20. Noah
Chapter twenty
Noah
I wake with a start. I don’t know what woke me. I lie perfectly still and listen. If it was the fishing bells or the glass on the porch, we were in trouble. I hold my breath, and then I hear it. It is the sound of an engine in the distance. It’s a sound that doesn’t belong. My heart races as I sit up, the noise growing louder. Mia stirs beside me, her eyes fluttering open.
“What’s wrong?” she asks, her voice groggy.
“An engine,” I say, straining to listen. “I hear an engine. Snowmobile.”
Her eyes widen in alarm. “Snowmobile?”
“Yes. Two. Maybe three.”
“You think it’s him?” she asks, jumping up. “Why would he be with someone? Wouldn’t he be alone?”
“I don’t know,” I answer.
She pulls on her sweater.
“It could also be a rescue team,” I suggest, hopefully.
We quickly dress, the adrenaline driving away any lingering sleepiness. The noise grows closer, and it becomes clear it’s not just one snowmobile—there are several. “It has to be a rescue team,” I sigh with relief. The clock on the wall says it’s just after nine in the morning. It all adds up.
“The guy back at the airfield must have reported my plane missing,” I tell her. “It’s pretty standard practice. My flight plan was registered. It’s got to be a search team.”
She smiles. “Thank God. Not that this little adventure hasn’t been a blast, but I’m really looking forward to a hot shower, a real bed, and something other than canned stew.”
“I get it,” I laugh. “It’s been fun, but I need a pizza. Or a cheeseburger. Some bacon and eggs.”
“Stop,” she giggles, playfully swatting me. “You’re making me hungry.”
“Be hungry. We’ll be sitting down to breakfast in an hour or two.”
“I better pack up my camera,” she says.
“I’ll grab my gear.”
She stops and looks at the mattress. “Oh no,” she groans.
“What?”
“They’re going to know we slept together. ”
“So,” I scoff. The sound of the machines grew louder. “We’re adults. I don’t give a shit what someone has to say about that. There are more important things to worry about.”
She slaps her hand to her head. “I’m horrible. I totally forgot about Eric.”
“Hey, relax. I’ll go outside and greet them. They don’t need to come in. We’ll get to town, and we’ll call the authorities. Who slept with who doesn’t matter.”
“I know.”
I move the couch, take down the string of cans, and step outside onto the porch. In the distance, three snowmobilers appear, their machines kicking up snow as they race toward us. Relief and suspicion war within me. This has to be a rescue. But as they draw nearer, a bad feeling gnaws at my gut.
Mia steps out to stand beside me. Our excitement quickly fades as the roar of the engines draws nearer. A cold dread settles in my chest, expanding with each passing second. No one is wearing an orange vest. They’re not wearing any kind of badge or coats that identify them as a search team. I know this is wrong. Then I see sunlight flash off the butt of a gun at one of the men’s sides. Again, it’s not completely abnormal out here, but this feels wrong.
“Go inside,” I tell Mia, my voice low and urgent.
She scoffs, shaking her head. “I’m not hiding.”
“Mia, please,” I insist, but it’s too late.
The snowmobilers stop a few feet away. One of them jumps off, pointing a gun at us. I shove Mia behind me, my mind racing. These men came with one goal.
“That’s not Carter,” she says with surprise.
“No,” I shook my head. “I don’t think it is.”
“Why do they have guns?”
“Mia, I need you to get inside. Lock the door. Do not come out here.”
“Like hell,” she growls.
I’m going to guess it’s Vincent’s men. I’m dead. All I can do is try to keep them from hurting her. But deep down, I know that’s unlikely. She is on the run from her murderous ex, and I just put her into the worst kind of danger. I have to do something to protect her.
“She’s innocent,” I say, my voice steady despite the fear coursing through me. “She just happened to be here. She has nothing to do with any of this. ”
I see the grin on the gunman’s face, a predatory smile that promises nothing good. He strides toward us, his boots crunching on the icy snow. The other two men remain on their snowmobiles, their engines idling and their faces obscured by helmets and balaclavas. I keep my eyes on the one approaching, committed to giving Mia as much time as possible.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper.
“For what?”
“They are here for me,” I tell her. She has been so stressed out and terrified that her ex stalked her all the way to Alaska and killed her friend. She was worried she endangered me, but it was the opposite.
“What?”
“Good morning,” he calls out, his voice surprisingly jovial considering the circumstances. He stops a few feet away, seemingly relaxed but with a gun pointed in our direction.
“What do you want?” My voice is steely, more so than I feel inside.
“They always ask that,” he muses to his comrades. They laugh, a coarse sound that reverberates off the quiet wilderness around us. “What else would we want? Vincent is not happy. He has been looking for you.”
Mia grips my arm, her eyes wide but determined. “What’s going on?” she whispers.
The man with the gun smirks. “Listen to your boyfriend. We’re all going inside. Now.”
Mia is clinging to my arm. The other two men cut their engines and jumped off their snowmobiles. “Let’s go inside,” I tell Mia.
She pushes open the door, and we’re herded into the cabin, the gunman keeping a close watch. He keeps the gun trained on us as he looks around. “Where’s the other guy?” he asks.
“I don’t know who you are talking about,” I reply.
“The biologist that owns the cabin,” the man snaps.
I find it odd that he doesn’t know Eric is dead.
“He’s right where you left him,” I hiss.
“Did we have him?” he questions with an amused expression. “Tim, look around and bring him in here.”
I still can’t see any faces. One of them sounds familiar, but I can’t say for sure. His voice is muffled.
“Sit down,” he orders, gesturing to the couch .
Mia is still clutching my arm as we sit down on the couch. She doesn’t say a word.
“Look, take me out of here,” I say. “I know Vincent is pissed. Take me back to wherever he is, and we’ll handle this. You don’t need her. She’s nobody.”
“She’s a witness,” he replies calmly.
“Man, we haven’t seen your faces,” I insist. “Just take me.”
“Stop it,” Mia murmurs. “Don’t do that. Don’t sacrifice yourself.”
“You don’t get it,” I tell her. “They want me. They are here for me.”
“Tie them up,” the first man orders the other.
The other man produces zip ties from his pocket and quickly binds our hands behind our backs. The guy in charge pulls off his ski mask. My blood runs cold as I recognize him. It’s Gary, the man I gave a sworn statement about. He should be in prison, and I should be safe.
Gary smiles at me. “Uh-oh, now she’s seen my face.”
“She won’t say anything.”
“I bet you’re pretty surprised to see me, Noah? You thought I would be locked up for good, and you were just going to get away with it. Turns out, I decided I didn’t want to go to prison.”
“They’ll be looking for you,” I warn him. “My flight plan is logged.”
“I know,” he grins. “Your buddy was reluctant to give it up, but we can be very persuasive.”
“No…” the word is out of my mouth before I can stop it. The implication of his words hits me with a crushing force.
Gary chuckles, seeming to enjoy the look of despair on my face.
“You’re not as untouchable as you think you are,” he says, the smile never wavering. “Didn’t think we’d find out you were working with the Feds? Come on, you think we don’t have people on the inside?”
I don’t know what to say. I should have known. Why did I think I would be protected? I should have kept my mouth shut and hired a better lawyer. Mia sits silently beside me, her eyes sharp and alert. She’s not crying or hysterical, just watching. I admire her calm, even in this nightmare.
“What’s your plan?” I ask, my voice steady.
Gary grins a cold, cruel smile. “You’ll know soon enough. ”
Tim returns and notices that the other two have removed their masks. He pulls his off and shoves it in his pocket. “I found the biologist. He’s dead.”
Gary looks at me. “Damn, Noah. I didn’t know you had it in you.”
“I didn’t kill him,” I say with disgust. “Are you really going to pretend you had nothing to do with this?”
“Wasn’t me,” he laughs.
The tension in the room is palpable. I glance at Mia, trying to convey some semblance of reassurance. Her gaze meets mine, and I see fear, but she doesn’t let it show.
“We don’t have to do this,” I say, returning my attention to Gary. “You’ve got me. Let her go.”
Gary laughs a harsh sound. “And miss the show? Not a chance.”
The men whisper among themselves, occasionally glancing our way. I wrack my brain for a way out, but tied up and outnumbered—our options are grim.
“Why are you here?” Mia asks suddenly, interrupting their powwow. “What do you want?”
Gary’s eyes narrow. “Curious, aren’t you? ”
“Maybe I just want to understand,” she replies, her tone even.
Gary sneers. “Understanding won’t save you.”
I grit my teeth, feeling helpless. I promised Mia she’d be safe, but now, with these men in control, that promise feels impossible.
“Watch them,” Gary orders Tim. “I need to make a call.”
He walks outside, leaving the other two. For a brief second, I think the odds are better. Mia and I can take them. Then I remember the guns. The fact that Gary is right outside with another weapon doesn’t help.
“Who are they?” Mia whispers.
“Don’t talk,” Tim orders.
“It’s a long story,” I answer. “I’m going to do what I can to get you out of here.”
She gives a sad smile. “That’s sweet, but I think we both know what’s happening here.”
My heart twists in my chest, thinking about the fate that could befall Mia. Her bravery is admirable. I didn’t want to drag her into my mess, but here she is, tied up by criminals who are dangerous enough to have the DEA and the FBI on their tails .
She looks at me again, and I see something new in her gaze, a determination I don’t recognize. “Don’t worry about me, Noah.”
As if on cue, Gary strides back into the cabin, ending our private exchange. His grin widens as he glances over at us before turning his attention back to his men.
“The boss is happy,” he says smugly, pocketing his phone before looking directly at me. His gaze is icy and menacing. “This ends soon, but he’s decided he would like to speak with Noah personally.”
My stomach churns with fear and anger. I have made an enemy out of a powerful man, Vincent, believing that my testimony against their operation would grant me protection. I was promised none of it would blow back on me.