Cry in the Night (33 page)

Landorf still hadn’t spoken. He began to peel the layers of clothing away until he got down to his park service uniform.

“Where’re Kade and the others?” Bree demanded. Victor began to thrash his arms around. She touched him to try to calm him. “It’s okay, Vic,” she said.

“Probably looking for you.” Landorf went to the coffeepot and poured himself a cup. “Coffee?” he asked.

She badly wanted something hot, but not while her husband and two others were out battling this storm. “You said you were taking me to them.”

“I thought I’d let you warm up first.”

“They’ll be worried.” She pulled out her cell phone and checked it. Still no bars.

He held out a cup of coffee, and she stripped off her gloves, then took it. Being cold herself wasn’t going to help Kade, Naomi, or Mason. “You have a thermos? We could take them some hot coffee.”

“Sure. We’ll go out in just a minute. They’re not far.”

She glanced around. “Where is this place?”

He took a sip of his coffee. “Just off the reservation, not far from Baraga. I’ve owned it a few years. I come here to get away from the stress of the job.” He gestured to her coat. “You might as well get out of that until we’re ready to go out again.”

There was something about his manner or his smile that raised the skin on her spine. “I’m ready now. I need to let them know I’m okay.”

Victor began flapping his arms again. He stood and went to the door, where he tugged at the handle. Bree put down her coffee and went to slip her arm around him. “Come sit down, Victor.”

He glanced up and met her eyes, then glanced away, but not before she saw the anguish in them. She glanced at Landorf and realized he wore an eagle bird band as a ring on his index finger. Her gaze fell on the number. The number she’d seen over and over again on Victor’s sudokus.

25

THE REST OF THE TEAM JOINED KADE IN TURNING AROUND to search for Bree. Kade wished desperately for Samson or Charley. Either dog could have found her trail because snow or rain intensified the scent. She couldn’t be far, but she knew better than to veer off the road.

Unless she’d seen Davy?

Nothing would have stopped her if she’d caught sight of her son. Checking his cell phone, he found no messages. And no signal. He stopped his sled, dismounted, and went back to talk to Naomi and Mason.

Naomi’s teeth chattered audibly. She reached into her pack and got out gel-filled hand warmers. “No sign?” she asked.

“Nothing. She knows better than to leave the path where we’d look for her,” Mason put in, dismounting and grabbing a warmer for himself.

Mason’s words ramped up Kade’s fear. Could she have had an accident? What if they’d missed her and her sled was covered with snow in a ditch? “When did you see her last?”

Mason consulted his watch and his GPS. “We’d just passed the road to Seven Mile Lookout. I glanced back and saw her still on my tail.”

“Two miles from where we turned around to look for her.” The realization that she had to be within these two miles encouraged him. “You and Naomi take the south side of the road. I’ll take the north. Comb every inch of the ditches. She can’t have just vanished.”

“I’ll comb it on foot,” Mason said.

Mason and Naomi rode off on their sleds, back the way they’d come. Their lights disappeared in the dark and blinding snow. Kade walked along the ditch on his side of the road about twenty feet before driving his sled a bit farther. He was on his third pass that way when he saw a drift that looked like sleds might have passed over it before being covered with more snow.

Not certain it was anything, he checked the GPS. A snowmobile trail did cross the ditch here. He followed his GPS to the trail and found the wind not so biting. He saw sled tracks not yet covered by snow. Pausing his sled, he checked his cell phone. Still no bars. He’d have to go back for Naomi and Mason. Chafing at the delay, he got his machine turned around and moved along the road until he saw the lights of the other searchers.

Mason and Naomi were both on foot now. Their shadows wavered in the glow of headlamps. They walked back to Kade’s sled.

“I found tracks along a snowmobile trail!” He told them where they were.

“Why would she leave the road?” Mason asked.

“It looks like there might have been more than one sled. Maybe she found them. Come on!” He turned his machine and headed back the way he’d come.

The onslaught of snow began to taper just a bit. He could make out the trees lining the highway, see the road signs. He guided the sled slowly on the trail, watching the marks left by whomever went before.
Please, God, let this be Bree.

Was this punishment for how close he’d come to lying on that grant application? No, he didn’t believe that. God promised a way out of temptation, and he’d given Kade the strength to say no. Even now, he knew God was in control of this situation.

The sled tracks veered from the trail at a break in the trees. They angled across an open field. He could barely make out the glow of light from a tiny cabin. His first instinct was to accelerate his engine and head for the cabin, then reason kicked in. If Bree had followed Rob, it was possible the noise of his engine would endanger her.

He turned off the snowmobile and dismounted as the others came up behind him. Motioning for them to do the same, he waited until they joined him under the branches of a large oak tree.

“Let’s go in on foot,” Kade said. “See if she’s in that cabin. Maybe Rob and Davy are there too.” Some sixth sense warned of a problem.

The three of them trudged through the snow. The white stuff muffled their steps, and the wind also helped to whirl away any sound they made. He crept to the window and peered in to see his wife sitting beside Victor.

Their hands were tied. Bree still had her snowmobile suit on, but her hat was off, as was her ski mask. She was straining at her bonds, twisting and pulling at her wrists. Victor sat still.

Kade saw Mason unzip his snowmobile suit and reach inside to pull out his gun. Before the sheriff ’s hand cleared the fabric of his layers, a hard, sharp object prodded Kade’s back. He froze, recognizing the poke of a rifle. From the corner of his eye, he saw a figure in a ski mask move closer.

The man plucked the revolver from Mason’s hand. He gestured with the gun toward the door. Mason, Naomi, and Kade shuffled to the cabin entrance and went inside. The warmth rushed to greet them, but Kade still felt the cold edge of fear when he saw his wife’s panicked eyes.

He stepped quickly to her and put his hand on her shoulder. “You okay, babe?”

She nodded, but her lips trembled. “I figured it out,” she whispered. “All of it.”

“Shut up,” the man said.

Kade knew that voice. His head came up, and he stared at the figure reaching up to remove his hat and ski mask. Landorf?

Bree nearly moaned when her husband shuffled inside with Mason and Naomi. She’d hoped they wouldn’t get caught in this trap.

“Surprised?” Landorf smiled at Kade and tossed his gloves and hat on the table. “Have a seat. All of you.” He grabbed the coil of yellow nylon rope on the table. The gun stayed in his hand. “Take off your coats.”

Naomi removed her hat and ski mask, then tugged her snowmobile suit off. She pulled a chair up beside Bree. The women exchanged fearful glances. Mason and Kade locked gazes. Neither man had a choice with the gun bearing down on them. They took off their outerwear, then pulled wooden chairs out from the table.

Kade sat on the edge of his chair. His smile to Bree was encouraging, but she couldn’t take heart from it. Landorf held all the cards right now.

Landorf tied him up. When Mason and Naomi were bound as well, he stepped back with a smirk. “Confused, aren’t you?”

“I’m not,” Bree said. “Not once I saw the band.”

Landorf frowned. “What band?”

Her gaze went to the bird band on his finger. “That one. The number is the same as on Victor’s sudokus. He’s been trying to warn us.”

“Smart lady. At least at figuring out the number.”

Bree pulled at her bonds. “You
used
Victor.”

Landorf stared at the band, and his fingers traced the engraving. “Florence used Victor to help her with the babies occasionally. He enjoyed being useful, and he loved the babies.”

“Di-did you kill Florence?” Bree had to know the truth.

“Quinn did, and he’s going to pay for it.” Landorf ’s face darkened. “I was going to marry her. He’s planning to double-cross me. He didn’t spare Florence when she got cold feet, but he had no call to change the plans. He’s going to be eliminated, but that’s not your concern right now.”

Bree stared at the cruel face of the man. “How do you know Rob took Davy?”

“I told him,” Kade whispered. “When I called for some of the rangers to help search.”

“My son knows nothing,” Bree said, her voice careful. Her bonds had loosened a bit. Maybe she’d get free yet. But what could she do against Landorf ’s gun? If only she had Samson.

He shrugged. “Even if it’s true, it’s irrelevant now.”

Her loops loosened again. “You arranged for Olivia to be kidnapped to force her father into pulling the mining project out of here.”

His gun came higher. “I always knew you were smart, Bree.” Landorf waved his hand. “My former partner and I have our fingers in much bigger pies. The casinos, politics. My job is the perfect cover for all that.”

“But the mine would have brought too much attention to the area,” Mason put in.

Landorf ’s attention swung to the sheriff. “I feared I might lose my job myself. I couldn’t let that happen.”

A frenzied barking came at the door. Samson! The dog’s barking turned to snarling, and Bree could hear him pawing at the door. Moments later his head was at the window, but he couldn’t break the glass. His barking distracted Landorf for a moment. She tugged at the ropes again and they slid free, allowing her to twist them off.

She sprang to her feet but found Landorf ’s gun trained on her. Her dog was going crazy outside the cabin. Bree itched to let him in, but she didn’t dare move.

“Perfect,” Landorf said. “Wherever the dog is, the boy can’t be far behind, can he? And where the boy is, the father who took him will be found. Let’s go, shall we?” He gestured to her hat and ski mask. “You might want them. I’m not sure how far we’ll have to travel.”

He walked to the stove and scattered the remaining logs, then opened the flue. “Happy freezing, friends. When you’re dead, I’ll stop back and remove the ropes. Everyone will think you froze with no wood.” He grabbed Bree’s arm and dragged her to the door. “Control the dog or I’ll have to shoot him. Understand?”

She nodded. Her gaze went back to her husband. In this wind, the cabin would cool quickly. He strained at his bonds, but Landorf had tied him with four or five loops, and his hands were nearly purple from the tight bonds. He’d never get free. Victor wasn’t even trying. Mason was bound just as securely. Only Naomi seemed to have a chance.

Landorf opened the door, and eighty pounds of furious dog came leaping into the cabin.

“Samson, heel!” Bree said. She snagged him by the collar as he was about to leap at Landorf ’s gun. She could nearly smell the cordite and powder from the barrel when his finger twitched.

The dog settled, though he still bared his teeth at Landorf. “You’d like to eat me, wouldn’t you, dog?” Landorf chuckled. “Tell him to take us to Davy.”

Bree took her dog’s muzzle in her palms and stared into his eyes. “Find Davy, boy. Take me to Davy.” Samson whined, and his tail came up. “Search, Samson. Find Davy.”

Samson dashed into the snow and she followed, conscious of Landorf ’s gun still trained on her back. Landorf left the cabin door open, and the last sight she had of her husband and the others she loved was them sitting at the table with the wind blowing snow in swirls toward them. They’d freeze with no covering and no heat. Very quickly.

“Let’s take the sleds!” Landorf yelled above the wind. He shoved her toward her snowmobile, then hopped on his.

She prayed as she drove behind the dog into the howling storm. The tears nearly froze in her eyes, and she tried to cling to a small seed of hope, though it was impossible to see how they were going to live through this night.

26

QUINN HAD NEVER BEEN SO COLD. WITHOUT THE FIRE going, the cave grew frigid even out of the wind, and black as the deepest sea at night. Davy’s warm body curled on one side of Jenna, and Quinn lay on Davy’s other side so the boy was cocooned by their bodies. At least he was probably comfortable.

The boy slept, his breathing calm and even. Quinn tried to see through the gloom but nothing penetrated their hidey hole. Not a sliver of light glimmered anywhere. He sat up, then wished he hadn’t when a blast of cold air hit his face.

“What’s wrong?” Jenna murmured in the darkness.

“I’m cold.” He lay back down. “It will be morning soon and we can try to get out of here.” He pulled the sleeping bag back around him.

“What are we going to do, Quinn? Who are you really? How did we get to this place?”

“One step at a time, Jenna. Just like everyone does.” He reined in his impatience with her. “I got into a spot of financial difficulty. I was the controller here in Rock Harbor and thought I’d just borrow five hundred dollars from the city. I could pay it back the very next month, I was sure. The next month came and I was a little shorter. Just a little more, I thought. Before I knew it, I’d embezzled fifty thousand dollars.”