Chapter 6

SIX

In a world of pain, Julie Wolfe opened her eyes, expecting to be somewhere in the forest. It was dark and silent. Panic gripped her. Where was she? What had happened? The terrifying knowledge that the plane was going to crash had come from the frantic shouts from the pilot. He told them all to hug their knees as visibility was zero and he'd try and put the aircraft down somewhere. Terrible memories spun around in her head and she moaned, holding up her hands. "Help me. Someone, help me."

A light poured over her and she made out a small room. She started at the sight of a huge man filling the doorway. Hope filled her. "Is that you, Dave?"

"No, my name is Johnny Raven." The man came into the room and looked down at her. "What's your name?"

Head spinning, fear caught in Julie's throat. Cool sheets pressed into her back. Where the heck was she and how did she get here with this stranger? For now she'd cooperate because she had no choice. With effort, she pushed words out of her dry throat. "Julie Wolfe."

"Do you remember what happened?" Raven sat beside her and flicked a flashlight across her pupils. "I can't find any head injuries. How do you feel?"

This man was acting like a doctor, but if he had been, wouldn't he have said so from the get-go? Gritting her teeth, Julie moved her head and went through a self-check. "My leg hurts and I was in a plane crash. I recall the pilot telling us to brace for impact and then waking up here."

"Do you need something for the pain?" He indicated behind him. "I have morphine or pain meds."

As if she'd trust a stranger to drug her. No one was that stupid, but she did need something for the pain shooting up her leg. She dragged her dry tongue over cracked lips. "Not morphine and I'll want to see the bottle before I take anything. I've no reason to trust you and I need to ask questions. Where am I and how long have I been here?" She looked around the tidy log-built room and then lifted the covers. She swallowed hard at the sight of her PJ's. One leg was split to the knee and she made out a heavy bandage. "Where are my clothes?"

"You were soaked through." Raven's eyes narrowed. "I needed to get you warm before you died."

I need to get out of here. She touched her ear, searching for her earring but it was missing. One squeeze and it would activate a tracker and her dad would come. A shiver of fear ran down her spine. Had Raven removed it to stop her escaping? Heart racing, she looked at him. "Did you remove my earrings?"

"You have one on the left." Raven narrowed his gaze at her. "Why would I remove it? You must have lost it in the wreck."

Reason washed over her. He'd have no knowledge of her tracker. She nodded. "I need to call my dad. Have you got my purse? My phone is in there. It has a satellite sleeve."

"I brought a set of pink luggage with us, but I didn't find a purse. You were covered with snow." Raven frowned. "It was bad up there. You were the only survivor."

Horrified, Julie burst into tears. "Are you sure? That can't be possible."

"I checked everyone." Raven frowned and shook his head. "The plane hit the mountain and broke in half. The first half caught fire. The tail section, where you were sitting, broke off and was stuck in a snowdrift. You're lucky to be alive." He placed a box of tissues on the bed beside her. "I'll get word out as soon as I can get through to the next cabin. There's a CB radio inside. My truck and snowmobile are there as well." He sighed. "Avalanches have blocked many of the trails. We were lucky to make it here."

Blowing her nose and tossing the tissues into a bin he held out for her. She blinked through tears. "I want my dad. He'll be able to fix me."

"I'm doing my best and I can't get your dad right now. Even if we could reach him, there's no way around the avalanche to my cabin from the closest road." Raven gave her a long searching look. "You've been through a very traumatic experience and you're injured. Please don't get upset. I'll do everything in my power to get word to your father."

Shaky and unsure, Julie took another tissue and dabbed her eyes. Right now she had little choice but to try and get her head on straight and then decide what to do. "Okay."

"I'll get the bottle of meds. There's water beside you but would you like a hot drink?" Raven turned away and then paused at the open door. "Is coffee okay? How do you like it?"

Blowing out a breath and trying to calm down, Julie nodded. This man was only trying to be kind and hadn't acted threatening. "Yes, thank you. Cream and sugar, but first I need to use the bathroom."

"Oh." Raven nodded. "That door leads to the bathroom. It's a Jack and Jill, so lock your side when you're using it, okay? For now, I'll need to carry you and support your weight. I don't have any crutches, but I'll make you a stick as soon as possible. I figure your tibia is broken or at least cracked. I've straightened it and it's splinted, but you'll need to get to the hospital for X-rays. The problem is, we're snowed in and I'm all you've got right now, but you're in good hands. I served in the US Army Medical Corps and I'll take care of you for the time being."

She understood and looked at him. "You're a medical doctor? My dad served as well. He's the medical examiner out at Black Rock Falls."

"Then you'll know I'm competent at treating injuries like yours." Raven's lips flattened into a thin line. "Ready?"

When he tossed back the covers and scooped her into his arms, she cried out in pain. As her leg hung down, intense agony shot through her and she trembled and grit her teeth. "Oh, that hurts so bad."

"It will get better." He carried her into the bathroom and stood her before the toilet. "Hold on to my shoulders and I'll close my eyes."

Julie shook her head and glared at him. "I'll manage. Is there anyone else here? Do you have a wife who can help me? Who changed my clothes?"

"No wife. I undressed you, washed you, and put you in your PJ's." Raven shook his head. "You haven't got anything I haven't seen before. I'm a medical doctor. I took an oath to do no harm."

Her cheeks grew hot as embarrassment rushed over her. Doctor or not—if she could believe him—she didn't feel comfortable with him touching her especially when she'd been unconscious. She didn't trust him even with looks most women would melt over. He was tall like Dave but younger. As he bent closer, to steady her, she caught the smell of woodsmoke and soap. His clothes were clean and dark wavy hair flowed to his collar. His broad shoulders and arms were as hard as rocks. When his soft brown eyes settled on her and he scratched his short beard, she shook her head. "I don't know you. You could be a serial killer for all I know."

"Okay, it's going to be tough love or a wet bed." He pulled down her PJ's and lowered her onto the toilet. "You can do the paperwork. I'll get the coffee. Call me when you need a hand to get up." He turned and walked away.

Face burning, Julie did the necessary and managed to stand on one leg. Dizzy with pain, she gripped the edge of the basin and struggled to pull up her PJ's. Pivoting on one leg as waves of agony shot through her, she tried the faucet, glad to see running water even during a freeze. The hot water surprised her. This cabin was well equipped and from the spotless bathroom, Raven took pride in his home. She washed her hands and face and dried them on a towel beside the sink. "I'm done."

"I don't want you to put any weight on that leg." Raven lifted her with gentle care and carried her back into the bedroom.

The room had changed. Light flooded in through a frosted window. Wood had been added to the fire, giving the room a toasty glow. The pillows were piled up, so she had no problem sitting up. Beside the bed was a steaming cup of coffee in a huge ceramic mug. As Raven adjusted her pillows and made sure she could reach the coffee and water bottle beside the bed, he handed her a bottle of meds to examine. She recognized the label. "Those are fine, thank you."

"Two every six hours." He removed two from the bottle and dropped them into her palm. "I'll give them to you when necessary."

She looked at him. "Thank you. I do appreciate you helping me. It's been such a shock."

"It was fortunate I was out checking my traplines." He smiled and sat down in an easy chair facing her. "I have a meat locker stocked for winter, but I need extra food for my dogs, so I trap critters. The dogs pulled the sled that brought you here. I'd have never gotten you here without them. The dog in the house is called Ben. He's a military K-9 but he won't hurt you."

Concerned for the other dogs outside in the blizzard she could still see raging outside the window, she frowned. "Are your other dogs out there in the cold?"

"No." Raven chuckled deep in his chest. "They have very warm kennels in the barn. They're all rescue dogs and get along just fine. I was able to set the barn up same as the cabin. Solar panels and large-capacity storage batteries. We have a wealth of sunshine here. It powers everything I need, but I use wood fires in the rooms. There's never a shortage of dead trees to use in the forest."

Sipping her coffee, Julie met his gaze. "So in the winter when it snows, the solar panels would be covered. What happens then?"

"They're on a tilt, which in itself is self-cleaning, but once it stops snowing, I get up on the roof and clean off the snow." Raven took a cup of coffee from the nightstand. "When it's snowing, I'm careful with the power, and the wood fires heat the water. Power is used for lighting and appliances. So not so much really." He gave her a long look. "Tell me about you. I don't have many visitors. In fact, you're the first person to see my cabin."

Julie explained about moving to Black Rock Falls after her mom died and her uneventful life. "I've changed my mind about my career so many times it's driving my dad insane. I love kids so was thinking pediatrics, but then I've seen so many terrible things happen to kids. I'm not sure I could cope with it."

"Having a father who is a medical examiner wouldn't help." Raven's brow crinkled into a frown. "He must deal with many of the children caught up in serial killer homicides."

Finding Raven's conversation soothing, she relaxed. The pain was easing and hunger gnawed at her belly. Her stomach rumbled and she pressed a hand to it. "Tell me about how you came to be here all alone in the forest."

"It's a long story." He stood, gathered the cups and checked his watch. "It's a little after one. I'll get us something to eat." He smiled at her. "I found you about five hours ago. I figure the plane crash was about seven this morning."

Recalling the early flight time, Julie nodded. "Yeah, I managed to get onto a cargo flight. Mostly medical supplies and canned goods I believe. We left around six."

"Yeah, I collected the medical supplies and as much of the canned goods as I could carry on the first trip and then went back for the rest. Then an avalanche blocked the trail and now I doubt anyone will get to the wreck until after the melt. Once everything is frozen it's useless. I'll keep it here. If the owners want it back, they can collect it from me." He gave her a long look. "I took the first aid kit as well. The medical supplies had a variety of pain meds and antibiotics. I needed pain meds for you. It wasn't looting. It was a necessity. I left all the luggage but yours in the cargo hold. As you were the only woman on board, I figured it belonged to you."

Julie thought for a beat. "Thanks, and to be honest, I doubt anyone will worry about the supplies. They'll be more interested in collecting the remains and personal items of the victims. The cargo will be insured. I don't honestly believe anyone will be too concerned about a few cans of beans." She leaned back in the pillows. "When my dad comes to get me, you can give him the medical supplies. He'll know what to do with them. Although, I gather you'd put them to good use. Do you treat many people here in the mountains?"

"A few. Some hunting accidents if I come across them." Raven stood, filling the doorway, two cups in his hands. "I don't have any communication with the outside world apart from the CB radio I mentioned. If Breda gives me the heads-up about someone ailing, I'll go and help out. My license is current. I could start up a practice in town, but right now I'm enjoying the solitude. I live off the land, sell dogs I train, and have an Army pension. I don't really need to go back to nine-to-five."

Wondering what had happened to make him want to live a solitary lifestyle, Julie's mind went to Agent Ty Carter. He'd suffered PTSD and taken himself off the grid for three years, preferring to live alone in the forest than being with people and memories. Maybe something real bad had happened to Raven in the Army? She nodded. "It sounds like bliss, although I'd miss TV."

"Oh, I have a dish but I rarely watch the news. I prefer movies or documentaries." Raven grinned at her. "I need mental stimulation or I get restless and howl at the moon." He chuckled and turned to go. "When you feel better and the blizzard has passed, I'll carry you out into the family room. With luck, I'll be able to clear the snow from the dish and you can watch TV."

Julie watched him go, leaving the scent of woodsmoke behind him. Maybe it was his bedside manner, but even doctors weren't that friendly. Well, not any she'd met. He seemed so nice. Maybe a little too nice. Her mind conjured up a series of weird scenarios and she blamed it on having just finished reading behavioral analyst Jo Wells' series on the mind of a serial killer. A shiver of concern slid down her spine. Charismatic, tick. Lives alone in the forest, tick. Single white male, tick. Did he show empathy for the other victims? He'd checked them and they were all dead, but all still lying out for the wildlife to devour. So lack of empathy, tick. As panic gripped her, she recalled how some serial killers cared for others. Some even married and had double lives. Not everyone fit their fantasy. Maybe she'd be lucky. So far, he hadn't hurt her. If he was a serial killer, just how long would that last if she accidentally pulled his trigger?