Page 109 of Sleigh Bells and Snowstorms
Jensen
The dot on the map had stopped. Whatever Julian’s destination was, he’d arrived.
Eventually, I came to the turn he’d taken. It was probably a dirt road and nearly impossible to see in the storm. My car bumped over something, but a gap in the trees indicated where the road should be.
With the snow falling so heavily, I vaguely wondered if I’d be able to get out again. I’d have to hurry, or we risked getting stuck out there.
But one problem at a time.
I followed the road—or what I hoped was a road—gradually closing the distance between myself and the tracker. The snow deepened, and when I came to a slight hill, I almost got stuck. Fighting back frustration, I coaxed the car forward until I started to move again.
Since I couldn’t drive up and announce myself, I stopped at a flat spot a short distance from the dot on the map. If I had any chance of rescuing Natalie and getting out alive, I had to spring the trap—on my terms, not theirs. Stealth was imperative.
I grabbed a few things I might need from the center console—a pocketknife, a lock picking tool, and a few small explosives Itypically used as a last resort if there was a lock I couldn’t crack. And thank goodness for Natalie and her insistence I get Tilikum clothes. I stashed everything in my inside pockets, zipped my winter coat, and donned the hat and gloves she’d pressed me to purchase.
Snow blew into the car as soon as I opened the door. I had to push against the wind to get out, and the cold stung my face. Ignoring the discomfort and squinting into the blizzard, I got off the road and took to the trees.
Wary of the possibility that Archer had brought snipers, or at least henchmen, I looked for any sign of them. It was hard to tell in the storm, but I had a feeling Archer was on his own. He always worked alone. Just like me.
Still, despite the frigid temperature, I was careful and glad for the cover of the biting wind and swirling snow.
Finally, a light came into view. I could see the vague outline of two vehicles parked in front of what seemed to be a small cabin.
There was the trap. Now, I had to figure out how to spring it without getting myself killed.
All in a day’s work.
While I didn’t know for sure that Natalie was there, my gut told me she was. I could practically feel her presence calling to me.
Don’t worry, darling. I’ll be there soon.
Creeping closer, I spotted the front door. Still no sign of henchmen. Good. Once I got rid of Julian, it would just be me and Archer. Man to man, as it had always been meant to be.
I picked my way through the snow, using the trees as cover, and made my way around the cabin. Just the one door. Several windows. A stack of wood in the back. The roof had a high pitch to allow the snow to slide off, and the wood stack was similarly protected.
I couldn’t see much through the small windows, even with my binoculars. Possibly a bit of movement—was someone walking around in there?—but the glare was too strong and the snow too thick to make out anything useful. I moved positions and paused again, looking at the landscape around me.
A bulge in the snow a short distance from the cabin caught my attention. It looked human shaped, like a person lying prone on the ground. I focused on the far end, and sure enough, there was blood in the snow.
No. Not Natalie. It couldn’t be my Natalie.
Forcing away the panic that tried to seize me, I crept toward the body and brushed away the accumulated snow. It was Julian.
Relief washed over me as I darted back behind a tree for cover. The bullet wound in Julian’s head meant Archer was armed. I was not. My work didn’t usually require that sort of direct confrontation. I was sent in to woo and flatter. To sneak in and get out without being suspected.
I needed to lure Archer outside. And use the storm to my advantage.
Reaching into one of my inside pockets—Natalie really had chosen the perfect coat—I drew out the small explosives. They weren’t strong enough to do a great deal of damage, but hopefully a few together would be loud enough to draw Archer outside.
I affixed them to a tree, set them to detonate, then circled around so I could see the cabin door and approach from a different direction.
A few seconds later, the blast filled the air. The sound echoed off the nearby mountain slopes, rumbling through the air like thunder.
I held my breath. Would he come out?
The door opened. Archer stepped out.
And he had Natalie.
