Chapter 3 - THE HUNTER AND THE PREY
BETRAYED AT ZERO DEGREES: The Terrifying Secrets Hidden in the Snow!
The gunshot shattered the silence of the forest, sending a flock of crows screaming into the dark sky. Melody gasped, her tiny body jumping in terror. She buried her face into the wet fabric of Catherine’s trousers.
“Shh, shh,” Catherine whispered, pulling the girl into a tight embrace. Her mind raced. The shot had come from the ridge above them, perhaps half a mile away. The wind was blowing toward them, carrying the sound clearly, but it also meant whoever fired the gun wouldn't be able to hear them easily.
She had to make a decision. In the boardroom, hesitation was death. In these woods, it was literally true.
If she turned back to the highway now, she might survive. But what about James Hartley? If he was wounded, he wouldn't survive the night in this sub-zero temperature. And if the people hunting him found them on the trail... Catherine’s expensive SUV parked at the empty rest stop was a dead giveaway that someone else was out here.
“Melody, listen to me very carefully,” Catherine said, kneeling so she was eye-to-eye with the shivering girl. She took off her own thick, warm wool scarf and wrapped it around Melody’s head, tucking the loose ends into the thin cardigan. “We have to play a very quiet game now. Do you know the game of hide-and-seek?”
Melody nodded, her eyes wide, tears finally spilling over her cold-flushed cheeks.
“You are the best hider in the world, right?” Catherine coaxed, her heart hammering against her ribs. “I need you to climb inside this hollow log right here. I’m going to cover the opening with these pine branches. You must not make a sound, no matter what you hear. Do you understand? Not a peep. I will be right back. I’m going to find your daddy.”
Melody looked terrified, but she saw the fierce, unbreakable resolve in Catherine’s eyes. The little girl nodded bravely and squeezed her body into the hollow of a massive, fallen oak. Catherine quickly piled heavy, snow-laden pine boughs over the opening, obscuring it completely. To any passing observer, it looked like nothing more than a natural drift.
With Melody safe, Catherine turned toward the direction of the gunshot.
She turned off her flashlight. The darkness closed in, suffocating and vast. She waited for her eyes to adjust, relying on the pale, ambient light reflected by the snow.
She crept forward, using the massive trunks of the pine trees as cover. Step by step, she climbed the slope. The wind whipped her face, numbing her cheeks, but the adrenaline pumping through her veins kept her warm.
She reached the crest of the ridge. Below her lay a steep, treacherous ravine.
A sweep of artificial light suddenly cut through the trees on the opposite side of the ravine. Catherine threw herself flat onto the frozen ground, burying her face in the snow.
Two men in heavy, white winter camouflage tactical gear were descending into the ravine. They carried assault rifles fitted with silencers and thermal scopes.
“He’s hit,” one of the men called out, his voice carrying clearly over the wind. “There’s a blood trail leading down into the creek bed. He can’t have gone far with a shattered femur.”
“Finish it quickly,” the second man replied, his voice cold and transactional. “The boss wants the encryption key before the cops show up. The local sheriff’s department is already sniffing around Route 17 because of some abandoned vehicle report.”
Catherine’s breath hitched. They were talking about her SUV. The police were coming, but they would be too late.
She peered over the edge of the ravine. At the very bottom, huddled beneath a ledge of sheer ice, was a man. He was wearing a dark winter coat, clutching his leg, his face pale as death.
James Hartley.
May you like
He was trapped. The two armed men were closing in from the left, their flashlights scanning the snow. They would find him in less than three minutes.
Catherine looked around frantically. She had no weapon. She had no physical advantage against two trained mercenaries. But Catherine Walsh hadn't built a corporate empire by fighting fair. She won by changing the rules of the game.
