A Winter Awakening (17 page)

"What is happening?" she asked.

"I'll tell you when you are safe," he replied. 

He exited the building through a service door and shoved her into a Lincoln towncar.

"To the cabin," he told Henry. "And, step on it."

As the police rushed the restaurant, Jacob turned protectively toward Ellie. He wanted time to talk to her before the police got involved. He was sure there must be a logical explanation.

But as he turned to her, all he could see was Ellie being carried into the kitchen by that man.

Instantly, Sarina was by his side.

“Is that the man from the photo?” he asked.

“Jacob, I am so sorry…”

The shouts from the police interrupted them.

“Down on the ground. Hands on your heads.”

Jacob and Sarina both dropped to their knees and locked their fingers behind their heads.

One of the officers spoke again. His authoritative voice boomed through the room.

“Where is Ellie Sanderson?”

The only thing that could be heard in reply was the whimper of a woman that had been dining with her husband in the back corner.

The officer repeated his question.

“She left through the…”

“Sarina,” Jacobs voice boomed, cutting her off before she could give the officer more details of Ellie’s escape. He might be furious with her, but in his gut, he knew there must be some explanation, and he couldn’t bring himself to throw her to law enforcement.

Sarina’s mouth snapped shut as she stared at Jacob.

“She left through what?” the officer’s voice boomed.

One of the guests, presumably the husband of the whimpering woman pointed toward the kitchen door.

“Team A, go find her. Team B, stay here,” then he raised his voice. “No one leaves until you have been questioned. You may get off the floor and sit down. Someone will be around to question you soon.”

Half of the officers pulled their handguns from their holsters and stormed the kitchen. Jacob could hear the clatter of pots and pans as the kitchen was searched.

Jacob and Sarina both got to their feet. Sarina walked back to the table but Jacob couldn’t bring himself to follow her. He needed time to think.

The officer that seemed to be in charge approached Jacob first. Jacob would only nod yes or no to his basic questions. He wasn’t going to aid them in arresting his wife. Heck, he wanted to know as much as they did. His mind was filled with questions.

Jacob watched intently as the officer moved on to question Sarina.

He was just out of ear shot, and the other chatter in the restaurant made it difficult for him to hear what was being said. When Sarina pulled out an envelope and handed it over to the officer, heat filled Jacob’s muscles and he jumped out of his seat.

Before he could make it over to Sarina and the officer, an armed man in plain clothes stepped between Jacob and his destination.

“Sir, please sit back down. You may go talk to your companion when she is done being questioned,” he said.

“Who are you?” demanded Jacob.

“I am Detective Kent,” he said as he placed the palm of his hand on his handgun.

Jacob sat back down on the edge of his seat, but he focused all his attention on Sarina. How could she hand over this envelope to the police, instead of giving it to him? Didn’t she understand what was at stake?

After another few minutes, she was finally done being questioned. When the officer excused her, she walked over to Jacob.

“He says we can leave now,” she said.

“What did you give him?” Jacob demanded.

“Oh Jacob, I will explain everything,” she cooed. “You look so upset. Is there anything I can do?” She placed her hand on his shoulder and gave him a little squeeze.

“So much has happened. I can’t make heads or tails of it all. What is real? What is going on? None of it seems real,” he said this more to himself than to her.

“Come, come. I will take care of you,” she said as she stood up and urged him to stand as well.

“Here, I will drive you home. Don’t worry about a thing. I will take care of you.”

The two walked out of the building, arm in arm; Jacob’s shoulders hanging lower to the ground than usual, and Sarina with a little extra bounce in her step.

Sarina checked her image in the mirror for the tenth time.  It had been 24 hours since she had turned over her fake evidence and false statements to the police.  Jacob had called, upset it seemed, and Sarina intended to be his source of comfort. She had steak on broil, mashed potatoes warming on the stove, and fresh green beans from the farmer's market.

At last, the door buzzed.

Sarina practically tripped over her own feet in a rush to get to the door. "Jacob," she said and brought him in for a long hug. She pulled him back again to look into his face.  "Oh, you look so sad. Come, sit down."

She pulled out her best bottle of Chardonnay and popped the cork. She grabbed two glasses, and joined Jacob on the couch. 

"Here," she said. "Drink. Relax." She moved in closer to him and rubbed his leg. "Tell me your troubles. I am here for you."

"It’s Ellie. She is gone. I don’t know how she got out of that restaurant and away from the police. They were at the house last night, searching everything. They have search warrants for all our bank records. Why would she do it? Why would she steal that money? It doesn’t make any sense.” Jacob was back on his feet instantly, pacing the room.

"That must be so painful, Jacob." Sarina sat up straight and pulled her swoop neck tank top down a little more, exposing a full half of each breast. 

It is now or never, she thought. "Well, maybe Ellie doesn't really want a family. Maybe that is why she took the money. Could it be that she is preparing to leave you? It is the only thing that makes sense." Sarina held her breath, waiting for his response. 

Jacob rested his head in his hands for a few minutes. This gave Sarina a chance to massage his back.  She began at his shoulders and slowly moved down to his lower back.

"Of course she wants a baby. She has since I have known her. It doesn't make any sense."

His muscles contracted under her fingertips.  "What the fuck?" he yelled across the room. He was back on his feet again, but this time he was clearly on a mission. He walked to the fridge, found a bottle of brew, and popped the lid off using the edge of the counter.

Sarina watched him guzzle the drink.

Maybe I made a mistake,
she mused to herself.
It will be difficult to get him in the mood with me when he is this angry.  Does he need understanding or raw seduction? 

Jacob put his bottle on the table and reached into the front pocket of his shirt, pulling out a cigar. 

"Do you have a light?" he asked.

God dammit, he wants to smoke in my house?
But she kept her focus on the goal.  "Of course, Jakey. Whatever you need." Sarina walked over to him, placing her hands on his waist. "Listen, I have an idea. Why don't you go soak in my hot tub, enjoy your cigar, and I'll finish dinner. We can eat on the deck."

She gave him a squeeze. "I'm here for you. Whatever you need. Hold tight. I'll be right back."

Sarina returned with a bundle of items, grabbed his hand, and led him to the deck. 

"You will feel better after a night of pampering. It will put things into perspective for you. Here, baby, I brought you a light and a towel. I'll bring you another beer and finish up dinner. You just relax." Sarina put the items in his hand, then went back to the kitchen to check on dinner.

As she put the finishing touches on her creation, she was able to see onto the deck. Jacob stood with his hands on his hips for a few minutes, without looking at the hot tub.  Eventually though, he dropped his shoulders, took the cover off the tub, dressed down to his boxers, and climbed in.

Perfect,
Sarina mused. She opened another beer and approached the deck. From where she stood, Sarina couldn't see his face. He had positioned himself so that he had a view of the yard, rather than the house.

She approached the tub, and placed her hands on his shoulders, leaning forward so she could get a view of his body. "Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. Would you like me to bring it out now, or shall we enjoy the tub together?" 

Jacob grabbed the bottle without looking at her and downed half of it. Sarina was digging her fingertips into the flesh of his back when he lifted himself out of the water, his skin glistening in the moonlight.

She let her fingers trail down his back and onto his backside as he stood and slowly faced to turn her.

"I don't want to do either of those things," he replied.  He picked up the bottle and downed the rest of the contents.

Holy Shit,
sighed Sarina.

Jacob stepped out of the tub and wrapped his arms around her, picking her up off the deck by her ass. He walked toward the house, pinning her against the wall. She could feel his passion rising for her.

"Oh? What would you like to do, then?" Sarina asked in her best seductive voice.

Jacob's eyes burned into her. He didn't need to speak to convey what he needed. With her pinned between his groin and the wall, he was able to free one hand. He kept one cupped around her ass while he brought the other forward and groped her breast. 

"I want to fuck you," he replied.

Sarina opened her mouth as his tongue invaded her, searching for something she knew she could not provide, a pure love. The intensity was more than she had expected.

"Oh yes, Jacob. I am ready for you," she replied. 

I can be everything you need. Just give me time. I will figure you out and you will be satisfied.

Jacob hiked up the skirt Sarina wore and pushed her panties to the side.

"Are you wet for me?" he asked. Without waiting for a reply, he pulled his boxers down and thrust himself into her. 

The scream Sarina let out sent a crow flying out of the tree in her backyard. 

"Oh God, Jacob. You are amazing!"

The shadows from deep in the forest stretched toward the car is it wound its way up the mountain road. Ellie’s eyes blurred as the trees raced by her window. She tried to focus on the darkness just beyond that first visible row of Ponderosa Pines, but the car was moving too fast.

“Where are you taking me?” Her voice was faint as she spoke to Henry.

He didn’t respond. Ellie climbed into the front seat. She felt better up here. The windy road was difficult to take from the back seat.

She asked him again.

“Rest assured, Helena. You will be safe. I am taking you to a cabin a few hours drive from here. Nick has stayed in Logan to look into a few things. He will arrive in the morning, and we will make a plan for your safety.”

My safety?
thought Ellie. But, she couldn’t find the will to continue any kind of conversation with Henry. Instead, she turned her attention back to the darkness just beyond the road. Watching the trees go by was a welcome distraction from her thoughts of Jacob. She mentally reached into that darkness, wondering what was lurking there. She wondered what was lurking in her dark future. Eventually sleep wrapped its arms around Ellie. She welcomed that darkness too.

Ellie woke with a start and sat up in confusion. The sunlight streaming in through a window gave her just enough light to take in her surroundings. She tried to orient herself as she looked around the room. Old fashioned braided area rugs covered the rustic hard wood floors. The bed she slept in was a king size log frame, covered in a feather comforter and too many pillows to count. A matching dresser sat on one side of the room, and a fireplace was centered on the other wall.

As she looked around, the events of last night came flooding back into her memory. She focused on the flames in the fireplace, hoping to draw the heat into her core. It didn’t work.

How could Jacob believe Sarina? How could he think that not only was she having an affair, but that she was a thief! Did he not know her at all? Ellie shook her head, trying to clear it of these horrible memories.

She noticed the windows along one wall. A snow covered field extending from the cabin beckoned Ellie out of bed. From the window, she could see mountain after mountain rising up from numerous valley floors.

We must be on top of the world,
she thought.

Ellie tried to identify some of the mountain ranges, but she didn’t recognize any of the peaks. The stillness before her brought her attention to the silence. Total Silence. She wondered if she was alone in the cabin.

With a deep breath, she drew enough resolve to move. A plush robe was hanging on the door, just her size of course. Ellie enjoyed the warmth of the soft material as she slipped into the robe and matching slippers. She ventured out of the bedroom.

The bedroom door opened into a living area with vaulted ceilings. Leather couches surrounded a fireplace. Large picture windows gave Ellie a better view of the vast mountain ranges. Ellie walked over to the fireplace and took in the rest of the room. Beautiful log beams supported the ceiling. One end of the room was open to a gourmet kitchen. Henry was in the kitchen, preparing a breakfast for Ellie.

“Good Morning, ma’am,” he said with a little nod of his head. “I hope you like eggs Benedict.”

“Oh, Henry. It smells wonderful, but I’m not sure if I can eat.” Ellie walked over to the kitchen.

Henry gave her a pat on the arm. “Don’t worry. Nick is working to get it all straightened out. He will gather evidence, give it to law enforcement, and your name will be cleared.”

He placed the plate of eggs Benedict on the bar, and Ellie slumped into the chair.

“That may fix my legal problems, but it won’t fix my problems with Jacob.” Ellie picked up her fork and moved the food around her plate. She tried to imagine taking a bite. Her stomach tightened at the thought.

“Eat,” said Henry with a smile.

“When will Nick be back with news?” asked Ellie.

“I expect him any time,” Henry paused. “Can I get you anything else?”

“A potion to help Jacob wake up from his Sarina induced trance would be helpful.”

Henry chuckled. “I will go add more wood to the fire. You eat.”

Ellie’s thoughts drifted back to Jacob.

Is he having an affair?
What other lies is Sarina feeding him? And, how can believe her instead of me?

She managed to get a few small bites down. It did taste wonderful, but Ellie couldn’t seem to find room in her stomach for food. When she had eaten all she could, she returned to the fireplace. She needed warmth. She needed comfort.

Finding a chair near the fire, she tucked her feet under her and pulled the blanket around her torso. Henry brought her a cup of coffee, and she absently wrapped her hands around the mug. The warmth from the cup spread through her fingers. She gave Henry a smile of gratitude.

Ellie turned her gaze to the snow gently falling outside her window. It was the first snow of the season. Summer was over, at least at this elevation.

“Henry, where are we?” she asked.

“In the mountains,” he replied.

“Oh, gee. Thank you for the information,” she liked to joke around with Henry. He had a way of putting her at ease. “But, where in the mountains? How far away are we from Logan? On second thought, how far away are we from people?”

As Henry opened his mouth to answer, the front door flew open and along with Nick came a rush of frigid air and blowing snow.

“Oh, Nick. Thank God!” Ellie jumped up and ran over to him. She was surprised at how relieved she was to see him. She stopped just short of hugging him, and struggled to keep her balance.

Realizing how foolish she must look, she said, “Have you brought news?”

He gave her a crooked smile. “That is why you practically knocked the lamp over to get to me; to ask me about my news?”

Ellie blushed, but said nothing.

She stood about a foot from him, staring at his face, now covered with a day’s worth of facial hair. She had no words, and with nothing to say she felt even more foolish. She turned and walked straight back to her chair, covering herself in the blanket once more. Just as the fire couldn’t warm her soul from the harm Jacob had done last night, the blanket couldn’t protect her from her embarrassment now.

Nick removed his winter coat and boots, and sat on the couch opposite her.

“I have news, Ellie. It isn’t good.”

“What is it?” Ellie found that her question came out as a whisper. She held her breath, waiting for the answer.

“I spoke with the Chief of Police. He seems to have a mountain of evidence against you.”

Ellie’s body drained of any feeling.

“He has photos. Fingerprints. Eye witness accounts,” Nick’s eyebrows scrunched together as he spoke. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his lap, and stared at Ellie’s face intently.

“Ellie, you will be arrested if they find you.”

“Eye witness accounts?” asked Ellie. Her voice boomed this time, anger driving her as she spoke. “Whoever it is that says they saw me stealing money is lying.”

“I know,” said Nick quietly.

“I didn’t do it, Nick,” she said, trying to hold back the tears.

“I know,” he repeated.

“Who says they saw me? Who is this eye witness?”

Nick opened his mouth, then closed it again. He turned his eyes to the floor.

Then, Ellie knew.

“Sarina,” she said.

Nick slowly raised his eyes to meet hers. He said nothing, but gave her a slight nod.

The silence from the snow covered mountains crept into the cabin. Nick didn’t move. He simply waited for her to process this new information.

“How is Jacob? Do you know?” she asked.

“I didn’t see him, Ellie. I am more concerned with keeping you out of jail.”

Elle nodded.

“And, how are we going to do that?” she asked.

“I need time to straighten it all out. In the meantime, you will be safest if you leave the country. I have a plane waiting at a nearby airstrip. It has enough fuel to carry you to Mexico. Henry can accompany you,” Nick spoke rapidly now. He clearly had been putting together every detail of her escape.

“Mexico?” Ellie asked. “Nick, you want me to flee the country? Like a fugitive?”

“Ellie, it is the only way I can see to keep you out of jail.”

“And what about Jacob?” she asked.

“He can’t know. We don’t know the extent of his loyalty to Sarina. We don’t know if he can be trusted.”

Ellie turned her attention to the fire. Red coals simmered below the blackened logs. Ellie watched the orange flames dance on top of the logs.

If I don’t think about it, maybe it won’t be true,
she thought to herself.

Nick walked over to her chair and knelt in front of her.

“The plane will leave first thing tomorrow. Henry will accompany you. I will meet you there, as soon as I chase down a few leads here,” he said softly. He gave her arm a squeeze, then went back to the door.

Ellie stayed focused on the fire. She only knew of Nick’s departure because of the rush of cold air when he opened the door.

Time passed. The light faded. Ellie could sense Henry puttering around the cabin, but she was unable to move or to turn her attention fully to him. Eventually the darkness swallowed her.

Ellie ran to the toilet and heaved. There were no contents in her stomach. A bead of sweat formed above her temple. It tickled Ellie’s face as it moved across her cheek, then to her nose. Ellie started to float. She gripped the side of the toilet, trying to stay grounded.

What can I feel?

What can I feel?

You can feel your knees,
said Miss Sensibility.

Ellie turned her concentration to her knees.

They are cold.

She fixed her attention to the hard tiles beneath her. It was smooth. It was solid. She released the side of the toilet with her hands and placed her palms on the floor. The solid feeling moved from the palm of her hands and up her arms. It gave form and structure to her body, which now seemed to be melting into a puddle on the floor. She walked her hands, one over the other, toward the wall, stretching her body as she went, lower and lower to the floor.

I am here,
she thought.

I feel these tiles. My body is here.

Once her body lay flat against the floor, she let her muscles melt away. She pushed her cheek to a tile. The cold hard material penetrated her core.

I am a stone.

Time passed.