Chapter 35
Chapter Thirty-Five
Toby
Fuck. The knife presses into my throat, the sharp edge biting my skin. A warm trickle of blood runs down my neck, a stark contrast to the cold fear flooding my veins.
A noise breaks through the thudding of my heartbeat in my ears.
A warbled, mutated whistle no dignified bird would ever make.
Despite the fact I have a knife pressed to my throat, the relief that flows through me is so overwhelming it almost buckles my knees.
Harry is here.
The knowledge settles the panic inside me.
It’s the two of us together. A team. And I trust Harry. Harry, with his cool, calculating brain. Harry, who always keeps his head in a crisis. He’ll figure out a way to get me out of this.
My eyes frantically scan the forest surrounding the clearing where Kade ambushed me, trying to spot where Harry is hiding.
The key is keeping Kade distracted so he doesn’t do the same.
“All right, all right, let’s not get too stab happy,” I say. Kade’s response is to grab me tighter. Pain flashes in my shoulder, and I look down to see his monstrosity of a watch, with a large orange dial, digging into me.
“You need to get my team out of that hole,” Kade snarls.
“Sure, I’ll do that. But we need to steer clear of the wolves.
Trust me, you don’t want to meet them when they’re hungry.
They’ll go after anything that moves. The scary thing is you don’t always hear them coming.
They can move through the forest like ghosts.
One minute you think you’re alone, the next… ”
As I babble, I scan the shadows of the forest, desperately trying to spot any sign of Harry.
My eyes catch on a small movement at the base of one of the trees. A pinecone rolls out from behind the tree. Then another. And another.
Three pinecones. Our signal for the snares.
My mind races. Harry is trying to tell me something.
He’s reminding me his trap line is still set up. I just need to navigate Kade in that direction.
“If we’re going to do this, we need to be smart about it,” I say, keeping my voice steady despite the knife at my throat and the watch stabbing into my shoulder. “I know a route that should keep us clear of the wolves. It’s a bit of a detour, but it’s our best bet.”
I lead Kade down a narrow path, my eyes darting from tree to tree, searching for the telltale signs of Harry’s handiwork.
Is he following us?
The forest seems to whisper secrets, and I listen for the faintest rustle of leaves or snap of a twig that might give away Harry’s position.
Ahead, I spot the three pinecones that signal one of Harry’s snares.
“The path narrows here,” I say, slowing my pace as we approach the trap. “We’ll have to go single file.”
Kade moves his knife from my throat to my back.
“Don’t try anything stupid,” he warns.
Don’t do anything stupid? I don’t think I have any other option right now.
The trail is a barely visible thread, a faint impression in the carpet of pine needles and moss. Fallen branches and twisted vines litter the path, nature’s own booby traps waiting to ensnare the unwary traveler, and I have to watch my step to avoid stumbling into their clutches.
“Almost there,” I say, my heart pounding as we draw closer to the pinecones. “Just a few more steps, and we’ll be—” I dramatically yelp as I pretend to catch my foot on a root, sending me stumbling sideways and making Kade step right into the snare.
The trip wire snaps taut, and I hear Kade grunt in surprise as his foot is swept out from under him. He topples heavily. He tries to rise, but the snare holds fast, tripping him up again.
And suddenly Harry is there, with the point of a sharpened stick against Kade’s throat.
“Drop the knife,” he says.
Kade obeys him instantly.
“Are you all right?” There’s desperation in Harry’s voice as he turns to me.
I rub my throat. “I’m fine,” I say as I bend to retrieve the knife.
“Kade, our friendly pilot. Nice to see you again,” Harry says coolly.
Kade twists his foot but can’t break free. He stares up at us in disbelief. “What the fuck? You two were supposed to be easy marks.”
“Yeah, well, sorry to disappoint.”
“Never underestimate us political types. Because we know how to play dirty. Well, some parties do, anyway,” I say, the panic and euphoria spilling out of my mouth slightly hysterically.
Harry lifts an eyebrow at me. “You’re seriously point-scoring now?”
“Come on, you love it when I talk politics,” I say.
Harry rolls his eyes. “I think I preferred it when you were dramatically monologuing about the wolves.”
I look down at Kade sprawled on the ground at the tip of Harry’s sharpened stick. “What are we going to do with him?”
Harry tilts his head at the nearby tree. “I vote for tying him up.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
With a determined set to his jaw, Harry pulls Kade upright and propels him towards the tree. He unspools the snare wire and starts winding it around Kade and the trunk, his movements efficient and precise.
“This should give you plenty of time to contemplate your life choices,” Harry remarks as he cinches the wire tight.
“Enjoy your quality time with the tree,” I say to Kade as Harry finishes and comes to stand next to me. I’ve always wanted to be one of those film heroes with snappy one-liners, and it appears now is my only chance to indulge.
Kade’s eyes look wild. “What about the wolves?”
“We discovered they don’t really like having pinecones thrown at them,” I say helpfully. Then I look at his bound hands and wince. “Oh yeah, but that might be a slight issue for you, I guess. I’m sure you’ll figure it out. Good luck.”
Harry’s shaking his head with an indulgent smirk when I turn to him.
“You got the phone?” I ask.
Harry pats his coat pocket. “Yep.”
“Great. Now, let’s make like a tree and leave.”
Harry seems to have no problem with that suggestion, and together, we belt through the forest.
Elation races through me. I can’t believe we pulled off our plan. Well, with a few minor adjustments anyway.
My throat has stopped bleeding, but my shoulder is still tender from where Kade’s watch dug into it.
“Do you think they’ll be all right?” Harry asks suddenly.
“What?”
“Well, we’ve just left three men incapacitated, having attracted wolves into the near vicinity.”
I roll my eyes. “Fuck, what a time for a Conservative to develop a conscience.”
“I was thinking more that we want to keep them alive for our security agencies to interrogate them.”
“I think they’ll be fine. The wolves will be more afraid of them. They just don’t know that fact.”
It’s not until we make it up to the crest of the hill that we stop. Harry crowds close to me.
“Are you sure you’re all right?” His fingers come up to gently touch my throat, where the blade nicked my skin.
“Yes, I’m fine,” I say impatiently. “We need to make that call. Just in case they manage to get out.”
Harry retrieves the satellite phone from his pocket, and we both stare at it.
The idea that help could be just a phone call away feels surreal.
It’s been so long since we’ve had any technology that the idea we can simply punch in a few numbers and talk to someone hundreds of miles away feels like a form of black magic.
I’m suddenly seized by a new fear. “Who are we going to call? It’s highly likely someone on one of our teams betrayed us to the terrorists, remember?”
I’m suddenly suspicious of everyone. Anyone could have conspired with the terrorists against us.
How do we know who to trust?
“I’ll call Prunella,” Harry says definitively.
That’s right, Harry has a wife.
Someone he stood with at an altar in front of hundreds of people, pledging to love and cherish for the rest of his life.
My intense flash of jealousy seems ridiculous, given our current circumstances, but I can’t help it.
I watch as Harry punches in the numbers, his fingers steady despite the gravity of the moment.
My heart is in my throat as Harry waits for the call to connect.
Ring, damn it. Please, just ring.
Each second feels like a lifetime. The phone remains silent, mocking our hopes. I’m opening my mouth to voice my fears when a sudden crackle emanates from the speaker. My eyes widen, locking with Harry’s. A tinny voice sounds, distant but unmistakable.
“Hello?”
Harry leans forward, his whole body arching towards the phone. “Pru, it’s me.”
“Harry?” His name comes out like a gasp.
“Yes, it’s me.”
“Oh my God, Harry…” She’s sobbing, and my eyes prickle at the sound. “Where are you? Are you all right?
“We think we’re somewhere in Finland. Pru, you need to listen carefully.
Our original pilot was trying to kidnap us before the plane crashed.
We don’t know who is behind it, so to keep us safe, you need to alert multiple agencies, all right?
And maybe tip off the press too. Whatever you can do to ensure lots of people know we are alive so there is no way whoever is behind it can interfere with our rescue. ”
“Of course. Whatever you want. Is Toby Webley alive as well?”
Harry looks at me. “Yes. Toby is alive. He’s a bit scratched up, but he’s all right. We’re both fine. There are terrorists hunting us, but we think we’ve managed to subdue them. But we need to get out as soon as possible. I’ve got our GPS coordinates, have you got something to write them down?”
I pace back and forth as Harry reads out our location to Prunella. What if they can’t find us? What if something else goes wrong? I’m so lost in my worries that I almost miss Harry ending the call. He stares at the phone in his hand, his expression a mix of relief and concern.
I step closer, placing a hand on his shoulder.
He glances up, his eyes searching mine as he gnaws on his bottom lip. “I hope I haven’t put her in danger.”
I squeeze his shoulder. “She’s smart. She’ll know how to handle this.”
“You’re right. I just…I hate the thought of putting her at risk.”
I lean in, resting my forehead against his. He closes his eyes, his breath warm against my face.
We huddle together. The cold is all-encompassing, like it has mistaken my hands and face for a delicious frozen treat, licking and biting at them with its icy tongue, oblivious to my discomfort and displeasure.
We’re both shivering, our teeth chattering, but we cling to each other.
We haven’t had to spend a night outside without survival blankets.
Just as I’m contemplating how ironic it would be to get frostbite this close to potential rescue, the satellite phone in Harry’s pocket rings. We both go still, our eyes meeting in disbelief. The shrill sound pierces the stillness of the forest.
“It’s ringing,” I say redundantly.
Harry’s eyes are wide. “Do you think it’s for me or for you?”
“Hopefully, it isn’t for Kade, or it might be an awkward conversation when we share the news we left him tied to a tree.”
“Shall we answer it?”
“I don’t see how it could hurt.”
Harry takes a deep breath and presses the answer button, putting the call on speaker. “Hello?”
There’s a crackle of static, then a voice comes through, crisp and authoritative. “Is that Harry Matheson?”
“Yes, this is he.”
“Mr. Matheson, this is Major General James Hartley. I’m coordinating your rescue operation. We’re working on an extraction plan right now. Can I have a confirmation Toby Webley is with you?”
I lean in closer to the phone. “I’m here. This is Toby.”
“Good to hear your voice, Mr. Webley. We’ve been working around the clock for the last forty-two days to locate you, gentlemen.”
“Just get us out, please. We think we’ve immobilized the group on the ground, but we don’t know if anyone else is coming,” I say desperately.
“We have a specialist team on the way. Expect extraction within the hour.”
An hour. We’ve only got to survive another hour of the biting, nipping cold. We’ve survived so much worse.
Time seems to slow to a crawl. We pace, trying to keep warm. The forest around us is still as if holding its breath. I strain my ears for the sound of approaching aircraft, my eyes searching the sky. The wait is agonizing, hope and fear warring in my chest.
To distract myself, I push my mind forward to what rescue might bring.
“We need to get our story straight,” I say in a low voice.
Harry jerks his head up. “What do you mean?”
“We’re going to be interrogated by security agencies once we arrive back in the UK.”
“We tell them everything,” Harry says.
I quirk my eyebrow with meaning. “Everything?”
“Well…besides that,” he says.
“So when they ask how things were between us, we say we squabbled initially but then learned to work together?” I ask.
“Yes. That seems close enough to the truth,” Harry says.
“But we don’t go into detail about how we managed to satisfy one particular necessity,” I say.
“No. I feel it would be prudent to keep that to ourselves,” Harry’s voice is stiff.
“You can trust me, Harry,” I say.
Harry looks at me. “I know I can,” he says finally.
He reaches out to take my hand into his.
And we stay that way, pressed together, our hands entwined.
The sky starts to lighten gradually, turning gray and then painted in hues of pink and gold.
“Is that a helicopter?” Harry asks.
The sun has just peeked over the horizon, setting the clouds ablaze with vibrant oranges and reds.
We both crane our necks, still holding hands, to get a better view of the helicopter beating its way towards us.
It’s gray in color, not black, and as it swoops closer, it becomes easy to see the Union Jack displayed proudly on its fuselage.
My eyes prickle with tears at the familiar red, white, and blue. The elements of the flags of England, Scotland, and Ireland combine to form the flag representing the United Kingdom. The symbol of home.
While the helicopter swoops towards us, Harry is still holding my hand.
And I notice the exact moment he drops it.