A Snow Covered Nightmare: Refuge Series Book Two by Debbie Zello (20)

Chapter Twenty

Roland King would gladly boast that he had never worked a day in his life. He loved to kill, the way most people loved to shower. Therefore, he never considered killing work.

Roland understood why David shot Dan Post. After all, he had been messing around with his wife. What he didn’t get was why he hadn’t used him to do the hit. He was the professional in the family. He would have never left a witness and David would have had a legitimate alibi. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!

Now he had to clean up the mess, one woman at a time. It took Roland two months to find Jeanette and Briah’s whereabouts. The Feds did a reasonably good job protecting their witnesses. Still, Roland had been in the business of killing for almost forty years. They would have had to send them to the Moon or Mars for him not to find them. In this case, Florida and Vermont posed no problem.

Roland had enjoyed his time with Jeanette. He had always liked her. She was fun and witty. Not so much, when she’d opened her door to see him standing outside of it. Her smile had disappeared quickly as she’d known what he was there for. He didn’t enjoy killing women as much as men. He’d rather fuck them, but you can’t always do what you want. In this case, she’d deserved it.

He’d tied her up and had her watch as he went through her things. He’d taken some of her jewelry, plus any cash and credit cards he found, just to make it look more real. He’d shot her, just once, right in the head. Then, he’d calmly walked out with his toolbox, looking every bit the washing machine technician for the neighbors.

Roland drove from Florida to Vermont, wanting to stay off a flight manifest. Paying cash for gas and motels also left no trace of his mission. Now he found himself following the pretty ski bum around waiting for his chance to cause an unfortunate accident to befall her.

Another fake robbery of a woman in federal protection would cause a major investigation. His source for information would go underground so far he would never find him again. He needed all of his snitches to stay where he could easily find them. Thusly, his day began…

Briah was at the top of the mountain, deciding which trail truly piqued her interest. Today, because she felt feral and wanted a challenge, she took one of the “Front Four” trails. Starr had steep pitches, natural hazards like rocks and trees, and it was far less groomed than the well-traveled trails.

It was snowing and the wind had picked up, making the conditions treacherous for a novice or intermediate skier. But, for Briah, it was perfect because the aforementioned skiers would stay off the advanced trails.

As she came to the lip of the trail, the wind blew up the mountain filling her face with snow. “Thank you,” she yelled meaning every word. Snow in her face made her feel alive with anticipation.

As she attacked the trail with the aggression she only showed to nature, Roland watched from below with his binoculars. Skiing was not his forte. He was a ‘sit by the pool and drink’ sort of killer. If he couldn’t come up with a plan to exterminate her in a reasonable fashion, he was going to have to sub out to a mountain man. He didn’t relish that idea, as the less people who knew about a hit, the better off he was.

Briah was a challenge because she was either outdoors with lots of witnesses, up the mountain where he wouldn’t go, in her house, or with the boyfriend. He was thinking that he might have to do a twofer. Take out her and the boyfriend in a fiery crash or a drive by.

Taking a deep breath, he blew it out through his mouth. “You are proving to be a challenge Miss Spencer/Ames. I’m sure you would answer to both, wouldn’t you?” he sneered.

Briah’s first run of the day was always for her and the mountain. It was a “Good morning and what do you have for me today” kind of run. Her body, beginning with her feet, told her what the mountain was thinking that day. The snow telling her the story of the dreams that had taken place overnight.

Carla, the receptionist she’d met on her first day, had become a friend. She had given Briah the moniker of ‘snow whisperer’ as a joke, but it had become the name that the other employees used when referring to Briah’s snow-sense.

After her first run, Briah would post the conditions she had found. Other members of her team would do the same, skiing on different trails. Together, their reports would set up the day for guests’ skiing adventures.

Briah was posting the conditions on the board next to the ski lifts when she heard, “You are the most beautiful ski patrol woman I’ve ever seen.” She smiled as she had recognized the voice. She finished writing before turning around.

“Since you don’t ski, I can’t take that as a complement. Exactly how many ski patrol women have you seen?” she said laughing.

“I’ve seen a few. When you live near a mountain, it comes with the territory,” Stu smiled. “I was wondering if I might take you to lunch or dinner today.”

“I work through lunch most days. I can do dinner, though.”

“Good then. I’ll pick you up around six. We’ll make it an early night,” he said walking up to her and kissing her forehead. Briah quickly turned her head to look around. She was not comfortable with displays of affection at work. Especially because she was the manager, and should set an example for her crew.

“Behave,” she scolded, seeing that no one had been looking at them.

“Don’t worry; I knew no one was around. I wouldn’t embarrass you on purpose, Cherie.”

“I know, I’m just always looking over my shoulder,” she said which was more truth than she cared to admit.

“Okay, I’ll see you later. Don’t work too hard today,” he said, turning to walk back to his car. She watched him walk away, knowing that tonight she was going to have to let him go. It wasn’t fair to him that she wasn’t ready to move on and commit to him. Not fair because she didn’t know when or if she would ever be ready.

“It’s our Christmas present from the in-laws. Not that I don’t want to go but I don’t ski. I’d rather go somewhere warm for a week. A week in Vermont in the winter is not my idea of a vacation,” Pete said miserably.

“Cheer up, you can send the kids skiing and climb back in bed with the Mrs. They’ll have fun, and so will you,” Aiden said laughing.

“Right, she’ll let the kids go without us…not! We might miss a picture-perfect moment or something equally as important.”

“When you get there, sign them up for lessons or camp or something. Where there is a will, there is a way.”

“True! The lodge might have activities we can sign them up for. I’ll have to check into that. Family friendly means kid stuff. I’ll even pay for a babysitter, as long as they take them somewhere,” Pete said raising his eyebrow.

On the nineteenth of December, Pete and his family were on a plane headed East to Vermont to spend their Christmas break with the von Trapp Family in Stowe, Vermont.

Clair’s parents generously paid for a beautiful condo with maid service and lift tickets for their three children. That and a nice check for meals, a car rental and any other expenditure they might have.

They opened the door of the condo to see a fully decorated Christmas tree with presents already under it. The kids practically broke their necks in their attempts to get to the gifts and see who got which one first. “Hey, knock it off guys,” Pete yelled at them. “You can’t open them until Christmas anyway. So back off!”

They all protested until they decided to pick which bedroom they wanted and scurried off up the stairs. Clair said, “I’m starving. What do you say we get unpacked and organized and then go through the town? Maybe we’ll find a charming place to eat.”

Pete’s face mirrored his feelings on finding a charming place. Pete’s tastes were more attuned to an all you could eat buffet. Abundance over atmosphere any day of any week. However, he had learned in his fifteen years of marriage, to eat wherever Clair wanted and just shut up about it.

Once in the car, they traveled through the town, pointing out all of the places they wanted to go to on their visit. Pete figured they would need at least two more weeks to cover it all. They turned onto a side street from the Mountain Road and found Gracie’s.

The family had had to leave their dog Nike at home. The kids were upset about this, as the dog was both friend and confidant. They walked into Gracie’s and right into doggy heaven. The entire restaurant was decorated in a dog theme. From pictures and cutouts to statues and menu items.

Their server suggested the burgers as being the best in the area. Pete picked his as a two-third pound Petey Burger, reading that a dollar from each purchase went to a local animal shelter. He got a side of slaw and onion rings. Clair and the kids all ordered equally appropriately named doggy burgers, enjoying the atmosphere they had wandered into for dinner.

The food was great and they even had a doggy bag, a white chocolate doggy bag filled with mint chocolate mousse and milk bone shaped cookies, for dessert. Clair didn’t want one. She was only going to take a taste of Pete’s. He had to fend her off or she would have finished it.

They paid their bill and walked out to the car. The process of making sure that everyone was buckled in took a few minutes. Finally, Pete got in the driver’s seat, put the key in the ignition, and started the car. The bright lights come on; he looked up and saw a man and woman crossing in front of the car.

At first, it just appeared to be a couple out for dinner. But Pete’s spidey sense started tingling, and he couldn’t stop staring at the woman. “She is pretty, but do you have to stare at her? Now you’re going to tell me it’s okay to look as long as you don’t touch,” Clair says annoyed.

“That’s her!” he said, continuing to stare as the couple walked into the restaurant.

“Who?” Clair said looking at him confused.

“Briah. That was Briah Spencer. I’m sure of it,” he said opening the car door.

“Aiden’s Briah? What would she be doing here?”

“This must be where they sent her. I have to make sure. I’ll be right back,” he said getting out of the car and walking to a window. The couple he had seen in his headlights were now taking off their coats and sitting at a table, close enough to the window that Pete could get a very good look at her.

He was certain he knew that face and that smile. He saw the man reach across the table to take her hand. He watched as she pulled it away and placed it in her lap. He saw her expression fade from happy to something sad or disappointed.

Pete took out his phone and dialed. “Hey, what are you doing?”

“I’m still working, you fucktard. What are you doing?” Aiden said, joking. Pete was only gone a day and he missed talking to him already.

“Ask me who I’m looking at right now?”

“What is this, vacation trivia or something? Fine, my guess is Maria von Trapp,” Aiden says laughing.

“Wrong! Besides, I think she is dead. One more guess,” Pete said, still watching Briah and Stu as they order their dinner.

“Jimmy Hoffa, I hear he likes the cold,” Aiden said cracking himself up.

“Wrong again, my friend. I happen to be looking at Briah Spencer, in the flesh. Now what do you think of that?” Pete said holding his breath. He looked over at the car. Clair was motioning to him. He held up his finger for one more minute.

“That’s not funny, Pete. Not even close to being funny.”

“Can you hear me bro, ‘cause I’m not laughing. I’m telling you straight, she is right inside a restaurant and I’m just outside. I’m looking directly at her through the fucking window. I wouldn’t yank your chain like this, Aiden.”

“Holy fuck, Pete! Has she seen you?” Aiden said, standing up from his chair.

“No. Of course not, she isn’t looking for me either. She is having dinner.”

“Can you take a picture and send it to me?”

“I can try. That won’t look obvious or anything. Christ, I hope she doesn’t look up at me,” Pete said snapping a picture with his phone. “I’m sending it.”

Aiden opened the picture and there she was, just as beautiful as she was the last time her had seen her. Just before he’d cut her with his words, and ended their relationship. “Oh my God, it is her. They sent her to Vermont. The other side of the country. She has snow there,” Aiden said, thinking aloud.

“They just sat down to dinner. I’m going to drop Clair and the kids off at the condo and come back here. I want to follow her home. That way, when you get here, you’ll know where she lives,” Pete said walking back to the car.

“They are having dinner. Who are they?”

“Briah and some dude. They don’t look close. I’m guessing just friends. He wants more but she pulled her hand away,” Pete said backing the car up.

“She pulled her hand away? He tried to hold her hand and she pulled it away?”

“That’s what I said. I’m driving now, so I’m hanging up. I’ll call back when I’m back at the restaurant. You make plane reservations,” Pete said ending the call.