Page 25

Waking up and finding yourself in a strange place was one of the worst feelings. The terror it made one feel was awful. Add to it the fact you could recall the hazy journey getting there, which made it worse.

I had no idea how long it had taken to get me here. I didn’t have a clue where here was. I recalled that after I was hit on the back of the head and passed out, I kept resurfacing. I was out in the snow, and it was dark. Every time I tried to figure out where I was and why White had knocked me out, I’d find myself slipping back under. Later, I was roused by the sensation of moving fast. I instantly knew we were on a snowmobile. I was in front of my attacker. I made the mistake of wiggling, alerting him that I was awake. He swore, then fumbled in his jacket pocket. A sharp jab to my neck made me drowsy again, then nothing.

I slowly scanned my surroundings without moving my head. My eyelids were barely cracked open in case my captor was in the room. I didn’t want to broadcast that I was awake. The room was warm, and I no longer felt bound in layers of clothing.

After looking around the room and not spotting anyone, I opened my eyes more. I slightly turned my head to the right and then to the left. I saw no one, just a cozy room. Based on the walls, I knew it was a cabin, but not a cheap or old one. It was high-end. I tried to get up, and I discovered I couldn’t. My legs were tied to the posts at the bottom of the bed. My wrists were tied to the posts at the top of the bed. Someone had removed my outerwear and my boots.

Goddamn it! When I got out of these restraints, I was kicking ass. With my head clearer, I knew my captor wasn’t Deputy White. He had no reason to take me. That left someone involved with Kensy’s kidnapping. Whether it was Detective Chase or someone else, I had no idea. It didn’t matter. What did matter was getting myself free and finding not only a way to turn the tables on them but also a way to alert Beau to where we were. If I were lucky, we would still be in Montana. If I weren’t, I’d figure it out.

A glance at the window showed it was still dark outside. Did that mean it was the same night, or had a day lapsed, and I was into a second one? I could see snow and plenty of bare trees not too far in the distance. The way the snow was, I guessed I was on the second floor. The first thing to do was try to get my arms free. After that, when my legs were free, I needed to find a weapon. I wouldn’t go out the window into the snow unless I had no other option.

I craned my neck to examine my bindings. I gave experimental tugs on both sets. Excitement coursed through me at my discovery. Whoever tied me obviously didn’t do it often. He had tied them to the individual posts like they should be tied, but he hadn’t made them tight enough, meaning the leg ones had a bit of slack in them, and so did the ones on my wrists. This allowed me to wiggle closer to where one of my arms was tied.

I studied the knots. I had to hold in a laugh. He used the wrong kind of knot, too. If I could reach it with my teeth, I’d likely be able to undo the knot. With one arm free, I’d knock out the rest easily and quickly. Trying to get more play in the rope, I jerked on all four of them repeatedly. Because my captor used the wrong kind of knot, I was able to slacken the rope. After a good five minutes of loosening, I was able to strain my neck as far as possible and latch onto the knot with my teeth.

I chewed and tugged on it repeatedly. I might need dental work when I’m done, but it would be worth it. When I felt the rope give a few minutes later, I almost cried. My neck was screaming at me in pain, and my teeth ached, but I did it. One more good tug and the knot came undone.

I jerked my arm free, and while I rested my aching neck on the pillow, I reached over with my free hand and undid the knot on my opposite one. As soon as it was undone, I sat up and scooted myself down so I was able to reach my ankles. Those were undone in no time. I got to my feet as soon as all four limbs were free. I had to hang on for a minute to get my legs strong enough to carry me. Once they were, I tiptoed to where my clothing was on a chair. I picked up my boots and wanted to swear. He’d found the knife I carried in them. No matter, I’d find something I could use to get myself out of here. It would be too easy to find a telephone here. That wasn’t happening.

I opened all the drawers and the tall, freestanding clothes press. There was nothing in the dresser. In the press, there were a few wire hangers. They hung off a short wooden pole that wasn’t nailed in. It was mounted on fancy brackets. I removed the hangers and then the pole. Sitting down, I strained my ears to listen for anyone approaching as I bent the hanger ends around the pole, leaving the hook part sticking out. I straightened them to stand out from the pole. If they had been the higher-density wire, doing it by hand would’ve been impossible, but they were cheap ones. I wasn’t sure, with the quality of the room and items in it, why someone had those ugly, cheap wire hangers, but it was my luck that they did. With my homemade cudgel in hand, I crept to the door. I put my ear to it and listened.

At first, my heart almost jumped out of my chest when I heard voices talking, and they seemed to be coming closer. As I calmed, their words registered, my jailers were revealed, and much more.