Read Online Untraceable by Elizabeth Goddard - Free Book Online
Authors: Elizabeth Goddard
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to distinguish anything, causing them to lose all sense of balance, roared around them. Jason fell to his knees.
“Where’s Liam?” Zach asked.
“Liam!” Isaiah called.
Zach started to walk away, but Isaiah grabbed him back.
“No. You’ll get lost, too, if you go after him. We’ll shout his name and if he’s out there, he’ll find us. Start building the wall right here, which is probably not the best place, but it’s all we have.”
“Everyone, pile your bags and packs right here in one place so we don’t lose anything.”
“Heidi and Rhea, you guys dig us out as we go.”
As long as they kept moving and built the tents and then stayed inside they had a chance.
“With Liam gone, we don’t need that extra tent,” Cade said. “Let’s just put up two for now so we can get inside and get warm and out of this storm.”
A half hour later, Isaiah lay on top of a sleeping bag, exhausted, knowing he would have to exit the warmth of the tent every few minutes—although they would take turns—to dig out the shelters to keep from being buried alive.
“I can’t feel my toes,” Jason said.
“Get out of your boots. Your sock could be wet. We’ll get you warmed up,” Heidi said. “This small stove, along with our bodies, will raise the temperature inside.”
Isaiah opened the vents to release any carbon monoxide. Though it was a low-output stove designed for this kind of usage, he dug around in the pack for the CO detector.
So far no one had gotten frostbite, but that could easily change. Getting inside and warm would go a long way toward preventing those kinds of injuries.
As Isaiah watched Heidi melt snow in a pan on the little stove, his heart filled with warmth. He was relieved to be sharing a tent with her and Jason this time. Rhea had insisted she stay with Zach, and he wouldn’t allow the rescue team their own tent, of course, leaving Jason to guard Heidi and Isaiah, which meant Cade was with Zach and Rhea.
Isaiah wouldn’t try anything. He didn’t have the energy to fight the man. He had to conserve everything to battle the storm. To keep Heidi alive. He didn’t care about himself or anyone else. Cade could take care of himself, and likely Heidi, too, but making Heidi his mission would keep Isaiah going.
There was a time he thought he could have something with Heidi, but he didn’t deserve her and now it seemed it wouldn’t matter. Except he’d come too far, moving to a new place and changing his name, to lose it all now to this insanity. But he’d do what it took to keep her alive, even if no one else survived.
She glanced up at him, that small smile he loved on her lips. His pulse jumped. He hadn’t seen that in so long, and hadn’t realized how much he’d missed it. He hated that she was in the middle of this nightmarish rescue, but in her smile, he saw some small part of the Heidi he’d known before the ordeal of last summer that had changed everything for her.
The thought of how he’d distanced himself after they’d grown close slashed his insides. And then she’d needed him after the accident, but he’d failed her. He should have been there for her, but getting close again would only risk hurting her in the long run.
“Here, drink this. It’ll warm you up.” She passed the cup to him.
Their fingers brushed. “Thanks.”
He was all too aware of their proximity. Did she feel it, too? And even if she did, he wasn’t sure what difference that made. He’d already decided she was off-limits to him. Had already put the wall up between them. He could almost be grateful for the raging blizzard outside, and the unintentional chaperone and criminal sharing the tent.
He sipped the warm liquid from the cup, but Heidi did much more to warm his insides. Maybe being in the tent with her hadn’t been a good idea. A guy could only control his emotions so much. But he felt better knowing she was safe for the moment, and that was in line with his mission.
Jason drank up as
“Where’s Liam?” Zach asked.
“Liam!” Isaiah called.
Zach started to walk away, but Isaiah grabbed him back.
“No. You’ll get lost, too, if you go after him. We’ll shout his name and if he’s out there, he’ll find us. Start building the wall right here, which is probably not the best place, but it’s all we have.”
“Everyone, pile your bags and packs right here in one place so we don’t lose anything.”
“Heidi and Rhea, you guys dig us out as we go.”
As long as they kept moving and built the tents and then stayed inside they had a chance.
“With Liam gone, we don’t need that extra tent,” Cade said. “Let’s just put up two for now so we can get inside and get warm and out of this storm.”
A half hour later, Isaiah lay on top of a sleeping bag, exhausted, knowing he would have to exit the warmth of the tent every few minutes—although they would take turns—to dig out the shelters to keep from being buried alive.
“I can’t feel my toes,” Jason said.
“Get out of your boots. Your sock could be wet. We’ll get you warmed up,” Heidi said. “This small stove, along with our bodies, will raise the temperature inside.”
Isaiah opened the vents to release any carbon monoxide. Though it was a low-output stove designed for this kind of usage, he dug around in the pack for the CO detector.
So far no one had gotten frostbite, but that could easily change. Getting inside and warm would go a long way toward preventing those kinds of injuries.
As Isaiah watched Heidi melt snow in a pan on the little stove, his heart filled with warmth. He was relieved to be sharing a tent with her and Jason this time. Rhea had insisted she stay with Zach, and he wouldn’t allow the rescue team their own tent, of course, leaving Jason to guard Heidi and Isaiah, which meant Cade was with Zach and Rhea.
Isaiah wouldn’t try anything. He didn’t have the energy to fight the man. He had to conserve everything to battle the storm. To keep Heidi alive. He didn’t care about himself or anyone else. Cade could take care of himself, and likely Heidi, too, but making Heidi his mission would keep Isaiah going.
There was a time he thought he could have something with Heidi, but he didn’t deserve her and now it seemed it wouldn’t matter. Except he’d come too far, moving to a new place and changing his name, to lose it all now to this insanity. But he’d do what it took to keep her alive, even if no one else survived.
She glanced up at him, that small smile he loved on her lips. His pulse jumped. He hadn’t seen that in so long, and hadn’t realized how much he’d missed it. He hated that she was in the middle of this nightmarish rescue, but in her smile, he saw some small part of the Heidi he’d known before the ordeal of last summer that had changed everything for her.
The thought of how he’d distanced himself after they’d grown close slashed his insides. And then she’d needed him after the accident, but he’d failed her. He should have been there for her, but getting close again would only risk hurting her in the long run.
“Here, drink this. It’ll warm you up.” She passed the cup to him.
Their fingers brushed. “Thanks.”
He was all too aware of their proximity. Did she feel it, too? And even if she did, he wasn’t sure what difference that made. He’d already decided she was off-limits to him. Had already put the wall up between them. He could almost be grateful for the raging blizzard outside, and the unintentional chaperone and criminal sharing the tent.
He sipped the warm liquid from the cup, but Heidi did much more to warm his insides. Maybe being in the tent with her hadn’t been a good idea. A guy could only control his emotions so much. But he felt better knowing she was safe for the moment, and that was in line with his mission.
Jason drank up as
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