CHAPTER 25
Everly picked up the creek, running through its frigid water, trying to hide her tracks and lose her captor. She knew he was behind her, she felt it like he was breathing down the back of her neck. The fear motivating her to keep going, despite growing tired and sore in the freezing temperatures.
The creek ran along the tree line for a great distance, helping to camouflage her, but when that tree line thinned and the creek veered away from the forest’s protection, she was no longer on a safe route – she needed a new plan. Continuing through the path of the creek would take her to wide open space, leaving her a sitting duck and obvious moving target. She had a head start, but she didn’t think she could outrun him much longer. She needed to play smarter now, not faster.
Just ahead laid an old fallen tree that had become nothing more than a stripped bare log over time and was falling apart. Using it as a bridge to the forest would still leave tracks. Even if she kicked over them as she went…there would be evidence she had run across there, and it would lead her chaser in her direction. This is where smarter was more important than faster.
She laid parallel to the log, on her left side, and pulled herself along the log. It was slow, and hard, but didn’t leave an obvious trail, just a slight dip in the snow that was level from one side to the other. That close to the log and with the snow still falling, no one would be the wiser.
Catching her breath at the other end, several yards into the thick veil of the forest, she finally got to her feet and pressed on. She was leaving tracks now, but they only gave her away if he figured out that she was in there to begin with. Her hope, and prayer, was that he was going to run right by that log and follow the creek, which would take him further and further away. She would have time to get to the ridge and escape down the side where he wouldn’t think to look for an injured pregnant woman. Smarter.
Her breath caught when she heard him call her name. Either she had lost a lot of time, or he was just that fast, but she could tell he wasn’t far behind and was counting on him being on the creek side of the tree’s still. His voice came again. It went from frantic to angry with each call – one of worry – one of hate. A distinct difference in each call, she wondered, were there two voices?
The voices got closer, and came more often so she ran harder and faster, despite not being able to feel her legs or feet any longer. She pushed on, fighting it for her baby…fighting for Doc. The tears threatened, but she wouldn’t let them come. There would be plenty of time for that when she was safe.
Blake and the team stopped when they heard the shouting for Everly, just up ahead. Oddly it brought relief because it meant she got away and he hadn’t found her yet. It also brought an entirely new level of fear because they knew he must be closer to her, closer than they were, and that voice was full of anger and rage.
“I got something over here,” Luke called out. “She was here, I’m sure of it.”
Standing by the old log that Everly had used to throw off her captor, he bent down, grabbing a handful of snow, then dumping it out. He looked up, following the length of the log before standing with a smile on his face.
“She is
smart. She’s in the woods. That way,” Luke said, pointing south into the trees, before turning west and pointing downstream. “Our guy is that way. If he were in the woods, we wouldn’t hear him so well…we’re right on his ass.”
Though he should feel lighter from such news, Doc couldn’t shed the sense of trepidation that was haunting him. “Are you sure? We can’t be wrong on this.”
“Look here, the snow is shallower along the log and the snow is packed. It’s fresh powder everywhere else.” He stepped closer and grabbed another handful of snow, walking it back to the guys with an open hand. “Blood. Gotta be her.”
Blake chuckled and swatted Luke’s back, “She dragged herself along the log to hide her movement. That’s some heavy tactical shit right there. She is
smart.”
Standing still and silent when another round of yelling came, they were able to hear a difference in the shouting. There were two distinct voices, two different intentions in their tone, and two different locations.
“Son of a bitch,” Declan said. “We do
have two. One in the woods, and a hot one on this side not far behind him. Who the fuck is the other guy?”
“The muffled one in the woods doesn’t want her as bad as the one up ahead. We need to split up.”
Just then the helicopter flew over, quickly disappearing around the bend of trees.
“We got eyes! We got eyes! Just around that bend. They got him! They got him!” Luke bolted in a dead run after word came over the radio. He followed the path of the helicopter, with half the team at his side.
The rest of the team ran along the log, disappearing into the trees where they quickly picked up Everly’s trail. It wasn’t long before Everly’s tracks were matched with a second set; someone picked up on her and was on her tail. Moving faster than the snow probably should have let them, they were determined to get to her first.
“She could be hiding,” Luke said, breathlessly. “She needs to know we’re here.”
The team in the woods began yelling her name, hoping she would recognize it was them, despite how much the thick forest muffled their sound and carried it in odd directions. The Creekside team was silent, marking everyone’s position with each yell. Emotion was coursing through Doc’s voice with every word he yelled for her.
He wasn’t just calling her name, he was telling her he loved her, that they are there, that she’s safe – he wouldn’t let anything happen to her. Those words were as much for him as they were her, they were also a threat for the asshole on her tail. He hoped like hell both Everly and their suspect heard him loud and clear.
“Helo lost visual!” Luke yelled. “He’s in the trees, he’s in the trees. Eye’s wide boys, he’s in our space. Team two is on him, make your mark before you shoot – our guys are in here.”
The intensity overflowed, boosting their drive. Blake was on a hunting mission and he always got his trophy. This guy wasn’t getting away and he’d be lucky to be alive when all was said and done. His team finally had visual – he was in their sights. They spread out, forming a large circle around him where they would slowly move in and trap him with nowhere to go. He was still running after Everly, or where he thought she was, but they were faster, and closing in quickly.
Everly made it to the ridge and shot out of the woods with little time to spare. The voices behind her were close, she needed to disappear quickly. Laying at the edge of the ridge, she slowly swung her legs over, feeling for a place to plant them and started her careful descent. She knew this rock, climbed it many times; she just needed to think through every step and she would be fine. One wrong step on the snowy cliff and she was done.
Shoulders above the edge, she looked up as two voices caught her attention, both men coming out of the trees at the same time. Clyde Burton? Where had he come from and why was he
there? He was there to help her.
Right behind him was Doc, followed by three O’Reilly brothers. The sight of Doc lifted the weight that she had been carrying on her shoulders since waking in that God forsaken place. Her relief was short lived when Doc aimed a weapon at Clyde, the brothers doing the same, matching his target. He had it wrong, they all had to have had it wrong.
“Stop or I’ll shoot, Burton! Don’t fucking try me!” Doc’s anger seethed through clenched teeth hoping Clyde would give him a reason to pull the trigger.
Panic and a narrow ledge made for a dangerous state. Clyde was roughed up, bloodied and his clothes torn and she knew why. He had been the one to rush the cabin and give her the chance to escape. He was
there to help her.
“No! Doc! Don’t shoot! It’s not him!” she yelled.
She saw Doc’s stance soften and his head tilted to one side in confusion. The helicopter blew over, startling her rigid state, and everything converted to a state of slow motion for both Doc, and Everly.
The slight shift from her startled movement was enough for her to lose her grip and begin to fall. She heard her name being called out by several of the others, but none of them could get to her fast enough. She hadn’t even realized she was falling until she landed on a narrow ledge, flat on her back, in a bluff of snow.
Suddenly aware of just how cold she was, - daylight escaped her – everything blurred into darkness. The last thing she heard was a blast from a gun.
“You killed her!” A man stood at the edge of the tree line, gun aimed in Doc’s direction after firing a shot and missing.
Tobias Smith was an off the grid recluse who was rarely seen anywhere near civilization. He traded wares with others out in the woods, and only came to town to sell his wood carvings at the Farmers Market. He didn’t like anyone, Everly must have been the exception. He was the man who took her.
Clyde stepped in front of Doc and yelled back at Tobias. “You! You did! You
hurt her! You took
her and now she’s…”
With Clyde so close, Doc picked up that all too familiar smell – the pine, sandalwood, and citrus.
“You were there,” Doc said to Clyde. “The candles, that smell, it’s your mother’s candles.”
Clyde nodded, “I watched over her. I watched him
watch her. I didn’t want him to hurt her. She’s my friend – I didn’t want him to hurt my friend.”
Tobias wandered closer, away from the tree line. “I sure did. I was in her house, I even got into the old woman’s house. Lou knows she’s mine. We talked, and she knows. You violated her Doctor Charles. I’m doing you a favor by righting your wrong and marrying her.”
“She’s not yours,” Doc whispered back with a tight glare and gritted teeth.
“Oh, that’s where you’re wrong. The feel of her skin against my hand while she slept next to that hospital bed made her moan. I
made her moan. I took her to save her. I held her body in my arms, felt her against me. I will take care of her in ways you wouldn’t. You’re nothing more than an animal.” He paused to adjust himself. “You ruined our night, our wedding
night.”
Fury ran through Doc, disgusted by Tobias’s words, but more so by the arousal he gave himself simply by talking about Everly the way he was. Doc lunged at Tobias, ready to finish him, but he was met by the end of a gun, squared between his now wide eyes. The air was knocked from his lungs at the sound of gunshots.
Opening his eyes, he realized he was still standing but Tobias was flat on the ground, bleeding out, struggling to breathe. Standing at the edge of the tree line were Blake and Declan, weapons drawn and still on their mark. Slowly moving in, they finally dropped their weapons to their side’s when Tobias’s weapon was kicked out of the reach and no longer a threat to any of them because Tobias was dead
.
Doc bolted to the edge of the ridge, where the helicopter was hovering, and watched Everly from above. Luke was already there, rigging the gear, so they could get down to her. He rappelled down the face of the ridge to her, Luke staying close to his side. Doc wasn’t used to this kind of activity and most definitely not used to treating someone he loved so much that Luke brought balance, by offering to help with the rescue.
She was semi-conscious, her face and head bloodied. Her arm laid at an unnatural angle and appeared to be broken – all things that would heal – he prayed what he saw was the extent of her injuries. As the basket stretcher lowered from the helicopter, he prepared her for transport and discovered the one injury that may never heal. There was blood between her legs, staining the snow beneath her.
“No…oh, God no.” Doc broke down, the day’s events becoming too much.
Luke took over, giving his friend a minute to get through that moment and collect himself, by asking questions that required Doc to focus. There was time to lose their shit later.
Everly was the first to go up where Dawson anxiously waited for her – Doc was quick to follow. Once seated at her side while Dawson went to work, stabilizing her for the short flight, she opened her eyes and said something that would break what was left of Doc’s heart, and haunt him forever.
“Our baby.”
With the helicopter disappearing into the distance, the rest of the team began to rappel down the ridge to waiting vehicles now staged below. Clyde stood there with tears in his eyes before finally walking away, back in the direction of his cabin.
“What about that guy?” Dace asked, gesturing to Tobias’s lifeless body.
“He isn’t going anywhere,” Blake replied. “Recovery team is twenty-five minutes out – he’ll be fine out here…he likes being alone.”