Chapter 46

On the way back to the SUV, I tell Gun, “The back roads are filled with Mennonites. Head straight for the highway. Drive as fast as you can until you see the first sign for highway 29. Then, slow to the speed limit. We will need to turn left off the highway in Charlie Lake.”

We get to the vehicle, and I jump in the back. Jane and Grace are in the middle seat, so I hop to the back seat. I don’t bother to hide my rifle, throwing it into the trunk area. Turning to face the front, I see Grace for the first time. I have never seen anybody so malnourished. She needs to eat.

I had packed a snack for her, but it won’t due. She has been starved, and anything acidic, basic or heavy will make her throw up. I ask Jane, “How bad is she?”

“Aside from some abrasions, bruising, and the obvious malnutrition, she isn’t that bad. I was expecting the abuse to be a lot worse.”

Jane holds Grace, but she still looks terrified. I open a bottle of water and hand it to Grace. She takes it and holds it as if her life depends on it. Any other time, I would laugh. As she tries to drink, she spills more than she gets in her mouth. Gun is driving fast, and the SUV is bouncing around. It doesn’t stop Grace from trying.

Given how dark it is, it is difficult to see anything, which is why I only now notice that Grace is wearing a potato sack and nothing else. I take off my jacket and give it to Jane to put on her.

Rummaging around, I find the bag of food I had packed. Unwrapping a sandwich, I remove the meat, pickle and tomato, then hand it forward. Grace snatches it out of my hand and starts wolfing it down. I have to warn her, “Slow down, or you will throw it up. Small bites and chew it.” She slows down but still doesn’t chew it sufficiently.

We turn onto the highway, so it is a lot easier for Grace to eat and drink. The vehicle isn’t jumping around as much.

“Grace, Honey, it’s Trent. You don’t have to be scared anymore. You’re safe.”

She turns and looks at me but doesn’t say anything. I’m not even sure she recognizes me.

At the speed we are travelling, it doesn’t take long before Gun slows down. I tell him, “Take the second left after Tompkins and keep going straight until you get to a T then take a right.”

I feel helpless as I sit and watch Jane hold Grace.

The vehicle comes to a stop, and Gun announces, “We are here.”

“You ladies stay in the car. Gun and I are just disposing of the weapons.”

I hand out the MP5s and exit the Suburban with my 22 in hand. We are on the lakeshore of Charlie Lake, where there are no houses, and there is a path packed from the SUV to the water. It is the perfect place to access the lake without leaving footprints in the snow. It is still below freezing, but there have been enough warm days that the lake has started to thaw. It is still a good 30 feet from shore that the ice ends.

I grab my rifle by the silencer and spin like I am throwing a discus at the Olympics. Letting go, the rifle sails through the air and splashes in the water. I comment, “Be sure you throw them far enough. The ice isn’t strong enough to support a person.”

I start to head back to the SUV when I hear a smashing sound. I turn back to see that there is a chunk of ice missing, where the MP5 landed. Not wanting there to be a problem, I tell Gun, “Hand me the other one. I’ll throw it.”

I throw it, and we head back to the vehicle. I climb into the SUV and take the front passenger seat. Gun gets in the driver’s side.

“Back the way we came. When we get to the highway, cross it and take the road to Hudson’s Hope. We’ll stop in Chetwyn for fuel and snacks.”

“Yes, Boss.”

Turning back, I tell Jane, “If she wants more, give her another sandwich, but no tomato, pickle or meat. We don’t want her to get sick. There is also another bottle of water. When we stop in Chetwyn, take her to the bathroom and clean her up. It would be nice if you lent her some clothes. I know they will be too big, but it is all we have.”

“I’ll find her something. The poor girl doesn’t even understand that her troubles are over.”

After we crossed the highway, Gun asks, “Just curious, but how will they think she is dead if there is a man’s body in her place?”

“Didn’t you notice the smoke? They lit the basement on fire, and the barn is burning as we speak. Unless one of the Mennonites that sees the burnt remains knows the difference between a male and female skull, nobody will ever know.”

“Ok, what is the difference between a male and a female skull?”

“A man’s skull is bigger, thicker, rounder and almost anywhere that there is a bump or ridge it is more pronounced. The brain cavity is also typically 10% larger.”

“You hear that, Jane. My brain is bigger than yours. I told you I was smarter.”

“The added size obviously doesn’t help. That comment has earned you an ass-kicking,” Jane retorts.

Grace flinches, so Jane says, “No more jocularity. We just scared Grace.”

I want nothing more than to be in the back with Grace, but she is confused, and being back there with her has the potential of doing more harm than good. I need her to recognize me first. It pains me to have to sit in the front. As a result, I’m wide awake all the way to Chetwyn.

We finally arrive in Chetwyn and stop for gas. The girls head for the washroom while Gun fills the tank, and I get snacks. I’m the first one done, so I take my seat behind the wheel and wait for everybody. When the girls get back, Grace is in a much better mood. She looks a lot better too, wearing oversized jogging pants and a t-shirt almost big enough to be a nighty. She still doesn’t say anything, and she needs help to get in the big vehicle, but her feeling better makes me feel better.

It’s almost 4 am when we get to Prince George, where I let Gun retake the wheel. I quickly fall asleep but am woken up as we go through the McDonald’s drive-through in William’s Lake.

After ordering our food, Grace says her first word since being rescued, “McDonald’s.” She is happy to be here.

“That’s right. You and I used to go to McDonald’s all the time.”

Neither one of us had any money, and it was the cheapest place in town. It was also only three blocks away from where Grace lived with her mom. Unfortunately, I’m still hesitant to let her have much in the way of solid food, so we didn’t order her any. Before we get to the pickup window, I pull out a half litre of chocolate milk from the bag of snacks I bought in Chetwynd and hand it to her.

“Your stomach can’t handle this food, so for now, this is all you get.”

She saddens, hearing that she isn’t going to eat, but there is nothing I can do about it. As we continue on our way, I keep looking back at her. Seeing her pout breaks my heart, so I do something I probably shouldn’t. I rip my last hash brown in half and give her half. Her face lights up, and she smiles. In a hushed meek voice, she even says, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

The rest of the ride, nobody sleeps. It isn’t that we aren’t tired, because we are. Grace is scared yet excited about everything. She slowly warms up to us.

We decide to stop for lunch at Dairy Queen in Hope. Only, instead of the drive-through, we go inside. Jane takes Grace to the bathroom while Gun and I order. When they come out, I have a soft cone waiting for Grace. I tell her, “If you are a good girl and eat this slowly, Jane will share her fries with you. But, you have to eat it slowly.”

She slides into the booth sitting across from me and takes the cone. I notice her hands are shaking. I was going to suggest we walk along the river, but I want to check her for injuries myself, so I hold off on the suggestion. On the way to the SUV, I ask Jane, “Would you mind sitting in the very back. I saw some things in the restaurant, and I want to examine Grace.”

Seeing Jane head for the back bench, Grace tries to follow.

“No, Grace. Your seat is this one,” I say, trying to get her on the centre bench.

When Jane says, “No,” and points to Grace’s seat, she pouts but sits on the centre bench then slides over to the far side. I get in after her.

I reach out but don’t touch her. Instead, I ask, “Can I see your arm?”

She looks at Jane, who nods in agreement before she lets me touch her. I explain, “This might hurt, but I have to check, ok.” Again she looks at Jane for confirmation, then mimics Jane’s nod to give me permission.

I start examining the small bones in her hand, many of which have been broken and not set right. I feel along the bones in her right arm. I barely start working my way up her arm, and she screams in pain. Her radius is broken, and it isn’t setting. I continue up, and she flinches, but this time, she doesn’t scream. Her humerus has been broke and set wrong. Not enough to cause a noticeable disfiguration but enough for it to be uncomfortable.

Jane looks at me in horror, saying, “I did check her when we got her in the car. She wasn’t screaming or flinching, and I didn’t feel anything, honest.”

“It’s understandable. Grace was scared and filled with all kinds of drugs the body produces, which act as painkillers. Her body has come off the high and is feeling things again.”

Gun asks, “What are we going to do.”

“We have two options. Go to the childrens hospital in Vancouver. If we do that, then there was no point in faking her death. The RCMP would be informed, and her life would be at risk again, so I vote no on that one.

“The other option is to wait until we are in Victoria. We’ll get Dr. Willson, the guy who operated on Carol, to operate. We’ll see about getting Dr. Nowak to give her a full checkup. All this has to be done under the table because it isn’t quite legal.”

As we talk, I continued to check her over. Her legs are fine, but there are issues with her sternum and ribs. It looks like our original estimate of her condition was missing some details.

Gus slows down and explains, “There is no way that we will catch the 1400 ferry. We might as well slow down and try to make her as comfortable as possible.”

“Damn, that puts us home at 6:30 pm. Next exit, find a gas station so I can phone home to make sure the help she needs is waiting for her.”

Hearing me angry, Grace cowers as if she had done something wrong.

“Honey, you have no reason to be afraid. I’m not mad at you, and I’m sorry that I hurt you. We are going to find a way to fix you up, so you don’t hurt anymore.”

Upon hearing me, she almost relaxes a little.

We stop off at Chilliwack and find a gas station with a payphone. I phone our office, and Moira answers, even though it should be Beth on shift.

“Good day, Brown’s Holdings. Moira speaking. How can I help you?”

“Don’t tell anybody, but we will be home by 6:30.”

“Really!!! I thought you would be gone all of spring break.”

“We have Grace, but she is hurt, and we can’t take her to the hospital, or they will call the cops. You and Beth call around and get Doctors Willson and Nowak to meet us at our Langford Lakehouse #3. If they won’t come, offer them five grand. If they still won’t come, offer them ten.”

“How bad is it?”

“I don’t think there is anything life-threatening, but she has a lot of broken bones that either aren’t healing or have healed wrong. We need Dr. Nowak to do a full physical, including tests for STDs. Grace is also severely malnourished, so we need him to help us figure out how to get her back on a healthy diet. As for Dr. Willson, I think it is obvious. Make sure both doctors know what to expect and not to tell anybody.”

“Beth and I will get right on it.”

“Thanks.”