Part 2
Massanutten Mountain Shenandoah Valley, Virginia 2050 Local
Forty-three minutes into the drive and Mac was still a little dumfounded by Annabel's bizarre request. The rain was down to a drizzle but it was easy to track the path of the storm. More than once, she had to veer around downed tree limbs. The road had been steadily climbing as it wound around the knees of the mountain. She kept the speed down as much for the curves that were beginning to appear as for the debris littering the road. The back of her mind was busily toting up the extra time it was going to take getting through the mountains if she wasn't able to pick up speed soon. This trip was getting depressingly longer all the time.
It was blacker than pitch out this way. The power lines must be down all over the mountain, there's wasn't a light to be seen anywhere. Feeling the hair begin to rise on the back of her neck, Mac angrily told herself to get a grip. It was just her overactive imagination that made it seem like the darkness was swallowing the feeble swath projected by her headlights. A mist began to rise from the pavement, growing progressively thicker. Swearing under her breath, Mac slowed even more as the visibility dropped. If this kept up, she was going to be at a standstill.
It wasn't long before Mac felt she was driving in a tunnel. With a start, she realized that at some point, the lines on the road had disappeared. The road felt rougher, too. What the hell was going on? Had she somehow managed to leave the main highway? For the life of her, she couldn't remember any sort of a turn-off. She shot a quick glance at the map lying on the passenger seat. There couldn't have been any turn-off if she was in the area she thought she was.
She was still trying to figure it out when a figure suddenly appeared out of the mist. Shocked, she threw the wheel over as she stomped on the brakes. Her heart was in her throat as she felt the back end of the car slide out. Desperately, Mac spun the wheel to compensate when the right front tire dropped off the edge of the road. Her last coherent thought as the rest of car followed was 'What the hell happened to the guardrails?"
*******
Mac slowly opened her eyes and took stock of her situation. She blinked once or twice but it did nothing to relieve the unremitting darkness surrounding her. The car's engine had stopped and neither the headlights or the dashlights seemed to be working. According to her internal clock, only a few minutes had passed so she was pretty sure she hadn't lost consciousness, although her impressions of what had happened were pretty chaotic. She groaned a little as she gingerly moved arms and legs. Having the airbag deploy was infinitely better than smacking into the steering wheel but it still felt like she'd been clobbered by a giant fist. She felt the side of her head and winced. There'd probably be a knot there soon from bouncing her head off the driver's side window. Aside from a slight headache, there didn't seem to be any major damage. She'd been damn lucky.
The car was wedged sideways against some trees at close to a forty-five degree angle. Judging by the fact that she and the door were more or less in one piece, the actual impact had to have been on the front end. The car must have slid sideways afterwards. Mac unfastened her seatbelt and worked her way to the passenger side. Grabbing the door handle, she braced herself as well as she could and pushed. Nothing. Muttering to herself, she maneuvered around to try and get a little more leverage and shoved again. Still nothing. Letting go, she half-slid back to the driver's side. With the electrical system out, there was no way to get the windows down. She would have to find some way to break the glass.
Mac peered out of the driver's side window and shook her head slightly. Even if she broke the glass on this side, she didn't think she could squeeze past the trees. That left the passenger side. If it came down to it, she supposed she could kick the window out. It would be awkward as hell. She'd be practically upside down and there'd be no way to keep the glass from landing on her when the window did break. At least the safety glass would ensure that she didn't cut her leg off when she tried it. First, though, she'd see if there was anything else she could use. Mac smiled ruefully to herself, 'see' was a relative term. She could barely 'see' anything. Her search would be mostly by feel.
She went at it methodically, checking around the driver's side and then moving to the passenger seat. When her hand touched her purse, she resisted the urge to smack herself in the forehead. Her cell phone! With a little luck, maybe she could just sit tight and wait for a rescue squad to come get her. Fumbling inside, her hand made contact with the hard plastic case. Pulling it out, she flipped it open and was rewarded with the soft glow of the keypad. Her smile of success faded as she looked at the message on the LCD screen. 'Searching for Service'. Damn! As she stared at the traitorous piece of electronic equipment, her puzzlement grew. Searching for service? She was on a global satellite system. The only times she couldn't get some sort of signal was when she was unfortunate enough to be stuck underwater in a sub or if she was deep in the bowels of a Navy ship with tons of steel above her head.
Mac heaved a sigh, she'd think about it later. Right now, she needed to get back on the hunt for something to help her get out of this car. She crawled into the backseat and half-landed on her briefcase. Picking it up, she hefted it in her hands for a moment. Maybe... if she couldn't find anything else. The rest of the car was depressingly empty. She sat for a few seconds, drumming her fingers on the briefcase and then turned towards the back of the car. A lot of vehicles were made so it was possible to access the trunk from the inside. Hopefully, this was one of them. She started running her hands around the backrest of the seat. There should be a catch or loop of some sort... Hah! There it was. Mac gave it a good yank and was rewarded with the backrest folding down. She smiled in triumph, there had to be a tire iron of some sort in there.
Right about then, the first fat raindrop hit the back windshield. Great, just great, Mac thought sourly as she began her search of the trunk. A couple of minutes later, not even the steadily increasing tattoo of rain could wipe the smile off her face. Not only had she found the tire iron but also an emergency kit. With a great deal of satisfaction, she clicked on the flashlight and inspected the rest of the contents. Flares, a first aid kit, tow rope, one of those compact, foil-like emergency blankets, collapsible water container, waterproof matches, food bars and even one of those Leatherman multi-tool gadgets. This was practically Nirvana for a Marine. Quickly and efficiently, she began divvying up the supplies. She knew better than to keep everything in one place. Driving off the road had been completely unexpected, she would not be so sanguine about hanging onto the emergency bag. Some of the waterproof matches, a food bar, the blanket and a roll of aspirin went into her pockets. The Leatherman tool she attached to her belt. She paused for a moment in thought and then grabbed her cell phone, shoving it in a pocket as well.
Satisfied that she was as prepared as possible, Mac picked up the tire iron. Shielding her face and eyes, she began hammering at the window. It broke through on the third try and she quickly used the iron to clear the rest of the glass. She squinted as she worked, rain was pouring into the opening. Making a quick decision, she grabbed her briefcase and purse and shoved them into the trunk. Hopefully, that would keep them dry. She would get everything back once they pulled the car back up on the road. Picking up the emergency bag, she swung it through the opening and then followed.
Mac landed on all fours outside the car and then cautiously stood up. The angle of the slope and the rain were making the footing more than a little treacherous. Bracing against the car, she started to wipe her hands off and then gave up in disgust. Odds were that she would be on her hands and knees more often than not anyway, as she climbed back to the road. Lightning flashed and a few seconds later, thunder rolled through the sky. Mac cast a jaundiced eye upward and then pulled out the flashlight, slinging the bag onto her shoulder. Deciding on her route, she began the uphill climb.
Fifteen minutes later, she braced herself on a shrub and took a breather. She was soaked through and mud-covered as well. Mac glanced up the slope. She had no idea how far down she was but surely, the road couldn't that much further. With a sigh, she started climbing again. It was the sound that first caught her attention but with the thunder rumbling constantly, it was hard to decide just what it was she was hearing. A few seconds later, a torrent of water hit her square in the chest, knocking her backwards off her feet. Then she was tumbling downhill, out of control and unable to stop. Terrified, she tried to protect herself, expecting at any moment, a fatal impact with a tree or boulder.
Dizzy and disoriented, Mac barely registered the lurch that told her she was airborne. Then, with a splash, icy water closed over her. Blind instinct got her head above water. Arms flailing, she coughed and spluttered as she was swept downstream at an alarming rate. It had to be a small creek that she was in, she realized, as the current bounced her into a steep bank and then swirled her away. Desperately, she tried to find a way out. A low-hanging branch appeared and she threw herself at it, only to miss and disappear underwater. Struggling back up, Mac was already beginning to feel numb with cold.
Moments later, she slammed into the bank again. This time, she managed to latch onto a gnarled tree root. With an effort, she dragged her other hand up to consolidate her grip. The force of the water was staggering and now she was getting pelted with debris as well. Try as she might, she couldn't pull herself out. She glanced helplessly over her shoulder and then her eyes widened. A large hunk of wood was hurtling at her. In despair, she let go and a few seconds later, felt the impact as the log hit. Even with the force dissipated, it was enough to push her underwater again where she bounced along the creekbed.
Mac broke the surface once more, wondering how much longer she was going to be able to hang on. She swept around a bend and came to a jarring halt as she was slammed into a tangle of logs and debris. Grabbing at branches, she fought against the force that was trying to drag her underneath. Frantic at being so close to escaping, she redoubled her efforts and succeeded in inching away from the brunt of the current. A minute later, she was standing in water only a foot deep. Mac staggered up the bank and sank to her hands and knees, trembling with cold and exhaustion.
She fought the urge to collapse, some stubborn little voice was telling her it would be the last thing she did. Struggling to her feet, she braced herself against a tree trunk and looked around. The rain continued unabated. She needed to find some sort of shelter and she had absolutely no idea where she was. In a way, that simplified things, one direction was as good as another. Mac pushed herself upright and started walking.
She kept to the path of least resistance, shifting away whenever the sound of water grew too loud. The land was gradually flattening out. She kept moving, only marginally aware of where she was going. At least the exertion from walking was beginning to warm her up. Unfortunately, it was exacerbating the exhaustion. Her legs felt leaden and she wondered vaguely if it were truly possible to walk and sleep at the same time.
She was in the middle of the clearing before she realized that the trees were gone. Coming to a halt, Mac slowly turned in a circle. Visibility was problematic with the rain and darkness but there seemed to be a larger, deeper shadow off to her left. Giving a mental shrug, she started plodding towards it. Chances were, it was just a particularly dense cluster of trees. Still, even that might offer a little protection. She was just about at the point where stopping wasn't going to be a choice. Her heart started beating a little faster as the shadow began to take on a box-like shape. A few moments later, she was staring at the remains of a small log cabin.
It was fairly well wrecked; even in the darkness, that was pretty apparent, but Mac wasn't feeling all that picky. She cautiously stepped inside and turned to the right where there seemed to be a bit of roof left. Gingerly moving through the debris, she stopped and picked up a slender piece of lumber. As anxious as she was to get out of the elements, she didn't want to share space with any snakes. Reaching the corner, she began clearing an area. Satisfied that there were no uninvited guests, she finally allowed herself to collapse. It was somewhat damp and there were drips but, on the whole, being out of the downpour was practically heaven.
Stretching her legs out, she began checking pockets. It wasn't quite as bad as she feared, the blanket, a packet of the matches and a badly crumpled food bar were still there. The Leatherman holster was still attached but the tool itself was gone. She was too tired to eat so she would save the food bar for the morning. Wearily, she began undressing. Now that she was stationary, she didn't need wet clothes leaching away body heat, nor did she want to encourage trenchfoot. Wringing everything out, she draped the clothes as best she could on whatever was handy. Then, opening up the packet, she shook out the blanket and rolled herself up in it. She was asleep almost immediately.
Massanutten Mountain Shenandoah Valley, Virginia 1040 Local
Gradually, Mac came awake. Groaning, she pried open an eye and then promptly shut it again as brightness assaulted it. She groaned again as she shifted. Sleeping on the ground after taking a header down a mountain led to more aches than she thought her body was capable of. Middle-age sucked. Her time sense, apparently annoyed with her procrastination about rising, administered its own sharp kick. Mac bolted upright, stifling a gasp as bruised and sore muscles protested the sudden move. She buried her face in her hands. Goddammit! She was an hour and forty minutes late for court! Chegwidden and Morris would be having apoplexy.
Well, for the first thirty minutes or so, they would, she amended to herself. That would give way to worry when they couldn't find her. Mac lifted her head and looked around. She was in the same boat, she couldn't find her either. Grimly, she forced herself up and then gave it a minute, waiting for the spinning to stop. She didn't think she had a concussion, her head wasn't pounding that badly. It was probably just an aftereffect of exhaustion. She glanced down at herself, there were any number of bruises and scrapes but nothing incapacitating. Despite everything that had happened since she slid off the road, her original assessment still stood. She'd been damn lucky.
Moving stiffly, she gathered up her uniform. It was still damp and definitely becoming the worse for wear. Mac grinned wryly to herself, if she'd had any idea yesterday would be so eventful, she would have worn cammies to the interview. As it was, she was just happy she hadn't opted to wear a skirt. Slowly, she began to dress and her hand came in contact with Annabel's necklace. She stopped for a moment to finger it. Thank God she hadn't lost that. That delicate chain must be stronger than it looked. For some reason, it made her feel a little better and she finished getting dressed. She began to feel a bit more confident, she was bound to run into someone. This area wasn't some remote third-world country. All she needed was someone with a phone.
She stepped out into the sunshine and looked around. Massanutten loomed up before her, the sun just peeking over its right shoulder. She called up the map in her mind - that put her south-southwest. She turned to her right, yup, there were the Blue Ridge mountains. Mac turned back and squinted at the mountain. If she kept the sun just at her right shoulder, that would keep her moving roughly north-northwest - back to the White Horse Grill. She'd have to remember to compensate as the sun traveled across the sky. She didn't think she could find her car again and wasn't going to waste time trying. Chances were, she'd run into civilization sooner or later. She scrubbed at her face, feeling the grit underneath her hands and then ran her fingers through her hair. Hopefully, she wouldn't frighten the natives too badly. She probably looked like hell. Resolutely, she began walking.
Two hours later, she got a break. Pushing through the underbrush, she found herself on a dirt road. With all the rain, it looked more like a quagmire but she thought she could stay on the edge without getting too muddy. Finally, things were looking up. Forty-five minutes later, a clearing appeared with another log cabin in it. This one looked like it was lived in, there was smoke curling lazily from the chimney. As Mac walked closer, two small children appeared from around the side. They stopped dead at the sight of her. She smiled at them, "Hi, is your mom or dad home? I ... " Mac broke off in surprise as the oldest child, a boy, screeched 'Momma! They're back!' and dragged his sister into the cabin at a run.
A few moments later, a gaunt-looking woman in a long dress appeared in the doorway with a double-barreled shotgun. She waved it at Mac, who stepped back in alarm, raising her hands, "Please, ma'am. I just need to use your phone."
"Get out! Get offa mah land! I got nothin' left for y'all to steal, y' hear? Git!"
Mac backed another step, "I don't know what you're talking about! I don't want to steal anything! I'm lost - I just want to use your phone!" Her eyes widened as the woman threw the shotgun to her shoulder and fired. She dove for the ground and then started scrambling away. What the hell was the matter with that crazy woman?! Gaining her feet, she bolted for the underbrush, ducking as another blast riddled the leaves above her. She kept on moving, putting as much distance as possible between her and the cabin. Finally, she couldn't go any further and sank down on the ground, panting. Mac didn't think that the nutcase would actually pursue her - not with two children anyway. On the other hand, the woman was clearly deranged.
As Mac got her breathing under control, she rested her head on her hand. This was a setback she hadn't been expecting. The whole thing was bizarre. She went over what had just happened and stopped short, frowning. There was more wrong with the entire incident than one homicidal woman. Both the kids and the woman had been wearing clothes that could have come right off the set of one of Clint Eastwood's spaghetti westerns. And there hadn't been any sort of lines leading to the cabin... Amish? Nah, no way. Last she checked, the Amish didn't shoot first and ask questions later... Damn, maybe they were making drugs and what she'd run across was 'Little Meth Lab on the Prairie'. That might explain the woman's paranoia. She was lucky that 'Pa' wasn't home - he probably wouldn't have missed.
Wearily, she climbed to her feet. The road should be somewhere to her right. She ran her tongue over dry lips and sighed, that was another problem. Water. It was somewhat ironic, considering the damn stuff had tried to kill her but she would need to find potable water soon. She'd crossed any number of streams and rivulets but without any way to purify the water, she was more than a little leery about drinking. God only knew what kind of bacteria was floating around in there. Mac had no desire to experience dysentery, typhus or cholera. Firmly, she suppressed the thought that it might already be too late. She'd certainly ingested enough water in that damn creek. And probably breathed enough water to give herself pneumonia.
Mac shook her head angrily, that whole line of the thought was unproductive. Focus on the here and now, she told herself firmly. It was time to get out of the wilderness.
Massanutten Mountain Shenandoah Valley, Virginia 2050 Local
Forty-three minutes into the drive and Mac was still a little dumfounded by Annabel's bizarre request. The rain was down to a drizzle but it was easy to track the path of the storm. More than once, she had to veer around downed tree limbs. The road had been steadily climbing as it wound around the knees of the mountain. She kept the speed down as much for the curves that were beginning to appear as for the debris littering the road. The back of her mind was busily toting up the extra time it was going to take getting through the mountains if she wasn't able to pick up speed soon. This trip was getting depressingly longer all the time.
It was blacker than pitch out this way. The power lines must be down all over the mountain, there's wasn't a light to be seen anywhere. Feeling the hair begin to rise on the back of her neck, Mac angrily told herself to get a grip. It was just her overactive imagination that made it seem like the darkness was swallowing the feeble swath projected by her headlights. A mist began to rise from the pavement, growing progressively thicker. Swearing under her breath, Mac slowed even more as the visibility dropped. If this kept up, she was going to be at a standstill.
It wasn't long before Mac felt she was driving in a tunnel. With a start, she realized that at some point, the lines on the road had disappeared. The road felt rougher, too. What the hell was going on? Had she somehow managed to leave the main highway? For the life of her, she couldn't remember any sort of a turn-off. She shot a quick glance at the map lying on the passenger seat. There couldn't have been any turn-off if she was in the area she thought she was.
She was still trying to figure it out when a figure suddenly appeared out of the mist. Shocked, she threw the wheel over as she stomped on the brakes. Her heart was in her throat as she felt the back end of the car slide out. Desperately, Mac spun the wheel to compensate when the right front tire dropped off the edge of the road. Her last coherent thought as the rest of car followed was 'What the hell happened to the guardrails?"
*******
Mac slowly opened her eyes and took stock of her situation. She blinked once or twice but it did nothing to relieve the unremitting darkness surrounding her. The car's engine had stopped and neither the headlights or the dashlights seemed to be working. According to her internal clock, only a few minutes had passed so she was pretty sure she hadn't lost consciousness, although her impressions of what had happened were pretty chaotic. She groaned a little as she gingerly moved arms and legs. Having the airbag deploy was infinitely better than smacking into the steering wheel but it still felt like she'd been clobbered by a giant fist. She felt the side of her head and winced. There'd probably be a knot there soon from bouncing her head off the driver's side window. Aside from a slight headache, there didn't seem to be any major damage. She'd been damn lucky.
The car was wedged sideways against some trees at close to a forty-five degree angle. Judging by the fact that she and the door were more or less in one piece, the actual impact had to have been on the front end. The car must have slid sideways afterwards. Mac unfastened her seatbelt and worked her way to the passenger side. Grabbing the door handle, she braced herself as well as she could and pushed. Nothing. Muttering to herself, she maneuvered around to try and get a little more leverage and shoved again. Still nothing. Letting go, she half-slid back to the driver's side. With the electrical system out, there was no way to get the windows down. She would have to find some way to break the glass.
Mac peered out of the driver's side window and shook her head slightly. Even if she broke the glass on this side, she didn't think she could squeeze past the trees. That left the passenger side. If it came down to it, she supposed she could kick the window out. It would be awkward as hell. She'd be practically upside down and there'd be no way to keep the glass from landing on her when the window did break. At least the safety glass would ensure that she didn't cut her leg off when she tried it. First, though, she'd see if there was anything else she could use. Mac smiled ruefully to herself, 'see' was a relative term. She could barely 'see' anything. Her search would be mostly by feel.
She went at it methodically, checking around the driver's side and then moving to the passenger seat. When her hand touched her purse, she resisted the urge to smack herself in the forehead. Her cell phone! With a little luck, maybe she could just sit tight and wait for a rescue squad to come get her. Fumbling inside, her hand made contact with the hard plastic case. Pulling it out, she flipped it open and was rewarded with the soft glow of the keypad. Her smile of success faded as she looked at the message on the LCD screen. 'Searching for Service'. Damn! As she stared at the traitorous piece of electronic equipment, her puzzlement grew. Searching for service? She was on a global satellite system. The only times she couldn't get some sort of signal was when she was unfortunate enough to be stuck underwater in a sub or if she was deep in the bowels of a Navy ship with tons of steel above her head.
Mac heaved a sigh, she'd think about it later. Right now, she needed to get back on the hunt for something to help her get out of this car. She crawled into the backseat and half-landed on her briefcase. Picking it up, she hefted it in her hands for a moment. Maybe... if she couldn't find anything else. The rest of the car was depressingly empty. She sat for a few seconds, drumming her fingers on the briefcase and then turned towards the back of the car. A lot of vehicles were made so it was possible to access the trunk from the inside. Hopefully, this was one of them. She started running her hands around the backrest of the seat. There should be a catch or loop of some sort... Hah! There it was. Mac gave it a good yank and was rewarded with the backrest folding down. She smiled in triumph, there had to be a tire iron of some sort in there.
Right about then, the first fat raindrop hit the back windshield. Great, just great, Mac thought sourly as she began her search of the trunk. A couple of minutes later, not even the steadily increasing tattoo of rain could wipe the smile off her face. Not only had she found the tire iron but also an emergency kit. With a great deal of satisfaction, she clicked on the flashlight and inspected the rest of the contents. Flares, a first aid kit, tow rope, one of those compact, foil-like emergency blankets, collapsible water container, waterproof matches, food bars and even one of those Leatherman multi-tool gadgets. This was practically Nirvana for a Marine. Quickly and efficiently, she began divvying up the supplies. She knew better than to keep everything in one place. Driving off the road had been completely unexpected, she would not be so sanguine about hanging onto the emergency bag. Some of the waterproof matches, a food bar, the blanket and a roll of aspirin went into her pockets. The Leatherman tool she attached to her belt. She paused for a moment in thought and then grabbed her cell phone, shoving it in a pocket as well.
Satisfied that she was as prepared as possible, Mac picked up the tire iron. Shielding her face and eyes, she began hammering at the window. It broke through on the third try and she quickly used the iron to clear the rest of the glass. She squinted as she worked, rain was pouring into the opening. Making a quick decision, she grabbed her briefcase and purse and shoved them into the trunk. Hopefully, that would keep them dry. She would get everything back once they pulled the car back up on the road. Picking up the emergency bag, she swung it through the opening and then followed.
Mac landed on all fours outside the car and then cautiously stood up. The angle of the slope and the rain were making the footing more than a little treacherous. Bracing against the car, she started to wipe her hands off and then gave up in disgust. Odds were that she would be on her hands and knees more often than not anyway, as she climbed back to the road. Lightning flashed and a few seconds later, thunder rolled through the sky. Mac cast a jaundiced eye upward and then pulled out the flashlight, slinging the bag onto her shoulder. Deciding on her route, she began the uphill climb.
Fifteen minutes later, she braced herself on a shrub and took a breather. She was soaked through and mud-covered as well. Mac glanced up the slope. She had no idea how far down she was but surely, the road couldn't that much further. With a sigh, she started climbing again. It was the sound that first caught her attention but with the thunder rumbling constantly, it was hard to decide just what it was she was hearing. A few seconds later, a torrent of water hit her square in the chest, knocking her backwards off her feet. Then she was tumbling downhill, out of control and unable to stop. Terrified, she tried to protect herself, expecting at any moment, a fatal impact with a tree or boulder.
Dizzy and disoriented, Mac barely registered the lurch that told her she was airborne. Then, with a splash, icy water closed over her. Blind instinct got her head above water. Arms flailing, she coughed and spluttered as she was swept downstream at an alarming rate. It had to be a small creek that she was in, she realized, as the current bounced her into a steep bank and then swirled her away. Desperately, she tried to find a way out. A low-hanging branch appeared and she threw herself at it, only to miss and disappear underwater. Struggling back up, Mac was already beginning to feel numb with cold.
Moments later, she slammed into the bank again. This time, she managed to latch onto a gnarled tree root. With an effort, she dragged her other hand up to consolidate her grip. The force of the water was staggering and now she was getting pelted with debris as well. Try as she might, she couldn't pull herself out. She glanced helplessly over her shoulder and then her eyes widened. A large hunk of wood was hurtling at her. In despair, she let go and a few seconds later, felt the impact as the log hit. Even with the force dissipated, it was enough to push her underwater again where she bounced along the creekbed.
Mac broke the surface once more, wondering how much longer she was going to be able to hang on. She swept around a bend and came to a jarring halt as she was slammed into a tangle of logs and debris. Grabbing at branches, she fought against the force that was trying to drag her underneath. Frantic at being so close to escaping, she redoubled her efforts and succeeded in inching away from the brunt of the current. A minute later, she was standing in water only a foot deep. Mac staggered up the bank and sank to her hands and knees, trembling with cold and exhaustion.
She fought the urge to collapse, some stubborn little voice was telling her it would be the last thing she did. Struggling to her feet, she braced herself against a tree trunk and looked around. The rain continued unabated. She needed to find some sort of shelter and she had absolutely no idea where she was. In a way, that simplified things, one direction was as good as another. Mac pushed herself upright and started walking.
She kept to the path of least resistance, shifting away whenever the sound of water grew too loud. The land was gradually flattening out. She kept moving, only marginally aware of where she was going. At least the exertion from walking was beginning to warm her up. Unfortunately, it was exacerbating the exhaustion. Her legs felt leaden and she wondered vaguely if it were truly possible to walk and sleep at the same time.
She was in the middle of the clearing before she realized that the trees were gone. Coming to a halt, Mac slowly turned in a circle. Visibility was problematic with the rain and darkness but there seemed to be a larger, deeper shadow off to her left. Giving a mental shrug, she started plodding towards it. Chances were, it was just a particularly dense cluster of trees. Still, even that might offer a little protection. She was just about at the point where stopping wasn't going to be a choice. Her heart started beating a little faster as the shadow began to take on a box-like shape. A few moments later, she was staring at the remains of a small log cabin.
It was fairly well wrecked; even in the darkness, that was pretty apparent, but Mac wasn't feeling all that picky. She cautiously stepped inside and turned to the right where there seemed to be a bit of roof left. Gingerly moving through the debris, she stopped and picked up a slender piece of lumber. As anxious as she was to get out of the elements, she didn't want to share space with any snakes. Reaching the corner, she began clearing an area. Satisfied that there were no uninvited guests, she finally allowed herself to collapse. It was somewhat damp and there were drips but, on the whole, being out of the downpour was practically heaven.
Stretching her legs out, she began checking pockets. It wasn't quite as bad as she feared, the blanket, a packet of the matches and a badly crumpled food bar were still there. The Leatherman holster was still attached but the tool itself was gone. She was too tired to eat so she would save the food bar for the morning. Wearily, she began undressing. Now that she was stationary, she didn't need wet clothes leaching away body heat, nor did she want to encourage trenchfoot. Wringing everything out, she draped the clothes as best she could on whatever was handy. Then, opening up the packet, she shook out the blanket and rolled herself up in it. She was asleep almost immediately.
Massanutten Mountain Shenandoah Valley, Virginia 1040 Local
Gradually, Mac came awake. Groaning, she pried open an eye and then promptly shut it again as brightness assaulted it. She groaned again as she shifted. Sleeping on the ground after taking a header down a mountain led to more aches than she thought her body was capable of. Middle-age sucked. Her time sense, apparently annoyed with her procrastination about rising, administered its own sharp kick. Mac bolted upright, stifling a gasp as bruised and sore muscles protested the sudden move. She buried her face in her hands. Goddammit! She was an hour and forty minutes late for court! Chegwidden and Morris would be having apoplexy.
Well, for the first thirty minutes or so, they would, she amended to herself. That would give way to worry when they couldn't find her. Mac lifted her head and looked around. She was in the same boat, she couldn't find her either. Grimly, she forced herself up and then gave it a minute, waiting for the spinning to stop. She didn't think she had a concussion, her head wasn't pounding that badly. It was probably just an aftereffect of exhaustion. She glanced down at herself, there were any number of bruises and scrapes but nothing incapacitating. Despite everything that had happened since she slid off the road, her original assessment still stood. She'd been damn lucky.
Moving stiffly, she gathered up her uniform. It was still damp and definitely becoming the worse for wear. Mac grinned wryly to herself, if she'd had any idea yesterday would be so eventful, she would have worn cammies to the interview. As it was, she was just happy she hadn't opted to wear a skirt. Slowly, she began to dress and her hand came in contact with Annabel's necklace. She stopped for a moment to finger it. Thank God she hadn't lost that. That delicate chain must be stronger than it looked. For some reason, it made her feel a little better and she finished getting dressed. She began to feel a bit more confident, she was bound to run into someone. This area wasn't some remote third-world country. All she needed was someone with a phone.
She stepped out into the sunshine and looked around. Massanutten loomed up before her, the sun just peeking over its right shoulder. She called up the map in her mind - that put her south-southwest. She turned to her right, yup, there were the Blue Ridge mountains. Mac turned back and squinted at the mountain. If she kept the sun just at her right shoulder, that would keep her moving roughly north-northwest - back to the White Horse Grill. She'd have to remember to compensate as the sun traveled across the sky. She didn't think she could find her car again and wasn't going to waste time trying. Chances were, she'd run into civilization sooner or later. She scrubbed at her face, feeling the grit underneath her hands and then ran her fingers through her hair. Hopefully, she wouldn't frighten the natives too badly. She probably looked like hell. Resolutely, she began walking.
Two hours later, she got a break. Pushing through the underbrush, she found herself on a dirt road. With all the rain, it looked more like a quagmire but she thought she could stay on the edge without getting too muddy. Finally, things were looking up. Forty-five minutes later, a clearing appeared with another log cabin in it. This one looked like it was lived in, there was smoke curling lazily from the chimney. As Mac walked closer, two small children appeared from around the side. They stopped dead at the sight of her. She smiled at them, "Hi, is your mom or dad home? I ... " Mac broke off in surprise as the oldest child, a boy, screeched 'Momma! They're back!' and dragged his sister into the cabin at a run.
A few moments later, a gaunt-looking woman in a long dress appeared in the doorway with a double-barreled shotgun. She waved it at Mac, who stepped back in alarm, raising her hands, "Please, ma'am. I just need to use your phone."
"Get out! Get offa mah land! I got nothin' left for y'all to steal, y' hear? Git!"
Mac backed another step, "I don't know what you're talking about! I don't want to steal anything! I'm lost - I just want to use your phone!" Her eyes widened as the woman threw the shotgun to her shoulder and fired. She dove for the ground and then started scrambling away. What the hell was the matter with that crazy woman?! Gaining her feet, she bolted for the underbrush, ducking as another blast riddled the leaves above her. She kept on moving, putting as much distance as possible between her and the cabin. Finally, she couldn't go any further and sank down on the ground, panting. Mac didn't think that the nutcase would actually pursue her - not with two children anyway. On the other hand, the woman was clearly deranged.
As Mac got her breathing under control, she rested her head on her hand. This was a setback she hadn't been expecting. The whole thing was bizarre. She went over what had just happened and stopped short, frowning. There was more wrong with the entire incident than one homicidal woman. Both the kids and the woman had been wearing clothes that could have come right off the set of one of Clint Eastwood's spaghetti westerns. And there hadn't been any sort of lines leading to the cabin... Amish? Nah, no way. Last she checked, the Amish didn't shoot first and ask questions later... Damn, maybe they were making drugs and what she'd run across was 'Little Meth Lab on the Prairie'. That might explain the woman's paranoia. She was lucky that 'Pa' wasn't home - he probably wouldn't have missed.
Wearily, she climbed to her feet. The road should be somewhere to her right. She ran her tongue over dry lips and sighed, that was another problem. Water. It was somewhat ironic, considering the damn stuff had tried to kill her but she would need to find potable water soon. She'd crossed any number of streams and rivulets but without any way to purify the water, she was more than a little leery about drinking. God only knew what kind of bacteria was floating around in there. Mac had no desire to experience dysentery, typhus or cholera. Firmly, she suppressed the thought that it might already be too late. She'd certainly ingested enough water in that damn creek. And probably breathed enough water to give herself pneumonia.
Mac shook her head angrily, that whole line of the thought was unproductive. Focus on the here and now, she told herself firmly. It was time to get out of the wilderness.