Rescue Mountain

By Rebecka Vigus

When Rusty Allen, an Iraqi War veteran suffering from PTSD, moves to the mountains to find peace and quiet, he becomes a suspect in a local kidnapping case. 

Now the police want to use Rusty’s tracking skills to help find the missing girl. Is Rusty innocent, or will this search and rescue mission be their last?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Window
• Release date: Apr 16, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386675921

Rebecka Vigus

Rebecka Vigus is a retired teacher doing what she loves best...spinning tales. She has been writing since she was ten or eleven. It has been a passion of hers. Now it is a dream. She currently lives in South Carolina but sees a return to Michigan in her future.

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RESCUE MOUNTAIN

Copyright © 2017 Rebecka Vigus

All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior written permission of the publisher.

This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Published by Open Window

an imprint of BHC Press

Library of Congress Control Number:

2017933236

Print edition ISBN numbers:

ISBN-13: 978-1-946006-60-8

ISBN-10: 1-946006-60-2

also available in trade softcover

Visit the author at:

www.bhcpress.com

Book design by

Blue Harvest Creative

www.blueharvestcreative.com

also by Rebecka Vigus

Macy McVannel Novels

Rivers Edge

Crossing the Line

Sanctuary

Other Novels

Out of the Flames

Secrets

Target of Vengeance

Short Stories

Broken Chains

The Heir

Escape (A Macy McVannel Story)

What the Storm Blew In

Non-Fiction

So You Think You Want to be a Mommy?

Poetry

Only a Start and Beyond

Children’s Books

Of Moonbeams and Fairies

Multi-Author Collections

In Creeps the Night

A Winter’s Romance

To those serving or who have served

in the military and suffer from PTSD

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1

Dripping with sweat, Rusty Allen awoke to discover the screams he heard were his own. Looking around to acclimate himself, he saw his mom and sister, Katie. What are they doing in fatigues? Closing his eyes and shaking his head, Rusty slowly comes to terms with the dream and reality. Damn PTSD! Would he ever be able to sleep peacefully again? It was the third night this week he woke his family with his screams.

In the morning, Rusty made a trip to see his doctor. After a long talk, they decided the meds were not working. Something different needed to happen. Unsure of his next step Rusty went home and cleaned out the shed. He set up a bed out there and spent the day working on his motorcycle. After dinner, he told his mom, it would be best if he slept in the shed at least for now so, everyone else could sleep.

Katie helped him carry bedding to the shed. While making the bed, she asked, Rusty, I don’t want to pry, but is this a good thing?

For now, yes, he answered. I can’t keep waking you and Mom up every night. Besides, I want to work on some of the wilderness stuff I studied before joining the Army. Maybe I can get back into survival training.

She smiled and kissed his cheek, Well, I hope it works. I’d like to see you happy again. She closed the door on her way out.

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Sleeping in the shed turned out to be a good idea, at least until the night Katie and her date woke Rusty from a troubled sleep. Not realizing who was in the yard, Rusty grabbed a tire iron off the work bench and came looming out of the shed. His six-foot frame, while lanky, seemed gigantic in the darkness, add his wild red hair and a monster appeared. Katie screamed and her boyfriend of the hour was so frightened he wet his pants.

His mom coming to find out what the commotion was, took in the scene and started laughing. Mortified, Katie ran for the house and her room, leaving her embarrassed boyfriend standing there wondering what kind of freak show he walked into. Then, he ran for the front of the house and his car.

Six months after coming home, Rusty found himself packing again. He loaded his Triumph into the back of his pickup truck, added his tool box, an axe, a first aid kit, his ruck sack, bed roll, and some food. In the truck, he put his rifle and some shells. He headed for Grandpa Allen’s hunting cabin.

The last time he’d been there was with his dad, the summer after graduation. Mostly they talked about fixing it up. His dad had been dead from a heart attack for eight years. Rusty came home for the funeral and promised his mom to send her money from every pay.

Now he was heading to the cabin not knowing what he might find. He hugged his mom and sister, both of whom cried and asked him to stay. Then he climbed into the truck, heading for the Blue Ridge Mountains.

2

Exhausted from a busy shift in the Urgent Care Center, Ally James trudged to the locker room. Dressed in scrubs the athletic young nurse let her mouse brown hair free of the clip which held it up for her shift. Grabbing her jacket and purse, she pulled her cell phone to check for messages. Two voice mails from her roommate reminded her they planned a girls’ night out.

Waving good-bye to the third shift staff, Ally headed to her Jeep Cherokee sitting in the parking lot.

She never made it to her car.

Distracted while making a phone call, Ally is unaware of someone approaching her from behind. She hears Lanie’s voice mail and begins to leave a message, Hey, I’m beat can we reschedule? Maybe tomorrow…

Something covers her mouth and nose. She struggles trying to fight the monster behind her. Although, five feet seven inches she is no threat to the person who has her capitve. Dropping her phone, as she loses consciousness.

He lifted her gently and carried her to his waiting pickup, laying her in the bed of the truck and covering her with some greasy tarps. Then he put up the tailgate and drove into the foothills to a place he scouted earlier. All he could think was, She’s mine. All mine and no one can take her from me. She’ll be mine forever. Once I take her to the house I built for us she will be happy and we will be together always.

3

It was dark when Rusty arrived at the cabin. The lights from the truck showed the door closed. He hoped there would be little damage to the inside. Grabbing a flashlight, his ruck sack, and bedroll he went inside.

The place seemed in good shape. It was dusty and filled with cobwebs. He could see no holes in the roof, so rain would not be an issue. It smelled damp and musty from disuse. He threw his belongings on the lower bunk in the bedroom and checked to see if the lights still worked. Surprised when they did, he checked the water and let it run for a while as he rooted around to find the coffee pot. Filling the pot with water, he set it to boil on the stove. He brought in the food supplies from the truck and put down old newspapers he found before bringing in the bike. Leaving it in the truck for the night didn’t seem wise.

Rusty settled in to sleep after a cup of coffee and a sandwich his mom made for him earlier. It was the most restful night he spent in a long time. No dreams, no unexpected noises, just peaceful sleep.

4

Ally woke wondering where she was and how she arrived here. The last thing she remembered, was walking to her car. Someone grabbing her from behind and pressing a cloth over her nose. Chloroform. Someone knocked her out. But who? She tried to see her surroundings. The place was dark, but not damp. Whatever windows had been there, were now boarded over.

Slowly her eyes acclimated to the darkness. Was it still night? How long had she been out? She moved her arms first. Her wrists bound with medical tape limited her movement. She might be able to break the tape with her teeth. Next, she tried to stretch her legs. Also, bound, but she could not tell with what. Her feet were bare. Bare feet would make it harder to escape. Not impossible, just harder.

She began chewing the tape on her arms while plotting an escape. Ally knew she would not stay here if she could get free, shoes or no shoes.

It took some time, but she freed her hands. She immediately began working on her feet. Ally had no idea how much time had passed. Pain shot through her abdomen, begging for release. She looked around hoping for a bucket. Instead she saw a second door. Using hands