Instinct developed during long hours of intense training took over. She rolled to her left hip, drew her right knee to her chest and fired a sidekick. The sole of her boot plowed straight into his chest. The breath whooshed out of him. He fell backward and crashed down the stairs.
Jayne jumped to her feet and shot through the door with a burst of frantic energy. She yanked the chain clear, slammed the door behind her and braced her back on it. Her gaze raced around the room looking for a way to secure the door. If he got out, that was the end of her. She’d never be able to take him by surprise a second time, nor could she outrun him in her weakened condition. She’d only get so far on fear and its associated rush of adrenaline.
The basement door had opened into a run-down kitchen. A heavy table and several chairs stood in the center. She seized a chair and jammed it under the doorknob. Then she dragged the heavy table over and shoved it against the chair.
Only then did she take a few seconds to pull the tiny key from her pocket, and with shaking fingers, free her hands. The chain and cuffs clattered to the floor.
The door reverberated as her abductor rammed into the other side, but the solid old wood held. Muffled, infuriated swearing faded as Jayne ran along the main corridor. Despite her panic and disorientation, she found the front exit. She bolted through it into the snowstorm with no hesitation, greeting the killing cold with enthusiasm.
A door slammed downstairs. Despite the startling noise, John’s body sank farther into the mattress as the fresh tranquilizer, courtesy of his captor’s daily visit just a short while ago, chugged through his bloodstream.
Furious banging erupted from below. The house trembled. Profanity echoed in the heat duct. Shock at the unexpected event—never good in John’s predicament—sent a minute charge of adrenaline through his sedated system.
His captor was pissed.
John belly-crawled to his window. Kneeling, he dragged his reluctant body into an upright position and peered through the slit. A blurry figure sprinted away from the house. John blinked hard. The image cleared. He caught a flash of long red hair against a backdrop of snowy white. The runner moved with feminine grace.
A woman. And she’d gotten away.
John slid to the cold floor. It was ridiculous to feel abandoned by someone who didn’t even know he was here. If he’d had the courage to shout out to her last night she might have rescued him. Or at the very least, let someone know he was here. But his courage had condemned him. He’d failed the ultimate test. Now he’d pay the ultimate price.
He hugged his knees to his chest. Pressure built behind his eyes, but his body didn’t contain enough moisture for tears.
When the man came back, John would pay for the prisoner’s escape.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Jayne leaped from the peeling porch. A sharp wind full of icy crystals pelted her face. She hunched against it and plowed through calf-deep powder to what she assumed was the driveway, a ribbon of white that neatly cleaved the thick forest. A glance backward at boarded-up windows and a sagging roofline told her she’d been kept in a run-down farmhouse. Three stories of neglect loomed over her, and she turned away from its menacing shadow.
Could she steal her captor’s vehicle? It would be ironic if the skill that had nearly put her into juvenile hall in high school saved her life.
A skinny set of strange tracks marked the path of her captor’s vehicle around the side of the building. Snowmobile? She followed, peering around the corner into the rear yard. The trail led to a ramshackle detached garage. Behind it, the carcass of a collapsed barn rested on the snow like the bleached bones of a beached whale. Jayne jogged across the open yard. A heavy-duty padlock and chain secured the overhead door. No windows. No luck.
She backed into the shadow of an evergreen, which cut the driving wind in half. A shiver raced from her feet to her nape and lodged in her bones. She needed to keep moving. Snow clung to her hair and clothes, and then melted from diffusing body heat. Water invaded her crewneck and slid down her spine. Her body temperature had already dropped during her long day in the cellar. Wet clothing wasn’t going to help. She needed to find help or shelter—soon. Both would be even better.
Had Mae noticed Jayne never returned to the inn? Was anyone looking for her? Like Reed Kimball? Wishful thinking. He’d bolted from their impromptu “date” like a man with something else on his mind. But she’d had an appointment to meet with the mayor this morning. Maybe he’d get concerned when she missed it. Regardless, at the moment she was on her own.
How far from town was she?
She scanned the wilderness around her. Nothing but trees and white stuff as far as she could see. White obscured everything, including the air. She’d get lost out there in a heartbeat. On the drive up, her GPS had shown a lot of large green blotches all around Huntsville. Even with the risk her assailant would break free and follow her, it would be better to keep to the road than wander aimlessly into thousands of acres of frozen nothing. If she possessed one ounce of luck, the falling snow would fill in her footprints before he broke out of the cellar.
Jayne listened. No sound to indicate her captor had escaped. Yet.
She skirted the house and followed the vehicle tracks down the long driveway. Her boots swished through the fluffy layer of dry powder with little effort. Still, how long could she keep going? Four karate classes a week kept her strong. She’d gotten through a grueling black belt test last fall. Every Sunday she and her brother Conor ran an eight-mile loop along the Schuylkill River. But she’d never run without a jacket in the middle of a winter storm with zero food or water for at least twenty-four hours, maybe longer.
Eating snow would hydrate her, but would also lower her body temperature even more. At the moment, hypothermia was a bigger threat than dehydration.
She pulled the sleeves of her sweater down over her aching hands. Her feet, encased in fashionable but not waterproof boots, turned to blocks of painful ice in minutes. Her toes felt as if they’d break off with each step.
Jayne assessed her surroundings. The road did not appear to have been plowed recently. There were no mounds of snow on the roadsides. Jayne stopped and dug underneath the fresh powder with her boot, but all she found was more packed snow. Nope. This road hadn’t been plowed since the last storm two weeks ago. That would make it a secondary road or private drive with little or no traffic. Not good.
She faltered when the lane ended in a T with another, wider road, wide enough to be an actual public road. Jayne could see the partially filled depressions where multiple sets of tires had traveled not too long ago. Snow banks lined each side of the road. Hope squeezed her chest. She dug through the fresh snow. Pavement! This road must be on the plow route.
Her excitement at finding a more frequently traveled street was dimmed by the next question. Should she go left or right? Which way would take her toward civilization? The road looked completely identical in either direction: long, white, and empty. Tree limbs bowed overhead, forming a tunnel of white-coated lattice.
A gust of wind rocked her. She had to keep moving. Jayne flipped a mental coin and turned right. Her feet stumbled for the first few steps until she fell into an awkward rhythm. Soaked wool and denim weighted her limbs. Her steps felt slower than before, as if she were wading through mud instead of light, fresh powder.
How far did she have to go?
She pushed the question from her head and focused on each individual step.
Swish, swish, swish. Jayne’s legs crumbled under her. Her knees sank into the snow. She wasn’t going to make it. Her chances of surviving this situation were minuscule. She had no idea how to survive in the forest. A groan from the trees startled her. Her head whipped around. Was that the wind moving ice-encased branches or could that have been an animal? Bears hibernated, didn’t they?
She pushed to her feet. A plow or salt truck was bound to come through eventually. If she didn’t get up, it would run right over her collapsed and frozen body. They wouldn’t
find her until the spring thaw.
A faint, high-pitched sound drifted through the trees, and Jayne swallowed a whimper. Wind or snowmobile? Fear drove her forward.
Strangely enough, once she progressed beyond numb, the cold faded. Her body actually began to feel warmer. Hypothermia might not be such a bad way to go after all. Definitely preferable to whatever her kidnapper had in store for her.
Jayne thought of her three brothers and took another step. They needed her. She couldn’t abandon them.
The low purr of an engine cut through the storm’s furious howl. It came from in front of her, the opposite direction that her kidnapper would use if he were following her trail.
But was the sound real or an illusion conjured up by her desperate imagination like an oasis mirage to a desert wanderer?
She moved toward the sound and lost her footing. Unable to catch herself with sluggish reflexes, she fell face-first into the foot-deep powder, directly in the path of the oncoming vehicle. White flakes bombarded her face like tiny needles as she lifted her head and squinted at the vision. A set of lights approached. She tried to belly-crawl off the road, but her arms gave out.
The headlights drew closer. From the woods, a buzzing sound, much too high-pitched to be an automobile, sent a fresh wave of panic into her frozen brain. She ordered her body to rise and run but it refused to respond.
Reed kept the Yukon to a crawl. His head throbbed from squinting at the road through the storm, and he was filled with a sense of failure.
They hadn’t found Jayne. Hugh had called off the search until the storm passed. The chief wouldn’t risk any more lives to find a woman who was probably dead. Jayne’s long odds were in the eyes of every volunteer.
The intensity of the sadness that welled up inside Reed stunned him. He’d barely known her, yet her death rocked him with a wave of crippling grief. He was drowning in sorrow and couldn’t draw a deep breath.
The wipers slapped back and forth, swiping melted flakes from the windshield. Packed slush accumulated on the blade, leaving a blurry arc in its wake. Equipped with chains and a plow mounted on the front, the big four-wheel drive chugged steadily.
Scott stirred in the passenger seat. He’d been silent since the chief had sent them home for the duration. “How long is this supposed to last?”
Reed cleared his throat. His voice felt scratchy, his throat raw. “Don’t know. Depends if the storm goes straight or veers out toward the coast.” He flipped the defrosters to high. The sound of rushing air competed with the grinding of tires on snow.
Scott leaned his head on the window. “Think she’s still alive?”
Reed couldn’t answer. Scott didn’t repeat the question.
The Yukon slipped sideways. Millions of tiny flakes danced lightly across the windshield, obscuring visibility to the headlights’ reach. The truck shifted, and Reed tugged it back into line. Crystals were hitting the windshield faster than the wipers could clear it. And the little pinging noises on the glass sounded more like ice than flakes. “See if you can get the weather report on the radio.”
Anything was better than contemplating Jayne’s fate.
Scott reached for the knob and fine-tuned into a news report. The on-air meteorologist didn’t mention sleet or freezing rain, but he officially upgraded the storm to a blizzard.
Scott snorted. “Duh.”
Exactly, thought Reed as he switched the wipers to their highest speed. Didn’t help much. The blurry arcs just moved faster.
A gust of wind pushed against the truck. Reed shifted into low gear to maximize traction. At this rate, it would take them another half hour to travel the last few miles. Hugh had wanted them to stay in town, but the thought of sharing his grief was more than Reed could handle.
Through the swirl of white, Reed caught a glimpse of blue in the middle of the road.
What was that?
He blinked to clear his dry eyes. A figure turned toward them and then slid to the ground in a boneless heap. Reed pressed his foot hard on the brakes, praying his antilock technology was enough to stop the heavy vehicle. He turned the wheel to the side, but the truck continued its forward slide. The brake vibrated under his foot. Tires slid, gripped, and slid again. With a shuddering groan, the truck ground to a halt less than ten feet in front of the blue lump in the road.
Reed exhaled the breath he’d been holding. Relief and hope sent his heart into a sloppy jog.
Could it be?
“That was close.” Scott leaned forward, then reached for his door handle. “Holy cow. It’s a person.” Excitement tinted his voice. “Think it’s her?”
Reed was already climbing out of the SUV, the possibility racing through his mind. “Stay here and lock the doors.” He tugged his hood up and ignored Scott’s scowl. A dozen years in homicide put suspicion front and center of Reed’s mind in any unusual situation.
The force of the storm struck him before his boots touched the ground. Wind-driven ice pellets scratched and clawed their way across his exposed face and deep into his lungs.
He hesitated, almost afraid to look.
Ten feet in front of the yellow plow attachment on Reed’s Yukon, a tall woman sprawled facedown in the snow. There was no mistaking the long hair that trailed through the snow in a matted rope. Even wet, he could tell it was red.
Jayne.
His initial excitement passed in one heartbeat as he approached her. What condition was she in?
She was still dressed in the jeans, boots, and bulky sweater she’d worn at the bookstore, but no coat, hat, or gloves. He dropped to one knee. A prickling on the back of his neck warned his internal cop of danger. “Jayne? Can you hear me?”
Reed grasped her shoulders and turned her over slowly, then felt at the base of her exposed throat for her pulse. Her milky white skin was cold and wet. Her pulse fluttered against his fingers.
“Jayne?”
Her eyes, pale blue as a clear winter sky and glazed with terror, opened wide.
“It’s OK.” Reed held his hands out, palms forward. “I’m going to help you.”
She didn’t meet his gaze. Her head swiveled, her eyes darting over his shoulder.
“Oh, God! Oh, God! We don’t have time for this.” She grabbed his forearm. Reed gasped. Her wrists were bloody all the way around.
Ligature wounds? A lump of tension balled up in his gut.
“Please. We have to get away! Before he catches us.” She scooted on her backside toward the truck.
Reed jolted into action. Whoever had hurt her might be close by. He scooped her off the ground. Jayne slipped in his arms. Her hands clutched the front of his parka. Blood smeared on the nylon.
“Take it easy. I’ve got you.” Reed hiked her up. His thighs burned as he straightened, but he welcomed the weight of her. He scanned the trees for any sign of a pursuer, but he could neither see nor hear anything in the forest. Between gusts of angry wind, the naked woods were as silent as they can only be during a heavy snowfall. All the sensible creatures had taken shelter.
Scott stared over the back of the seat as Reed pulled open the rear door and climbed into the back with Jayne on his lap.
“Drive, Scott. Keep it in low gear. Lock the doors and keep a sharp eye out.”
Scott nodded, slid over the bench seat, and turned his attention to the road. At the click of the door locks, Jayne went limp.
Reed’s heart lurched. She trusted him to keep her safe. He pulled her closer. The solid weight of her against his body reassured him that she was really there. It wasn’t a cruel dream.
She was alive.
But whoever had kidnapped her couldn’t be far away.
The Druid stood at the edge of the road. A set of taillights faded into the whiteout. He blinked snowflakes from his eyelashes.
She’s gone.
Someone had picked her up in the road.
Anger warred with relief. She was alive and safe. His goddess had fought well. He was the one who had failed. He should have ex
pected her to fight. The fault was entirely his own.
No doubt the gods were disappointed in him.
He’d find her, though. The minute the storm passed. There weren’t that many places for her to hide out here.
He retuned to his snowmobile, parked behind a stand of evergreens, and marked his location on his handheld GPS. Even an experienced woodsman benefited from technology. When he returned home, he’d pinpoint all the homes in the area.
She was his last hope. He’d find her if he had to search each and every one.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Reed twisted and reached over the backseat into the cargo area for a blanket. After unzipping his coat, he pulled her against his chest, then covered them both. Water from her clothing seeped into his sweater.
Sheba jumped over the back of the front seat and sat next to them, giving the stranger a few sniffs and a halfhearted wag.
“Here, girl. Down.” Reed patted his thigh. Instinct kicked in and the dog settled across Jayne’s legs. The Husky’s thick coat would help warm Jayne.
“Should I turn around? Head for the hospital?” Scott’s gaze caught Reed’s in the rearview mirror.
Good question. How badly was she hurt?
His gut quivered as he made the decision. Her life depended on it. “No. We’re only a few miles from home. She needs to get warm now. It would take us hours to get to the hospital in this mess—if we got there at all.” With the emergency supplies he kept in the truck, he and Scott would be able to survive being stranded overnight. Jayne might not.
Reed glanced down at the face resting against his chest. Her skin was so pale it had taken on a bluish hue. Her cheeks were chapped pink from windburn and cold, but he didn’t see any of the telltale blotches that would indicate frostbite. Her scar stood out crimson against her skin, reminding him that she’d been hurt before. One of her hands, bloody and raw-looking, slipped out from under his coat. He tucked it back inside, resting it over his heart.
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