Zero Visibility. Sharon Dunn

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      TWO

      Merci slipped into the truck next to Nathan, and Lorelei climbed in beside her. It had taken some coaxing to even get Lorelei to agree to go. She wasn’t handling this well at all.

      The sound of the engine turning over made Merci breathe a little easier. At least the truck was running. Snow fell in clumps. The wipers worked furiously to keep it off the windshield. At best, they could see maybe five feet in front of them.

      Nathan pressed a button, and a blast of heat hit her. “Warm enough for you?”

      Nathan had found them both extra clothes to put on underneath their dress coats. “Yes, that’s good.” She stole a glance at the man who had saved their lives. His brown eyes held kindness. “Thank you…for all you’ve done for us.”

      “No problem.” He leaned forward to see better through the window, focusing on his driving. His answer was so abrupt. Maybe he was still upset over her asking questions about his family. He probably thought she was nosy. She hadn’t meant to step on toes or reopen old wounds. It was just that in the pictures of his family, everyone looked so happy. She only understood the concept of happy families from television shows.

      She’d been an only child. Her father, an international businessman, traveled all the time. Having to raise a child alone had made her mother depressed and resentful. Merci had always felt as if she was in the way of their happiness, not a part of it. Though her mother would never say it, she seemed happier when Merci was old enough to stay with relatives, and she could travel with her husband. Her aunt Celeste, her father’s sister, had been the stabilizing force in her life. When her parents left for Hong Kong or London, she had stayed with Auntie in the little town of Grotto Falls, Oregon, that never changed. Even though she would be twenty-six in a month, she found herself running to the stability and the love that her aunt provided.

      “I’m just grateful you came along when you did, that’s all.” Merci folded her hands in her lap.

      “Once I saw what was going on, I couldn’t very well have left you there.” Nathan gazed at her for a moment, offering her a lopsided smile that sent a charge of warmth through her. “Besides, I’m an EMT. I can’t help myself. I had to rescue you.”

      She was glad he was able to look past whatever pain she had caused by talking about his family. In addition to showing bravery in facing the armed robbers, he seemed like a truly kind and decent person.

      The truck slid, and Nathan gripped the wheel tighter. Lorelei let out a tiny scream, and Merci patted her leg.

      “This is scary.” Lorelei’s voice was barely above a whisper. “We should have stayed at the cabin.”

      “Don’t worry. We’ll make it. I can handle this snow just fine,” Nathan said.

      Up ahead, the mountain road intersected with a flatter road. That must be the country two-lane they’d taken when they turned off the highway.

      Nathan slowed the truck down. “There’s something on the road down there.”

      Merci couldn’t make out anything but windblown snow.

      Nathan braked. The truck slid before coming to stop. Now she could discern the dark lump at the intersection of the two roads.

      “Sit tight.” He pushed open the door. “Let me go check it out. I’ll leave the engine running so the cab will stay warm.”

      He stepped away from the truck. Within a few feet, the blowing snow consumed him. It cleared momentarily, and she saw his bright-colored ski jacket as he made his way toward the dark mass.

      * * *

      Nathan’s boots sank down into the deep snow. He pulled his leg out and tried to find the center of the road where the snow would be more hard packed. He’d been on the mountain in winter before, but this was the worst he’d ever seen it. At least a foot of snow had fallen in a short amount of time.

      He wasn’t worried. He’d get the two women down this mountain. He had confidence in his skill as a driver, and his truck was designed for these kinds of conditions. If the women could file a report, it would make capture that much more likely. Taking action would also help them get past the trauma. Lorelei seemed to be shutting down by degrees. The compassion her friend Merci showed her touched him. Merci seemed like a strong, capable young woman.

      The wind cleared and a dark colored car partially covered in snow came into view. It looked as though the car had slid off the road. As he drew closer, he saw that it was the car that belonged to the thieves. He slowed his pace.

      The car was facing east, which meant the thieves were headed back to Clampett when they got stuck. The impending storm must have made them decide to go back the way they had come, rather than face the unknown of how long the country road stretched on before it met up with the highway going west. From the way the car was wedged, lack of familiarity with the road and reduced visibility had caused them to veer over into a ditch and get stuck. The car blocked enough of the intersection between mountain road and country road to make it hard for him to get his truck around without ending up stuck, too.

      He approached the car with caution. When he peered through the windows, he saw that it was empty. Where had the men gone? The wind had blown quite a bit, but he could make out the soft impression of foot tracks leading back up the mountain road.

      Nathan exhaled, creating a cloud. His eyes followed the direction the men had walked. The two thugs might have seen the tall light by the cabin or maybe it had cleared enough for them to see smoke rising out of the chimney. In any case, they probably thought they could find shelter up the road, not realizing the cabin belonged to the man who had just seen them trying to rob the women. СКАЧАТЬ