What was she doing pouring out her heart to a shrink anyway? After Hiram trapped her in that cave, she’d been traumatized, repressing memories of what had happened. A few weeks later, her parents moved and changed her name from Mae to Ellie, so Hiram couldn’t find her again. When she’d talked about Mae, they led her to believe that Mae was her imaginary friend.
Her childhood therapist had perpetuated her parents’ lies under the guise of protecting her.
When, all those years later, the truth came out and Ellie realized the therapist helped her parents, she decided to report her to the board for unethical conduct. But she was too late. The counselor had left the job one day and virtually disappeared.
Ellie forced herself to return to the present. Knowing that cell service was spotty and deciding she needed a break from the countless calls from Angelica and disgruntled Bluff County residents, Ellie locked her phone in the glove compartment.
A few days off the grid, escaping into the mountains, would hopefully clear her head.
Still, dangers existed on the trail at every turn. There were steep ridges and drop-offs, wild animals, and drifters who sheltered in the mountains. Knowing some were mentally ill, and others were criminals hiding out, Ellie carried her weapon and extra ammo, as well as a flare gun, a Taser, and pepper spray.
A girl alone couldn’t be too careful.
No fool herself, for emergency’s sake, she snagged the handheld radio she used to communicate with the National Park Service. Early this morning, she’d texted Ranger Cord McClain with Search and Rescue to tell him where she was going, a deal they’d made long ago whenever she went hiking alone. The fact that he hadn’t responded told her he was still angry with her. Maybe while she was out here, she’d figure out a way to mend their friendship.
Leaving her Jeep, she inhaled the crisp mountain air, bringing with it the scent of honeysuckle and ivy, and began her hike.
The steep inclines and twisting paths of the AT—the Appalachian Trail—led deep into the forest. Tall pines, hemlocks, oaks and cypresses filled her sightline and blocked out the sunlight, creating countless places to hide.
She’d never understood how a person could get so fed up with life they’d venture onto the trail and decide to stay.
But she got it now. She just wanted to be left alone. To get lost in the endless miles of woods and wilderness. To breathe in the scents of nature, watch the dandelions pop up, and forget that evil had torn her family apart.
Then maybe she could figure out what to do with her life, whether she wanted to search for her birth parents.
Because something told her it wasn’t a good idea. If they hadn’t wanted her as a baby, why the hell would they be interested in getting to know her now?
Five
Somewhere on the AT
The darkness closed around her. A cloying smell. Something wet. Dank. Rotten. She blinked to clear her vision, but there was no light. No sound.
Nothing.
Only the cold emptiness and hollow feeling of being alone.
Fear pulsed through her. The man had come out of nowhere. No… He’d been hiding at her place, waiting to ambush her.
A dizzy spell overcame her as she tried to sit up and determine her location. A metal chain clinked against the floor. A heavy weight circled her neck so tightly she could barely breathe. Blinking away tears of frustration, in the pitch black she felt the floor and walls surrounding her.
Cold. Steel. Bars.
Oh, God, she was in a cage.
Panic choking her, she forced herself to inhale deep breaths.
Heart racing, she lifted her hand to her neck, nausea rising to her throat. She knew what she was going to find.
A dog collar. Heavy metal linked to a chain.
What kind of sick pervert had put her in here?
Footsteps sounded above her, indicating she might be in a basement. Nearby the sound of water dripping echoed. A dog barked. And… did she hear another woman crying? Or… clawing at another cage?
The steps grew louder. The sound of a door creaking rent the air, floorboards groaning as he came down.
She glanced up, squinting to see his face. But it was too dark, and he closed the door, blocking out any light that might slip through the crack. A low whistle echoed as he walked down the stair, a happy whistle, as if he was excited.
Blinking, she forced herself to be still and choked