Chapter Twelve

Chase

I had to act quickly. It didn’t even occur to me that I was completely naked tackling her to the ground. The bullet shattered the mirror over my dresser. I shielded her body by lying on top of her to prevent any of the shards from cutting her needlessly.

She looked like she was in a state of shock. I had to physically drag her from the room. I barely had the door closed when another bullet went right through the door and into the wall across the hall.

Gail was lying on the floor physically unable to comprehend what was going on around her. It was my job to keep her safe. I had walked her right into the lion’s den.

“Gail, I need you to wake up and get a hold of yourself.” I finally was able to get her on her feet, but she was still dazed and confused.

“What… happened?” She was blinking after coming out of a fugue state.

I gathered my clothes lying on the bathroom floor and with lightning speed put them on.

“I’m as much in the dark as you are.” It couldn’t have been a coincidence and the person following us must have already known where our final destination was going to be.

“Chase, we have to get downstairs and get the files. There’s got to be something in them to prove Mason’s innocence.” I had a feeling this was the main purpose of the letter I’d found on Mason’s computer.

“There’s no time for that. The only thing we might have going for us is that he is most likely alone. I can only hope he hasn’t brought reinforcements.” As if in answer, there was the sound of breaking glass downstairs.

“I don’t think you fully understand. I’m terrified. I can’t even imagine what you must’ve gone through during your many tours of duty. I have some questions, but they can wait. I appreciate how you came to my rescue.” We went toward the stairs and then I stopped momentarily to race back to the bathroom.

I found the gun I had left strapped underneath the sink for emergencies. I was always prepared. I never wanted to get caught with my pants down.

The gun was a Beretta with only one clip. It wasn’t going to be enough in a firefight, but it could give me the element of surprise. There was the shotgun over the fireplace. It was my grandfather’s. There was no way to know if it really worked after all this time.

This was no time to go off half-cocked and run around like chickens with their heads cut off. I was assessing the situation. I was finding the best idea was to get into the Jeep and drive away as fast as possible.

There was a flash of what I thought was lightning, but it turned out to be something even worse. I went to the window and pulled back the curtains far enough to see where the flash had originated. I shook my head in disbelief at the flames and black smoke surrounding my jeep. This was getting personal.

“I think somebody doesn’t want us to leave. Do you have any other bright ideas?” Gail was looking for answers and I had none to give her.

I was going to check my phone, but up here in the middle of nowhere reception was practically nothing. I hazard a look and had my hopes dashed with no signal.

“There is the shed out back and there’s enough snow on the ground to utilize the snowmobile. There are many tracks. I know this land better than anyone.” We started toward the stairs when the smell of something burning assaulted my nostrils.

The stairs were on fire leaving little chance of escape. I could see the direct line it had taken from where something was thrown through the window. There was some kind of accelerant feeding the flames. I could make an educated guess and determine it was most likely liquor. It was pretty crude but rather effective in close quarter combat. It was meant to disorient an opponent and give them something else to think about other than the current danger they were already in.

“This is getting ridiculous. Those papers are going to go up in flames and there’s nothing we can do about it. Thankfully, I do have the hard copies securely located on my computer with a code word to access it.” We were the only two who knew the code and this was an easy way to eliminate the threat.

“He could have come in with his guns blazing. This is his way of emotionally affecting me. He’s making it hard for me to think on the fly. I’ve been in difficult positions in the past.” I was trying to make it seem like I knew what I was doing, but underneath I was thinking about the realization of burning alive.

“I don’t want to die.” She had momentarily had a breakdown but surprisingly came back clearheaded and ready to fight.

“Nobody is going to die here today if I have anything to say about it. We need to get some towels and soak them in water. The best place to take cover is in the bathroom. We need some time to get out the window and down onto solid ground.” The flames were spreading over the walls and covering the ceiling.

“Chase, a broken ankle is preferable over burning inside this fire. I would rather face whatever is outside than stay in this deathtrap.” I was having flashbacks of those times I’d spent with my grandfather hunting and fishing during summer break.

I felt her tugging on my arm. She pulled me into the bathroom and slammed the door shut behind us. She went to work dousing the towels and putting them snugly against the bottom of the door. She managed to wedge a few more in the seams to prevent the smoke from getting in and suffocating us.

“I know it’s painful to see what your grandfather built burning to the ground. It can be rebuilt. I’m sure you have insurance to cover this.” We were pinning our hopes on the window leading to our possible safety.

I opened the window and removed the screen letting it fall to the ground aimlessly. There was an explosion of flames from the living room below us. I could feel the heat on my feet. It was a matter of time before the cabin was condemned to a fiery grave. I didn’t want Gail to join it. I made a quick circuit of the area looking for anything to resemble a threat. I couldn’t see the perpetrator of this crime leaving without witnessing his dirty work.

The smoke was trying to bleed itself through the door frame. What Gail had done to keep it at bay was only a temporary solution. I could see the first telltale sign of flames at the door.

“You are going to go first and run as fast as you can for the tree line. Stay there out of sight and don’t move until I get there. I can’t stress this enough. I know you don’t want to hear this, but the person responsible still could be out there lurking in the darkness. There’s no point in taking chances with either of our lives.” I helped her up to the window still searching the area in the darkness for anything which would leave us sitting ducks.

“Don’t drop me.” She was using short sustained sentences to get her point across.

Her feet went out the window first and I was holding her hands with my fingers locked around her wrists. She was dangling a few feet off the ground and there was a pile of wood which was going to make an awkward attempt to keep her balance.

I held my breath and released her. She should have plummeted to the ground below, but she was still clinging with her fingernails driven into my hands. I cringed and winced from the pain, but it was nothing compared to the bullet tearing through my chest to protect her brother.

“You’re going to have to let go.” I glanced behind to see the door in flames and the sound of sizzling when it came in contact with the wet towels.

“I can’t do it. My fingers are locked and I can’t make them let go.” She looked petrified on the verge of tears, but she was refraining from showing that kind of emotional outburst.

“Take a deep breath through your nose and out through your mouth. You need to settle your nerves. This breathing exercise will help you deal with the panic.” I had seen many recruits in stressful situations. I taught them the same thing in a more in-depth way.

“I know I should be able to do this, but I can’t. Forget about what I said about this being preferable than dying in the fire.” I had to literally pull one of my hands free. It was with enough force to have her long and sharpened nail break the surface of the skin of my palm.

I had to pry her other hand away from me one finger at a time. The look of shock and dismay had me feeling guilty for making her let go of her lifeline. She disappeared into the darkness. I could hear her vocal exclamation of pain. I could see a female shape hobbling over to the tree line. Nobody took a potshot at her.

It didn’t mean I wasn’t going to fall victim to a bullet in the back of the head. There was no other choice. The flames were already in the bathroom. I felt like a cornered animal. I lifted myself seamlessly through the window and was barely hanging in midair when I let go. I heard the bullet and felt it graze my cheek.

I landed on the woodpile trying my best to balance myself before jumping to the ground. Another bullet with my name on it splintered a piece of wood where I had been standing. I was well aware of the sniper quickly reloading and firing another round.

I turned and fired the gun I had taken from my waistband. I couldn’t see where the shots were coming from. This gave me a way to defend myself. I was putting myself in the shooter’s shoes and extrapolating his location by personal experience.

I was running backward with the recoil of the revolver knocking me off my feet. I was down on the ground staying near the center of gravity crawling on my hands and knees. My clothes were dark enough to leave him without a line of sight. This was all contingent on whether or not he was using night vision goggles. The smoke billowing from the open windows in the cabin was hopefully distorting my image.

There was no way to move fast enough without alerting the shooter to where I was. I had to use a modicum of patience. Moving a couple of inches at a time was necessary to inhibit his ability to see me out of his peripheral vision.