Snow Angels

  Chapter 5: Surprise Attack

  That evening, the girls attended a special holiday dinner dance in one of the large party rooms on the main floor.

  They sat at a table near the band’s stage and enjoyed eating steaks with baked potatoes and green beans. Salad and rolls accompanied their meal. They especially enjoyed the holiday cake for dessert.

  Later, as the band began to play, Kelly and Jan discussed whether they would dance if they were asked. Cindy interrupted, saying,

  "Look who's here! And he's coming this way!"

  The girls saw that she had spotted Sam. He smiled and waved at them as he approached the table.

  "Hi, girls! Enjoying the party?"

  Cindy blushed, answering, "Yes, are you?"

  "I just got here. But now it looks like it's going to be better than I expected."

  He turned to Cindy and asked, "Would you like to dance?"

  Cindy looked surprised.

  "Well, I…"

  "It’s going to be a boring night if I have to sit and watch everyone else having fun,” he added.

  "Well, I wouldn’t want to spoil your evening," Cindy replied, standing up to join him.

  Kelly and Jan smiled as Cindy and Sam took the dance floor. Luckily, the band was playing a slow number, so they both managed to dance without stepping on each other’s toes.

  On the next song, the band picked up the tempo and two young men asked Kelly and Jan to dance. They both agreed and had fun jostling among the dancers on the floor. Cindy was really enjoying herself. Usually she was the last one to be noticed when Jan and Kelly were around. Although they were her best friends, she believed they were both more attractive than she. It was nice to be the first one who caught a young man’s eye, and she liked Sam a lot. He was definitely much cooler than her boyfriend, Dave. She wondered if Sam were the type of guy who had a lot of girlfriends.

  After a few more songs, the band took a break and the girls went back to their table. Cindy asked Sam to join them.

  "Let me get drinks for all of you," Sam said.

  "We're drinking Coke," Cindy told him.

  "Oh? Wouldn't you like some rum in it?" he asked.

  "We don't drink alcohol," said Jan, “We’re under 21.”

  Sam looked surprised.

  "Really?"

  “Yeah, really," Cindy said boldly, "You got a problem with that?"

  Sam shook his head, "No, no problem. Fine. Three Cokes. I'll be right back."

  When he returned the girls thanked him. They sat and talked about skiing for a while, and they asked Sam what he did for a living.

  "I sell hotel supplies…you know, cleaning supplies and such. That's why I'm here. I got a big order from this hotel yesterday. I just thought I'd stay on a couple of more days before heading back to New York."

  "New York? That's where Kelly is going when we leave here on Sunday!" Cindy volunteered.

  "Oh? Is that where you live?" Sam asked.

  Kelly told him that she was going there to visit family for Christmas.

  Cindy asked him, "Are you taking the train back?"

  "No, I flew up here from New York City."

  "You should think about taking the train back," said Cindy, "That's how we're traveling, and it's lots of fun!"

  Sam smiled and looked at the three girls.

  “Well, maybe I'll do just that!” he said.

  The band returned and began to play. The same two young men asked Kelly and Jan to dance. Cindy and Sam danced several more dances together. Between songs they talked and laughed. Later, Kelly and Jan were invited to join the two young men at their table, so they sat with them for a while and talked.

  When the band took another break, Cindy and Sam returned to their table. Sam asked if he could buy them another round of Cokes, but Kelly said,

  "I have to get up early tomorrow morning, so I think I'd better call it a night."

  Sam looked at his watch, "It's not even midnight yet!"

  "Sorry," Kelly shrugged.

  "Why do you have to get up early? I thought you were on vacation," he asked.

  "Well, I have to practice piano," Kelly explained.

  "Practice! While you’re on vacation?"

  "Yes. The manager made arrangements for me to use the piano in the lounge at seven-thirty, so I need to get to bed soon."

  Sam looked at Cindy, "Will you be there, too?"

  "Oh, no!" she shook her head, "I'm not getting up that early! Jan and I will wait until she comes back, and then we'll go have breakfast in the café. Maybe I'll see you there."

  Sam smiled, "Maybe you will."

  Kelly awoke when her alarm clock rang at seven a.m. A half hour later, she left the other two girls asleep in the second bedroom of their suite. Taking her sheet music with her, she rode the elevator down to the Whitewater Restaurant on the second floor. A burly-looking man stood at the entrance of the darkened room.

  "Are you Kelly?" he asked.

  "Yes," she smiled.

  "I'm Daniel Simon from hotel security. The manager asked me to let you inside here," he said, taking out a ring of keys. He opened the door and said, "Let me put on the lights over the piano for you."

  She followed him through the large room, oddly silent and dark, past rows of tables and chairs.

  They reached the lounge area. On the left side was a long bar with stools, and on the right, groups of small tables. The windows on the far left displayed a beautiful view of Longview Mountain. The lavender light of early day reflected off the snow and into the room.

  At the end of the bar there was a small wooden dance floor and a sleek, black grand piano. Dan flicked on some lights over the piano.

  "How long will you be here?" he asked.

  "Oh, I'll be leaving by nine-thirty to meet some friends for breakfast," she said.

  Dan nodded, "Okay. I'll come by then to lock up the place."

  Daniel left and Kelly sat down. The ebony piano was beautifully polished to a mirror reflection. She opened the keyboard cover and her sheet music, and she began to play some practice scales to warm up. The piano’s rich, beautiful sound filled the empty room.

  In the hallway, Sam waited until the security guard left. He walked to the restaurant door and peeked through the window. He could see Kelly seated at the piano, playing scales methodically. Sam tried the door knob. It was unlocked.

  After hearing about her plans to practice this morning, Sam decided that this might be his best chance to grab her. He had made arrangements for Steve to bring a laundry basket up to the restaurant kitchen in five minutes. Once he knocked the girl out, they would place her in the basket, cover her with a sheet, and wheel her out to his car. At this early hour, no one would be watching as they put her into his trunk.

  He turned the knob slowly. Cautiously, he opened the door an inch, then another.

  Sam slipped quietly into the dark restaurant. He crept in a crouch as he made his way over to the bar and then ducked behind it. He pulled on a ski mask to hide his face.

  Kelly stopped practicing scales and turned to a selection that she had been practicing all semester. Her piano teacher had chosen it for its difficulty, saying that it would improve her skills. Kelly wasn't particularly fond of the classical piece, but trusted her teacher's advice, so she practiced it daily.As she was about to begin playing, she heard a soft bump coming from the bar area. She looked around and listened intently. The only sound she heard was the soft whirring of the refrigerator behind the bar. She felt a chill and rubbed her arms. Even wearing a sweater, she still felt chilly.

  Convinced that she had not heard anything important, she began to play. Soon she was totally absorbed in her music, concentrating on the sheet music as she played. Sometimes she stopped and restarted a section that she hadn't played correctly. After two days without practicing, her performance was rusty.

  As she approached the ending of the piece, she saw something out of the corner of her eye move. The reflection on the piano of a man loomed larger as
he approached from behind. She jumped in fear and screamed.

  His arms were suddenly around her, closing tightly like a vice. She twisted and tried to raise her arms to fight, but she was trapped. In one swift move, she was hauled off the piano bench and dragged toward the kitchen. She screamed again for help, and a gloved hand clamped tightly over her mouth.

  In terror, she kicked her legs and tried to escape, but her upper torso was locked in his arms. She remembered something from a self-defense class she had taken years ago, and suddenly went limp as if she had fainted.

  Her captor stopped. He looked down at her limp figure with her eyes closed and he smiled. With the girl unconscious, this was going to be a lot easier. He let go of her mouth, grabbed under her arms, and dragged her toward the kitchen. As they passed the bar, Kelly opened her eyes and looked for a place where she could get some leverage. At the end of the bar, she saw her chance.

  Lifting up her legs, she put her feet up against the top of the bar and shoved back with all her strength. Her captor went backward, losing his balance, and fell back with her on top. Hitting his head on the floor, he was stunned just long enough for her to escape. She struggled from his grasp and ran toward the restaurant door, screaming for help. Within seconds, Sam stumbled to his feet and chased after her.