Little Girl Gone (An Afton Tangler Thriller #1)(99)

There were a few seconds of dead air, and then Thacker finally said, “Okay, I’m going to let you do it. But for Christ’s sake, be careful!”


*

EASIER said than done, of course. Because once they were back across the Saint Croix River, the roads were in even worse driving condition. The snow had compacted and frozen on the roadways, forcing semi trucks and trailers to pull into truck stops and rest stops all along the route.

“Your Navigator’s a beast,” Max said, “but it ain’t no match for this storm.”

“We’re not turning around,” Afton said. She checked the navigation screen for about the hundredth time. They’d plugged in the address Thacker had given them and had turned off onto County Road F. It was a narrow lane that snaked south, paralleling the Saint Croix River, yet set on top of a high glacial ridge. A ridge that seemed to be getting pounded by the full brunt of the storm.

“Shit,” Max said. He was nervous about Afton’s hunch, uneasy about the weather. “This lousy two-lane road hasn’t even seen a plow. Plus we’re on this stupid high ridge so there’s nothing to stop all this snow from drifting like crazy.”

Afton refused to agree with him even though she knew he was right. For the last ten miles she’d been powering her vehicle through five, maybe six, inches of snow. Up ahead, drifts and a curling wall of snow blocked their way. It looked like an impasse.

“We won’t make it through,” Max said. “Gotta turn around. I know it’s a bitter pill to—”

Afton jammed on the brakes and slewed heavily to one side, barely avoiding a skid into the ditch. Then she carefully K-turned the Navigator back and forth, finally turning it completely around.

“Good girl.”

She drove another half mile or so. Then, without warning, she hung a sharp left and dropped down a road that carried them down a steep incline.

“Whoa. Wait!” Max shouted. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? This isn’t the way home.” His eyes were wild, and he was thrashing around, held only in place by his seat belt. “This isn’t part of the program.”

“Detour. According to the nav system, this road should take us right past the Sorenson farm.”

“Do you not realize we’re headed down a murderously steep grade?” Max said, grasping the dashboard for support. “It’s gonna take us below the Sorenson farm. You better turn around right now.”

“Can’t.” Afton stared straight ahead. “Road’s too narrow.”

“Then pull into the next driveway.”

“No can do.”

They passed two small farms that were hunkered into the hillside as the road continued to descend in a steep spiral. The snow was coming down so fast and heavy, they could barely see a hundred feet ahead of them.

“That’s it for me,” Max said, throwing his hands up. “Zero visibility and a lost cause. I’m calling Thacker and telling him to order you to turn around.” He grabbed his cell phone and punched in numbers. “Shit!”

“Now what’s wrong?” Afton asked.

“I can’t get a connection.” Max punched in the numbers again. “My calls keep getting dropped. This stupid storm must’ve knocked something out. The towers or the satellites or whatever these stupid phone carriers use now. Moonbeams.”

Afton jammed her foot on the brake and they slid to a stop.

“What?” Max said. “You’ve finally come to your senses?”

“We’re here.”

Max leaned forward and peered through the windshield. “Here? There’s nothing here but a cliff.”

“That’s right,” Afton said. “And the Sorenson farm should be right at the top of this cliff.”

“I don’t exactly see an elevator or a flight of stairs, so how do you propose getting up there?”

“We’ll climb up the rocks.”

Max gaped at her. “Have you lost your freaking mind? This is, like, a ridiculously vertical mountain. It’s a steep, badass mountain like in that movie The Eiger Sanction. You remember that? Because I’m sure you’ve seen it.”

Afton was shaking her head. “This is your basic sandstone cliff. Not that big a deal. Come on, the Sorenson house is directly above us. If you squidge your head to one side, you can see smoke curling up from its chimney.”

“You’re crazy,” Max said. “You know that? Certifiably.” But he climbed out of the car with Afton and stomped through the snow to take a look. “Madness,” he muttered.

Afton walked to the base of the cliff and stared up. Max wasn’t sure if she was bluffing or if she seriously intended to scale the cliff.

Afton hoisted herself up onto a boulder. “I don’t think it’s going to be that difficult. This is basic bouldering. You use handholds and footholds and just proceed up one step at a time.” She looked at him. “You give it a shot.”

Max put a leg up and tried to gain a foothold. Just when he thought he’d gained a solid perch, his foot slipped off and he went down, banging his shin against a rock.

“I’m wearing desert boots,” Max said. “With slippery rubber soles.”

“Try again.”

Max tried to climb again, but every time he kept slipping back.