Trapped in a blizzard,

can he complete his rescue mission?

Private investigator Jude Trainor won’t give up on finding a kidnapped little girl—even after the suspect runs him off a mountain road and sends bullets his way. But when Lacey Conrad steps in to help Jude, the criminal sets his sights on her. Can Jude and Lacey outlast a snowstorm and a person who will stop at nothing to cover his tracks?

Ever since she found the Nancy Drew books with the pink covers in her country school library, SHARON DUNN has loved mystery and suspense. Most of her books take place in Montana, where she lives with three nearly grown children and a hyper border collie. She lost her beloved husband of twenty-seven years to cancer in 2014. When she isn’t writing, she loves to hike surrounded by God’s beauty.

Also By Sharon Dunn

Dead Ringer

Night Prey

Her Guardian

Broken Trust

Zero Visibility

Montana Standoff

Top Secret Identity

Wilderness Target

Cold Case Justice

Mistaken Target

Fatal Vendetta

Big Sky Showdown

Hidden Away

In Too Deep

Wilderness Secrets

Mountain Captive

True Blue K-9 Unit

Courage Under Fire

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk.

Mountain Captive

Sharon Dunn

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-0-008-90639-9

MOUNTAIN CAPTIVE

© 2020 Sharon Dunn

Published in Great Britain 2020

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

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The sight sent a jolt of fear through her.

“He’s back.” Lacey pointed at the snowmobile on the mountain. “And he has a rifle.”

As they took cover in a snowdrift, Lacey pushed aside the panic that filled her.

Jude faced her, but neither of them dared make a sound. They listened to the snowmobile grow closer. Just a few more minutes and it’d be past them.

She looked up and her breath caught. “He has her! He has the girl!”

“The roads must be open. He’s taking her out of here.” Jude reached for his gun. “We have to stop him.” He fired a shot.

He jerked his head to one side. Before she even had time to look up the mountain to whatever had alarmed him, a thundering roar surrounded her.

Avalanche.

They bolted downhill but couldn’t outrun the wave of snow. In seconds, her body was picked up and tossed around. Snow cascaded around her, enveloping her, and stole her last breath.

Dear Reader

Thank you for going on the exciting and dangerous suspense journey that Jude and Lacey experienced. While they were running for their lives, they were also making a discovery that they had not really been living at all. After the life-altering tragedies that both of them faced, it is normal to shut down and maybe even feel lost and hopeless for a time. With God’s love though, I think we are meant to journey to a place of abundance and joy. Having faced some difficulties in my own life, I understand about living life on autopilot. Been there, done that, they make a T-shirt for it. I am by nature a pessimist. But I believe that we find healing and the full life God promises when we take risk, choose to love and walk in gratitude. God has so much for us.

Thank you,

Sharon Dunn

Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

—Psalm 30:5

I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice. For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.

—Jonah 2:2–3

For Shannon, who brings so much humor and adventure into my life. So glad you are my son.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Note to Readers

Introduction

Dear Reader

Bible Verse

Dedication

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

FIFTEEN

SIXTEEN

SEVENTEEN

EIGHTEEN

NINETEEN

TWENTY

Extract

About the Publisher

ONE

Private Investigator Jude Trainor gripped the steering wheel of his SUV as it hugged the upward side of the narrow mountain road. One small overcorrection and he ran the risk of sailing off the road and down the steep incline. Windshield wipers beat out an intense rhythm, wiping away the increasing snowfall. The radio forecast an unexpected blizzard, the worst Montana had seen in fifty years.

He could just make out the red taillights of the car he’d chased for miles. The car matched the description of the one believed to have been used to kidnap an eight-year-old girl over a week ago from her home in North Dakota. There was no way to match it to the driver because it had been reported as stolen a day before the kidnapping.

Was the girl being held in a remote cabin in these mountains? Jude doubted the suspect would lead him to the girl. What he hoped for was to take the driver into custody and get him to confess. But the driver had not stopped when they were on the highway. Now with only the two of them on this road, he must know he was being tailed. Jude prayed for an opportunity to stop or disable the car.

The car had surfaced around various parts of Montana, but this was the closest Jude had gotten to the suspect.

The road curved and the red taillights disappeared.

Snow cut Jude’s visibility. He let up on the gas until he was moving at a crawl. Wipers cleared his windshield only to have it fill up again with snow. All he saw was white everywhere. The car couldn’t have gotten that far ahead of him. The wind blew with such force, he could barely make out the tracks where the other car had been.

Headlights filled his field of vision. Adrenaline flooded his body. The other car had gotten turned around and was headed straight toward him on the one-lane road. He tensed, ready for a fight for his life.

Jude shifted into Reverse. He drove more by feel and instinct than by what he could see in his mirrors. His car hugged the upward side of the road.

Through the snowfall, all he saw was the glowing orange of the headlights as they loomed ever closer to him. He prayed for some sort of shoulder to pull off on. Bushes scratched the driver’s side window because he was so close to the bank.

Though the other car was moving at a crawl as well, it closed the distance between them.

He checked his mirrors and then craned his neck. The snowfall cleared for a moment, so he had a view of the road. He couldn’t see a safe place to pull over. He pressed the gas even harder, guessing at where the safest route was.

He felt a thud against his front bumper.

He set his jaw and gripped the wheel. No, this could not be happening. He was not going over that incline.

Jude shifted into First. He revved the engine and pushed toward the other car, which was only a few feet away. If this guy wanted to play demolition derby, bring it on.

The other driver backed away a few feet. Jude brushed his hand over the gun in his shoulder holster. For the kidnapped girl, he needed the suspect brought in ready to talk. Even if he injured him to capture him, it meant a delay in finding the child.

An idea struck him. He turned off his headlights and continued to back down the mountain.

The other car backed away, as well. Now he saw the flaw in his plan. The guy would back up until he got to the place where he was able to turn around and then take off. With his lights still off, Jude edged forward. The headlights of the other car faded in and out as an intense wind gusted.

They came to a straight part of the road. The other car barreled toward him at a dangerous speed. He hit Reverse again. His windshield filled with blinding yellow light right before metal crashed against metal. The whole car seemed to be vibrating and creaking. His back end fishtailed. And then he was sliding sideways. His hand gripped the wheel. He pumped the brake. The car slipped off the edge of the road. He felt weightless as the seat belt dug into his chest and the car rolled twice before coming to a stop right side up.

The crash had taken the wind out of him. Still numb, he unclicked his seat belt. His door was too bent to open. Though he was in pain, he didn’t think he’d broken anything.

He pulled his phone out. No signal.

Jude dragged himself toward the passenger side door. He clicked the handle and pushed it open. A gust of snow chilled his face as he crawled out.

He heard the zing of the rifle shot before he heard it hit the metal of his wrecked vehicle. His heart pounded. He could just make out the silhouette of the possible kidnapper standing in the headlights of his car, aiming a rifle down the mountain at him.

Adrenaline surged through Jude’s body as he crawled around to the front of his car for cover. His bright colored ski jacket would be easy to spot even in the storm.

The freezing cold enveloped him. He’d kept his winter coat on, but he had no hat or gloves. He wrestled with the thought that he might die out here. That his life would come to nothing. And that the little girl would not be brought home safe. That bothered him more than the reality of his own death.

Another shot rang through the air. Glass shattered.

The possibility of bringing that little girl home safe to her parents had felt like a shot at redemption to him. He wasn’t a private investigator by choice. At the age of twenty-one, ten years ago, he’d washed up as a rookie officer when a domestic call he’d been sent on had ended in the murder-suicide of husband and wife. Their ten-year-old daughter had witnessed the crime. The last he’d heard she was under a psychiatrist’s care. Her life would never be the same. The guilt weighed on him every day.

If only Jude had said the right words as he’d talked to the husband through the open window. If only he’d chosen a different tactic. If only...

Jude peered around the side of his car. The man with the rifle was nothing more than a dark spot, but he was still there waiting to take another shot at Jude.

The cold seeped into his muscles as he wondered if he had the strength to make a run for it into the unknown down the mountain. The winding road was the one he’d just come up in his pursuit. Maybe there was somebody down there, a hunter perhaps. For the first time in ten years, he said a quick and desperate prayer.

Lord, send help or show me a way out of this.

Wildlife biologist Lacey Conrad put the binoculars up to her eyes and scanned the winter landscape until her view landed on a ridge where she expected to see elk appear within the next hour. She gripped the binoculars a little tighter. She wasn’t going to see anything with the storm moving in. Not a good day for research and observation. She let the binoculars fall around her neck. Even on days like this, she loved her job. She preferred being outside and the research allowed her to move around Montana. Since the death of her parents and little brother in a car crash when she was in college, she had lived like a nomad, never putting down roots anywhere. That was the way she liked it.

The wind died down for a moment and movement much closer to her caught her attention. On the mountain road above her, a car had rolled off the road. She’d heard the muffled sound of a crash only moments before. Now as the wind died down, the noise made sense.

She saw a man crouched in front of the car. Her heart squeezed tight. A man holding a rifle was headed down the steep incline. She’d thought the shots she heard before were from a hunter somewhere on the mountain.

The man by the car bolted to his feet. She could see the bright colors of his ski jacket even when the wind picked up. Panic filled her body. It was the man in the ski jacket who was being hunted. The man must have seen the orange of her hunting vest. He made a beeline toward her.

Another shot was fired. The man in the ski jacket fell in the snow. Her heart lurched. Had he been hit?

She ran toward him. Her boots sank into the snow. She looked up the mountain seeing only white. The neutral colors the man with the rifle wore made it harder to see him.

The man in the ski jacket got to his feet. She ran toward him, nearly crashing into him.

He gripped her arm. The fear she saw in his face turned to relief.

A thousand questions raged through her head. Was this some sort of drug deal or other crime gone bad? Was she helping a criminal? Was the man shooting at a hunter who had lost his marbles?

Another shot rang through the air. She scanned the landscape in the general direction the shot had come from, but she could see nothing through the blowing snowfall.

The man in the ski jacket would have to explain later.

The only thing that was clear to her was that his life was in danger.

She tugged on his sleeve. “This way.” Her truck was parked down the mountain in a grove of trees.

They half ran and half slid down the mountain toward the next section of winding road. She hurried through the evergreens to her truck. She yanked open the driver’s side door. The man in the ski jacket got into the passenger side of the truck.

She glanced over at the stranger sitting across from her. Her heart was still racing from running from the shooter.

He met her gaze. His eyes looked honest, anyway. “Thank you,” he said. “You saved my life.” He was still trying to catch his breath.

She wasn’t sure what to think about this stranger. She pulled through the trees and out onto the road. The heavy snowfall on the unplowed road meant she had to go slow. “I’ll take you as far as Lodgepole where I’m staying. There’s no law enforcement there. Tiny town, only two hundred people.” Her voice dropped half an octave. “Obviously, you have something to report. There’s a sheriff in Garnet about fifty miles from Lodgepole.”

He nodded but offered no further explanation. “Again, thank you.” He let out a breath. “I’m Jude, by the way.” His voice had a soft melodic quality.

“Lacey. I’m a biologist doing research on elk.” She hoped he would return the favor and explain what he was doing up in these mountains.

He nodded but didn’t say anything.

She maneuvered the truck through the heavy snow that had already piled up on the road. An object hit the truck with a violent thud. Her heart pounded as every muscle in her body tensed. The man with the rifle had thrown something at the truck.

“He must be out of bullets,” said Jude. “I think he threw a rock at us.”

Lacey glanced out of the driver’s side window. The man was close enough for her to see his face. He ran toward them, rifle raised to be used as a blunt instrument. She saw him clearly. He was maybe ten feet away, a hulking mass of a man. The white-and-gray hair, the beard, the eyes that were filled with a murderous rage. A face she would not easily forget. The man looked right at her. A chill skittered over her skin.

She pressed the gas even harder, accelerating to a dangerous speed. She swerved.

Another blow struck the back end of the truck. In the rearview mirror, she saw the man raising his rifle to hit the truck again with the rifle stock.

Lacey gripped the steering wheel and chose the path of least resistance where the snow wasn’t as deep. All the same, her truck drifted toward the edge of the road. She straightened her steering wheel, finally gaining control.

“Good job,” said Jude. “That takes some skill.” He still had a white-knuckle grip on the dashboard as he glanced nervously out the back window.

She had no idea what to think about this man sitting in her truck. He had a lot of explaining to do. She had never been a good judge of character. As her grandmother used to say, her people picker was broken. She did better with wilderness and animals.

“You handled the whole thing really well,” said Jude.

“Thanks. So was that guy some sort of crazed landowner or something?” She really wanted to give Jude the benefit of the doubt, but she needed to know whom she had just rescued.

He took a moment to answer. He ran his fingers through his wavy brown hair. “No, it’s a little more complicated than that. I’m a private investigator. That’s all you need to know.” He turned away and stared out the window.

Okay, so he wasn’t going to tell her much. At least he was on the right side of the law.

When she checked the rearview mirror, she could no longer see the man with the rifle. But his face was burned into her memory. Though she could not say why. She had the feeling she had looked into the face of a murderer.

TWO

Lacey could see the tiny cluster of lights that was Lodgepole as she drove toward the base of the mountain. By the time she pulled onto Main Street, the wind and snow had intensified.

“Probably too dangerous to drive into Garnet to report what happened to you. Might have to wait until after the storm.” She searched for a parking space.

“I suppose I can phone it in.” His voice lacked commitment as he stared out the window. He seemed distracted. His mind must be on something else.

“If you can get a signal. Maybe we should do that together. I saw the guy pretty clearly.”

Jude perked up. “Really?”

Downtown Lodgepole was all of five blocks long. Many of the businesses did double duty. She rolled past a post office that was also an information center for tourists. The hardware store advertised that you could get your car fixed there. There was one café next to the hotel where she was staying.

The Davenport Hotel had probably been the talk of the town when it was built at the turn of the century. Meant to be an elegant stopping place for weary railroad travelers, it was now run-down with only a few rooms still being used. Much of the hotel was boarded up and closed off. The railroad didn’t come through Lodgepole anymore. No one came through here except the occasional hunter or hiker. She glanced over at Jude. And the occasional tight-lipped private investigator.

The residents of Lodgepole were not used to strangers and had a suspicion of them.

If she included the people who lived in remote cabins outside of Lodgepole, the population count might tick up by fifty. She’d been here for only a few days.

She pointed at the café. “We can find out about road conditions by going in there. The locals will give a better report than any weather channel or app on your phone. Are you hungry?”

“I really need to track that man down. I’ll need to get another car. And I need you to describe him for me.” A sense of urgency entered his voice. “I can’t wait around here in this town.”

“Sure, I can describe him. But honestly I don’t think anybody is going anywhere.” He seemed almost nervous now. Lunch might give him an opportunity for him to explain himself.

She headed toward the café which was also a sort of community center and place to get gossip and news. In addition to the cars parked on the street, there was probably an equal number of snowmobiles. Because the snow stayed almost year-round at this elevation and roads sometimes didn’t get plowed quickly, snowmobiles were the preferred mode of transportation for most of the residents.

The second they pushed open the door and the tiny bell above it rang, the place fell silent. All eyes were on Jude and her. The chatter resumed almost immediately, but she felt the shift when she stepped into the café.

They weren’t used to outsiders. She was still an outsider, and Jude wasn’t from here either. Her research would keep her here for at least a month. People might warm up to her a little.

She searched the room for an empty table but didn’t see one. All the seats at the counter were taken, as well. As she passed by the table, the talk was about the storm. She heard enough of the conversation to know the roads were already impassable.

She patted Jude’s shoulder. “Looks like you’re stuck here for a while.”

The news didn’t seem to sit well with Jude. His expression hardened.

A table opened up at the back of the café.

The teenage waitress came over and plopped down two menus. “We’re out of the patty melt, but the tomato soup isn’t too bad.” The girl whirled away.

“Boy, she really sells that soup.” Jude seemed to be mildy amused by the waitresses’s casual behavior.

Lacey laughed and leaned forward, glad that he seemed to relax a little. “They probably just open up a can. It’s not like the fresh produce truck makes its way up here.” She liked the warmth she saw in his eyes and appreciated his effort at lightening his mood. “Maybe I could help you if you could tell me why that guy was after you.”

Jude’s forehead creased. He looked slightly off to the left. Then he leaned closer to her and spoke in a low voice. “A girl has been kidnapped. Part of the initial communication from the kidnapper was that the FBI not be contacted. But her father couldn’t do nothing, so he hired me. Her father is a fairly well-known millionaire real estate developer in North Dakota. It’s all got to be under the radar, or something bad might happen to the kid.”

Lacey’s breath caught in her throat as she absorbed the gravity of what he had just told her. Now she understood why he wasn’t crazy about contacting the sheriff or being trapped in Lodgepole.

“It helps my case, but I’m concerned about you being able to identify him.” He twirled the pepper shaker.

She spoke slowly. “You think he might follow us into town and try to hurt me?” Her old truck was distinct enough and Lodgepole was the only town for miles. It wouldn’t be hard to figure out where they’d gone. Her heart squeezed tight.

“I don’t know.” Jude shook his head. “I just wish I wasn’t stuck here. I was so close to catching him.”

Lacey stared at the jelly packets and tried to process what Jude was implying. The man, who was probably a kidnapper, might come after her. “One good thing. If the roads are impassable for us, then he’s stuck too. Either on that mountain or in town. Anyway, there are people around. I’m sure he wouldn’t try anything.” Her voice sounded weak, like she was trying to convince herself that she was safe.

Jude was grateful when the waitress walked back over to them before Lacey could ask him more questions. He’d already told her too much. He would be forever grateful to her for saving his life. She had been an answer to a very frantic prayer.

The waitress twirled a strand of her hair. “So, what will you two have?”

He hadn’t had much time to study the menu. “A burger sounds great.”

“I’ll have the club sandwich.” Lacey closed the menu and handed it over to the waitress.

He noticed the ketchup stain on his menu as he lifted it so the teenager could take it. This place had a certain uniqueness to it.

He turned his attention to Lacey. She kept her auburn hair tied up in a braid. Soft wisps of red hair framed her face. She offered him a brief smile when she caught him staring.

“You’re not from around here?” he asked.

“I move around a lot for my research work.” She rearranged the jam packets that were in the metal container.

“How about you tell me about your research.”

Her eyes lit up and her whole face seemed to brighten. “I’m tracking the migrations and feeding patterns of an elk herd that mostly hang out on Shadow Ridge. I’m looking at how human activity might affect that.” She continued to share details about her job. He liked the way she became so animated when she talked.

They continued to visit until most of the patrons had left the café. A silence fell between them.

Jude cleared his throat. “Are you okay with telling me what the man who shot at me looked like?” Though he didn’t like making her revisit the attack, he needed to know if he was to find him.

Lacey stared at the table. “Yes, I can do that. Broad shoulders, built like a wrestler but older, gray-and-white hair, a beard. The expression on his face was...such rage.” She shuddered.

He leaned toward her and patted her shoulder. “I still can’t thank you enough for getting me out of there.”

She nodded before glancing around the nearly empty café. “Looks like we closed the place down. I suppose we should get going. There is only one hotel in town.”

When they stepped outside, it was pitch-dark. The wind had picked up, creating little tornadoes of snow swirling down the street. Jude buttoned his coat up against the cold. “I really want to have a look around this town. If that guy did follow us down the mountain, he probably hid his car, but I could knock on a few doors with some kind of story. Maybe check some backyards. If there is only one hotel, I doubt he’d stay there.”

“I don’t think you would get very far in the dark and cold.”

A gust of wind hit him. His eyes stung from the intensity of the cold. He could only see a few feet in front of him. His jaw clenched in frustration. “Okay maybe you’re right. So, what is this hotel?”

“It’s called the Davenport Hotel,” she said.

“Guess I should stay there too.” More than anything, he wanted to get back to tracking his suspect. Things were more complicated now that the suspect knew he’d been made and could be identified. He feared for the little girl’s safety. If she was being held in one of the houses on that mountain road, would the man just leave her there to come into town after him and probably Lacey?

Several snowmobiles putted by, their headlights cutting through the blackness. Leaning into the wind, Lacey and Jude crossed the street and entered the hotel.

An old man slept in an overstuffed chair in the lobby. “That’s Ray. He’s the manager. Rather than wake him, I think we can just grab a key and leave him a note that you’ve got a room,” she said. “You can pay him later or just leave the money in an envelope by the note. It’s fifty dollars a night.”

“Okay, if that is how it’s done.” The informality of the place only added to its charm. Jude pulled some money out of his wallet while Lacey found an envelope and paper to write on.

A wide sweeping staircase with an ornately carved bannister filled up most of the lobby. Though everything looked dusty, there was still a yesteryear elegance to the place. A huge mural of forest and wildlife, with a train puffing through it, took up one wall. Faded by time, it was nevertheless impressive. The trim on the ceiling looked like it had been carved by hand. The red carpet and matching velvet curtains indicated this had been quite the classy joint at one time.

Lacey walked behind the counter and grabbed a key. “You can have room ten right next to me. I’m in twelve. Some of the rooms aren’t used anymore, but I know that one is.”

They walked up the stairs together. Though frustration over being stranded made his jaw ache, meeting Lacey had been a nice reprieve. Lacey went back and forth between warmth and seeming guarded. Still, having dinner with her had been fun. Fun was not a word that was in his vocabulary much anymore...not for ten years.

She turned to face him. “Ray told me earlier today that two hunters checked in to the hotel this morning. Other than that, it’s just us.”

He touched a bannister, which was dusty. The whole place was probably not up to code. “They’re probably glad to have your business.”

“They gave me a deal since I’m going to be here a while doing research.” She turned her key in the door. “Well, good night.” She entered her room and closed the door behind her.

Jude sat down in his room. Though everything looked dated, it was very clean. He opened the bedside drawer and pulled his handgun out of the shoulder holster. He stared out the window as the snow fell with increasing volume and velocity. He didn’t need to form any attachment to Lacey however temporary. He was here to find a kidnapped eight-year-old girl who was the daughter to millionaire George Ignatius.

Before becoming a private eye, Jude had been a police officer. He’d used his contacts in the department to get a trace of the vehicle that had abducted eight-year-old Maria. The home across the street from where she’d been kidnapped had a camera to record who came to the front door. Jude had isolated the time of the abduction on the recordings. The vehicle that took the little girl appeared in the background.

That trace on the vehicle had led him here. And now he couldn’t do anything. From where he sat on the bed, he rested his elbows on his knees and his hands on the sides of his head. The rising frustration tied his stomach in knots.

This whole investigation might have gone sideways. His phone still wasn’t getting a signal. If there was a landline, it probably wasn’t working either. He couldn’t call George. He’d never forgive himself if something happened to that little girl.

Again, he opened the drawer where he’d put his handgun. He hadn’t noticed the Bible there before. Standard-issue even for this hotel. Not that he would ever open that book again. Not only did not being able to prevent the murder-suicide sideline his career, it stole his faith. He didn’t know what he believed in anymore. That frantic prayer on the mountain when Lacey had shown up was the first time he’d prayed in ten years. And God had answered.

Jude lay down on top of the covers, staring at the copper ceiling, waiting for sleep to come.

He rubbed his chest where it felt tight. Though the kidnapper had not yet made a ransom demand, the clock was ticking for little Maria. A day ago the kidnapper had contacted George to let him know Maria was alive.

This storm moving in would delay his chance to search the residences that were on that mountain road. Even as the wind rattled the window, he could feel his chest tighten. He had to bring the girl home safe. In a way, he felt like his own life depended on that.

With the storm picking up intensity outside, Jude closed his eyes and willed himself to go to sleep. His last thought was of the auburn-haired Lacey. She was a hard woman to read, but she intrigued him. What was her story?

The heaviness of sleep invaded his muscles and he felt himself drifting off. He awoke to the sound of a woman screaming. Lacey was in trouble!

THREE

Lacey screamed when she awoke in total darkness, sensing that someone else was in her room. A footstep thudded in the darkness moving toward her.

Heart pounding, she fumbled for the bedside light. It didn’t click on. The storm must have taken out the electricity. Her flashlight was in her backpack across the room. The curtains were pulled tight. She couldn’t see anything. The darkness and being awakened from a deep sleep left her disoriented.

She could hear someone moving around the room.

“Who’s there?” She cleared her throat, trying not to give away her fear in her voice. “What are you doing in my room?”

She swung around and let her feet fall on the carpet. What obstacles lay between her and that flashlight? She couldn’t remember. She took two steps before she hit a piece of furniture.

A body brushed up against her. Terror paralyzed her in her tracks. She could sense someone moving very close to her. Her heartbeat drummed in her ears.

Hands wrapped around her neck.

She twisted to one side before the attacker could grab hold of her.

Her heart beat so wildly, it felt like it would jump out of her chest. The man or woman reached out and tugged at her shirt, probably trying to grab her again or feel their way in the darkness. She whirled away, crashing into more furniture.

Someone pounded on the door. “Lacey, is everything okay in there?”

It was Jude.

She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. Terror had stolen her voice.

She could hear the intruder fumbling around. Jude was shaking the doorknob.

“Lacey, come on, open up.”

She stumbled across the dark room, feeling along the wall until she found the doorknob. She unfastened the dead bolt and swung open the door.

Jude shone a flashlight into the room. “What’s going on?”

The light bounced around the room. Lacey got only a glimpse of her intruder before he exited out of the other door on the other side of the room. All she could say for sure was that he was a tall thin man. Not the broad-shouldered man she’d seen on the mountain.

Lacey grabbed Jude’s flashlight and ran in the direction the man had gone. The door where the intruder had escaped was ajar. The place was so low security it had been unlocked. She entered an adjoining room that was not occupied but must have been part of a suite that connected to her room at one time. She shone the flashlight all around. The man was gone.

Jude came up behind her. “What’s going on and can I have my flashlight back?”

“Sorry.” She handed it back to him. “There was somebody in my room.”

“I’ll see if I can catch him.” Jude’s footsteps pounded up the hallway and then faded.

She was left in the dark. A rush of terror over the assault, which may have been an attempt on her life, caused her knees to turn to mush.

Jude returned. “I couldn’t see anyone. I don’t know the layout of this place. There are a bunch of boarded up areas. I searched as best I could. I think he must have escaped.”

“I’m sure there is more than one door he could have slipped out of.” Her voice still vibrated with fear.

Jude’s words filled with compassion. “I would have gotten to you faster from my room. It took a minute to find my flashlight in the dark. Why don’t you come back and sit down?” He led her gently back into the room and pointed her toward a chair. He stood at the window and pulled back the curtain. “Looks like the power is out all over town.”

She stared out the window. Her room faced the back of the hotel, so they were looking at residences. All the windows in the houses were dark. She saw only the occasional tiny glow of light coming from a flashlight or a lantern or maybe even a candle.

She wrapped her arms around herself, still trying to process what had just happened.

Jude patted her hand before sitting in the chair opposite her. “Did you get a look at him? Was it the man who came after me?”

She shook her head. “I didn’t see his face. But he was the wrong build for the man we saw on the mountain.”

“Hate to say it, but sometimes people take advantage of blackouts and decide to rob people,” Jude said.

“I suppose I would be a prime target since I’m not from around here.” She touched her neck, remembering that the man had tried to grab her or maybe he’d just been fumbling in the dark. But she was not able to shake off the fear that had sunk into her bones that the attack was connected to what had happened on that mountain road. “Or the man who came after you has an accomplice.” She couldn’t stop shaking.

Jude touched her shoulder. “Hey, it’s all right now. You’re safe.”

She appreciated his kindness, but her heart was still racing.

Footsteps pounded on the stairs and Ray, the old man from the lobby, appeared in their open doorway holding a camping lantern. He held it close to his cheek, so half his face was in shadow and the other half was lit up. “You two are awake. Heard a ruckus up here.” He looked at Jude. “You the fella that left a note?”

Jude nodded. “Yes.”

“What’s all the noise about?” Ray leaned forward to peer in the room.

“Someone was in Lacey’s room,” said Jude. “Did you see anyone?”

“No,” said Ray. “Only two other people are staying at the hotel.”

Ray stood still, holding the lantern, studying both their faces while his was still half-covered in shadow. Did he think they were making this up?

“All I know is someone attacked Lacey,” said Jude.

Ray took a step back. “Electricity is out all over town. Got a fire started in the ballroom and some snacks,” said Ray. Without waiting for their response, he disappeared down the hallway. The old man either didn’t believe him or didn’t want to deal with another problem right now.

The wind rattled the windows. Lacey got to her feet. “We might as well go downstairs. I’m not going to fall back asleep.”

The signs indicated that the ballroom was in the west end of the hotel. The room was huge with wooden floors. Two chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Lacey could picture the parties, dances and banquets that must have taken place here.

Now it was completely empty except for a table, couch and comfy-looking chairs that surrounded the crackling fire. The air smelled like wood polish. Another lantern had been set up on the table. Store-bought cookies, cold cuts, cheese and crackers had been set out. There was also a camp stove with a teakettle on it. All the fixings for cocoa and tea sat beside the stove.

A moment later, two men entered the ballroom and found a seat. Lacey’s heart fluttered. Both the men were the same build as the man who had attacked her. Come to think of it, so was Ray.

The older man pointed to the younger. “I’m Eddie and this is my son Jonathan. Looks like we are in for a long night.”

Lacey and Jude introduced themselves.

Lacey grabbed a paper plate and some food. When she sat down in a high-back chair, the heat from the fire calmed her. The men made small talk while Lacey stared at the fire.

Ray entered the ballroom. “Things have gotten even worse in the last twenty minutes. It’s whiteout conditions outside. A man could walk only a few feet, get disoriented and freeze to death,” said Ray. “Until this storm subsides, you cannot go outside. You’d be taking your life in your own hands.”

Lacey’s throat constricted. “So if someone was in the hotel, they couldn’t leave, right?”

“Not unless they wanted to risk death,” said Ray. “Nope, the smart thing to do is to stay put until this thing dies down.”

The cookie Lacey was nibbling didn’t taste so sweet anymore. She stared at all the men. The only one who was off the hook for attacking her was Jude. He’d come to the door and spoken while the other man was running away.

It was possible too that the three men were innocent and the attacker was hiding somewhere in the hotel. Both alternatives sent a wave of terror through her.

As he snacked on his cheese and crackers, Jude noticed a shift in mood for Lacey. She stared at the fire and gave one-word answers when anyone tried to include her in the conversation. She rubbed her feet together as though nervous.

He felt a little restless himself. How was eight-year-old Maria doing? Was she safe? Was she alone and hungry? His only comfort was that if he was trapped, maybe the kidnapper was too. Once the storm broke, he might still be able to search the houses that connected with that road. Maybe Maria had even been in the car when Jude had been shot at. The kidnapper could have brought her down here and was hiding her somewhere. There were too many unknowns. All he knew was that the longer he was delayed, the colder this case got and the less of a chance that Maria would be returned alive.

Maybe Lacey was right. Maybe the kidnapper had an accomplice. Lacey could identify him, but Jude was the one who had been on his tail. Jude figured it was only a matter of time before he became a target too.

When there was a lull in the conversation, Lacey bolted up from her chair. “You know, I think I’ll go upstairs. Are you coming, Jude? I need to talk to you about something.”

“Sure.” What was she up to?

Jude nodded his goodbye to the other men and then walked with Lacey across the expansive wood floor.

Once they were out of earshot in the hallway, Lacey turned toward him. Desperation filled her voice. “Help me search the hotel.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Ray said there was no way anyone would go out in this. Whoever attacked me must still be hiding in this hotel. He must have snuck in before the storm got so bad,” she said. “I want to know what he was doing in my room. And I want to know that it won’t happen again because he’s been caught.”

He heard the fear in her voice. “Sure. It’s not like I have a busy social schedule.” He hoped the attack on Lacey wasn’t connected to the kidnapping. It was a thin hope at best. He didn’t like the idea of Lacey being in danger after she had risked her life to save his.

“Okay, come with me so I can get my flashlight out of my room,” she said.

She headed toward the stairs, moving outside of the cone of illumination his flashlight made.

“I don’t want the others to know we’re looking. Just in case it was one of them who was in my room.” She stepped on the first stair and turned, waiting for him to come toward her with the light.

They hurried upstairs. While Lacey got her flashlight, Jude retrieved his gun from the nightstand drawer. He shoved it in his waistband at the back and untucked his flannel shirt so it would be covered.

Had Lacey been chosen at random to be robbed? Had she been chosen because as a woman she was more vulnerable? Or was this connected to what had happened on the mountain?

They met in the hallway, both of them holding flashlights. “Let’s search this floor first,” she said. “He ran off this way. At the time, I just assumed he took a back entrance and escaped out into the night.”

He spoke in a low voice as they made their way down the hallway. “Is there something controversial about your research?”

She swung the flashlight back and forth after stepping into an area that may have been some sort of meeting place for hotel guests. There was a fireplace in the center of the room and a very dusty-looking oriental rug. A couple of cardboard boxes were stacked in a corner.

“I don’t think there is anything controversial about my research. If anything, it helps hunters and campers. Why are you asking?”

“Just trying to figure out a motive for the attack.” He really wanted the attack to be unconnected to the kidnapping.

“Motive for the attack? You sound like a cop.” She shone her flashlight in his direction.

“I used to be.” The comment was friendly enough, but he could feel himself retreat emotionally. “Let’s just leave it at that.”

“Sure, Jude.” She swept past him and up the hall, then looked over her shoulder. Even in near darkness her auburn hair had a glossy sheen to it. “I told you everything about my job, but you don’t want to talk about yours.”

He hurried after her. “I said I used to be a cop.”

“So why did you stop being a cop?” She stood in front of an ancient-looking elevator with an out-of-order sign. Her gaze rested on him, waiting for a response.

He reached out and touched the out-of-order sign that looked like it might have been hung during the Carter administration. “Let’s take the stairs.” Jude felt like someone had stirred his insides with a hot poker. Thinking about the past did that to him.

He’d kept all the pain from his past at bay, but here was this redheaded woman showing curiosity about who he was as a man. A part of him wanted to open up to her just to have another person bear the burden with him.

Lacey bounded down two flights of stairs. “He probably wouldn’t hide on the main floor since it is the most used.” At the bottom of the stairs was a large wooden door.

Jude pushed on it. It screeched open, revealing a dark corridor with a series of doors and walls made of stone.

Lacey held the flashlight up to her chin and spoke theatrically. “The belly of the whale.”

He laughed. Her sense of humor was infectious. “You go first, my lady. I’ll back you up.” Maybe too, the humor covered up the fear she must be wrestling with.

They brushed away cobwebs and stepped into the hallway. Their footsteps echoed on the concrete. Each room they searched revealed various items: stored furniture, a broken chandelier and some kitchen appliances. All of it looked like it hadn’t been used in a long time. Lacey stepped into the room where a stove was stored. She shone a light on the dusty surface. Her body went rigid.

Jude stepped toward her. “What is it?”

“This looks fresh to me.” She aimed her light on the dusty stove top where there was a handprint.

Jude shone his light all around the concrete room. All the other rooms had had an abundance of cobwebs but not this one. “Yeah maybe someone was in here recently.”

He saw the fear in her eyes. He patted her shoulder, hoping to comfort her. They continued their search. “It could have been Ray for whatever reason.”

The only room that looked like it was used on a regular basis was the laundry room, which was clean and contained folded linens, three washing machines and two dryers. Some towels hung over a drying rack. They had worked their way down the entire corridor to the other end of the hotel where there was another staircase leading back to the main floor.

“Let’s head back upstairs,” he said.

She rubbed her forehead, still standing at the base of the stairs. “The one thing I know for sure is that someone was in my room and that at one point they had their hands around my neck.” Her voice faltered.

He leaned a little closer to her. “I know an attack like that can be really scary. I think the best thing to do would be to try to get some sleep. If it would help at all, I can sleep in the chair in your room.”

“Thank you. I think I need that.” She turned to face him. “We were strangers less than ten hours ago. I guess we’re in this together for now.”

He did feel a bond growing between them. It was unusual for him to have an instant connection with anyone. His relationships with women seemed to fall apart before they ever got started. There wasn’t much he could do about liking Lacey other than enjoy the time they did have together. His work here would be finished soon enough, hopefully with a happy ending. He’d head back to North Dakota. His gut twisted into a tight knot when he thought about the kidnapped child.

They made their way upstairs, taking a little time to search the main floor. Laughter spilled out from the ballroom. When they peeked inside Ray and Eddie had set up a chessboard. Eddie’s son must have returned to his room.

They stepped away from the ballroom and headed back to their rooms. They stood on the mezzanine looking down on the ornate but worn carpet in the lobby.

The most likely scenario was that whoever had been in Lacey’s room had been there to rob her. All the same, he could not shut off his cop mind. “Is there some reason why someone in this town might be mad at you or your family?”

“I don’t have any connection to this town. I’m from the other side of the state.” She leaned forward, gripping the railing with her hands and staring off into space.

“I thought you said that you moved around a lot?”

“I do. I live in forest service cabins and campers mostly. I grew up in a little town called Jasper.” Her voice faltered. “Haven’t been back there in years.”

There was a depth of emotion to her comment that he could not begin to plumb. He suspected that there was a tragic amount of pain to her statement. “What about your mom and your dad?”

“They’re dead along with my little brother. The only family I have is my grandmother. Honestly, I don’t think my family has anything to do with why I was attacked.”

Jude felt as though all the air had left the room. He picked up on her defensive tone. “I wasn’t prying. I’m just trying to figure this thing out.”

Lacey turned toward him. “Sorry, it’s a time waster to ask questions about my family, okay?”

Just like him she’d grown defensive when talking about the past.

Jude cleared his throat. He stepped away from the bannister. “Why don’t we try to get some sleep. If he is still here in the hotel, I’ll keep watch for him.”

She studied him for a long moment. “Okay...thank you.” She walked the few feet to her room and shut the door behind her. Jude returned to his room to grab his phone, which had a book on it he’d been reading. He knocked on her door. Lacey opened it.

He collapsed into the chair. She got into bed and rolled over.

Jude read for about twenty minutes, dozed and woke up. He’d left the flashlight on to provide some light. A small tattered Bible sat on her nightstand. Maybe her tragic loss had deepened her faith instead of stolen it. It seemed though that both of them had been running each in a different way. Her job meant she didn’t put down roots or connect to a community. After the shooting, he’d quit the force and closed himself off, preferring to put his energy into his work. Lacey was the first person he’d felt any connection to in ten years.

He couldn’t begin to sort through the emotional rupture that had risen up between them. Right now, he needed to focus on keeping Lacey safe. The storm continued to rage outside as Jude struggled to calm his restless mind.

FOUR

Lacey awoke. She turned sideways. Jude was no longer in his chair. Even though he might have just slipped out to get something in his room, she felt less safe when he wasn’t close. His agreeing to sit watch was the only reason she’d slept at all. Early morning light shone in from the window. The storm had let up, improving visibility, but it was still snowing.

She heard a noise outside her door.

Her heart beat a little faster. “Jude, is that you?” She ran to the door and flung it open expecting to see him. There was no one on the mezzanine. Now she realized that maybe the noise had come from downstairs. She stepped toward the banister. Down below, she watched as a tall thin figure hurried through the lobby and slipped outside. He’d been wearing a hat, so she couldn’t see what color his hair was.

That had to be her attacker.

She stood on the mezzanine as she reached out for the wall for support.

Lacey’s heart thumped in her chest. The man had taken advantage of the letup in the storm to escape. Fear permeated her whole being.

A heavy silence enveloped her as she fought the terror that raged through her. Seeing the man brought back the trauma of the attack.

Jude came up the hallway and she fell into his arms.

“Hey, Lacey, what happened?”

“I saw him. He left the hotel. He was here all night.” Her voice must have given away how upset she was.

“Hey.” Jude gave her a tight reassuring hug and then stepped back to look at her. Jude led her over to the plush velvet chairs that were outside the hotel room on the mezzanine. “Sit down and catch your breath. How long ago? Maybe I can catch him.”

“It’s been a few minutes. I’m sure he’s gone by now.” She placed her hand on her heart and took in a deep breath. “Where did you go, anyway? I woke up and you weren’t there.”

“I just went down the hall to use the facilities.” The hotel was so old that there was only one bathroom per floor. He rested his hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

His hand lingered on her shoulder, and the warmth of his touch soaked through the fabric of her shirt. She’d always thought of herself as a free spirit, someone who didn’t need anyone. But given what had happened to her, she kind of liked having Jude around. Just his presence seemed to smooth over the agitation and fear.

“If he is connected to the kidnapper, why hasn’t he come after me?”

She turned to face him. “There you go again being a detective.”

“I’m trying to figure this thing out.” Jude shifted in his chair.

She crossed her arms over her chest. “Maybe I’m just the easier target.” She slumped back in the chair. “I do know one thing. I don’t like feeling like I’m trapped in this hotel.” But going outside meant the tall thin man might come after her.

Ray walked into the lobby holding a box. He shouted up at them. “Storm won’t be the worst of it. It’s the aftermath. Be a few days before the plows dig us out and the roads are passable.” Ray must have heard what she’d said.

Jude let out a heavy breath.

Ray rested the box on the counter and pulled out a package. “Got some beef jerky here if you folks are hungry.”

Jude rose, leaned over the railing and held up his hands. Ray tossed him a package. “Fine dining at its best.”

Ray pointed to the box. “There’s more food in here if you want to top off the meal with some granola bars. Bottled water is in the kitchen.” Ray pointed to a door on the other side of the checkout counter. “Eddie and son have already helped themselves.”

“So they are both still here?” said Lacey.

Ray drew his head back, so his chin touched his neck and a look of confusion crossed his features. “Sure, why wouldn’t they be?”

Lacey shrugged.

Ray walked over to the window and placed his hands on his hips. “Four or five more hours. This should clear up enough to walk around town at least.” He turned back to face them, rubbing his chin. “Still won’t be any electricity.”

Ray, the bringer of bad news, ambled away.

Jude rose to his feet and held out a hand for Lacey. “Might as well make the best of it.”

She took his hand, feeling the strength of his grip and the calluses on his palms. She met his gaze for just a moment, his soft eyes resting on her.

After finding food and water in the kitchen, Jude and Lacey returned to the ballroom to wait the storm out by playing a game of chess. They played two games.

“That’s it. You beat me,” Jude said.

“So we’re even. You beat me last time. Want to go for a third game to see if we can determine who the true champion is?”

Jude yawned. “You know I think I might just close my eyes for a minute. I didn’t sleep much last night.”

“Okay.” Of course, he was tired. He’d stayed up half the night watching over her.

She got up and wandered the ballroom toward a far wall where other books and games were stored on shelves. She pulled a book from the shelf that looked like it might hold her attention and then sat down in the easy chair opposite Jude, who was already snoring. He looked kind of cute sleeping with his mouth open. His wavy hair flopped over his forehead.

She’d never spent this much time with another person. Other than her little brother when he was alive. Pain shot through her as though a sword had been driven through her chest. So much had been ripped from her life. She knew that there was a part of her that just didn’t dare open her heart again to ever caring about another person.

She liked being with Jude. He was funny and easy to be with. But theirs was a temporary and fragile arrangement. All she needed was God, her job and her beat-up truck.

She thanked God for the brief reprieve she’d gotten from his company.

She read for a while, threw another log on the fire and then dozed herself. Her nap was interrupted by Ray towering over her.

“Put your snow gear on if you like. People are starting to dig out and emerge. Most people are congregating over at the school on the other side of town, up a few blocks. They have a generator and food. Any announcement that town folk need to hear will be made there.”

Jude had stirred awake, as well. It took them only minutes to race upstairs and get into their boots and coats. They both emerged from their rooms laughing.

“I didn’t realize how bad my cabin fever was until now,” he said.

Lacey and Jude bounded down the stairs and out into the open. Her elation changed to fear. The tall thin man was out here somewhere.

The snow had drifted in front of some of the doors of the shops and in the street, as well. Some snow still twirled out of the overcast sky. But she could see structures and people.

He tugged on her coat. “I have no idea where the school is. First let’s take a look around and see if we can spot the man you saw at the hotel. If that other guy did come down off the mountain, I doubt he’d be out in the open, but he’s my lead for finding Maria. I have to search for him and his car.”

Lacey tensed as a wave of fear rolled over her. “I didn’t get a good look at the tall thin man.”

“I’ll stay with you, promise.” He squeezed her arm just above the elbow and then winked at her, which made her smile. “I have to do my job even with this storm.”

It looked like she and Jude were going to continue to be together for safety if nothing else.

In her brief survey of the town as she’d driven toward the hotel when she’d first arrived, she didn’t remember seeing any buildings that looked like a school. She tilted her head toward the sky and let the flakes melt on her cheeks.

“Ray said the school is not on Main Street. I’m sure we can ask someone to get more specific directions if we can’t find it, but let’s have a look around.”

“Just describe the man you saw and say you’re looking for him. No one needs to know about Maria,” Jude said.

He stopped to ask several people who were outside their homes clearing away snow if they had seen the car or the man from the mountain. He offered a description. None of them had.

Lacey stared down the street. “What if we split up. I can go this way up the street.”

“Okay, but stay on this street so you’re in my sight,” Jude said.

Lacey worked her way up the street knocking on several doors. One was occupied by an old woman and another by a woman with kids hanging on her skirt. None of them had seen the man she described or the car. When she peered around the side of the houses she didn’t see a car that resembled the one that had run Jude off the road. The Davenport was the only hotel in town. If the man was in town, he must be hiding out in a house or maybe there was an abandoned building somewhere.

She walked past an empty lot where a house may have been at one time. When she glanced up the sidewalk, Jude was knocking on another door. The final house she came to was a weathered-looking blue Victorian. She ran up the creaking steps and knocked, waited and knocked again. She stepped down the stairs and peered into the big front windows. It didn’t look like anyone was home. Movement on the upper floor window caught her attention. A man with jet-black hair and a beefy build stared down at her. He locked her in his gaze and then slipped back into the shadows.

Her skin tingled. Why hadn’t he answered the door?

Jude was coming up the walk toward her. She ran to meet him, brushing off the rudeness of the man at the upper window. Some people were just antisocial. She met Jude in the middle of the block.

“There’s some more houses over there we can check out,” Jude said, pointing at a group of houses that lay just beyond an open field.

She followed him with a backward glance toward the blue Victorian house. They wandered toward a side street and then into an open field that was probably for baseball or soccer. The field was set apart from the rest of the town, but there were houses on the other side of it some distance away.

All around them she could hear the sounds of the town coming to life. She heard children laughing in the distance and snowmobiles motoring around.

They were midway across the wide field when the sound of a snowmobile caught her attention. She looked up to see a snowmobile headed straight toward them.

It took a second for it to register in Jude’s brain that the driver of the snowmobile intended to plow them down. He grabbed Lacey and pushed her toward a snowdrift, landing beside her as the vehicle whizzed past them. The driver had on a helmet with a dark visor.

Heart racing, he pulled Lacey to her feet.

Again, the roar of an engine surrounded them. The driver had turned around and was making a second pass at them, barreling toward them at a high rate of speed. Both of them crawled over the drift and ran toward a grove of trees.

The clang and rumble of the snowmobile engine engulfed them as they sprinted toward the safety of the trees. The grove wasn’t that big, maybe fifty feet across. The snowmobiler circled around it as though taunting them that they could not escape.

Out of breath, Lacey touched her gloved hand to her chest. “What in the world?”

He gathered her into his arms and held her close. Partly to quell her fear but also because having her close made him feel less afraid.

The snowmobile did another circle around them. The noise of the engine was menacing and oppressive.

“Either people in this town really don’t like outsiders, or someone is after us.” Her voice trembled.

He held her close even as the noise of the snowmobile echoed through the trees. The guy wasn’t just going to give up and leave.

He glanced through the bare trees at the snowmobile. “When he gets to the back side of these trees—” Jude pointed out across the field where the houses on the edge of town were visible “—I say we make a run for it.”

“I don’t know if I can.”

When he looked into her eyes, he saw the fear there, how shaken she was by all this. Jude touched her cheek with his gloved hand. “You can do this. Those houses are not that far away. I doubt he’ll come after us in broad daylight with people around.”

“It’s got to be the same guy who was at the hotel. Don’t you think?”

“Probably. Let’s just get to where it’s safe.” He watched the snowmobile circle around behind the trees. “Now, Lacey, now.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her through the trees.

Their boots pressed into the deep and drifted snow slowing them in their flight. Behind him, Jude could hear the snowmobile growing louder.

He hoped he had not made a mistake and put Lacey in even greater danger. He could see the backyards of the houses up ahead. But no people.

Gripping Lacey’s hand, he sprinted even faster. She kept pace with him. The mumbling roar of the snowmobile pressed on his ears drawing ever closer.

Then suddenly it stopped altogether.

Jude glanced over his shoulder. The snowmobiler had parked, still perched on the machine with the engine running. Then Jude drew his attention to the scene in front of him. They were still about fifty yards from the backyards of the houses. A man had come around with a snowblower and was trying to clear a path while his children played behind him.

The snowmobiler revved his engine and was turning away, disappearing on the other side of the trees, so the guy didn’t want any witnesses.

Out of breath, Lacey and Jude slowed their pace, reaching the houses on the edge of town. The snowblower was too loud and the man too focused to get his attention. Jude and Lacey approached the three children. Two were lying in the snow making snow angels while the third caught snowflakes on her tongue.

Jude’s heart was still racing as he walked toward the girl catching snowflakes. “Did you guys see that guy on the snowmobile?”

The girl, who was maybe seven, wiped moisture off her forehead. “Yeah.”

“I don’t suppose you know who owns that snowmobile.” Jude leaned so he was closer to the girl.

The girl studied him with dark pensive eyes. “Everybody has one. They kind of all look alike.”

It had been a long shot. There was nothing distinct about the snowmobile, no paint job or custom design that would make it stand out. The driver as well had been in a brown snowsuit and black helmet.

“Can you point us toward the school?” Lacey stood beside Jude, their shoulders touching.

One of the snow-angel makers, a boy, sat up, “That’s where everyone is going. We’re headed up there as soon as Dad makes a path.” The boy pointed to the man with the snowblower.

The girl pointed up the street. “You go back to the street where the restaurant is and then turn and walk up.”

“Thanks.” Jude trudged up the sidewalk which was still filled with snow. Lacey walked beside him. “Why are we going to the school?”

“I’m thinking it would be safer with people around,” Jude said. “Maybe I can borrow a snowmobile to get out of town and search that mountain.”

“You’re probably right.” She looped her arm through his. Maybe it was just because she’d had such a fright that she wanted to be close to him. All the same, he liked that she trusted him that much.

The houses were still mostly dark. He saw only a faint light here and there in windows from a candle or lantern. An overcast sky veiled the full intensity of the sun. It felt a little like they were under a dome.

They found their way back to Main Street where there were more signs of activity, more people digging out. Still no cars moved up and down the street. Some men shoveled around where their snowmobiles were buried beneath several feet of snow. The café where they had met was dark as they walked past it.

They trudged about two blocks before what was clearly the school came into view. A front school yard filled with very dated play equipment made of metal and a brick building with another smaller stick-built house next to it. He suspected that at one time the house had been where the schoolteacher lived though it might not be used for that now.

Light glowed from every window and there was a steady stream of people coming from different parts of town headed toward the wide concrete steps.

Lacey jerked.

“Are you okay with this?”

“I’m not sure what choice we have.” She tilted her head to look into his eyes.

She looked kind of cute with the snow falling all around her, her beanie hat, red hair framing her porcelain face.

“That guy on the snowmobile, whomever he is, doesn’t want witnesses. We should be pretty safe staying here,” he reasoned. He wanted to search more, but he knew he couldn’t leave Lacey alone.

“Well, one thing is for sure. I’ll go crazy if I have to hang out in that hotel,” she said.

He laughed. Both of them could agree on that. They headed toward the steps. Jude nodded at the other people going inside. Plenty of them were tall and thin. He wondered if any of them had come after Lacey and him intent on harm less than twenty minutes ago.

Or was the culprit hiding out somewhere in some dark home, waiting for another chance to strike?

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