CHAPTER NINE

Archie could hardly stand it any longer. The cabin that his great-uncle had built had modern amenities – a toilet, shower, appliances, and, of course, a bed. But it didn’t have cable television, Wi-Fi, or any of the other things he desperately wanted.

Despite the two feet of snow outside, he bundled up, grabbed the keys to the snowmobile, and took off toward the nearest town, which was nearly an hour away. He had plenty of gas for the machine, and this would afford him a chance to gather some groceries and maybe even find a portable Wi-Fi device.

On his last trip into town, he’d asked the manager of the local electronics store, and he said he’d order one for him. Whether or not he did remained to be seen.

In spite of the snow, the roads were cleared fairly well, giving others who lived in the mountains a chance to get into town. Pulling a narrow sled behind him, he stopped at the small grocery store first. Anything that might be perishable would be just fine on the back of the sled with ice and snow to keep it fresh.

He kept his ski mask on, which wasn’t all that unusual given the area and the weather. No one would bother to look twice at him. Standing in the meat aisle, he stared at the selection of steaks and frowned.

“What I wouldn’t give for a Delmonico’s steak,” he murmured.

“Can I help you, sir?” asked the man behind the counter.

“Oh, no. I’m fine.”

The man walked away, and Archie bought several steaks, some chops, and two whole chickens. He picked up a dozen cans of tuna, peanut butter, jam, two loaves of bread, and some much-needed liquor.

If he couldn’t get drunk with friends, he’d get drunk alone.

“Friends, pfft!”

He looked around to be sure no one heard him. Not one of his friends had asked about him. No one from the firm, none of his fraternity brothers, none of his usual crowd that he went out drinking with and bought the drinks. Ungrateful shits!

With several bags of groceries, he secured them inside the empty cooler and tied it to the sled. Inside the general store, he bought two more pairs of long johns and several pairs of warm socks. Seeing a stack of wool blankets, he bought three, knowing that it would get colder before it got warmer in the mountains.

Handing the man the cash, he looked down at the hundred-dollar bills and back up at him.

“You cold, son?” asked the clerk.

“Always,” he growled behind his mask.

“Men in these parts show their faces. Out of courtesy,” he frowned.

“I’m not from these parts. Just staying for a while,” he said, grabbing his bags. He stepped outside and tied the bags down, then drove the machine further up the main street. On the corner was a small bar and grill, and he could smell the scent of red meat and fries. Of course, he could also smell the beer and liquor.

“Well. Maybe one,” he whispered to himself. Inside, the heat hit him like a ton of bricks. He wouldn’t be able to keep the mask on for long without breaking a sweat.

Choosing a seat in the corner, he removed his coat and pulled the mask above his brows, leaving it covering his hair. That was another thing he needed to do. Get a haircut. But if he did that, he risked showing himself, and he couldn’t afford for that to happen.

“What’ll it be?” asked the waitress.

“Beer, anything cold. Burger, medium with cheese and the works. Fries.”

“Coming right up,” she nodded.

She’d barely looked at him, which was fine by Archie. The fewer people who noticed him, the fewer issues there would be. If he had to leave the cabin, he’d be in big trouble. Feeling his phone vibrate, he looked down at the text from his father.

Why are you in town? It’s too dangerous!

The bastard was tracking his every move. Maybe it was time to get a new cell phone.

Don’t worry about it. Face is covered. Just getting some supplies. I can’t rely on you for everything.

He waited to see if his father would respond, but the waitress arrived with his food, and he dug in like a starving man. The burger was so juicy and thick he moaned aloud. The fries were the perfect texture, crunchy, but soft on the inside with just enough salt. He practically guzzled the beer in one swig, then ordered a second.

When he was done, he saw the blinking light on his phone and looked down.

You’re all over the news again. Don’t do anything stupid.

Before he could even respond, he looked up at the television playing in the bar. Sure enough, his face was all over the place. Wanted for murder in a hit-and-run, considered armed and dangerous, there was now a hefty reward for him, and someone was rekindling this case all over again, bringing the attention to him.

Fortunately, the sound to the television wasn’t on, and no one appeared to be looking at it. He dropped down some cash, gathered his coat, and stepped outside, covering his face once again. At the end of the street, he went inside the small electronics store and was thrilled to find the remote Wi-Fi device waiting for him.

By the time he returned to the cabin, it was nearly dark. He put his groceries away, added the new blankets to the inadequate bed, and stoked the fire one more time. Then, he set about getting the device up and running.

He was surprised at how simple it was. He was able to get it working quickly, and immediately, his Wi-Fi speed on his phone was tripled, and the range was immeasurably improved.

“Sweet,” he grinned to himself.

His laptop was still sitting in his backpack, where it had been for years. It was old and definitely needed updates on the software, but it would suffice for what he needed. Plugging it in, he would leave it overnight to charge.

Before he went to bed, he tried the cell phone number he’d been given for Khloe. When a man answered, he nearly lost his shit.

“Who is this?”

“You called me, buddy. Who the fuck are you?” said the deep voice.

“I’m Khloe’s fiancée. Where is she?” There was laughter by more than one voice, and then the man spoke again.

“Khloe? She’s living happily ever after. Without you, Archie. But we’re coming for you.”

He hit ‘end’ and slammed the phone to the table, turning to walk away from it. No. No way. How could this be? How could someone know it was him, and how could she betray him this way? Wasn’t it enough that she’d ruined his life?

She was seeing someone else. The bitch. The whore! She was sleeping with another man while he was stuck in a mountain cabin by himself. This wouldn’t do. It just wouldn’t do. He had to do something. Maybe his father was right. Maybe getting the plastic surgery on his face was the right thing to do. If he did that, he could go after her himself and truly make her pay for what she’d done.

He paced the cabin for nearly an hour, hoping that he’d have an epiphany on what to do. Instead, he only made himself more anxious, drinking two of the bottles of whiskey he’d bought. Finally, laying back on the bed, he stared at the ceiling, slowly closing his eyes.

Khloe would pay for her betrayal, and he’d kill whoever was helping her.