Rocky Mountain Showdown. Victoria Austin W.
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of here.” Laura sounded more hopeful than confident. She turned and looked at Seth, bringing her flashlight with her so that they could see one another. The expression on her face was a mixture of triumph and fear.
Seth knew the feeling. It was currently residing in his own chest. They had made it out of the cabin. The men with guns did not know where they were right now. But Seth also didn’t know where they would be in a few feet. “Where does the tunnel end? I mean, will we be far enough away?”
Laura shifted her hold on Abby. The little girl looked more alert. Her big dark eyes, so much like Laura’s, were watching him. Laura kissed Abby on the cheek and looked at him to answer his question.
“It’s really long. I don’t know exactly how long. I just remember it seemingly going on for forever when I was a child. It comes out farther up the mountain. Closer to the top. I’m pretty sure we’ll be safe. I mean, I hope we will be.”
Pressure expanded in Seth’s chest as he thought about the chance that she was wrong. That they would walk out of this tunnel into something worse than the men at the cabin. Or that they would end up trapped here by the fire. Seth took a deep breath, set his shoulders and started walking. There really wasn’t anything else to do, and they were wasting time.
The tunnel wasn’t wide enough for two adults to walk next to one another. Thankfully, though, it was tall enough that Seth could stand fully upright. It made him feel less like some kind of underground mole. Or troll. “I’ll go first and try to shine my light so you can use it, too. That way you can hold Abby with both arms. The ground looks clear at least.”
Laura was keeping up with Seth’s pace as he spoke. He hoped she understood that the tunnel was safe only for as long as it took those men outside the cabin to come inside and find it. Once that happened, it would become a prison. Or a tomb.
Laura shuddered, as though reading his thoughts, and looked at Abby. She was clearly terrified for her daughter, focused solely on keeping Abby safe. No, Seth vowed to himself, this tunnel would not become a tomb. Seth increased his speed, grateful that Laura followed fast enough that he was still right in front of her.
“That door was metal, and the lock seemed sturdy.” Seth knew he was trying to reassure himself just as much as he was Laura. He felt a bit like Pollyanna, trying to play the glad game. But his words were the truth and being optimistic always felt better than sitting in despair. “I’m not sure how prepared that team is, but I don’t think they will have an easy time breaking through.” He looked behind him and Laura jerked her head up and down once in a nod. “Your dad’s paranoia is turning out to be a good thing.”
Seth heard Laura’s steps falter, but when he looked back her legs had resumed their prior movements. He’d regretted his words the moment he said them, but he regretted them even more when he saw that look in her eyes. It wasn’t anger so much as sadness. Resignation. Seth didn’t like the way that look made him feel. He breathed out through his nose, wondering why he couldn’t have kept his judgment to himself. Criticizing her dad, a man she clearly loved, wasn’t going to do a thing to help their situation. Moreover, he was the reason they still had a fighting chance against that army surrounding the cabin. Lord, when will I ever learn?
“He wasn’t paranoid. Or crazy. Or a criminal.” There wasn’t any heat in her tone. Seth almost wished there had been. Surely hard anger would have been easier to digest than the resignation in her voice. Seth wasn’t making her mad. He was hurting her.
He sighed. The man had been her father, so of course she would defend him. He didn’t know what to say. He should apologize, but he still believed the words he was saying. He just wished they didn’t upset Laura.
“My dad never hurt a soul in his entire life. All he wanted was to live on the mountain by himself. To be left alone. He never did anything bad to anyone, but people couldn’t just let him be. They had to judge him. Question him. And make sure he knew that they considered him some kind of scary deviant.”
She wasn’t wrong. The stories of Old Man Grant were legendary in the park ranger office. They included tales of criminal behavior. But that behavior had been minor. Grant had not appreciated the restrictions governing use of public lands. Especially those pertaining to hunting or cutting down timber. He’d trapped animals and taken trees, but only what he needed to survive. At most, Grant was hostile. Rude. Protective of his land and more than a little frightening. Seth knew the conflict between Grant and the rangers in the office at the time had escalated to an unhealthy level on both sides.
A man who wanted to be alone. Much like Laura, it seemed. A man with a daughter. Also like Laura. “But he wasn’t alone, was he? He had you for company. And your mother?” Seth was clearly prying for information. He couldn’t help himself. He was speed walking through a tunnel, fleeing from an unknown threat, with a woman who had probably caused this mess to begin with. He was surprised by his curiosity, but it was a welcome distraction from what was behind them in the tunnel and what might be ahead.
Seth didn’t want to get away from Laura. He wanted to know who she was and why she was on this mountain. She was also known for being hostile to the outside world. Why was that?
Seth wanted to know...her. Period. Laura didn’t really fit with the vision of Old Man Grant’s daughter.
“I think we better stop talking and save our energy. We’re probably going to need it.” Laura’s voice sounded brittle. It seemed she was done talking.
Seth didn’t say anything, but he did turn his attention fully on the stretch of tunnel in front of them. It had not changed in width or height but he thought he could feel it curving. Taking them somewhere.
He was walking in the dark. Again.
Seth had thought his days of battle were behind him. He had worked hard to put them there. Leaving the war had cost him everyone he had ever loved. Well, that wasn’t exactly true. It was the way Seth refused to let his family help him after the war that had ruined everything.
Seth had so many regrets surrounding how he let war dominate his life. Now, it seemed, he had walked right back into it.
It was as awful as he remembered.
They walked and walked and walked. Hustling, Laura kept trying to listen over the sounds of their feet and breaths. She didn’t know what she was listening for, exactly.
She thought she heard footsteps. Or voices. Or both. Her voice came out as a harsh whisper. “Do you hear something?”
Seth immediately stopped. He held up his hand, and Laura wanted to say that she didn’t need him to tell her to be quiet. She didn’t, though. As much as she did not want to be with Seth right now, she didn’t want to be alone in the tunnel more. Well, not alone. Alone would be okay. It was meeting with a team of armed men dressed in black that she was looking to avoid.
Laura was glad she could hear Seth’s ragged breathing as well as her own. It was nice to not be the only one feeling the pressure of this situation. Seth’s whisper was soft, but not hesitant. “I don’t hear anyone. I think we’re still okay.”
Laura looked at him and nodded. She readjusted Abby in her arms and jerked her head forward. Taking the hint, Seth started to move again. He might not have heard anything, but Laura noticed that his pace was slightly faster than it had been before she had asked her question. She was okay with walking faster.
This tunnel was not nearly as exciting and fun as Laura remembered. Instead of an adventure, the journey felt like a horror movie. She looked at Abby, who was dealing with this as though she went on trips through dark tunnels with her mommy every day. Laura made sure her grip on her daughter was firm and increased her pace, silently urging Seth along.
She had been frozen in the cabin. Unable to fully comprehend the danger, she had felt almost like she was sleepwalking. Now, however, her body thawed. She no longer felt like a statue. But it