Chapter 10

TEN

Darkness pressed against the window and shadows had crept into the room when Julie woke. Pain shot up her leg in burning agony the second she tried to move. The only light in the room was from the log burning in the fireplace. It had been huge when Raven had added it at lunchtime. She reached for the bedside lamp and switched it on. Beside the bed was a Thermos, two pills, and three energy bars. The house was completely silent and previously she had heard Raven moving around the house with Ben close behind. The dog's claws tapped across the wooden floors each time he moved. Perhaps it was the middle of the night? She had no idea how long she'd been sleeping. Dragging herself into a sitting position, she cried out in pain. Sweat formed on her brow and trickled down her face and yet the room was cool. If the fire went out completely, it would be freezing inside.

With shaking hands she reached for the Thermos and poured a cup of coffee. Lukewarm liquid poured down her throat as she took a sip to swallow the pills. She peeled an energy bar and took small bites. If Raven had prepared dinner, she wondered why he hadn't woken her. It seemed strange for him to leave coffee, pills, and snacks if he was at home. Her attention moved to the bedside table, pushed between it and the bed was a long stick that resembled the figure seven. The bark had been stripped from it and the top of the seven before the bend had bandages wrapped around it. It was a crude but serviceable crutch. She looked around, noticing her spare pajamas on the nightstand and her pink fleece bathrobe draped over the end of the bed. Raven had unpacked her bags or taken out a few necessities. Should she call out? Maybe not if the man was asleep.

Needing to use the bathroom, she eased to the edge of the bed. Her injured leg dropped down and with it a wave of pain so intense, Julie cried out and tears ran down her cheeks. She sat on the edge of the bed sucking in deep breaths just trying to live through the pain. As the agony slowly subsided to a throb, she grabbed the crutch and using it as a hook, grabbed her bathrobe. Getting it on wasn't a problem although moving caused pain in places she didn't know existed. Her ribs hurt, her shoulder stiff and painful, and one of her arms was black and blue right down to her wrist and fingers. Using her good leg, she stood slowly, tucking the crutch under her arm. The moment she tried to take a step, giddiness engulfed her. She pressed one hand against the wall. The bathroom seemed a mile away. She pressed her lips together and moved the crutch, swinging her good leg forward. It took forever to make the few steps into the bathroom and turning around was a nightmare, but she made it. Using one leg to stand wasn't so bad, but when she hobbled to the basin, she noticed her personal things laid out. She swallowed hard and stared at the other door. It was closed but not locked. She desperately needed to wash. Her face felt stiff and needed moisturizer. She removed her garments the best she could, filled the sink with hot water, and using one of the washcloths in a pile on the shelf, went about making herself feel better. Once done, she brushed her hair and applied moisturizer to her face. She had a bruise on her forehead. In fact, she had bruises all over.

Moving had come easier since the initial rush of intense pain. She made her way slowly to the open bedroom door and peered outside. It was a short passageway that led to a cozy family room at one end and kitchen at the other. The cabin was large enough to be comfortable for two people and it was empty. In the fireplace, red embers glowed, but cold was creeping under the door. Moving slowly, Julie made it to the fire, pulled back the guard, and dropped two logs into the grate. The effort made her pant and every movement hurt but staying warm was necessary for survival. She edged her way back along the passageway, intending to peer into Raven's room. He might be asleep. If not, why was he out in the wilderness? Where would he go for so long? Going out in the middle of the night in below-freezing temperatures wasn't normal. What was he doing that was so secret that he needed to hide it from her?

Without as much as a sound, the front door flew open, wind scattered snowflakes across the pristine floor, and Raven stepped inside. Suddenly afraid, Julie's heart raced at the sight of him and she took a few painful involuntary steps backward. She must have been gaping at him as he stamped his feet on the old mat and stared at her with a quizzical expression. Beside him, Ben sat staring at her as if waiting for a command. Uncertain, she froze on the spot. Cold surrounded him and ice had formed on his short beard and eyebrows. "You look chilled to the bone."

"That's because I am." Raven removed his boots and stood them by the door and then grabbed a towel hanging nearby and dried Ben's legs. The dog wore a coat and he removed it before his own. "I tried to get back to the wreckage to see if anyone had come by but there's been another avalanche cutting off the trail. It was difficult to find a way back here. I've dried the dogs and settled them for the night." He glanced at his watch. "You must be hungry. It's five after nine. I figured I'd be out for two hours." He looked her over. "It's good to see you up and moving around. How much pain are you in right now on a scale of one to ten, ten being the worst pain you've experienced?"

Julie leaned against the wall as he removed hat, gloves, and coat. "Ten when I tried to get off the bed. Not so bad when I'm standing, maybe a six. Why is that?"

"Probably nerve sensitivity." Raven headed for the kitchen and splashed water over his face and dried it on a towel hanging beside the sink on a nail. "The pain will ease when you rest and then hurt when you move it. I'm not sure it's broken, a crack maybe. Which is just as painful and often they take longer to heal than a fracture."

Julie hobbled closer and made it all the way into the kitchen. "Anything I can do to help?"

"Ah, no." Raven grinned at her. "You might fall down and hurt yourself. Your bruises are coming out already. Any blurred vision, bad headaches?"

Shaking her head, Julie stared at a man used to caring for himself. She'd known many men in the military and most had spotless homes, could care for themselves, and cook meals from scratch. Many, like Carter, preferred the forest to living in town. "I have bruises all over and my leg hurts, but apart from that I'm okay." Her mind went to her dad and sisters. "My dad will be frantic. He'll be out searching for me. How do we let him know I'm okay?"

"I took a sign and planned to leave it at the crash site giving the approximate coordinates of my cabin, but like I said, the way back there is blocked." He took a casserole dish from the fridge and pushed it into the oven. "It's elk casserole. I prepare a ton of it and freeze it for winter. I left it to thaw when I went out. I hope you like mashed potatoes. I baked a ton in the fire, scooped out the centers, and added butter. They reheat well and I can fry the leftovers in the morning with vegetables." He met her gaze. "Carbs are good in this weather."

Heart sinking, Julie nodded. "I like that fine, but it sounds like I'm going to be here for a long time." She waved a hand toward the snow pelting the window. "I don't figure the snow is going to let up anytime soon." She sighed.

"I'll enjoy the company, but I won't be here all the time." Raven filled the coffee pot and added the ground beans to the filter. "I check my traps daily and will be looking for a way through to the old man's cabin. If at any time, I don't come back, there's plenty of food and the pipes won't freeze. Water flows from an underground stream, directly below the cabin. I designed a way to heat the water before it reaches the pipes to the house. It's filtered as well."

Julie raised both eyebrows. "How did you know to do that?"

"When I decided living off the grid was what I needed, I read many survivalist books and searched the internet for ways to live without power. I do have a generator for emergencies and a truck, which is parked in the barn of the old man's cabin. From there, I can get to the highway via the fire roads if I need to get into town." He shrugged. "The problem is, right now, we're snowed in. I'm afraid you're stuck with me."

Horrified at having to spend a moment longer with him, Julie bit her lip. Why did he act so nonchalant, as if everything was turning out as planned? She'd read about smooth-talking serial killers. One second, they were as nice as pie, but say the wrong thing to trigger them, and she'd become his next victim. Sifting through all the information he'd given her, every excuse could have been a lie. Sure, it was snowing but people moved through the forest all through winter on snowmobiles. Had there really been an avalanche or was that another excuse? Was he planning on keeping her prisoner in the cabin forever? Right now, she had no way of telling. Helpless and alone, she had no choice but she'd never trust him—not ever.