Cheryl Tardif - Submerged

“And then it did.”

“Yes. Ryan was born and everything changed.”

“Children do that to you, don’t they?”

“Listen, Rebecca, while we’re searching for you, we need to get as much information as possible on the hit and run. Edmonton is sending up some squad cars to help chase down this truck.”

“What do you need?”

“Do you know anyone who would do this to you? Anyone you’ve annoyed or ticked off?”

“I should be offended that you’d think I’d have such enemies, but I’ve been wondering the same thing. Honestly, I can’t think of anyone who would try to run me off the road.”

“You mentioned you and your husband were separated. How has that been?”

“As good as can be expected, I guess. We’re not enemies, if that’s what you’re thinking. Wesley has a temper, sure. But he’d never do something like this.” A glimmer of doubt flickered through her. “Especially to his kids.”

“You said he’s in Fort McMurray. When did he leave?”

“I’m not sure. We’re supposed to get together when he gets back, to talk about things. The divorce.”

“And he’s okay with cutting the ties?”

Rebecca took a small breath. “I haven’t let him know that I’ve proceeded with the divorce already.”

“But he’s expecting it, right?”

“I think so. But sometimes I think Wesley still wants to get back together.”

“And you?”

“My marriage is over. It’s been over for a while. I need to move on. So does Wesley.”

“Do you know where’s he staying in Fort McMurray?”

Her heart sank. “No. Damn. I never asked.”

“Does your husband have access to large trucks, maybe a friend’s?”

“No. I’m telling you, Wesley has nothing to do with this.”

“Probably not. But the police will want to look at everything.” She heard him clear his throat. “Tell me about your marriage.”

“What do you want to know? We got married, had two kids, busy jobs, busy lifestyle, grew apart and now here we are.”

“Did he ever threaten you?”

She swallowed hard. “He’s not a horrible person. Not really.”

“Rebecca, I need you to be honest. Did he ever hurt you physically?”

She looked over her shoulder at Colton. He was listening to her every word.

“Yes, but I can’t go into details. Understand?”

“I do. So you’re saying your husband was physically abusive.”

“Yes.”

“Verbally?”

“Sometimes.”

“Sexually?”

“No.”

“Did he abuse Ella or Colton?”

“No!” she said, a little too strongly. “I’d never allow that. It’s one of the reasons I want the divorce.”

“You fear for your kids?”

She sighed. “Wesley isn’t all bad. He has a very sweet side to him. That’s why I fell in love and married him. But he has issues. And not only what we’re talking about.” She cupped a hand by her mouth and whispered, “Gambling problems.”

“Are you in financial distress because of it?”

“Some. He’s lost big over the past year, so our funds are a bit depleted.”

“Bankruptcy issues?”

“No, not yet. And hopefully never. He got a small loan from his father.”

“What do you do, Rebecca?”

“I work for Alberta Cable. I’m a CSR—customer service rep. My job’s stable, so that’s one good thing.”

“Do you recall anything else about the truck that hit you?”

His question came out of left field. She’d been lulled into a sense of security with his other inquiries.

“Nothing new.”

“What about the road you took off the highway? Was there anything? Even the smallest detail may help us pinpoint your location.”

She closed her eyes and visualized the road she’d turned off onto, but nothing particular came to mind. “The road was open at first. Nothing much around except fields. Then seconds later, trees and bushes were on both sides.”

Something twigged at her memory. Then it disappeared.

“If you think of anything,” Marcus said, “call 911 immediately. Don’t wait for my call.”

“Okay, I will.”

“Is Ella awake?”

“No.” She turned with caution. “Colton, check Ella.”

A few seconds went by, then Colton said, “She’s feeling cold again.”

“Ella’s cold,” she said into the phone. “We don’t have anything else to warm her up with.”

“Damn,” Marcus muttered.

She glanced down at the phone. “And we have another problem.”

“What?”

“The battery on my phone shows half a bar.”

There was a long pause on the other end of the line.

“Marcus?”

“I’m here.” She heard him breathe in deeply. “We need to conserve that battery, so we’ll have to hang up.”

She bit back a sob. This man, this stranger, was her lifeline. He may be the last voice I hear.

“Wait!” she said. “Will you call back in ten minutes?”

“Yes, but we’ll keep it short.” Click.

The hammering rain had let up, but the roads were still wet, and puddles on the highway caused Marcus’s SUV to drag. A gust of wind had worked its way into the region, and he could feel the pull on his vehicle. He’d been driving for about five minutes when he dialed Rebecca’s number on his Bluetooth device. It rang four times before she picked up. Not a good sign.

“Sorry it took so long for me to call back,” he said.

“I expect you’re very busy,” Rebecca replied.

He scrutinized the interior of the SUV. Yeah, I’m busy. “How are you doing?”

“Not so good.”

“What’s wrong?”

He heard her sigh. “I’m dizzy… sleepy.”

“Do not go to sleep, Rebecca. You have to stay awake. Stay on the line with me.” He gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white.

“I’m going to try to back out of these trees. Maybe I can find my way back to the road or highway.”

He waited, listening to the sounds of her breathing and the engine as she revved it.

“I’ve moved back,” she said, “maybe about ten feet. But there’s another problem. One of my headlights is broken and the other is so dim I can’t see three feet in front of me.”

“Put it in park . Don’t worry about trying to get back to the road. It’s too dangerous if you can’t see where you’re going. Last thing you want to do is drive blind out there.”

She lowered her voice. “I tried turning the steering wheel a bit, but it’s pressed so tightly against me that it was sheer torture.”

“You’ve done fine, Rebecca. Take a break. Rest.”

“At least my adrenaline’s kicked in,” she said with a short laugh. “I’m awake now.”

“That’s good. Listen… I have to go now. But I’ll keep calling every five minutes or so. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“I know you’re scared, but you have to be brave for Colton and Ella. Can you do that?”

“I’ll try.”

He tapped the GPS screen and brought up a map of the area. She could be anywhere. “I need you to try to remember some landmarks.”

“I can’t remember anything. It was raining too hard and dark outside.”

“Sometimes we think we don’t remember, but it’s right there, behind a veil. So think back, Rebecca. You left your house and got on the highway heading to Cadomin.”

“Yes. I wanted to take the kids to see the cave.” Her voice broke.

“Did you stop along the highway for gas?”

“No. I filled up earlier.”

“Did you stop for a bathroom break or to buy snacks?”

“Yes, one stop in Edson. The kids needed to go to the bathroom. We were there less than ten minutes. Then we got back out on the highway heading south to Cadomin.”