InSight

switch, and shut it off. At least she thought she did. The heat went off with the switch. She closed the door enough to catch, then took hold of Daisy’s halter. Between the leaves crunching underfoot and the sound of the gravel, she didn’t give herself much of a chance, but she’d made it this far. She’d forge ahead.
    Skimming the car, she let Daisy lead her down the driveway as quickly as she dared. God, how she wanted to run. She averaged a seven-minute mile on the track, but that was with a guide. Out here, alone, she had no idea where she was or where she was going. But she was going, and nothing could stop her now.
    Nothing except Stewart.
    The gravel stopped. She reached the road. They had come from the left. Even though she gauged the highway to be about two miles from the cabin, the twists and turns went straight up. Too difficult to try. Her best shot would be down, to her right, to she didn’t know where.
    She stopped to let Daisy do her business, then switched the halter to her left hand. Edging sideways to the right, her foot hit a hard vertical surface, and she felt the jagged rock mountainside with her hand.
    Moving back to the road, she said, “Forward, Daisy.” And Daisy took off. Down, down, down. Curves and more curves. After about five minutes, the dead sound on her right gave way to a break in the mountainside, maybe a driveway. She stopped, turned on the phone, and speed-dialed number six, Pete’s number. She listened. Nothing but the static of mountain reception. Biting back the disappointment, she decided to keep moving .
    Insect sounds broke the night’s silence. And something else. Water? Yes, moving water on her left. A river or stream. No chance of a house on that side. Not that she’d know unless someone made noise. And even if she heard a car, it might be Stewart searching for her. How would she know, and where would she hide?
    She flipped her watch. Six o’clock. An hour and a half since she crept out of bed. Almost dawn. Pretty soon she’d be in full light. A blind woman walking on a winding mountain road led by a guide dog. Now there’s a sight .
    Panic set in. Abby hadn’t thought this far ahead. What now? Were there houses nearby? Rescuers within a few feet? She tried her phone again but now heard only the beep of a dying battery. How long could she walk, and where would she end up? Someone would have to drive by sooner or later. The road had to go somewhere.
    She walked for another hour, keeping close to the right side of the road and wishing she were wearing her running shoes instead of the low-heeled pumps she’d worn to work. The combination of no sleep, miles of walking, and stomach-churning fear took its toll.
    Then, as if out of a dream, she heard voices off to her left, the sound of rushing water closer. She listened for an oncoming car, heard nothing, and turned Daisy to cross the street. Could anyone see her? No one called out.
    “Hey,” she yelled. “Hello.”
    “Hi there,” a man’s voice answered.
    Then Abby cried out the three words she hated most. “I need help.”

Chapter Nineteen
    The Sweet Taste of Chocolate

    A bby’s phone stored enough juice for one of the guys at the raft rental dock to get Pete’s number and call him on his own cell. The Saluda police arrived within half an hour; Luke and Pete showed up at eight.
    Luke gathered her into his arms and held her so tight she lost her breath. She felt safe wrapped in his strength while she breathed in his scent, so distinctive, so Luke. And for the first time since getting through her darkest days, she put her pride away and fell apart. Not a one-minute crying jag but a serious world-class breakdown. And she didn’t care who heard. She’d always leaned toward stoicism; this was different. She didn’t know why. She wasn’t afraid any more. She wanted to ask him where he’d been before Stewart came and took her away. But the comfort he offered was enough for now.
    “Did he hurt you?” Luke asked.
    She shook her head and spoke between sniffles. “I was afraid he might. His behavior was erratic.”
    While Luke consoled her, Pete followed Abby’s directions to the cabin. When he returned, he said Stewart’s car was gone and there was nothing in the cabin except some food in the fridge, a woman’s bedclothes at the bottom of a mussed bed, and a bottle of pills. Pete took the pills.
    Daisy jumped in the back seat next to Abby and Luke for the ride back to Hub City .
    “Anything you