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Chapter 29
Spence edged around the house to the window with the partially opened curtain. He peered inside and saw Davies tugging on Zoe’s arm.
“I’m not going,” she said, her voice steady. Even. “You go ahead. I’m waiting in the cabin. It’s too dark out there, and we won’t be able to see where we’re going.”
“No,” Davies yelled. “You have to come with me. We need to be together. In everything. I’m not going to leave you behind!”
“It’ll be fine, Ethan,” Zoe said, her voice steady. Calm. God, she was amazing. “I’m not going anywhere. You’re not leaving me behind. I’ll be right here in the cabin after you talk to them and get this straightened out.”
“No! You have to come with me.” Davies grabbed her arm and yanked her to her feet. As he began to drag her toward the door, she wrapped her free arm around one of the tree-trunk posts. Clung tightly. Davies stumbled when he’d extended her right arm as far as he could. Then he tugged on her hand. “Let go, Zoe! I’m not leaving you here.”
“I’m not going with you,” she said. She curled one leg around the pole as well. “Go ahead and run to your car, Ethan. Get away from here. But I’m staying.”
Spence ran to the back door and pounded again. “Open up, Mr. Davies,” he yelled, trying to make his voice sound different. “Come out with your hands on your head.” He dashed around to the other door and pounded on that as well. He needed to make Davies think he was surrounded.
Spence heard a grunt of pain from inside the cabin, and a sound as if something hit the floor. Then the front door opened and Davies came barreling out.
As he ran for his car, he looked around frantically. Trying to spot the police? But instead of getting into his car, he veered to his right as he ran. Continued to sprint away from the cabin.
He was heading right for a cliff.
“Davies!” Spence shouted, running after him. “Stop! You’re running toward a cliff. I don’t want you to fall. Stop and turn around. Hands on your head.”
Spence ran faster, reaching out for Davies shirt. Davies looked behind him and his eyes widened. Instead of stopping, he ran even faster.
“Stop,” Spence screamed. “You’re running the wrong way. You’re going to fall over the edge of the cliff.” But Davies didn’t stop or slow down.
Finally, realizing Davies was dangerously close to the edge, Spence launched himself into the air. His fingertips brushed Davies’ shirt and he tried to grab on. Pull Davies to the ground. But Davies twisted away and Spence reached for his leg but grabbed only air. Moments later, Davies let out a cry as he disappeared from view. The terrified scream echoed in the air until it cut off abruptly.
Spence pushed himself to his feet, realizing he was only inches from the edge of the cliff himself. He backed away to a safe distance from the edge, knowing there was nothing he could do for Davies right now. But he needed to check. See if Davies was moving. If he had, by some miracle, avoided the rocks.
He had only the flashlight in his phone, so he yanked it out of his pocket. Turned it on and cautiously approached the edge of the cliff. He trained the light downward and saw Davies sprawled on his back on a pile of boulders, his body bent at awkward angles and his head twisted too far to the side. He wasn’t moving at all. No rise and fall of his chest. He wasn’t breathing.
After studying Davies for a long moment, he turned and headed toward the cabin, using the flashlight to illuminate his path. As he hurried to Zoe, he saw two people with flashlights walking down the road. The police. They hadn’t been able to get past his car.
He waved one arm at them and headed for the cabin. Zoe stood in the door, her eyes huge, her mouth trembling. “Spence?” she called. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” he said, running toward her. He swept her into his arms and buried his face in her neck. Breathed her in for a long moment and closed his eyes as he pressed his body against hers. He needed to feel her breathing. Needed to know she was alive.
Finally he leaned back and ran his hands over her, from her head to her legs. “Are you okay?” he asked frantically. “I heard you cry out. Heard a thump, right before Davies ran out the door.”
“He wanted me to go with him,” she said, clinging tightly to Spence. “But I had my arm wrapped around the post and I wouldn’t let go. So he finally shoved me to the floor and ran out the door.”
“Did he hurt you?” Spence asked, running his hands up and down her body, checking for injuries.
“No,” she murmured into his neck. “But he had plans. Thank God you interrupted when you did.”
“That’s why I pounded on the door,” he said. “I heard what he was saying. I was afraid he was going to assault you.”
She tightened her arms around him, and he felt her trembling. He smoothed his hand down her back, over and over. “I was, too,” she said, her voice catching on a sob.
“Everyone okay in here?” a voice said, and Spence took a step away from Zoe.
“This is Zoe Melbourne,” he said, curling his arm around her shoulders. “Davies kidnapped her and drove up here from Seattle.”
The two uniformed officers looked around the small cabin. “Where is Davies?” one of them asked.
Spence took a deep breath. Tightened his grip on Zoe’s shoulder. “He ran off the edge of the cliff,” Spence said. “I kept yelling at him to stop, but he never even slowed down. I leaped for him but couldn’t quite reach him. He just ran right off the edge.”
