Mountain Secrets

by Elizabeth Goddard

  “I’ve only seen it on a map. But it’s like a clubhouse where you can have get-togethers, and there’s a building with snowmobiles and ATVs. My boss explained to me what the building was used for.”

  “How far is it from here?”

  “I’d estimate less than a mile. We can use the trees for cover but we’ll get lost if we don’t keep the road in sight.” In these conditions, she’d be guessing at the location of the building.

  His voice dropped half an octave. “That’s a long way to go in the cold.”

  Footsteps pounded down the stairs. Both of them pressed deeper into the shadows. The footsteps drew closer. Doors opened and shut. The thief was searching all of the rooms in the basement, making his way down the hallway. Isabel’s heart beat so loudly she feared it would give them away.

  They had only seconds to make a decision. “We stay here, they will find and kill us.” His hand slipped into hers as he led the way up the stairs to the door that took them back out into the cold night.

  A blast of cold air hit her face, causing her cheeks to tingle. His gloved hand gripped hers.

  “Which way?”

  She pointed as the chill settled on her exposed skin. He ran toward the trees. She held on to his hand. When she glanced over her shoulder, she saw light glowing in the dome and a silhouetted figure.

  By the door through which they’d just exited a light also bobbed. It loomed toward them for some time and then stopped. Would they give up the chase that easily? Somehow, she doubted it.

  The trees grew thicker as the outline of the house disappeared. She focused on the sound of her feet padding on the soft snow. Her breath came out in vapory puffs as she struggled to keep pace with Jason.

  Doubt plagued her every footstep. Would they be able to get into the clubhouse garage? She wasn’t sure they’d even find the place in the dark.

  She heard the sound of a motor, a car on the road.

  The clang of an engine revving up landed on her ears. Headlights cut through the trees behind her. The thieves had gone back for their car. She quickened her pace. Jason grabbed her and pulled her into the trees as the thieves’ car drew near.

  * * *

  Heart shifting into high gear, Jason climbed uphill through the trees to get off the road. Isabel remained close beside him.

  The car motor grew louder, more menacing. The headlights flashed by them and then the motor settled into an idle. Voices were raised, commands shouted. A car door slammed and then the car eased down the road. One man must have gotten out to search on foot while the other moved past them.

  Out of breath, Jason kept pushing uphill. He craned his neck, catching just a flash of light through the thick trees.

  Isabel caught up to him. She spoke between deep breaths. They both kept climbing. “They must have seen us on the road.”

  Jason glanced around, not able to discern much of anything. They needed a hiding place, time to catch their breath. How were they going to find the clubhouse if they couldn’t navigate by the road?

  The car rolled by again on the road. This time headed in the direction of the house.

  Jason sprinted faster, though his legs were screaming from the effort of moving uphill. The man on foot with the flashlight was still at the bottom of the hill, looking up in their direction.

  Jason ran up to a large evergreen, gesturing toward Isabel and speaking in a whisper. “Scoot down toward the trunk. The boughs will hide us.”

  She complied with his order. He crawled in beside her. Both of them were out of breath. The tree sheltered them from the wind and snow.

  “We need to get back down to the road,” she leaned close and whispered. Her breath warmed his ear.

  He nodded.

  Branches creaked around them in the wind. Down below, the car continued to go back and forth on the road. He could not see the headlights anymore but heard the engine grow louder and then dim.

  A distinctly human grunt emanated below them. A tree branch cracked, probably the searcher stepping on deadfall. Footsteps seemed to surround them. Isabel pressed closer to him. He could see nothing through the darkness and thick foliage.

  The footsteps seemed to fade and then grow louder. He couldn’t hear the car engine any longer. Had the driver decided to search farther down the road?

  His breathing slowed. They huddled in the darkness...waiting. He heard noises that were most likely human.

  Isabel had pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Her head was tilted. After several minutes of silence in the forest, she spoke up. “Do you think he’s gone?”

  Five, maybe ten, minutes had passed since he’d heard any sound that might have come from their pursuers.

  “Stay put.” He crawled on all fours to get out from under the tree, then remained crouching, listening and watching. Though it was still snowing, the wind had died down.

  He signaled for Isabel to come out. When she was close, he whispered, “We’ll walk parallel to the road but use the trees for cover. Until we can find a safe spot to emerge.”

  She nodded as he rose and walked in a serpentine pattern through the trees. Always, his ears tuned for any out-of-place sound. Isabel stayed close to him.

  The trees thinned, and he could see the road below. The thieves must have a pretty heavy-duty vehicle to be driving on the unplowed roads. At least five or six inches must have fallen since the start of the storm. Enough moonlight shone through to give the snow the appearance of being garnished with diamonds.

  The quiet was deceptive. He knew he needed to stay on his guard. The two thieves were close, even if he couldn’t hear or see them. Every step they took brought them closer to danger.

  SIX

  Isabel tried to ignore the tight knot in her stomach by focusing on the back of Jason’s head. In the darkness, she could just make out the band of white on his knit hat. She took in an intense breath and looked side to side. They could be walking right into the thieves’ path.

  She heard a noise to the side of her. Jason kept walking. She reached for the hem of his coat. Then she saw the glint of light up the hill. He wrapped his arms around her and guided her behind one of the larger trees.

  Her heart thudded in her ears. As they faced each other, she tilted her head and looked up at Jason, whose posture indicated he was still on high alert. He turned and angled around the tree, then looked back at her and lifted his chin, indicating they should keep moving.

  He worked his way down toward more level ground and spurred himself into a jog. It would be hard to find the clubhouse, a place she’d never been to. What if they overshot it altogether? They could be wandering for hours. The cold was as much an enemy as the two thieves.

  The trees thinned and the ground became more level.

  Jason slowed so she could catch up. “We must be getting close.”

  The evergreens were so far apart they didn’t provide any cover. They made their way toward the road. Tracks indicated that the thieves’ car had come this far.

  She stopped to scan the trees behind her, seeing nothing.

  Jason picked up the pace. She sprinted beside him as a sense of urgency pressed in on her from all sides. Now they were out in the open, exposed. They needed to hurry. The tracks left by the car ended where the thief had turned around. A good sign that the men weren’t waiting to ambush them at the clubhouse.

  Up ahead she spotted a cluster of trees and the faint outline of what might be a building. Jason veered in that direction. She sprinted to keep up with him, scanning their surroundings.

  Gradually two buildings came into view. Picnic tables outside were covered in snow. The clubhouse was about fifty yards from the road.

  Isabel quickened her pace as she prayed they’d be able to access the snowmobiles. She ran ahead of Jason but slowed as she got close to the garage. There was a padlock on the door. She sh
ook the doorknob out of frustration as her hope vaporized.

  “Now what are we going to do?” Her eyes warmed with tears.

  Jason peered into a window. “We made it this far. There has to be a solution.”

  She ran toward the clubhouse door. It too was locked. Even if there was a landline in there, it might not be working. She hung her head, squeezed her eyes tight to keep the tears from coming.

  Come on, Izzy. You’ve been in worse situations. Be strong.

  Jason squeezed her upper arm. His voice filled with compassion. “We’ll figure something out. If I had something like a paper clip, I could pick the lock. Split up. Let’s keep looking for a way in.” He took off in one direction and she ran around the side of the clubhouse. The windows of the clubhouse were high and small, but maybe they could climb in.

  “Isabel.” Jason’s voice came from behind the garage.

  She ran along the garage wall to the back, where Jason was sweeping the snow off an ATV with a plow on it.

  “Your chariot awaits.” His voice was almost jovial.

  “Someone must have left it out here because they knew they’d be plowing again.”

  “There’s no key,” he said as he dug into his pockets. He handed her a set of keys. “There’s a tiny flashlight on there.”

  Isabel shone the light where Jason pointed.

  On the road on the other side of the garage, a car rumbled. Isabel’s heart squeezed tight. It had to be the thieves. No one else would be out on a night like tonight.

  “Give me the light. I can kinda see if I put it on the seat.” Jason’s focus never wavered from the ATV. “Check to make sure it’s them. It might be the guy coming back for his plow.”

  Jason’s optimism didn’t make much sense to her. All the same, she ran to the edge of the building and peered around the side of it. A car was parked on the road. A man had gotten out and was making his way in the deep snow toward the clubhouse. Though it was hard to see any detail, he was built like the short muscular man she’d encountered at the Wilsons’ house.

  She hurried back to where Jason was still pulling wires on the engine of the snowplow and then shining the light on what he’d done.

  “I think it’s one of them.”

  “Just a couple more seconds here.” Jason’s voice held no hint of the panic she felt. “Hold the light for me.”

  She shone the light toward his hands. While she appreciated Jason’s cool head, she was having a hard time taking in a deep breath. She turned slightly but saw nothing. It would be just a matter of minutes before the thief found them even if he circled the clubhouse first.

  Jason clicked something into place, and the engine sputtered to life. Now for sure the noise would send their pursuers toward them. He swung his leg over and got on. Isabel slipped in behind him before he had even settled in the seat. After he lifted the plow, the ATV lurched forward.

  A gunshot echoed behind them. Isabel leaned close to Jason and held on tight. Jason steered around the building toward the road. But instead of taking the road, he cut across it down the hill. Smart. The car would only be able to traverse the road.

  Another gunshot resounded behind them. Isabel held on to Jason even tighter. Her heart pounded wildly as adrenaline surged through her.

  Behind her, the car engine started up. As Jason maneuvered the ATV straight downhill, the roar of the car seemed to press in on them from all sides. The snow grew deeper, slowing their progress. They might get stuck. They had no choice. Jason veered the snowmobile back onto the road.

  The headlights from the car encapsulated them. Jason switched up a gear and increased his speed. They were risking an accident, but the ATV was able to progress on the unplowed road faster than the car. They slipped out of the grasp of the headlights as Jason put a little distance between them and their pursuer.

  He cut off the road and headed straight downhill again. The ATV caught air and landed hard. Pain shot up Isabel’s back but she held on. She peered over Jason’s shoulder. Up ahead was a cluster of trees. Jason slowed as they drew close. He wove through the trees. As he lost speed, the noise of the ATV motor kicked down a notch. The hum of the car engine in the still night reached her ears. She could see the flash of headlights through the trees.

  Fear squeezed her stomach into a tight knot. The car couldn’t follow them into the trees, but they were going so slow, he could cut them off when they came back out on the road.

  Jason steered sideways and continued to navigate through the labyrinth of the trees. The sound of the car faded into the distance. Gradually, the landscape became more open and flat. The ATV picked up speed once again.

  When she looked to one side, the faint outline of the Wilsons’ house was visible up the hill. They’d gone in a circle. Jason drove the ATV toward the road she’d come up hours earlier in her car. She took in a deep breath. It was only a couple of miles down the hill until the private road intersected with the two-lane that would take them back into town.

  Jason didn’t slow down when he got to the road. She caught the glimpse of headlights in her peripheral vision. They weren’t home free yet. The car was still following them.

  * * *

  The exposed skin on Jason’s face tingled from the wind and snow hitting it as he couched low. Though he couldn’t hear the car, he knew it had made it to the road they were on and was still chasing them.

  He revved the throttle. Isabel pressed close to him as he gained speed. He could feel the pressure of her arms around his waist though they both wore too many layers of clothing to feel her body heat. He liked having her so close. Maybe now she’d come to trust him.

  With the motor humming, they descended the hill. The ATV seemed to almost hover over the snow, providing them with a smooth ride.

  Isabel leaned close to his ear and shouted, “He’s getting closer.”

  They must be within a half mile of the two-lane road. He turned the handlebars and directed the ATV toward the bumpier, more foreboding landscape where a car would not be able to follow.

  He aimed toward a patch of trees, swerving expertly around them. The rough terrain didn’t scare him. He’d grown up riding ATVs and dirt bikes with his father. The ATV headlights cut a swath of light in front of him so he could plan his next move.

  Chances were the thief would patrol the two-lane and wait for them to emerge, but he could only go back and forth on a small section of road at a time. If he took the ATV far enough out they’d be able to get on the two-lane without being spotted.

  A steep drop on the hillside caused them to catch air again. As they sailed through the air, he tried to maneuver the machine for a successful landing. The nose of the ATV pointed downward. Isabel screamed but held on tight.

  They dived into a snowbank. The crash seemed to make all his bones vibrate.

  He took in a breath and patted Isabel’s gloved hand. “Are you okay?”

  “I don’t think anything is broken.”

  The motor of the snowmobile had died. “Can you get off? I’ve got to see if I can get this thing started and out of this snowbank.” He was still a little shaky from the impact of the crash.

  Isabel swung her leg over and stepped back. She pulled his keys out and shone the light for Jason.

  “It looks pretty stuck.” Her voice was monotone, devoid of any emotion.

  Maybe she was just as exhausted as he was from all the running.

  Fragments of light flashed below them, a car going by on the two-lane.

  He lifted his head and met Isabel’s gaze. Was she thinking the same thing he was? “This time of night there won’t be many cars going by.” Even fewer because of the storm.

  “I still think it’s our best shot.” Her voice filled with resolve. “Maybe the snowplows are out by now. We can flag one down.”

  It was a huge risk. They’d have to dodge the thief in the big car and
hope that another vehicle came along. “We can’t stay here.” The ATV was dead. Either the cold or the thief would be their demise.

  Isabel held the flashlight in such a way that it illuminated her face. She nodded, but he saw the fear in her eyes.

  “We’ll stay in the trees as much as possible.” He reached a gloved hand out for hers. She lifted her hand and he squeezed it, hoping the gesture would help quell her fear.

  He turned. “Only use the flashlight when you absolutely need to. It makes us too easy to spot. The bright colors of my coat will draw attention too.”

  “I can turn it inside out.” She slipped out of his coat and turned it to the dark lining.

  He started walking. She trudged behind him. He breathed in a silent prayer that a car would come by sooner rather than later. Though the storm was no longer raging, staying out in the cold for any length of time would not be a good idea.

  He was unable to see the ground clearly, so his footsteps were slow and measured. Isabel whispered something.

  He kept walking but turned his head slightly. “What did you say?”

  “Oh sorry. I didn’t realize you could hear me. I was...praying.”

  “Yeah, we could use some of that.” He felt closer to her, knowing that she’d thought to pray.

  “Sometimes things have to be at their darkest before I think of it,” she said.

  He opened his mouth to answer but stopped when he spotted headlights through the trees. The car eased along the road. Most likely it was the thief searching for them. He crouched and Isabel slipped in beside him. The car stopped and the driver got out. Shining his flashlight, the man peered up into the trees where he and Isabel were hiding. It was clearly the thief. He must have seen their flashlight when they had it on. The thief continued to walk toward them in a zigzag pattern.

  The car engine still hummed. The thief had left it running to keep the engine warm.

  An idea sparked inside Jason’s head. They could get to the thief’s car and drive it to safety.

  Jason squeezed Isabel’s arm just above the elbow and tilted his head. She nodded in understanding. They’d be spotted if they went straight for the car. Still crouching, he moved from tree to tree, working his way down to the road in an arc. Isabel stayed close.