Mountain Secrets by Elizabeth Goddard (good books to read for teens txt) 📕

a fire inside Jason. He slammed Nick’s back with his knee. The blow was enough to surprise Nick and knock him off balance. Jason landed another blow to Nick’s stomach. Nick groaned and doubled over. Jason pushed him off, jumped to his feet and kicked Nick in the head just before Nick tried to pull Jason’s feet out from under him. Jason hit Nick with leg jabs, one to his side and one to his head. Nick fell over and remained motionless. When Jason checked for a pulse, Nick was still alive but unconscious. Though Nick would probably only be out for a few minutes, Jason had no time or rope to restrain Nick with. His priority was finding Isabel.

Some strange energy flowed through Jason. He refused to believe Isabel was dead. Nick must have been bluffing to weaken Jason’s resolve. He ran in the direction Nick had come from, pushing tree branches out of the way. His heart beat intensely as he searched the ground made darker by the tree canopy.

He said her name not once but three times.

The snowmobile continued to patrol the perimeter of the cluster of trees. Light flashed through the trees and Jason spotted something of a light color, maybe yellow, lying on the ground. It was the knit scarf Isabel had worn with her wool dress coat.

She could have lost it in a struggle. He picked it up, held it close, picking up the scent of her floral perfume. Racing deeper into the trees, he spotted her dark form in a clearing. The porcelain skin of her face the only discernible part of her.

He dived to the ground and touched her cold cheek. Fear flooded through him at the thought of losing her. He cared deeply for her.

“Isabel.”

His finger trailed down to her neck, where he felt a pulse. She was alive.

He patted her cheeks.

“I’m here.” Her voice was scratchy, hoarse-sounding.

“Hey.” He cradled her head.

“I must have passed out.”

Nick probably heard Jason calling her name and decided to get rid of Jason before he had the chance to check to see if Isabel was still breathing.

“We don’t have much time. Can you stand?”

“I think so.”

He held out a hand for her and helped her up. He handed her the scarf, which she wrapped around her neck. The snowmobiler was still patrolling the tree line and Nick would be hounding them in minutes. They had no choice but to head down the mountain.

“Jason, I’m really cold.” Her voice was weak. It was clear from the inflection of her words that she was giving up.

Lying on the frozen ground for at least five minutes had only brought her that much closer to hypothermia.

“We’re halfway down the mountain already. If you stay with me there is a hot bath and a steaming cup of tea waiting for you at the end.” He pressed his hands on either side of her cheeks. “Can you do that for me, Isabel?”

“I’m sorry I messed up the investigation. But I can’t keep running like this.” Her voice cracked.

He gathered her into his arms. “I know. They’ll put you in protective custody. Don’t give up.”

Protective custody for her seemed like the only option now. Whoever was behind all this was clearly powerful, connected and relentless.

Jason held Isabel close. Her hat felt soft against his chin.

“Let’s go.” Her words seemed to be undergirded with new strength. “We don’t have much time.”

“That’s my strong lady.” He kissed her on the forehead. Their eyes met momentarily. He touched her lips with his gloved hand, feeling a magnetic pull toward her as an intense warmth washed through him. He wanted to kiss her on the mouth.

He pulled back. “This time I won’t lose you,” he said. “Not even for a second.”

As they ran through the trees, he could hear the snowmobile growing closer and then farther away as it searched for them. They moved out into the open, sliding down the steep parts of the hill.

A lamp outside the dark ski lodge came into view, a tiny light in the distance. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the first sign of civilization. Glancing over his shoulder at where they had emerged from the forest, he could discern moving shadows among the trees. It could be Nick.

They made their way toward the ski lodge. There would be a phone there. He quickened his pace, making sure that Isabel stayed with him.

They neared the lodge. When he’d skied here, he and his buddies had found a window with a loose latch. Maybe it hadn’t been repaired even after all these years. He glanced up the hill at the sound of a motor. The snowmobile was headed their way, close enough that the men could see he and Isabel standing outside the lodge. He led Isabel around to the far side of the lodge.

The window latch was still loose. They crawled into what was the boys’ locker room.

“There’s probably a phone in the office,” he said, taking her hand and leading her upstairs.

The door to the ski-lodge office was locked. His hope deflated. They had only minutes before the snowmobiler would be outside.

“Now what?” Her words were saturated with fear.

His mind raced. “Lost and found. People might leave cell phones.”

He located the lost-and-found bins by the cafeteria just where they had been ten years ago when he’d skied here as a teen. There were bins filled with hats, orphan gloves, scarves and ski goggles and one bin filled with electronics. The first cell phone he tried was dead.

“Here, this one still has some battery left.” Isabel handed it to him.

The bright lights of the snowmobile shone through the window. Both of them ducked down as he pressed in the numbers for his contact.

While he dialed, Isabel scurried across the floor and peered through the window. The main door shook. It would take Nick and his accomplice a few minutes to break in.

“Two of them got off the snowmobile and are at the door.” Isabel’s voice was