Race Against Time (35 page)

What is it, Lord? Why do I feel so on edge?

If he didn’t know better, he’d think someone was out there. Watching . . .

He shook the feeling away and pulled out his radio. It hissed at him again. No signal. Sean pulled out his cell. No signal there either. They’d have to get closer to civilization for him to let everyone know that he’d found Zoya.

If only he could’ve found the GPS. But after the sled took that crazy tumble, he was thankful he’d made it in one piece. The last information he’d received had been from Charlie when he’d given him the coordinates of this cabin. Once he found Zoya’s tracks, he knew he was onto something, but he’d gotten too far away from Cole for the FRS transmissions on their little handheld radios to work.

Now their window of daylight was gone, but at least it had stopped snowing. For the moment.

He didn’t relish heading back in the dark, but he was even less inclined to keep everyone worrying. As long as they didn’t hit another storm, they’d be fine.

He walked back into the cabin to check on Zoya. “You doing all right?”

Zoya gave him a small smile. “Yeah, I think I’m okay.”

“Okay. Then let’s get going.”

Sean opened the door, then paused. Couldn’t hurt to stock up on warmth before the long ride home. They’d doused the fire, but the cabin still held a welcoming warmth—

What was that?

He peered at the woods. Listened. Though the snowfall muffled the sounds, he could swear he heard—

There! A rustling. A flash of color.

Someone
was
out there.

Sean stepped back and slammed the door shut.

“We have a problem. There’s someone out there.”

Zoya’s eyes went wide. “What?”

“I had a feeling I was being watched but couldn’t confirm it until now. There’s someone out there. Watching the cabin.”

Zoya grabbed Sean’s hand. “What do we do? I’m scared. This is all my fault . . .”

If only he’d been able to let Cole know where they were! If ever there was a time to have a trained spec-ops man on your side, it was now. Sean had sat behind a desk most of his adult life. How was he supposed to protect his charges from a trained killer?

Hold on. Maybe it was Cole out there watching the cabin and he didn’t know they were in there. Sean tried the radio. “Cole? Cole? You out there, man?”

No response.

He tried again. “Cole?”

The radio was silent.

Zoya moved toward him. “Maybe we just need to get on the sleds and go—”

Glass shattered beside Zoya.

“Get down!” Sean threw himself over the girl as another shot ripped through the window and whizzed through the heavy down of his parka. Ferocious barking came from the dogs outside.

Numerous shots flew through the air around them. Sean heard the muffled cries of the teen beneath him, felt her shaking. Then the unmistakable sound of shattering glass came again and a great whoosh, as the old oil lantern exploded into flames on the wood table.

Sean jumped up, grabbed a tattered blanket from the bed, and worked to extinguish the fire, but the flames were spreading with great speed.

He pulled Zoya with him, speaking in what he hoped was a calm but firm voice. “We’ve got to get out of here.”

Another bullet zinged toward the fireplace.

“Stay low. The dogs are ready to go, so as soon as we hit the sleds, we run all out, got it?”

Eyes wide, Zoya nodded. Now or never. Or they’d go up in flames. The smoke thickened. He coughed, then opened the door and dragged Zoya behind him.

A shot hit the frame of the door, not two inches from his face. Then another shot rang out from a different direction. He threw Zoya to the ground and covered them.
Two
shooters?

Bullets seemed to fly over him from every direction. Then just as suddenly as the shooting started, it stopped.

He counted the seconds with his breaths. One. Two. Three . . .

. . . Twenty-nine. Thirty . . .

No more shots. But the heat of the flames behind him began to singe the hair on his neck.

“Go!”

Zoya jumped up with him, and they broke for the sled.

Where was the other shooter? Sean scanned the area around them. He knew which way he needed to go but didn’t want to head straight into the path of a bullet. As his glance came back around, he heard Zoya gasp.

A man turned toward the trees and ran.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

ANESIA

4:12 p.m.

The darkness wrapped around her like her cozy flannel sheets. Most people hated the dark. But not Anesia. It fascinated her, invited her, calmed her. And right now, she needed all of that. Needed to keep her senses about her as she searched for her daughter.

The faint scent of evergreens mixed with wood smoke floated on the air. If she knew her daughter, Anesia figured Zoya would’ve headed way out into the bush. Away from anyone and anything.

Because when Zoya went into protect mode, there was no stopping her. The girl was fierce in her affection. If people thought Anesia was a protective mama-bear, they’d have another think coming when Zoya was grown up and had kids of her own. Zoya had protected Andie for so many years, always making sure her friend didn’t hurt herself, didn’t get too hot, and being an extra set of eyes for Jenna.

She rounded a bend with her sled as she watched the blip on the screen of the handheld GPS. Even though she’d covered a lot of ground, Zoya was probably still miles away.

Anesia settled into the familiarity of the sled. The runners. The dogs. Her grip.

As the wind whipped through her heavy hood and tangled the ends of her hair, she allowed her mind to drift back to Sean.

What she wouldn’t give to have normal circumstances again. To be able to pursue her feelings for him. Feelings that hadn’t stirred within her chest for years. His arms around her soothed all the aches and pains within her soul. The intensity of the situation heightened her feelings for him.

It had also broken down all the walls she built around her guarded heart. And she’d let him in.

What would it be like to have someone take care of her for a change? Someone she could share the burdens of life with? Someone she could love.

And she did love Sean.

But she didn’t want to make the same mistake she’d made in the past. She didn’t want to lose him, like she’d lost Dan. Was it worth the risk?

This time would have to be different. Or she probably wouldn’t survive. And she had to survive. For Zoya.

Oh, God. Let her be okay.

God hadn’t brought them this far to let something happen to her, had He?

Lord, protect her. Please
.

A dark figure darted across the snow in front of her and stood between two trees. There wasn’t any other place to pass. The dogs barked and yapped, should she slow them down? But if that was someone after her, shouldn’t she just keep going?

She couldn’t just run over someone, though. She couldn’t.

“Whoa.” The dogs slowed and then stopped.

The figure pulled his hood back.

She let her breath escape. “Oh, Derek. It’s you! Thank goodness . . . wait, what are you doing outsi—”

He pulled a gun out of his pocket and pointed it at her chest. “Get off the sled, Anesia.”

“Derek, what are you doing?”

“You just had to find the chips, didn’t you?”

“What?” She stared at the young man who’d been her employee for several years. Whom she’d trusted! Now he was standing in front of her, holding a gun? One of her snow machines sat beside him. He’d been waiting to ambush her?

“I’m sorry about this, Anesia. I really am. But you should’ve never gotten involved. Now get off the sled.”

She shoved the GPS in her pocket and held up her hands.

“Gimme the GPS.”

Great. He was apparently sharper than she’d given him credit. She threw the GPS at him.

“Get. Off. The. Sled.” He reached down and petted Chocolate. Her lead dog. A dog that knew him well. A dog that licked his gloved hand.

She stepped off the sled.

He waved her over with his gun. “Over there, by that tree.”

Anesia complied. She had to think. “Are you the one threatening my daughter?”

Derek laughed. “No. But I know who is.” He pulled rope out of his pocket. “Don’t worry about it. As soon as we get what we want, this will all be over and you can go back to your little girl and your dogs.”

Anger blazed to life. Hotter than it ever had before. How
dare
he. And she’d sunk hours upon hours into training him. Sent him to vet classes. Paid for his education. Paid for him to work for her.

Forgive.

No. No way. Not this time. Not ever.

ZOYA

4:24 p.m.

“Sunshine, God hasn’t left
you. He’s been right by your side the entire time. He doesn’t leave us. We can move away from Him, but He never abandons us.”

Sean’s words echoed, repeated. Over and over again.

Was he right? Had I done the leaving?

He was right. I’d doubted, I’d been unfaithful. But what now? God couldn’t still love me.

Could he?

I shook away the lies trying to get to me. God still loved me. I knew that . . . somewhere deep, deep down in my heart. Now if only I could accept it.

Home. We were going home. But what if those men came to hurt Mom? What if I put them all in danger again?

I closed my eyes. The wind whipped across my face. My hands squeezed the bar. My lips cracked and I tasted blood. We picked up speed and the wind got colder.

Everything in me begged to get under blankets, go to sleep, and not get up for a month. And yet I wanted to ride like the wind and never stop. Go somewhere far away. Then go home and feel safe again.

“Zoya, ‘He will never leave you nor forsake you.’ He loves you beyond description. You are His creation . . . He never leaves, He never abandons, He never drops you off at someone else’s doorstep as if you’re being thrown away. He loves you very much, Zoya. He wants you to run into His arms . . .”

I opened my eyes and watched Sean. He wasn’t far ahead. But I still wanted him closer. Those men were still out there . . . My body shuddered. Why couldn’t I get rid of this fear?

“God doesn’t move away from us, Sunshine. If anyone moves, it’s us. We move away. But He’s still there. Always. Waiting. Ready to open His arms to us.”

I leaned closer to the sled. Shivers ran up and down my spine.

“. . . But He’s still there . . .”

“Sean?” My voice was muffled, but loud enough for him to hear me.

He turned his head around and looked at me. “Yes?”

“Can we pull over a second?” I pointed to the side of the path.

His gaze locked with mine. Then he nodded and gave a small smile. “Sure thing, Sunshine.”

We called to the dogs and pulled over.

I could do this.
Just breathe, Zoya
.

Sean stepped off his sled and sat down on a fallen tree trunk. “Come sit.”

I walked over and sat down.

He said nothing.

I said nothing.

What did I ask first?

“I—I need to ask you some questions.” I fiddled with my hands, not wanting to look into his big, wise, sympathetic, green eyes.

Again he nodded. “Go ahead.”

I tried to swallow back my fears, but the effort proved in vain. I was going to have to just push through it.

“What should I do?” I rubbed my thumb and forefinger together, hoping it would warm them up. Even through the thick gloves the cold still bit at them.

I took a quick glance at his face. Would he understand?

“You need to figure that one out.” He sighed and rubbed his temple. “What do you feel like you should do?”

Simple question, punch to my gut.

I didn’t even know what I was feeling, exactly. I just wanted whatever the bad feeling was to be gone, to have that sense of peace again. But how did I explain that to Sean?

“I don’t know.” I shrugged. Why was everything so difficult? Why couldn’t I, for once in my life, figure this thing out and fix it? “I feel so lost, Sean. I’m not sure of anything right now.” I stared at the ground.

I wanted to take care of this by myself. Why couldn’t I?

Snowflakes, millions of them, sat in perfect harmony creating the fantastic beauty of a thick sparkling blanket. If I could see each and every snowflake, define each one’s differences . . .

But I couldn’t do this.
I
couldn’t fix things. I couldn’t save my mom.

Only God could.

I sniffed. “I know I was wrong. I let my anger and fear get so strong that I couldn’t feel anything, hear anything but them. And I’m sorry.” I was sorry. Very sorry.

He smiled. “Then tell Him.” He stood and walked over to pet the dogs.

I swallowed.
That’s easier said than done.

Deep breath.

Okay.

God, I’m sorry. Please forgive me. Please forgive me for everything.
I sat there, unable to move. No peaceful feeling came. No thunderous “you’re forgiven.”

It’s not working . . .

Or was I still doubting? Still trying to do things my own way? I folded my hands and leaned my elbows on my knees. Closed my eyes.

God? I’m sorry. I give it up. Please take all this. My doubt, my fear, my . . . everything. I don’t want to be untrusting anymore. I’m tired of doubting. Please help me.

I held my breath.

God, please . . .

“We should get moving. Are you okay?” Sean walked back over. “We need to get you home. It looks like more snow, and I don’t want what light the moon has to offer to be covered.”

Couldn’t I just have a few more minutes? I sighed. “Let’s go then.”

We got on the sleds.

Focus . . .

On God.

Focus. And, no matter what my feelings told me,
never
let go.

ANDIE

4:50 p.m.

I touched my fingers to the cold glass window of our plane. Searching. And searching. And searching some more.

God, where is she?
We hadn’t seen any sign of Zoya. But we had to find her. And when we did . . . boy, was she gonna get it. And get it good. Who in their right mind would run off like that?