Snow Bond
Page 14
"It appears so. I'll get onto Aza and warn her to be extremely careful. That case in BC involved a crossbow. Hardy is an expert with the weapon and could have decided to do his own dirty work. I'll also get onto the police in Christchurch. I think you'll need some protection down there."
"Thanks, Ian. By the way, your little daughter is doing well. I've got her right here with me now. Told Paige about her?"
The phone went silent for a moment before Ian's cautious reply. "Why should I?"
"Oh just a rumour I heard that you are back together again. She was an earlier girlfriend, wasn't she?"
Ian gave a chuckle. "Okay, I guess Facebook is smoking red hot." He turned serious. "Keep an eye on Aza and stay away from open areas until I can get the police out there."
"I will," Renee replied. She turned and noticed that Apricot had followed her back home. She picked the cat up to cuddle and decided it was time to munch some more ginger and have a cup of coffee to calm her queasy tummy.
AZA WAS WORRIED WHEN she glanced at Tyler. "I don't like it," she said. "There's one thing I know about Joseph Hardy is that he is almost fanatically thorough in everything he does. He would not have called into the shop and spoken to Renee unless he had a good reason."
"But he did give an assumed name," Tyler replied.
"Sort of. Even that could be part of his plan. It was a thin disguise to cover his true intentions. Even having that crossbow on the back seat where Sandra saw it was probably planned."
"But why?" Sofia asked.
"Psychological," Aza replied. "In his warped mind he wants me to know he's here so I'll be terrified. That's also why he probably decided to attack me himself rather than employing another hit-man."
"But Renee helped by saying we went to that ski field," Tyler said.
Aza shook her head. "He wouldn't be fooled. I suspect he was around earlier and saw the three of us coming up here." She nodded at the top tank that they were standing beside.
"So two can play his grim game," Tyler said.
"But how?" Sofia asked. "We have no rifle or anything to defend ourselves if he attacks us with that crossbow. All he needs to do is hide behind rocks somewhere and pop Aza off." She looked white and nervous. "Probably kill us all."
"Yes, we would be exposed. If we went back the way we came there are numerous places where he could hide and be within crossbow range. I suggest we use the new track back. It is twice as far but goes through heavy bush to come out about a kilometre down the main road from home."
"What new track?" Sofia asked.
"Over the summer I made a new loop track as part of the new attractions here. The bush is quite beautiful with a mountain stream and little waterfall. It is also quite dense so I had to use a slasher and chainsaw in parts to cut the walking track through." Tyler grimaced. "It's almost completed but I'm actually thinking of building a bridge across the stream that goes through a deep ravine below the waterfall."
"But we can get through?" Aza asked.
"Yes. It's a bit of a climb down to the stream and up the other side so it wouldn't be suitable for an elderly tourist. That's why I want the bridge. I wrote to the district council and asked if they'd contribute to the cost. They're still considering my idea."
BIT OF A CLIMB!
Aza stared at the almost vertical drop to the stream below and glanced across to the other side where she could see crude steps cut up the face and a long wire linked through anchors imbedded in the rock for climbers to hold onto.
"I can see why you want a bridge going over this lot," she said to Tyler.
He grinned. "Oh it's not too bad now that I've got the wire to hold onto and steps cut in the steepest part. Just take it slowly."
"Come on," said Sofia. "I'll go first." She grabbed the wire on their side and began the descent.
Aza followed. Luckily she wore spiked climbing boots and good quality gloves so as long as she held the wire and didn't look down, she felt reasonably safe. They were halfway down when the snow began to fall. After a few flakes fluttered by, mist rolled in and all Aza could see was tumbling snow before her eyes.
It was deadly quiet and though her friends were mere metres away she felt as if she was alone in this wall of falling snow. Flakes almost the size of her hand fell on her helmet, shoulders arms and finally the ground around her. Every step had to push through snow; her eyebrows became covered as she brushed them off with her one free hand. It became so foggy that she could not even see the stream below. The straps of her backpack rubbed into her shoulders but it was not too uncomfortable.
Her left foot hit a loose piece of gravel, she toppled but managed to grab the wire with both hands and steady herself.
"Bit of a snowfall," Tyler's reassuring voice came from behind and she felt him grip her arm to steady her. "How's Sofia?"
"I'm fine," Sofia's voice almost echoed through the still air.
Aza blinked snow out of her eyes and saw her friend immediately before her. She was standing in the shelter of a slightly overhanging rock. Aza wriggled in beside her, turned with her back to the cliff just as Tyler squeezed in beside her.
"I didn't expect it to come so quickly," he muttered as he shook snow off his jacket.
'Where's Sam?" Aza suddenly remembered the dog.
"Sam!" Tyler called. "Here Boy!"
Sam appeared from beyond Sofia all wet but with his tongue hanging out and his tail wagging.
"It's one big game to you, isn't it?'" Aza said and rubbed the dog between the ears. "How did you get past us?"
'The original track," Tyler explained. "It zigzags a bit and must have been made by goats. I more or less followed it when I built this section."
"Okay," Aza replied. "So what should we do now?"
"Keep going," Tyler replied. "We're almost at the bottom. I built a small shed where we can shelter from the snow and decide what to do next."
"Damn phones not working," Sofia muttered and held her iPhone up.
"Once we're up the other side it'll come into range again," Tyler said. "We have pretty good coverage now, remember last year when we had none?"
Sofia nodded and put the phone back in a jacket pocket. "Just thought I'd give Renee a call. Time for Alice's bottle."
Aza grinned. It was almost as if Sofia had had her baby. They waited while the snow continued to fall. After five minutes it almost stopped and Tyler suggested they keep going. He took the lead and Aza found herself at the rear. She had the advantage of being able to follow the others footprints in the several centimetres of snow that had already accumulated on the track, Except for her freezing cheeks she felt quite warm though melting snow made her socks wet and already her toes were becoming numb. The only other discomfort was snow under her collar that melted and trickled down her back.
She came out under the fog and could see everything around. The snow changed, too. The flakes became smaller and everything around appeared so beautiful. She heard water tumbling over rocks. There it was, water in the tiny stream only half a metre wide was rushing by in a miniature flood with rocks being splashed clean of snow.
"Careful," Tyler shouted back. "We've come to the end of the wire. Those rocks in the stream will be slippery. I'm afraid we have to walk over them for a little way. I never anticipated being here in the snow. In summer there's just a trickle of water in the stream."
Aza already had wet socks so didn't worry too much when one boot landed on a loose stone and she ended up in ankle deep freezing water. She stumbled on until she came to a small bank and Tyler's shelter.
It was circular and made of punga boughs, the New Zealand tree fern that had hollow trunks about fifteen centimetres in diameter and a metre-twenty high. He had brought in several sheets of roofing iron that were now covered in snow. Though she had to crouch for her head touched the ceiling, once inside there was space for them all and even several old cushions sat on the bare ground floor.
"You did do well," she complimented Tyler as she slid out of her backpack and sat
down on a cushion.
"Renee's idea," Tyler said and nodded at the cushions. "She included them when we brought the roofing iron down." He glanced out at the snow that was becoming heavy again. "I think we should stay until the snowstorm is over."
"How long?" Sofia asked.
Tyler shrugged. "The weather report said scattered snow showers in the evening. They arrived a little early but shouldn't last too long, not like last year's storm." He reached in his backpack and withdrew a large thermos and three plastic mugs. "Hot coffee anyone? Renee also insisted on making us ham and tomato sandwiches so we won't starve."
Aza grinned as she reached for a mug of coffee and wriggled her toes in an attempt to restore circulation. It wasn't even too cold in their comfortable little shelter though it would become colder now that she had stopped walking.
"So," Tyler said. "How's life with a new baby to look after?"
Aza grinned. "You'll find out soon won't you? Renee told us she's pregnant."'
Tyler flushed. "Yeah, well..." he chuckled and held out the sandwich container.
CHAPTER 14
Professor Joseph Hardy pulled his Land Cruiser to the side of the road and turned on the CD player. Up here in the mountains there was no FM radio reception so he couldn't listen to Radio New Zealand Concert, a government non-commercial station that played classical music. If he had his way all the commercial stations would be closed down and the airwaves would be used for fine music and informative programmes. As for television... he shrugged as concerto music relaxed his body and soul.
Everything was going to plan. That gossipy shot assistant helped and as for Renee Stevens and her lies about Aza going to a local ski field... Well, if it put them off so much the better. But the stupid cow never fooled him one bit.
He had researched everything about her. By all accounts she was just a money-grabbing slut who had cleaned out a former husband, had driven him to suicide and had embezzled his present partner out of a company firm. She deserved and arrow though the heart as much as Aza.
He sighed, reached for the half empty bottle of gin and swallowed a mouthful of the spirits. If she wasn't such a headstrong fanatic, they could have been a good pair. He had actually thought of seducing her a few years back and acknowledging her research as a joint effort. Instead she had freaked out and accused him of taking her ideas. How arrogant! She deserved everything that was about to happen.
He grimaced, waited for the music to conclude before he started his vehicle and brought up the dashboard map. Yes, there it was, a minor road off to the left that he would use. It circled back within easy walking distance of his destination before continuing on a few kilometres to a building that was probably a woolshed for the East Ridge Station, the farm that surrounded the hamlet where Aza and her lesbian partner were visiting.
Hardy shook his head in disgust. To think he had once been attracted to her. She obviously slept around until some poor fool impregnated her and moved in with this other woman. Probably it was some rich businessman that she would sue for maintenance of the child.
He turned onto the road that was hardly more than a gravel track and drove along for a few hundred metres before coming to a grove of trees with a sidetrack off to one side. It looked like a summer picnic spot with a stream bubbling by, a circle of cut grass and a wooden picnic table. He parked his Land Cruiser and climbed out. It was cold with black clouds making the light dull. There could be snow but that would be to his advantage. He pulled on a good quality jacket and reached for the crossbow and other items he needed from the back seat.
In an hour it would be over; his last obstacle to so called fame and fortune would be eliminated, once and for all. Why he had paid thousands to those gangsters and their failed attempts to kill her, he didn't know. One could trust nobody in this modern age!
He sat on the edge of the Land Cruiser opened door and pulled on some tramping boots, stood, locked his vehicle and took an old-fashioned topographical map from his pocket. It was the latest printing and had superb details of the local area. Yes, here it was... a dotted line represented a walking track that joined the other track that went up to from East Ridge Store to a water tank. The land was mainly grass or tussock but had numerous little gullies and rocks from where he could set up his ambush.
He grinned. This was going to be fun!
AZA SAT WITH HER ARMS around her knees and gazed out of their shelter at the falling snow. It was tumbling down in massive flakes, every bit as thick as the year before when they first met Tyler and his tractor. She glanced across at Sofia who caught her eyes.
"Hope Renee gets on okay feeding Alice," Sofia said.
Aza grinned. "She'll do fine." She glanced outside. "Tyler said he'd be gone for only a few moments and it's half an hour."
Almost as if he'd heard her, Aza heard Sam's distant bark. A moment later the dog ran in and shook his saturated coat, splashing half melted snow over her.
"Sam, do you have to? " Aza exclaimed. "But where's Tyler?"
Sam glanced at her and wagged his tail in a reassuring way as if to say that Tyler would be along in a moment.
And he was!
Tyler appeared, brushed snow off his clothes and wiggled into the shelter. "I climbed halfway up the other side and along to that far corner." He waved his hand out in the direction that he was talking about and frowned. "The whole cliff face has slipped away. There's no way through. I'm afraid we'll have to go back up to the tank and home down the main path."
"But what about Hardy?" Sofia asked. "Won't we be back at square one?"
"Possibly," Tyler replied. "We didn't count on the snow coming down so heavily and I doubt if he did either."
"But it's just speculation." Aza felt an ominous rumbling in her tummy.
"Not entirely. I suggest we just wait here for a while longer, then make our way back to the tank and stay in the shelter there. We'll be in iPhone contact with Renee and also the police, if necessary."
Aza relaxed a little. Hardy was not the type of person who would be interested in staying out in a snowstorm. Even if he was still in the district, the chances were that he'd be in his vehicle or had found a motel room further up the highway. There was Flock Hill Lodge that catered for travellers and quite a large settlement at Arthur's Pass Township, if he went that far. There was also the possibility that he turned off to Craigieburn Valley Ski Field to check out Sandra's story.
After waiting for a few moments, Tyler suggested they should head back. The climb back up the cliff side wasn't too bad as it was sheltered from the direct snowfall. However, at the top the full force of the snowstorm hit them. The fog had also closed in and visibility was down to a few metres. Tyler led with Sam bounding along beside him while Aza found herself in the middle with Sofia actually gripping her jacket from behind.
The snow was deeper than on their way out and Aza had that strange sensation of being almost too warm as she perspired beneath her jacket as she struggled on. In contrast all her limbs became numb from the cold but the bare skin of her face was worse. She pulled her high collar that included the hood, close around over her mouth and nose. Her goggles were constantly fogging up and whenever she wiped them off melted snow dribbled down inside her sleeve. She took Sofia's idea and now held the back of Tyler's jacket while her partner continued to grip her own.
Only Sam appeared to be immune from the snow. He barked, wagged his tail and leaped forward in almighty bounds to land in snow almost up to his tummy before shaking himself and repeating the whole movement again.
"Oh my God," Sofia moaned from behind. "I'd forgotten how cold snow was. Does Tyler know where he's going?"
Aza tugged on Tyler's jacket and shouted. "Can you see where to go?"
"Almost there. My markers are helping."
Aza noticed a diamond shaped piece of tinfoil nailed to an adjacent tree trunk that she was sure she would never have noticed if Tyler hadn't brought it to her attention. She swallowed, wiggled both fingers and toes and plodded on.
He was at the bottom of the steps up to the tank that was now out of sight somewhere above him. This area though, was really perfect for an ambush with the only vegetation being tussock and the far hillside was too steep to be climbed. Even in this snow and fog he could see the path from a top corner as it wound slightly to be about eight metres below his present position. From there it entered a wider area and a grove of trees. Anyone walking by would be well within range of his crossbow.
He'd have to shoot them all, of course. He chucked as he took the gin bottle from his pocket and had another swig. Ahh, it was like a fire in his veins.
Once he shot the trio he'd remove the arrows, perhaps even smash the corpses up a little with rocks and toss them over a ravine he had found. It was like that last time all those years ago. With a little luck when discovered, the trio would thought to have been killed by falling into the ravine in the blizzard. The snow, therefore, would be helpful rather than an hindrance in his plan.
He shivered, took another swig of gin and jerked up. He had heard a bark. Of course, that Renee in the store had mentioned a dog. So they were close and coming!
He grinned, reached for an arrow to load his crossbow and squinted out through the telescopic sights. Good, the falling snow barely affected his view. He was perfectly placed to see anyone coming around the corner. There would be plenty of time while they were still in range. He'd take out Aza Perry first and deal with the others when they raced over to help her.