Читать книгу To Save Her Child - Margaret Daley - Страница 11
ОглавлениеElla sucked in a deep breath that she held until pain shot through her chest. Finally she exhaled, then managed to ask, “Is the bear following him?”
“No, but it looks as though Robbie stopped, turned around, then began running this way.” Josiah pointed to the right. “The bear is going straight.”
“Oh, good.” Relief sagged her shoulders until she realized the bear might not be the only one.
After taking his dog off the leash, Josiah signaled to Buddy to continue tracking Robbie. As Josiah followed behind the German shepherd, he said over his shoulder, “I think Robbie is slowing down. His strides are closer together.”
Her cell phone rang, and Ella quickly answered it. It was David. “Has anyone been found?”
“Yes, Travis.”
Ella said a quick prayer of thanks.
David continued. “Alex located him not far from Little Campbell Lake. She’s bringing him in.”
“Did he tell Alex anything? What happened? Why did they part?”
“They thought if they split up, one of them could get help.”
“How did they get lost?”
“They snuck away from Camp Yukon and were playing in the woods. All I know was a man spooked them.”
A man? Were those boot prints they saw that man’s? If so, the man had not only spooked them but followed them—followed Robbie. What if it was her ex-husband? Could Keith have found them? He’d never cared about his son, but he might kidnap him to get back at her. Her chest suddenly felt constricted. Each breath of air she inhaled burned her throat and lungs.
No. Keith couldn’t have found them. Please, God, it can’t be him. Memories inundated Ella as she fought for a decent breath.
“Ella?” David’s concerned voice wrenched her back to the present. “Ella, are you all right?”
No. “We’re following Robbie’s tracks. We should find him soon.” If she said it often enough, it might come true.
“I’ll find out more when Travis gets here. I’ll call you when I hear something else.”
When Ella hung up, she realized she’d slowed her gait to a crawl as she’d talked with David. The space between her and Josiah had doubled. She hurried her pace to catch up with him.
“That was David. Your sister found Travis. That’s encouraging.” But Robbie and his friend Michael could still be in danger. And there was still a possibility that her ex, Keith, could be the man who had spooked the kids.
“Any info on what happened?” Josiah kept trailing Buddy.
“They were playing in the woods when a man scared them. That’s all I know.”
Josiah paused and twisted around, his tan face carved in a frown. “I don’t see any evidence now that anyone is following Robbie.”
“But what about the man? The boot prints we found? He could—”
Suddenly a series of barks echoed through the trees.
“Come on. Buddy has something.”
Ella ran beside Josiah, who slowed down to allow her to keep up. Buddy sat at the base of a tree, barking occasionally, looking up, then at them.
“Robbie’s up in the tree,” Josiah said, slightly ahead of her now.
She examined the green foliage and saw Robbie clinging to a branch. He was safe. Thank You, Lord. Thank You.
But what about the man? The threat was still out there. The threat that could be Keith.
As she neared, she noticed her son’s wide brown eyes glued to Buddy. The fear on his face pierced through her. He might not recognize the German shepherd. “We’re here, Robbie,” she shouted. “Buddy is a search and rescue dog. He belongs to Josiah Witherspoon. You remember Mr. Witherspoon?”
Robbie barely moved his head in a nod, but he did look toward her. “Mom, I’m stuck.”
Standing under the cottonwood, Ella craned her neck and looked up at him. She wasn’t even sure how he’d managed to climb so high. He must be thirty feet off the ground. “Don’t do anything yet. You’ll be all right. Josiah and I will talk about the best way to get you down safely. Okay?” Her heart clenched at the sight of tears in her son’s eyes. His grip around the branch seemed to tighten. He was so scared. All she wanted to do was hold her child and tell him she wouldn’t let anything hurt him.
Josiah moved closer. “I can get him down. I have a longer reach than you.”
“You don’t think he can back down, keeping his arms around the limb?”
“Sometimes people freeze once they get into a tree and see how high they are. I have a feeling he was scared when he climbed up, then realized where he was. I did that once when I was a boy, not much younger than Robbie.”
“But should I—”
“You should be a mom and keep him calm.”
She nodded, relieved Josiah was here because she was afraid of heights. She would have climbed the tree if she had to, but then there might have been two people stuck up there. “Thanks.”
Josiah hoisted himself up onto the lowest branch that would hold his weight, then smiled at her. “I once had a tree where I loved to hide from the world, or rather, Alex when she bugged me. She never knew where I went. I used to watch her try to find me from my perch at the top.”
For the first time in hours, Ella chuckled. “I won’t tell her, in case you ever want to hide from her again.”
He began scaling the branches. “Much appreciated.”
“I won’t, either,” Robbie said in a squeaky voice.
“Thanks, partner,” Josiah said to her son, halfway up the main trunk of the cottonwood. “Ella, call David and tell him we found Robbie.”
Robbie stared down at the German shepherd. “What’s his name?”
While her son talked with Josiah about his dog, Ella gave David a call. “He’s in a tree, but Josiah is helping him down. We’ll return to base soon.” She lowered her voice while she continued. “Has Michael been found yet?”
“No, but I’ll pull everyone off the other areas to concentrate on the trail Jesse is following.”
“Are the police there?”
“Yes, Thomas Caldwell is here. He’s talking with Travis and getting a description of the man.”
Thomas was a friend of David’s and Josiah’s as well as a detective on the Anchorage police force. “Good. We’ll be there soon.”
When Ella disconnected the call, she watched Josiah shimmy toward Robbie as far as it was safe for him to go on the branch. He was probably one hundred and eighty pounds while her son was forty. Josiah paused about seven feet from Robbie.
“I can’t come out any farther, Robbie, but I’m here to grab you as you slide backward toward me. Hug the limb and use one hand to move back to me.” Josiah’s voice was even and calm, as though they were discussing the weather.
“I can’t. I’m...I’m scared. What if I fall?” Robbie peered at the ground and shook his head.
“Don’t look down. Do you see that squirrel on the branch near you? He’s watching you. Keep an eye on him.”
“He’s probably wondering what we’re doing up here.” Robbie stared at the animal, its tail twitching back and forth.
Her son scooted a few inches down the limb, which was at a slight incline from the trunk. When the squirrel scurried away, Robbie squeezed his eyes shut and continued to move at a snail’s pace. Finally, when he was within a foot of Josiah, her son raised his head and glanced back at Josiah. His gaze drifted downward, and he wobbled on the branch, sliding to the side.
Ella gasped.
Josiah moved fast, latching on to Robbie’s ankle. “I’ve got you. You’re okay.”
But her son flailed again. “I’m gonna...”
He fell off the limb, screaming. Then suddenly he was hanging upside down, dangling from the end of Josiah’s grip. Robbie’s fingertips grazed a smaller branch under him, but it wouldn’t hold his weight. Ella’s legs went weak, but she remained upright.
“Okay, Robbie?” Josiah adjusted his weight to keep balanced.
“Yes,” her son barely said.
“You’re safe. Nothing is going to happen to you. Hold still. Can you do that?”
“Yes,” Robbie said in a little stronger voice.
“I’m lifting you up to me, then we’ll climb down together.”
Josiah’s gaze connected to Ella’s, and she had no doubt her son would be safely on the ground in a few minutes. She sank against the tree trunk, its rough bark scraping her arm. She hardly noticed it, though, as Josiah grabbed her son with both hands and brought Robbie to him, the muscles in his arms bunching with the strain.
When Robbie was in the crook of the tree between the trunk and limb, he hugged Josiah. Surprise flitted across the man’s face.
He patted her son on the back several times. “Let’s get down from here. I don’t know about you, but I’m starving for a hamburger and fries.”
“Yeah!” Robbie’s face brightened with a big grin.
With Josiah’s help, her son finally made it to the ground. Robbie threw his arms around Ella, who never wanted to let him go. She kissed the top of his head as he finally wiggled free.
“Can we go eat a burger with Mr. Witherspoon? Can we?”
The eagerness in his voice made it hard to say no, but it wasn’t fair to keep Josiah any longer than necessary. “I’m sure he’s—”
“I think that’s a great idea, Robbie. There’s a place not too far from here that’s a favorite of mine. After we eat, then I can take you two to the hangar so your mom can pick up her car.”
Robbie looked at Buddy. “What about him?”
“He’ll be fine while we’re inside. I imagine he’s pretty tired. He’s been working a lot today.”
So have you, Ella thought, glimpsing in Josiah the same weariness she felt, but he must have sensed how important doing something normal and nonthreatening was for her son. Usually when Josiah came to a SAR operation, he did his job and went home. He was all business. But not now. The smile he sent her son made her want to join in.
“Can I pet Buddy?” her son asked.
“Sure. He loves the attention.” Josiah squatted next to Robbie after he moved to the German shepherd.
“I wish I had a dog like this. No one would bother me.”
Josiah peered up at Ella. “You don’t need to worry about that man now.”
“You know about the man?” Robbie’s forehead scrunched.
“Yes.” Ella clasped Robbie’s shoulder. “Honey, when we get back to camp, you can tell the police what the man looked like. They’ll find him.”
Robbie ran his hand down Buddy’s back, stroking the dog over and over while Josiah stood next to her son. “How’s Travis and Michael?”
“Travis is at the command center. They’re still looking for Michael. He may even be with Travis by the time we arrive at camp.” At least she hoped that was the case. The idea that Michael might still be lost while the man hadn’t been found gave her shivers. She rubbed her hands up and down her arms.
The realization it could still be her ex-husband mocked her. Until she found out for certain, she needed to start making plans to leave Anchorage. She’d disappeared once before. She could again. But the thought of leaving the life she had carved out for her and her son in Alaska swelled her throat with emotions she tried not to feel. She loved Anchorage and the people she’d become friends with. She didn’t want to leave.
“Let’s go. I imagine you’ve got a camp full of people anxiously waiting to see you.” Josiah rose and said to Robbie, “You want to hold Buddy’s leash and lead the way?”
Her son’s smile grew even more. “Yeah.”
Ella fell into step with Josiah while her son took off with Buddy. “Maybe I should think about getting a pet for Robbie.”
“I can help you with that. Buddy became a daddy eight weeks ago. My friend will be selling most of the puppies soon, but I can have the pick of the litter free. I hadn’t intended to get another dog, so if Robbie wants one, he can have my free one.”
“A mix breed or a German shepherd?”
“A purebred German shepherd. This guy trains dogs for search and rescue. He’ll keep two pups to train, then sell them later.”
Her pride nudged forward. Ever since escaping her abusive marriage in Georgia and relocating to Anchorage, she hadn’t depended on others to help her. It had taken all her courage to seek aid through the New Life Organization and break free of Keith. She was thankful to the Lord that she and Robbie had been able to make it on their own without constantly glancing over their shoulders, looking for Keith, who should have been in prison for years. For four years, she’d been able to live without being scared for her life and now... “I can’t accept one. You should take the puppy and sell it.”
“I don’t need the money. Outdoor Alaska is a successful business. I’d much rather see a child happy with a new pet. I always had one while growing up, and they were important to me.”
What if it really was Keith in the woods? A dog would only complicate their lives if they had to move. “I appreciate the offer.”
He tilted his head, his gaze slanting down at her. “But?”
Her gaze drifted to Robbie with Buddy. “A German shepherd is a big dog. He’ll need to be trained. Any suggestions?”
“I can help when the puppy’s old enough.”
Again the words I can’t accept perched on the tip of her tongue, but one look at her son petting Buddy shut that impulse down. Her son was frightened more than most children because of the memories of his abusive father and his temper, all directed at her. Although he’d only been four when she’d finally successfully escaped Keith, a raised voice still shook Robbie, and any man with curly blond hair like his father’s scared him to the point that he tried to hide if he could.
She didn’t realize she’d stopped walking until Josiah’s worried voice said, “Are you all right?”
She blinked, noting her son had paused by a big tree and waited for them to catch up. “Thanks for the offer to help train the dog when we get it.” She hoped by the time the puppy was old enough to be separated from its mother, she’d know for sure who the man in the woods was.
The corners of his eyes crinkled as he grinned. “Good. My sister has been teasing me lately. Accusing me of being a hermit when I’m not working.”
“When did you leave the Marines?”
“Eighteen months ago. Alex and I grew up in Anchorage. We both left, but she came back when our parents died in a small plane crash and took over the running of the family business, Outdoor Alaska.”
“Your store has really grown since I first arrived.”
“That’s all my sister. She’s driven.”
“And you aren’t?” She started walking again, the darkness of the woods throwing Josiah’s face in shadows.
“Driven? I’m not sure I would use that word to describe me.”
“What word would you use to describe yourself, then?”
“I’m just not as driven or singularly focused as I once was. Except when searching for a lost person—when someone else’s life is in the balance.”
What was he not telling her? Studying his closed expression, she knew there was so much more he kept to himself—like she did. She couldn’t share her past with anyone. That would put her and her son in danger. What happened today had ended well for Robbie, but if Keith ever found them, she knew it wouldn’t. The thought sent a shudder down her spine.
When they arrived at the camp, Robbie saw Travis and ran toward him with Buddy trotting alongside.
Ella scanned the area and glimpsed Detective Thomas Caldwell talking with David. “I hope Michael was found,” she said to Josiah.
“I’ll get Robbie and Buddy and be right there,” Josiah said, and then headed toward the two boys, who stood near a couple of camp counselors and Travis’s parents.
Both Thomas and David were frowning. That didn’t bode well for Michael. Ella’s chest constricted at the thought of the boy still out there. Not far from David stood his wife with Michael’s mother. Tears ran down the young woman’s face while Bree consoled her.
When Ella joined David and Thomas, she asked in a low voice, “Has Michael been found yet?”
David’s mouth lifted in a grin. “Yes, just two minutes ago. He hurt himself. Jesse thinks it’s a sprained ankle. He’s bringing him in.”
“Thank God he’s safe. Good thing Bree is here. She can check him on-site.” Ella spied her son and Josiah making their way toward her.
David peered at his wife with love deep in his eyes.
David had been fortunate last winter to rescue Bree, a doctor who flew to remote villages, from a downed bush plane in the wilderness. That had been the beginning of a beautiful relationship, which had just culminated in their wedding on Valentine’s Day. Sometimes Ella wished she had a special man in her life again, but her marriage to Keith had soured her on marriage. But David deserved some happiness.
How about you? a little voice in her head said.
She was happy. She had her son, friends, a good church and a fulfilling job. She didn’t need a man to be happy. And yet, when she saw other married couples who obviously loved each other, a twinge stabbed her with the idea of what could have been if she hadn’t married Keith.
“Travis’s dad told me Michael has been found,” Josiah said.
“Yeah, Mom. Can we wait until he arrives before going to dinner?”
Ella slid a look to Josiah, and he answered her son, “Yes, of course.”
“Good. Travis is staying, too. I’m gonna sit with him until Michael shows up.”
“Ella, I’d like to ask Robbie a few questions,” Thomas said.
“Yes, of course.”
Thomas smiled at her son. “It’s nice to see you again. That picnic David threw on the Fourth of July was great. We’ll need to work on him to have one for Labor Day, especially if his father is going to be the chef.”
“Yeah. My favorite part was the fireworks.” Still clutching Buddy’s leash, Robbie stroked the German shepherd as he craned his neck to peer up at Thomas.
“Travis told me what happened, but I’d love to hear it from you, too.”
The grin on her son’s face vanished. “We were over there.” Robbie gestured toward the line of trees near the camp base. “We heard an owl but couldn’t see it so we thought we would try to find it.” He swung his attention to Ella. “I know we shouldn’t have gone away from the camp, but I love birds. I saw a bald eagle earlier today.”
“We’ll talk about that later. Right now, just tell the detective what you remember.”
Pausing for a moment, Robbie tilted his head. “Mom, I think I need to learn how to track. That way I would have known how to get back to camp. We walked for a while, listening to the owl hoot.” He closed his eyes for a few seconds, balling his hands. “When I saw a man with a mean face standing by a tree staring at us, I looked around. None of us could really tell which way we’d come from. We were talking and not paying attention. I was gonna inspect the ground for footprints, but the man started heading for us. We ran. Me and Michael followed Travis, thinking he must know the way. He didn’t.”
“I understand you all split up. Why?” Thomas asked.
“Because the man was still behind us. I’ve seen it on a TV show. People split up when they are being chased. That way one of us could run back and get help.”
“What happened when you did that?” Thomas asked.
“At first, he went after me, but then suddenly he turned and started in the direction Michael went. I decided to climb a tree, but the first one wasn’t good. The second one was better.” He dropped his head. “Except I couldn’t get down. Then Josiah saved me.” Robbie’s gaze fixed on Josiah.
“What did the man look like?” Thomas wrote on his pad.
“A grizzly bear.”
“Robbie, no kidding around. This is serious,” Ella scolded him.
“Mom, I know. He was huge—” Robbie’s arms spread out to indicate not only tall but wide “—and had so much dark brown hair all over him. When I was running and looked back, that was what he reminded me of.” Her son trembled. “I don’t ever want to see him again. I promise, Mom, I won’t ever go off like that.”
Relieved that the description didn’t fit her ex-husband at all, especially all that dark hair, she released a slow breath. “I’m glad you learned a good lesson.” Ella patted his shoulder, realizing the fear Robbie had experienced would be more effective than if she grounded him for a week.
“Anything else about the man that might help me find him?” Thomas scribbled a few more notes on his pad.
Robbie stared at the ground, then slowly shook his head. “Nope. I was running most of the time. I didn’t want him to catch me.”
“Thanks, Robbie, for helping me. You can go sit with Travis if you want now.” While her son handed Buddy’s leash to Josiah then left, Thomas gave Ella his card. “Call me if he remembers anything else. I’ve got police combing the woods right now. Hopefully we’ll find the man. We’ll work on a composite sketch after I talk with Michael. I’d like to show the boys the picture our artist comes up with and see what they think. Okay?”
“Yes. I want him found. I don’t like the idea someone is out there chasing children.”
“Neither do I. My partner is checking the database of criminals who target children in Anchorage to see if one matches the description.”
The realization of how close Robbie had come to being taken by a stranger finally took hold of Ella. The campsite spun before her eyes while her legs gave way.
