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“Yes. It has been all over the news. If you didn’t know, I live in White Bear, close to where you probably are now if you’re traveling through the town.”

She filled up her gas tank at the mini-mart. She had broken things off with Pierre when he lived in Anchorage because he was human and not a bear shifter like her. So she was surprised to hear from him. Did he want to get together? He’d been annoyed when she broke it off with him, so no, she didn’t want to see him. And then—it was like it was too much for him and he moved!

“My girlfriend has just been kidnapped.”

“What?” That changed everything.

“Yes. Her name is Helen Wright. Some guy knocked on the door, and she went to answer it. He barged into the houseand slammed the door shut. He said he wanted five hundred thousand dollars. Somehow, he knew I was good for it.”

Pierre was a braggart about his wealth, so anyone could have known about it.

“Before he knocked me out and took off with her, he said he would kill her if I reported it to the police. I don’t know how long I’d been unconscious. You can’t tell anyone. ”

“Oh, no, Pierre. Did you call 9-1-1? Do you need an ambulance?”

“No. I told you. You can’t tell anyone. He said he would kill her if I told anyone.”

“So why call me?” None of it made sense if he wasn’t supposed to tell anyone.

“Because you’re known to extract kidnapped victims from their kidnappers without the kidnapper being able to react. You’ve done it three times before that I know of, and now, today, you did it again. And you’re close by, right?”

“Yes. I’m in White Bear now.”

“Okay, listen. Helen called him Denny in surprise when he came to the door. I’ve never met the guy, but she often told me about her ex-boyfriend, Denny Wilson, and how his grandparents own a cabin northwest of here. She said he would always take her there. I looked it up on Google Maps. Here are the coordinates.”

“All right. But you don’t know for sure that they’re going there.”

“No, but it’s a good bet.”

“Are you sure you don’t need medical attention?” After saving the coordinates, Monica entered the station to use the restroom.

“No. She had a restraining order against him. That’s why she left him. He was abusive and stalked her. Can you rescue her?”

“I’m at the mini-mart on Main Street. I’ll be on my way in a few minutes. ” But so was the big snowstorm that was coming.

“Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me. I’ll let you go then.”

They ended the call, and she hurried into the restroom, not knowing when she might get another chance. Afterward, she grabbed some bottles of water, jerky, and protein bars just in case she needed them. She paid for the items and took them to her car.

Monica called her boss to let him know she had a lead to a possible kidnapped victim and explained the situation.

“Our agents are tied up everywhere.” Remington sounded worried about her.

“Yes, I know.” That was why she didn’t have a partner in this last kidnapping case; no one had been available.

“Be careful. Let me know when you learn if she’s there, and I’ll send the cavalry.”

“Yes, sir.”

With a desperate sense of urgency, Monica checked the aerial photography concerning the cabin's location. Then she got into her car and raced down the country road, determined to save Helen, who, if what Pierre had said was true, was being held captive in a cabin in White Bear County.

The wind-driven snow made seeing more than fifteen feet ahead difficult, but Monica pushed on, knowing time was of the essence. The snow swirled in a circle, and she felt like she was driving through the funnel of an ice-driven time machine.

Her heart raced from the worry that she would drive off the road and into the ditch when she could barely see the road and not reach the woman in time. She prayed she would reach the cabin before the ex-boyfriend holding the woman captive hurt her or worse.

Forty miles from White Bear, Monica felt her tires slide on a crusting of ice on the snow-covered road, making her whole body prickle with unease. Suddenly, the wind shifted, and the snow parted for an instant.

Her heart nearly quit when a trooper waved his arms as he stood in the middle of the road ahead, trying to get her to stop. She slammed on her brakes, thinking his car was off in the ditch, buried in snow, and he needed a ride. But he was standing on the road in her direct path, which was suicidal.