moment and then asked, “Will a fire keep them away?”
“It definitely will help.” Debbie was starting to relax just slightly. She knew he was ready to cave.
James walked over to the three men sitting about ten yards away and said, “We need to light a fire,” as he walked. He stood there with his friends for a minute, and explained to them what he just had learned. After a short debate, Debbie saw the men all nod in approval, and then James returned to Debbie.
“Fine, we will build a small fire, but we have to wait a while first.”
“Why? Didn’t you hear me? You need to keep the bears at bay. We can’t do that in the dark.”
“If we make a fire now, someone still could see the smoke. I’m sure they are out looking for you, and if they don’t see the smoke, they still could smell a fire burning. We have to wait until it’s safe.”
Even though she was relieved he had agreed to make a fire, Debbie was extremely frustrated that she would have to wait until later. With each minute that passed, the evening air grew colder and colder, and the woods grew darker and darker.
While Debbie waited as patiently as she could, her family was about to make a tough decision. It was dark, and cold, and Andrew knew it would do nobody any good if they all got sick or, even worse, if they all died from hypothermia or a bear attack.
“I think for now, we need to get back to the house.”
“Dad, no. We have to keep looking.”
Knowing how hard it was for his daughter to hear him say that, he said, “I know, but first we need to get back and check on your sisters. I’m sure they are beside themselves with worry, not just for Debbie, but for us, too. We can check on them and get some hot food in us.”
“Then we will go back out?”
“Then you and Keith will stay with your sisters and Stewart and Thomas and I will go back out and search the other side of the property.”
“I want to go with you.”
“Your sisters need you, Connie. They are just as scared as you are.”
Feeling bad that she had left them at the house for so long to worry, Connie knew her father was right and reluctantly nodded her head. The four of them made their way back to the house. When they stepped into the warmth of their fortress, Connie realized just how cold it was outside. Shivering, she went to her sisters and hugged them tight.
“Did you find her?” Amy asked.
“Not yet, but they will. We need to eat dinner and rest for a few minutes. It’s really cold out there.”
Beth rushed to the kitchen and got them some bowls and brought the bread into the living room. “It’s not as good as your bread, but it still tastes pretty good,” Beth said and handed her sister a thick slice. Connie took a bite and said, “You did a great job. I think you did it better than I do!” Hearing that eased some of Beth’s worries, and she went to fill the bowls with stew.
The family, minus Debbie, sat in silence as they ate; nobody knew what to say. When they were done eating, Connie took her sisters upstairs to close the shutters and get into their pajamas. They came back downstairs and found three candy bars and three bottles of soda sitting on the small coffee table. Thomas and Andrew already were dressed in their winter gear and Stewart was in the process of bundling up.
“Come on, your dad said we could run the generator for a while. Who wants to watch a movie before you get some sleep?”
Instantly, Amy and Beth went to the shelf to pick a DVD to watch and Connie went to her father to thank him for the treats and to wish him luck. Each night they went out there, she knew there was a real possibility they wouldn’t come back, and this night was no different. She held him a little closer and a little longer this time, and then watched from the doorway as they made their way to the edge of the property.
She closed the door, locked it and then closed the added door, locking it and then turning to her sisters and Keith. “Okay, lets watch a movie.” She faked a smile and curled up on the couch with her sisters. Keith sat in the recliner that was placed near the window. That way he could keep one eye on the girls, and one eye out the window. He hoped the search would end soon and Debbie would be returning home with her father.
CHAPTER NINE
SINCE CONNIE WAS NOT with them, Andrew thought it would be better if the men split up to look for Debbie. Stewart went to the front of the ranch, thinking maybe he would find her near the road, while Andrew went back to where they were searching earlier and found the necklace. He knew there was a good chance they weren’t far beyond that point. Thomas headed to the entrance to the ranch.
While the men were searching, and the girls were watching a movie, Debbie patiently waited for the warmth of a fire. When James couldn’t handle the cold one more minute, he insisted it was time to gather wood. Excitement coursed through Debbie’s body. She hoped against all odds that someone in her family would either see the smoke or smell the burning wood and come find her.
Soon, a small fire was burning and James brought Debbie closer. He set out a blanket and let her use his pack as a pillow. She lay there, watching the flames flicker in the night, and glanced just past them at the four men sitting across from her. They were within earshot of her, so they were careful about what they said, and she could tell. She knew they wouldn’t say anything of importance until she was asleep, so she faked slowly falling asleep. She heard James say her name a few times and knew he was looking to see if he would get a reaction. So she didn’t give him one, allowing him to believe she was asleep.
“Dude, I gotta hand it to you; I didn’t think you would pull it off. When you went back there, I figured you would blow us off.” The voice was gravelly and Debbie didn’t recognize it, so she knew it wasn’t James.
“I told you that you could trust me,” James responded.
“Well, now you just will have to trust us. If you’re with us and want this to work, you will have to do whatever we tell you.”
Debbie listened very carefully to everything the men said. The gravelly-voiced one seemed to do most of the talking. “If the family is as close as you say they are, then I’m sure they will be splitting up to find her. That will be the best time to strike. Too many people together will make things too hard. We need to get them one at a time.” Debbie cringed inside when she heard that.
“Of course,” James said.
“We have to be careful, and we have to be fast. If we plan on taking over the ranch, we will have to get rid of them all. Even the little ones. Are you ready for that?”
“As long as you don’t touch a hair on her head, I don’t care what you do to the rest.” James sounded so cold when he said that, and Debbie’s heart began to beat so hard and fast she thought they would hear it.
“I don’t know why you feel the need to have her around, man. It’s not like she even likes you. She definitely will hate you after her whole family is dead.” The man said that and then laughed in such an evil tone that Debbie had to fight with everything she had not to scream.
Even though darkness gave them the best cover, the men decided they would leave at first light to take the family down and make the ranch their own. It was obvious to Debbie the man with the gravelly voice was clearly in charge, and that James was just along for the ride. It was decided that while one man stayed awake to watch the fire, and their hostage, the other three would sleep. The smallest man was vo
ted as most likely to stay awake. So he was given the large stick that was being used to stoke the fire, and the others lay down around the fire.
Time seemed to drag, but after an hour or two, even the man who was to keep watch had fallen asleep. Debbie never had heard so much snoring and never imagined that snoring would sound so good. All day she had tried to get her hands free from the rope binding them together, and even though there was some wiggle room, it wasn’t quite enough to get her free.
She slowly and quietly slid herself closer to the fire. She knew the only way to get the ropes untied would be to burn them off. She also knew she could make her way home with her hands tied, but would need her feet free, so she decided to move her feet closer to the fire. With all her strength, she lifted her legs, hovering her tennis shoe- clad feet over the flames, and lowered them down so the fire would burn the rope.
She could feel the fire burning through her shoes and had to fight hard not to give up when her feet started to burn. It didn’t take long for the rope to burn and break loose, allowing her to pull her feet out of the fire. She was relieved to find that, even though the heat from the fire hurt, she hadn’t burned all the way through her shoes. She slowly slid herself back to the spot where they had her lay.
She had to make sure she didn’t wake them, so she lay there for a minute, watching them breathe and listening to them snore. Debbie struggled to stand up, and when she did, she tiptoed as quietly as she could away from the area she always would remember as hell. She never did like the deep woods, and now she knew she had good reason to feel that way.
At one point during the night, Andrew, Thomas and Stewart met up near the back of the house, not on purpose, but glad to see each other nonetheless. They went inside to warm up with a cup of coffee and saw the girls sleeping peacefully on the couch. After checking in with Keith, they went back out and split up once again. This time, Stewart headed out at a diagonal across the pasture, not only to look for Debbie, but to check on the cattle. Andrew went to the opposite corner of the ranch, and Thomas went to the barn to make sure the horses had water and hay, and to check the buildings on the ranch one more time.