A Snow Covered Nightmare: Refuge Series Book Two by Debbie Zello (14)

Chapter Fourteen

That old woman spoke the entire flight. It didn’t really bother Briah. Actually, hearing her chatter on about her grandchildren was a distraction from crying about her life. They landed and said their good-byes. It felt strange when the woman asked her where she was going. Briah answered that she was going to find out in a minute. The woman didn’t miss a beat in replying, “well, have a good time.”

Briah exited the plane, having no problem picking out her dance partners. They resembled the Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones characters in Men In Black. Both wore black suits, high and tight haircuts, and sunglasses. The neon signs above their heads flashed Federal Agents. She simply stood at the window and let them approach her.

“Hello, Miss, I’m here to take you dancing,” Tommy Lee said.

“Okay, where are we dancing?”

“If you’ll follow me, I’ll show you.”

“After you,” she said, nervous about the James Bond feel of the whole thing. The two men walked her through the terminal to a gate. The destination read Burlington, Vermont. “I’m going to Vermont?” she asked Will Smith.

“Yes, ma’am.” Briah stared at him. He was at least her age and maybe older and he had just ma’amed her. She hated that. Ma’am was for married women or older ones anyway. “We have this for you and I need your driver’s license and any other credit cards or anything with your name on it,” he said holding a large legal sized manila envelope towards her. She stuck the envelope under her arm and took out her wallet.

She quickly began to hand him the cards and her license. Her fingers found a business card that Aiden had given her at their first meeting. It didn’t have her name on it so she left it where she found it. “What’s my name now?”

“I don’t know. The envelope is sealed. Don’t open it until you are alone. I suggest the bathroom on the plane. Please give one more look through your pocketbook for anything with your name on it. Any scrap or anything. Finding it later and simply throwing it out could jeopardize your life,” he cautioned.

“No, there isn’t anything else,” she said pushing her things around in her purse.

“Very well. Here is your boarding pass for this flight. Good luck to you and it’s been a pleasure dancing with you,” he said smiling at her.

“The both of you dance very well. My compliments to your instructor.”

Her flight was called and she boarded the plane. The envelope was burning a hole in her fingers. She was curious as to what might be inside. She could feel some kind of a short key and some hard plastic that she guessed were credit cards or a license.

As soon as the seatbelt sign went off, she was up and headed to the bathroom. She tore open the envelope carefully, so she could seal it back together when she was done. She certainly didn’t want to lose anything.

The first thing she pulled out was a credit card. Her name was Cherie Ames. That was okay. The next thing was the key. It was the kind of key that went to a locker at the airport. A paper inside read to find the locker and open it. More information would be inside. There was some cash and a new iPhone. She put it all back in the envelope and went back to her seat.

As soon as she was off the plane, she went in search of the locker. Once she had found it, she looked around before she opened it. Inside was another similar looking envelope. She took it out and headed for the nearest bathroom.

She soon discovered that this envelope had several things in it. Her license, checkbook, savings account statement, social security card, birth certificate, keys, and a letter with instructions. It read that her car, a white 2017 Chevrolet Malibu was parked in the lot and waiting for her. It gave her the approximate location and the plate number. The car’s GPS was programmed to bring her right to her new residence. Just press the star button on the rear-view mirror to begin.

The letter also suggested that she change her appearance with a stop at one of the many salons that she would pass on her drive home. She thought about that for a moment. Her very long blonde hair was something she loved. She had it trimmed regularly but hadn’t cut it since childhood. Was she ready for that?

She decided to find her home first and think about the hair tomorrow. The time difference and the long day of flying had her worn out. She found her luggage and then found the car by pressing the unlock on the keychain. That was easier than looking for the license plate. The car’s lights came on and Cherie put her suitcases in the trunk.

The GPS led her to the highway, Interstate 89 headed south. Being from Colorado, the lush, green, tree covered mountains of Vermont stood in a complete contrast to the Rockies of the west. The drive was a very pleasant one. If this was where someone picked for her to live, as far as she was concerned they picked well.

The voice told her to take the next exit at Waterbury. Take a left at the end and continue on Route 100 heading north. She passed a small shopping center and then the Ben and Jerry’s ice cream factory. This was getting better and better.

At a stop sign in the middle of the town of Stowe, the voice said to turn left onto Route 108 heading north. Briah was almost giddy as she looked around at the little shops and restaurants that made up this mostly ski town. The road she entered was covered with motels, spas, restaurants, and ski shops. Nirvana for the ski-bum in Briah.

The voice continued its directions, turn left, turn right, turn left, and you have reached your destination on the right. Briah pulled into the driveway of the most adorable Swiss-style cottage she had ever seen. It was painted a medium yellow color with white trim. A wide porch covered the front with a railing detail that she loved. And two large, comfortable-looking rockers were set on either side of the door.

Briah put the extra key on the key-chain in the lock on the door and turned it. The door popped open and she walked in. Briah smiled for the first time since she put one over on David’s attorney, the first day of the trial. The inside was just as quaint as the outside. The hardwood floors were light and shiny. The walls were painted cream with light-stained wood trim. The furniture had an understated Victorian feel. A wood-burning fireplace was in the corner.

The kitchen took up the entire back of the house with a large eating area on one side. The second floor consisted of a master suite and a spare bedroom suite. There was a small loft area on the third floor that could be another bedroom or an office, but no bathroom. Her meager furniture mixed in with some beautiful pieces as if a designer planned the whole thing out. Every color and pattern was something she might have chosen for herself. It was perfect.

Back down in the kitchen she found another envelope on the counter. She sat at the table and opened it. Inside were school transcripts, employment files and references from former landlords. A passport, the deed to the house and one more letter were the last things in the envelope.

Miss Ames,

You begin work at Mount Mansfield next Monday at eight AM.

Ask for Stu Dunn in the main lodge. You will be a general office worker until the season begins and then the supervisor of the ski patrol and manager of the rental shop.

You own your house and car free and clear. I wish you luck and good health.

It wasn’t signed. Someone really paid attention to what she liked to do. She would have the best of both her worlds. The ski patrol meant she could be on the mountain, free of her tangled web of a life. Then grounded in the business world that she also loved.

She had a week to acclimate to her surroundings. That was going to start right now with a bath and then bed.

The morning brought a light rain. It cleaned the air of the pollen that plagued Briah’s nose. Before leaving to find a salon, she checked her cupboards and fridge and found both full. Having the government move you definitely had its perks.

She drove back to where she turned onto the Mountain Road aka Route 108, this time turning left back onto Route 100. The rest of Stowe was just as picture perfect as the first part. Briah drove past dairy farms complete with cows and lots of fresh manure. It was roll up the windows time. Cornfields and Christmas tree farms passed by on either side.

Briah drove into another town, Morrisville. She turned left at another stop sign, staying on Route 100 so as not to get lost. Yes, she had a GPS but you had to know how to program it and so far, she hadn’t mastered that. On the right-hand side, soon after the turn, she saw a sign for the Head Shed. Figuring that must be a salon, she pulled in and parked.

Briah walked in and a pretty blonde woman said, “Hi. Can I help you?”

“I hope so. I’m thinking about cutting my hair. But I don’t know how much or have any idea what I want,” Briah said, chewing on her lip nervously.

“Well, come over and we’ll see what we can come up with. My name is Michelle.”

“I’m B…uh Cherie Ames,” Briah said almost ruining everything. Most hairstylists know everyone in town, starting off saying she was Briah could be disastrous for her.

An hour or so later, Briah left the salon with a new shoulder length hairstyle, one that she could still pull into a decent ponytail yet she looked very different. She made another appointment to have some low-lights put in that would add depth of color to her blonde hair.

She got back in her car to look at more of the town. She found a pizza place and a movie theater. No Starbucks but a Dunkin Donuts so she could get her latte fix when needed. Turning around, she headed back towards Stowe figuring she should take a look at the mountain she would soon call her refuge.