Josephine “Joey” Preston
Joey continued upward but had to stop every few minutes to catch her breath. She wasn't out of shape, but trudging through the thick woods was more physically demanding than sticking to the trail. Or riding on the back of a horse.
I don't even know what the hell I'm doing.
She knew that running up a mountain was probably the worst thing she could do, but there was no doubt in her mind that she never would have made it back to Drake's cabin. Percy would have had his goons lined up like a football team to keep her from reaching the Hales.
Her common sense told her that what goes up, must come down. Heading to the top of a mountain meant that at some point, there was nowhere higher to go. Deep down, she was putting a lot of faith in the fact that Drake could fly and would come find her.
At least that was the biggest hope she had right now.
As she struggled through another thick clump of brush, she wondered if she was overreacting. How much danger am I really in? He said I was wanted alive. Maybe I should have just gone and found Percy.
Even as she thought it, she knew that she had made the right decision to run, even if it was just to have a hot minute to think it out. She could only assume that Percy wanted her because she saw him in some other form. She still didn't know what it was, but it wasn't human.
And why hadn’t she seen it? Or better yet, why couldn't she see it? It had to be no different than the Hales, and she could see both of their identities.
She stopped and sat with her back against a tree. She needed to rest. The thinner air and the higher altitude were making her breath faster, so she focused on slowing her breaths. She had never been one for yoga, but she suddenly wished that she knew some fancy techniques that worked.
After about ten minutes, she could feel her pulse slowing. She listened for a long time, but all she heard were birds and an occasional squirrel. She finally rose and stretched before she continued on, at a slower pace this time.
Her course led her to an area where the trees and brush opened up and walking was easier. She wasn't on a trail, but the vegetation was starting to really lighten up. A glint in the distance caught her attention, and she shifted her direction a little bit to get closer.
It was a cabin. Her heart sped up again as she worked her way around the side, giving the building a wide berth. She crouched down and watched for any signs of occupation.
When nothing moved, she held her breath as she walked up to the front steps. The door was unlocked, and she inched it open. A dank, musty smell greeted her, and she felt convinced that no one had been there for some time. The air was old and undisturbed.
There was a barn off in the distance, but weeds had grown up in front of the door. Vines held the handles together, so she knew no one had opened that door for a long time.
She went inside, leaving the door open. Dust swirled in the light, and she was surprised to find the inside neat and tidy, even if it had been unused. The bedroom was fully furnished, and the bed looked clean and inviting. She found the kitchen functional, and there canned goods under the counter and dry goods in the pantry.
"What is this place?"
Her voice echoed off the empty walls. She walked and looked at the photos on the wall. Some were of Vinia and little kids, others were of teenagers. She came to one of Drake.
"This must be their vacation cabin? Maybe a hunting cabin?"
There was a photo of a couple on their wedding day. She stared at the man. He resembled Drake, except older. It had to be one of his brothers.
She felt safe in the cabin, but when she went back outside, she realized that the road led right to it. The cabin was literally the end of the trail. And if anyone was looking for her and using the trail, they'd end up right here.
She went back inside and looked around. She didn't want to leave a note if Drake stopped by looking for her, but she wanted him to know that she had been there.
The coffee maker on the counter gave her an idea. She searched through the cupboards until she found a shelf full of old coffee mugs. Way in the back, she found a teacup. With a sign of relief, she set it by the sink. No note, nothing that looked out of place, but if he had paid attention to their conversation, he would get the message.
She closed the door and scuffed her foot over the step to hide any footprints in the debris that she may have left. After turning around several times to try and figure out where to go, she decided to head off as if the trail kept going through the woods.
As an afterthought, she ran back into the cabin and dug in the bedroom closet to find a blanket. If she was going to get stuck in the woods overnight, she wanted to at least cuddle up and pull the blanket over her head while she slept on the ground. She didn't figure that Percy or his men would notice a blanket missing. She moved some of the other items in the closet to hide the spot where the blanket had been.
The woods started to get thicker again, but this time Joey wasn't in any hurry. She hoped that Percy's goons would give up when she wasn't at the cabin and head back down. They didn't seem motivated enough to get off their asses and hike, and the trees were much too dense to ride the horses back here. Besides, she was running out of mountain to climb.
She had lost track of which direction she was walking. After zigzagging around trees and larger boulders, she wasn't even sure she'd be able to find the cabin again. The only positive was that it didn't seem like anyone else had ever explored the section of wilderness she was in right now.
She just hoped that Drake didn't give up at the cabin.
Joey had started watching for a cave or deep crevasse that she could use for the night when she wandered onto another cabin. This was one half hidden by large boulders and was in much worse shape than the first one had been.
One corner of the roof had collapsed on one side, but not enough to present a danger. The door squeaked when she pushed it open, and she tested the floor before she stepped inside. It was much more solid than she expected.
