A special thanks to my rockin' mom!! She put in sooo many hours of editing. You're the best, Mom & I sure do love you! <3
UPDATE: CLEAR CONFUSION HAS BEEN ACCEPTED BY AMBASSADOR INTERNATIONAL.
GOD IS GOOD!
Clear Confusion
Kathy M. Howard
When I am afraid, I will trust in you. ~Psalm 56:3
Chapter One
Thursday, April 7
1:15 a.m.
“Come ‘on man! We gotta get to her before she squeals!”
Charlotte froze, too scared to move. They were frightfully close. She heard the shorter man’s jittery energy penetrate his country voice.
“I bet she’s headed out the side, through th’ grocery section. Go that way,” he ordered. “I’ll head up front. Make sure nothin’s outta the ordinary and she ain’t hit up nobody for help.”
Charlotte bit her bottom lip. This wasn’t going to end well if they split up. Or would it?
“All right, but stay calm. Lay low. What happened was bad enough. Let’s not make it worse.” He let out an exasperated breath. “If you don’t find her in a few minutes or you get the notion she’s talked, forget her. Just get out of here as fast as you can and meet back at the rondevu point. We can always deal with the girl later.” The man kept his voice just above a whisper, unlike his partner who seemed ready to explode. “She didn’t see us, I’d bet my life on it. She was too scared to stick around and look closely.” But that doesn’t mean I didn’t get a good, clear look at her.
“She better not have!” Adrenaline and nervous anger echoed in his words. “Roland’ll know what to do. He took care of things last time someone snooped and I ain’t seen that one since. This one won’t be no different. She ain’t gonna get far, not if she’s alone.”
“Agreed.”
The voices drifted as the men began searching for Charlotte and she frantically searched for protection. The fact that it was just after one a.m. didn’t help. She was already too tired to function properly, much less form a coherent thought. And now her life depended on her ability to strategically devise an escape plan. Oh, why didn’t I bring my phone! Help me, God. Please!
The large superstore, opened twenty-four hours a day, used every inch of the building to showcase its merchandise. Bins full of items overcrowded each aisle, causing chaos for the shopper in search of something in particular. Charlotte thought she could use that to her advantage. The toy and furniture divisions overlapped, eliminating potentially open sections. A giant, overstuffed panda in the toy department could make a good hiding place if she squeezed between it and the stack of beanbag chairs against the wall.
She carefully peeked around the aisle where she’d stood frozen into the area of slim traffic. Very few people were in the store, and all completely unaware of what’d just happened. She had to somehow get to the panda without being seen by her trackers or the general public. If a bystander caught sight of someone hiding among the toys, he’d likely point and bring attention to her. She couldn’t afford to be seen by anyone, for fear of someone else getting hurt. The two men seemed careless. One wrong move, no matter the intent, could cause a dangerous reaction. No, she’d have to stay hidden until the men were completely gone, then she could find the proper authorities. Surely they’d give up looking for her sooner rather than later. It wouldn’t be long before the body was found.
5:30 a.m.
The woman awoke to the sound of wind dancing rather loudly through the treetops and a strange sense of fear. Underneath her, a cool, hard ground gave off a scent of wet mud, causing her nostrils to crinkle.
Inside, her head pounded with her heartbeat. She squeezed her eyes shut, giving herself a minute. It didn’t do much good. Her mind was too fuzzy to successfully decipher her bearings. Somehow an internal fog blocked her ability to reason.
God, where am I?
Although she heard evidence of early morning hours, it was dark, practically pitch black. Nothing visible beyond a few feet and even that was blurry. Another gust of wind blew, bringing a breeze across her left cheek. A few goose bumps appeared. The other side of her face, shielded from the gust, remained impressed in dried mud. Although it was hard, it felt icky pasted against her skin. She tried to gently pull herself out of the crusted grime but found the movement harder than she’d expected.
The muscles in her arms and legs were sore – really sore. But why? She sat up tenderly, placing a hand on her forehead. The effort to lift her body proved difficult. Carefully and ever so slowly, she stood the rest of the way. With one hand steadying her head and the other outstretched, she inched her feet forward, searching for something sturdy.
Why do I only have on one shoe? Where is my other shoe?
A large oak tree stood about ten feet away. It was rough to the touch, but strong. She placed the searching hand on the solid trunk, lowered herself back to the hard ground and rested her back and aching head against the tree. Darkness and pain - she wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
Her stomach growled, begging for sustenance. Food might help her headache, if she had any. She patted her pockets, hoping. Nothing. For the life of her, she couldn’t figure out exactly where she was or how she’d gotten there or why she’d be in such an area. The only thing she could do was focus on what she did know. It was dark. She couldn’t see anything, though she felt sure she was somewhere in the woods. Mosquitoes buzzed in her ear, threatening to bite her. And aside from a headache, she was also hungry and ridiculously sore.
Without a clear visual of her surroundings, she knew she shouldn’t move far. What if she stumbled down a cliff or into a pond? She was better off just trying to go back to sleep until daylight. Next to an aspirin, sleep was the best thing.
With no other options, the woman closed her eyes. She breathed in the darkness and eventually began to drift. Sleep came easier than she’d thought possible, given her situation and surroundings.
As she slept, she dreamt in flashes crammed with feelings of utter confusion. The dreams were harsh and unclear. Blackness, followed quickly by an intense strobe of light and then black again filled her subconscious. It felt like she was sitting in a cave, staring into nothing, as a light suddenly and rapidly turned on and off, making it impossible for her eyes to focus. The pattern of dark to light quickened, intensifying so much that she physically felt it behind her eyes. She jerked herself awake. The headache was worse.
Her eyes blinked repeatedly as a glaring, bright light shone directly at her. She saw nothing but white.
“Hello?”
The baritone voice surprised her, releasing an unexplained fear throughout her body. The woman lifted a sore arm in an effort to shield the light and locate its origin. The light lowered, but remained on. It took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust. Once they did, she glimpsed a blurry vision of brown boots and a lot of green. The voice’s owner squatted, placing the flashlight on the ground. Her focus zeroed in on a somewhat grizzly, brown haired man, crouched next to her and holding a shotgun in his right hand. A shiver shot through her at the sight of the weapon. She quickly jumped up, stepping backwards. The movement brought her immediate pain.
It hurts to move. Please don’t let him shoot me, God! Please!
“Ma’am?”
“Go away!” She croaked.
The man stood and stepped forward, inching toward her. He extended his hand in an effort to close the distance but she leaned away from his reach. Could she make a run for it? It was still too dark to see anything past the flashlight. But did that really matter? She could at least try, couldn’t she?
“I wouldn’t if I were you.”
“What?” Her voice cracked. Was he threatening her? She hesitated only a second before she turned and ran as fast as she could into the darkness. All she could do was keep her arms extended in hopes of avoiding trees and branches.
After several yards, her ankle turned when her shoeless foot stepped into a shallow hole, bringing her to the ground.
“Ah!” she whimpered, biting her lip. Now she was stuck. She had no escape, nowhere to go. The man was close. She could hear his breathing. She blinked back a tear of fear and pain.
“Help! Help!” Vomit rose to her throat. Nauseousness came with it.
The man stopped. “Whoa, now. What’s with the hollering? I’m not going to hurt you.”
“Help! Somebody help me!”
“Lady, I promise. I’m not going to hurt you.” He backed up. “I just wanted to see if you were lost - if you were okay. It’s not everyday you run into someone sleeping in the woods. I’ll leave you alone, if that’s what you want.”
She shivered and frowned, holding her tender ankle. Lost, confused, hungry, exhausted, and in pain. She didn’t have much of a choice. She would have to trust him. He would help her or he would hurt her. Either way, the misery would disappear, by his hands.
Gingerly, she opened her eyes and whispered, “You … have a gun.”
“Yeah, my friend and I are headed over there to hunt.” It looked like he pointed to the right of her, but she could barely see the gesture. “We were trying to get there before daylight, to surprise the turkeys. However, after all that yelling, I don’t believe we’ll be much of a surprise.”
“Hunting?”
“Yes. Just hunting.” The man laid the gun down and took a step closer, shining the flashlight on himself so she could get a better look. He was covered in camouflage from head to toe.
She released a heavy sigh. “Oh. Sorry.”
“It’s okay.” He took the flashlight off of himself and shone it on the woman. She shivered again. Mud covered her face, making it hard to see her features. A streak ran down her cheek, indicating she had been crying. There was dried blood in her hair and she held her hands around her ankle, grimacing. She looked to be frightened and in a good bit of pain. She needed help.
“Ma’am? May I come closer?” She barely nodded. He walked to her, bending down close enough to get a glimpse of her eyes. They were dark. “I’d like to shine my light into your eyes to check for a concussion. Would that be okay?” Again, she nodded slowly. He pulled the flashlight up and looked closely into her eyes. She winced immediately. He wasn’t going to be able to test his presumption. It was obvious the brightness hurt her. So he lowered the flashlight to her left ankle instead, where her hand rested.
“May I?”
She removed her hand. He couldn’t see any immediate swelling or discoloration.
“This may need some ice, but I think it’s okay. Are you alone?”
Was she alone? She really didn’t know. She couldn’t think. Nothing made sense.
“My head. My ankle. It all hurts,” she answered instead. Her voice was weak.
The man looked over his shoulder and called, “Hey, Vin. Come here and help me.” Another hunter emerged from the darkness and stood beside his friend. “Okay, ma’am. I really think we need to get you back to town. The doctor there is a good man and quite frankly, I’d feel better if he took a look at you. You mind if I carry you to my truck and then drive you into town? My good friend, Vincent here, will come with us. I promise, we’re not going to harm you. We just want to help.”
The woman turned to look at Vincent. He was dressed in camouflage as well. He looked at her, studying her intently. She nodded a final time, knowing there wasn’t another option.
The first hunter placed his arms underneath her knees and around her back. He stood carefully, trying to prevent the sway of her legs. Vincent grabbed the guns and the flashlight, holding it out far enough to light the way. Even though he carried her gently and walked slowly, the legs swayed. He could hear the pain in her moans. Whatever was going on with her was too much. Before the three of them made it to the truck, the woman had passed out in the arms of the hunter.
6:45 a.m.
Nicholas changed his mind as soon as the woman went unconscious. He decided to call Dr. Mitchell on his way, instead of waiting in the parking lot until the office opened for an immediate appointment. He knew the man would already be at work. The doctor used the hour before their doors opened to patients at 7:30 to catch up on paper work and to enjoy a cup of coffee in peace and quiet.
He tapped his thumb on the steering wheel, waiting for an answer or the automatic recording to kick in.
“Jennings Family Practice.”
“Doc, I’m glad I got you.” Nicholas exhaled. “It’s Nicholas. We’ve got a bit of a situation. Vin and I found a young woman in the woods. Looks like she’s been through the wringer – dirty, dried blood in her hair, missing shoe, pretty messed up ankle, and says her head hurts. She was coherent a few minutes ago – scared but talking. But now she’s unconscious. I think she’ll be all right, but I sure would feel better if you could check her out. Can you see her now at your office or do I need to take her on to the hospital?”
“Who is she?”
“I don’t know. We don’t recognize her. Never got around to asking her name.”
“How’s her breathing?”
“Fine, I guess.”
“Any other significant injuries?”
“Other than her ankle and maybe head? Not that I could tell.”
Dr. Mitchell asked several questions, all of which Nicholas could not give a definitive answer so he agreed to meet them at the hospital. He’d planned to see three other patients there later that day anyway. Going a few hours earlier than planned wouldn’t hurt. His PA could see to his morning patients while he was away.
Good. At least there was a plan and help was on its way. Nicholas didn’t like the way they’d found the young woman. It did not sit well with him at all.
He peered at the lady in his truck. She lay across the back seat, almost lifeless in her form. Passed out and in the window’s light of daybreak, she seemed fragile, and at the same time, quite strong. Her face didn’t look as frightened as it had an hour ago, though she did look as if she’d been through an ordeal. Even with the mud on her face, Nicholas could tell she wasn’t much older than thirty. What had happened to her? For a small town, she was an intriguing mystery waiting to be solved.
She started to moan.
Nicholas pulled the car over. “Vin, jump back there and try to keep her as still as possible. This jarring may make her pain worse.”
“Uh,” Vincent exhaled.
“Just do the best you can. Step on whatever you need to. I’m more worried about her than the gear.”
“Uh yeah, sure.” Vincent grunted as he maneuvered into the back seat. A pop sounded. “There goes the decoy.”
He positioned his long legs the best he could amongst all the hunting gear as Nicholas drove off. Then he laid her legs across his lap, being careful with the left one and leaned forward, ready to grab her shoulders if they hit a bumpy part of the road. No good would come from her falling off the seat.
“She’s starting to move.”
“That’s good,” said Nicholas. He’d sure like to talk to her again before they arrived at the hospital. “See if there’s any more water in that cooler. She may want some when she wakes up.”
Vincent reached into the miniature cooler by his feet and pulled out the last bottle of water. He stuck it in the door’s cup holder and then turned to study the girl beside him. Her eyes fluttered. Her head turned slightly from side to side. He leaned in closer, trying to get a better look at the blood in her hair. There could be an ugly gash under that pretty blonde hair of hers. It was hard to tell. She was such a mess. Just as he reached to touch a bloody cluster of hair, her eyes suddenly flew open. Vincent startled. The woman’s body bounced in response.
“Ooh!” she mouthed.
“Ss –orry.”
Slowly, she slid upright, keeping her legs extended.
“Hi,” he said coolly, trying to regain his composure.
“She awake?” came from the driver’s seat. Vincent only nodded.
“Hello,” she responded in a faint voice, barely audible.
“You remember me?”
She winced slightly and squinted, trying to make out the individual addressing her. Vincent leaned closer. She eyed him carefully.
“The woods?” she asked cautiously.
“Yeah … the woods. My buddy, uh, Nick and I carried you out. We’re taking you to the hospital.” He stared closely at her eyes. They were a dim brown and somewhat blank. She returned his intense gaze for a moment and then glanced out the window.
Nicholas risked a glance over his shoulder in high traffic and smiled.
“Well, hello there young lady. How you feeling?”
She rubbed her eyes. “Okay, I guess. My head hurts like the dickens though.”
“Would you like something to drink?” Nicholas asked. “Vin’s got some water for you.”
She tried repositioning. It was a difficult move, especially with all the clutter and because the man beside her looked as helpless as she felt.
Once situated, Vincent opened the bottle and handed it to her. “Thank you,” she whispered.
She took a sip, sighed, and proceeded to gulp the rest. She’d not realized how thirsty she’d become. The man driving laughed. Now that she was sitting straighter, he had a clear sight of her through the rearview mirror.
“You want me to stop and get you another?”
“No, I think I’m good for now,” she responded, forming an embarrassed smile. Vincent took the empty bottle from her extended hand and tossed it on the floorboard.
“Where’s the hospital?”
Vincent chose to answer, watching her closely as he did. “A little ways. The closest hospital is thirty minutes from town. We’ve got another ten minutes or so.”
The woman went stiff. “Oh.” Anxiety crept in. Was her rescue just a rouse? How could a hospital be thirty minutes from civilization? Are they playing a game with her? She was in a moving vehicle, trapped just as badly as she’d been in the woods. Again, there was nowhere to escape.
Nicholas straightened his back, feeling it pop as he did. It was a habit he struggled to break. He noticed the woman’s expression change. “You’re not scared of us again, are you?”
His voice was calm. She diverted her eyes back out the window. Everything was blurry, each tree running into the other. Why couldn’t she just relax?
“Maybe it would help to get to know each other. That way we’re not all just strangers heading to a hospital,” Nicholas encouraged. “I’m Nicholas Nelson. And the quiet one in the back there is my long-time friend, Vincent Cobb.” He grinned. “Okay, now what is your name, little lady?”
She was so confused surrounded by the two men. One minute she feared them and the next, she wasn’t sure what she felt. Her mouth opened to answer. “I’m … I’m.” She squinted her eyes in confusion. “I’m.” She suddenly realized she did not know who she was. “I’m sorry. I … I don’t know. I don’t know who I am.” Her eyes widened. Panic rose. How could she not know who she was?
Nicholas started to speak and then hesitated. How were they to respond to that? The poor girl had obviously had an awfully rough night. He cleared his throat and whispered kindly, “I’m sure it’ll come to you in no time.”
She frowned. Hopefully.