Haven Hill: Chapter 17

by the Author of The Widow in the Woods

Here’s where the story left off last time.

When Kate awakened, dappled sun shone on the wall of the cave, and she couldn’t remember where she was for a moment. She went to stretch and was momentarily confined by the sleeping bag, which brought her to full, panicked wakefulness immediately.

The Glock was right there beside her, like a silent guardian. She felt the hard, unforgiving floor of the cave beneath her and winced as she sat up gingerly. She smiled to herself. She knew that Ariel would bounce right up with the resilience of a young person, making her feel even older.

She wriggled out of the bag, stuffed some tissues in her pocket, and strapped the Glock to her waist. Then, she went outside to do her business before waking Ariel. She stretched when she got out of the cave, putting her hand on the stony entrance for balance. She was stiff and achy from sleeping on the cold ground. She felt like she’d aged 50 years in one chilly, uncomfortable night.

Once out of the cave, she squinted up at the sky. The sun was fairly high. They’d slept late. That was okay, though. She figured that the most dangerous time to be out on the trail to Mr. Slocum’s house would be in the daylight.  Her plan was to stay hidden all day if they could, then hike to the neighbor’s place just after dusk. Dawn and dusk were always more dangerous times to be out and about in the habitats of wild animals, but here she was, back to that “man or bear” analogy. She’d far rather deal with the wildlife than the crazed stalker that Logan had become.

She made her way back into the cave and broke out another bottled latte, chugging down the precious caffeine. She decided it was best to let Ariel sleep for as much of the day as possible to reduce her stress. Kate pulled a crossword puzzle book, a pen, and a deck of cards from one of the kitty litter containers. She rolled the backpack into a makeshift pillow and leaned against the wall, with the bag padding her back. The cave wasn’t very big, but she could sit up where the walls curved toward the ground without hunching over.

She was four puzzles deep by the time Ariel began to stir. As predicted, the girl hopped up as though she’d just finished a peaceful slumber on a downy king-sized bed at a five-star hotel. She followed Kate’s lead, going outside for a few moments. When she came back, Kate handed her a granola bar and a baggie of dehydrated apple slices. She grabbed the same thing for herself and the two sat down cross-legged, eating their breakfasts.

“No coffee?” Ariel raised a curious eyebrow.

“Not hot coffee,” replied Kate, shaking a bottled latte in her daughter’s general direction. “I’m not going to build a fire or get a scent in the air or do anything else that might draw Logan to us.”

“So, what’s the plan, Mom?” asked Ariel around a mouthful of chewy granola bar.

“We’re going to let him search for us today, then when it begins to get dark, we’re going to Mr. Slocum’s place, calling the cops, and getting the heck out of here.”

“He sure is going to be mad,” Ariel mused, a bit of a quaver in her voice. “You really don’t think he’ll find the cave?”

Kate looked outside the mouth of the cave. She spoke slowly, gravely, “I can’t promise that he won’t find the cave. But I can promise you that if he does, he will not touch you.” She turned back to face her daughter and met her eyes. “I give you my word, I will not let him hurt you.”

Ariel glanced knowingly at the gun that Kate had removed from her holster and put beside her for easier access while she was seated on the floor. Kate saw her gaze and affirmed, “I’ll do what I have to do.”

Ariel looked away and was silent for a long minute. Then she said, “If you don’t, I will. I know what he did to you, too, Mom,” she replied. Her voice was strong and unwavering but her eyes were distant. “Can I carry a gun today as well? You know I can shoot the cap off a bottle. You’re the one who taught me.”

Kate froze. She hadn’t realized that Ariel knew about the brutal sexual assault she had endured at Logan’s hands. It took her a moment to gather herself to respond.

“Ari, I don’t want you to have to live with something like shooting another human being,” Kate stated firmly. “That would be so traumatic for you, and you’ve already been through so much.”

Ariel set her jaw firmly. “It would be better than being helpless if he tried to take me again.”

Kate sighed. “Let me think about it, okay?” She picked up a deck of cards that sat beside her. “Crazy 8s?”

…

Kate and Ariel spent the afternoon quietly playing cards in the cave. When they stepped out to commune with Mother Nature briefly, it felt like a typical summer day, the hot sun beating down between the turning leaves. But inside the cave, it was cool and damp, the air at least 20 degrees cooler than it was outside.

The tension of constantly listening for footsteps drawing near or shouts from down the mountain made their games less than relaxing. Every snapped branch, every crunch of leaves, had Kate holding her breath, heart racing, hand on the pistol, until she determined it wasn’t an immediate threat.

She couldn’t decide if it was good or bad that she couldn’t hear Logan yelling. It was good in that he wasn’t too close. It was bad in that she had no idea where he was or what he was doing.

She came to a decision and abruptly rose from the floor of the cave. “I’m going to give you pepper spray and a taser, Ariel,” she announced. “What you need to know about the taser is that if you’re touching him when you tase him, you’ll be shocked too. Pepper spray will blow back in your face if the wind is blowing the wrong way. But neither of these will kill anyone or cause long-term harm.”

“But, Mom -” Ariel started.

“No gun,” Kate interrupted. “That’s my final decision.”

Ariel looked sulky. “I don’t want to play cards anymore.” She folded her arms.

“Then read your book,” Kate suggested, pretending not to notice her daughter’s sullen expression.

“Fine,” she huffed, flopping back down on her sleeping bag and picking up her book, her back turned to Kate.

Kate wanted to continue explaining her reasoning to Ariel, but she wisely kept quiet to let the girl sort it out and calm down on her own.

This would be a good time to repack their bags for the treacherous night hike ahead of them. They needed to move quickly and quietly, and Kate had some special additions she wanted to add to the packs. Part of her yearned to stay hidden in the caves until Logan gave up and went away, but she knew, rationally, that this would not be over until she ended it.

And one way or another, it ended today.

About Daisy

She is the best-selling author of 5 traditionally published books, 12 self-published books, and runs a small digital publishing company with PDF guides, printables, and courses at SelfRelianceand Survival.com You can find her on Facebook, Pinterest, and X.

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