instead of in the well-detailed SUV.
Unnerved by the man’s penetrating gaze, she unscrewed the gas cap, inserted the nozzle and began pumping, all the while watching the guy pull his black SUV onto the roadway, heading toward the highway. For whatever reason, she felt a sense of relief.
Once her tank was full, she slipped behind the wheel of her small, four-door sedan and turned left toward Willkommen. Surely the town couldn’t be too far away.
The road was windy and narrow and angled up the mountain. A sign for Pine Lodge Mountain Resort caught her attention. Closed For Renovation read the small banner that hung over the larger placard.
A light drizzle began to fall. Hannah flipped on the windshield wipers and squinted into the night. If only visibility was better. The temperature dropped as the elevation increased. She upped the heater, but even with the warm air blowing straight at her, she still felt cold and totally alone.
Usually she welcomed solitude. Tonight, she found the night too dark and eerie. Had it been along this road where her mother had been killed?
Her gut tightened and another tide of hot tears burned her eyes. She blinked them back, swallowed the lump that filled her throat and focused even more intently on the narrow mountain road.
A warning light flashed on her dash. She leaned closer and tapped the glass, unsure of what was wrong. Her heart pounded as she watched the temperature gauge rise. She clicked the heater off but the needle continued to climb.
She groaned, pulled to the side of the road and killed the engine. Staring into the darkness, she gulped down a lump of fear. She was too far from the gas station to walk back, and she hadn’t passed another car for more than twenty minutes. If only someone would happen along.
“Lord—” she bowed her head “—I’m just starting on my walk of faith, but I trust You’re with me. Send help.”
She glanced up to see headlights in the rearview mirror.
“Thank You, Lord.” She exited her car, grateful when the vehicle pulled to a stop behind her sedan. A man stepped to the pavement. Hannah squinted in the glare from his headlights and put her hand to her forehead to shield her eyes. Something about the guy stirred her memory. He neared and her pulse ricocheted as she recognized the blue flannel shirt.
His car had been headed for the highway when he’d pulled out of the gas station. Why had he turned around?
“Looks like you’ve got a problem.” His voice was deep with a hint of Southern twang.
“You’re right about a problem,” she replied, keeping her tone even and hoping he didn’t hear the tremble in her voice. “My engine seems to have overheated.”
“Mind if I take a look under the hood?”
“Sure. Thanks.” Only Hannah wasn’t sure about anything, especially the strange man with the ponytail.
“You wanna pop the hood?” he asked.
She tugged on the release and then stood aside as he peered into the engine.
“Looks like you’ve got a hole in your radiator.”
“But how—?”
“No telling, lady. Willkommen’s not far. I’ll give you a lift.”
An overwhelming sense of dread washed over her. “If you could send someone from a service station, I’d prefer to stay with my vehicle.”
“There might not be another car along for hours,” he cautioned.
Wary of his advice, she held up her hand. “If you could send help, I’d be most grateful.”
“I can’t leave you out here.” His smile seemed more like a sneer. “Come on, lady. I won’t hurt you.”
“I never said you would.” She stepped back from the car and from the man whose lips suddenly curved into a seductive grin.
Her pulse raced. Fear threaded through her veins.
He moved closer and held out his hand. “Sure you wouldn’t like a ride to town?”
“No, thanks.”
“Come on, honey.”
She wasn’t his honey, nor did she like the tone of his voice.
Flicking her gaze over her shoulder, she eyed the thick forest that edged the roadway. Would it provide cover? Enough cover?
He stepped closer and reached for her hand.
She drew back. “What do you want?” she demanded.
“Information. That old guy at the gas station was right. You’ve got to be related to the woman on the news.”
Hannah shook her head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He retrieved his cell from his pocket and pulled up a photo. “This is the woman. You look just like her.”
Hannah peered at the picture of her sister and fought to control her emotions, seeing Miriam’s bruised forehead and her matted hair.
The lewd man stepped closer. “She left Willkommen weeks ago. Some folks say she returned. If so, I need to find her.”
“I...I can’t help you.”
His face darkened. “Look, lady, I’m working with the police. They need to question her.”
She didn’t believe him, but instead of arguing she squared her shoulders and raised her chin. “Why don’t you just climb in your car and return to town?”
The finality of her tone must have convinced him she wouldn’t change her mind. He started to step back but then lunged for her. “Where is she? Where’s Miriam?”
Hannah screamed. He grabbed her arm. She slipped out of his hold and ran into the woods. The tall pines blocked the moonlight and darkness surrounded her like a pall.
She tripped, righted herself and ran on.
His footfalls came after her, drawing closer.
She increased her speed, not knowing where she was headed or what she would find.
Lord, save me.
A clearing lay ahead. The moon broke through the dark cloud cover, bathing the rolling landscape in light that would mark her as an easy target if she continued on. She angled away from the clearing and forged deeper into the forest. Stumbling over a branch, she threw out her hand to block her fall. Her fingers brushed against a ladder.
She felt the rungs and stared up into the night, seeing the faint outline of a platform at least twelve feet off the ground.
Movement in the brush warned of the man’s approach.
Hannah scurried up the ladder and climbed onto the platform. Lying down, she placed her ear to the floorboards and worked to keep her breathing shallow. Even her labored pull of air could alert him to her whereabouts.
The guy ran straight ahead into the clearing. Before the moon passed behind the clouds, Hannah could make out his features. Why was the guy interested in Miriam?
Dear God, don’t let him find me.
Her heart pounded so hard she thought it would surely shake the platform.
The man backtracked. He stopped at the foot of the ladder. The platform swayed as he stepped onto the first rung, then the second and the third.
She was trapped at twelve feet above ground and about to be found out by a man intent on doing her harm.
Be still, she chastised her heart, ricocheting in her chest.
She could hear his raspy breath as he stopped his climb and remained poised halfway up the ladder.
“Where...are...you?” he demanded, his voice low and menacing. “I know you ran this way,