Chapter 20
SLOANE
Dane and I argued for at least fifteen minutes over who would knock on Ellie's door, standing in the snow at the edge of town where we hid the snowmobile.
Now I'm freezing, feet drenched through socks and sneakers, and Dane stands hidden with his gun in hand behind the old tool shed that squats next to Ellie's house.
He swears no one in this town is trustworthy, but I know people.
And after getting to know Ellie Hooper, I know she'll help us, and she may even be able to convince other people to help us too. We didn’t shoot that sheriff, and anyone who's seen those men in their fancy SUVs knows they don't belong here.
If anyone will have sympathy for us, it'll start with Ellie.
After knocking and waiting a few minutes, I see movement inside the house.
Ellie's eyes flash through a part in the curtains and I see her house robe and messy hair.
We've woken her up, which was probably inevitable given how late it is.
But it isn't like we can parade around outside in broad daylight.
The trek back to town took us forever and then we had to sit and shiver and wait for night to fall so it was safe.
"Sarah? What are you doing here?" she asks as she pulls the door open. Her green eyes scan me from head to toe, taking in my disheveled appearance. Her hands lash the belt of her robe tightly around her waist as she glances up and down the street. "Get inside. You're freezing."
"I need to talk to you." I step into the warmth of her entryway, and it takes everything in me not to collapse right there.
Twenty-four hours in the frigid mountains have depleted every reserve I had.
My toes are frost bitten. My belly is hungry, and I'm annoyed by how pessimistic Dane Strouse can be. "And I need your help."
"Of course. Anything." She closes the door and guides me toward the kitchen, and I feel a pang of guilt for leaving Dane standing out there in the cold as I start to thaw out.
"I heard what happened at your brother's cabin.
The whole town's talking about it. Is he with you?
Is he okay?" She moves toward the stove, putting a kettle on and turning the burner on.
I'm not much of a tea person, but I won’t pass up anything that could warm me.
"He's here… outside, waiting. I wanted to talk to you first, make sure…" I stop myself, choosing my words carefully. I don't want to scare her off at all. If I screw this up, maybe she'll just call the deputy and turn us in. "Make sure you'd be willing to help before I brought him in."
Her eyes narrow as her frown deepens, and she pulls out two mugs. "Why wouldn't I be willing to help? What's going on, Sarah?"
"That's not my name." After weeks of letting her believe the lie Dane told everyone, I feel guilty. My shoulders sag as I say, "I'm not Sarah and I'm not Dane's sister."
Ellie's quiet for a moment, studying me. Then she crosses her arms and leans against the counter. "I figured something wasn't right. Nobody looks at their brother the way you look at him. So, who are you really?" A brief smile flits across her face as she sighs and continues to study me.
"My name is Sloane Grady. I'm the woman on the news, the missing nurse from New York.
" I watch her face for fear or disgust or the impulse to call the police, but I see none of those things.
Just concern. "I was drugged and kidnapped and brought to Sutter's Gap by people who want to hurt both of us.
Dane—his real name is Dane—found me and kept me safe.
But something bigger is going on, and the men who want me, well…
" I look her right in the eye and see only compassion.
"They are the ones who shot Mr. Carver. They found Dane's cabin. "
"They're like criminals? Like, gang or Mafia?" Ellie looks at me like she can't believe what I'm saying. "That's what we're dealing with here? That's why those men in suits have been circling town?"
"Yes. They want Dane for something he did years ago.
And they want me because they blame me for something I couldn't prevent.
" My hands are finally starting to warm up a little, but I'm still shivering.
It feels good to tell someone the truth, but I realize as I'm doing it that there isn't much Ellie can do.
She can offer us a place to stay, but it means they may come after her now too.
I just can't fathom going back out on that mountain in the dark again.
"I know this is asking a lot, but if you could just give us a safe place for tonight, somewhere to rest and figure out our next move—"
"Stop." Ellie holds up her hand. "You don't have to convince me. Go get Dane and bring him inside before those bastards see him." She gestures at the door and grimaces in reluctant surrender, and I'm on my feet before she can change her mind.
"Thank you. Thank you so much." Relief floods me as I open the back door and signal to Dane.
He emerges from the shadows, gun tucked away but clearly wary.
When he reaches the porch, his eyes meet mine with a question and I pull him inside.
He drops the bags by the door, and I can feel how rigid his muscles are, how tense he is.
"It's okay," I mumble to him, but I still feel his hesitation. There is a hint of fear any time you trust someone with your secrets because it makes you vulnerable.
But Ellie's already pulling another mug from the cabinet. "Sit, both of you. You look half-dead." She slinks to the lights and flips them off, and the kitchen plunges into darkness. But the glow from the microwave clock is enough to see her moving.
We sink into chairs at her kitchen table while she makes tea that smells heavenly.
Her back is to us, and I squint my eyes to see Dane's face screwed up into a dark scowl.
He hates asking someone for help, but I'm going to show him that it will be alright.
I find his hand under the table and squeeze it, but he pulls away after that.
"I'm sorry for dragging you into this," Dane says when Ellie sets steaming mugs in front of us. "The people after us are dangerous. If they find out you're helping—"
"Let me worry about that." She sits across from us, wrapping her hands around her own mug. "I've lived in Sutter's Gap my entire life. I know everyone in this town, and they know me. If some city thugs think they can intimidate us, they're in for a surprise."
"Ellie, they shot the sheriff." I don't know if she quite understands what we're up against. "Wade tried to talk to them and they shot him without hesitation."
Her face falls. "Yeah, we heard something happened, but no one is pointing fingers yet.
Doctors say he'll make it, but it was close.
Varen's been coordinating with state police, trying to get additional support, but it's chaos out there.
" She looks between us. "What did you do to make these people so angry? "
"I, uh…" Dane falters for a second, and I know he's never going to tell her the full story.
He'd be a fool to do so. "Let's just say sometimes, people have a hard time letting go of the past. And Sloane and I neither one kept our hands entirely clean as far as these men go.
" I squeeze his knee this time and feel his hand cover mine.
"It's just better that you don’t know, Ellie. Those men, they're scary.“ I try my hardest to keep her in the dark as much as possible, and she seems to get the point.
"I understand. And for what it's worth, I figured you weren't really ex-military.
You move wrong, talk wrong. I've known enough veterans to spot one.
" She stands and moves toward the hallway.
"Well, I'm exhausted and you two need rest. I've got a guest room down the hall.
Fresh towels in the bathroom. You can shower, sleep…
Stay as long as you'd like." Her shuffled walk reveals just how tired she is.
I pick up my mug and nod at Dane who stands and does the same, then collects our bags from the back door.
"We can't thank you enough," I say, following her up the hall, Dane behind me. "This is more than we could've hoped for."
"You don't have to thank me." She opens a door to reveal a modest bedroom with a double bed and a nightlight in the corner.
"Just keep the lights off. If anyone's watching the houses around town, they'll see you inside.
" Her eyes are tired as she smiles at me.
"Thank you for trusting me with at least part of the truth. "
I feel like I'm going to cry. I knew coming here was a good idea, even when Dane swore it wasn't safe. I reach out and take her hand and she nods at me and smiles. "Thank you, Ellie, for being a friend."
"Get some rest and warm up. If I'm gone before you wake, it's because I have to open the diner."
She closes the door, leaving us alone in the quiet room. For the first time in days, I feel warm enough to remove my jacket and relax. The relief is overwhelming.
"She's good people," Dane says, pulling off his jacket. "Better than we deserve."
"She saw right through us." I'm already moving toward the bathroom, desperate for hot water. And I smile at her confession. It must've been so obvious I wasn't his sister by the way I look at him. The sheriff probably saw it too.
"Everyone probably knew," he grumbles, still acting grumpy. "We're not exactly subtle." He follows me, and when I turn on the shower, steam immediately fills the small space. When he shuts the door and flicks the light on, I'm already half naked. "You shower first and warm up."
"Or you could join me…" I say, inviting him with a flick of my eyes. "It's practical… saves water…" I pull him toward the shower as I kick my shoes off and undo my jeans with one hand.
His eyes darken as one eyebrow lifts. "There's nothing practical about what I'm thinking right now, Sloane."