Protecting Callista

Callista woke up groggy, taking a moment to assess where she was. The last thing she remembered was walking to the restaurant to meet her boyfriend, William. She parked in the rear parking lot and traversed around to the side. As she rounded the corner, someone grabbed her from behind, and she felt a tiny prick on her next. Now, she was waking up in a strange cabin. Her hands and feet tied to a chair. Nobody appeared to be with her. A fire in the wood stove radiated heat, keeping the cabin warm.

She tugged on the ropes around her hands. The rope loosened to the point that it fell to the floor. Her hands were free. She quickly removed untied her feet and stood. She made a circle, taking in her surroundings. Besides the wood stove and chair, there was a small cot and a wood table with another chair. Walking over to the table, she noticed a small piece of paper. On it was written, Don’t be alarmed. I’ll be back shortly. A.

Who was A? Why was she here? The note scared her more than reassured her. She ran to the door and found it unlocked. After grabbing her coat she flung open the door. Once outside, she saw that the mixture of snow and rain that she had been in was now all snow. Three inches had accumulated, and the snow continued to fall.

Even though her clothes were not made to travel in freezing weather, she’d manage somehow. Luckily, she wore her boots for her date, though they weren’t snow boots. She avoided the main road, in case her kidnapper returned, and sprinted into the woods surrounding the cabin. She traveled a few hundred feet and stopped. She heard a noise. Over her heavy breathing, she recognized the sound of a car driving up the cleared path. She thanked her lucky stars that she set off into the woods.

She raced through the trees like the hounds of hell were chasing her. She continued for an hour, but she couldn’t seem to get out of the woods. She thought she might be going in circles. After take a few minutes to decide on a direction, she resumed. After another hour, she noticed a flickering light in front of her. She thought it might be headlights ahead of her. With headlights came a road and a way out of here. She followed the light. When she reached the spot of the light, she collapsed in the snow and screamed out her frustration.

Aaron returned to the cabin and noticed the front door standing wide open. He had hoped that giving Callista to chance to free herself and the message he left would convince her he meant no harm. He should’ve stayed until she woke to reassure her. He trailed her steps to the woods. It was senseless to follow, but, with darkness approaching, he couldn’t leave her out in the cold.

He returned to his car and brought the supplies he picked up into the cabin. He stoked the fire, because if, no when, he found her, she’d be cold as ice. He retrieved the flashlight by the door and headed out to search for her.

As he followed her trail, he realized her path was taking her back to the cabin. He decided to return and wait for her. The woods were familiar to him, since he’d been living here since he left the Army. He managed to arrive at the cabin before Callista.

While waiting, he put the supplies away and heated a can of beef stew. She’d be cold and hungry when she found herself back at the cabin. He put a candle in the window to help her find the way. He checked that his revolver was loaded.

The message he’d received read, Pick up Callista Locke and keep her safe. William Dart is under investigation and rumor has it that she’s in danger. Will update as news comes available.

He knew William Dart. He distributed drugs, ran a strip club, and laundered money for the mob. The little he knew of Callista surprised him that she would be involved with the scumbag. He would protect her, even if it was from herself.

He looked out the window and saw her exit the woods. He witnessed her collapse and heard the terrified scream. He exited the cabin and approached her like he was approaching a wounded animal. The tears were streaming down her face, and she rocked back and forth. Her blue lips and red nose indicated she was freezing, He had to get her inside the warm cabin.

She didn’t notice his approach or fight him when he picked her up. All her energy was depleted with her wild run. Upon entering the cabin, he removed her jacket and boots. Her body shook like a leaf, and he braced himself for a fight when he began removing her clothes. Surprisingly, she allowed him to continue, and he wrapped her in a blanket. His movements were clinical in nature, he didn’t stare at her gorgeous body, well, not too long. He was assigned to protect her, even from himself. He moved her to the chair and pushed her down gently. The look on her face concerned him. She must be in shock.

Callista felt the stranger lift her, but her exhaustion extinguished the fight in her. She was freezing and wanted the warmth the cabin would provide. It was a blessed relief to have the wet clothes off her and the nice cozy blanket tucked around her. As he led her to the chair, she sunk down and soaked up the warmth emitted from the wood stove.

Her senses started to return and she smelled something cooking. Her stomach growled, causing the stranger to chuckle. “I guess you little excursion made you hungry. I have some beef stew that will heat your insides.”

As he handed her a bowl, she asked, “Who are you? Where am I?”

“I’m Aaron Hunt. I intercepted you from your date with William Dart. How well do you know him?”

She ate a few bites of the delicious food, and responded, “He’s my boyfriend. We’ve been dating six months. He works as a day trader. Why are you asking?”

“He is involved in some shading dealing. He is being investigated, and I received a message to catch you before your date. I’m to wait further instructions.”

After a few more bites, she placed the bowl on the floor. “How do I know you are telling me the truth? How do I know you aren’t the bad guy?”

“Would I have bothered to bring you in from the cold and feed you? If I wanted to harm you, I would’ve left you to freeze to death.”

Aaron’s words made sense. What was William into? He flashed a lot of money around. She’d had a nagging feeling in the back of her mind that something wasn’t right. She been with him six months and she didn’t know him at all. She took everything he told her at face value.

“How long am I suppose to stay here? Where is this cabin, anyway?”

“It’s miles from any civilization. When I returned from the Army, I needed a quiet place. I freelance for an agency. I’m good at getting in and out without being detected. Trust me, you are safe here. When I get more information, I’ll let you know.”

“I guess I have no choice.” She tried to cover a yawn, but he noticed.

“Crawl into bed and I’ll stoke the fire. Your clothes should be dried by morning.”

“Where are you going to sleep?”

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll rest next to the door, so I can hear anything unusual. Get some sleep?”

“Good night.”

He lifted his chin in response to her statement, letting her know he heard her.

The next morning, Aaron stood up, stretched his tight muscles, and made sure the fire was blazing. The cabin cooled off a little over night. He place a coffee pot and a pan of water on the stove. While adding oatmeal to the boiling water, he heard Callista getting out of the bed.

“Coffee and oatmeal almost ready. I folded your clothes and put them on the end of the bed. I’m going outside to get more fire wood.”

He left to give her time to dress without worrying about being naked in front of him. He’d already seen her, and, for his peace of mind, he didn’t need a repeat performance. As he was collecting wood he’d stacked the day before, his phone ding with an incoming message.

It read, We have been monitoring Dart’s phone. He sent a message to a burner to find Callista and kill her. She must know something. Find out what it is.

Oh boy, this job just got harder.

He took the wood into the cabin and watched her stirring the oatmeal, drinking a cup of coffee. He placed the wood next to the stove and said, “I received a message. Do you want to talk about it now or after we eat?”

“What did it say?”

Removing the oatmeal off the stove, he grabbed a cup of coffee and sat at the table. She followed him. Once settled, he showed her the message. She gasped and put her hand to her mouth. Her eyes widened. She looked at him, trembling.

Callista opened her mouth to speak and shut it. She tried again. “I swear I know nothing. I was never in his house, never looked at his phone, and never heard him conversing with anyone. Why does he want me dead?” As she was talking her fear turned into anger.

“I’ll text them back and let them know. However, I want you to think real hard to make sure nothing comes to mind.”

He left the cabin and texted her response. A few seconds later, another text arrived. Do you believe her?

Did he? She seemed so adamant. He needed to question her more before responding. Back inside, Callista was sitting at the table with her elbows on the table and her head rested on her hands. He sat down, and said, “Have you thought of anything that might make William suspicious?”

Lifting her head, she said, “There was one time I was late meeting him for dinner. He was on the phone when I arrived. He finished before I got to the table, but I did hear him loudly say ‘Get it done.’ Maybe he thought I heard more.”

“You’re sure you heard nothing else.”

“Positive. After disconnecting the call, he threw the phone down and I stepped into his sight. He scowled at me for a moment and then stood and kissed my check. I had forgotten about the incident until now.”

“I believe you. I’ll send a text, letting them know.”

Callista walked to the stove and dished up the gooey oatmeal. It was better than nothing. After eating, they took their cups of coffee out on the porch. The snow was falling heavy now. Her footprints were gone. There was no getting in or out of the cabin area.

Aaron’s phone dinged with a new message, Dart’s frantic. He’s starting to close things down. He bought a one-way airline ticket out of the country. Contract out on Callista Locke. Be careful and watchful.

He showed her the message and she sat there staring out in the snowy abyss. Her world just became this cabin.