Ten minutes later he turned and headed back down to the wrecked car. He’d not seen a single car pass by and his phone couldn’t catch a signal no matter where he stood along the road. Which was ridiculous because every cellular commercial promised nationwide service. Such bullshit.
He pulled the door open to find Emma sitting bundled in her coat, teeth chattering. “Any luck?”
“No.” He didn’t want to admit how badly he’d fucked up by trying to take that shortcut. He’d gotten impatient about her phone not being charged, but the blame for this fiasco lay squarely on his shoulders. The only good news was that the sleet had stopped. But low mean clouds gathered in the distance. “Let’s try to start the engine and charge your phone. Should have thought of that in the first place.”
He pressed the button that should start the car. Nothing but a click. He pumped the gas pedal as if that would help. Nothing.
Emma pulled her hands from her pockets, holding her phone. “While you were gone, I managed to get my phone on again and sent a message to Alexis. I think it sent. Just said we’d wrecked off Old Fox and we were okay. That was the best I could do before it shut down again. I’m sorry I didn’t charge it. We wouldn’t be in this situation if I had.”
Guilt sucker punched him. “No. This is my fault. I stubbornly insisted on taking this way.”
“What are we going to do?”
“We’re going to walk back to the highway and wait on someone to pass. It’s a back road, but people live out here. Someone will come by.”
No one came by.
It was like a movie. Two people stranded. Brutally cold weather. No one for miles. All they needed was an escaped serial killer.
“I can’t believe this shit,” Erik said, holding his phone up as they trudged back down the road in the direction from which they’d come. They’d waited for a car for a good thirty minutes before they decided to start walking. They’d only driven ten or twelve miles since they’d turned off the marked road. And the walking kept them somewhat warm. At least Emma’s teeth had stopped chattering.
“Look,” she said.
Erik had been moving his phone up and down, left and right, watching the left corner of his phone’s screen. If he could just get one freaking bar. For the love of Pete, one bar.
Ripping his attention away, he followed her pointed finger to a small reflector buried in the grass.
Erik shoved his useless cell phone into his coat pocket and jogged over to the reflective glass. “I’ll be damned. It’s an old driveway.”
3
EMMA WAS OFFICIALLY creeped out. The musty cabin hadn’t likely hosted occupants in years. “This is so strange. Feels like a B movie and any minute a guy with a chain saw will pop out at us.” She ran her gloved finger over the layer of dust on the small table.
“Already had that thought,” Erik said, pushing the door he’d kicked in closed. The gray skies looked threatening and she could smell the snow in the air. Temps had already dropped since they’d hiked to the cabin.
The place was rustic...if run-down was considered rustic. But at one point it must have been a nice getaway. A small frozen pond sat just beyond, at the edge of the thick woods. The cabin was a one-roomer with a small kitchenette, a fridge and an unmade double bed. Faded gingham curtains hung in the two small windows and the decor was decidedly eighties with a focus on fish.
Emma pulled open the fridge and then immediately closed it. It had been empty but smelled like death. “Ugh.”
Erik rifled through a few cabinets. “Here’s a flashlight that, uh, doesn’t work. And a box of crackers dated 2001 and a tin of Spam. Matches.” He shook the box.
Emma opened the only other door in the cabin and found a small bathroom with a toilet, sink and tiny shower. She twisted the faucet and water came out. “We have water,” she shouted back to Erik.
“And the stove is gas. Though it’s probably not hooked up any longer,” Erik said.
“At least there’s a fireplace.” She pointed toward the empty grate. She walked over to the wood box. “Oh, and they left wood in the bin.”
“I’ll check the flue and then start the fire,” he said, walking toward the fireplace.
“Does that mean we’re staying here tonight?” she asked, knowing the answer but dreading his confirmation. A storm gathered outside and they were ill prepared...and very much alone.