Chapter 4
Chapter Four
Jessica
We were told to go to a cabin in the mountains.
I knew the place well enough. I had climbed that range a few times before, though never for anything like this. Knowing the trail should have made me feel better. It didn’t. It only made the whole thing stranger, like I was dragging my real life into one of my dirtiest thoughts.
The cabin was about an hour by car, then two hours on foot. We left late Saturday afternoon after I got back from the gym. Jesus kept glancing at me like he was waiting for me to change my mind, but I had already packed my bag. I had already made the choice. My nerves were just making me quiet.
We eased out of the city and hit traffic almost immediately. Jesus flipped through radio stations, bouncing between music and local news. Most of it was boring until a police alert came on about criminals escaping from a prison van after an accident on a nearby highway.
I looked out the window and tried not to react.
We didn’t make much of it. Jesus wondered if that was what caused the traffic. I nodded like a normal wife on a normal weekend trip, even though my stomach had tightened so hard it almost hurt.
He took the earliest exit and worked through lesser known roads until we reached the mountain range.
We parked at an inn near the base of the hill.
Mr. Jenkins owned the place, and he had known my grandad for years.
He made a decent business renting rooms to hikers and climbers who needed somewhere to sleep and a safe place to leave their cars.
I made small talk with him while Jesus sent Faro a message. Everything was still as planned.
Seeing him type that made my skin warm under my clothes.
After we gathered our bags and hiking gear, we set out for the cabin.
The trail followed a creek most of the way up, gentle enough to be easy but long enough to leave us quiet.
Evening had already started to settle by the time we reached the higher path.
The woods were dark under the thick brush, and the moon kept disappearing behind the trees.
We passed a few other cabins, all empty.
Ours was the farthest one out. The closest building sat about half a mile back, which I knew was the point. Faro had chosen well, or maybe Jesus had. I didn’t ask.
It was almost seven when we arrived.
Jesus took my hand. “We can turn back, you know? We’ll rent one of Mr. Jenkins’ rooms, rest up, and head back.”
For a second, I looked at the cabin instead of him. My heart was beating too hard. I was afraid, excited, ashamed, and so worked up I could barely stand still.
“I want to,” I said.
He nodded.
Once we went inside, there was no turning back.
I opened the door and turned on the lights.
The cabin was rustic but beautiful in its own way.
There was a fireplace in the living area and a basic stove for cooking.
I checked the windows. The door. My hands moved like I was preparing for a normal night outdoors, but there was nothing normal about the way my pulse kept jumping.
The air cooled quickly. Jesus came back, and we ate a simple dinner we had brought with us. There was no bed, so we unzipped the sleeping bags on the floor. It made sense. This was more of a way station for hikers, not a place meant for comfort.
Then, someone knocked.
Jesus and I looked at each other.
This was it.
“Who is it?” he shouted.
The knock came again.
My throat went dry. I nodded and signaled for him to open it. He left the sleeping bag and went to the door.
As soon as his shadow crossed it, the door slammed open and Jesus hit the floor.
I cried out.
Two men stood in the doorway. The first one filled the frame and had to duck his head to step inside. He was all size, dark skin, and muscle, far bigger in person than he had looked in the photo.
Faro.