Page 12 of Good Girls Don't Cry

“Find a pair of slippers that fit you from that box over there at the end of the desk.” He pulled on a thick jacket and a clean pair of examination gloves. “Okay, it’s time to go.”

When he gave her the flashlight to carry, Samantha wanted to turn around and smash him in the face with it. Her mom had always told her she had a bad temper and it was starting to come to the surface. She considered her situation as he nudged her along the passageway using the muzzle of his pistol pressed into the middle of her back. She stumbled across the old railway tracks as the flashlight bobbed along in front of them. Things moved in the shadows, on the ground and above. Reluctant to take another step, she slowed her pace and the pistol dug hard into her spine. She glanced back at him but couldn’t see his face in the gloom. He resembled a grizzly looming in the shadows, big and hulking. She shuddered. “Where are we going?”

“We’re heading into the forest.” He pushed her so hard she stumbled forward. “There’s a special trail I want you to see and then I’m going to let you go. Do you figure you could survive in the forest overnight?”

Nodding, Samantha moved faster. The sooner she could get out of this place the better. There were plenty of places to hide in the forest where the wildlife wouldn’t find her. If he left her alone, she would just lie low until he’d gone and wait until morning. She had been raised in Black Rock Falls and understood that if she ever became lost in the forest, she should locate a river and follow it downstream until she came to the town. All rivers in Black Rock Falls led to some form of habitation.

When they arrived at the van, he’d covered it with a camouflage tarp and gave her the job to remove it, which was more than a little difficult. She climbed inside and he handcuffed both her hands to the door handle. She realized as they took off in the darkness that they were well away from the town and on the edge of the lowlands that contained many of the old gold mines. She knew where he was keeping the others, and if she could get to safety, she’d be able to get help for them. It took a while for them to get back into the mountains. The first road he took had been blocked by a rockfall. Instead, he negotiated the fire roads until they were deep in the forest. When he pulled the van into a small clearing beneath a canopy of trees and turned off the headlights, darkness surrounded them, and suddenly afraid, Samantha looked at him. Emotionless, dark eyes hidden within the holes of the balaclava stared back at her.

“This is where we say goodbye.” He leaned toward her and removed the belt from around her neck. “Sit still and do exactly as I say or I’ll change my mind.”

Samantha sat absolutely still as he removed the handcuffs. She’d remained alert the entire time and could find her way back to the highway. All she needed to do was follow the fire roads. She tried not to flinch when he stroked her cheek but she couldn’t stop her knees trembling. Her heart pounded when he leaned in closer and gazed deep into her eyes as if daring her to move away from him. She froze in the seat, wondering what he intended to do.

“It’s a shame, I know, but I must let you go.” His gloved hand moved over her face in almost a caress. “There are so many other things we could have explored together. It would have been fun, but right now, I’m going hunting while the moon is high.” He plucked a bow from behind his seat as he climbed out of the van. He leaned inside again to pick up a quiver of arrows and slung them over one shoulder. He waved a dismissive hand at her. “You can go now, Samantha. There’s a trail right in front of you.”

Samantha jumped from the van and took off at a run. No footsteps followed behind her and the moonlight illuminated a long straight trail directly ahead. She dashed forward, ignoring the tree branches reaching out to tear at her face and hair. She’d sprinted almost one hundred yards when a strange noise came through the air. Something hit her between the shoulder blades and the pain sent her sprawling on her face. Pine needles pressed into her cheeks, and the damp smell of rotting leaves filled her nostrils. Panic gripped her so hard she couldn’t breathe. The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth, and the forest moved in and out of focus. Under her a patch of warmth spread out. She must get up but her arms and legs refused to move. Footsteps came on the trail, snapping twigs and crunching pine needles. She swiveled her eyes to look at him staring at her, a bow hanging from one hand. He’d shot her with an arrow. She opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out. She stared past him to the moon peeking through the canopy, bright and beautiful. She must try and get up and run from him.

“It won’t be long now.” He tossed two coins in his hand. “Money for the ferryman.”

Samantha lifted her head but her heavy limbs refused to respond. I’m dying. As the forest faded around her, she turned her gaze back to the heavens and then closed her eyes.

Thirteen

Glacial Heights

Emily tried her phone again and then looked at Raven. “This is the best satellite phone money can buy and it’s not working. I’ve used my tracker and we haven’t seen or heard anyone for hours. It’s after midnight. What is happening?”

“First up, you need to stay calm.” Raven had pushed his seat back and was lying with one arm over his eyes. “Secondly, you should know that during bad weather sometimes the satellite connection is sketchy. We’re very close to the mountain, which also interferes with the signal, and that includes your tracker device. To be perfectly honest, I don’t believe you need to worry about contacting your dad because he knows where you are and will be doing everything possible to get us out of this situation.”

The tremors hadn’t stopped, which made being exposed to the thunder and lightning even worse, and she’d never liked being in a storm. In fact, storms and earthquakes had become her worst nightmares. “How can you just lie there and do nothing? Shouldn’t you be trying to climb out of here and get help?”

“Nope.” Raven opened one eye to look at her and then closed it again.

Baffled by his nonchalance, she gaped at him. “So you expect me to sit here forever?”

“Emily.” Raven clicked his chair and the back came up to a sitting position. He rubbed one hand down his face and stared at her. “There is absolutely no point in going out in a storm to get soaking wet and try to climb loose boulders. If I made it to the top, which would be highly unlikely, where would I possibly go for help? The ski resort is closed for the summer and it would take me most of the night to hike to the highway.” He held up one finger when she opened her mouth to say something. “Another thing. Do you really want me to leave you alone here? There is a good chance that grizzlies live in some of the caves and they’ll be hungry. It will only be a matter of time before they rip off the door or smash a window to get to you.”

The reality of what was happening suddenly sank in and she nodded. “I can see your point but how long do you expect us to be here?”

“I figure they’ll have a chopper up by morning.” Raven tossed her a blanket. “We’re lucky it’s summer, but it does get cold in the mountains, so rug up and try and get some sleep. Ben will alert us if anything tries to creep up on us.”

Emily took the blanket and added it to the one she had wrapped around her legs. “Not even you will be able to stop a grizzly.”

“I’m not planning on killing anything, Em.” Raven yawned and tipped back his chair. “But I have the firepower in this truck if we need it, and by morning we might find a way to drive out of here. We don’t know the extent of the rockslide. There’s a good chance we can get through alongside the mountain, even if it means moving a few rocks.” He gave her a long look. “To ease your mind, at first light I’ll hike away from the mountain and try to make contact with the office.”

Concerned, Emily shook her head. “No, call my dad. He’ll be frantic with worry. He’ll let everyone know we’re okay.”

“Sure.” Raven closed his eyes. “Try to get some sleep. You’ll need your strength if we need to dig the truck out.” He lifted one of her hands and smiled. “Ah, good. No long nails.” He chuckled. “I wouldn’t want you to break one.”

Bristling, Emily reclined her chair and glared at him. “What do you mean by that? Do you figure I’m not tough enough?” She snorted when he grinned at her. “I’ve faced down serial killers—and survived. Dave and my dad instructed me and my sisters how to protect ourselves.”

“Yeah? That worked well when that guy on the snowmobile tried to grab you last winter, didn’t it?” His white smile glowed in the moonlight. “If I hadn’t been there, you figure you’d have survived?” He chuckled. “Don’t get mad with me. I’m just teasing you, Em. I must admit I admire you. The way you walked onto that crime scene and didn’t flinch or puke would put most people to shame. You’ll make a fine medical examiner. Wolfe will be a very proud daddy.”

It was hard to be angry with Raven, when he took everything in his stride. His placid easy-going nature was something she admired about him. He’d saved her and her sister’s lives—but sometimes he infuriated her. She recalled talking to Jenna about her early days with Kane. She’d never met anyone who would take a bullet to protect her, and at first Jenna had found Kane’s overprotectiveness suffocating. Later she’d told her that often men who’d been raised in the military had an old-school respect for women. She figured that Raven was like Kane in that way, but only that way.

She’d seen how Kane’s expression changed when he faced down a killer. The look had frightened her. It was as if he became a brick wall, and no one was getting through him. Raven was more like the dogs he trained—he’d be a best friend until given a command to attack—and she liked that about him too. She snuggled under the blanket and looked at him. “Thanks. I’m working hard to get through all the requirements. It will be a dream come true to work alongside my dad. He needs a vacation so bad. Although, when he gets married, he’ll arrange for another ME to cover for him if needed. I hope we have a death-free week when he’s away. It would make life so much easier.”

“I wouldn’t worry.” Raven yawned explosively. “Between us, we’ll manage normal deaths, and homicides we can put on ice until he returns. You can run the necessary tests, and my license is current, so it’s all good. Go to sleep, Em. We’ll talk in the morning.” He sighed. “Goodnight, Ben.”

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