Found in the Woods

by LoRee Peery

  “OK. I love you. I don’t know when it happened. But I know I don’t want to lose you.”

  Beth wanted with all her heart to reply that her future, her life with Aiden, began at this moment. But she couldn’t form those thoughts and chased away the idea. Turmoil returned to churn again through her mind.

  He didn’t know the saving grace of her Jesus.

  “Thank you. I have no intention of hurting you, but I’ve heard those lines so many times when they meant other things, like ownership and control, to the teller. Let’s think about that, OK? Right now, I need to get ready for work.” Unable to look him in the eye, she cleared the picnic table and went inside.

  Bottom line was she had gone into the woods to find herself. Because Lakota had hung around, she’d found friendship with a wolf.

  Also because of Lakota, Aiden had come to Platteville and into her life. He’d return to Lincoln as soon as Lakota was settled. How could Aiden be part of her future?

  And she had no idea where she’d be when work on the cabin was completed.

  She had rectified herself to being a lone wolf, much the way Lakota wandered around by himself. She’d never settled long in one place. Yet, wolves by nature are meant for pack life.

  For some reason, her next thought was about the closeness of the Frivolities women. Beth was scheduled to help them out. Her work experience in the past had been as a bartender or waitress, always where alcohol and a wild life tempted. But she’d also worked as a barista for a time, so she qualified to work at Frivolities. Walking in the door always lightened her mood. Maybe it was the bright colors and whimsical variety of goods. The split shifts over the coming weeks of tourist trade would help her savings. She hustled inside to change from rustic clothing to an outfit presentable for the public.

  Out of nowhere, or no doubt from divine intervention, Grace came to mind. Maybe Beth wasn’t as flawed as she had thought. She had the ability to be an advocate. She vowed the animal would be safe as well.

  I know, Lord, if it’s meant to be, You will enable me to be an advocate for Grace. Thank You for using the wandering wolf and the lost little girl to point me in the direction of Your purpose for my life. And whatever place Aiden holds in my future, make it clear to me, please.

  10

  In between hammer strikes, Beth heard an echo so jarring it rattled her teeth. She pulled another nail out of a pocket in her leather tool apron and struck. But when the head of the nail met wood, rat-a-tat-tatting battered on. She closed her eyes to identify and locate the direction of the noise.

  Whoever thought she was isolated in a quiet world out here in the woods? But of all the places she’d been, these woods were the only place she’d consider returning to. If she could. The cabin wasn’t even hers.

  She gave another listen and smiled in recognition. It wasn’t the wind pummeling a loose limb against something. A woodpecker, or flicker, was madly going at a tree trunk. The wood must be close to petrified, judging by the tinny sound. Had her pounding egged on the bird?

  As mind-rattling as the noise that had traveled through the woods, other living creatures now spoke, filling the wood with sounds of life.

  Beth unbuckled the tool belt, let it clunk to the porch and retrieved her hammer.

  She scanned the clearing. Visibility beyond Aiden’s tent was obscured.

  Lakota came into view from behind the tent, as though she had willed him to appear.

  His unwavering gaze was on her, but eerily. His alert position reaffirmed her conviction they were not alone. The tips of his ears tilted forward. What had he heard?

  The sense of an unseen presence made her skin feel as though she’d walked through fifty spider webs. The sick, astute distress rose like bile, until nausea clotted into a sour ball in her throat.

  She stared into the amber wolf eyes, searching for some kind of signal from Lakota. She kept her own unblinking gaze riveted on the wolf, lost in his disconcerting, wide-awake stance. She waited for Lakota to guide her as to what action to take, or to relax if there was no threat.

  She had agreed with Aiden earlier regarding Barton’s habits. Since it was broad daylight, and Barton was a creature of the dark, they thought it was safe for Aiden to go out to the road to use his cell phone.

  Lakota went on the alert. He crouched, eyes intent on some animal in the trees beyond Beth’s vision. Low to the ground, in fluid motion with muscles bunched, Lakota crawled.

  She thrilled at the magnificent, creeping creature. And she was thankful not to be Lakota’s prey. Beth hunkered ten feet behind as the wolf ventured into the dense trees. She stopped advancing when Lakota did, wishing she could also pad over the undergrowth on silent feet.

  Without warning, his ears tipped back. Beth went on alert. What had he sensed? Lakota rose to a standstill. His hair stood and thickened, ruff raised, widening his appearance, and his thick tail shifted slightly away from his legs.

  Barton tramped in view from behind a tree. No doubt the man was astounded to be anyone’s prey. He came to an abrupt halt and narrowed his eyes intently on Lakota’s.

  Under other circumstances, Beth would have seen humor in the predator becoming prey.

  Lakota didn’t move a muscle, simply glared at Barton with nose lowered and eyes raised.

  Beth attempted to remain invisible behind her own tree trunk.

  Time stopped. Even the breeze stilled.

  Everything went into motion when Barton swung his vicious knife.

  The thrust found purchase, deep into Lakota’s shoulder. He yelped. Blood spurted. Lakota snarled and tore at the knife hilt with his impressive teeth.

  Hatred towards Barton Littlefield erupted, momentarily blurring Beth’s vision.

  She leaped towards the wolf, longing to ease his pain. But within fifteen feet of reaching his side, reality slammed into her. This was a wild animal, not a pet. He’d tear into her. When her feet stopped, she stumbled for balance. The momentum of her upper body remained in motion. She released the forgotten hammer.

  Guilt struck as surely as the knife had thrust into her beloved wolf. She had endangered Lakota because Barton had located her.

  She dared raise her gaze to look on the face of her ex-husband and glowered. She sneered through teeth so clenched her jaws hurt. “You disgustingly mean, abusive parasite! That wolf has never harmed you. It’s me you want.”

  Barton’s twisted sneer grated down her back as though it bounced off each vertebra, one by one. He’d always acted like a bear with multiple bee stings when he was in attack mode.

  She turned back to Lakota, helpless tears pouring down her cheeks. Lakota slumped in a twirling crouch, and sank to the earth. The knife handle tilted at a different angle than where it went in.

  What to do? Her heart thundered in her throat, her whole body revved for action.

  Barton still hadn’t moved. It was unlike him to be indecisive. She tossed one more glance at Lakota, whose massive head now lay slack. At the lowering of his eyelids, strength rose within Beth.

  Barton had killed her defenseless wolf!

  She stood as tall as her petite form could manage. “Here I am, you ogre. Come and get me.”

  She tore off at a sprint.

  Beth ran towards the river, away from the cabin in case Aiden showed up. It was bad enough that she had brought danger to Lakota. She would keep Aiden safe from Barton, even if she died in the process.

  She raced as though the wolf’s spirit empowered her, dodging small clumps of gooseberry thorns and leaping over fallen timber.

  Tears turned into deeper determination.

  Her greatest fear had come to life. All she wanted was to feel safe. She’d returned to her hometown to discover she was worth something, worth more than being mistreated.

  She ran on, fleet as the wind.

  Beth tripped over a log, lost her balance, and tumbled into a ragged gully created by rushing rainwater. She curled into as small a bundle as she could, and slunk into a bush. Decomposition of the for
est floor gave her the urge to sneeze.

  She heard Barton thrashing after her. He bumbled past her impromptu hiding place.

  Panting from exertion, she slapped her hands over her mouth to prevent the sneeze and concentrated on becoming a statue. The pounding of her heartbeat slowed enough that she noticed branches clacking against each other when the wind gusted in the treetops.

  A red-tailed hawk’s keer-eer-eer pierced her ears. She jerked, then shivered at what should be a familiar sound.

  Her heartbeat no longer thrummed in her ears. Time seemed to stop. She couldn’t hear Barton. A brilliant orange and black oriole landed a foot away. It took flight as soon as it realized Beth’s presence. Under ordinary circumstances, she would have been awed, and searched for its mate among the branches.

  She peered through the treetops at the sky, trying not to rustle the bush in case Barton had retraced his steps. Gray wind clouds in shades from fog to pewter churned overhead, matching the darkness filling her soul.

  Ears straining for Barton’s whereabouts, words banged together and shattered in her mind.

  Barton represented her past life, and she had brought him to Platteville. That meant she was responsible for bringing danger to everyone she cared for. Oh, Lord, what have I done? Who am I to think I could overcome the past? There is no escape. I was dreaming to build up hope for a normal future. I’m no good. I’ll give up the fanciful notion, the hope of a future with Aiden.

  Aiden’s voice followed her thoughts. “Beth! Beth, where are you?”

  She whimpered and kept the sound from escaping. He called from the direction of the cabin. She dare not answer, and prayed he’d found Lakota.

  She listened, but no further sound came from either man’s direction. She prayed Aiden was dealing with Lakota. All she heard were birds. And an airplane far in the distance.

  Life went on in the woods, according to God’s plan. Maybe Aiden’s path had crossed hers because he needed the Savior. And though she had grown to love him, she could live without Aiden if she had to.

  She heard a motor roar to life. She supposed Barton had heard Aiden call and gave up the chase. For now.

  Because of Barton, and her relationship with him, she’d lost Lakota and Aiden would soon leave. Only the Lord could help fill in the gaps. Please, God, I don’t have the words, but hear me and make things right; I need You!

  She crawled out of the bushes, thinking only of Lakota’s welfare. The position made her wonder what their relationship may have been, had she met him on all fours instead of as an upright human. She rose to her feet. God would take care of the wolf. She looked to the sky in gratefulness.

  And she ran.

  She skidded to a halt when she saw Lakota.

  “Beth.” Aiden knelt at Lakota’s side. The wolf’s eyes were covered by Aiden’s t-shirt.

  Her name on his lips sounded like an apology. Why should he use that tone? She’s the one who brought Barton Littlefield to her nook of the woods. “Is he—?”

  “Sleeping. He’s lost a lot of blood. I don’t want to attempt to remove the knife blade. I’m afraid it’s lodged in bone.” Aiden swiveled, studied her face, and started to rise. “Are you hurt?”

  She stayed him with a hand. “I’m fine. Just so mad and sickened I don’t know what to do.”

  She could see where the knife handle was ravaged where Lakota had gnawed on it.

  “I had to give him a healthy dose of tranquilizer.”

  Releasing a sob, she managed, “It’s my fault. How will we get him to the clinic?”

  “We’ll do it together.”

  “Barton did it, Aiden. Lakota stood between us, ready to protect me. I ran from him and hid in a bush. I’ll tell you about it later. Now, we need to help Lakota!”

  “I’ll get a tarp and cords from the Jeep. Can you tell me where to find a sheet of plywood, or two long boards? We’ll use your truck.”

  She followed every instruction he gave her. In Aiden’s absence, she comforted Lakota, caressing him between the ears and petting his hair. She removed burrs from the nape of his neck, all the while singing.

  Aiden returned and felt for Lakota’s pulse. Then he actually smoothed a hand over Lakota’s back, the way a mother’s touch gentled a child’s hurts.

  They worked together with few words, except when he guided her with instructions.

  “On three,” Aiden finally said, and they rolled the makeshift sling, heaving Lakota onto the tarp. Using the bungee cords, they dragged the wolf into the clearing.

  “Let’s haul him up.”

  They slid him into the bed of the pickup, using the plywood as a ramp.

  A few minutes later, Aiden sped off for town. Seated next to him, Beth kept a sharp eye out for the sheriff, hoping he’d spring from one of the familiar hiding places. “Actually, it’d be a blessing to get pulled over for speeding,” Beth said.

  Aiden slammed on the brake. “Did you bring your cell phone?”

  “No, I left my purse at the cabin.”

  “Then I need to use my phone to alert the vet.”

  After they arrived in Platteville, Beth said, “Turn at the first left. The vet is two blocks down.”

  Dr. Maahs at the Platteville Clinic knew his stuff. In all, five people helped attend Lakota. Knife extraction surgery didn’t take long. The vet had told them Lakota would be kept sedated longer than usual, and then placed in a hefty kennel on wheels.

  “I’ll chain shut the door so he can’t chew into the latch. Then, as much as I’d like to get to know him, you get the wolf out of here as soon as possible,” the elderly Dr. Maahs instructed, swiping his brow.

  “Don’t worry. I’ve made arrangements for Lakota to recover at Wildlife Safari, as soon as he can be transported,” Aiden assured both the Platteville doctor and Beth.

  With the crisis over, Beth felt exhausted. She’d have to rest before coming back in for work.

  ****

  Good old-fashioned anger had erased Beth’s earlier fatigue, energizing her. That evening, her last task as she finished her shift at Frivolities was taking out the trash. A quick glance at the clock in the office told her she had time to check on Lakota before she headed home.

  Out of long established habit, she scanned the space beyond the fountain and mini-garden behind the store, and the shadows created by the back stairs to the loft. Then she studied the alley at both ends, before she allowed the door to shut behind her. Once out from underneath the stairs, she looked up to make sure nothing was amiss on the deck off the loft.

  No lurking ex-husband in sight. It would be hard to rest easy until Barton was caught.

  She leaned the tied trash bag against the privacy fence enclosing the dumpster and slid the bolt on the gate. She reached around for the bag. A huge hand slapped over her mouth before she could scream. Another arm secured her around the waist and slammed her against a hard body as they backed into the enclosure.

  She slung her arms and kicked. But it was useless.

  “Hello, sweet Lizzer.” Barton’s voice grated against her ear. “No precious wolf to protect you this time.”

  The odor of his familiar sweat repulsed her. Sick rage filled her blood.

  “I hope I killed him.” He kissed her ear, hot and moist. “And I say it’s time to say goodbye to this dump of a town.”

  She thrashed, landing an elbow into his ribcage. Sensation of bone on bone made her think of Lakota and the knife blade lodged in his shoulder. The picture filled her with strength. And the urge to flee. She managed to dislodge his hand from her face.

  Barton’s arm squeezed her against his granite-hard chest. “At least you’re no longer like a toothpick. For a while there I thought I’d get splinters when I held you.”

  “Take your hands off me!” Lord, help me!

  She slumped as though she’d fainted.

  As soon as she felt Barton’s muscles relax, she took advantage. She flattened her palms and whacked downward, dislodging his grip. Mustering strength from th
e thought of what he’d done to Lakota, she whirled from Barton’s surprised grip.

  In two smooth swoops, she clocked him under the chin with joined fists and kicked him in the groin.

  Screaming like a crazed woman, she twirled out of the enclosure and hefted the gate shut. She slammed the bolt closed and raced back into Frivolities to call the sheriff.

  She was still shaking when Deputy Rau came to the front door, Aiden at his heels.

  “Barton,” she croaked, reaching out.

  “Are you all right?” Aiden pulled her close.

  Before she had a chance to explain anything, the radio on the deputy’s shoulder crackled to life. A voice said, “There’s no one here.”

  Beth’s knees threatened to go out. “Not again.”

  Aiden led her to the office, where she sank onto the cushy sofa, and the room shrank, filled with the deputy and Aiden.

  Deputy Rau focused on Beth and reached for his notepad. “Now tell me everything.”

  ****

  Aiden had to hand it to her. Beth may fool the others with that how-to-look-casual pose, but her world had to be anything but calm. More gray showed in her irises than blue; must be the fight. He felt her hand tremble as she related the latest incident. She described the feint and how she got the best of Littlefield. Way to go.

  He was in awe of her courage to stand up to the brute. And he faced his own guilty frustration, because he wanted to be the one to apprehend the evil man. But how could he be with Beth all the time? Who would have dreamt she wasn’t safe at Frivolities?

  And he was sickened that Beth had been sucked into the madman’s life in the first place. Now, he was furious enough to behave like a madman himself over the fact that Littlefield kept alluding capture.

  He was proud of her as well—the way she distracted Littlefield from the wolf in the woods and bested him behind the store. He couldn’t have done any better.

  Maybe he’d set up some kind of trap. Make Littlefield believe Beth to be alone when Aiden was waiting to pounce? The thought circled through his mind like a hawk seeking prey.

  Until reality struck. No way would he chance putting Beth in harm’s way by using her for bait.