Chapter 96. Fiona's Hero
Jake and Mike looked at each other, and the worry was evident on both of their faces. Jake bent and looked quickly in the safe, around in front of the safe, under the desk, through the papers on the floor, searching any kind of clue. Nothing. There were boot marks everywhere and Jake followed them outside. In the dirt in front of the office, he could clearly distinguish Fiona's fancy heels from the boot marks that surrounded them. She was definitely here and definitely with the men who took off out of here.
Jake didn't waste a second. He went back inside and picked up the phone. Allie's sweet voice came on the line.
Jake spoke smooth and even. "Hey, Kiddo. It's Uncle Jake, can you ring Bill's office please?" He asked her. "And quickly."
In record time, Bill, Nathan and all sixteen trainees arrived on horseback, in front of the oil rig office. Jake was outside, looking for clues and chomping at the bit to follow Fiona's shoe tracks into the woods. They would lose light soon, and he needed to get on her trail.
Nathan dismounted and met Jake half way. Jake told him the need-to-know, "Fiona didn't show up to meet Julia and Faith, so Mike and I rode out here." He and Nathan walked into the office together. "We found the front door ajar, and the safe wide open. Just like this." Nathan walked around and assessed everything. He bent and looked into the safe, noticed the papers, looked under the desk, and took into consideration the lamp on its side.
Nathan looked at Jake, "At what time was Fiona last seen or heard from?"
"Not sure. She was working out here alone and was due to bring the payroll list to Henry at 3:30. She never showed." Jake told him. Nathan nodded.
"I'm thinking someone forced her to open that safe." Nathan pointed, he supposed by the apparent struggle. Jake had thought the same thing.
They went outside and inspected the porch and the boot prints, as well as Fiona's heel prints down in the dirt just in front of the office. A struggle had obviously ensued there too. Jake told him, "Her heel tracks take off in that direction…" and his voice became gruff, "with the boot prints." Another nod from Nathan.
"How many boots can you discern?" Nathan asked him.
"I'd say there's two of them, and Fiona." Jake answered, and Nathan agreed. He'd discerned the same.
Nathan stepped up on the porch and motioned for the guys to assemble. When they were ready, he gave instructions. "Okay, everyone. We've got a safe cleaned out in the office behind me, and a missing employee. A young woman with dark hair, her name is Fiona Miller. We believe she was forced to open the safe, and taken as hostage by the two perpetrators." Nathan looked around at all of them. "I repeat, this is a hostage situation. Therefore, it is first and foremost a rescue mission. We need to track down these perpetrators, locate the hostage and rescue her. As you can see, the tracks start right here, and they head into the woods in the northeasterly direction." Nathan pointed with his hand. "So, let's get moving and get her back. And, let's arrest the two perpetrators in the process." Nathan told them.
Nathan looked around the group, and gave more instructions. "Move in teams of three and spread out in the forest. If you find the hostage, fire one single shot into the air. If your team apprehends the perpetrators, fire twice. If you have both Fiona and the perps, fire three times. Meeting point is the Mountie office in Hope Valley."
Everyone nodded and got into teams. "Okay, let's get moving." Nathan told them loudly and they all began to search.
Bill returned to the Mountie office and got on the phone to HQ, to inform them of the situation.
Nathan and Jake searched with Smith, one of the trainees. They took off on horseback and followed the trail as best they could. Soon, they were losing light in the forest as dusk turned into evening, and evening turned into night. But, Jake was determined. He was obviously shaken, but remained strong and steadfast. He bottled his worries and his emotions, and stayed in Mountie mode. He let his instincts take over. His priority was to find her.
Groups all over the forest called out her name, and called out to each other. The hills resounded and echoed with the sound of a search party. And, the search continued late into the night.
Fiona was frightened and scared, but she held it together because she had to. The will to live and the instinct to survive had taken over now, and she was just a spectator as her body carried her through the deep dark forest.
In the office, she had been ambushed when she'd walked in. Fiona was certain she would never ever forget the icy cold burn of a gun barrel pressed mercilessly into her back. Even now, the sheer memory of it sent a chill up her spine. The terror had been so real, so terribly real, she had done exactly as she'd been instructed, by the grimy, barren voice behind her. He'd only had to press deeper once, with the frigid steel of that gun barrel, to get her to comply. And, she'd opened the safe without another protest. The skinny wiry one had emptied the safe into a bag while the other one had continued that unyielding pressing. But when they'd forced her to move, Fiona had managed to leave a clue- she knocked over a lamp and sent some papers flying, even acted like it was an accident, though it wasn't. It was her way of sending a message, a sure sign, that would guarantee that either Nathan or Jake would come looking for her.
Once they had the money, when these two malevolent crooks insisted on taking her with them, she'd fought back, and fought back hard. Though, it had only earned her a hard painful blow to the cheek. When they'd descended the stairs in front of the office, Fiona had tried to escape again, though like before, her attempt had been futile.
Then they'd walked for what seemed like forever. They finally came into a clearing, and there, she'd really been frightened. Two other men were there waiting for them, meeting them, and they were even worse than the first pair. One guy, who Fiona quickly discerned was the boss, was big and burly, had evil eyes, and a pinched up nose. And his minion, the guy who did whatever the boss man said, was a patsy, and a weasel. He kept taunting Fiona and she was ready to scream.
The big burly boss was angry that the first two dopes had brought her along. He was furious about it actually, and kept calling them idiots. They both mumbled something about her being leverage, a bargaining chip, to secure their escape. But he didn't agree.
When Fiona overheard them arguing about what to do with her now, she knew she had to run, had to escape. Even over the alarm bells going off in her head, she'd clearly heard the words "take care of it". And she did not want to find out what that meant.
So once the boss man and his minion mounted two of the four horses they'd tethered there, and rode off with the bag of money, Fiona, who had managed to work her hands free, took off and ran. And, boy did she run. Fast. And since the first two idiots had already taken several swigs of whiskey from a flask the wiry one carried, she easily outran them. Of course, she was also propelled by sheer adrenaline, and fear, and she quickly disappeared into the forest.
There was just one problem, though. After she had run a good ways and was far out of their sight, the ground gave way from under her, and she fell. She fell down…down deep, deep…into darkness.
Night fell fast but the Mounties continued the search, in teams, out in the forest. Many of the townspeople had also joined in the search party for Fiona. But, when it was nearly midnight and there was absolutely no light left, the search became impossible.
As much as he hated to do so, Nathan called off the search party for the night. He sent the teams back to Hope Valley to rest, and asked everyone to return at first light.
But Jake wouldn't go back. He couldn't. Something deep inside compelled him. And he couldn't stop looking for her. So, Nathan stayed with him. They searched and searched until finally, in the wee hours of the morning, Nathan convinced Jake to sleep for a few hours. They laid out their bed rolls under the starry sky, and as soon as they did, the fatigue caught up with them.
Jake was comforted by Nathan's steady presence and unyielding support. Just having a friend there by his side made all the difference.
When he finally tried though, sleep alluded Jake as he laid there thinking of Fiona. Somewhere captive, somewhere with strange men, somewhere with criminals. It was impossible to keep his mind from imagining the worst. He turned on his side and looked out into the darkness. He imagined her out there, somewhere, in the very same darkness. And, his heart howled and wailed inside of him.
So Jake did the one thing he knew to do, in such a situation. He began to pray silently. And he poured it all out. Every last fear and every last worry. He beseeched a merciful Father to protect her, to watch over her, and to comfort her. And, when that was all done, somehow, he felt…peace. And then, and only then, did Jake finally close his eyes, and find rest.
At first light, Jake and Nathan set out again in search of Fiona. They picked back up the trail of her shoes, and this time, in the daylight, were able to track much better. The trail took them deep into the forest and when they came to a clearing, there were more visible footprints. They both dismounted and had a good look around. There were the tracks of Fiona's shoes and the two sets of boot prints they had been following all along. But here, at this clearing, there were two new sets of boot prints, of two additional men. So, two men had brought Fiona to this place, and two men had met them here. And those men had brought four horses, their hoof prints were evident just near the eastern tree line.
Now, they were looking for four perpetrators, on horseback, and Fiona.
Jake looked up and asked Nathan. "Rendezvous point?"
"Most certainly." Nathan replied, and his perusal led him to particular point on the forest floor. Jake followed his gaze and came over, and they both bent down to inspect. The leaves were tousled and it was evident that there had been another struggle. And a single set of high heels prints trailed off to the west.
Nathan looked at Jake with a glimmer of hope, and Jake latched on with both hands. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
Jake felt the words involuntarily tumble out his mouth, along with an impressed sort of hopeful smile. "She got away."
Jake's body willed him, and he followed the trail of her shoes. "Trail goes this way."
Nathan grabbed both horses' reigns and followed Jake on foot. They both called out, "Fiona!" as they followed the trail.
They walked on for a while, calling her name and following her distinct heel prints. Thank God for her fancy shoes.
Suddenly, they heard someone call back, though very, very faint. Jake and Nathan stopped cold in their tracks and Jake called out again, "Fiona?" And listened.
The answer came again, and Jake moved towards it, with Nathan right on his heels. "Fiona?" He called out again.
"Over here!" This time it was much louder, they were getting close.
And they came to the edge of a giant, deep hole. One that had obviously been built to trap an animal of some sort. And there was Fiona, dirty and trembling, and so tiny at the bottom of that cold, dark pit. She looked frozen to the bone. It had gotten cold last night and she had obviously been down here all night, in only her light blouse and skirt…
Jake was shocked at her physical state. And he couldn't help it, he moved without thought. On instinct. He grabbed a blanket, a lantern, his canteen, and he climbed down, without reservation, into the hole.
When he turned around to face her, Fiona was also shocked - shocked that he would so thoughtlessly jump down into this damp, dark hole. For her. He moved to her with purpose and placed the blanket on her shoulders. He pulled it tight around her, and as he did, she just looked up at him, mouth slightly agape, teeth chattering.
A gunshot rang out from up above, and Fiona jumped. Her eyes came up to Jake in sheer terror, but he reassured her softly. "Don't worry. That's just Nathan firing the shot to alert the others."
Jake asked her just above a whisper. "Are you okay?" He stepped back slightly and unbuttoned his serge to give her that, too, though he never quite got that far.
"I am now." She whispered, and relief washed over her like a wave. Yes she was relieved to be rescued, but she was also relieved to see Jake. Why was she so relieved to see Jake? This was a question she was scared to ask herself. Though it was a question she knew she needed to answer. But right now, she was just so cold. And, somehow, without meaning to, she took the tiniest of steps in Jake's direction. He had been gazing down at her and was visibly relieved, too. But, when he saw that tiny action on her part, that tiny step, Jake came. He moved toward her, and he wrapped her in his arms.
He held her. And as he did, Jake rubbed his strong, warm hands up and down her back and arms, an attempt to warm her up. Fiona didn't know if that was some first aid technique or if it was something specific for her. But, she didn't care. Fiona just snuggled in, physically pulled in by his warmth, and another much stronger force she wasn't sure she was ready to admit.
Jake had no idea how Fiona felt about him, but he didn't care. He was just so glad she was safe, and he continued to try to get her warm. Finally, he looked down at her and asked the question. "What happened?"
Fiona pulled back, though just barely, only enough to look up at him and explain. He stood close and kept rubbing. And she kept trembling uncontrollably. "Two guys ambushed me in the oil rig office. They held me at gunpoint and made me open the safe. They emptied it and took me hostage." That much they knew already. But even so, a muscle twitched in Jake's jaw. "They brought me here, to their rendezvous point, where they met two other men. One was obviously in charge, they called him Nixon, and he got upset that they'd brought me along." She explained. Then she got a harrowed look, and her voice changed as she told the rest. "He told them to get rid of me, and I think he meant…" Her voice cracked and Jake knew exactly what he'd meant. They'd intended to kill her, or at least harm her and leave her for dead.
"But when the boss left, I managed to fight my way free, and I ran." Fiona breathed, low and emotional. Jake had never been so proud of anyone in his entire life. "I ran. And I got away. But then, I fell in this hole." Her chin quivered and a single tear escaped. "They found me. And, for a moment, I thought…" Fiona closed her eyes, forcing more heartbreaking tears to overflow down her beautiful cheeks. But Jake held her shoulders fast, in comfort. Thank God they hadn't succeeded.
"They didn't, Fiona…You're safe now." Jake stated the truth, in comfort, coaxing her to go on. She opened her eyes and nodded timidly at him.
Fiona continued, "They just left me. Here…in this hole." Jake saw the huge, racking convulsions of her body as she trembled.
Jake's anger blazed inside. They had left her in this hole. Who on earth would just leave her, someone so wonderful, in a hole? This cold, dark, damp pit? He hoped he would get the chance to find out, to meet them, to deal with them as harshly as they had dealt with her.
But just behind that harrowing revelation, came another one. A revelation that was thick in his throat. They had left her alive. Oh, thank God, they had left her alive.
"I'm so so sorry." Jake whispered, and he pulled her back into his embrace. When he did, Fiona wiggled her way underneath the two sides of his open serge. She sought warmth and comfort, and she snuggled right into his chest, right up against his thin summer Henley. Though, she hadn't been ready for his wonderful scent of sandalwood and leather, or the feel of his rippled chest, or the way that her heart raced at his nearness.
Jake was a little startled by her action, but couldn't imagine what she had gone through in this hole, all night long. And, when her arms encircled his waist and held on so very tight, his heart seized. Could she hear the racing of his heart, caused by her nearness?
And her actions begged the question…could Fiona possibly see him as more than a friend? Jake asked himself this question, as he stood there holding her. He turned his cheek and laid it on her hair, closed his eyes, and tried to calm his reeling senses.
When she finally stopped trembling, and then eventually stopped shivering, Jake moved into action. He had to assess her physical state. Was she hurt? What about hypothermia? And she needed water and sustenance.
He stepped back just slightly and pulled the blanket tight around her. He reached back and picked up his canteen. He led her to a tree root and made her sit. His voice was husky and insistent as he told her. "You need to drink, Fiona."
One look at the worry and concern so clearly written on his face and she only nodded, and obeyed. She drank. As she did, Jake lit the lantern and brought it over closer.
That's when he noticed her hands and fingers…as they clutched the canteen.
His heart clinched. Her fingernails were all broken and jagged, as dirt was firmly, painfully stuck up under them. And dirt completely covered her fingers and most of her hands, evidence that she had fought with all her might to climb out of this hole. He looked opposite them and could see the tracks she had made, as she'd agonizingly tried to climb high enough to reach the top. He closed his eyes and couldn't breathe at the image of her struggling and fighting with all her might to reach freedom. Her hands held the proof, in every broken nail and every dirt clot so painfully shoved underneath them.
When she finished drinking, Jake silently crouched down next to her. He took her left hand in one of his, and he slowly, gently washed it with water from his canteen. He carefully rubbed off each and every stain of dirt, under the slow trickle of water. He tenderly cleaned her nails that were all jagged and broken, and he removed as much dirt as possible from underneath them. Then, he delicately dried her fingers with the edge of the blanket. He did the exact same thing, repeated the very same process, for her right hand. And Jake was only satisfied once his canteen was completely empty, and had given out every last drop of water.
The moment Jake touched her hands, Fiona's breath caught right in her throat. And, her heart was all in flutters as she watched his every move, as he so gently washed her hands. She was taken aback and speechless as he worked. What kind of man was this, so kind and so thoughtful? So intentionally gentle? Fiona had never before been touched by a man like this; in a way that was so tender and caring…and it shook her, rattled her to the core. His actions dismantled every preconceived notion she had ever held about the opposite gender. And he took apart every defensive argument she had ever made as to why she was better off alone.
The energy between them was thick and palpable, as his eyes came back up to hers. Jake noticed the red swollen mark on her right cheek. He made an angry grimace as he touched it tenderly. But, it was only swollen. And every vestige would heal, she was determined of that.
Jake finally found his voice and asked her softly, "Are you hurt anywhere else?" He had noticed she seemed to favor one leg over the other when he'd led her over to sit down.
Fiona rasped, "Maybe my ankle." Jake could see the swelling already, and moved closer to inspect it.
"May I?" He asked low and she nodded. He removed her fancy shoe, and as he did, he noticed a trail of blood leading down to it. A significant trail of blood, in fact.
His eyes shot quickly up to hers. "You're bleeding, Fiona." She pulled her skirt a little higher, and reached up and grabbed the top of her stocking. She pulled it down as far as she could, but he took it from there, and pulled it off completely. There was a significant abrasion just below her left knee.
Jake looked concerned again and he stood and called up. "Nathan? I need the first aid kit, please. There's one in my right saddlebag."
After a few seconds, Nathan appeared, and looked down at Fiona. He saw what Jake had found and pursed his lips together as he tossed the kit down. Jake caught it easily and moved quickly back to Fiona's side, and crouched down next to her. He opened the first aid kit, and fished out clean gauze and a bottle of strong antiseptic. He opened the bottle and warned her. "This might sting a little."
Fiona hadn't been able to take her eyes off Jake, or even speak, save for those three tiny words, ever since he had gone to work on her hands. Now, he was holding her leg with such gentleness, ready to take care of her. She nodded slowly, and he began to pour.
When the antiseptic hit, like a reflex, Fiona's hand gripped Jake's arm tightly. She inhaled sharply through her teeth. "Tchiiip." She realized her jagged, broken nails were digging into his arm, and she relaxed and apologized.
Jake just shook his head and kept pouring. "It's okay, Fiona." And she dug in again, with the second dose. Jake bent his head and blew lightly on her injury, and like a moth to a flame, Fiona was again, mesmerized by this man.
He began to rub lightly with the gauze, to clean the abrasion. And, as he did, he was able to discern and make out a pretty deep laceration. He looked up at her sadly. "You're going to need a few stitches, Fi." Fi? Had she heard that right?
Fiona nodded shyly, and he went to work on her knee - cleaning, applying salve, and then wrapping her injury well with clean gauze and bandages. When that was done, he moved slightly to examine her foot.
"Does this hurt?" Jake moved her ankle around a bit, and nothing. He nodded. "And what about now?" He moved her foot in another direction and she immediately yelped. He'd located her injury there too, and examined it with gentle, expert fingers.
"Nothing seems to be broken, Fi. But, definitely sprained. Faith will need to have a look." He told her. He pulled out another stiffer bandage and wrapped her ankle, to secure the sprain. "That should help."
Jake noticed a bloody mark on her left elbow and moved closer. "Your arm, Fiona. It's bleeding, too." He told her. He took her hand in his, and opened the button at her wrist. He slowly rolled up her sleeve and exposed another abrasion on her elbow. He cleaned it as well, and secured another bandage.
"Anything else?" He asked her with worried eyes.
Jake noticed she rolled her shoulder back, there was obviously something there, too. "Your shoulder?" He asked, and she nodded. He pulled the blanket back off of her shoulder a tiny bit, and went to work moving her arm and shoulder back and forth, feeling around, testing it out.
Jake sat back on his heels and looked at her. "Nothing appears broken, but Faith should examine all of your injuries. Either way, your shoulder will probably be sore for a while." He told her. "You sustained an impact to the elbow that jarred your shoulder, probably when you fell."
Fiona nodded at him, suddenly unable to breathe again. Jake was looking at her with such concern, and as though he had a thousand things to say. She wanted to hear them too, oh how she wanted to hear them. But Jake just kept silent, and observed her face. She almost couldn't hold his gaze, intense as it was. There seemed to be too much hanging there between them, and it made her, confident, strong Fiona Miller, feel shy. Shy like she'd never felt shy before.
Jake stood and called up to Nathan, who was still waiting. "Nathan, do you have any water? Or food?"
Nathan reappeared carrying his canteen, and a bundle. He tossed both down to Jake, who brought them over to Fiona. Jake sat beside her on the tree root and handed her to the canteen. He didn't give her a choice but watched as she drank again. He opened the food bundle to reveal a sandwich. And he handed it to her. Again, he didn't give her any option, but stood watch until she began to eat.
When Jake was sure she'd taken in sufficient nourishment and water, he stood and called up to Nathan. "Are you ready to pull us out?"
Nathan appeared again and lowered down a rope. "Newton's all ready."
Jake packed up the first aid kit, the food, and Fiona's shoe, and threw the bag up to Nathan. He looped both canteens across his torso, and held out his hand. Fiona took it and he pulled her up to standing, and noticed the wince when the weight pressed down on her ankle. He looped her arm over his shoulder and half carried her over to the rope. Jake tied a loop around her that passed just under her bum, and he placed her hands on the rope in front of her.
"Are you ready to get out of here?" Jake asked her. She nodded with tears in her eyes.
Jake willed himself back into Mountie mode and gave her instructions. "Newton will pull you out slowly. Try to walk up the wall as he does, so you don't get scraped up. I'll be right here beside you."
Fiona was struggling with how to express herself, how to process the last twenty minutes in this hole. The way she felt and the things that transpired since Jake had jumped down in there with her. Jake's hand held the rope just above hers. And the only thing she could think of, the one thing that came to mind, was to show him some sign, some gratitude. So, she slowly placed one hand on top of his and squeezed every so lightly. At her gesture, he met her gaze and it was full of hope. Jake grabbed onto that hope. In the flutter of a whim, he wondered if maybe Julia had been right, and there was a way. And, if there was a way, Jake was determined to find it. Oh so determined.
Fiona's gaze went to the wall of cold damp earth in front of her. She placed both her feet on the wall and gave a slight nod to indicate she was ready. Jake called out, "Ready, Nathan." And, Nathan slowly put Newton into motion, and Fiona slowly climbed the wall. Jake could see that she was in pain each time her left foot made contact, but she made it safely to the top.
When she was out, Fiona cried. They were tears of relief, but the tears of a survivor. Nathan helped her step out of the loop that Jake had made for her, and he backed Newton up again and lowered the rope down to Jake.
At Jake's word, Nathan led Newton forward again, until Jake was out. Fiona watched as his tall, impressive frame came up out of the hole. His serge was still all open, and he was dirty too.
But, he was her hero. No doubt about it. She knew it into the depths of her soul. He was her hero.
Jake stepped out of the loop and handed it to Nathan, who began untying it. But, Jake came straight to Fiona. He told her low, "You did good." He pulled a clean handkerchief from his serge pocket, and handed it to her.
Again, Fiona felt that shyness that only Jake could invoke. And a nod was all she could muster. Jake gave her support and helped her over to Ranger. Since her left foot was injured, he took her to the right side. He asked her softly, "Can you get up by yourself?"
Again the silent nod, and she fixed her foot in the stirrup and made an attempt. She hadn't expected him to do it, but he put his hands on her waist and made sure she got there. Though, because of the style of her skirt, she didn't straddle the horse, but sat sidesaddle. Jake didn't mind, he was going to hold onto her firmly anyway. He took her foot out of the stirrup and was up behind her in one fell swoop. Jake didn't even give her the chance to object, but put one arm firmly around her, and held her safely and securely back against him.
Jake put the hand that held the reigns next to her waist on the other side and they were off. Nathan rode just behind them on Newton.
"Fi, are you okay, comfortable?" He asked her low. As he put the horse into a little faster rhythm, she sank back against him, again drawn in by his warmth.
Fiona managed to rasp out, "I'm fine, Jacob." She attempted to look up at him, but caught his gaze only from the side. "Thanks to you." Fiona had never called him by his full name before and Jake couldn't help but wonder what that meant. But, he couldn't deny that he loved the way it rolled off her tongue. Hearing it did things to his insides.
Fiona's hair was bouncing near his chin and she smelled amazing, even after a night in a cold dark pit. He tried to ignore that fact as he led Ranger back to Hope Valley.
They rode straight to the infirmary, and pulled up outside. Jake didn't waste a second, he dismounted and lowered Fiona down, too. As soon as she was on the ground, though, he picked her up in his arms and carried her into the infirmary. Fiona hooked her arm around his neck and tried to breathe even, as he held her close.
Julia had heard the horses arrive out front, and opened the door to the infirmary, at precisely the right moment. "Oh, thank God. You found her." Julia breathed as she led him over the the treatment table. Faith was immediately at Fiona's side too. Jake gently set her down, and slowly let go of her. The gaze that he and Fiona shared as he moved out of the way was not lost on anyone. Julia and Faith both saw it, and looked at each other before they set to work on their friend. They rushed in to treat her, and that moved Jake farther back out of the way.
Fiona's gaze stayed fixed on Jake. Though Jake's gaze was now on Faith as he rattled things off to her. "Abrasion on the left elbow. Complaints of pain in the left shoulder, possible rotator cuff tear. Abrasion and laceration on her left leg just below the knee, likely requires suturing. Left ankle sprain or possibly more." Faith nodded at each injury he listed. He had been very thorough. Jake added two more that Fiona hadn't mentioned, but he'd devised, simply by the way she had fallen. "I would also check out her left wrist and hip, Faith." Faith nodded at that, too.
Jake took another step back, as he watched his sister and Faith get to work on Fiona. He longed to stay, but he had business to attend to, his own work to do, bad guys to catch. One more step back, and Julia slowly slid the curtain closed, obstructing his view of her, and leaving him standing brutally alone on the other side of it.