Silent Neighbor (Sheila Stone #9)

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

Sheila watched helplessly as the man dragged Jessica out of view, her heart pounding in her chest. The sudden silence that fell over the cliff face was deafening, broken only by the whisper of the wind and the distant cry of a hawk.

She glanced around, searching for any sign of Finn, but her partner was nowhere to be seen. Had he found another way up? Or had he run into trouble of his own? Sheila pushed the worrying thoughts aside.

She couldn't wait for someone else to step in and make the decision. She had to act.

Taking a deep breath, Sheila made her decision. She would have to climb.

She approached the base of the cliff, her eyes tracing possible routes upward. The rock face was daunting, a vertical maze of cracks, ledges, and smooth surfaces. Sheila had basic climbing training, but this was far beyond anything she'd ever attempted.

"No choice," she muttered to herself, reaching for the first handhold. "Here goes nothing."

Sheila began to climb, her movements slow and deliberate. The rough stone bit into her palms, and her muscles quickly began to protest the unfamiliar exertion.

As she ascended, Sheila made the mistake of glancing down. Vertigo hit her like a physical blow, the ground seeming to spin beneath her. She pressed herself against the rock, closing her eyes and taking deep, steadying breaths.

If I fall now, she thought, I could end up in a wheelchair. Like Natalie.

The thought of her sister sent a pang through Sheila's heart. Natalie had faced her own challenges with such bravery, refusing to let her injury define her. Even in her darkest moments, she had shown incredible strength.

"I have that same courage," Sheila whispered to herself, opening her eyes. "I can do this. I have to do this."

With renewed determination, Sheila continued her ascent. The ache in her muscles intensified, but she pushed through the pain, focusing on each movement, each small progress upward.

As she neared what she estimated to be the halfway point, Sheila encountered a particularly challenging section. The handholds became scarce, the rock face smoother and more treacherous. She paused, assessing her options.

To her left, about six feet away, was a sturdy-looking ledge. It would provide a much-needed rest and a safer route upward. But reaching it would require a leap of faith—literally. The gap was wide, and a miss would mean a devastating—and probably fatal—fall.

Sheila considered her options. She could try to find another way up, perhaps backtrack and look for an easier route. But that would mean losing precious time, time that Jessica might not have. Besides, her muscles were already tired and could only take so much punishment.

The alternative was to take the risk. To trust in her own abilities and make the jump.

Sheila closed her eyes, drawing in a deep breath. She thought of Jessica, terrified and alone with a killer. She thought of Natalie, who had so often leapt into the unknown in her own life with such courage. She thought of all the people counting on her, all the lives that hung in the balance.

This was what she did—no, it was who she was. And she couldn't run from danger now.

Sheila began to swing her body, building momentum. Her heart raced, adrenaline flooding her system. Every instinct screamed at her to stop, to play it safe. But she pushed past the fear, focusing on the ledge, visualizing her landing.

"Now or never," she whispered.

With a final swing, Sheila launched herself toward the ledge. For a heart-stopping moment, she was airborne, suspended between solid rock and empty space. Time seemed to slow, each second stretching into eternity.

Then her hands slammed into the ledge, fingers scrabbling for purchase on the rough stone. For a terrifying instant, she thought she might slip, her legs dangling in open air. But with a surge of strength born of desperation, Sheila pulled herself up, rolling onto the relative safety of the ledge.

She lay there for a moment, gasping for breath, her heart pounding so hard she thought it might burst from her chest. But she had made it. Against all odds, she had made the jump.

As the rush of adrenaline began to subside, Sheila pushed herself to her feet. She was closer now to where she had last seen Jessica and the killer.

Close enough, she hoped, to make a difference.

***

Jessica's heart pounded in her chest as she walked through the dimly lit cave.

Think, think, think! she told herself.

Raven—that was how he referred to himself—loomed behind her, his breath audible in the confined space. Her hands, bound tightly with coarse rope, ached from the strain, but she forced herself to remain calm. The weight of the gun, hidden in her chalk bag, pressed against her hip—a secret advantage she desperately hoped to use.

Raven's voice echoed off the cave walls as he continued his deranged monologue. "You see, Jessica, people like you are a cancer on the wilderness. You come here seeking thrills, treating these sacred spaces like your personal playground. You have no respect for the true power of nature."

Jessica barely registered his words, her focus entirely on her surroundings and the desperate search for an opportunity. She knew that her life hung by a thread, that Raven intended to kill her. It wasn't a question of if, but when and how. She just needed one moment, one distraction, to reach for the gun and turn the tables.

The cave walls narrowed, forcing them to walk single file. Jessica's eyes darted around, taking in every detail of her surroundings. Stalactites hung from the ceiling like nature's daggers, while stalagmites rose from the floor, creating a treacherous obstacle course. Water dripped somewhere in the distance, a steady rhythm that seemed to count down the seconds of her life.

She knew that Raven intended to kill her. The only questions were how and when. Would he push her off a cliff, like her friends? Or did he have something else planned? The uncertainty was almost as terrifying as the certainty of her impending doom.

Suddenly, a glimmer of light appeared ahead. They were nearing the exit on the other side of the cave. Jessica's heart rate quickened. Was he leading her to another cliff, intending to throw her off as he had with the others?

As they emerged from the cave, the bright sunlight momentarily blinded Jessica. She blinked rapidly, her eyes adjusting to the change. They were on a narrow ledge, the drop before them dizzyingly steep. The vastness of the Utah landscape spread out before them, a beautiful vista that now seemed like a cruel joke.

Desperate to buy time, Jessica turned to Raven. "Why did you do that to my friends?" she asked, her voice steadier than she felt. "Why tie ropes to them and suspend them from the cliffs like some sick puppet show?"

Raven's eyes gleamed with a fervent light. "To send a message," he said, his voice filled with conviction. "A warning to all who would disrespect the mountain. Their bodies, hanging there for all to see, were a reminder of nature's power and judgment—just as yours will be."

Jessica shook her head. "You won't be able to do that with me. The police are already here. They'll be on us any moment."

Raven laughed. "The police? They can't scale this mountain like I can. They'll need to call in a helicopter, and that takes time. By the time they reach us, I'll be long gone, and they'll find nothing but your body suspended from the cliff, another message to those who would challenge nature's supremacy."

As he spoke, Raven began to prepare his gruesome work. He pulled a coil of rope from his pack, along with a set of pitons. With practiced efficiency, he began to drive the pitons into cracks in the rock, the metallic clink of hammer on metal punctuating his continued rant about the sanctity of wilderness.

Jessica watched tensely, her eyes continually drawn to her chalk bag. The gun was so close, yet so far. Could she reach it? What would he do if he stopped her and found the gun?

He's already planning to kill you, she thought. So what's the worst that could happen?

As Raven focused on his task, she saw her chance. Slowly, carefully, she maneuvered her bound hands toward the bag.

Her fingers closed around the familiar texture of the chalk bag. Heart pounding, she began to rifle through it, searching for the cold metal of the gun. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as she fumbled, acutely aware that at any moment, Raven could turn and see what she was doing.

Just as her fingers brushed against the gun, a strong hand grabbed her hair, yanking her head back. Raven's face loomed over her, his eyes wild with a mix of anger and triumph.

"It's time, Jessica," he said, his breath hot on her face. "Time for you to face the consequences of your actions."

Jessica's heart sank. She had been so close. As Raven began to drag her toward the edge of the cliff, she tried to dig in her heels, but it was no use. He was too strong.

She tried clinging to him, but he just shoved her away. As the edge of the cliff neared, she wondered if perhaps there might be a tree or a ledge of rock below her that she could grab hold of as she fell. It was a desperate, implausible idea, but maybe—

A shout rang out, echoing across the cliff face. Raven turned toward the sound. In that moment of distraction, Jessica saw her final chance. Summoning all her strength, she drove her elbow back into Raven's stomach. He grunted in pain, his grip on her loosening just enough.

With a desperate lunge, Jessica plunged her bound hands awkwardly into the chalk bag. Her fingers closed around the gun, and she pulled it out, her heart soaring with a mixture of relief and determination.