Page 51 of Twice Missing
Gritting her teeth against the pain, Callie managed to kick the knife from his hand. But the momentary distraction cost her. The man tackled her to the ground, his hands wrapping around her throat.
Callie struggled, clawing at his face, but his grip was like iron. Darkness began to creep in at the edges of her vision. Her lungs burned for air as she fought desperately to break free.
Just as her consciousness began to slip away, three sharp cracks split the night air. The pressure on Callie's throat suddenly vanished as the man collapsed on top of her.
Gasping for air, Callie shoved the lifeless body off and looked up to see Mia standing there, the attacker's rifle shaking in her hands.
Callie struggled to her feet, approaching Mia slowly. "It's all right. He's dead. Give me the gun," she said softly, gently pushing the barrel down.
Mia released the weapon, tears streaming down her face as she collapsed into Callie's arms. Ethan rushed over, joining the embrace. They stood there for a moment, shaking from cold and shock.
As they made their way back towards the cabin, the sound of an approaching vehicle cut through the night. Headlights pierced the darkness between the trees — Jake's truck, moving at high speed.
It skidded to a stop in front of the cabin just as theyemerged from the woods. Jake leapt out, calling Callie's name frantically.
"Callie!" he shouted, rushing towards them. "You're hurt."
"It's just a flesh wound," Callie replied, though the pain in her arm and leg was intensifying.
Jake looked at the teens. "You guys okay?"
Ethan nodded silently. Mia remained quiet, her eyes distant.
"The call we got was bogus," Jake said, his voice tight with anger and worry.
"What?" Callie asked, her mind struggling to process the information.
"There was no search and rescue. There was no one at the GPS location it was sending us to. No footsteps in the snow. No sign that any hiker was out there. Then I got thinking…"
"That maybe it was a setup," Callie finished, nodding grimly.
"Let's get you out of here," Jake said, helping them into his truck.
As they sped away from the cabin, Ethan finally managed to get through to Noah on his phone. Callie could hear Noah's voice, loud and frantic, through the speaker. "Put her on."
Callie took the phone, wincing as the movement aggravated her wounds. "Are you okay?" Noah demanded.
"I'm alive. Yes."
"How? I thought…" Noah's voice trailed off, confusion evident.
"Ray never called you?" Callie asked, a sinking feeling in her stomach.
"No. What are you talking about?"
Callie quickly explained the arrangement Ray had supposedly made, and how he'd claimed to have Noah's approval. A string of curses erupted from the phone.
"Look, Noah, the teens are with me. They're fine. But, uh…" Callie hesitated, glancing at Mia. The girl's eyes met hers, silently pleading. Callie made a split-second decision. "Jake is here. He's with me," she said instead. "We're heading back to High Peaks."
As Jake called the sheriff's office to report the incident and request backup at the cabin, Noah's voice came back over the line. "I'm on my way back. I'll meet you at the hospital."
The call ended abruptly, leaving a heavy silence in the truck. Callie leaned back, exhaustion and pain washing over her.
20
Fear, anger, and confusion had eaten away at Noah during his journey from the reservation to Saranac Lake Medical Center. The snow-covered landscape blurred past his window. He'd phoned Ray multiple times, but each call went unanswered, leaving Noah to wonder if his brother was asleep or deliberately ignoring him.
As Noah burst through the hospital doors, the antiseptic smell hit him, a sharp reminder of too many visits to places like this. He made a beeline for the front desk, his heart pounding in his chest.
