Untraceable (15 page)

Zach just stared at her. So did Isaiah. Really? Heidi had blown up in his face. He’d never seen her do that. He wanted to cheer her on, but this was a nasty situation. She’d just faced off with a killer.

Zach smirked, a lascivious grin of the worst kind. “I like your spirit. You’ve got real fight in you. I haven’t seen that in a woman in a long time.”

Isaiah caught Rhea stiffen at those words. That did not bode well for Heidi. Only put her back in the crosshairs of Rhea’s imaginary sniper rifle. Or maybe even a real gun.

Heidi stiffened and took a step back. Drawing Zach’s attention to her hadn’t been a good play, but she’d done that to protect Isaiah. He found himself the reason someone was in danger. Again.

Wanting to stand and protect Heidi, he shoved Jason’s boot away and stood, dizziness making the room tilt. This was all his fault, after all. He’d gambled with their lives and lost.

Zach inched closer to Heidi. “I like you. So this time, I’ll let your friend live. But I have to hurt him.”

Isaiah didn’t have time to think about what those words meant. Stabbing pain in his head rendered him helpless just before darkness took him.

* * *

Her wrists and ankles bound, Heidi lay on the floor on a sleeping bag near the fire. Tears flowed freely and she wished she could wipe the salty moisture that stung her cold-reddened cheeks away.

Unconscious, Isaiah rested against the wall on the other side of the room without a blanket. His hands and feet were tied as well, and blood oozed from a gash on the back of his head. Another one. She couldn’t stand to see him like that—big, brave Isaiah incapacitated. Hurt. She wanted to go to him and patch up his wounds. Make sure he was okay.

He’d tried. She’d give him that. It was more than either she or Cade had done. He’d wanted to escape and maybe if she had agreed to go, they would all be in a different situation.

“Don’t cry, Heidi,” her brother whispered.

He was still propped up in the chair. An uncomfortable way to sleep. But they weren’t in a position to make demands after what had happened. They were happy to let Zach and the others sleep in the bedroom. There wasn’t any chance of escape with Isaiah incapacitated.

“Why is this happening?” Heidi kept her voice low. “Why can’t we get away?”

“I’m sorry that I let you down. I just thought if we saw this through, we’d be better off than taking any risks by trying to overpower them. I admit I made a mistake.”

“It’s not your fault, Cade. You’re probably right. Isaiah tried tonight and see what happened? Zach was going to kill him.”

“You saved him. But I can assure you he wouldn’t want you to put yourself at risk. And I don’t want you to risk your life for either of us. We’re big boys and can take care of ourselves. So if it comes to that, don’t try to save me. Understand?”

Heidi shook her head. No, she didn’t understand. She could take care of herself, too, and was tired of being overprotected all the time. So what if Zach liked Heidi and she’d used that to persuade him not to harm Isaiah? Though, she knew she’d better watch out for Rhea. She didn’t doubt the woman might try to shove her off a cliff again, simply because Zach had paid her a compliment.

“And Isaiah...he isn’t the guy for you.”

Where had that come from? Heidi struggled to find a response.

“When we get out of this, and we will, just keep your distance. You don’t really know him.”

“What?” Why was Cade saying this? The words wounded her. Isaiah wasn’t awake to defend himself.

“He isn’t who you think.”

“Just shut up, okay? This isn’t the time.” She didn’t want to hear Cade saying negative things about the man she’d kissed earlier. About a man he called his friend. Cade only stirred the tumult inside her heart all over again.

Isaiah groaned. Had he heard Cade’s negative words?

Heidi could protect herself. And she could protect her own heart, thank you very much. She wasn’t afraid of Isaiah or whoever Cade thought he really was.

Another groan and mumble from Isaiah was all it took to have Heidi squirming in her restraints.

“Help,” Heidi called. “Somebody untie me. I need to help Isaiah.”

She’d admit that Zach’s reaction to her had given her a measure of courage she wouldn’t have otherwise felt.

“Heidi, no,” Cade hissed under his breath.

He might be her older brother but he couldn’t control her. She could make her own decisions.

“Hello, anybody?”

“What’s the racket in there?” Jason called from the bedroom.

“I need you to untie me,” Heidi yelled.

Jason lumbered into the living room, the firelight barely illuminating his lumpy hair and worn face. “What’s the problem?”

“Untie me, please. Isaiah’s hurt. I need to make sure he’s okay.”

He rolled his head back, turned around and walked from the room.

“Hey!” Heidi’s call was loud and sharp. Zach had to have heard that time. A tremor of fear rolled through her. Was she making a mistake? Would she only cause Isaiah more harm?

Jason turned, a scowl spreading over his face. She had to try another tactic.

“You want to make it to your rendezvous, don’t you?”

He straightened.

“Then I need to make sure Isaiah is going to be well enough to help us tomorrow. We have to make good time, do you understand?” Now she sounded as if she was talking to a child. But maybe that’s what it took to get it through Jason’s thick skull. Anyone who would follow a person like Zach around, even if it was his brother, had to be a little dense.

Scratching his head, he nodded. “I suppose you’re right. But try anything and I’ll kill both of you before Zach can intervene. Don’t think I won’t.”

Heidi wasn’t sure, but she had a feeling Jason wasn’t a killer. Just his brother. But now that she thought things through, maybe Zach had only shot his buddy after he was already dead to scare the SAR team. But did any of that really matter? It wasn’t as if she could count on her theory.

After Jason untied her, she crawled over to Isaiah. “Can you get me a first aid kit? There’s got to be one in the cabin somewhere.”

She wished Zach would have let her take care of Isaiah from the beginning, but she and Cade had been duly terrified, and didn’t want to push the man into killing Isaiah, or either of them for that matter. Jason returned with the kit and Heidi made fast work of cleaning the lacerations beneath Isaiah’s thick head of hair. She bandaged where needed, wishing she had an ice pack for the knot.

Rolling him gently onto his back, she was surprised to see his lids blink, then slide open. His hazel eyes stared back.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

A weak grin split his lips. “I am now.”

FIFTEEN

T
hey left the cabin at first light and lumbered through the snow-laced woods, wearing their regular boots this time. No snowshoes required, since the snow was packed. The most expeditious route to the ice field meant hiking over an intermediate peak, though Isaiah might refer to it as more of a swell. They’d made it over, but were now hiking down a steep slope into a slim gorge.

If Isaiah remembered this region correctly, the gorge should widen into a lake where they would find the glacier that would lead them to the ice field. He ignored the sledgehammer pounding his head. Probably had a concussion, but who cared. They were already in a death trap, so a concussion was a small price to pay for his lame attempt at an escape. At least they had all gotten plenty of sleep, food and water, and for whatever it was worth, were reenergized.

To a degree.

Today they were on the last leg of this nightmarish trek. He hoped this experience wouldn’t forever scar the way he looked at the mountains. Only God could create such splendor.

Dizziness threw him off balance. At the wrong moment, that could be deadly. Isaiah leaned against the iced-over rocky wall that morphed from the slope, grappling for traction.

Heidi called out from behind him, too far away to be of any help. Zach had him isolated, hiking alone. None of them would be close enough to strategize an escape again. Their job was simple. If they kept at this pace, they would make it by late afternoon, just in time for his rescheduled rendezvous.

Isaiah couldn’t stand the thought of Zach getting away. And Zach probably couldn’t stand the thought of anyone identifying them or telling their strange story. Zach would not allow them to live, even Heidi whom he liked. He couldn’t afford to keep them alive. But there was no sense in Isaiah rehashing what he already knew. Maybe deep in his subconscious he was looking for the remote chance, the possibility of a reason to hope that Zach would let them live.

Isaiah’s failed attempt at freedom last night churned in his gut, adding to his painful headache. The blinding white expanse of snow only made the pain worse. He should never wish for clouds or a storm, but he prayed for one right now. And he would take the risk they’d been unwilling to take earlier and flee with Cade and Heidi into the elements. Dying at the hands of their captors couldn’t be their fate. Somehow they would survive. They had to.

God, I feel so weak now. I’ve failed too many times. Help me to not fail this time. Please be strong where I am weak. Maybe I acted last night without praying first, and I’m sorry, but make a way for us. Help me protect Heidi. If she dies, if I don’t do enough, I don’t know how I can live with that.

Isaiah trailed along next to the snow-patched granite edging their hike down the slope, though it really wasn’t a slope anymore. It was a rocky ledge allowing them access to lower elevations, but also providing a quick suicide jump for anyone who so desired one.

Pebbles mixed with snow trickled from somewhere above.

Uh-oh.

He pressed himself flat against the wall. Looked behind him at Heidi and Zach, who followed his lead.

Rhea was closer to Cade up at the front of the line this time. Something rumbled above. More pebbles, rocks and bigger boulders poured down. On top of that, a rush of snow piled high. A rock slide.

Isaiah couldn’t see Cade. Heidi was at Isaiah’s side, trying to push past, but Zach pulled her back.

“Cade!” Her scream echoed in his ears, in the mountains.

Isaiah held tight, stopping her from rushing forward. Not yet.

“It’s not safe. Wait until we’re sure it’s over.”

“Let me go!” She tugged.

Isaiah released his grip. Who was he to control her? She moved past him.

But he’d try with words anyway. “Heidi...please, wait.”

She paused and glanced back at him, dread pouring from her eyes.

“Let me check on them,” Isaiah said.

Heidi covered her face and nodded, sobs racking her body.

He didn’t blame her for a moment of weakness. It was a hard thing to see someone you loved mangled, bloodied. A memory iced over him. He shook it off. Creeping forward, Isaiah gave a wide berth to the pile of rocks and snow in case more followed.

His heart hammered at the thought of what he might find. He hoped that Cade wasn’t caught beneath the rubble somehow. Even if he were alive, Zach would kill him now, finish the job.

“Over here,” Cade called.

Hearing Cade, adrenaline galvanized Isaiah and he carefully maneuvered a slim path between the drop-off and the debris. On the other side of the massive pile, Cade stood next to the rocks, removing them, tossing them aside. He glanced up at Isaiah. “It’s Rhea. Help me.”

Fear and pain streamed from Rhea’s golden eyes as she looked up from where a boulder had pinned her legs—crushed, more like.
Oh, Lord, help us.
This was not good. Not good at all. He never wanted to see anyone injured or in pain, even if that person had made the wrong choices. Everyone had made a bad decision at some point in their lives. Hers had simply been to fall for the wrong person. Not as if he couldn’t relate to that.

He dropped to his knees to brush the smaller rocks and rubble away from her body. “I’m so sorry. Just stay calm. We’re going to get you out.”

Then Zach appeared. “Rhea...”

His voice conveyed everything. His disappointment that she’d been hurt. That she was pinned. His resignation that she wouldn’t be making the rest of the journey with him.

The sound was heart-wrenching.

Zach fell to his knees, too, next to Isaiah. “Rhea, how did it happen? Did Cade push you?”

Surprise registered in her eyes, and for a moment, Isaiah wondered if she would lie and blame someone else for her misfortune. But Rhea had been reduced to a person who depended on others for her life, and she knew Zach well enough to know she couldn’t count on him to defend her or help her. The SAR team was her only hope now.

“No, no. Cade is helping me to get out. I’m going to be fine.” Desperate, she lied to herself now.

“You’re not going to be fine,” Zach said. “I don’t have time to wait for these guys to dig you out. And then what? I’m supposed to carry you? Your legs are crushed. You’re going to...”

Die.

He was about to say it, but even Zach had enough human decency in him he didn’t want to throw another stone on Rhea.

“She’ll be all right. We’re digging her out,” Cade said. “I’ll carry her. Do you hear me?”

Isaiah and Cade tossed rocks. Heidi, too. The boulder crushing her legs was the one to worry about, and Isaiah wasn’t all that certain that removing it without the prospect of immediate medical attention was a good idea. She could bleed out, depending on the damage. They weren’t prepared to treat such a traumatic injury.

Lord, please show us what to do. How do we save her?

Zach leaned in and kissed Rhea long and hard. Isaiah recognized it for what it was.

A goodbye kiss. The brute. So much for his sense of decency.

“If you love me, you’ll let me go. Isn’t that how the saying goes? If I don’t leave now, then I’ll miss my rendezvous. You know you’re not going to make it anyway. Do you love me, Rhea?”

“How can you be so cruel?” Tears rushed from Heidi’s eyes. The compassion she felt for Rhea, a woman who wanted to kill her, moved Isaiah to the core. “You are a sick, brutal creature. You’re not even human!”