Untraceable
Untraceable
Elizabeth Goddard
NO WAY OUTColleen Brennan has one goal - take down her sister's killer. But chasing after evidence leaves her in the path of a tornado and stranded in an Amish community. With the killer nearby, Colleen must depend on the kindness of Special Agent Frank Gallagher. Although the army officer is recuperating from a battlefield injury, he wants to help the beautiful woman he rescued from the tornado's fury. He can tell she's hiding something important. But getting her to reveal her secrets may be his most dangerous mission ever.Military Investigations: Serving their country and solving crimes
NO WAY OUT
Colleen Brennan has one goal—take down her sister’s killer. But chasing after evidence leaves her in the path of a tornado and stranded in an Amish community. With the killer nearby, Colleen must depend on the kindness of Special Agent Frank Gallagher. Although the army officer is recuperating from a battlefield injury, he wants to help the beautiful woman he rescued from the tornado’s fury. He can tell she’s hiding something important. But getting her to reveal her secrets may be his most dangerous mission ever.
Military Investigations: Serving their country and solving crimes
“Did you try to radio for help?”
He nodded. “Couldn’t get through.”
“Isaiah, what if he’d caught you?” Heidi crawled closer to him in the tent. “He’ll kill you if he finds out.”
He started to speak but she pressed her hand over his mouth. “Don’t say he’s going to kill us anyway. I don’t want to hear it. There has to be another way… Why don’t we overpower them, get the guns back. Something.” She hated the trembling that crept into her voice along with rising panic.
“If we get the chance, we will. But I need to tell you something.” He gripped her shoulders. “I found the missing gang member’s body yesterday.”
Covering her mouth, she sobbed softly. Isaiah pulled her to him and held her. His arms felt strong around her.
“Heidi, he might not be the last person to die as we make it through these mountains. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
She nodded. The harsh environment would pick them off, one by one. Then maybe they could worry about fighting whoever was left. But she didn’t get the chance to voice her thoughts on his words.
Outside the tent, gunfire resounded through the icy mountains.
ELIZABETH GODDARD is an award-winning author of over twenty novels, including the romantic mystery, The Camera Never Lies—winner of a prestigious Carol Award in 2011. After acquiring her computer science degree, she worked at a software firm before eventually retiring to raise her four children and become a professional writer. In addition to writing, she homeschools her children and serves with her husband in ministry.
Untraceable
Elizabeth Goddard
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may stay for the night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning.
—Psalms 30:5
This story is dedicated to search and rescue teams everywhere, to men and women who volunteer their time, money and skills and willingly place themselves in danger to find and rescue complete strangers. And of course, all my stories are dedicated to my family—my three sons, Christopher, Jonathan and Andrew, and my daughter, Rachel (and new son-in-law, Richard), and my husband, Dan—for giving me the time and space I need to create new worlds and characters. You guys rock!
Writers don’t work in a vacuum, especially if they’re novelists. I couldn’t write without the encouragement and support I receive from my writing buddies—Lisa Harris, Shannon McNear and Lynette Sowell, and many more—so glad God brought us together on this writing journey!
I’d also like to thank my friends in Juneau who provided me with invaluable material regarding specific information—Doug Wessen, a community leader and SAR hero extraordinaire. And thanks to Teresa, a writing friend in Juneau who works for the US Forest Service. You’re always available with just the right answer or photograph. Thanks to Bill Glude of the Alaska Avalanche Center for his assistance, and for training search and rescue volunteers. Any mistakes are mine alone either by accident or on purpose in taking artistic license to create a more adventurous and appealing story world.
Contents
Cover (#uc3e47cda-30e2-5cb2-a428-36bc9c9d060b)
Back Cover Text (#uef5ca07b-098b-52dd-9ed5-6bd621dfaf44)
Introduction (#ufe40cadf-cfd9-5a9a-b800-76010e49282a)
About the Author (#u890b9931-2413-5c27-b0ae-7dd9627b67c6)
Title Page (#u0ecd03bb-c17b-5e82-a4ea-09cfee346f30)
Praise (#ua1572b77-1c4b-5415-b7fc-6ec3da3a57df)
Dedication (#u81bb0dfe-5ba7-5392-94b5-18e51b336549)
Acknowledgments (#u9918d561-e387-5091-86cc-0d2b66780b0a)
ONE
TWO
THREE
FOUR
FIVE
SIX
SEVEN
EIGHT
NINE
TEN
ELEVEN
TWELVE
THIRTEEN
FOURTEEN
FIFTEEN
SIXTEEN
SEVENTEEN
EIGHTEEN
NINETEEN
TWENTY
TWENTY-ONE
TWENTY-TWO
Dear Reader
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
ONE (#uc1bc5537-0812-5c76-96e5-e93981312a44)
“Off rappel!”
Heidi adjusted her night vision goggles at her brother Cade’s call up the rocky cliff face from below. The snow-covered, mountainous landscape looked green and black, but at least she could see instead of stumbling around in the dark and falling to her death. Even though the moon was out in full force, this side of the mountain remained in the shadows.
The helicopter had dropped them off as close as possible to the summit, but they’d still had to hike another two hours to get to the place where they would rappel down to the trapped climbers, at least one of them injured, or so the three rescuers—Heidi and Cade Warren and Isaiah Callahan—had been informed.
As a member of North Face Mountain Search and Rescue—like the other Warren siblings—this was only the second time Heidi had climbed at night, and she shoved aside the unpleasant memory of the first. There was enough tension between her and her brother Cade, and unfortunately their friend and coworker Isaiah—who usually flew the helicopter—that she didn’t need to tack on anything more to an already heavy load. And it wasn’t just the emotional and mental burden. The pack on her back weighed her down, too.
Drawing in a cold breath, she hoisted the hefty pack—loaded down with climbing, medical and camping gear for spending the night—and rappelled the cliff. Cade, ever the protective brother, had insisted on going first, though Heidi was the trained technical climber of the three.
She’d made it halfway to the next rap station and paused for a rest, when gunfire ricocheted off the mountain. Heidi jerked and lost her balance. Her overfilled pack pulled her over, flip-flopping her. Now hanging upside down, her heart pounded.
She was the technical climber here.
She was the expert they counted on to assist in getting these people out.
She hadn’t wanted to come. Not after what had happened last summer. But there’d been no choice. Two other daunting rescue operations were ongoing and they needed the manpower. If only she weren’t out of practice.
All her fault. This was on her, and she knew it.
Heidi was a wreck, but she couldn’t afford to give in to her emotions right now. Those climbers stranded in the saddle between the summits couldn’t afford her messing up.
No way would she call for help, though. The last thing Cade and Isaiah needed was a rescuer who required rescuing. Besides, she’d assured Cade she could do this, but even if she hadn’t, he’d pretty much insisted that she try. Isaiah had been the one to protest. He hadn’t wanted her here. Whether because he personally didn’t want to work with her after distancing himself for some unknown reason or because he didn’t trust her abilities, she wasn’t sure. Either way, his attitude stabbed her like an ice ax.
“What’s going on up there, Heidi?” Cade asked over the radio.
“Nothing.”
“You need help?” Now Isaiah. Great.
And the incident command center would hear their conversation, too. Over the years, they’d developed their own radio-speak, and didn’t use the more technical terms. Cade always wanted them to talk plainly. Worked for her.
“Heidi, I asked if you’re good?” Isaiah again.
At the very least, she would prove to Isaiah she was back. She could do this. “I’m rapping down. You’re distracting me.”
With all the strength she could muster, she grabbed the rope and inched her way up, righting herself. Then she breathed a sigh of relief.
But what about the gunfire she’d heard? Heidi used her night vision goggles to scan the mountain and the saddle below, but saw nothing of concern. Was it someone chasing off a bear somewhere? Cade and Isaiah hadn’t mentioned it. Had she imagined it? Or was it simply echoing from miles away? She wouldn’t bring it up. All she needed was for them to think she was hearing things. As always, Isaiah and Cade were packing weapons in case they came across a bear, so she wouldn’t worry.
Following Cade down, she rappelled, careful that the unusually heavy pack wouldn’t throw her off balance again. She met him at the second rappel. A glance down revealed a beaming flashlight and a small fire burning nearly four hundred feet below.
Voices resounded from the camp. The climbers must have spotted their rescuers. Cade rappelled again. Heidi watched and waited before she followed. She glanced up but couldn’t see Isaiah from here. He was likely growing impatient to hear her call.
Heidi looked down at Cade and saw him swinging over, creating a new path.
“Be careful. There’s a vertical ice wall and a sheer drop,” Cade told them over the radio.
Negotiating the terrain would be difficult enough under the circumstances, but with the expected inclement weather, even in April, things could only get worse.
“Off rappel,” Cade called.
Heidi clipped in and called up, repeating the words to Isaiah, and they were back in rhythm, rappelling and descending a snow-covered slope in the middle of a cold, wintry night.
Reaching the vertical ice wall Cade had warned about, she secured her harness and traversed the cliff face, following Cade’s lead. She found the third rappel station and called up to Isaiah before descending the rest of the way.
The saddle where the two summits met formed a wind tunnel. Maybe that’s why Cade hadn’t mentioned the gunfire. He hadn’t even heard it. The high-pitched wail of the wind harmonized with deeper tones making Heidi think of a lost lover singing a seriously morbid screamo song. Thank goodness she’d grown out of that phase a decade ago.
Dropping a few feet to the ground, the pack pulled Heidi back and she fell on her rear.
Thankfully, in this spot, the curve in the rock formations above and around them protected them from the harsh blasts of arctic gusts. She hoped that would remain the case.
“You okay?” Cade offered his hand.
She didn’t take it, but instead slipped from the pack. “That thing is too heavy.”
“I hear you,” he said.
Isaiah joined them. He tugged Heidi around to face him, his touch surprising her. She tried to ignore the current coursing through his gloved hand and her parka to burn the skin on her arm. It was the first time he’d come close to acting as if he cared in months.
Still wearing his night vision goggles, he looked her up and down. “You okay?”
“Of course, I’m fine. We’re here to help them.” Heidi pointed at the group who remained huddled next to their small fire, a couple of them standing, expectantly looking in the direction of the rescuers. “Stop worrying about me.”
She couldn’t take his attention on her right now. It only confused her and she needed to focus. Besides, she hated to be coddled, and Cade’s and Isaiah’s concern was too much. Cade was right to insist she had to get back into search and rescue now or she never would, but after what happened, after she’d been part of a jaunt in the mountains with friends that ended in tragedy, Heidi second-guessed everything she did. Succeeding tonight in this rescue would serve as a rescue for Heidi, in a way. And she prayed that her participation wasn’t a mistake, that it wouldn’t cost more lives. She reminded herself that North Face needed her today.
Heidi helped Cade and Isaiah gather up their packs and equipment so they wouldn’t end up buried in the snow once the storm set in. By the look of the dark clouds rushing in from the west, they didn’t have much time. She led the way, hiking over to the climbers hunkered by the fire about a hundred yards in the distance. With a glance back she saw Cade and Isaiah pointing to a cornice loaded with snow, just waiting for a reason to bury them. Cade got on his radio and communicated their status and she heard something about the potential avalanche.
Just one of many things they’d have to watch for. In the meantime, a helicopter could drop more gear now that the SAR team had made it down. After assessing the climber’s injuries, they’d relay their needs to the command center.
Only, Heidi noticed, they weren’t dressed like climbers. Coats, sure, but jeans and regular shoes. How could they have hiked all this way this time of year without crampons or snowshoes? Heidi told Cade to request the extra gear and whatever winter hiking wear was available. He arched a brow, the question in his eyes confirming hers, and relayed the information.
What was going on?
* * *
Isaiah caught up with Heidi. She was too stressed for her own good. That could be dangerous. But he knew he was partially to blame for that. Or was he giving himself too much credit?
She’d had a rough time of things the past few months, and Isaiah had pulled away when he’d realized they were growing too close. He couldn’t let himself get involved with anyone because of his own mistakes. He wanted to keep the past he ran from hidden. Heidi deserved better than him, and when he’d seen that look in her eyes—one of longing and admiration—a look that he returned too eagerly, he knew he had to withdraw.
And he’d hurt her.
Then came the accident. Heidi had been out for a hike with friends when someone had fallen to their death. Pain zinged through Isaiah. She’d blamed herself, and Isaiah could relate all too well to that feeling. How he wanted to be there for her. To encourage her and get her through it, but he’d already backed away. Let her family be there for her.
And they had been.
Except for when it came to informing Heidi that the man she was seeing, months after Isaiah had made his retreat, was married. Isaiah ended up with that grueling, dirty task. Why him, of all people?
But all that was behind them, and Heidi needed to focus on this rescue. Cade insisted that the only way for her to dig out of the dark place she’d crawled into was to get back into the thick of search and rescue. While that made perfect sense, Isaiah had been worried it was too soon.
He swallowed the sudden knot that arose again as he recalled seeing her dangling on the rope through his night vision goggles moments ago. It was Heidi’s decision to be here, and her brother’s business to watch out for her. Not Isaiah’s, other than as her SAR team member. No. He wasn’t in the Warrens’ inner circle. Not since he’d severed his emotional connection to Heidi.
And not since Cade had started acting as if something was eating at him. It was unusual for Cade to keep anything from Isaiah. He didn’t know what was going on, but he feared his secret was out. Cade was brooding over something and he didn’t appear to know how to share it with Isaiah. Now that Isaiah thought about it, Cade had tried to talk to him a few times about whatever was bothering him, but then he’d shut down. What else could it be except that Cade had found out the truth about Isaiah? That was too much to think about on an easy day, so he shook away the thought and concentrated on the rescue.
The moonlight had crept across the sky and into the gap between the two peaks so he tugged his goggles over his helmet and pushed past Heidi, leading the way to the group. They needed to establish that the SAR team was in charge from the very beginning.
As he approached the climbers, two of the men left the circle around the fire and hiked toward him, bundled up in their winter coats, though it was spring. But mountain summits didn’t often care. Isaiah squared his shoulders and stood tall as he closed the distance to meet them.
When he reached them, one of the two stepped forward. The leader of this climbing party?
Isaiah thrust his gloved hand out. “Isaiah Callahan, and behind me, Heidi and Cade Warren. We’re part of the North Face Mountain Search and Rescue.”
“I’m Zach, and this is Jason. Rhea and Liam are by the fire.”
Zach was trim enough, though he looked bulky with his coat, but he was about Isaiah’s height at five feet eleven inches. Jason was both stockier and taller.
“Good you were able to make a fire.” Isaiah noticed a bruise on Jason’s forehead, a cut and smudges across Zach’s temple and face. “How are you holding up?”
Jason huffed, and Zach sent him a glare over his shoulder. What was that about?
“Where’s the injured party?” Cade asked, coming up behind Isaiah, carrying his pack and ropes.
“We were informed someone had taken a fall.” A little breathless, Heidi finally joined them. She handed off the pack holding the medical gear to Isaiah. Though they were each trained to assist in all situations, Isaiah had the most medical experience.
“That was Robbie.” Zach gestured to the shadows beyond the fire. “Over there. But he’s already gone. No point in worrying about him now.”
Was the guy in so much shock he couldn’t render any emotion over a fallen friend? The cold words struck Isaiah. He glanced to Cade and Heidi. Did they sense that something was off here, too? He couldn’t read them.
Zach led them over to the fire.
The radio squawked and Cade answered, discussing the coordinates and the extra gear the helicopter would drop. He left the group to position himself to receive the goods. Heidi began unpacking, preparing for an overnight stay that would include a winter storm.
Spring didn’t mean anything up in the mountains in Alaska’s Coast Range.
Letting his gaze skim the fire and the climbers’ sorely lacking gear, except for one conspicuous green bag near the fire, he finally spotted the bundle, likely the body, about fifteen or more yards away in the shadows. Isaiah hated hearing they hadn’t made it in time to save someone but it happened all too often.
Zach was suddenly at his side again.
“What happened to him?” Isaiah pointed to what he assumed was the body of the injured climber.
“He fell.”
“But he was still alive when you called us.” They’d gotten here as quickly as they could.
“I don’t know, man, you know how these things happen. He fell and his injuries killed him.”
Yeah, Isaiah knew. He trudged in the direction of the body, the thrum of a helicopter drawing closer. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Cade’s silhouette in the distance as he made his way to gather the gear being dropped.
Something didn’t add up. None of the climbers were equipped to climb the summit or traverse the cliff side. How did they get here? Confusion along with an unwelcome sick feeling that something was definitely wrong crawled over him like a sudden, drastic drop in temperature.
“Where are you going?” Zach followed. “I said he was dead. There’s nothing more you can do for him. We need to get out of here tonight. You’re wasting time.”
Isaiah kept walking. “None of us are getting out tonight.”
“What?” The guy jerked Isaiah around.
“A storm’s coming. Life Flight is planning to hoist the injured man out of here in the morning, that is, after the storm clears out.”
“We don’t need to wait.”
“The logistics of getting everyone out tonight are a nightmare. In the morning when the storm clears is better. It’s safer. And it’s the only option.”
Isaiah proceeded to the body. He knelt down to examine the man, pulling out his flashlight. Had he died of hypothermia?
Then he found the blood and...a gunshot entry wound. When he was up top, he thought he’d heard a gunshot ring out in the distance behind him, too far to be related to the group in the valley. Had he been wrong about that?
Stiffening, Isaiah slowly pressed his hand inside his parka, covering the weapon in his shoulder holster. He was here to rescue people, not hurt them.
“Don’t even think about it.” Zach pressed the cold muzzle of a gun against the back of Isaiah’s exposed neck.
Closing his eyes, Isaiah sent up a prayer and calculated his next move.
The gun pressed harder, digging into his flesh. “Put your hands up where I can see them and slowly stand up.”
Zach backed away from Isaiah as he turned to face the guy, his hands up. Too bad. He could have wrestled the weapon from him.
“He’s dead because he’d only slow us down,” Zach said. “Are you going to be next?”
TWO (#uc1bc5537-0812-5c76-96e5-e93981312a44)
Heidi unpacked the tents and synthetic insulated blankets, tossing them to the wary climbers by the fire. Jason, Liam and then Rhea. The woman, face pale, lips a little blue, wore a dazed expression and shivered. It appeared she might be getting hypothermic. None of that came as a surprise considering the climbers had been waiting for hours for the SAR team to arrive.
Heidi must have let her gaze linger on Rhea too long because the woman blinked and looked up from the fire, regarding Heidi with an odd expression. Heidi hated that Rhea gave her the creeps. She was here to assist Rhea and her climbing buddies, so Heidi didn’t like thinking that way about anyone. Yet she almost wished the moon wasn’t shining on the woman’s face. Soon enough, she’d have her wish as the light in the sky shifted behind the mountains or the storm clouds hid it from view. Unfortunately, she didn’t relish working in the dark, either.
Heidi focused her attention back on removing the needed equipment from the various packs. The snow flukes to help secure the tents against the heavy and wet snow, along with the high winds that would come with the expected storm. The small camping stove and fuel they’d mostly use to melt snow for water. Sleeping bags. Now all she needed was some help to get the tents set up.
A blast of icy wind swept over her. It was definitely picking up. She shivered at the thought. Heidi hated to weather a storm like this, but the good thing was they’d gotten here beforehand and these people would have ample protection now. Cade had been right to insist she help. The swell of satisfaction she received when helping others was returning.
“You should wait,” Rhea said.
Heidi looked up from the pack—stuff now strewn around. “Wait? Why would I do that? The faster I can get you warmed up the better.”
“Because we’re hiking out tonight.”
The woman wasn’t making any sense, didn’t know what she was talking about. Yep, her core body temperature was too low. The quicker Heidi got Rhea inside a tent, the better. Heidi glanced at the two men who only stared into the fire. Obviously, they had experience in dealing with Rhea. Heidi would follow their example. She kept her thoughts to herself and focused on setting up camp. No need to further antagonize Rhea.
Cade had gone off to grab the rest of the supplies the helicopter dropped a few hundred yards from them to keep it safe, and Isaiah went to check on the deceased climber. Not so far away, but they couldn’t get back fast enough for her.
“Did you hear me?” Rhea’s tone grew belligerent.
What was this all about?
“That was never the plan.” Heidi stood tall, facing her. “The plan was that a helicopter would hoist anyone who was injured out in the morning. It’s too dangerous tonight.”
Cade came from the shadows and tossed more packs and sleeping bags toward Heidi, where they plopped in the snow. Heidi shot him a look.
“What’s the problem?” Cade caught his breath, then focused on Rhea. Jason and Liam stood up as if they were answering a challenge.
“No problem,” Rhea said. “I told her not to unpack. We’re hiking out.”
Cade frowned.
Isaiah came into the circle of light, Zach right behind him. Zach shoved Isaiah forward.
What was going on?
Zach held two guns and pointed one at Isaiah and one at Cade. “I’ll need your weapons and all communication devices.” He glanced over at Heidi. “You, too, sweetheart.”
Heidi gulped for air. This couldn’t be happening. What would Cade do? She watched him, willing him to hear her pleading.
Don’t try to be a hero now, Cade. Please don’t.
“I don’t have anything on me,” Heidi said.
“You’re going to have to prove it.” Zach waved the gun. “Take off your coats.”
“What?” Cade said. “It’s too cold out here! We have to stay the night on this mountain.”
Zach pressed the gun into Isaiah’s temple. “I don’t need all three of you.”
“Yes, you need us all.” Heidi didn’t hide the desperation in her plea. “Whatever you’re planning, to hike out tonight like Rhea said, you definitely need all three of us. You’ll never make it without our help. We are the bare minimum required.”
Angling his head, Zach studied her, considering her words.
The way Isaiah slightly shook his head, as though he was ready to die for them right here and now was too much for Heidi. She couldn’t allow that. Cade could not get his weapon out in time to do anything for them. Isaiah had to know that.
“Do as he says, Cade.” Heidi took off her own coat and arctic cold swirled around her. She shivered.
Wind rippled over the small fire and almost snuffed it out, but Heidi knew the darkness wouldn’t help them.
“You should listen to her,” Zach said.
Cade quickly stripped from his jacket, revealing his shoulder holster and the weapon inside. He handed it over to Jason.
“Radios and SAT phones, cell phones, everything.”
Cade’s expression turned dark and menacing as he handed over everything that would connect him to their brother David, who was monitoring this rescue mission from the command center at the base of the mountain. Adam, Cade and Heidi’s other brother, had been called out on a separate search and rescue. The Warren siblings were spread out tonight.
“Is that everything?”
“We came here to help you,” Isaiah said. “A storm is approaching, so we don’t have time for this. Why are you threatening us, pointing those guns at us?”
“If you don’t want our help, we’ll just be on our way,” Cade said.
“I like to hear that, because that’s exactly what’s going to happen. We’re going to be on our way. All of us. You’re going to lead, and we’re going to follow you out.”
Isaiah looked at the cliff face they’d just scaled. “We’re not equipped to help you back up that cliff, not in the dark. Not with a storm closing in. There’s a reason we brought supplies to make it through the night and longer, depending on the weather.”
“Why did you call us? Why do you need us?” Heidi asked the question, but she thought she already knew the answer.
“The supplies you brought, and we need you to guide us out,” Jason said.
Finally, someone besides Zach spoke up. Maybe if they could somehow take him out, the rest of them could be overcome.
“Our small plane crash-landed up there.” Jason pointed behind them. “Two people didn’t survive, the pilot died. Another guy, too. The rest of us...we made it this far, but knew we needed to call for help or die in the mountains.”
But why the guns? Obviously, there was much more to this than they were being told. They were desperate to get out tonight, which was also a risk. So desperate that they would hold a search and rescue team at gunpoint. Why were they in such a hurry? What were they running from?
Fear gripped Heidi at her next thought.
Were they fugitives?
She didn’t watch the news enough to know anything.
Heidi wanted to ask, but her brother gave a slight shake of his head. Knowing too much about this group in need of help could be deadly. But sooner or later the SAR team would learn the truth, and Heidi feared that truth, when it came, would cost their lives.
* * *
“Look, I don’t know why you think you need to hold us at gunpoint. This whole thing is some sort of crazy.” Isaiah regretted the words as soon as he said them. “You asked for help and you got it. That’s what we’re here to do, but you have to trust us. And believe me when I say we can’t guide you out of this saddle tonight.”
Isaiah’s heart battered his insides. He thought he’d already seen enough trouble to last him a lifetime. But he needed to try to talk their way out of this.
Zach didn’t appear to like to be challenged, especially in front of his friends. He stepped toward Isaiah, waving his weapons around, his thick gloves raising the threat of him accidentally putting too much pressure on a trigger guard. Isaiah didn’t think Zach had the safety locked on either weapon.
An image of a woman covered in blood suffused his mind. He shook the memory. A vise gripped Isaiah’s chest. He wanted to grab the guns and stop this insanity.
“Didn’t I already warn you that if you slow me down, I’ll get rid of you?” Zach aimed both guns at Isaiah, point-blank.
“No!” Heidi screamed.
Zach made a mistake, standing too close. Isaiah could grab him, disarm him, but with Cade and Heidi so near and Jason holding the other weapon, that would gain Isaiah nothing. He couldn’t risk someone else’s life, but then again, if he didn’t take the chance now he was risking all their lives.
To Isaiah’s regret, Heidi put herself in the line of fire and pulled on Zach’s arm. “Please, don’t.”
“Get back, Heidi.” Isaiah skewered her with his gaze. He didn’t need her risking her life for him.
“To get out of these mountains, you need all three of us,” she said again.
Zach’s gaze slid to Heidi. It was all Isaiah could do to keep from wiping that leer off his face. But he didn’t have to worry about it for long. Zach slammed his weapon into the side of Isaiah’s head, just under his helmet. He fell back into the snow, dizziness engulfing him.
“Isaiah!” Heidi’s scream sounded as if it was coming from the other end of a tunnel.
She appeared by his side. “Isaiah,” she whispered. “Talk to me.”
He tugged off the helmet and grabbed his head. “These things don’t protect against raving lunatics.”
What had he expected from Zach, anyway?
“Heidi’s right,” Cade said to Zach. “We can help you climb out tonight, but it’s going to take all three of us.”
Ignoring his pounding head, Isaiah focused his vision. He had to stay with it. Heidi scrambled over to the medical kit a few feet away.
“I’m not convinced,” Rhea said. She looked at Heidi.
What? That woman expected Zach to do away with Heidi?
Cade’s tension was palpable. “In addition to our equipment and expertise, you’ll need us to physically assist you down. There are four of you. You need all of us.”
Something ran down Isaiah’s neck. He pressed his gloved hand against the side of his head where he felt a knot and drew it back. Blood. Zach had given him a gash.
This was an absolute nightmare.
“That settles it, then,” Zach said. “Now that we’re all in agreement, let’s get this stuff put away and get geared up.”
Heidi dropped next to Isaiah. She examined his head and swabbed it, then looked him in the eyes. He wished she wouldn’t do that. Give him that look that showed him how much she cared, and yet how much she couldn’t care. How much he’d hurt her, on top of everything else that had happened.
“You shouldn’t challenge him like that,” she whispered. “Just do as they ask. We’ll make it out of this. We have to.”
She moved to stand, but he grabbed her wrist. “Don’t put yourself between me and anyone like that again.”
Shaking her head, she tried to stand, but he kept his grip on her. “Do you hear me?”
“You’d do the same for me,” she said.
Yes. Yes he would, and more. But he couldn’t have her risking her life for the likes of him. He didn’t deserve the sacrifice.
Heidi stood and offered her hand. Of course, Isaiah could stand without her help, but he took her hand anyway. Felt the strong, sturdy grip beneath her gloves. Maybe Cade had been right. Heidi needed to get back into climbing and helping people. Search and rescue. Only Isaiah was certain she didn’t need it to come at her like this, with crazy people waving guns around.
The moon finally dipped behind the north summit, and the silhouette of thick clouds edged into the sky from the west. Isaiah put his helmet back on.
“Hey!” Zach directed his attention to Isaiah and Heidi. “What are you doing? Let’s get the gear packed up and ready to go.”
Isaiah growled under his breath. This guy had no idea what he was getting them all into. He bent down to help Heidi pack the tents and stuff the equipment back in the pack. The helicopter had dropped more gear. How were they going to carry all of it down? He watched Cade studying all their supplies, probably wondering the same thing. If they were really going to do this, hike out tonight, at least until the storm prevented them from going farther, there were few items they could do without. Added to that, they had no idea how long Zach and his crew were going to need their assistance.
David monitored their activity from the command center and would want an update soon. Isaiah had no idea what they would tell the man. Did Zach even have a clue about that? And did he have a clue that it might be mid-April but up in these mountains it might as well be the dead of winter? Well, except there was more daylight. The thing was, if they went tromping off into this mountain wilderness and survived, at some point, another team would be sent to search for them when they went missing.
Oh, yeah, someone would look for them.
But the storm could very well prevent that search from happening anytime soon, and with Zach pressing them they could be far from here by then. They might never be found.
How far was Zach planning to push them?
Isaiah finished zipping the last pack, itching to ask Zach exactly that. Just how far were they intending to hike? How long would they need the SAR team’s assistance?
How long before Zach killed them?
THREE (#ulink_c75601cf-f21b-5d35-b77e-935709ca6031)
Heidi decided to wait until the last possible moment to tug her heavy backpack on. As overfilled as it was, it would weigh her down and tire her out before they made whatever unreasonable destination Zach had in mind. They’d yet to learn where exactly it was he wanted them to guide him other than off this saddle between the summits. All she knew was that leaving tonight was a potentially lethal idea.
Regardless, she couldn’t afford to slow them down. By killing the other man in the group, Robbie, Zach had already shown he didn’t have patience. Didn’t care about others. A radio squawked somewhere. Heidi stiffened. They had to update the command center. That had to be David calling.
Zach approached her. Why me? Heidi wanted to be invisible.
Her nerves slid down her back and into the snow at her feet. Please, God, make me invisible. She didn’t want this man to look at her. To talk to her.
But somehow she knew it was already too late. He’d...noticed her. The look in his eyes confirmed it. He tugged her tight and leaned in close, his breath warming her cheek. She could fight him with everything in her and even wound him, but she knew that would only end up hurting Isaiah or her brother in the end. So she stood her ground instead.
Then Zach smirked at Isaiah while he kissed the side of her head. She tried to move away, but Zach held fast. A shudder crawled over her.
Even in the firelight, she saw the murder in Isaiah’s dark hazel eyes. She could see Cade’s jaw working from where he stood behind Isaiah—the very reaction Zach was going for. This was it then. Zach would use her against them until this was over. She was their weakness. She hoped that his actions meant nothing more than taunting Isaiah and her brother, and had nothing at all to do with an actual attraction to her. God, please, no.
Holding her close, Zach pressed the gun against her well-insulated coat. “Say anything wrong, and she pays for it.”
He jabbed her rib cage and she winced. With his other hand, he lifted the radio from his pocket and tossed it to Isaiah.
“What do you want me to say, then?” Isaiah’s scowl deepened. “What about the body of the guy you shot?”
“Say nothing about him. Tell them everything is going as planned. You’re settled in for tonight. But tell them you’ll hike out tomorrow. We don’t need the helicopter to hoist anyone out, after all. We’re all fine here.”
Heidi couldn’t help but think that was good. David would probably suspect something was wrong but, then again, maybe not. It wasn’t as if he could imagine this scenario they’d walked into. He would have no reason not to trust their assessment.
Eyes flashing, Isaiah replied on the radio, relaying all that Zach had demanded. Isaiah’s pensive gaze never left Heidi. Something fierce and protective burned there, and it took her breath away. Now she couldn’t help but fear for Zach. What would Isaiah do to the man once he got the chance?
She didn’t want Isaiah to put himself in harm’s way for her, or to do or say something he’d regret later. Finally, Heidi was able to withdraw from Zach, and she noticed Rhea watching her with those crazy eyes.
“Well, then, we’re wasting time. Let’s gear up and head out.” Cade tossed the heavy packs, along with the bags dropped by the helicopter, to each of the climbers, since they apparently didn’t have their own gear except for the one green bag.
Jason, Liam and Rhea stared down at the stuff and back up at Zach.
“What’s all this?” Rhea asked. “We can’t carry this stuff.”
Zach shrugged. “We have to make it as far as we can tonight. Do the best you can.”
“We’ll need as much of that as we can bring.” Isaiah tossed headlamps to them.
Heidi almost smiled at that. He always thought of everything. And it was a good thing, too, especially for this unexpected situation because these people wouldn’t be able to see their way down. Maybe if the SAR team could show them what exactly they faced rappelling, Zach would change his mind. But he appeared to be a man on a mission and nothing would stop him.
The big question of the day: What was driving him?
This was insane. She didn’t want to be anywhere nearby if one of them fell or got hurt. She couldn’t go through that again. She had no idea what kind of shape this motley crew of criminals was in, but she’d guess they had no clue what they were in for.
Cade folded up the map he’d been looking at and tucked it in his coat. He started off, heading southwest. “Let’s go, then.”
Unmoving, Zach cocked his head.
“Wait,” Isaiah said. “Why that way?”
Are you kidding me? She wished he’d stop talking. Zach looked irritated anytime Isaiah said anything, making her more scared that he would be the first of them to go. Something inside whimpered at the thought. But...how could this end any other way?
“Isaiah,” she said, hoping she didn’t have an audience. Everyone seemed preoccupied with their gear.
When he gazed at her, she willed him to understand, read her thoughts. Don’t stir up more trouble for us. Just follow Cade.
But she knew Isaiah and Cade hadn’t been getting along the past few weeks, and that would probably play into this whole mess. She hoped she wasn’t the cause of the rift between them.
Isaiah directed his next words to Cade. “We need to talk about the best way down. If we choose the wrong way, we could all die.”
* * *
Isaiah knew what Heidi wanted. She wanted him to follow her brother, like always, but maybe neither one of them was thinking right. Maybe Isaiah was the only one capable of thinking this through.
Cade got in Isaiah’s face. He sure wished he could use this to his advantage like he’d seen in the movies. He and Cade distract the bad guys and then punch them. Take them out. But no. That wasn’t going to happen tonight.
Fury rippled in Cade’s overstressed face. “We hike out through Rush Gulley. It’s the only way.”
“Not with the storm coming. We’ll be too exposed and get the brunt of it on that side of the mountains. Our whole purpose in bringing this gear is to make it through the night. Protect them from the storm. The deadly temps.”
Cade worked his jaw and looked away, breathing hard, pondering Isaiah’s words.
Then Zach was in the middle, playing with his gun again. “Do I need to kill one of you so we don’t have to waste time arguing on the best way out? We hike out the safest and fastest way to the ice field.”
“What?” So there it was. Zach’s destination. “Why the ice field?”
“Because that’s my only ride out of this frozen world. I have four days to get there.”
“We’ll never make it,” Cade said. “That’s too far.”
“It’s only thirty miles. We’re that close. So we take shortcuts if we have to. Go over the mountains instead of around them. You can do it. You’re mountain climbers.” Zach grinned.
As if that would appease or charm them into agreeing. Isaiah wanted to punch him. They didn’t have all the gear they’d need for such a trek. Or the food or supplies. It was a death wish at best.
In this weather and terrain, they’d be fortunate to make five or six miles a day, tops, and that wasn’t counting the added burden of inexperienced climbers. Isaiah wanted to inform him there was no possible way, but he’d already done enough damage.
“Safest and fastest don’t go together,” he said.
The temperature dropped as the storm pushed arctic air deeper into the mountains. Isaiah sometimes wondered how it could get colder. They needed to keep moving or they’d get hypothermic right here. They needed to get the blood pumping. Sure, he wanted to take Zach down, but first and foremost, he was part of a search and rescue team, and he’d see this through. He’d get these people out and to safety, and then let the authorities deal with them. He didn’t want to hurt them.
Unless he had to. He would do whatever was necessary to protect Cade and Heidi. His heart staggered at the thought of harm coming to her.
Hands at his hips, he looked at the ground, waiting for Cade to say something. He didn’t want to get into it with him, but he’d needed to question Cade on his decision. He doubted any of them were thinking as clearly as they could under the circumstances.
“Isaiah’s right,” Cade said. “The north face will be tough going down. But it’s the quickest way to your destination, so you should be glad about that. You’ll have to stick very close to us, but I figure we have an hour, maybe two before we have to set up the tents to weather the storm.”
“No. We keep going,” Zach said.
“We won’t make it if we don’t stop. The storm will be a blizzard. A whiteout. Do you get that? We won’t be able to see where we’re going, even with night goggles and headlamps. We couldn’t even if we were in broad daylight. This terrain is deadly all by itself. Be realistic, man.”
Still looking at his boots sunk in the snow, Isaiah shook his head, mostly to himself. There was no good way out of here in the dark during a storm. But if he put himself in Zach’s head, maybe he could imagine why the guy was so desperate.
“I get it,” he said. “You want us to be gone by morning, so if the storm clears out, we’ll be untraceable.”
Zach nodded to Isaiah, respect in his eyes. Isaiah couldn’t say he returned the sentiment.
“So tell me.” He was going to do this thing. Ask the forbidden question that he knew Cade and Heidi wanted the answer to, too. But they were afraid to know the truth. The way Isaiah figured it, their lives were already forfeit. Might as well know the whole of it. “What or who are you running from? What did you do?”
The guy’s eyes narrowed.
“Come on, man. We’re risking our lives for you out here. Tell us what this is all about.”
“Isaiah, no. We don’t need to know what’s going on.” Cade glared at Isaiah, then directed his words to Zach and the others. “It’s none of our business. All we care about is getting you out of here and to safety, and we want to be left to make our own way. Let’s agree on that.”
Cade was right, and Isaiah had proven himself a bigger idiot than he thought possible.
Jason stepped up next to Zach, his headlamp blinding them.
“Armored-car robbery,” he said. “That’s what.”
Cade’s form deflated as he blew out a big breath. The look of pained disappointment he gave Isaiah hit him in the gut. He’d pushed things too far, he saw that now. Cade was right. They didn’t want to know what this was about. Isaiah had just sealed their fates.
“We escaped,” Jason continued. “Made it out. Nobody had a clue where to look. Then we hit a snag in Zach’s big plans when our plane crashed. You want to know how much money?”
Jason opened his mouth and sucked in a breath, but Zach punched him in the face.
Grabbing his nose, Jason howled and cursed Zach. “What’d you do that for?”
With a single look, Zach silenced him. Too bad that couldn’t have worked to begin with, before the punch to the face.
“Now if we’re done with the small talk, lead on.” Zach gestured ahead of him.
The wind picked up and the snow clouds slowly crept across the sky. Once the clouds blanketed the region and hid the moon, this clan would depend completely on the goggles and headlamps. And once the storm hit, their feeble lighting would be of little help.
Before he turned to lead the way, Cade gave Isaiah one long shake of his head. Isaiah hoped Cade could see the regret in his eyes, but he was sure it wouldn’t matter. This wasn’t the first time Cade had given him that disappointed look lately, but at least this time Isaiah knew the reason for it. Now wasn’t the time to try to figure out what had been bothering his friend, especially since he likely already knew the answer to that. He tried to shove the unwelcome thoughts out of the way.
They would have to work together as a team in a way they never had before. This would require all their energy and focus and trust.
Trust. Why had this particular search and rescue scenario hit them when the trust between the three of them was at an all-time low?
Let it go, man. You don’t have time to worry about that now.
Carrying the heavy packs and gear, everything they’d need to survive, the group trudged behind Cade as he led the way off the saddle, careful to stay out of the path of the avalanche that could spill from the cornice above at any moment.
Zach hiked next to Isaiah, pulling up the back, and pointing his gun at Isaiah for fun. “Don’t forget that I have guns. Will kill.”
“Well, Zach, I’m intimidated by you, sure,” Isaiah said. This guy felt big and strong with the weapons he didn’t handle all that well. “But facing off with nature in this part of the world scares me more. If you’re not scared yet, you will be.”
FOUR (#ulink_9accacda-6161-5ecc-95d9-5b618ac39b29)
Heidi struggled to keep up with Cade. With his big strides, he covered the ground quickly, even in the snow-covered saddle. None of the SAR team members had removed their crampons yet, and they hadn’t tasked the climbers to wear them or snowshoes until required. The snow wasn’t loose enough that they sank into it here, but the terrain indicated that they were approaching a sharp drop.
That was only one problem they would eventually face. Added to that, they’d have to be sure this group knew how to use an ice ax for self-rescue, or a technical ice ax if required. Argh. Did they even have all the equipment they would need? She doubted it. Heidi’s breathing hitched. She wanted to pull her hair out. This wasn’t going to work.
Straight ahead, on the other side of the peak across from them, she could see the silhouette of Devil’s Paw, the highest point on the Juneau Icefield, which marked the border between southeast Alaska and British Columbia. And just below that, though she couldn’t see it, Michael’s Sword thrust upward from the ice field, like its namesake blade.
Even if Heidi couldn’t see much through the night vision goggles, she knew they were about to face their first taste of terror. Cade knew that, too, and likely feared how much worse it would be if they didn’t make good time and find a place to hunker down in their tents. All because they had to please the madman who’d called them in to rescue him.
Clouds crept forward, the edges reminding her of pointed fingers, creeping toward the moon. With the summit looming above them to the north, Heidi wished she had her camera to capture this amazing image. But even if she did, she couldn’t fathom stopping to enjoy her hobby.
Once the moon finally died a silent death behind the sword-clouds, Heidi would lose sight of Cade without her night vision goggles. Zach’s gang had been instructed to wait to use their headlamps until absolutely necessary to save the batteries.
Heidi felt as if she was in a space suit again, her clothing thick, her movements slow—only she’d never wanted to be an astronaut. Never wanted to go to the moon. This might be exactly how it felt to be there, except, of course, her steps would cause her to bounce instead of sink.
Snow swirled as the wind picked up. Oh, no. Were they walking right into the screaming wind tunnel again? Or worse, was the storm on them already? She thought her space suit might be running out of oxygen. Though her breaths came fast and hard, dragging in the frigid air, she still couldn’t get enough of it.
Oh, Lord. Not here. Not now.
Breathe in, breathe out. Her lungs screamed. An iceberg of pressure weighed on her chest. And her head.
Heidi stopped and ripped off the helmet and goggles, grabbing her head. Would it explode?
Cade had always been there for her, but no—he trudged ahead as if he was the only one who mattered. Isaiah’s face filled her vision. He’d removed his goggles and helmet, revealing his thick brown hat-hair, the moonlight caressing enough of his face that she could see the undeniable concern in his eyes.
He gripped her upper arms. “Heidi, what’s wrong?”
“I—” she gasped for breath. “I—”
“Slowly.” Isaiah pressed his gloved hands to the sides of her head. “You have to breathe slowly.”
How did he know? Heidi focused on his gaze and the emotions she couldn’t read swirling there. She had the sense that he was barely holding back a torrent of them. She calmed a little, her breathing easing, but the reason for her panic hadn’t dissipated. Everyone stood around her, watching her as if she was some kind of mental case. What if Zach decided to kill her because of it?
“Are we really going to do this?” she asked. “Are we really going to hike down with inexperienced climbers in the dark and—”
“Shh.” He pressed a finger against her lip, and it was surprisingly warm. When had he removed his gloves? “This is a search and rescue mission just like any other. You’ve trained for this, you can do it.”
Zach pulled Isaiah away from Heidi. She hated him for it. Isaiah, whatever happened to us?
Oh, no, here it comes. He’s going to kill me now. She and Isaiah never even had their chance, or rather, a second chance.
“You know I like you, sweetheart, but if you’re not careful you might outlive your usefulness. Let’s get moving.”
Heidi saw Cade ahead of them watching her, but then he turned around and hiked forward at breakneck speed. Isaiah gave her a reassuring nod and tugged his helmet and goggles back on. She followed his example and hiked next to him, drawing strength and confidence from him. She had strength, too. She just had to dig down deep and find where it had hidden and pull it out. This is a search and rescue mission just like any other. She could do this. And as for anything else, like escaping? As long as Zach, Jason and Liam, and possibly Rhea, carried weapons, there wasn’t much else they could do except follow orders.
Wait and pray.
A new team would be sent to search for them at some point when they didn’t show up. But Heidi dreaded how long that would take. SAR volunteers were already stretched thin due to two ongoing rescue operations before Cade, Heidi and Isaiah had been delivered to the drop point near the summit.
How long before David began to worry? How long before they could even send a team to search for them? And if they did, she’d bet David and Adam would both be on that team. But the farther they trekked into the deep mountain wilderness, the less chance they had of being found, especially with a man like Zach, who would do everything within his power to keep their whereabouts hidden.
No. She couldn’t count on being rescued. They were on their own.
No one knew they’d sent the search and rescue team to face a killer. Or killers. No one knew they were headed to the ice field. Making it there in this weather? That was another story altogether.
Cade stopped and held up his hand, signaling for the rest of them to stop.
Heidi closed the distance to stand just behind him. She sucked in a breath. Rush Gulley, Cade’s initial suggestion, would have been so much easier than this jagged, angular descent into the lower ridge on this side of the mountain. She wouldn’t want to do this on a good day, much less a stormy night. What would Zach’s cronies say when they saw this, though their view would be limited?
“Looks like I’m up,” she said. She had more experience in multipitch technical climbing, though both Isaiah and Cade could hold their own.
“Wrong. I’ll go down first, make sure there’s no loose rocks or hazards. And I’ll untie them once they’re lowered to the bottom. That’s all we’re doing here, lowering them down.”
Heidi wanted to argue, but giving him a spiel about working as a team right now would be pure bad timing. Cade had always been the team leader, and that’s just the way it was, so she held her tongue.
He shook his head. “I don’t like this. Why did I listen to Isaiah?”
“He was right, that’s why.” She steadied her breathing, reining in the panic that threatened beneath the surface again. “We’re a team, Cade, so we have to start acting like one. Granted, this is the worst possible scenario, but we pass this test tonight, and we can’t face anything worse.”
Except maybe a bullet to the head.
There. She got in her spiel after all, and reassurance for the both of them, too.
“Whatever we do has to be quick, or we’re going to get caught in the jaws of something driving, cold and wet. I don’t like keeping these people, no matter their crime, out in the elements any longer than necessary.”
Isaiah stepped next to them. “Let’s get busy then. We can rig a seat harness for this, and anything else we face. No point in risking their lives by letting them attempt to climb.”
Even Zach looked a little daunted as he peered into what, for him, with only a headlamp, would be a bottomless abyss. “What’s the plan?”
“You’re forcing us to go on a suicide mission, that’s the plan,” Heidi said. “We need to set up the tents and wait out the storm. Not climb down some insane multipitch terrain at night.”
It was worth a try anyway.
Isaiah dumped his pack and began setting up everything to lower them down.
A creepy grin slid onto Zach’s face. “But here you are, preparing to do exactly that. You’re turning out to be useful, after all. I’m glad, because I wasn’t ready to leave you behind. Not yet.”
Frowning, Isaiah motioned for Heidi to join him and help. She was grateful for the excuse to get out from under Zach’s gaze. But his words clung to her just the same. Isaiah set up an anchor around a rock, and Heidi clipped a carabiner—a small oval ring used as a connector—to hold the belay device, which was used to create friction on the rope, in place for lowering the climbers.
“So, um, what should we do to get ready?” Jason asked. “We don’t have climbing gear.”
Very perceptive.
“Pray. That’s what you should do.” Isaiah worked with the tubular webbing they always carried to create the right seat harness.
Depending on the situation and injuries, they could create whatever kind of harness they needed for the person or persons they rescued.
“That is,” Isaiah said, looking up from his task, “if you consider yourself a praying man, Jason. We need a lot of prayer if we’re going to live through the night.”
* * *
Two hours later, Isaiah knew someone had been praying.
Shivering at the bottom of another ridge cutting between the mountains—which kept them in the upper elevations—they quickly assembled the three tents, all geared with the required flies, sealed seams and enough extra snow flukes to withstand the approaching blizzard. Then supplies of water and food were dispersed among each shelter. They’d only brought one cooking stove with fuel, though.
Regardless of their predicament, relief coursed through Isaiah that they’d been successful in lowering their charges and setting up a camp, all in the middle of a frozen night. All as the storm closed in on them. Still, he wasn’t sure he could ever shake Rhea’s shrieks as they lowered her.
Zach had finally agreed to stop but only after Rhea’s terrifying experience down the terrain had left her crying and pitching a fit. She demanded they stop and wait until daylight. Isaiah could see that she would freeze to death if they kept going, as it was. Inside the tent, she could get warm in a sleeping bag and then get into the better winter wear they’d brought with them.
Isaiah finished building a snow wall around the last tent to protect it from the gale-force winds, and couldn’t wait to climb in and warm up. Rest his weary bones and mind. Except, depending on how fast the snow accumulated, he’d have go back outside to dig them out at regular intervals. Too much snow could collapse the tent.
Zach approached and shoved him with his foot, his headlamp flickering. “One of you sleeps with each of us in a tent. Rhea and Heidi are together.”
Isaiah stood to face the man. “There’s nowhere for us to run.”
“Get in.” Zach held his weapon.
Did Zach know how to clean the snow and weather out of the bore so it wouldn’t malfunction? Just before Isaiah climbed into the tent, he saw Cade and Heidi, and shared a look of regret with each of them.
Isaiah had a feeling he knew what they were both thinking. Once they got Zach and his men and woman to safety, they would likely be killed. They knew more than they should know about the armored-car robbers and killers. Knew their faces and their names. He squatted and crawled into the tent. What a weird twist of fate, to save people knowing they would kill you when you finally delivered them to safety. Isaiah crawled over to the sleeping bag to the right, making it his own. He dropped down and didn’t bother taking off his coat. Not warm enough inside yet.
At least tonight he would be warm and dry, despite the nefarious company.
Their supplies were limited because they hadn’t expected they would be hiking through the frozen Alaska wilderness. They were all too exhausted tonight to use the small camping stove they’d brought to warm up their water. But if they were in this very long, they’d need to conserve the fuel to melt snow. For now, keeping warm was a matter of bundling up in the sleeping bags and combined body heat to warm up the inside of the tent.
Zach and Liam crawled inside, too, looking as haggard as Isaiah felt. He guessed Jason was with Cade and he knew Rhea was with Heidi. Why did they have to be separated in the first place? He wasn’t sure he could sleep for worrying that he would be killed in the night, or that Cade or Heidi would face the same fate.
He pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut. God, help us.
“Praying again?” Zach asked.
Isaiah didn’t have the energy for this. “You might try it sometime.”
Zach and Liam laughed, though Isaiah consoled himself with the fact it was tired and weak.
“I’m starving. What have we got to eat?” Liam dug through the pack inside the tent.
“MREs and energy bars. I’d recommend the energy bar. Quick and simple.” Isaiah was too bushed to eat one. He’d get one in the morning.
“They might try to contact us again, you know. So be ready to toss me the radio.” Isaiah prepared to slip into the sleeping bag and prayed he could actually sleep. This was going to be a long night. A long, hard journey to the ice field.
“Don’t give me orders.” Zach held up a rope, then proceeded to tie Isaiah’s wrists. “I won’t bother tying your ankles. You’re not going anywhere.”
Now it was Isaiah’s turn to laugh, and his wasn’t so feeble. “Now that I’m all tied up, you get to go outside and scrape the snow off before it gets too heavy or buries us alive in the tent.”
Liam stiffened. He looked to Zach for answers. When he got none, he studied Isaiah. “How often do we have to do that?”
Isaiah shrugged. “Depends on the storm. I’d say every hour for starters. Then if it snows hard enough, maybe every fifteen minutes.”
“How will we know?”
“You’ll know.” Isaiah lay back down on the sleeping bag, grateful for small things. He wouldn’t have to dig them out tonight. He could actually sleep, maybe, and trust God to make it peaceful.
“I say when. Remember, you’re not in charge. I am.”
A raging retort surged to Isaiah’s lips, and he tried holding himself in check but failed. “Really? We just saved your lives tonight. And we delivered you down to this ridge under impossible circumstances. You couldn’t have done that on your own.”
“Whatever.”
Isaiah sat up, adrenaline coursing through him once again. He needed to say the words. Get them out. He pointed a finger at Zach, holding up both tied hands. “That was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, we’ve ever done, as a team. Don’t expect us to do anything like that again. You’re fortunate that we all survived. But don’t push it.”
“You guys are as good as it gets, there’s no doubt there. I know what to expect from you now. How hard I can push.”
Isaiah believed that God had protected them. Answered their prayers. But as to how hard Zach could push them? Isaiah didn’t bother answering. Zach wouldn’t listen anyway. He had nothing to lose by pushing them.
Liam turned the flashlight off. They lay in the darkness, the storm beginning to rage around them. Isaiah couldn’t stand to think about what tomorrow would bring, and hoped he would drift quickly to sleep, but escape plans exploded in his head.
If they’d retained their weapons, they could have won the day. Maybe. But they’d been caught off guard.
And...Heidi.
A pang stabbed through him. Why did she have to be the one to come? Isaiah couldn’t stand that it was Heidi with them. Not on this mission. But he’d better not say that to Heidi. Still, she had to see that Zach appeared intent on using her against Isaiah and Cade.
Isaiah thought back to the good times they’d shared since he’d met her. He’d run from Montana to hide in Mountain Cove, Alaska. Even changed his name to start a new life.
He’d been struck by her soft, kind and huge brown eyes and that dark mahogany mane of hers. But the most beautiful part of her was on the inside. What man wouldn’t be attracted to her? He’d done well enough, keeping his distance. They worked together for one thing. Or used to before he’d changed his schedule around. But he’d been able to keep his relationship with her as an easy friendship, that is, until that day not quite a year ago.
The sunset had dazzled them with the most amazing hues of orange and pink as they stood looking out over the channel, waiting for Cade and Leah to return from another trip to Seattle. Isaiah’s gaze had veered from the sunset to Heidi, and he’d made the mistake of letting himself take her in for a little too long. When she looked at him—something happened between them. Something and yet nothing at all. He couldn’t put words to it. But they’d connected. He’d felt it. She’d felt it. He knew she had. Maybe it had been building for a long time.
He also knew that he’d hurt her by backing away.
But what else could he do? He couldn’t let himself get close to anyone like that. Not after everything he’d been involved in. He was almost thankful the wind howled outside the tent as it drowned out his sullen thoughts. On the other hand, it brought him back to their deadly predicament.
FIVE (#ulink_9746059e-b01c-5d81-bdc9-f4a68c50fb4d)
Heidi opened her eyes. Something had jarred her awake.
She couldn’t see her hand in front of her face. The storm wailed outside. What could she have heard over the din? Was Rhea still asleep, or moving around in the tent? Maybe she planned to smother Heidi in her sleep.
Or was it one of the guys scraping the snow off their tent? Liam had informed them earlier that he and Jason had been tasked with the job.
Wary, she shifted inside the insulated sleeping bag, grateful for the smallest of comforts, but concerned about sleeping in the tent with Rhea. Thank goodness they had both collapsed with exhaustion, or at least Heidi thought Rhea had conked out first. The woman had creeped Heidi out from the beginning of this ordeal, and she hadn’t relished the idea of sharing tent space with her, but better Rhea than one of the others in Zach’s mangy troop.
Rhea was a weird person, and had to be more than a little disturbed to be with a guy like Zach. To admire him. Heidi sensed Rhea’s pure and lethal hatred toward her because of Zach’s unwarranted attention. Couldn’t the woman see that Zach was simply using Heidi against Cade and Isaiah?
Except that wasn’t completely true, either. There was something about Heidi that Zach liked. A girl just knew these things. A chill scuttled over her, even though the inside of the tent was relatively warm.
Why had she let her mind take her down this path? She needed sleep, and thinking about the crazy people who could kill them at some point didn’t help. They had to get out of this.
Heidi repositioned herself and sighed.
“What’s with all the racket over there?” Rhea asked.
“I’m not doing anything. It’s the storm.”
“I hear you sighing and huffing and puffing. Every time you move in that sleeping bag, I hear it.”
Maybe Heidi had been the one to make the noise and had woken herself up. “I’m sorry.”
“I don’t know why I had to be in here with you instead of with Zach.”
“Do you love him, Rhea?” Now, why had Heidi asked the woman such a question? Why else would she be with a man like that?
“Why? You think you can have him? Well, he’s mine. All mine.”
“That’s not why I asked. I can’t sleep. I’m just trying to figure out why this is happening to me, Cade and Isaiah. I can’t figure out why you would love a criminal.” Or maybe Rhea had been in on the heist. Heidi had better keep her mouth shut. Rhea snorted. “Zach is brilliant. He needed money to get started, that’s all. Wealthy people aren’t going to miss two million dollars.”
Two million dollars? Heidi held her breath. Did Rhea realize she’d just shared that information? Zach wouldn’t be happy to hear that, but Heidi wouldn’t be the one to tell him so it probably didn’t matter that she knew.
But...two million dollars. Oh, God in heaven, help us out of this.
“Now that I told you about the money, don’t think you can steal Zach away from me. I’d kill you first.”
Heidi frowned. What kind of person thought like that? Had Rhea been institutionalized at some point? She sounded like some sort of female Praetorian Guard, an elite bodyguard for her emperor, Zach, whom she worshipped. Besides looking and acting crazy, she sounded crazy, which meant Heidi was in even more danger. They all were.
“You don’t have to worry about me. I have no interest in Zach. I’ve learned the hard way that people can’t be trusted when it comes to relationships. I don’t want to love anyone.”
First, Isaiah had distanced himself. Then Lon... Pain knifed through her heart—he’d been a married man, for crying out loud. She could never get over the fact that she’d been romantic with a married man. How his wife must feel about her. She turned in the sleeping bag, not caring if she made Rhea mad. A hot tear slid down the side of her face and right over the bridge of her nose. It dropped to the bedding below. Then she’d learned that her own father, whom she’d loved and adored and admired, had cheated on her mother.
She swiped at the tear then thrust her hands back in the bag.
Rhea didn’t say anything to Heidi’s comment about relationships, so she added, “Be careful, Rhea. Zach could break your heart.”
Heidi should be more concerned about living through this than whether or not Zach would break Rhea’s heart, which he would undoubtedly do. She didn’t want to trust or love again or feel that pain, but every time she looked at Isaiah, she wished she could feel a different way. Wished he hadn’t hurt her.
What had happened between them?
Earlier tonight, he’d been right there, helping her through her panic as if he’d never left her side—physically or emotionally.
“You’re a liar,” Rhea said.
“What have I lied about?”
“There is someone you want to love.”
Heidi held her breath. What had she done or said to give Rhea that impression? “You’re wrong.”
Rhea’s laugh was deep and raspy, a sick, mocking sound. Where had Zach found her? Heidi’s pulse ratcheted up, although it was already near racing. Would Rhea tell Zach, causing him to use Isaiah or Cade—both of whom meant everything—against her?
Wait. Isaiah meant everything? “I don’t love anyone. And I don’t want anyone. But I’ll make you a deal.”
“What’s that?”
“Remember when Zach punched Jason in the nose because he almost told us how much money you stole?”
Rhea was silent, but Heidi knew she remembered. They all did.
“Zach doesn’t want anyone to know how much, but you just told me that he stole two million dollars. That can be our little secret. So I’ll keep your secret, if you’ll keep mine. Do we have a deal?”
“Yes.” Rhea’s voice cracked. Was the woman that scared? “Zach will kill me if he finds out.”
Tension crept back into Heidi’s body. She wouldn’t fall back asleep now. Heidi had some power over Rhea, but she could never use it because then Rhea could tell Heidi’s secret. Not that she’d admitted to anything.
But the images of what Zach could do tormented her like the howling wind outside.
* * *
The radio squawked. Funny the places those things would pick up, and then sometimes when you needed them the most, they failed. But that’s why the SAR teams carried a couple of different kinds as well as a SAT phone. Isaiah also took his cell on rescues, which would give off a ping if kept on. Zach had commandeered all their communications equipment except, well, the avalanche beacons, but those weren’t exactly communication devices unless you were buried in the snow. Isaiah had turned on his beacon to transmit, anyway, but where they were, nobody was near enough to pick up that signal. No one even knew to look.
Snuggled inside the sleeping bag with his hands tied, he bolted up, oriented himself to his surroundings and spotted the radio on the floor next to Zach’s sleeping bag. Didn’t the guy hear that? Admittedly, the noise had to burrow into Isaiah’s head to get him to wake up.
David was calling to check on his team. Isaiah figured it might be better if he didn’t answer, let them start worrying sooner, except there was no getting them out of this place with the inclement weather and gale-force winds still screaming outside. At least morning had broken. That was an advantage they hadn’t had last night, and yet somehow they had survived.
He’d give God the credit.
David sounded agitated. Maybe...maybe Isaiah could somehow let David in on what was happening. Give him a clue, if nothing else, but only if Zach and Liam slept through this.
Isaiah worked his way free of the bag and scrambled over to pick up the radio with his hands tied. “I’m here, David!”
The next thing he knew, Zach sprang from where he slept and pressed his gun against Isaiah’s temple. Tension corded around his throat and tightened. He couldn’t speak.
“Isaiah! Finally. I thought you ran into trouble.”
He found his voice. “You could say that.”
Zach shoved Isaiah’s head with the gun. A clear warning.
Isaiah quickly added, “We’re still weathering the storm. But you can be sure we’re going to deliver the climbers down the mountain into the right hands.”
He wasn’t sure why he added those last words, but he had every intention of doing just that. However that played out. Whatever Zach thought he would pull off here, wasn’t going to happen if Isaiah—and he knew Cade and Heidi would be with him on this—had anything to do with it. He’d think of something before this was all over. Something before Zach killed them.
“How’s Adam? Did his team make it back yet?” Isaiah knew that Cade and Heidi would want to know about their younger brother.
“Yeah. Last night. Found a little boy who’d gotten lost hiking with his parents.”
“That’s good to hear.” At least someone had found success.
“I need your updates more frequently.”
“Sure, every hour?”
Zach snatched the radio from him. “If you do that again, you can say goodbye to the woman.”
When Zach put the radio to Isaiah’s mouth, his eyes narrowed.
“I’ll try,” Isaiah said, “but we’re getting buried here and we’re busy.”
Zach leaned in and whispered, “Heidi.”
Isaiah closed his eyes at his next words. “Don’t worry about us. You know we’ll be fine. I’ll contact you with coordinates for an extraction point. We’ll hike as far as we can first. Could be tomorrow maybe.”
“Is Cade around? Why doesn’t he answer his radio?”
What? Didn’t David trust Isaiah? But then Cade was his brother. Isaiah should understand that. “He’s outside, brushing snow off. Heidi’s in another tent.”
“Okay, then. You guys take care.”
“Tell him over and out.” Zach nudged him with the gun again.
Huh? They never used that. But Isaiah could use it now. The radio at his mouth, he said, “Over and out.”
Would David hear that for what it was? Would he pick up on the clue that Zach had forced Isaiah to drop?
The radio conversation over, Zach shoved Isaiah to the ground. He couldn’t stop the fall with his wrists tied. “You ever try that again and I won’t kill you. I’ll hurt you and leave you to die a slow death.”
“The radio had been squawking for a while, and you guys snored through it. Next time I’ll just let the command center wonder what happened to us. Let them think we need our own rescue team, if you prefer.”
Zach studied Isaiah, considering his words and that outcome. The tent shuddered, fierce wind breaking through the snow wall.
He growled. “It’s April, for crying out loud. Why is this happening?”
“This mountain range has some of the roughest weather in the world. That’s why. Your plane had the great misfortune of crash-landing here.” Isaiah wanted to know where they’d been heading. Had they come from the Alaska mainland running from an armored-car robbery there? Or were they leaving the Lower 48 on their way to Alaska or Canada? But he wouldn’t make the same mistake he’d made before and ask.
“Let’s pack up. We have to get going.”
“No. We have to wait out the storm.”
“There’s no time. I have four days, now three, to get where I need to be for my ride out of here.”
“If you wanted to go on a suicide mission, why did you call for our help? Huh? Tell me that.” Isaiah didn’t bother to rein in his temper. “You called us to help you out of here. Hear those winds out there? It’s a whiteout. We hike out there now and we won’t be able to see a thing. It’ll be worse than last night. At least we had the night vision goggles then.”
“Maybe he’s right, Zach.” Liam rubbed his tired eyes like a three-year-old. “Let’s at least wait until there’s a break in the storm. We could make some headway then.”
“I need to talk to the others on my team,” Isaiah said. “Figure out the quickest and safest way to the ice field. Believe me, I want this to be over with as soon as possible. Just like you.” Isaiah held out his hands. “Mind untying me now?”
Zach nodded to Liam. “Untie him, then go get the other one.”
Liam’s eyes widened. “You want me to go out there?”
“If you don’t want me to leave you behind when we leave, then yes, go and get him.”
Backing down, Liam shook his head. Zach trained his weapon on Isaiah as if he expected Isaiah to try something as soon as his hands were free. And when Liam left, he just might. But then he thought of Cade and of Heidi.
Liam grabbed his coat and put on his gloves. The tent was small, but at least it was warm.
Isaiah rubbed his hands and wrists. “I’m going to need Heidi, too. She’s part of the team.”
“It’ll get too crowded in here.” Zach shifted on his sleeping bag as if he was already feeling claustrophobic.
“Well, I’m sorry about that, but I need her help to plan our next move.” He needed her to be here with him. Needed to know she was all right after a night with Rhea, although he knew that Heidi could win that battle, if it came to that, hands down.
“All right.” Zach glared at Liam.
The guy unzipped the tent and cold and snow rushed inside. Liam hesitated and Zach kicked him the rest of the way out. There was a chance, though slight, that Liam would get lost altogether and wander into the blizzard, missing the tent. “The next tent over is to your left, Liam,” Isaiah shouted.
He wasn’t sure Liam heard him. He should be the one to go out there. “I don’t know if Liam has it in him to find the other tents in this storm.”
Zach scrunched up his face. “He’s not an idiot. He was out moving snow off the tents half the night. I think he’ll be fine.”
“Have you been out in that yet? Do you even know what you’re talking about?”
The man shrugged.
Isaiah sent up a prayer.
“You praying again?”
“Yep. Praying that Liam doesn’t lose his way.”
Zach’s face paled. “How could he? The tents are right there.”
“You’ve never been in a blizzard like this. It’s called a whiteout for a reason. You can’t see where the sky meets the ground. You can’t see where you’re going. You can even get vertigo.”
“That sounds like a bunch of bologne to me.”
Was that the answer? Should they just let Zach have his way and try to lead him and his crew out during the whiteout? No. Then they would all be at risk.
A few minutes passed. “Let’s pull out the food, get it ready for the others.”
Isaiah busied himself starting up the small camping stove. He opened the vents in the tent.
“What’s taking him so long?” Zach raked his hand through his hair. “How hard could it be?”
“You should have been the one to go.” Isaiah decided he took a little too much pleasure in taunting this guy. “I can go check on them if you want.”
“No. You stay right here.”
“Okay, then we’re both left to wonder if he even made it.” Planting the seed of fear in Zach had worked out better than Isaiah thought.
Zach was suddenly in Isaiah’s face, pressing the muzzle of his gun under his chin. “You’d love that, wouldn’t you? One down, three to go.”
Should he wrestle with Zach? Take the gun from him? It was now or never. Squeezing his eyes shut, he reined in the images of taking the gun from Zach. What would that gain him? Jason still had a weapon trained on Cade. He wasn’t sure if Rhea had one, as well.
All he knew was that this wasn’t the right moment.
Someone unzipped the tent and stepped inside.
Heidi.
Isaiah’s heart jumped.
Cade followed.
Isaiah had made the right decision—wrestling with the weapon could have set it off and killed her or Cade.
Liam tried to come inside, too.
“Go with Jason,” Zach said. “There’s not enough room here.”
Heidi sent Isaiah a soft smile, the strain of a restless night in her face. She crawled over next to him, took off her gloves and shrugged out of her coat. “It’s warm in here. How are you holding up?”
“Good.”
She slid her hand over his and squeezed.
Isaiah tried to ignore what her touch did to his heart. He pulled his hand away.
God, I have to get her out of here.
Maybe if he could save her—and Cade, too—then Isaiah could redeem himself. Although he knew that wasn’t true. Only Christ was the true Redeemer. But maybe if he could right this wrong, it would be something. Although he hadn’t been arrested or convicted, hadn’t killed anyone, he knew in some roundabout way, he’d played a role in that murder.
SIX (#ulink_e6c4a759-abe4-5242-80ac-aae9f1681cf3)
Bundled in her winter gear, Heidi exited the tent.
They’d stared at the maps long enough.
Conserving what water they had, Heidi had used the camping stove to melt snow to drink, and portioned out the energy bars. When the wind had died down, the quiet drew them outside to assess the damage.
Cade, Isaiah and Zach stood next to the snow wall. The tents were nearly buried again, even though the men had taken turns scraping off the snow. Liam, Jason and Rhea were still eating their energy bars, their gazes drawn to the exquisite splendor surrounding them—a pristine but deadly beauty that had threatened their lives.
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Elizabeth Goddard
NO WAY OUTColleen Brennan has one goal - take down her sister's killer. But chasing after evidence leaves her in the path of a tornado and stranded in an Amish community. With the killer nearby, Colleen must depend on the kindness of Special Agent Frank Gallagher. Although the army officer is recuperating from a battlefield injury, he wants to help the beautiful woman he rescued from the tornado's fury. He can tell she's hiding something important. But getting her to reveal her secrets may be his most dangerous mission ever.Military Investigations: Serving their country and solving crimes
NO WAY OUT
Colleen Brennan has one goal—take down her sister’s killer. But chasing after evidence leaves her in the path of a tornado and stranded in an Amish community. With the killer nearby, Colleen must depend on the kindness of Special Agent Frank Gallagher. Although the army officer is recuperating from a battlefield injury, he wants to help the beautiful woman he rescued from the tornado’s fury. He can tell she’s hiding something important. But getting her to reveal her secrets may be his most dangerous mission ever.
Military Investigations: Serving their country and solving crimes
“Did you try to radio for help?”
He nodded. “Couldn’t get through.”
“Isaiah, what if he’d caught you?” Heidi crawled closer to him in the tent. “He’ll kill you if he finds out.”
He started to speak but she pressed her hand over his mouth. “Don’t say he’s going to kill us anyway. I don’t want to hear it. There has to be another way… Why don’t we overpower them, get the guns back. Something.” She hated the trembling that crept into her voice along with rising panic.
“If we get the chance, we will. But I need to tell you something.” He gripped her shoulders. “I found the missing gang member’s body yesterday.”
Covering her mouth, she sobbed softly. Isaiah pulled her to him and held her. His arms felt strong around her.
“Heidi, he might not be the last person to die as we make it through these mountains. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
She nodded. The harsh environment would pick them off, one by one. Then maybe they could worry about fighting whoever was left. But she didn’t get the chance to voice her thoughts on his words.
Outside the tent, gunfire resounded through the icy mountains.
ELIZABETH GODDARD is an award-winning author of over twenty novels, including the romantic mystery, The Camera Never Lies—winner of a prestigious Carol Award in 2011. After acquiring her computer science degree, she worked at a software firm before eventually retiring to raise her four children and become a professional writer. In addition to writing, she homeschools her children and serves with her husband in ministry.
Untraceable
Elizabeth Goddard
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may stay for the night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning.
—Psalms 30:5
This story is dedicated to search and rescue teams everywhere, to men and women who volunteer their time, money and skills and willingly place themselves in danger to find and rescue complete strangers. And of course, all my stories are dedicated to my family—my three sons, Christopher, Jonathan and Andrew, and my daughter, Rachel (and new son-in-law, Richard), and my husband, Dan—for giving me the time and space I need to create new worlds and characters. You guys rock!
Writers don’t work in a vacuum, especially if they’re novelists. I couldn’t write without the encouragement and support I receive from my writing buddies—Lisa Harris, Shannon McNear and Lynette Sowell, and many more—so glad God brought us together on this writing journey!
I’d also like to thank my friends in Juneau who provided me with invaluable material regarding specific information—Doug Wessen, a community leader and SAR hero extraordinaire. And thanks to Teresa, a writing friend in Juneau who works for the US Forest Service. You’re always available with just the right answer or photograph. Thanks to Bill Glude of the Alaska Avalanche Center for his assistance, and for training search and rescue volunteers. Any mistakes are mine alone either by accident or on purpose in taking artistic license to create a more adventurous and appealing story world.
Contents
Cover (#uc3e47cda-30e2-5cb2-a428-36bc9c9d060b)
Back Cover Text (#uef5ca07b-098b-52dd-9ed5-6bd621dfaf44)
Introduction (#ufe40cadf-cfd9-5a9a-b800-76010e49282a)
About the Author (#u890b9931-2413-5c27-b0ae-7dd9627b67c6)
Title Page (#u0ecd03bb-c17b-5e82-a4ea-09cfee346f30)
Praise (#ua1572b77-1c4b-5415-b7fc-6ec3da3a57df)
Dedication (#u81bb0dfe-5ba7-5392-94b5-18e51b336549)
Acknowledgments (#u9918d561-e387-5091-86cc-0d2b66780b0a)
ONE
TWO
THREE
FOUR
FIVE
SIX
SEVEN
EIGHT
NINE
TEN
ELEVEN
TWELVE
THIRTEEN
FOURTEEN
FIFTEEN
SIXTEEN
SEVENTEEN
EIGHTEEN
NINETEEN
TWENTY
TWENTY-ONE
TWENTY-TWO
Dear Reader
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
ONE (#uc1bc5537-0812-5c76-96e5-e93981312a44)
“Off rappel!”
Heidi adjusted her night vision goggles at her brother Cade’s call up the rocky cliff face from below. The snow-covered, mountainous landscape looked green and black, but at least she could see instead of stumbling around in the dark and falling to her death. Even though the moon was out in full force, this side of the mountain remained in the shadows.
The helicopter had dropped them off as close as possible to the summit, but they’d still had to hike another two hours to get to the place where they would rappel down to the trapped climbers, at least one of them injured, or so the three rescuers—Heidi and Cade Warren and Isaiah Callahan—had been informed.
As a member of North Face Mountain Search and Rescue—like the other Warren siblings—this was only the second time Heidi had climbed at night, and she shoved aside the unpleasant memory of the first. There was enough tension between her and her brother Cade, and unfortunately their friend and coworker Isaiah—who usually flew the helicopter—that she didn’t need to tack on anything more to an already heavy load. And it wasn’t just the emotional and mental burden. The pack on her back weighed her down, too.
Drawing in a cold breath, she hoisted the hefty pack—loaded down with climbing, medical and camping gear for spending the night—and rappelled the cliff. Cade, ever the protective brother, had insisted on going first, though Heidi was the trained technical climber of the three.
She’d made it halfway to the next rap station and paused for a rest, when gunfire ricocheted off the mountain. Heidi jerked and lost her balance. Her overfilled pack pulled her over, flip-flopping her. Now hanging upside down, her heart pounded.
She was the technical climber here.
She was the expert they counted on to assist in getting these people out.
She hadn’t wanted to come. Not after what had happened last summer. But there’d been no choice. Two other daunting rescue operations were ongoing and they needed the manpower. If only she weren’t out of practice.
All her fault. This was on her, and she knew it.
Heidi was a wreck, but she couldn’t afford to give in to her emotions right now. Those climbers stranded in the saddle between the summits couldn’t afford her messing up.
No way would she call for help, though. The last thing Cade and Isaiah needed was a rescuer who required rescuing. Besides, she’d assured Cade she could do this, but even if she hadn’t, he’d pretty much insisted that she try. Isaiah had been the one to protest. He hadn’t wanted her here. Whether because he personally didn’t want to work with her after distancing himself for some unknown reason or because he didn’t trust her abilities, she wasn’t sure. Either way, his attitude stabbed her like an ice ax.
“What’s going on up there, Heidi?” Cade asked over the radio.
“Nothing.”
“You need help?” Now Isaiah. Great.
And the incident command center would hear their conversation, too. Over the years, they’d developed their own radio-speak, and didn’t use the more technical terms. Cade always wanted them to talk plainly. Worked for her.
“Heidi, I asked if you’re good?” Isaiah again.
At the very least, she would prove to Isaiah she was back. She could do this. “I’m rapping down. You’re distracting me.”
With all the strength she could muster, she grabbed the rope and inched her way up, righting herself. Then she breathed a sigh of relief.
But what about the gunfire she’d heard? Heidi used her night vision goggles to scan the mountain and the saddle below, but saw nothing of concern. Was it someone chasing off a bear somewhere? Cade and Isaiah hadn’t mentioned it. Had she imagined it? Or was it simply echoing from miles away? She wouldn’t bring it up. All she needed was for them to think she was hearing things. As always, Isaiah and Cade were packing weapons in case they came across a bear, so she wouldn’t worry.
Following Cade down, she rappelled, careful that the unusually heavy pack wouldn’t throw her off balance again. She met him at the second rappel. A glance down revealed a beaming flashlight and a small fire burning nearly four hundred feet below.
Voices resounded from the camp. The climbers must have spotted their rescuers. Cade rappelled again. Heidi watched and waited before she followed. She glanced up but couldn’t see Isaiah from here. He was likely growing impatient to hear her call.
Heidi looked down at Cade and saw him swinging over, creating a new path.
“Be careful. There’s a vertical ice wall and a sheer drop,” Cade told them over the radio.
Negotiating the terrain would be difficult enough under the circumstances, but with the expected inclement weather, even in April, things could only get worse.
“Off rappel,” Cade called.
Heidi clipped in and called up, repeating the words to Isaiah, and they were back in rhythm, rappelling and descending a snow-covered slope in the middle of a cold, wintry night.
Reaching the vertical ice wall Cade had warned about, she secured her harness and traversed the cliff face, following Cade’s lead. She found the third rappel station and called up to Isaiah before descending the rest of the way.
The saddle where the two summits met formed a wind tunnel. Maybe that’s why Cade hadn’t mentioned the gunfire. He hadn’t even heard it. The high-pitched wail of the wind harmonized with deeper tones making Heidi think of a lost lover singing a seriously morbid screamo song. Thank goodness she’d grown out of that phase a decade ago.
Dropping a few feet to the ground, the pack pulled Heidi back and she fell on her rear.
Thankfully, in this spot, the curve in the rock formations above and around them protected them from the harsh blasts of arctic gusts. She hoped that would remain the case.
“You okay?” Cade offered his hand.
She didn’t take it, but instead slipped from the pack. “That thing is too heavy.”
“I hear you,” he said.
Isaiah joined them. He tugged Heidi around to face him, his touch surprising her. She tried to ignore the current coursing through his gloved hand and her parka to burn the skin on her arm. It was the first time he’d come close to acting as if he cared in months.
Still wearing his night vision goggles, he looked her up and down. “You okay?”
“Of course, I’m fine. We’re here to help them.” Heidi pointed at the group who remained huddled next to their small fire, a couple of them standing, expectantly looking in the direction of the rescuers. “Stop worrying about me.”
She couldn’t take his attention on her right now. It only confused her and she needed to focus. Besides, she hated to be coddled, and Cade’s and Isaiah’s concern was too much. Cade was right to insist she had to get back into search and rescue now or she never would, but after what happened, after she’d been part of a jaunt in the mountains with friends that ended in tragedy, Heidi second-guessed everything she did. Succeeding tonight in this rescue would serve as a rescue for Heidi, in a way. And she prayed that her participation wasn’t a mistake, that it wouldn’t cost more lives. She reminded herself that North Face needed her today.
Heidi helped Cade and Isaiah gather up their packs and equipment so they wouldn’t end up buried in the snow once the storm set in. By the look of the dark clouds rushing in from the west, they didn’t have much time. She led the way, hiking over to the climbers hunkered by the fire about a hundred yards in the distance. With a glance back she saw Cade and Isaiah pointing to a cornice loaded with snow, just waiting for a reason to bury them. Cade got on his radio and communicated their status and she heard something about the potential avalanche.
Just one of many things they’d have to watch for. In the meantime, a helicopter could drop more gear now that the SAR team had made it down. After assessing the climber’s injuries, they’d relay their needs to the command center.
Only, Heidi noticed, they weren’t dressed like climbers. Coats, sure, but jeans and regular shoes. How could they have hiked all this way this time of year without crampons or snowshoes? Heidi told Cade to request the extra gear and whatever winter hiking wear was available. He arched a brow, the question in his eyes confirming hers, and relayed the information.
What was going on?
* * *
Isaiah caught up with Heidi. She was too stressed for her own good. That could be dangerous. But he knew he was partially to blame for that. Or was he giving himself too much credit?
She’d had a rough time of things the past few months, and Isaiah had pulled away when he’d realized they were growing too close. He couldn’t let himself get involved with anyone because of his own mistakes. He wanted to keep the past he ran from hidden. Heidi deserved better than him, and when he’d seen that look in her eyes—one of longing and admiration—a look that he returned too eagerly, he knew he had to withdraw.
And he’d hurt her.
Then came the accident. Heidi had been out for a hike with friends when someone had fallen to their death. Pain zinged through Isaiah. She’d blamed herself, and Isaiah could relate all too well to that feeling. How he wanted to be there for her. To encourage her and get her through it, but he’d already backed away. Let her family be there for her.
And they had been.
Except for when it came to informing Heidi that the man she was seeing, months after Isaiah had made his retreat, was married. Isaiah ended up with that grueling, dirty task. Why him, of all people?
But all that was behind them, and Heidi needed to focus on this rescue. Cade insisted that the only way for her to dig out of the dark place she’d crawled into was to get back into the thick of search and rescue. While that made perfect sense, Isaiah had been worried it was too soon.
He swallowed the sudden knot that arose again as he recalled seeing her dangling on the rope through his night vision goggles moments ago. It was Heidi’s decision to be here, and her brother’s business to watch out for her. Not Isaiah’s, other than as her SAR team member. No. He wasn’t in the Warrens’ inner circle. Not since he’d severed his emotional connection to Heidi.
And not since Cade had started acting as if something was eating at him. It was unusual for Cade to keep anything from Isaiah. He didn’t know what was going on, but he feared his secret was out. Cade was brooding over something and he didn’t appear to know how to share it with Isaiah. Now that Isaiah thought about it, Cade had tried to talk to him a few times about whatever was bothering him, but then he’d shut down. What else could it be except that Cade had found out the truth about Isaiah? That was too much to think about on an easy day, so he shook away the thought and concentrated on the rescue.
The moonlight had crept across the sky and into the gap between the two peaks so he tugged his goggles over his helmet and pushed past Heidi, leading the way to the group. They needed to establish that the SAR team was in charge from the very beginning.
As he approached the climbers, two of the men left the circle around the fire and hiked toward him, bundled up in their winter coats, though it was spring. But mountain summits didn’t often care. Isaiah squared his shoulders and stood tall as he closed the distance to meet them.
When he reached them, one of the two stepped forward. The leader of this climbing party?
Isaiah thrust his gloved hand out. “Isaiah Callahan, and behind me, Heidi and Cade Warren. We’re part of the North Face Mountain Search and Rescue.”
“I’m Zach, and this is Jason. Rhea and Liam are by the fire.”
Zach was trim enough, though he looked bulky with his coat, but he was about Isaiah’s height at five feet eleven inches. Jason was both stockier and taller.
“Good you were able to make a fire.” Isaiah noticed a bruise on Jason’s forehead, a cut and smudges across Zach’s temple and face. “How are you holding up?”
Jason huffed, and Zach sent him a glare over his shoulder. What was that about?
“Where’s the injured party?” Cade asked, coming up behind Isaiah, carrying his pack and ropes.
“We were informed someone had taken a fall.” A little breathless, Heidi finally joined them. She handed off the pack holding the medical gear to Isaiah. Though they were each trained to assist in all situations, Isaiah had the most medical experience.
“That was Robbie.” Zach gestured to the shadows beyond the fire. “Over there. But he’s already gone. No point in worrying about him now.”
Was the guy in so much shock he couldn’t render any emotion over a fallen friend? The cold words struck Isaiah. He glanced to Cade and Heidi. Did they sense that something was off here, too? He couldn’t read them.
Zach led them over to the fire.
The radio squawked and Cade answered, discussing the coordinates and the extra gear the helicopter would drop. He left the group to position himself to receive the goods. Heidi began unpacking, preparing for an overnight stay that would include a winter storm.
Spring didn’t mean anything up in the mountains in Alaska’s Coast Range.
Letting his gaze skim the fire and the climbers’ sorely lacking gear, except for one conspicuous green bag near the fire, he finally spotted the bundle, likely the body, about fifteen or more yards away in the shadows. Isaiah hated hearing they hadn’t made it in time to save someone but it happened all too often.
Zach was suddenly at his side again.
“What happened to him?” Isaiah pointed to what he assumed was the body of the injured climber.
“He fell.”
“But he was still alive when you called us.” They’d gotten here as quickly as they could.
“I don’t know, man, you know how these things happen. He fell and his injuries killed him.”
Yeah, Isaiah knew. He trudged in the direction of the body, the thrum of a helicopter drawing closer. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Cade’s silhouette in the distance as he made his way to gather the gear being dropped.
Something didn’t add up. None of the climbers were equipped to climb the summit or traverse the cliff side. How did they get here? Confusion along with an unwelcome sick feeling that something was definitely wrong crawled over him like a sudden, drastic drop in temperature.
“Where are you going?” Zach followed. “I said he was dead. There’s nothing more you can do for him. We need to get out of here tonight. You’re wasting time.”
Isaiah kept walking. “None of us are getting out tonight.”
“What?” The guy jerked Isaiah around.
“A storm’s coming. Life Flight is planning to hoist the injured man out of here in the morning, that is, after the storm clears out.”
“We don’t need to wait.”
“The logistics of getting everyone out tonight are a nightmare. In the morning when the storm clears is better. It’s safer. And it’s the only option.”
Isaiah proceeded to the body. He knelt down to examine the man, pulling out his flashlight. Had he died of hypothermia?
Then he found the blood and...a gunshot entry wound. When he was up top, he thought he’d heard a gunshot ring out in the distance behind him, too far to be related to the group in the valley. Had he been wrong about that?
Stiffening, Isaiah slowly pressed his hand inside his parka, covering the weapon in his shoulder holster. He was here to rescue people, not hurt them.
“Don’t even think about it.” Zach pressed the cold muzzle of a gun against the back of Isaiah’s exposed neck.
Closing his eyes, Isaiah sent up a prayer and calculated his next move.
The gun pressed harder, digging into his flesh. “Put your hands up where I can see them and slowly stand up.”
Zach backed away from Isaiah as he turned to face the guy, his hands up. Too bad. He could have wrestled the weapon from him.
“He’s dead because he’d only slow us down,” Zach said. “Are you going to be next?”
TWO (#uc1bc5537-0812-5c76-96e5-e93981312a44)
Heidi unpacked the tents and synthetic insulated blankets, tossing them to the wary climbers by the fire. Jason, Liam and then Rhea. The woman, face pale, lips a little blue, wore a dazed expression and shivered. It appeared she might be getting hypothermic. None of that came as a surprise considering the climbers had been waiting for hours for the SAR team to arrive.
Heidi must have let her gaze linger on Rhea too long because the woman blinked and looked up from the fire, regarding Heidi with an odd expression. Heidi hated that Rhea gave her the creeps. She was here to assist Rhea and her climbing buddies, so Heidi didn’t like thinking that way about anyone. Yet she almost wished the moon wasn’t shining on the woman’s face. Soon enough, she’d have her wish as the light in the sky shifted behind the mountains or the storm clouds hid it from view. Unfortunately, she didn’t relish working in the dark, either.
Heidi focused her attention back on removing the needed equipment from the various packs. The snow flukes to help secure the tents against the heavy and wet snow, along with the high winds that would come with the expected storm. The small camping stove and fuel they’d mostly use to melt snow for water. Sleeping bags. Now all she needed was some help to get the tents set up.
A blast of icy wind swept over her. It was definitely picking up. She shivered at the thought. Heidi hated to weather a storm like this, but the good thing was they’d gotten here beforehand and these people would have ample protection now. Cade had been right to insist she help. The swell of satisfaction she received when helping others was returning.
“You should wait,” Rhea said.
Heidi looked up from the pack—stuff now strewn around. “Wait? Why would I do that? The faster I can get you warmed up the better.”
“Because we’re hiking out tonight.”
The woman wasn’t making any sense, didn’t know what she was talking about. Yep, her core body temperature was too low. The quicker Heidi got Rhea inside a tent, the better. Heidi glanced at the two men who only stared into the fire. Obviously, they had experience in dealing with Rhea. Heidi would follow their example. She kept her thoughts to herself and focused on setting up camp. No need to further antagonize Rhea.
Cade had gone off to grab the rest of the supplies the helicopter dropped a few hundred yards from them to keep it safe, and Isaiah went to check on the deceased climber. Not so far away, but they couldn’t get back fast enough for her.
“Did you hear me?” Rhea’s tone grew belligerent.
What was this all about?
“That was never the plan.” Heidi stood tall, facing her. “The plan was that a helicopter would hoist anyone who was injured out in the morning. It’s too dangerous tonight.”
Cade came from the shadows and tossed more packs and sleeping bags toward Heidi, where they plopped in the snow. Heidi shot him a look.
“What’s the problem?” Cade caught his breath, then focused on Rhea. Jason and Liam stood up as if they were answering a challenge.
“No problem,” Rhea said. “I told her not to unpack. We’re hiking out.”
Cade frowned.
Isaiah came into the circle of light, Zach right behind him. Zach shoved Isaiah forward.
What was going on?
Zach held two guns and pointed one at Isaiah and one at Cade. “I’ll need your weapons and all communication devices.” He glanced over at Heidi. “You, too, sweetheart.”
Heidi gulped for air. This couldn’t be happening. What would Cade do? She watched him, willing him to hear her pleading.
Don’t try to be a hero now, Cade. Please don’t.
“I don’t have anything on me,” Heidi said.
“You’re going to have to prove it.” Zach waved the gun. “Take off your coats.”
“What?” Cade said. “It’s too cold out here! We have to stay the night on this mountain.”
Zach pressed the gun into Isaiah’s temple. “I don’t need all three of you.”
“Yes, you need us all.” Heidi didn’t hide the desperation in her plea. “Whatever you’re planning, to hike out tonight like Rhea said, you definitely need all three of us. You’ll never make it without our help. We are the bare minimum required.”
Angling his head, Zach studied her, considering her words.
The way Isaiah slightly shook his head, as though he was ready to die for them right here and now was too much for Heidi. She couldn’t allow that. Cade could not get his weapon out in time to do anything for them. Isaiah had to know that.
“Do as he says, Cade.” Heidi took off her own coat and arctic cold swirled around her. She shivered.
Wind rippled over the small fire and almost snuffed it out, but Heidi knew the darkness wouldn’t help them.
“You should listen to her,” Zach said.
Cade quickly stripped from his jacket, revealing his shoulder holster and the weapon inside. He handed it over to Jason.
“Radios and SAT phones, cell phones, everything.”
Cade’s expression turned dark and menacing as he handed over everything that would connect him to their brother David, who was monitoring this rescue mission from the command center at the base of the mountain. Adam, Cade and Heidi’s other brother, had been called out on a separate search and rescue. The Warren siblings were spread out tonight.
“Is that everything?”
“We came here to help you,” Isaiah said. “A storm is approaching, so we don’t have time for this. Why are you threatening us, pointing those guns at us?”
“If you don’t want our help, we’ll just be on our way,” Cade said.
“I like to hear that, because that’s exactly what’s going to happen. We’re going to be on our way. All of us. You’re going to lead, and we’re going to follow you out.”
Isaiah looked at the cliff face they’d just scaled. “We’re not equipped to help you back up that cliff, not in the dark. Not with a storm closing in. There’s a reason we brought supplies to make it through the night and longer, depending on the weather.”
“Why did you call us? Why do you need us?” Heidi asked the question, but she thought she already knew the answer.
“The supplies you brought, and we need you to guide us out,” Jason said.
Finally, someone besides Zach spoke up. Maybe if they could somehow take him out, the rest of them could be overcome.
“Our small plane crash-landed up there.” Jason pointed behind them. “Two people didn’t survive, the pilot died. Another guy, too. The rest of us...we made it this far, but knew we needed to call for help or die in the mountains.”
But why the guns? Obviously, there was much more to this than they were being told. They were desperate to get out tonight, which was also a risk. So desperate that they would hold a search and rescue team at gunpoint. Why were they in such a hurry? What were they running from?
Fear gripped Heidi at her next thought.
Were they fugitives?
She didn’t watch the news enough to know anything.
Heidi wanted to ask, but her brother gave a slight shake of his head. Knowing too much about this group in need of help could be deadly. But sooner or later the SAR team would learn the truth, and Heidi feared that truth, when it came, would cost their lives.
* * *
“Look, I don’t know why you think you need to hold us at gunpoint. This whole thing is some sort of crazy.” Isaiah regretted the words as soon as he said them. “You asked for help and you got it. That’s what we’re here to do, but you have to trust us. And believe me when I say we can’t guide you out of this saddle tonight.”
Isaiah’s heart battered his insides. He thought he’d already seen enough trouble to last him a lifetime. But he needed to try to talk their way out of this.
Zach didn’t appear to like to be challenged, especially in front of his friends. He stepped toward Isaiah, waving his weapons around, his thick gloves raising the threat of him accidentally putting too much pressure on a trigger guard. Isaiah didn’t think Zach had the safety locked on either weapon.
An image of a woman covered in blood suffused his mind. He shook the memory. A vise gripped Isaiah’s chest. He wanted to grab the guns and stop this insanity.
“Didn’t I already warn you that if you slow me down, I’ll get rid of you?” Zach aimed both guns at Isaiah, point-blank.
“No!” Heidi screamed.
Zach made a mistake, standing too close. Isaiah could grab him, disarm him, but with Cade and Heidi so near and Jason holding the other weapon, that would gain Isaiah nothing. He couldn’t risk someone else’s life, but then again, if he didn’t take the chance now he was risking all their lives.
To Isaiah’s regret, Heidi put herself in the line of fire and pulled on Zach’s arm. “Please, don’t.”
“Get back, Heidi.” Isaiah skewered her with his gaze. He didn’t need her risking her life for him.
“To get out of these mountains, you need all three of us,” she said again.
Zach’s gaze slid to Heidi. It was all Isaiah could do to keep from wiping that leer off his face. But he didn’t have to worry about it for long. Zach slammed his weapon into the side of Isaiah’s head, just under his helmet. He fell back into the snow, dizziness engulfing him.
“Isaiah!” Heidi’s scream sounded as if it was coming from the other end of a tunnel.
She appeared by his side. “Isaiah,” she whispered. “Talk to me.”
He tugged off the helmet and grabbed his head. “These things don’t protect against raving lunatics.”
What had he expected from Zach, anyway?
“Heidi’s right,” Cade said to Zach. “We can help you climb out tonight, but it’s going to take all three of us.”
Ignoring his pounding head, Isaiah focused his vision. He had to stay with it. Heidi scrambled over to the medical kit a few feet away.
“I’m not convinced,” Rhea said. She looked at Heidi.
What? That woman expected Zach to do away with Heidi?
Cade’s tension was palpable. “In addition to our equipment and expertise, you’ll need us to physically assist you down. There are four of you. You need all of us.”
Something ran down Isaiah’s neck. He pressed his gloved hand against the side of his head where he felt a knot and drew it back. Blood. Zach had given him a gash.
This was an absolute nightmare.
“That settles it, then,” Zach said. “Now that we’re all in agreement, let’s get this stuff put away and get geared up.”
Heidi dropped next to Isaiah. She examined his head and swabbed it, then looked him in the eyes. He wished she wouldn’t do that. Give him that look that showed him how much she cared, and yet how much she couldn’t care. How much he’d hurt her, on top of everything else that had happened.
“You shouldn’t challenge him like that,” she whispered. “Just do as they ask. We’ll make it out of this. We have to.”
She moved to stand, but he grabbed her wrist. “Don’t put yourself between me and anyone like that again.”
Shaking her head, she tried to stand, but he kept his grip on her. “Do you hear me?”
“You’d do the same for me,” she said.
Yes. Yes he would, and more. But he couldn’t have her risking her life for the likes of him. He didn’t deserve the sacrifice.
Heidi stood and offered her hand. Of course, Isaiah could stand without her help, but he took her hand anyway. Felt the strong, sturdy grip beneath her gloves. Maybe Cade had been right. Heidi needed to get back into climbing and helping people. Search and rescue. Only Isaiah was certain she didn’t need it to come at her like this, with crazy people waving guns around.
The moon finally dipped behind the north summit, and the silhouette of thick clouds edged into the sky from the west. Isaiah put his helmet back on.
“Hey!” Zach directed his attention to Isaiah and Heidi. “What are you doing? Let’s get the gear packed up and ready to go.”
Isaiah growled under his breath. This guy had no idea what he was getting them all into. He bent down to help Heidi pack the tents and stuff the equipment back in the pack. The helicopter had dropped more gear. How were they going to carry all of it down? He watched Cade studying all their supplies, probably wondering the same thing. If they were really going to do this, hike out tonight, at least until the storm prevented them from going farther, there were few items they could do without. Added to that, they had no idea how long Zach and his crew were going to need their assistance.
David monitored their activity from the command center and would want an update soon. Isaiah had no idea what they would tell the man. Did Zach even have a clue about that? And did he have a clue that it might be mid-April but up in these mountains it might as well be the dead of winter? Well, except there was more daylight. The thing was, if they went tromping off into this mountain wilderness and survived, at some point, another team would be sent to search for them when they went missing.
Oh, yeah, someone would look for them.
But the storm could very well prevent that search from happening anytime soon, and with Zach pressing them they could be far from here by then. They might never be found.
How far was Zach planning to push them?
Isaiah finished zipping the last pack, itching to ask Zach exactly that. Just how far were they intending to hike? How long would they need the SAR team’s assistance?
How long before Zach killed them?
THREE (#ulink_c75601cf-f21b-5d35-b77e-935709ca6031)
Heidi decided to wait until the last possible moment to tug her heavy backpack on. As overfilled as it was, it would weigh her down and tire her out before they made whatever unreasonable destination Zach had in mind. They’d yet to learn where exactly it was he wanted them to guide him other than off this saddle between the summits. All she knew was that leaving tonight was a potentially lethal idea.
Regardless, she couldn’t afford to slow them down. By killing the other man in the group, Robbie, Zach had already shown he didn’t have patience. Didn’t care about others. A radio squawked somewhere. Heidi stiffened. They had to update the command center. That had to be David calling.
Zach approached her. Why me? Heidi wanted to be invisible.
Her nerves slid down her back and into the snow at her feet. Please, God, make me invisible. She didn’t want this man to look at her. To talk to her.
But somehow she knew it was already too late. He’d...noticed her. The look in his eyes confirmed it. He tugged her tight and leaned in close, his breath warming her cheek. She could fight him with everything in her and even wound him, but she knew that would only end up hurting Isaiah or her brother in the end. So she stood her ground instead.
Then Zach smirked at Isaiah while he kissed the side of her head. She tried to move away, but Zach held fast. A shudder crawled over her.
Even in the firelight, she saw the murder in Isaiah’s dark hazel eyes. She could see Cade’s jaw working from where he stood behind Isaiah—the very reaction Zach was going for. This was it then. Zach would use her against them until this was over. She was their weakness. She hoped that his actions meant nothing more than taunting Isaiah and her brother, and had nothing at all to do with an actual attraction to her. God, please, no.
Holding her close, Zach pressed the gun against her well-insulated coat. “Say anything wrong, and she pays for it.”
He jabbed her rib cage and she winced. With his other hand, he lifted the radio from his pocket and tossed it to Isaiah.
“What do you want me to say, then?” Isaiah’s scowl deepened. “What about the body of the guy you shot?”
“Say nothing about him. Tell them everything is going as planned. You’re settled in for tonight. But tell them you’ll hike out tomorrow. We don’t need the helicopter to hoist anyone out, after all. We’re all fine here.”
Heidi couldn’t help but think that was good. David would probably suspect something was wrong but, then again, maybe not. It wasn’t as if he could imagine this scenario they’d walked into. He would have no reason not to trust their assessment.
Eyes flashing, Isaiah replied on the radio, relaying all that Zach had demanded. Isaiah’s pensive gaze never left Heidi. Something fierce and protective burned there, and it took her breath away. Now she couldn’t help but fear for Zach. What would Isaiah do to the man once he got the chance?
She didn’t want Isaiah to put himself in harm’s way for her, or to do or say something he’d regret later. Finally, Heidi was able to withdraw from Zach, and she noticed Rhea watching her with those crazy eyes.
“Well, then, we’re wasting time. Let’s gear up and head out.” Cade tossed the heavy packs, along with the bags dropped by the helicopter, to each of the climbers, since they apparently didn’t have their own gear except for the one green bag.
Jason, Liam and Rhea stared down at the stuff and back up at Zach.
“What’s all this?” Rhea asked. “We can’t carry this stuff.”
Zach shrugged. “We have to make it as far as we can tonight. Do the best you can.”
“We’ll need as much of that as we can bring.” Isaiah tossed headlamps to them.
Heidi almost smiled at that. He always thought of everything. And it was a good thing, too, especially for this unexpected situation because these people wouldn’t be able to see their way down. Maybe if the SAR team could show them what exactly they faced rappelling, Zach would change his mind. But he appeared to be a man on a mission and nothing would stop him.
The big question of the day: What was driving him?
This was insane. She didn’t want to be anywhere nearby if one of them fell or got hurt. She couldn’t go through that again. She had no idea what kind of shape this motley crew of criminals was in, but she’d guess they had no clue what they were in for.
Cade folded up the map he’d been looking at and tucked it in his coat. He started off, heading southwest. “Let’s go, then.”
Unmoving, Zach cocked his head.
“Wait,” Isaiah said. “Why that way?”
Are you kidding me? She wished he’d stop talking. Zach looked irritated anytime Isaiah said anything, making her more scared that he would be the first of them to go. Something inside whimpered at the thought. But...how could this end any other way?
“Isaiah,” she said, hoping she didn’t have an audience. Everyone seemed preoccupied with their gear.
When he gazed at her, she willed him to understand, read her thoughts. Don’t stir up more trouble for us. Just follow Cade.
But she knew Isaiah and Cade hadn’t been getting along the past few weeks, and that would probably play into this whole mess. She hoped she wasn’t the cause of the rift between them.
Isaiah directed his next words to Cade. “We need to talk about the best way down. If we choose the wrong way, we could all die.”
* * *
Isaiah knew what Heidi wanted. She wanted him to follow her brother, like always, but maybe neither one of them was thinking right. Maybe Isaiah was the only one capable of thinking this through.
Cade got in Isaiah’s face. He sure wished he could use this to his advantage like he’d seen in the movies. He and Cade distract the bad guys and then punch them. Take them out. But no. That wasn’t going to happen tonight.
Fury rippled in Cade’s overstressed face. “We hike out through Rush Gulley. It’s the only way.”
“Not with the storm coming. We’ll be too exposed and get the brunt of it on that side of the mountains. Our whole purpose in bringing this gear is to make it through the night. Protect them from the storm. The deadly temps.”
Cade worked his jaw and looked away, breathing hard, pondering Isaiah’s words.
Then Zach was in the middle, playing with his gun again. “Do I need to kill one of you so we don’t have to waste time arguing on the best way out? We hike out the safest and fastest way to the ice field.”
“What?” So there it was. Zach’s destination. “Why the ice field?”
“Because that’s my only ride out of this frozen world. I have four days to get there.”
“We’ll never make it,” Cade said. “That’s too far.”
“It’s only thirty miles. We’re that close. So we take shortcuts if we have to. Go over the mountains instead of around them. You can do it. You’re mountain climbers.” Zach grinned.
As if that would appease or charm them into agreeing. Isaiah wanted to punch him. They didn’t have all the gear they’d need for such a trek. Or the food or supplies. It was a death wish at best.
In this weather and terrain, they’d be fortunate to make five or six miles a day, tops, and that wasn’t counting the added burden of inexperienced climbers. Isaiah wanted to inform him there was no possible way, but he’d already done enough damage.
“Safest and fastest don’t go together,” he said.
The temperature dropped as the storm pushed arctic air deeper into the mountains. Isaiah sometimes wondered how it could get colder. They needed to keep moving or they’d get hypothermic right here. They needed to get the blood pumping. Sure, he wanted to take Zach down, but first and foremost, he was part of a search and rescue team, and he’d see this through. He’d get these people out and to safety, and then let the authorities deal with them. He didn’t want to hurt them.
Unless he had to. He would do whatever was necessary to protect Cade and Heidi. His heart staggered at the thought of harm coming to her.
Hands at his hips, he looked at the ground, waiting for Cade to say something. He didn’t want to get into it with him, but he’d needed to question Cade on his decision. He doubted any of them were thinking as clearly as they could under the circumstances.
“Isaiah’s right,” Cade said. “The north face will be tough going down. But it’s the quickest way to your destination, so you should be glad about that. You’ll have to stick very close to us, but I figure we have an hour, maybe two before we have to set up the tents to weather the storm.”
“No. We keep going,” Zach said.
“We won’t make it if we don’t stop. The storm will be a blizzard. A whiteout. Do you get that? We won’t be able to see where we’re going, even with night goggles and headlamps. We couldn’t even if we were in broad daylight. This terrain is deadly all by itself. Be realistic, man.”
Still looking at his boots sunk in the snow, Isaiah shook his head, mostly to himself. There was no good way out of here in the dark during a storm. But if he put himself in Zach’s head, maybe he could imagine why the guy was so desperate.
“I get it,” he said. “You want us to be gone by morning, so if the storm clears out, we’ll be untraceable.”
Zach nodded to Isaiah, respect in his eyes. Isaiah couldn’t say he returned the sentiment.
“So tell me.” He was going to do this thing. Ask the forbidden question that he knew Cade and Heidi wanted the answer to, too. But they were afraid to know the truth. The way Isaiah figured it, their lives were already forfeit. Might as well know the whole of it. “What or who are you running from? What did you do?”
The guy’s eyes narrowed.
“Come on, man. We’re risking our lives for you out here. Tell us what this is all about.”
“Isaiah, no. We don’t need to know what’s going on.” Cade glared at Isaiah, then directed his words to Zach and the others. “It’s none of our business. All we care about is getting you out of here and to safety, and we want to be left to make our own way. Let’s agree on that.”
Cade was right, and Isaiah had proven himself a bigger idiot than he thought possible.
Jason stepped up next to Zach, his headlamp blinding them.
“Armored-car robbery,” he said. “That’s what.”
Cade’s form deflated as he blew out a big breath. The look of pained disappointment he gave Isaiah hit him in the gut. He’d pushed things too far, he saw that now. Cade was right. They didn’t want to know what this was about. Isaiah had just sealed their fates.
“We escaped,” Jason continued. “Made it out. Nobody had a clue where to look. Then we hit a snag in Zach’s big plans when our plane crashed. You want to know how much money?”
Jason opened his mouth and sucked in a breath, but Zach punched him in the face.
Grabbing his nose, Jason howled and cursed Zach. “What’d you do that for?”
With a single look, Zach silenced him. Too bad that couldn’t have worked to begin with, before the punch to the face.
“Now if we’re done with the small talk, lead on.” Zach gestured ahead of him.
The wind picked up and the snow clouds slowly crept across the sky. Once the clouds blanketed the region and hid the moon, this clan would depend completely on the goggles and headlamps. And once the storm hit, their feeble lighting would be of little help.
Before he turned to lead the way, Cade gave Isaiah one long shake of his head. Isaiah hoped Cade could see the regret in his eyes, but he was sure it wouldn’t matter. This wasn’t the first time Cade had given him that disappointed look lately, but at least this time Isaiah knew the reason for it. Now wasn’t the time to try to figure out what had been bothering his friend, especially since he likely already knew the answer to that. He tried to shove the unwelcome thoughts out of the way.
They would have to work together as a team in a way they never had before. This would require all their energy and focus and trust.
Trust. Why had this particular search and rescue scenario hit them when the trust between the three of them was at an all-time low?
Let it go, man. You don’t have time to worry about that now.
Carrying the heavy packs and gear, everything they’d need to survive, the group trudged behind Cade as he led the way off the saddle, careful to stay out of the path of the avalanche that could spill from the cornice above at any moment.
Zach hiked next to Isaiah, pulling up the back, and pointing his gun at Isaiah for fun. “Don’t forget that I have guns. Will kill.”
“Well, Zach, I’m intimidated by you, sure,” Isaiah said. This guy felt big and strong with the weapons he didn’t handle all that well. “But facing off with nature in this part of the world scares me more. If you’re not scared yet, you will be.”
FOUR (#ulink_9accacda-6161-5ecc-95d9-5b618ac39b29)
Heidi struggled to keep up with Cade. With his big strides, he covered the ground quickly, even in the snow-covered saddle. None of the SAR team members had removed their crampons yet, and they hadn’t tasked the climbers to wear them or snowshoes until required. The snow wasn’t loose enough that they sank into it here, but the terrain indicated that they were approaching a sharp drop.
That was only one problem they would eventually face. Added to that, they’d have to be sure this group knew how to use an ice ax for self-rescue, or a technical ice ax if required. Argh. Did they even have all the equipment they would need? She doubted it. Heidi’s breathing hitched. She wanted to pull her hair out. This wasn’t going to work.
Straight ahead, on the other side of the peak across from them, she could see the silhouette of Devil’s Paw, the highest point on the Juneau Icefield, which marked the border between southeast Alaska and British Columbia. And just below that, though she couldn’t see it, Michael’s Sword thrust upward from the ice field, like its namesake blade.
Even if Heidi couldn’t see much through the night vision goggles, she knew they were about to face their first taste of terror. Cade knew that, too, and likely feared how much worse it would be if they didn’t make good time and find a place to hunker down in their tents. All because they had to please the madman who’d called them in to rescue him.
Clouds crept forward, the edges reminding her of pointed fingers, creeping toward the moon. With the summit looming above them to the north, Heidi wished she had her camera to capture this amazing image. But even if she did, she couldn’t fathom stopping to enjoy her hobby.
Once the moon finally died a silent death behind the sword-clouds, Heidi would lose sight of Cade without her night vision goggles. Zach’s gang had been instructed to wait to use their headlamps until absolutely necessary to save the batteries.
Heidi felt as if she was in a space suit again, her clothing thick, her movements slow—only she’d never wanted to be an astronaut. Never wanted to go to the moon. This might be exactly how it felt to be there, except, of course, her steps would cause her to bounce instead of sink.
Snow swirled as the wind picked up. Oh, no. Were they walking right into the screaming wind tunnel again? Or worse, was the storm on them already? She thought her space suit might be running out of oxygen. Though her breaths came fast and hard, dragging in the frigid air, she still couldn’t get enough of it.
Oh, Lord. Not here. Not now.
Breathe in, breathe out. Her lungs screamed. An iceberg of pressure weighed on her chest. And her head.
Heidi stopped and ripped off the helmet and goggles, grabbing her head. Would it explode?
Cade had always been there for her, but no—he trudged ahead as if he was the only one who mattered. Isaiah’s face filled her vision. He’d removed his goggles and helmet, revealing his thick brown hat-hair, the moonlight caressing enough of his face that she could see the undeniable concern in his eyes.
He gripped her upper arms. “Heidi, what’s wrong?”
“I—” she gasped for breath. “I—”
“Slowly.” Isaiah pressed his gloved hands to the sides of her head. “You have to breathe slowly.”
How did he know? Heidi focused on his gaze and the emotions she couldn’t read swirling there. She had the sense that he was barely holding back a torrent of them. She calmed a little, her breathing easing, but the reason for her panic hadn’t dissipated. Everyone stood around her, watching her as if she was some kind of mental case. What if Zach decided to kill her because of it?
“Are we really going to do this?” she asked. “Are we really going to hike down with inexperienced climbers in the dark and—”
“Shh.” He pressed a finger against her lip, and it was surprisingly warm. When had he removed his gloves? “This is a search and rescue mission just like any other. You’ve trained for this, you can do it.”
Zach pulled Isaiah away from Heidi. She hated him for it. Isaiah, whatever happened to us?
Oh, no, here it comes. He’s going to kill me now. She and Isaiah never even had their chance, or rather, a second chance.
“You know I like you, sweetheart, but if you’re not careful you might outlive your usefulness. Let’s get moving.”
Heidi saw Cade ahead of them watching her, but then he turned around and hiked forward at breakneck speed. Isaiah gave her a reassuring nod and tugged his helmet and goggles back on. She followed his example and hiked next to him, drawing strength and confidence from him. She had strength, too. She just had to dig down deep and find where it had hidden and pull it out. This is a search and rescue mission just like any other. She could do this. And as for anything else, like escaping? As long as Zach, Jason and Liam, and possibly Rhea, carried weapons, there wasn’t much else they could do except follow orders.
Wait and pray.
A new team would be sent to search for them at some point when they didn’t show up. But Heidi dreaded how long that would take. SAR volunteers were already stretched thin due to two ongoing rescue operations before Cade, Heidi and Isaiah had been delivered to the drop point near the summit.
How long before David began to worry? How long before they could even send a team to search for them? And if they did, she’d bet David and Adam would both be on that team. But the farther they trekked into the deep mountain wilderness, the less chance they had of being found, especially with a man like Zach, who would do everything within his power to keep their whereabouts hidden.
No. She couldn’t count on being rescued. They were on their own.
No one knew they’d sent the search and rescue team to face a killer. Or killers. No one knew they were headed to the ice field. Making it there in this weather? That was another story altogether.
Cade stopped and held up his hand, signaling for the rest of them to stop.
Heidi closed the distance to stand just behind him. She sucked in a breath. Rush Gulley, Cade’s initial suggestion, would have been so much easier than this jagged, angular descent into the lower ridge on this side of the mountain. She wouldn’t want to do this on a good day, much less a stormy night. What would Zach’s cronies say when they saw this, though their view would be limited?
“Looks like I’m up,” she said. She had more experience in multipitch technical climbing, though both Isaiah and Cade could hold their own.
“Wrong. I’ll go down first, make sure there’s no loose rocks or hazards. And I’ll untie them once they’re lowered to the bottom. That’s all we’re doing here, lowering them down.”
Heidi wanted to argue, but giving him a spiel about working as a team right now would be pure bad timing. Cade had always been the team leader, and that’s just the way it was, so she held her tongue.
He shook his head. “I don’t like this. Why did I listen to Isaiah?”
“He was right, that’s why.” She steadied her breathing, reining in the panic that threatened beneath the surface again. “We’re a team, Cade, so we have to start acting like one. Granted, this is the worst possible scenario, but we pass this test tonight, and we can’t face anything worse.”
Except maybe a bullet to the head.
There. She got in her spiel after all, and reassurance for the both of them, too.
“Whatever we do has to be quick, or we’re going to get caught in the jaws of something driving, cold and wet. I don’t like keeping these people, no matter their crime, out in the elements any longer than necessary.”
Isaiah stepped next to them. “Let’s get busy then. We can rig a seat harness for this, and anything else we face. No point in risking their lives by letting them attempt to climb.”
Even Zach looked a little daunted as he peered into what, for him, with only a headlamp, would be a bottomless abyss. “What’s the plan?”
“You’re forcing us to go on a suicide mission, that’s the plan,” Heidi said. “We need to set up the tents and wait out the storm. Not climb down some insane multipitch terrain at night.”
It was worth a try anyway.
Isaiah dumped his pack and began setting up everything to lower them down.
A creepy grin slid onto Zach’s face. “But here you are, preparing to do exactly that. You’re turning out to be useful, after all. I’m glad, because I wasn’t ready to leave you behind. Not yet.”
Frowning, Isaiah motioned for Heidi to join him and help. She was grateful for the excuse to get out from under Zach’s gaze. But his words clung to her just the same. Isaiah set up an anchor around a rock, and Heidi clipped a carabiner—a small oval ring used as a connector—to hold the belay device, which was used to create friction on the rope, in place for lowering the climbers.
“So, um, what should we do to get ready?” Jason asked. “We don’t have climbing gear.”
Very perceptive.
“Pray. That’s what you should do.” Isaiah worked with the tubular webbing they always carried to create the right seat harness.
Depending on the situation and injuries, they could create whatever kind of harness they needed for the person or persons they rescued.
“That is,” Isaiah said, looking up from his task, “if you consider yourself a praying man, Jason. We need a lot of prayer if we’re going to live through the night.”
* * *
Two hours later, Isaiah knew someone had been praying.
Shivering at the bottom of another ridge cutting between the mountains—which kept them in the upper elevations—they quickly assembled the three tents, all geared with the required flies, sealed seams and enough extra snow flukes to withstand the approaching blizzard. Then supplies of water and food were dispersed among each shelter. They’d only brought one cooking stove with fuel, though.
Regardless of their predicament, relief coursed through Isaiah that they’d been successful in lowering their charges and setting up a camp, all in the middle of a frozen night. All as the storm closed in on them. Still, he wasn’t sure he could ever shake Rhea’s shrieks as they lowered her.
Zach had finally agreed to stop but only after Rhea’s terrifying experience down the terrain had left her crying and pitching a fit. She demanded they stop and wait until daylight. Isaiah could see that she would freeze to death if they kept going, as it was. Inside the tent, she could get warm in a sleeping bag and then get into the better winter wear they’d brought with them.
Isaiah finished building a snow wall around the last tent to protect it from the gale-force winds, and couldn’t wait to climb in and warm up. Rest his weary bones and mind. Except, depending on how fast the snow accumulated, he’d have go back outside to dig them out at regular intervals. Too much snow could collapse the tent.
Zach approached and shoved him with his foot, his headlamp flickering. “One of you sleeps with each of us in a tent. Rhea and Heidi are together.”
Isaiah stood to face the man. “There’s nowhere for us to run.”
“Get in.” Zach held his weapon.
Did Zach know how to clean the snow and weather out of the bore so it wouldn’t malfunction? Just before Isaiah climbed into the tent, he saw Cade and Heidi, and shared a look of regret with each of them.
Isaiah had a feeling he knew what they were both thinking. Once they got Zach and his men and woman to safety, they would likely be killed. They knew more than they should know about the armored-car robbers and killers. Knew their faces and their names. He squatted and crawled into the tent. What a weird twist of fate, to save people knowing they would kill you when you finally delivered them to safety. Isaiah crawled over to the sleeping bag to the right, making it his own. He dropped down and didn’t bother taking off his coat. Not warm enough inside yet.
At least tonight he would be warm and dry, despite the nefarious company.
Their supplies were limited because they hadn’t expected they would be hiking through the frozen Alaska wilderness. They were all too exhausted tonight to use the small camping stove they’d brought to warm up their water. But if they were in this very long, they’d need to conserve the fuel to melt snow. For now, keeping warm was a matter of bundling up in the sleeping bags and combined body heat to warm up the inside of the tent.
Zach and Liam crawled inside, too, looking as haggard as Isaiah felt. He guessed Jason was with Cade and he knew Rhea was with Heidi. Why did they have to be separated in the first place? He wasn’t sure he could sleep for worrying that he would be killed in the night, or that Cade or Heidi would face the same fate.
He pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut. God, help us.
“Praying again?” Zach asked.
Isaiah didn’t have the energy for this. “You might try it sometime.”
Zach and Liam laughed, though Isaiah consoled himself with the fact it was tired and weak.
“I’m starving. What have we got to eat?” Liam dug through the pack inside the tent.
“MREs and energy bars. I’d recommend the energy bar. Quick and simple.” Isaiah was too bushed to eat one. He’d get one in the morning.
“They might try to contact us again, you know. So be ready to toss me the radio.” Isaiah prepared to slip into the sleeping bag and prayed he could actually sleep. This was going to be a long night. A long, hard journey to the ice field.
“Don’t give me orders.” Zach held up a rope, then proceeded to tie Isaiah’s wrists. “I won’t bother tying your ankles. You’re not going anywhere.”
Now it was Isaiah’s turn to laugh, and his wasn’t so feeble. “Now that I’m all tied up, you get to go outside and scrape the snow off before it gets too heavy or buries us alive in the tent.”
Liam stiffened. He looked to Zach for answers. When he got none, he studied Isaiah. “How often do we have to do that?”
Isaiah shrugged. “Depends on the storm. I’d say every hour for starters. Then if it snows hard enough, maybe every fifteen minutes.”
“How will we know?”
“You’ll know.” Isaiah lay back down on the sleeping bag, grateful for small things. He wouldn’t have to dig them out tonight. He could actually sleep, maybe, and trust God to make it peaceful.
“I say when. Remember, you’re not in charge. I am.”
A raging retort surged to Isaiah’s lips, and he tried holding himself in check but failed. “Really? We just saved your lives tonight. And we delivered you down to this ridge under impossible circumstances. You couldn’t have done that on your own.”
“Whatever.”
Isaiah sat up, adrenaline coursing through him once again. He needed to say the words. Get them out. He pointed a finger at Zach, holding up both tied hands. “That was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, we’ve ever done, as a team. Don’t expect us to do anything like that again. You’re fortunate that we all survived. But don’t push it.”
“You guys are as good as it gets, there’s no doubt there. I know what to expect from you now. How hard I can push.”
Isaiah believed that God had protected them. Answered their prayers. But as to how hard Zach could push them? Isaiah didn’t bother answering. Zach wouldn’t listen anyway. He had nothing to lose by pushing them.
Liam turned the flashlight off. They lay in the darkness, the storm beginning to rage around them. Isaiah couldn’t stand to think about what tomorrow would bring, and hoped he would drift quickly to sleep, but escape plans exploded in his head.
If they’d retained their weapons, they could have won the day. Maybe. But they’d been caught off guard.
And...Heidi.
A pang stabbed through him. Why did she have to be the one to come? Isaiah couldn’t stand that it was Heidi with them. Not on this mission. But he’d better not say that to Heidi. Still, she had to see that Zach appeared intent on using her against Isaiah and Cade.
Isaiah thought back to the good times they’d shared since he’d met her. He’d run from Montana to hide in Mountain Cove, Alaska. Even changed his name to start a new life.
He’d been struck by her soft, kind and huge brown eyes and that dark mahogany mane of hers. But the most beautiful part of her was on the inside. What man wouldn’t be attracted to her? He’d done well enough, keeping his distance. They worked together for one thing. Or used to before he’d changed his schedule around. But he’d been able to keep his relationship with her as an easy friendship, that is, until that day not quite a year ago.
The sunset had dazzled them with the most amazing hues of orange and pink as they stood looking out over the channel, waiting for Cade and Leah to return from another trip to Seattle. Isaiah’s gaze had veered from the sunset to Heidi, and he’d made the mistake of letting himself take her in for a little too long. When she looked at him—something happened between them. Something and yet nothing at all. He couldn’t put words to it. But they’d connected. He’d felt it. She’d felt it. He knew she had. Maybe it had been building for a long time.
He also knew that he’d hurt her by backing away.
But what else could he do? He couldn’t let himself get close to anyone like that. Not after everything he’d been involved in. He was almost thankful the wind howled outside the tent as it drowned out his sullen thoughts. On the other hand, it brought him back to their deadly predicament.
FIVE (#ulink_9746059e-b01c-5d81-bdc9-f4a68c50fb4d)
Heidi opened her eyes. Something had jarred her awake.
She couldn’t see her hand in front of her face. The storm wailed outside. What could she have heard over the din? Was Rhea still asleep, or moving around in the tent? Maybe she planned to smother Heidi in her sleep.
Or was it one of the guys scraping the snow off their tent? Liam had informed them earlier that he and Jason had been tasked with the job.
Wary, she shifted inside the insulated sleeping bag, grateful for the smallest of comforts, but concerned about sleeping in the tent with Rhea. Thank goodness they had both collapsed with exhaustion, or at least Heidi thought Rhea had conked out first. The woman had creeped Heidi out from the beginning of this ordeal, and she hadn’t relished the idea of sharing tent space with her, but better Rhea than one of the others in Zach’s mangy troop.
Rhea was a weird person, and had to be more than a little disturbed to be with a guy like Zach. To admire him. Heidi sensed Rhea’s pure and lethal hatred toward her because of Zach’s unwarranted attention. Couldn’t the woman see that Zach was simply using Heidi against Cade and Isaiah?
Except that wasn’t completely true, either. There was something about Heidi that Zach liked. A girl just knew these things. A chill scuttled over her, even though the inside of the tent was relatively warm.
Why had she let her mind take her down this path? She needed sleep, and thinking about the crazy people who could kill them at some point didn’t help. They had to get out of this.
Heidi repositioned herself and sighed.
“What’s with all the racket over there?” Rhea asked.
“I’m not doing anything. It’s the storm.”
“I hear you sighing and huffing and puffing. Every time you move in that sleeping bag, I hear it.”
Maybe Heidi had been the one to make the noise and had woken herself up. “I’m sorry.”
“I don’t know why I had to be in here with you instead of with Zach.”
“Do you love him, Rhea?” Now, why had Heidi asked the woman such a question? Why else would she be with a man like that?
“Why? You think you can have him? Well, he’s mine. All mine.”
“That’s not why I asked. I can’t sleep. I’m just trying to figure out why this is happening to me, Cade and Isaiah. I can’t figure out why you would love a criminal.” Or maybe Rhea had been in on the heist. Heidi had better keep her mouth shut. Rhea snorted. “Zach is brilliant. He needed money to get started, that’s all. Wealthy people aren’t going to miss two million dollars.”
Two million dollars? Heidi held her breath. Did Rhea realize she’d just shared that information? Zach wouldn’t be happy to hear that, but Heidi wouldn’t be the one to tell him so it probably didn’t matter that she knew.
But...two million dollars. Oh, God in heaven, help us out of this.
“Now that I told you about the money, don’t think you can steal Zach away from me. I’d kill you first.”
Heidi frowned. What kind of person thought like that? Had Rhea been institutionalized at some point? She sounded like some sort of female Praetorian Guard, an elite bodyguard for her emperor, Zach, whom she worshipped. Besides looking and acting crazy, she sounded crazy, which meant Heidi was in even more danger. They all were.
“You don’t have to worry about me. I have no interest in Zach. I’ve learned the hard way that people can’t be trusted when it comes to relationships. I don’t want to love anyone.”
First, Isaiah had distanced himself. Then Lon... Pain knifed through her heart—he’d been a married man, for crying out loud. She could never get over the fact that she’d been romantic with a married man. How his wife must feel about her. She turned in the sleeping bag, not caring if she made Rhea mad. A hot tear slid down the side of her face and right over the bridge of her nose. It dropped to the bedding below. Then she’d learned that her own father, whom she’d loved and adored and admired, had cheated on her mother.
She swiped at the tear then thrust her hands back in the bag.
Rhea didn’t say anything to Heidi’s comment about relationships, so she added, “Be careful, Rhea. Zach could break your heart.”
Heidi should be more concerned about living through this than whether or not Zach would break Rhea’s heart, which he would undoubtedly do. She didn’t want to trust or love again or feel that pain, but every time she looked at Isaiah, she wished she could feel a different way. Wished he hadn’t hurt her.
What had happened between them?
Earlier tonight, he’d been right there, helping her through her panic as if he’d never left her side—physically or emotionally.
“You’re a liar,” Rhea said.
“What have I lied about?”
“There is someone you want to love.”
Heidi held her breath. What had she done or said to give Rhea that impression? “You’re wrong.”
Rhea’s laugh was deep and raspy, a sick, mocking sound. Where had Zach found her? Heidi’s pulse ratcheted up, although it was already near racing. Would Rhea tell Zach, causing him to use Isaiah or Cade—both of whom meant everything—against her?
Wait. Isaiah meant everything? “I don’t love anyone. And I don’t want anyone. But I’ll make you a deal.”
“What’s that?”
“Remember when Zach punched Jason in the nose because he almost told us how much money you stole?”
Rhea was silent, but Heidi knew she remembered. They all did.
“Zach doesn’t want anyone to know how much, but you just told me that he stole two million dollars. That can be our little secret. So I’ll keep your secret, if you’ll keep mine. Do we have a deal?”
“Yes.” Rhea’s voice cracked. Was the woman that scared? “Zach will kill me if he finds out.”
Tension crept back into Heidi’s body. She wouldn’t fall back asleep now. Heidi had some power over Rhea, but she could never use it because then Rhea could tell Heidi’s secret. Not that she’d admitted to anything.
But the images of what Zach could do tormented her like the howling wind outside.
* * *
The radio squawked. Funny the places those things would pick up, and then sometimes when you needed them the most, they failed. But that’s why the SAR teams carried a couple of different kinds as well as a SAT phone. Isaiah also took his cell on rescues, which would give off a ping if kept on. Zach had commandeered all their communications equipment except, well, the avalanche beacons, but those weren’t exactly communication devices unless you were buried in the snow. Isaiah had turned on his beacon to transmit, anyway, but where they were, nobody was near enough to pick up that signal. No one even knew to look.
Snuggled inside the sleeping bag with his hands tied, he bolted up, oriented himself to his surroundings and spotted the radio on the floor next to Zach’s sleeping bag. Didn’t the guy hear that? Admittedly, the noise had to burrow into Isaiah’s head to get him to wake up.
David was calling to check on his team. Isaiah figured it might be better if he didn’t answer, let them start worrying sooner, except there was no getting them out of this place with the inclement weather and gale-force winds still screaming outside. At least morning had broken. That was an advantage they hadn’t had last night, and yet somehow they had survived.
He’d give God the credit.
David sounded agitated. Maybe...maybe Isaiah could somehow let David in on what was happening. Give him a clue, if nothing else, but only if Zach and Liam slept through this.
Isaiah worked his way free of the bag and scrambled over to pick up the radio with his hands tied. “I’m here, David!”
The next thing he knew, Zach sprang from where he slept and pressed his gun against Isaiah’s temple. Tension corded around his throat and tightened. He couldn’t speak.
“Isaiah! Finally. I thought you ran into trouble.”
He found his voice. “You could say that.”
Zach shoved Isaiah’s head with the gun. A clear warning.
Isaiah quickly added, “We’re still weathering the storm. But you can be sure we’re going to deliver the climbers down the mountain into the right hands.”
He wasn’t sure why he added those last words, but he had every intention of doing just that. However that played out. Whatever Zach thought he would pull off here, wasn’t going to happen if Isaiah—and he knew Cade and Heidi would be with him on this—had anything to do with it. He’d think of something before this was all over. Something before Zach killed them.
“How’s Adam? Did his team make it back yet?” Isaiah knew that Cade and Heidi would want to know about their younger brother.
“Yeah. Last night. Found a little boy who’d gotten lost hiking with his parents.”
“That’s good to hear.” At least someone had found success.
“I need your updates more frequently.”
“Sure, every hour?”
Zach snatched the radio from him. “If you do that again, you can say goodbye to the woman.”
When Zach put the radio to Isaiah’s mouth, his eyes narrowed.
“I’ll try,” Isaiah said, “but we’re getting buried here and we’re busy.”
Zach leaned in and whispered, “Heidi.”
Isaiah closed his eyes at his next words. “Don’t worry about us. You know we’ll be fine. I’ll contact you with coordinates for an extraction point. We’ll hike as far as we can first. Could be tomorrow maybe.”
“Is Cade around? Why doesn’t he answer his radio?”
What? Didn’t David trust Isaiah? But then Cade was his brother. Isaiah should understand that. “He’s outside, brushing snow off. Heidi’s in another tent.”
“Okay, then. You guys take care.”
“Tell him over and out.” Zach nudged him with the gun again.
Huh? They never used that. But Isaiah could use it now. The radio at his mouth, he said, “Over and out.”
Would David hear that for what it was? Would he pick up on the clue that Zach had forced Isaiah to drop?
The radio conversation over, Zach shoved Isaiah to the ground. He couldn’t stop the fall with his wrists tied. “You ever try that again and I won’t kill you. I’ll hurt you and leave you to die a slow death.”
“The radio had been squawking for a while, and you guys snored through it. Next time I’ll just let the command center wonder what happened to us. Let them think we need our own rescue team, if you prefer.”
Zach studied Isaiah, considering his words and that outcome. The tent shuddered, fierce wind breaking through the snow wall.
He growled. “It’s April, for crying out loud. Why is this happening?”
“This mountain range has some of the roughest weather in the world. That’s why. Your plane had the great misfortune of crash-landing here.” Isaiah wanted to know where they’d been heading. Had they come from the Alaska mainland running from an armored-car robbery there? Or were they leaving the Lower 48 on their way to Alaska or Canada? But he wouldn’t make the same mistake he’d made before and ask.
“Let’s pack up. We have to get going.”
“No. We have to wait out the storm.”
“There’s no time. I have four days, now three, to get where I need to be for my ride out of here.”
“If you wanted to go on a suicide mission, why did you call for our help? Huh? Tell me that.” Isaiah didn’t bother to rein in his temper. “You called us to help you out of here. Hear those winds out there? It’s a whiteout. We hike out there now and we won’t be able to see a thing. It’ll be worse than last night. At least we had the night vision goggles then.”
“Maybe he’s right, Zach.” Liam rubbed his tired eyes like a three-year-old. “Let’s at least wait until there’s a break in the storm. We could make some headway then.”
“I need to talk to the others on my team,” Isaiah said. “Figure out the quickest and safest way to the ice field. Believe me, I want this to be over with as soon as possible. Just like you.” Isaiah held out his hands. “Mind untying me now?”
Zach nodded to Liam. “Untie him, then go get the other one.”
Liam’s eyes widened. “You want me to go out there?”
“If you don’t want me to leave you behind when we leave, then yes, go and get him.”
Backing down, Liam shook his head. Zach trained his weapon on Isaiah as if he expected Isaiah to try something as soon as his hands were free. And when Liam left, he just might. But then he thought of Cade and of Heidi.
Liam grabbed his coat and put on his gloves. The tent was small, but at least it was warm.
Isaiah rubbed his hands and wrists. “I’m going to need Heidi, too. She’s part of the team.”
“It’ll get too crowded in here.” Zach shifted on his sleeping bag as if he was already feeling claustrophobic.
“Well, I’m sorry about that, but I need her help to plan our next move.” He needed her to be here with him. Needed to know she was all right after a night with Rhea, although he knew that Heidi could win that battle, if it came to that, hands down.
“All right.” Zach glared at Liam.
The guy unzipped the tent and cold and snow rushed inside. Liam hesitated and Zach kicked him the rest of the way out. There was a chance, though slight, that Liam would get lost altogether and wander into the blizzard, missing the tent. “The next tent over is to your left, Liam,” Isaiah shouted.
He wasn’t sure Liam heard him. He should be the one to go out there. “I don’t know if Liam has it in him to find the other tents in this storm.”
Zach scrunched up his face. “He’s not an idiot. He was out moving snow off the tents half the night. I think he’ll be fine.”
“Have you been out in that yet? Do you even know what you’re talking about?”
The man shrugged.
Isaiah sent up a prayer.
“You praying again?”
“Yep. Praying that Liam doesn’t lose his way.”
Zach’s face paled. “How could he? The tents are right there.”
“You’ve never been in a blizzard like this. It’s called a whiteout for a reason. You can’t see where the sky meets the ground. You can’t see where you’re going. You can even get vertigo.”
“That sounds like a bunch of bologne to me.”
Was that the answer? Should they just let Zach have his way and try to lead him and his crew out during the whiteout? No. Then they would all be at risk.
A few minutes passed. “Let’s pull out the food, get it ready for the others.”
Isaiah busied himself starting up the small camping stove. He opened the vents in the tent.
“What’s taking him so long?” Zach raked his hand through his hair. “How hard could it be?”
“You should have been the one to go.” Isaiah decided he took a little too much pleasure in taunting this guy. “I can go check on them if you want.”
“No. You stay right here.”
“Okay, then we’re both left to wonder if he even made it.” Planting the seed of fear in Zach had worked out better than Isaiah thought.
Zach was suddenly in Isaiah’s face, pressing the muzzle of his gun under his chin. “You’d love that, wouldn’t you? One down, three to go.”
Should he wrestle with Zach? Take the gun from him? It was now or never. Squeezing his eyes shut, he reined in the images of taking the gun from Zach. What would that gain him? Jason still had a weapon trained on Cade. He wasn’t sure if Rhea had one, as well.
All he knew was that this wasn’t the right moment.
Someone unzipped the tent and stepped inside.
Heidi.
Isaiah’s heart jumped.
Cade followed.
Isaiah had made the right decision—wrestling with the weapon could have set it off and killed her or Cade.
Liam tried to come inside, too.
“Go with Jason,” Zach said. “There’s not enough room here.”
Heidi sent Isaiah a soft smile, the strain of a restless night in her face. She crawled over next to him, took off her gloves and shrugged out of her coat. “It’s warm in here. How are you holding up?”
“Good.”
She slid her hand over his and squeezed.
Isaiah tried to ignore what her touch did to his heart. He pulled his hand away.
God, I have to get her out of here.
Maybe if he could save her—and Cade, too—then Isaiah could redeem himself. Although he knew that wasn’t true. Only Christ was the true Redeemer. But maybe if he could right this wrong, it would be something. Although he hadn’t been arrested or convicted, hadn’t killed anyone, he knew in some roundabout way, he’d played a role in that murder.
SIX (#ulink_e6c4a759-abe4-5242-80ac-aae9f1681cf3)
Bundled in her winter gear, Heidi exited the tent.
They’d stared at the maps long enough.
Conserving what water they had, Heidi had used the camping stove to melt snow to drink, and portioned out the energy bars. When the wind had died down, the quiet drew them outside to assess the damage.
Cade, Isaiah and Zach stood next to the snow wall. The tents were nearly buried again, even though the men had taken turns scraping off the snow. Liam, Jason and Rhea were still eating their energy bars, their gazes drawn to the exquisite splendor surrounding them—a pristine but deadly beauty that had threatened their lives.
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Elizabeth Goddard
Тип: электронная книга
Жанр: Современная зарубежная литература
Язык: на английском языке
Издательство: HarperCollins
Дата публикации: 16.04.2024
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