The Storm You Chase (Hell Yeah!)

by Sable Hunter

  When they came to the trailhead, she was composed enough to at least appear calm. As they entered the area, she was surprised to find a raised boardwalk traversing the landscape. “This is strange. I was expecting death-defying and I do believe this is wheelchair accessible.”

  Clint did no more than grunt as they followed the path through a dense conifer forest. Their horses’ hooves made an echoing clomping sound on the boardwalk. The trail was narrow with a very closed in feeling and the trees were huge. Ancient red cedars and hemlocks grew over two-hundred-feet tall and nine to ten feet in diameter. Fern and moss covered the ground. “The atmosphere is almost primordial.”

  Again, there was no comment from Clint.

  After riding about four tenths of a mile, they came to a footbridge over Avalanche Creek. Although Jensen kept her eyes peeled, there was no place for tracks, and she couldn’t imagine anyone leaving the boardwalk so early in the hike. Just past the bridge, they came to a fork in the trail. “The left side goes to Avalanche Lake.”

  Clint moved his mount ahead of her, eyeing the ground closely. “Do you have the picture of the tread of his boots?”

  “I do.” She found the photo on her phone and handed it to him. He examined the picture, then pointed at the dirt. “He went this way.”

  His announcement gave Jensen a feeling of accomplishment. “Good.”

  Riding on ahead, Clint urged his horse up the steep incline. Jensen’s mare didn’t have a hard time keeping up, but they didn’t crowd him either. “I think we should start calling Conrad’s name. If he can hear us, he’ll answer.”

  “Go ahead.”

  Jensen made a face at the back of Clint’s head. “Conrad! Conrad!”

  There was no answer, so they continued on. In less than a tenth of a mile they came to the banks of Avalanche Creek. The melted glacial water rushed through the narrow gorge with amazing power. Although both admired the spectacle, neither shared their feelings with the other.

  Clint kept his eye trained on Conrad’s footprints. “Conrad!” he called this time, but there was no answer. In a little over a mile, the trail veered away from the creek and into the forest. Even though they were still near enough to hear the rush of cascading water, they could no longer see the stream.

  Upon reaching the convergence of Avalanche Creek with Hidden Creek, they noticed hundreds of downed trees. “What is this?” Jensen murmured softly.

  This time Clint answered. “Avalanche. You can see where it thundered down from that mountain there – what’s the name of it?”

  She was pleased he asked her a question. After quickly referring to the map, she answered him. “Mount Cannon.”

  He made no comment but continued on with the search. In about fifteen minutes they arrived at Avalanche Lake. Nearby, a large beach area offered a place to soak up the amazing view. There were even make-shift benches to rest on. The pair scouted around. “He passed through. Here are his tracks.” Jensen pointed them out. “Conrad! Conrad!”

  Both were still, listening – but there was no answering call.

  “He’s heading toward that mountain, what’s the name of it?”

  Jensen pulled out the map once more. “Bearhat, elevation 8,694 feet.”

  “Geez. Look at those waterfalls.”

  Jensen could see them in the distance, several steep waterfalls plunging hundreds of feet. “I think they’re coming off Sperry Glacier.”

  “I don’t know if it’s safe to take the horses in that direction or not.” Clint seemed to hesitate, and Jensen knew he was still disturbed by what he saw as her unfeeling actions.

  “Let’s follow his tracks as far as we can. These horses are used to this terrain. If we stop to take them back to the holding pens now, we’ll lose a lot of time.”

  “All right,” he agreed, gazing toward the rugged mountain peaks. “When the trail gets so rough we can’t go any farther, we’ll assess what we know, and decide what to do next.” Without waiting for her to say more, he headed his mount up the incline. “Just watch for the rocks, I don’t want to have to rescue you.”

  Considering the way he felt about her now, he’d probably leave her on the trail to fend for herself. “Noted,” she whispered under her breath.

  For what seemed like hours, they rode at a steady climb. Due to the consistency of the soil, they would go long distances before finding another impression of the familiar boot’s tread. Periodically, they would call or stop to look through binoculars. So far, there was no trace of Conrad. “Clint, we need to eat.”

  “Fish something out of your backpack. I’m not hungry.”

  “Clint, you need to eat.”

  “Don’t pretend a concern for me you don’t feel.”

  She wasn’t pretending. Jensen felt more for him than she’d ever thought possible. No matter how much she tried to deny it – or ignore it – she loved Clint Wilder with all her heart.

  Since he wouldn’t give in to her request, she did as he suggested and dug out a granola bar to munch on. According to her phone, the time was already three in the afternoon. She didn’t know how far they’d ridden, but they’d been on the trail now for over eight hours. “If we don’t find him, we’ll have to figure out some place to camp.”

  “There’s at least five hours until dusk. Let’s don’t worry about that now.”

  This time, she didn’t answer – they just kept moving.

  The higher they climbed, the greater their view. In spite of the seriousness of their task, Jensen couldn’t help but notice the beauty before them. “I wonder what makes the water in this area so startlingly blue.”

  “Tiny particles of fine rock flour from the movement of the glacier stays suspended in the water, reflecting the sunlight.”

  “Oh. Neat.” She was surprised he volunteered the information.

  Crunching her granola bar, she kept her mount next to the rock wall, careful of the drop-off ledge just a few feet away.

  “Do you have to eat so loud?”

  His chiding hit a sour note in Jensen. “Well, excuse the heck out of me. I’d tell you to sing to cover up the noise, but your off-key caterwauling would most likely set off an avalanche.”

  “Don’t worry. I don’t have anything to sing about.”

  This made her feel sad. Still, she didn’t apologize again, it wouldn’t do any good anyway. As they continued their journey, she kept a sharp eye, sweeping the area on both sides of the trail for any hint of color or clue. As she raised the bar to take another bite, Jensen froze. “Clint…”

  “What do you want now?”

  Jensen stared hard at what she’d noticed. “Look down to your right, past that boulder field. Do you see the bright blue whatever? Do you think that could be something Conrad dropped?”

  Clint looked until he spotted what Jensen was referring to. “Tanner said he was carrying a cobalt blue water filter.” He dismounted and handed Jensen the reins. “Stay here. I’ll go down and see.”

  “Be careful,” she called. There was no trail where he was headed and rocks were strewn down the side of the mountain like shells on a beach, they were so thickly placed you couldn’t see the ground beneath them.

  Of course, he didn’t answer, but she knew he’d heard her.

  She waited, holding her breath as he made the treacherous descent. It took him longer than she’d expected, the distance was misleading. When he finally reached the object and bent over to retrieve it, he held it high. “Sawyer! That was the brand of his water filter, wasn’t it?”

  “Yes! Do you see anything else?”

  A few moments of silence passed and then Clint yelled, “Conrad!”

  Jensen didn’t hear a response and she sat up straighter in the saddle trying to see what drew Clint’s attention. “What do you see?”

  “A body!”

  “A body?” Jensen echoed incredulously. She jumped from the saddle and began to find the rope they’d packed. She also unpacked the first aid kit and the leather travois kit. “Is it Conrad?”<
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  “I think so! Let me get closer!”

  While he made his way down the steep incline, Jensen tied the rope to her horse’s saddle horn. “I wish I knew your name. I need you to be still and help me down the hill. Okay?”

  Tucking the first aid kit and the travois into her backpack, she set off to follow Clint. Even if it wasn’t Conrad, whoever was down there would need their help.

  “It’s Conrad! Call for a helicopter! He’s hurt!”

  “Got it.” She paused in her descent, taking out the satellite phone from her pack and making the call the way Tanner told them to do. After explaining the situation and giving their location, she resumed her efforts to meet up with Clint. After a couple of slips, she managed to reach him. “How is he?”

  “Unconscious. He must’ve hit his head when he fell. His left leg is broken also. How long until the helicopter arrives?”

  “He said a half hour. Two Bear Air is coming from Whitefish.” Jensen knelt next to Conrad, checking his vitals, and cleaning the wound on his temple. Opening his eyes to see the state of his pupils, she could see they were dilated. “Are you going to be able to carry him up to the trail?”

  “Yes. That travois you lugged down here isn’t going to do any good.”

  Jensen removed one of the wooden poles and held it up to him. “Snap that in half, strong man, and I’ll make a splint.”

  He just grunted and did as Jensen asked while she cut the leather from the travois kit into strips. When she was done, she took the wooden pieces Clint gave her, and placed them on Conrad’s leg to stabilize it until he could reach the emergency room to have the break set. “Now, we can make a climbing litter and you can carry him without doing more damage.”

  Clint couldn’t help but admire Jensen’s cool head. Since she was a doctor, he knew it came with the territory. Of course, some of the skills she was exhibiting came from their training. His only excuse was the fact she’d pulled the emotional rug out from under him – again. What did that say about him? “I don’t think this SAR thing is for me.”

  “Don’t underestimate yourself. This is a team effort. I might be able to make the splint, but you’re the one who is going to save his life by carrying him up the side of a mountain.”

  He just shook his head as he helped her tie the knots to make the litter. “We’ll have to tell Tanner what a good teacher he is.”

  “I’m sure he’ll appreciate that.”

  Together, they placed Conrad’s limp body in the litter and affixed him to Clint’s back. Jensen stayed behind them, ready to brace the pair if Clint happened to slip. By the time they reached the top of the ledge, she could hear the sound of a helicopter approaching. Jensen hurried to calm the horses, leading them some distance away lest they bolt and run, maybe to rush off the side of the mountain.

  The next few minutes was harrowing as a basket was lowered while the helicopter hovered above them. Clint secured Conrad into the basket, then they stood aside as it rose, carrying the victim to safety.

  After the helicopter flew out of sight, they backtracked, heading down the mountain. Jensen rode behind Clint, wishing she had the courage to explain herself to him. Silently, she rehearsed what she might say, then she tortured herself by imagining his reaction.

  By the time they were at the base of the mountain, the sun was beginning to set in the west. Jensen was starving to death and she knew Clint was even hungrier. “We need to find a place to camp for the night.”

  “I want to keep going. I just want this to be over.”

  Jensen understood his feelings, but she knew he wasn’t thinking clearly. “I’m sorry, Clint. I just can’t go any farther. We have to stop. We can’t ride all night. We might get lost or fall off a cliff ourselves.”

  She heard him grumble under his breath. “Fine.”

  They traveled a little farther. “I think I remember a level place next to the upcoming creek.” She’d no more than got the words out of her mouth before there was a rustle of leaves and a mind-numbing roar. Clint’s horse whinnied and reared up on its hind-legs, throwing him off in the process. Jensen’s heart was in her throat as the events registered in her brain. Clambering from the saddle, she ran to Clint, seeing a grizzly just a few dozen yards away from him.

  Before he could get to his feet the bear charged. There was no time to return for the bear spray so Jensen did the only thing she could think of. She’d always read you never run from a bear, you make yourself big, and you make a lot of noise – and that’s just what she did.

  Standing firm between Clint and the bear, she raised her arms over her head and yelled at the creature as loudly as she could. “Get the hell out of here, you monster!”

  The bear stopped and looked at her. She feared it was just shocked to be confronted by such a small, insignificant scrap of humanity.

  “Jensen. Dammit!” Clint grabbed her shoulder to pull her back. It was like she didn’t even hear him. She repeated her actions, roaring at the grizzly bear who roared right back. When the creature stood on its hind legs, it stood over eight-foot tall, making Jensen look like a Lilliputian.

  “Back! Now! Back!”

  Clint didn’t just stand there. He helped her, stepping in front of her, making himself loud and aggressive. To his shock, the grizzly backed down, going on all fours and retreating. When it did, he felt every bit of the adrenaline rush from his body. He felt weak. Limp. He also was mad as hell. Wheeling on Jensen, he yelled right in her face. “Would you please stop doing things to make me love you more!”

  Jensen felt like she’d been struck by a ton of falling bricks.

  Did he just say he loved her?

  She didn’t know whether to faint and fall over about the declaration of love or the fact they’d almost gotten killed by a bear.

  Since he was still angry enough to scalp her – Jensen went with the bear. She’d work through the love thing a little later.

  Staring at him, her chest heaving, her heart hammering beneath her one whole breast. “No, I will not! Not if it means saving your sorry ass.” Turning away, she realized their horses were long gone – and so was their gear. “Shit,” she whispered softly. “Now, we’ll have to be rescued.”

  “No. I’ll find those damn horses if it’s the last thing I ever do.” Moving past her, he took off down the trail. He felt sick. That bear would’ve killed him if Jensen hadn’t charged in where angels fear to tread. Glancing back, he could see she was out of sight. He stopped, bent double, and let the fear wash over him. What if she’d been killed? What if he’d had to watch her be ripped apart by that fucking bear? Grief and sorrow ripped through his chest. How in the hell was he going to live without her?

  “What’s wrong?”

  Hearing her voice behind him, he straightened up. “Nothing.” Shaking his head to clear it, he continued to look for the horses. To his immense relief, he spotted them in a flower strewn meadow not far off the trail. Taking a deep breath, he eased up to them, thankful when they didn’t bolt again. When he turned around, he saw Jensen standing behind him.

  “Is our gear intact?”

  “Appears to be.”

  “Let’s try to put some distance between us and the bear before we stop for the night.”

  Clint nodded, too tired to argue.

  After they climbed back onto their horses, Jensen rode ahead. Her hands were shaking, she knew something had to give.

  Over the next half hour, they made their way back to the shores of Avalanche Lake. “Let’s stop here until daybreak. Okay?”

  “Fine with me.”

  Hearing Clint sound so despondent, she knew the time had come. As soon as they dismounted, she helped him tend the horses and build a small campfire. The temperature was dropping as every minute passed. She didn’t think it would freeze tonight, but it wouldn’t be far off. After they laid out their sleeping bags, Jensen pulled out a couple of MRE’s for him to choose from. “Thanks, any will do” he mumbled, sitting across from her. “Look, I want to thank you for�
��back there. You put your life on the line to save me.”

  “You would’ve done the same for me.”

  He didn’t dispute her claim.

  For a few moments, they ate in silence, sipping water from their canteens. The fire cast a circle of light in the growing shadows. Jensen gazed up at the massive sky. “Look at the stars. I can see why this is called Big Sky Country.”

  “Impressive.”

  They finished eating and not wanting to attract more bears, Jensen helped him pick up and properly dispose of their trash. After they took turns visiting the bushes, she could see he was about to settle down for the night.

  Okay – it was now or never.

  “Clint?”

  “What?”

  Jensen lowered herself to sit on her sleeping bag, facing him across the campfire. “You asked me why I did what I did? Why I pushed you away?”

  “The better question is why I keep allowing you to do this to me?” he snapped. Clint was as angry at himself as he was at her. “You question why I chase storms? I don’t have a good answer and I don’t have an answer as to why I chase you. As far as storms go, you’re by far the most destructive one I’ve ever encountered.” As if on cue, the wind picked up, howling around the mountain peaks in the distance.

  Jensen knew she deserved whatever he dished out. When he paused to take a breath, she held up her hand. “Just let me say my peace. I didn’t intend to tell you this. I didn’t want you to know.”

  “Know what?” Clint locked his gaze with hers. He could clearly see the distress on her face. “What are you trying to say?”

  Jensen stared at the fire, not wanting to see his face.

  “The first time we made love…”

  Clint interrupted her. “Don’t call it that. Love had nothing to do with it.”

  Jensen shrugged. “Okay. The first time we had sex and I left before you woke up…I left to go to M. D. Anderson to have a mastectomy.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Clint felt like he was underwater, trying to hear what someone was saying onshore. Jensen was speaking, but he couldn’t discern the words. “Repeat what you just said.” Surely, he’d misunderstood.