Chapter 10
10
Lenore felt a wave of relief as dusk settled over the landscape, and the fading light both hid her escape while offering faint illumination to guide her path. The jagged peaks cast long shadows across her path as the rays of the setting sun painted the rocky trail. Each step was carefully negotiated over loose rocks and rugged terrain as the cold mountain air nipped at her exposed skin.
She resisted the urge to run, knowing a misstep in the chilling darkness could lead to disaster. The urgency to distance herself from Raul gnawed at her, but an injury could mean death in the frigid night. When she judged she was safe from their hiding place, she paused to look at Freddy's phone. Frustration gripped her as she realized it was locked with a password. “Shit,” she muttered, blinking back the tears of desperation filling her eyes.
Licking her dry lips, she forced her breathing to slow. Her throat was raw from earlier retching, and her nerves were stretched taut with the necessity of finding help. Finally, with trembling fingers, she activated the emergency call function. She waited, but her hope sank as no signal appeared.
Determined not to stay still, she quickened her pace on the trail in the fading sunlight of the cloudless sky. She hoped she would have another half hour of visibility, no matter how minimal, before needing to find shelter for the night.
She watched the terrain closely as she hastened downward, stopping occasionally to listen for any sounds of pursuit and to press the emergency button again. Nothing. Surely, there will be service somewhere!
The path was rough, with sparce trees to provide cover. If it were daytime, she'd be a sitting duck for anyone who came near—but now, she appreciated the lack of forests, so she had a better chance to see where she was going, even in the rapidly dimming light.
Suddenly, the phone vibrated in her hand, and she almost dropped the device. Fear surged through her, terrified that the call was for Freddy. But staring at the screen, she saw the emergency SOS button flashing. She pressed the answer button, and her voice shook as she said, “He… hello?”
“This is the Glacier County emergency service. Are you experiencing an emergency?”
“Ye…s.” The transmission began breaking up, and not knowing if she had time to explain who she was, and where she was, she simply said, “Get in touch with Sisco Aguilar of Lighthouse Security. Tell him Lenore has Freddy's phone.”
A crackling sound was heard, and then a man's voice said, “Lenore Keller?”
She could barely understand him, but her heart leaped at the thought that someone was looking for her. “Yes. I'm Lenore Keller. Tell Sisco Aguilar of Lighthouse Security that I have Freddy's phone.”
The line crackled more before she lost signal. She had no idea if the person understood her or would pass along the message. She didn't know what resources the police or even the FBI might have been utilizing to track her. Or Lighthouse Security, for that matter. But she felt certain that somehow Sisco would be able to find her.
Determined to keep moving as long as there was the faintest light to guide her, she continued, slipping and sliding along the rocky terrain, with thoughts of all Evie had overcome as her motivation.
After only twenty minutes in the air, Sadie's voice came across on the helicopter's radio.
“Sisco. You won't believe this, but we intercepted a call for Glacier County emergency services. Lenore Keller called, and while the signal was broken, she managed to say that she had escaped and was on Freddy's phone. We checked, and the Freddy that was spotted on a hospital camera is Frederick Weston. He's been in the system for small-time drug running, but the local sheriff said seeing him with Raul Munoz lets them know that Freddy is moving up in the world of cartels. We've targeted his phone and have her location pinged.”
“Thank fuck,” Sisco said, the air rushing out as relief flooded. He had no idea how she managed to escape, but right now, that meant she was alone in the wilderness terrain of Montana with no coat or protection.
Sadie rattled off the coordinates to Cole, who altered his course. “I'll send the info to you so you can find her in real time. Plus, when she called, she specifically asked for you and Lighthouse Security. Seems she knew who to trust.”
“Hell, she entrusted him with her daughter, so she knows who’ll come,” Devil said.
“Send the info, and thanks,” Sisco said, then looking at Cole, he asked, “What's the ETA?”
“She's moving southeast down the range. No vegetation for her to hide in if someone is looking for her, but we've got places to land. Should be there in eight minutes.”
Letting out a long, slow breath, Sisco was almost disappointed that he wouldn't have the opportunity to get to Raul and Freddy. He'd relished the idea of making them pay for involving Lenore and terrifying Evie.
“It's ending the way it needs to end for now.” Devil's deep voice cut through Sisco's thoughts.
He jerked his head around to see his friend staring at him. He didn't bother refuting or agreeing. Devil understood. They'd lived through SEAL missions where the result was positive but didn't erase the criminals responsible. In fact, many extraction missions ended successfully without taking out the ones who perpetrated the crimes. But this… this felt personal in a way he'd never experienced.
Lifting his chin as his only acknowledgment, he turned to look down at the rough terrain with lengthening shadows blending into the darkening sky.