Page 73 of Final Escape
A faint sound of sirens wailed in the far distance, though with the curving, narrow mountain roads, it was still a long ways off.
Linda’s eyes opened wider in alarm. “Shouldn’t...have called.”
“You need help. The ambulance will be here soon, I promise.”
“Don’t...stay here.Go.Now.”
“Where is he? Where’s Noah?”
“Taken. M-maybe an hour ago.”
“Who did it?”
Linda’s eyes drifted shut. Heaving shudders seemed to roll from deep within her. Shock...blood loss...would she even make it until help arrived? Carrie sorted through the memories of her last first-aid class.
Blankets.Raise the feet—except with a heart attack. But with those abdominal wounds, maybe not in this case, either? She ran into the house and brought out blankets. Rechecked the wounds, then gently tucked the blankets around Linda.
“The...Falls,” she whispered, her voice weak. “Noah—please, hurry.”
Carrie rocked back on her heels, torn. Then she punched in 911 once again and relayed the situation to the dispatcher. “I’ve got to go after the boy. I can’t wait.”
“Ma’am, you need to stay there. Help is on its way.”
“The wounded woman is Linda Bates. She’s outside, on the north side of the house. I did what I could, but she’s hurt badly and I think she was left for dead. You need to get here fast.”
She recited the directions once again for good measure. Then disconnected the call. “Linda, the ambulance will be here very soon. Tell me where I should go to find Noah.”
The woman coughed weakly. “Stay...on this road. A mile. Signs—the Falls. Hurry. H-he said...j-just like your mother...”
“Who said? Linda—who am I looking for? Who took Noah?”
“D-didn’t see his face.” Her voice was so soft now that Carrie had to lean close. “Mask. S-said Noah saw too much. Had to take...care. Of details.”
Sickened, Carrie stood and stepped back, then briefly closed her eyes.Please, God, this woman really, really needs Your help. Please protect her...and bring help soon. And please, help me find Noah before it’s too late.
Linda had seemed terrified because Carrie had called 911, and now Dante’s words slammed back into her thoughts as she drove away.Don’t trust anyone. Not even the ones you know.
She’d had no choice but to make the emergency call. Linda might not have much of a chance, but she’d surely die without immediate attention. But making that call had also alerted the entire area of the attack. Most of the locals owned scanners and eavesdropped on police and fire calls, day and night.
And it wasn’t only the good guys who listened in.
Linda had been sure of it. She’d been willing to risk her own life to avoid letting her attacker know she’d been found and that emergency help was on its way.
Had she been trying to give Carrie more time to find Noah before his abductor started to panic? Was it already too late?
With just a faint wash of moonlight overhead, the forest loomed over the rutted track leading north from Linda’s house, creating a nearly impenetrable menacing darkness that the headlights barely touched.
Leaning over the steering wheel to peer out into the night, Carrie crept forward, her foot barely on the accelerator. Here and there, pairs of eyes glowed at her through the trees, then disappeared.Please, Lord—help me,she whispered.And please let me get there in time.
She glanced at the odometer, marking the tenths of a mile slowly rolling past, then straining to see any signs for the Falls. Up here, there might only be a small wooden sign overgrown by brush.
A patch of white flickered in the beam of her headlight, then disappeared. She stopped and angled the flashlight at it.Granite Falls, 1/2 Mile.
The road was barely wide enough for two cars to pass, but she pulled over as far as she could, the underbrush scraping at the side of the SUV.
Fear clogged her throat as she grabbed her backpack and climbed out, defenseless. Alone. The darkness fell like a heavy blanket in front of her now that the Tahoe’s headlights were no longer leading the way.
She took one tentative step forward. Then another, until she picked out a narrow path toward the falls with her flashlight.
