Clear Intent

by Diane Benefiel

  Dory stepped out of the house. The smoke-filled sky looked prematurely dark, but it wouldn’t be long before the sun set and the darkness would be absolute. She suppressed a shiver. How was she going to follow an unfamiliar trail in the dark with only a flashlight?

  Dory drove her car along the road that circled the north end of the lake, feeling like she was racing against time. She slowed when she saw a car stopped ahead. A roadblock was forcing all vehicles entering the mandatory evacuation zone to stop. She waited, considering her options while the driver of the car in front of her spoke with the officer. The officer stood with hands on his hips and shaking his head, until the driver finally accepted they weren’t getting through. Dory backed up so they could turn around, then moved forward.

  Dory didn’t recognize the young officer who approached her car when she eased it to a stop in front of the barricade. She rolled down the window to the sound of one of the aerial firefighting airplanes roaring overhead. Once night fell, those planes with their loads of fire-halting Phos-Chek would be grounded.

  “Ma’am, you can’t go past here. That fire is coming over the mountain and this area is under mandatory evacuation orders.”

  “Have you heard about the missing eight-year-old boy?”

  The young man nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “That’s my son, and I think I know where he might have gone. You need to let me through.”

  “Ah, I don’t think I can do that.”

  “The sooner I find my son, the sooner both he and I will be safe. Chief Gallagher and Captain Morgan are both aware that I’m here looking for my son.” She hoped they’d read their texts. “I expect they’ll arrive within minutes. But let’s be clear, I will move those barricades myself if I have to, and I will go through.”

  He let her through.

  Her car was the only one in the parking lot when she pulled to a stop in front of the camp. Dory reached into the seat beside her and grabbed masks from the box her father had given her the day before, then stepped out of the car. Even though the temperature was still warm outside she put on her jacket. As she looked up at the sky, she realized it was hard to tell whether the darkness was caused by the smoke or the setting sun. With the flashlight in her hand, she was ready to go.

  Checking her phone one last time for a response from Jack, she shouldn’t have been surprised to see the “no service” notification. She was on her own.

  From earlier visits to the camp, Dory knew the kitchen was in a building located at the far side of a wide grassy area. She headed in that direction, circling the building until she found a wooden sign marking the trail labeled “Miner’s cabin .5 mile.”

  Half a mile. That wasn’t too far.

  She fit the mask over her face and set out at a jog.

  ***

  Jack drummed his fingers on the table, impatient with the droning voice of the county sheriff. Brad had started off with a short, succinct statement, but he was followed by heads of other agencies who weren’t quite as on-target. A few reporters had been allowed to stand in the back of the room, and that only added an incentive for the talking heads to grow long-winded as they each said their piece.

  Logan stood behind the sheriff, face impassive as the guy droned on about how they were doing everything they could to find the escaped prisoner, how finding the missing eight-year-old boy was their number one priority, how despite the fire advancing on the town of Hangman’s Loss, containment was now at sixty-five percent. Which was exactly the same thing Brad had said in about a tenth of the time.

  Jack’s phone chimed. The sheriff gave him a steely-eyed stare when he pulled it from his pocket, but Jack didn’t give a shit. He read the text, then surged to his feet. “We’ve got a possible location on Adrian Morales.”

  He was out the door, Brad and Logan on his heels as the sheriff called for him to wait. Like hell was he waiting.

  “Where?” Brad snapped out the question when they got to the lobby of the city hall building.

  Catching sight of the reporters hurrying after them, Jack nodded his head in the direction of an area restricted for city employees. Once out of earshot, Jack relayed what the text had said. “Dory thinks he’s gone to a miner’s cabin that’s behind Camp Sierra. Adrian’s been going to a day camp there.”

  “What made her think he’d go there?” Logan asked.

  “Don’t know. The text wasn’t full of information, but we’ve looked every place else and haven’t found him. I trust her on this. She’s sure enough that she’s already on her way over there.”

  Logan stood with his hands on his hips. “That area is under mandatory evacuation. There’s a roadblock, though I don’t imagine that will slow her down much.”

  “Yeah, active fire is closing in on the camp. That’s not a good place for them to be. If that’s where the cabin is, she’s heading straight into the fire.” Brad’s words were a grim acknowledgment of the danger.

  Jack looked at the darkening sky. “We’ve got maybe thirty minutes before the sun is completely down. I’m going.”

  “Logan, you go with him,” Brad ordered. “The Cal Fire chief is inside. I’ll talk to him, get them to lay down Phos-Chek in front of the fire on the ridge. I’ll also notify search and rescue, then I’ll be right behind you.”

  Jack and Logan jumped into the police SUV, Jack flooring it once they were out of the city hall parking lot, hitting the lights and siren. The drive was only a few miles, but it felt like they were moving in slow motion. He radioed ahead, and the barricade was up when they flew past.

  By the time they finally pulled into the parking area for the camp, Jack thought his back molars may have been ground to dust, his jaw was clenched so tight. He parked the police SUV next to Dory’s Civic.

  “Fuck.”

  He glanced at Logan, then followed his line of vision. Besides Dory’s, the only other vehicle in the lot was a dark gray Chevy Silverado with a dent on its rear fender. His blood ran cold. “Rodrigo is here.”

  “Looks like.”

  Jack pressed the release for the shotgun and grabbed it before exiting the vehicle and circling to the back of the cruiser. In the back of the SUV he unzipped his go bag and pulled out extra shells and jammed them in the cargo pocket on his pants. He and Logan both had their sidearms, but the shotgun would give them more flexibility.

  When Logan joined him, he said, “We do what we have to do to keep Dory and Adrian safe. But if we can avoid killing the bastard in front of them, then that’s what we do. Neither one of them should have to live with the image of that fucker being blown to kingdom come in their heads.”

  He handed Logan the shotgun. “The trail to the miner’s cabin is on the far side. Let’s go.”

  ***

  The trail wound through a grove of aspen, the bark of the trees dull silver in the murky light. Dory’s eyes burned, and even with the mask smoke still irritated her lungs. With the fire so close, there was a danger of the wind picking up embers and blowing them ahead of the fire line where they could spark new blazes. While every instinct urged her to run faster, she maintained the steady jog. Half a mile wasn’t that far and she began to worry that she’d somehow passed it. She wished she knew what it was she was looking for. If it was right on the trail, she’d see it. But if it was off the trail any distance, she might miss it altogether in the gathering gloom. She turned on the flashlight, gratified to see the strong beam. She swept it in front of her, her head swiveling back and forth as she peered through the trees for any sign of a structure.

  She broke through the aspen into a wide meadow. A fiery orange glow had her stumbling to a stop as she stared, horrified. The fire had crested the ridge and sheets of flame were shooting into the sky as the beast consumed tall pine trees. Deer leapt across the meadow to bolt past her, trying to escape the conflagration. And there, on the far side of the meadow with the last light of day making it barely visible through the smoke, she spotted a small, squat cabin made of logs, the front door missing. The tra
il forked and Dory picked up speed as she raced toward the structure. Her foot caught on a root and she slammed into the ground, her chin striking a sharp rock and her palms skidding across the dirt. The flashlight rolled away from her, the light going out.

  She scrambled for the flashlight, wishing desperately that she’d thought to bring an extra, but when she picked it up and pushed the button, the beam came on again. A glance up the slope told her the fire was advancing.

  “Adrian!”

  She stilled, ears straining, trying to hear over the roar of trees exploding into flame. Had she heard a cry?

  She ran to the dark doorway of the cabin. “Adrian?” The beam of the flashlight picked up a broken chair and a rough table.

  “Mom.”

  And there he was. Adrian leapt to his feet from where he’d been curled against a wall and threw himself at his mother. Relief made her giddy as she wrapped her arms around her son. She’d found her baby.

  “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have run away.”

  Dory hugged Adrian to her so tightly she was sure she was cutting off his circulation. Her boy was safe. She wanted to sit down and hold him in her lap like she’d done when he was a little boy, but danger still stalked them. Reluctantly, she loosened her hold to shine the flashlight over his dark head, illuminating his grubby, tearstained face. She swept the light down. The red t-shirt was torn at the hem, and both knees showed bloody abrasions. If that was the worst of it, she’d take it. “Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere besides your knees?”

  “No. But I’m thirsty and hungry and cold, and I had to pee against a tree.”

  She dropped the backpack from her shoulders and unzipped it. “We’re going to have a talk later, Adrian, but right now? We’ve got to move quick. The fire is getting close.”

  “It is?”

  “Yes.” She pulled out Jack’s sweatshirt and put it over Adrian’s head, quickly rolling up the sleeves. It came to below his knees but it would keep him warm and offer some protection from flying embers. She uncapped a water bottle. “Here, drink, and then we’re going. We can get you food when we’re safe from the fire.”

  Adrian drank nearly the entire bottle. After donning the backpack once again, she fit a mask over his mouth and nose, then took his hand. “It’s getting bad out there, and we might have to run. Whatever you do, don’t let go of my hand.”

  “Okay, Mom, I won’t let go.”

  She ushered him out of the cabin. The fire was even closer, its sound a crackling roar as it burned. The wind carried glowing embers in swirling patterns over the meadow. If they didn’t run now, they might not make it. Holding on to Adrian, she hurried him toward the trail, skidding to a stop when a shadow separated from a tree trunk to move in front of them.

  “Well, isn’t this sweet. We’re having a family reunion.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Dory stood frozen, the beam of her flashlight illuminating the hardened face of her ex-husband. “Rodrigo.”

  “Miss me, wife?”

  Her mind blanked. How could he be here? With her heart hammering in her throat, she tried desperately to formulate a plan. When they’d been married and he’d beat her, she hadn’t fought back. She wasn’t that intimidated, frightened woman anymore.

  How many times had she played over scenarios in her head where she’d defended herself, where she’d forced him to back off, where she’d taken her son and left him? Determination surged past the fear, and she felt stronger. Keeping the beam of the flashlight on Rodrigo’s face and Adrian’s hand tight in hers, she cautiously circled her ex-husband.

  “What are you doing, Dory? You don’t think you’ll get away from me, do you? You’re not smart enough to challenge me. You’re even driving the same car you had before you turned on me. Couldn’t believe how easy it was to follow you.”

  He was looking for an advantage, trying to draw her out, to get her to engage with him. The sound of his voice brought back terrifying memories, but she blocked their power to immobilize her. The roar of the fire grew louder. She was more scared of being burned alive than of the escaped convict in front of her.

  She continued to edge around him in a half circle.

  “Where do you think you’re going? You’ll never get away from me. If you’d done a better job of taking care of our kid, you wouldn’t be in danger now. You were stupid then, and you’re stupid now.”

  “Leave my mom alone.” Adrian’s voice sounded surprisingly strong.

  “Looks like you haven’t taught the brat any manners, either.”

  Dory continued moving, bringing Adrian with her. Once she thought they had a chance, she squeezed Adrian’s hand in warning, then pressed the switch to turn off the flashlight, counting on Rodrigo not being able to see in the sudden darkness. She bolted, her hand gripped tight to Adrian’s. Rodrigo leapt toward them, but must have caught his foot because there was an unmistakable thud as he hit the ground.

  She turned on the flashlight, gambling that with the light, she and Adrian could avoid tripping while if Rodrigo pursued them, he’d be running blind in the dark. They raced across the meadow, burning embers dancing in the wind. They reached the aspens and she chanced a look over her shoulder. In that split second a tree at the far edge of the meadow erupted into fire and she saw Rodrigo silhouetted against the flames as he charged after them. Oh god, they’d never outrun him.

  “Come on, Mom, we have to run fast.” Adrian’s encouragement propelled her forward.

  They took the trail in a mad dash, not even slowing when they splashed across a creek. They scrambled up the bank, over a rise, and then down the other side. Dory stumbled, but true to his word, Adrian kept hold of her hand. They continued to fly down the slope. With every step, Dory expected to feel hot breath on her neck, hands grabbing her, ham fists ready to pummel her. A crash and an oath less than a dozen feet behind them told her Rodrigo had gained and would be on them at any moment.

  Still running, she took Adrian’s hand and wrapped his fingers around the flashlight. “Keep running, Adrian. Don’t stop for anything.” She gasped out the words. “Run until you get to the camp, and if no one’s there, keep running until you find someone who can call nine-one-one.”

  “No, I’m staying with you.” Adrian’s voice held an edge of panic.

  “I’m going to stop him. You keep going.”

  The bouncing beam of the flashlight illuminated an outcropping of boulders to the side of the trail about ten yards ahead.

  With only a vague plan of what she would do, she urged him in a voice made hoarse from the smoke, “Run, Adrian. You have to. Go.”

  “Mom, no.”

  Footsteps rushed behind her, and a hard yank on her ponytail checked her forward momentum. For a brief second, the light from the flashlight continued on ahead, then blinked off.

  Rodrigo’s grip forced her to a stop and then he was there, hulking body up against her back, his breath hot in her ear.

  “You have no hope of escaping me. I’ll always come after you, Dory. You’re mine.” The voice that haunted her dreams sent chills skittering along her skin.

  All the anger and loathing she’d ever felt toward Rodrigo surged through her. He’d loosened his hold on her hair and she swung around to strike out, her fists gripped together making the blow all the more powerful.

  She connected and Rodrigo uttered a surprised grunt. He tried to wrap an arm around her, but in a frenzy to defend herself and allow Adrian time to get away, she hit, kicked, and bit at whatever part of him she could reach. She was fighting blind, only the orange glow of the fire marching ever closer offering any break from the oppressive blackness of night. Rodrigo was a mere blur, a shadow darker than the rest.

  A light shone through the trees, and Dory screamed, “Adrian, go.” With protecting her son foremost in her mind, she caught the gleam of the fire reflected in Rodrigo’s eyes and without pause struck out again, ramming the heel of her hand into his nose, feeling grim satisfaction with the crunch of bone
and his pained howl.

  “You’ll pay for that, bitch.”

  Dory thought she heard the thud of feet coming closer, then Rodrigo kicked out, slamming a booted foot to the outside of her knee. A light blazed, the beam shining directly in Rodrigo’s face as her legs crumpled. He whipped out an arm to grab her around her waist when she went down. In seconds, he’d pulled her with her back to his chest, an arm of solid muscle holding her to him. Cold metal grazed the skin of her throat and had her choking back panic when she realized he was holding a knife blade to her throat.

  “That you, Jack? Brad? Whoever the fuck you are, you need to step back. Give me some fucking room. I know you’ve got a weapon pointed at me, but I’ve got a knife to her throat. She dies if you take a step in this direction.”

  Dory tried to make sense of Rodrigo’s words. Had Jack or Brad arrived? Did they have Adrian? Then Rodrigo’s voice was in her ear, his breath foul on her cheek. “Don’t move, wife, if you want to keep your head attached to your shoulders. It’d be a shame for your boy to see me slash you from ear to ear.” He pressed the blade into her skin. “You feel that? I could cut your throat before you could even draw a breath to scream.” The light now illuminated them both, blinding her to anything else. Warm stickiness seeped down her neck, and she realized she’d made Rodrigo’s nose bleed.

  Jack’s voice rang out, clear and controlled. “Let her go, Rodrigo. Drop the knife and let her go, and you might have a chance of living through the night.” He paused. “Adrian’s safe, Dory.”

  Dory sagged in Rodrigo’s hold when she heard Jack’s voice, but the relief was short-lived. If Adrian was nearby, he was still in danger from the fire.

  Rodrigo adjusted his grip and she cried out as sharp pain erupted along her collarbone when the blade bit into her skin.

  “She’s had a little taste, so stay back, or she’s dead.” The words were horrible, but Rodrigo’s voice wavered, making Dory wonder if it was smoke getting to him, or if realization had dawned that, this time, he wouldn’t get away with hurting her. He paused, then asked, “That you, Jack? You all having fun while I destroy your town? Did you come to see me run a knife through my wife? You always had a thing for her. How do you like watching her bleed?” For all his bravado, Dory could feel Rodrigo’s body shaking behind her.