The Girl from Her Mirror (Mirrors Don't Lie Book 1) (9 page)

Hardin laughed. He had a great laugh,
deep and generous and from the soul. “That was pretty amazing. But then again,
so were some of the covered bridges.” He sent her a heated look.

She couldn’t help but blush. She knew
exactly which bridges he referred to. At the first bridge, he had stolen a
kiss. At the second, they bid their time until the other tourists had wandered
away, at which time there was no stealing required; Makenna gladly gave him the
kiss he sought. By the fifth and final bridge, his hands had become familiar
with the curve of her hip, the creamy satin of her long neck, the delicate skin
along the V-neck of her tee shirt. There were all sorts of wondrous discoveries
to be made in the darkened recess of an old covered bridge, and they had little
to do with historical architecture.

“So where’s this last waterfall you’re
taking me to?” she asked, artfully avoiding the subject.

“Sabbaday Falls, not too far ahead. It’s
a short walk back, but I hear it’s worth it.”

“I think we need to raid the picnic
basket again, see what’s left inside before we tackle another round. All this
hiking is making me hungry.”

“You, Kenzie Reese, are a true delight,”
Hardin announced, swinging her up against him as they reached the car.

“Wh-Why is that?” Makenna was left
breathless. It was a combination of the sudden move, the thrill of being held
close against his body, and the suffocating crush of guilt. She hated deceiving
him. 

“Most women would never admit they were
hungry. Half of them won’t even eat around a guy, which is totally ridiculous.
I like that you are so open and honest.”

Makenna dropped her eyes, unable to meet
his gaze. “Yeah, well, one look at me tells you that I definitely like to eat.
No sense pretending otherwise.”

“No sense in pretending at all.” He
brushed a kiss along her jaw, working his way toward her mouth. “And for the
record, I think you’re totally hot.”

She let him kiss her, until guilt
crowded its way between them. “We’d better get a move on,” she reminded him.

“What do you think I was trying to do?”
he grumbled, but he released her with a teasing grin and opened the car door.

Before reaching Sabbaday Falls, they
found another waterfall just down the road, this one with picnic facilities
near the water’s edge. After taking a dozen photos, Makenna joined him at the
picnic table to see what was left in the basket. “Half a club on wheat,” he
reported, pulling back the deli wrapper. “Plenty of crackers and cheese.”

“Any of that vegetable dip and carrot
sticks left?” Makenna asked hopefully.

“Mm, no carrots, but celery. And a full
slice of chocolate cake and half a bottle of wine.”

“Looks like we’re in business,” she
grinned, assembling the collapsible wine flutes. “That was a very well-stocked
picnic basket.”

“It should be, for the price I paid,” he
grumbled.

As they ate, Makenna casually browsed
through some of the many pictures she had taken on Kenzie’s fancy digital
camera. “I never knew New Hampshire was so beautiful,” she confessed. “I just
thought it was about political posturing, what with the primary and all. But
it’s so natural and raw up here, so rugged. I never knew.”

“A buddy of mine is from here
originally. That’s how I know what to check out.”

“I’ve taken some amazing shots, if I do
say so myself!”

“Nothing like a little modesty,” he
teased.

“It’s more what’s in front of the
camera, than the person behind it,” Makenna murmured, but her tone was
distracted. She chewed on her lower lip as she scrolled back through a few
pictures, an uneasy feeling settling in her stomach.

Hardin picked up on her caprice
instantly. He paused in the act of pouring their wine. “What’s wrong?” 

“Uhm, this guy. He’s in a lot of our
pictures.” She turned the camera so he could see the screen. “I don’t even
remember seeing him. Most of the places we stopped, we were the only ones
there. But when there were other people around, so was this guy. Every time.
Don’t you think that’s a little odd?”

Hardin shrugged his well sculptured
shoulders. “Maybe he’s using the same guide map we’re using. It could happen.”

Makenna zoomed in on the face in the viewfinder,
trying to make out his features. The overall shape of his bald head looked
vaguely familiar, but she honestly couldn’t say she had noticed him among the
other tourists. “It’s funny I didn’t notice him at any of those places. Even in
the pictures, it’s almost like he’s hiding in the background. He’s always
standing on the fringes.”

“Well, you weren’t focusing on him,
after all.”

“I don’t mean fringes of the shot, I mean
fringes of the scenery. How can he even see the waterfall, standing way over
there?”

“I remember seeing him get out of his
car when we were at one of the Cascades, the one with the snow still around the
edges. I noticed the sun glinted off his car door and, just for a second,
caused a really cool green prism. I was going to point it out to you, but it
was gone as soon as he shut the door.”

Something caught in Makenna’s throat;
she thought it was probably her heart. “Did - Did you say he was driving a green
car?” she whispered. 

“Yeah, a dark green Malibu. Hey, what’s
wrong? You’re as pale as a ghost.”

“I-I …” She stopped to gather her
thoughts, her breath coming in fast, short spurts. “I didn’t tell you about
what happened on my way up here, did I?”

“Since I have no idea what you’re
talking about, I guess not.”

After she relayed the story of the green
sedan trying to run her off the road, Hardin cursed angrily beneath his breath.
She saw something dark and fierce blaze through his eyes, something almost
frightening in its intensity. It occurred to her that Hardin Kaczmarek was not
a man to be crossed; and this, the man she had lied to repeatedly about her own
identity.

“Why didn’t you tell me about this
before?” he demanded. “Like when we were being run off the road by the gray
car! Did you go to the police?”

“And what would I tell the police?”
That
I wasn’t who I claimed to be?
“I didn’t get the license plate number or the
make of the car. All I know, it was green and I think maybe a Chevy. And I
didn’t mention it to you because it was over and done with.”

“Or maybe not,” he muttered, gazing out
toward the highway. “That might explain what happened this morning.”

“I don’t see how. I can’t imagine the
connection. I have no idea why the green car developed road rage, but obviously
we were going too slow to suit the gray car. I guess drivers in New England are
less tolerant than in Texas.”

“But the green car, showing up here
today, going to the same places we’re going?”

“If it was even the same green car,” she
pointed out. “Look, you said yourself that the odds of meeting up with the same
people were greater because of the small area and the whole tourist thing. Just
like the Lewises, being on our flight and staying in the same town. Just like
you and me, for that matter.” She was trying to convince herself as much as
trying to convince him; she badly needed the reassurance.

Hardin hesitated for a moment longer,
still obviously on edge. He finally blew out a breath and relaxed. “Yeah,
you’re right. I’m sure it’s just coincidence. It’s probably not even the same
green car. And it’s not like he approached you or anything. Let’s just put it
behind us for now, and enjoy the rest of the afternoon.”

Half an hour later, they were trekking
the dirt path running alongside another stream. The warmth of the afternoon sun
was partially blocked beneath the canopy of trees, and the air was cooler so
near the water. The further into the woods they went, the more the light and
the temperature faded.

“Oh, wow, look at this. This is
gorgeous!” Makenna called over the roar of rushing water as they approached
Sabbaday Falls. The stream itself was a masterpiece, with boulders and huge
rocks creating multiple mini-falls for the tumbling water as it rushed down the
mountainside.

“Come on, let’s get closer.” He held her
hand to keep her steady as they stepped onto one of the huge slabs of granite
close to the water.

“I’m not sure we’re supposed to be down
here,” Makenna murmured as she carefully maneuvered the rock, slick with water
and occasional patches of ice. “The path goes that way.”

“Haven’t you ever heard to take the path
less traveled?” he challenged with a wicked grin.

“Not sure they were referring to frozen
rocks in the middle of a waterfall,” she muttered, almost losing her footing.

“Steady, there. And remember, this is a
three-tier waterfall. This is only the lower level. The main attraction is up
there still. We’re just getting a closer view of the bottom.”

Makenna forgot all about forbidden paths
as she found a solid foothold and stopped to examine her surroundings. “Look!”
Makenna cried excitedly, pointing to the wall of rock on the far side of the
stream. “Is that ice? It is! The water froze in place, falling over the ledge!”

“Pretty cool, huh?”

“Pretty cold, you mean!” she quipped,
snapping away on her camera. “It’s amazing that it’s late April, and water is
still frozen as it flows.”

“From one Texan to another, I totally
agree. Nothing we ever see back home, huh?”

After several minutes, they made their
way across the rocks and backtracked toward the intended path which climbed
alongside the water’s edge. A log rail edged the rocky drop-off and designated
steps were carved into the slabs of stone, providing safer viewing.

Taking the lead, Hardin led the climb
toward the first bridge over-look. “Watch your step. There’s lots of ice here.”

“That’s probably why there’s orange
caution netting,” Makenna pointed out. “To keep us from going any further.”

“Probably so,” he agreed, stepping over
the tape and ice and proceeding on.

Makenna eagerly followed, but held on to
the rail for safety. They were at the second fall, where the water surged from
the side of the rock wall, white and foamy and loud. She wasn’t about to turn
back now.

“You’ve got to see this!” Hardin called
over his shoulder excitedly. The stream took a sharp left and water cascaded
from ledges above, swirled into a rocky pool, then fell 40 feet in a riot of
sound and spray and pure exhilaration. Once she caught her breath, Makenna
snapped into action, taking a dozen pictures of the magnificent sight. She
wished she could capture the sound of the water crashing against the rocks and
the feel of the air, all frosty and tipped with shards of splashing
water.    

“Absolutely gorgeous,” Makenna breathed.

They stood on the railed bridge, gazing
into the rocky gorge and marveling at the force of nature that, through the
years, had eaten its way through layers of solid stone and found its path to
freedom. From their vantage point, they could see not only the three tiers of
the waterfall, but for a good distance downstream. Fascinated, they watched as
the water fell hard and straight, swirled, then tumbled and tossed, churning
white and foamy, before settling into a smoother flow as it made its way down
downstream.

“There’s a bench up there, if you’d like
to sit for a while.” Hardin pointed out the bench nestled beneath the trees,
farther up where the terrain was smoother. “It’s farther away from the water,
so you won’t get wet. Should be warmer there, too.”

Wiping away the fine sheen of water from
her cheeks, Makenna grinned. “It sure has a far reach, doesn’t it?” She started
to turn away when something downstream caught her eye, a quick flash of
sunlight glinting off metal. She couldn’t see anyone, but she knew someone was
coming up the trail. She felt a sudden unease creep across her skin.

“Hardin,” she said. Her voice was too
low for him to hear over the roar of tumbling water. She tugged on his arm.
“Hardin!”

He turned around, immediately seeing the
alarm on her face. “What is it?” he asked, bringing his head down close to
hers.

“I-I’m not sure.” She tugged on his arm,
pulling him further away from the rail, and further into the shadows of
overhead trees. “Someone’s coming.”

“So? It’s a public trail,” he reminded
her.

“I have this funny feeling…” She raised
her camera and adjusted the zoom so that she could get a better view of the tree-studded
path below. She saw a bird, and a million pine needles, and patches of dirt
trail. And then, just for a second, another flash through the trees. She zeroed
in on the area and tried to detect movement. A few seconds later, she was
rewarded with a clear view of a now-familiar bald head.

“It’s him, Hardin. It’s the man who’s
been following us, the one in the green car!”

“Calm down,” he said smoothly, but she
could feel the tension in his body. Even without taking her eyes off the trail,
she knew Hardin was scanning the area around them, looking for their best
escape route. “It could be perfectly innocent.”

“Then why is he looking through a pair
of binoculars?” she squeaked, realizing it was the lens that was reflecting the
sunlight, not metal.

“Do you think he spotted us?”

“Not yet. So far he’s looking below us.”

“Crouch down, behind this railing,” he
directed. He was suddenly all business, his voice brusque. “Inch your way over
and behind that boulder.”

“What do we do? He knows we’re here.”

“But we’re not alone. I saw another car
and a couple of bikes in the parking area. There’s a hiking trail that runs
further back into the woods, so apparently there are more people around
somewhere.”

“But they might be a mile from here!
How’s that going to help us?”

“For all we know, the binoculars are for
bird watching.” Even to his own ears, the words didn’t sound very convincing.
“Do you still see him?”

“No. Yes, but I won’t be able to for
long. He’s nearing a bend and I’ll lose sight of him when he makes the next
curve.”

“Good. If we can’t see him, then he
can’t see us. We’re going up toward the bench. But instead of catching the
trail back down, we’re going past it, into that tree line. Remember how the
trail leads alongside a high embankment?”

She nodded, keeping the camera focused
on the man coming closer toward them. “Yes, I kept looking up into the woods,
wondering if we’d see another moose.”

“We’ll make our way back across the
higher ground, instead of the trail.”

“What if it’s private land?” she
worried.

He didn’t bother with a comment. “Tell
me when he gets to the bend. That’s when we’ll make our move.”

“He should be about there. No, wait,
there he is.” She zoomed in again and gasped. “Oh my god, Hardin, that’s not
binoculars, it’s a scope! He has a gun!”

Hardin cursed. “We’ve got to get out of
here. Keep low as you can, but get over to that bench and crouch behind it. The
hiking trail leads right past the bench, so we’ve got to make sure he takes the
path up here, and not the trail. I’ll be right behind you. Go!”

With her heart thudding in her chest,
Makenna bent low and did as Hardin instructed. The camera swung wildly from
around her neck, until she finally held it against her chest as she made her
way deeper into nature, opposite the direction of their car. It was difficult
to climb uphill while crouched over, and her calves were screaming in protest
by the time she was able to stop behind the bench and rest.

Just before reaching the bench, Hardin
slipped away, keeping behind the cover of trees until he could see the hiking
trail. When he saw no sign of the bald man, he motioned for Makenna to move
further to her left, into the deeper cover of the forest. Using hand signals,
he told her to stay low and motioned for her to take off her bright green jacket.
She made fast work of stripping it off, turning it inside out to reveal the
reversible black underside, then slipping it back on, all while moving forward
in a stealthy duck walk. He gave her a thumbs up before turning his attention
back toward the trail. When he was satisfied that the man had taken the steps
alongside the water’s edge, Hardin hurried across the opening and into the
woods behind Makenna.

He caught up with her in no time. “So
far, so good,” he reported in a loud whisper.

“I can’t keep crouched over like this
too much longer. I’ve got to stretch.”

“Go a little further before you do. And
deeper into the woods. Left around that big root.”

“But what if we get lost?”

“As long as we can hear the water, we
won’t get lost,” he continued in a low voice. “But I can still see the trail
below, so he could still see us.”

Makenna moved left, deeper into the
woods. She straightened a little with every step, until finally she was in a
full upright position. “My back and legs are killing me,” she whispered, flexing
her back muscles but moving ahead. 

“Sorry, but we don’t want to be seen.
You keep walking, try to stay down when you can, and try not to make any more
noise than possible.”

“Where are you going? You can’t leave me
here!” She said in a panicked voice, forgetting to whisper.

“Shh! I’m going to ease over to the
edge, see if I can see anything. Keep walking, keep low, and keep quiet.” He
sounded more like a drill sergeant than her charming companion, but his
no-nonsense attitude was strangely reassuring.

Makenna kept moving through the woods,
careful not to step on fallen branches or snapping vines. She tried to move
parallel with the edge of the drop-off overlooking the trail, always keeping it
within sight on her right, but at one point she was forced to veer left around
a cluster of trees. As she moved left, the trail below made a deep right curve,
and she found herself momentarily lost. She backtracked and hunched low as she
went around the trees, this time to the right. After that, she paused occasionally
to make sure that was the sound of water she heard, and not just the blood
rushing through her veins.

At last, Hardin caught up with her. He
came through the woods at a quick pace, almost a sprint.

“We’re nearly back to the road. When we
get close, don’t worry about being quiet,” he told her, his breathing already a
bit labored. “When I say, just start running. Run as fast as you can to the
car. You ready?”

She wasn’t, but she had little choice,
so she merely nodded. He crowded near her, encouraging her to quicken her pace
as the terrain sloped back down. When the sound of passing vehicles could be
heard, he said, “Okay, now! Run!”

Tree branches and saplings slapped and
scraped against their arms as they ran through the edge of the woods. Makenna stepped
on a brier and felt it snag her pants leg, threatening to tumble her to the
ground. She snatched it away with her hand, ripping her palm in the process.
“Go, go, go!” Hardin encouraged her, sensing her struggle.

There was one last drop, this one rather
steep, and they would be at the roadside. Afraid she might stumble, Makenna
chose to slide down on her bottom. She hit the ground running when her feet
touched level ground.

They came out of the woods several yards
from where they parked. “Is that the green car?” Hardin confirmed, as they ran
toward the parking area.

“Yes!” 

“Get behind the wheel!” Hardin said,
tossing her the keys. She bobbled them once, twice, before securing them in her
grasp. “Back out and be headed toward town.”

“Where are you going?” He ran past the
convertible, to the green sedan parked on the other side.

“Just start the car and be pulling out.
Keep the doors unlocked for me.”

She wanted to protest, but there wasn’t
time. Her hands shook as she unlocked the door and jumped behind the wheel. She
was thankful they had put the top up to secure their belongings; it made her
feel marginally safer as she started the motor and put it in reverse.

She backed the car out and idled near
the side of the road, waiting there for Hardin as he asked. She could see him
in the rearview mirror, stabbing all four tires of the green sedan with the
long blade of a knife. She briefly wondered how he had gotten the knife on the
plane, but when she got a glimpse of the bald headed man, she forgot all about
the knife. He was running up the trail, almost out of the forest and back to
the parking area.

“Hurry, Hardin!” she screamed through
the window. She didn’t know if he heard her, but he stabbed the back tire a
final time, jerked his knife from the deflating rubber, and ran her direction.
Even as he opened the door, he was urging her, “Go, go, go! Drive!”