Page 6

T rudging through the heavy snow, Monica was sorely vexed that she and Andy were injured to the extent that it really put them at a disadvantage when they rescued the hostage.

Her back was hurting like crazy, and that long walk through the blowing snow, chilling wind, and half-frozen feet and fingers added to her distress.

She pulled her gun out of its holster. “I need you to get closer to the cabin.”

“What if he sees us moving to that location? You can dash over there. I can’t.”

She hesitated, examining the path she would need to take. “Okay. Revised plan. We’re going to trek through the woods in that direction. I don’t want him to see our path in the snow. If we move over there, he won’t be able to see our trail from the house or the woodpile unless he walks around it.”

“I’m with you. Let’s go.” They would have much better odds, and Andy could use the firewood to prop himself up as he provided backup for Monica.

She put her gun back in its holster and secured it, and he did the same with his. She moved first through the fir trees, creating the path while he followed. When she reached a point in the woods safe from the view of the cabin, she waited until Andy caught up with her.

Finally, she reached the edge of the woods and pushed the thick branches aside slightly, allowing them to view the steep roof of the cabin and the woodpile.

“All right. I’m going to go. If he pops his head out at all?—”

“I’ll shoot him.”

With her heart racing, she ran toward the woodpile and hid safely behind it, crouching low. She turned to look at Andy to see if he was okay, but he was already halfway to her, crawling to the log pile.

He smiled at her and shrugged. He appeared bound and determined to be there for her no matter what, and plunging through the snow on an injured ankle must have been so painful. She admired his iron will.

When he finally reached the woodpile, he leaned against it and took a deep breath. She sat next to him. “I need to reach the cabin and then learn where they are.”

It was still just afternoon, though the blizzard continued to howl as the freezing wind whipped across the clearing, sending snow swirling into a frenzy of white.

At least while they were navigating the woods, the winds hadn’t been as strong.

But the snowstorm concealed her when she was out in the open as she dashed for the cabin.

Their visibility was reduced to only a few feet, and she figured she could make it to the building without being seen.

“Okay, if you’re ready, I will make a run for it.” She stood up. As high as the woodpile was on the back side, Denny couldn’t see her.

“All right. I’ll have your back.”

She helped Andy to stand, and then he leaned against a log poking out of the woodpile, his gun ready.

At least he was tall enough that he could do so. “I can see between the two logs and watch your progress. Be careful.”

“Yes, and you too.”

Monica pulled out her gun and moved around to the end of the woodpile. She watched the windows for what seemed like forever before she made a move.

“I don’t see anyone at the window. I’m going to make a run for it.” She prepared herself mentally for the maneuver.

“I’m watching the windows. I don’t see anyone.”

“Okay, good.” She hadn't seen anyone looking out the cabin windows either, and took off running as much as possible through the impossibly deep snow.

Her feet sank with each step, making it more like a slow trudge. She could feel the cold seeping through her boots, the wetness creeping into her socks, but she tried to ignore it.

She concentrated on finding a window through which she could peer while listening for any sounds inside the cabin.

She needed to know where both the kidnapper and his ex-girlfriend were.

Then she had an idea. If she could break a window and simulate that a branch had blown into it and broken it, that would get the kidnapper’s attention.

The problem was that she would have to return to the woods to find a sturdy enough branch and rip it off the tree while wearing her polar bear coat.

Then that gave her another idea. She began stripping off her clothes. Andy would probably think she was nuts. She quickly shifted into her polar bear, figuring if she peered into the windows and either of the people saw her, the kidnapper wouldn’t shoot, nor would he dare leave the cabin.

She padded through the snow, glad to be warm in her fur coat, her paws navigating the snow so much better.

She approached the first window to the right of the front door at the end of the house and peered in.

A light was on deep inside the house, and the door to the bedroom was open. No one was in there.

What if the window was unlocked? She shifted and pushed at it, but it didn’t budge.

She shifted back into her bear form and headed to the next window, higher up, perhaps a much smaller bathroom window.

She stood up on her hind legs and peered in.

No one was there, the light was off, and the door was open.

She moved around to the back of the house until she reached another window, peered in, and found it was another bedroom. The man and woman must be in the living area, which would make sense since it wasn’t nighttime yet.

However, she realized she wouldn’t have her backup because Andy couldn’t see her. But also, her gun was with her clothes by the first bedroom at the end of the cabin.

She moved toward the patio deck, complete with several chairs and tables buried by snow.

From her angle, she could see that the curtains were open.

On one wall, an orange-flamed fire made the cabin appear warm and cozy, though she was perfectly comfortable in the snow while wearing her polar bear coat.

Then she inched toward the deck and climbed onto it. She peered in. She didn’t see anyone or hear anyone talking. She was worried Denny had killed Helen, and that was why no one was talking.

She took a deep breath and moved closer to the double-window doors. She could hear moaning inside and feared the worst.

Andy had to move to the cabin to help Monica.

He wasn’t doing her any good by staying by the woodpile.

Besides, he was dying to know what she planned to do as a bear.

After watching the cabin and seeing no one looking out the windows, he secured his gun, grabbed his walking stick, and made his way in Monica's tracks.

When she’d carved her path through the snow to the cabin, she hadn’t been in view of the front windows, but if someone looked out at the ones at the end of the cabin, they could see the narrow path she’d made. Though the snow was blowing so hard, it would soon fill it up.

Once he reached the cabin, he leaned against it and peered into the bedroom window. He moved to the next one, but the window was too high. He came around the corner of the back of the house and found Monica peering in through the glass doors at the back of the deck.

She must have heard him coming and jerked her bear head around to look at him.

Suddenly, a woman screamed, and he was ready to rush into the house to protect her, but Monica shook her head as if to say it was too late.

She left the deck and ran to her clothes at the end of the house, and he hurried after her. She had already shifted and was pulling on her boots and sweater as soon as he reached her. He helped her into her parka.

“They’re in collusion.”

“What?” he whispered.

“The two of them. They are having sex.”

Andy’s jaw dropped. “It’s not a case of him forcing her or that she feels she has to so that he won’t kill her or something, is it?” Andy couldn’t believe it, not when he truly had believed Helen was a victim.

“No.” Then she frowned. “It looked like they were mutually agreeable to having sex.”

“So either we’re rescuing her and taking him down, or we’re arresting both of them.” Andy had never faced such a crazy turn of events while on the job.

“The new boyfriend is loaded with money. So maybe this kidnapping and ransom had been planned from the beginning,” she whispered back.

“If there’s no urgency to arrest them because there’s no actual kidnapping involved, we could wait until the snowstorm blows over and let our injuries heal. They are not going anywhere until the road can be cleared. And that might be days.”

Monica handed him a bottle of water from her field pack. “Okay, so we watch the house from the woods, but shift into our bears and stay warm that way.”

“Yeah. This will be my first mission in which I’ve conducted surveillance as a polar bear.”

“Truthfully, the same for me.” She pulled out another bottle of water and drank it. “And I like it. Okay, let’s return to the woods after a snack and shift. I’ve got some food in my pack. And we’ll wait them out.”

She handed him a package of peanuts and grabbed another. They ate them and then shoved the empty wrappers in her backpack. To cover her tracks, she moved through the same trail she’d made to the woodpile. After he joined her, she returned to the woods, and he followed her once she was safely there.

Then she helped him remove his clothes as fast as she could. He sat on his rump in the freezing snow and shifted into his polar bear—much warmer. She started to remove her parka, groaning a little, and he quickly shifted and hurried to help her undress.

“You’ll freeze to death,” she admonished, but he could tell she was glad he was helping her.

Then, they both shifted in the blink of an eye, and she cuddled next to him. She nipped his ear, lay on her belly, and watched the house.

He never thought he would be on a surveillance mission with a beautiful white polar bear, either.

Snuggling together—well, hell, just seeing her again—had him thinking of dating possibilities.

She felt soft, furry, and warm beside him, while he warmed her with his body heat.

Despite their circumstances, he felt relaxed and enjoyed this restful time with her.