Just as I gathered a scream, he grabbed my throat and shoved me down. My legs gave way under his bent knees as he pushed me into the lake. Cold water washed over my skin and through my hair. My chest bucked. My scalp prickled with the pain of such cold water sloshing all the way over my head. The freezing lake encompassed me with a belly-jerking shock.
I surfaced with a desperate gasp.
Then all went black.
26 Mark
A tingle had started in my neck.
While I toured Benjamin around the rental cabin, we discussed his use of it as an office to watch videos of his opponent. There were other cabins littered throughout the area that could easily house him, but they'd need repair. The cobwebs didn't seem to bother him on first inspection, even though we'd get rid of those easily. Still, it highlighted the fact that we had improvements to do.
These were details I should have paid attention to before I toured him around.
My mind silently tallied the costs of updating the place. Justin would do the work in exchange for free rent, and the honor of dating my sister, but the supplies would cost. I shoved that aside. Investments, all of this. I'd figure it out if Benjamin did a down payment.
Snow collected rapidly in the air now when we started back to the kitchen, like sheets of fake snow in a globe. My breath frosted in front of me, collecting on a cloud before I walked through it. With a little shiver, I thought of snuggling Stella in front of the fire tonight. Suddenly, cold winter nights sounded like a dream.
“It has potential,” Benjamin said as he twisted around to look at the main camp area. “But I'm not really looking for a Rocky thing, you know? The benefits of altitude could be gained in Pineville just as easily, and without the drive or isolation.”
“The isolation is a problem?” I asked.
He frowned. “Only for one reason,” he muttered, but it didn't seem to be aimed at me, so I let it slide.
Something stopped me on the stoop of the kitchen. Mountain air was almost always calm during a snowstorm, but this felt markedly different. Deep in my gut, an unsettled feeling shook me up. I stopped to listen.
Benjamin paused behind me, one eyebrow cocked.
“You hear anything?” I asked.
He shook his head, hands stuffed into the front pockets of his jeans, but I felt his attention rise. No Atticus snuffling around. No sounds near the lake where Stella had gone. Trees obscured my view of the water, but I should be able to hear something. Besides, it was cold and getting colder. She wouldn't stay at the lake long.
“Just a sec,” I murmured, and took off toward the lake at a jog.
“Need any help?” he called.
“Stay there for just a second.”
The empty pier came into view less than a minute later and my stomach twisted with it. “Atticus? Stell?”
A quiet, wintry world replied. The lake was a clouded sheet of glass that reflected the low, tumultuous ceiling overhead. Snow collected in a ring at the edge of the lake. No tracks returned down the path to indicate she'd gone back to the cabin.
Something wasn't right.
“Hey, Ben!” I called.
“Yeah?”
“Check for Stella at the cabin?”
“Sure.”
While he took off, I stepped over to the bank. The rapidly gathering snow revealed two slight indentations of shoes, definitely too large to be Stella's, but with no clear destination. They stood there, facing the lake. Amidst them were several dog prints, tracks that meandered back and forth. Some slightly smudged, muddy dog paw prints decorated the planks on the pier, as if Atticus had been dorking around as usual. He certainly hadn't been barking at all.
I straightened.
“Atticus?”
A growl, then a bark, came from the ring of forest around the edge of the lake. With a muttered curse, I slipped into the trees, calling his name. Less than a minute later, I found him tied to a tree. He stumbled over a rope, his bark plaintive. The snow around him had been trampled in a circle. On the ground was a massive bone, like a cow joint. He alternately sniffed at it and tried to chew on the rope. A foul smell came from the greasy bone as I approached. Poison?
Whatever it was, Atticus didn't seem to have tried it.
“Bastard,” I hissed and kicked the bone out of Atticus's reach. We'd have to come get it later and destroy it, just in case.
If there had been any doubt whether Joshua had shown up, it was just erased. He'd probably lured Atticus with poisoned food and tied him up with the hopes he'd take it. Atticus whined as I untied him from the tree, but kept him on the rope. He wasn't trained for search-and-rescue, and would probably just mar any footprints I could track. Still, he had his uses. Together, we headed back to the bank.
By then, Benjamin jogged up. He shook his head.
“Not there.”
I yanked my phone out of my pocket and dialed Justin as I crouched next to Atticus. The strange smell emanating from the bone wasn't on Atticus's breath. He appeared normal as he pushed against me with a low whine.
Justin answered with a quick, “Hey Mark.”
“Joshua's here, and he's got Stell. I think he tried to poison Atticus, but I don't think Atticus took it. Get my dad and whatever officers you can and get up here now.”
“Where's Stella?”
My voice sounded grim when I muttered, “I don't know.” My gaze darted to Ben. “We're going to go find her now.”
Benjamin immediately nodded.
“On our way,” Justin said.
Justin hung up and I straightened. Something didn't look right here. It wasn't until a splash of out-of-place color caught my eye that I realized it.
“Son of a—”
Benjamin pointed across the lake, his eyes landing on the exact same thing as mine.
