Chapter 32: Snow Job

Wednesday morning the snow continued falling heavily and Jordan stared out his bedroom window and sighed. "I've never cancelled a trip up north, but I wonder if we should stay home today."

Angel yawned and stretched, "I vote yes." She was cozy and warm in the bed and didn't want to move.

But as usual, Jordan's sense of duty would not allow him to shirk his responsibilities. He knew people were counting on him as their doctor and he couldn't bring himself to let them down. He smiled over at Angel and then jumped onto the bed next to her. "You can stay here if you want, but I better go."

She didn't like the idea of staying home alone without him. "No, I'll go with you."

As they both stood in the bathroom getting ready to leave, Jordan looked at Angel in the mirror and put his arms around her, "I love you," he whispered in her ear.

Angel had always been reluctant to admit her love for anyone, especially after all she had been through, but with Jordan it was becoming so much easier, "I love you too," she said quietly.

"I wish you would marry me," he sighed, and he pulled her close and connected his lips with hers.

Angel thought of their night of passion and wished they could both just climb back in bed and stay under the covers indefinitely. He held her for awhile and rested his chin on top of her head. He wasn't anxious to leave, but he knew they better get going.

The day turned into a big disaster, because it was the heaviest snowfall in ages. Jordan and Angel managed to arrive at their first destination, even though they were an hour late. After seeing a few patients, they then left for their next destination. The snowfall was extremely heavy and Jordan soon realized there was no way they would make it to the next town. He phoned ahead using his cell phone and told them he wasn't going to be there. He felt a pang of regret because he seldom missed any of his appointments.

The storm was in full swing as they headed back the way they had come. It was impossible for Jordan to see more than a few yards in front of his face. The only vehicle they passed for a long time was another truck headed north in the direction they were leaving. Jordan knew of a nearby cabin he had used before for refuge, but in this much snow he couldn't be certain how to find it. He eventually turned off the road on what he thought was the right path, but unfortunately he arrived at a completely different cabin than he intended. He wasn't sure where he was, all he knew was the he couldn't drive any longer. Not until the storm passed.

Angel was tense and worried as they crawled along at a snail's pace with Jordan's truck in four-wheel-drive and chains on his wheels for traction. She gripped his arm with all her might and willed herself not to panic. Jordan kept reassuring her that everything would work out fine. When he finally managed to get parked in front of the cabin, he knew they would have to break in and stay warm while they waited out the storm. He would make restitution to the owner for any damages. After they waited out the storm they would go home and forget this day ever happened.

Angel was happy she was wearing the heavy parka Jordan had purchased for her the day before. She was warm and protected by the coat. They managed to find the door and Jordan frantically dug away the snow from the front door as it continued to whip around them both. Finally he managed to jimmy the lock and once inside he pushed the door shut and bolted it. He was relieved to discover that whoever owned the cabin kept a large stockpile of wood waiting next to the wood burning stove. He immediately set about lighting a fire in the wood burning stove to keep them warm. After the fire was going, they huddled together on the couch, watching the fire and waiting for the heat to fill the small cabin.

Rico had checked out of the Hanover Motel at 6 a.m. on Wednesday morning. Part of him was hoping Jordan and Angel wouldn't attempt their Wednesday trip up north. He hated the winter. He watched from a safe distance as they came out of Jordan's house around 8 a.m. and got in Jordan's truck. He had been hoping Jordan would go alone and leave Angel there. That would have made his job so much easier.

But Rico was determined to get the job done. He had been in Argus Falls long enough and this storm would make a perfect cover for him. He hoped this would be his last job for Ethan Parks, it was just a matter of getting his hands on Angel.

Rico followed them at a very safe distance. He had plenty of practice stalking and following people. The storm was unusually awful however and Rico began to get doubts about catching up with them and pulling this off. For about two hours Rico thought he had lost track of Jordan and Angel, but was pleasantly surprised Jordan's truck passed him as it headed back the same way they had all come. Rico realized he his luck was changing and when he was a safe distance away, he flipped his own truck around and followed them back through the blinding snow. He was close enough that he could trace their heavy tracks leading down the small road to the secluded cabin. Fate was on Rico's side and this was his chance.

Rico quickly surveyed the cabin and realized there was a small shed on the side that housed a snowmobile. The first thing he did was to quickly disable the snowmobile and then he used his tools to quickly open Jordan's truck. The snow whipped around him as he opened Jordan's truck door and then grabbed the lever to pop the hood of Jordan's truck. He worked quickly in the blinding snow to disable the truck, taking most of the spark plugs. That took a lot of effort, and Rico cursed under his breath as he froze and disabled Jordan's truck. Ethan wanted him to leave Jordan alive, but Rico didn't care about that at the moment. All he wanted was to get out of this awful snow.

Rico knew if he wasted much more time he would be snowed in and that wouldn't work well for him. He knew he had to act fast. He grabbed a large oblong board near side of the cabin and then made a crashing entrance into the cabin. One kick near the door busted the bolt out of the dry wood and the door opened easily.

Jordan turned around just in time to see a dark figure approaching him with purpose. He had been sitting on the couch with Angel relaxing and kissing her and he hadn't been expecting company. Jordan stood up quickly, but Rico swung the board like a baseball bat against Jordan's head and watched him tumble to the ground. Rico's unidentified dark figure was the last thing Jordan saw before he crumpled onto the floor, disoriented.

Angel screamed in horror and wanted to run away, but she was frozen. Rico flashed his yellow teeth at her, "Get your coat on bitch!"

Angel knew if she only had a gun she would use it, but she was unarmed and scrambling. This couldn't be happening.

Rico spat on Jordan, "Fucking wonder boy!" He laughed and then he beat the block of wood against Jordan's arms and head, knocking him into oblivion. He grinned as he watched the blood trickle out of the side of Jordan's head and he hoped Jordan died, but he wouldn't kill him outright because of what Ethan said, he would simply hope for the best. Rico searched through Jordan's possessions until he found his cell phone and then he smashed it pieces with his heavy boot.

All of this was happening in less than 5 minutes and Angel wanted to fight back, but all she did was back away hysterically and scream. As Rico approached her she could smell his putrid breath, "You have no idea how long I've waited for this you cunt," Rico hissed.

Angel turned away and began to struggle, but Rico grabbed her and laughed, "You fucking try running, it will only be worse for you darling."

Angel crumpled onto the floor in hysterics and Rico grabbed her and threw her coat around her, "Put your fuckin' coat on and say goodbye to lover boy," he laughed wickedly, "You'll never see him again," he called as he yanked her out of the cabin, leaving the door wide open in the hopes that if Jordan's injuries didn't kill him the bitter cold would. They could barely see anything as Rico shoved Angel toward his truck and inside the cab. He quickly bound her wrists and ankles with duct tape. He knew her history and he knew he better secure her well or else she would do something stupid and try to escape. "I finally you got where I want you, you little whore." Rico found great amusement in the fear in her eyes.

Rico pulled away from the cabin and onto the road. He also had chains on his tires and he headed the way he had mapped out, up toward Canada. He would be damned if Ethan got his whore back without paying a hefty sum, and he had already reasoned that if Ethan didn't pay him for her, then he would either just keep her or kill her. He would use the cash to go live in sunny Mexico. It was time for him to get away from Ethan. "Sit tight bitch," Rico laughed as he drove through the blinding snow. "I have lots of surprises in store for you."