by E A Chance
Riley jumped down as soon as she could and grabbed the med pack before sprinting back to Coop. To her great relief, he was on his feet and heading toward her by the time she spotted him. When they reached each other, she threw her arms around him and held him for a moment before snapping into doctor mode.
“Where are you hurt?”
“I’m fine, Riley. Just bumps and bruises.”
She unzipped the med pack and took out her pen light. “Show me,” she ordered.
Coop put his hands on her shoulders. “Take a breath. I’m fine. I landed on my butt and rolled. I’m going to have a nasty bruise and road rash, but that’s it. Nothing’s broken.”
He had a way of downplaying pain and injuries, so she said, “Show me.” He reluctantly unbuttoned his jeans and pulled them down. He had an angry red mark on his right buttock but clearly wasn’t in pain. Riley gave his other cheek a light slap. “You can pull your pants up. You’ll live, but that’s going to smart tomorrow after hours in the saddle.” While he buttoned his fly, she turned and watched the hillside continue to slide across the road. “We dodged that bullet, but we’re just as trapped.”
“Let’s get to the horses and figure a way out of this mess.”
They made their way back to the frightened horses and did their best to reassure them. Echo and Aurora responded quickly, but Biscuit was rearing his head and stamping on the asphalt. Riley tightened her hold on his lead to keep him still and stroked his neck, trying to get him to eat pieces of dried apple. His love for the treat won out over his fear and soon he was happily munching away.
Coop was studying the map when Riley walked over to him. “Whatever we do, it needs to be fast. The rest of this hillside could come crashing down on us any second.”
“The side road we turned off onto is higher than the frontage road,” he said. “No roads lead around the landslide, but we could go overland to pass it. No way of knowing what the terrain is like, but we’ve got to risk it if we want to get out of here.”
“We could climb over the landslide.” Coop stared at her like she was insane. He might be right, she thought.
“Are you serious? That ranks as the worst idea you’ve had yet.”
Riley turned her back to him and strode back to the massive mudslide looming between them and Charleston. Coop dismissing her plan out of hand had stung. Her Wonder Woman side was convinced they could cross that mountain of mud, but he hadn’t even been willing to listen. She was an experienced climber and had covered more than her share of difficult terrain. The heavy rain would make it a challenge, but the toughest part would entail moving the horses across the barrier of earth. The saturated soil and instability created the chance of them sinking and breaking a leg.
Coop jogged up behind her as she studied the mound of earth coated with splintered trees and chunks of rock. “That was uncalled for, Riley, and I’m sorry, but crossing the slide with the horses is too dangerous. If it were just the two of us, I wouldn’t hesitate. We should take the side road and make our way overland.”
With her back to him, she said, “That route could add days if it’s even possible. I agree taking the horses over the mud won’t be easy, but it looks like this landslide isn’t fresh like the one that we just dodged.” She turned and took his arm to pull him forward, then pointed to the lowest part of the slope on the north side. “There’s a natural path on that edge. Trust me. I know what I’m doing.”
He eyed her with skepticism, but said, “Fine, we’ll do it your way. I surrender my life into your expert hands. Take the lead.”
“I’ll go first with Echo, then we’ll tether Biscuit between him and Aurora. You bring up the rear.”
Coop nodded and got to work following her instructions. When they were ready, Riley guided Echo to the edge of the landslide and gently coaxed him to follow her into the mud. Her boot sunk in less than a foot. That would be manageable for the horses. Echo only hesitated an instant before doing what she wanted.
“Good job, boy,” she said. “Let’s keep going and show the others it’s safe.”
She hoped crossing the slide would be simpler than they’d expected. She started moving faster and her confidence soared until she took a step and sank to her thigh. The change threw her off balance and she toppled face first into the mud.
Coop rushed to her as she struggled to her feet. She was doing her best to scrape the mud off her face by the time he reached her. He came to a halt in front of her and burst out laughing.
“Stop that, Coop. I could have been hurt. You didn’t even ask.”
He forced himself to stop laughing enough to talk. “I’m sorry, but I watched you climb out and saw you weren’t injured. There’s not an inch of you not covered in brown goo. Good thing it’s raining so hard.” When she glared at him, he said, “Are you hurt?”
She gave a slight shake of her head. “Just my pride. I got overconfident.” She scanned the debris around her and found a break that would work as a walking stick. “I’ll use this to test the depth before I take a step. Get back to Biscuit.”
He gave her a sloppy kiss on her muddy mouth. “Sorry I laughed, babe. See you on the other side.”
Riley dipped the end of the stick to the left of where she fell, but it went in three feet. She yanked it out and moved it to the right. It sunk ten inches. She turned and gave Coop a smile, then stepped to the spot. She repeated the process and after another ten yards, crested a gentle ridge and saw the clear asphalt thirty yards ahead. She sped up but remained cautious and reached the other side in twenty minutes. When her boot touched pavement, she gave a loud whoop but wasn’t sure if Coop heard.
She guided the horses onto the cleared road, then waited for Coop to cover the last ten yards. As she turned to face him, she heard a low rumble, and the mud stared to move, taking Coop with it into the gully. He cried, “Help!” as the mud buried his head.
When the slide came to a rest thirty-seconds later, Riley slid down the wet grass to the base of the gully, then climbed to where she’d seen Coop go under. Dropping to her knees, she frantically dug with her hands until she hit something soft but solid, hoping it was Coop’s baseball cap. The flash of red fabric confirmed her hope. She lifted the cap and was elated to see Coop’s hair sticking out underneath it. She dug the mud away from his mouth until she heard him gasp for breath. It was the most glorious sound she’d ever heard.
She got his head clear, and said, “Can you breathe well enough for me to get the shovel? Getting you out will go much quicker with it.”
“I can,” he gasped, “but hurry.”
She ran across the mud as quickly as she dared and scrambled out of the gully before sprinting to the saddlebag on Aurora to get the folding shovel and hand trowel. The return trip was faster, but at least ten minutes had passed and Riley was terrified at what she’d find.
Coop’s eyes were closed when she reached him, but she could hear him taking breaths. “Coop,” she called, “open your eyes. Talk to me.”
“Seen any good movies lately?” he mumbled.
She dropped the trowel and unfolded the shovel. Shoving it into the mud near his shoulder, she said, “It’s always a joke with you.”
“And why not? I’m just thrilled to be alive.”
She had his arms free within minutes and handed him the trowel. “Are you injured or can you help?” In answer, he buried the trowel in the mud and tossed a shovel full of mud past her head. “Guess I deserved that.”
“Just get me out of here.”
It took another twenty minutes to free him. As he struggled to climb out of the hole, Riley put her hands under his arms and pulled until he lay gasping on top of the mud. They both rolled onto their backs to catch their breath.
When Coop could speak, he said, “We’d better not stay here too long. The mud could start moving again and I’m not going back in that hole.”
Riley got to her knees and began checking him for breaks. “Where does it hurt?”
He shivered and sh
ook his head. “I’m too cold to tell, but I don’t think anything is broken.”
She finished her exam and got to her feet. “As long as there are no internal injuries, you’re fine.” She held her hand out to him. “Can you stand?”
He took her hand and got up slowly, then put his arm around her shoulder for support as they trudged across the landslide to the horses. When they cleared it, they clung to each other, thrilled to feel asphalt beneath their feet and know that, once again, they’d cheated death.
The sun was setting by the time they were on their way. Riley glanced at Coop every few minutes to make sure he was conscious and breathing.
“Please get us on high, flat ground where there’s no chance of a mudslide. I wouldn’t mind a sturdy roof either,” he said when they’d put the mudslide behind them.
“Sure you can trust me to navigate?” Riley said, avoiding his eyes. “If we’d followed that side road like you wanted, we’d be camped by now and I wouldn’t have almost gotten you killed.”
Coop pulled Echo up beside her. “Stop blaming yourself, Riley. I agreed to your plan, and like I said, I’m just happy to be alive.”
Riley reined Aurora to a stop. “We should go back to the ranch. We’ve been traveling for days and have hardly made any progress, and each of us has already nearly died at least once. I’ll just have to be patient and wait until the world is more stable before I go to Colorado.”
He cocked his thumb over his shoulder. “If you’re serious about turning back, I know a great path through that landslide back there.” When Riley glared at him, he said, “We’ve been through a treacherous ordeal. We’re exhausted, wet and hungry. After a meal and a good night’s rest, we’ll revisit this, but I’m in this for the long haul. In the meantime, hand me the map and I’ll find us somewhere to camp tonight.”
She took the map out of her saddlebag and gave it to him. He studied it for a minute, then put it away and headed up the frontage road toward Charleston. Riley got in behind him and followed when he turned left onto a side road after half an hour. The road climbed to level ground and seemed to lead toward a small town. Just as it was growing too dark to see more than a few yards ahead, Coop gave a loud whistle. When Riley raised her eyes, he motioned for her to follow. He led them into a park with two large pavilions with mulch covered ground. She wanted to cry for joy at the sight.
They’d be able to pitch the tent on dry land and the horses would be protected under the other pavilion. Biscuit gleefully trotted under the roof before coming to an abrupt stop, as if he never intended to take another step. Riley and Coop dismounted and coaxed their horses to join him. The horses huddled together for warmth and hung their heads in exhaustion.
Coop and Riley quickly removed the saddles and gear and carried them to the other pavilion. They set up the tent and changed into dry clothes. Riley was as exhausted as the horses and every muscle ached, but she was so thrilled to be out of the rain that she didn’t complain.
After toweling off her mess of curls and pulling it into a ponytail, she joined Coop at the picnic table just outside the tent. He’d set out two MREs and dried fish. She was starving after so much exertion on a power bar and trail mix lunch, so she sat across from him and ate with relish.
As Coop watched her wolf her food down, he said, “We’ll stay here as long as you want. The horses need rest, and we need to dry out the gear.”
She stopped chewing and looked up at him. “Whatever you think is best, Coop.”
“I’m going to take care of the horses, then curl up in the sleeping bag. We’ll scout the area in the morning if it’s not raining too hard.”
Riley got up and kissed him before he could walk away. “I’m so grateful for you and that nothing happened to you today. I hate to think of what could have happened. I’ll be in the tent. Don’t keep me waiting.”
Chapter Three
Riley quietly crawled to the mesh window the next morning and savored the feel of the sunlight on her face. She gazed upward, never so delighted to see a cloudless blue sky in her life. She left Coop sleeping while she went to the picnic table and downed a cold breakfast of squirrel meat and fruit leather. Needing to wash it down, she went to the outdoor faucet and was thrilled to discover it still worked. She took a long drink, then refilled the canteens.
She hadn’t heard a sound out of Coop by the time she finished, so she went back to the tent and climbed into the sleeping bag with him.
When she rolled over to kiss him, he whispered, “Quiet,” and put his finger to his lips.
She raised an eyebrow. “Why? Afraid the horses will overhear our amorous activities?”
He shook his head and put his lips to her ear. “There’s someone in the camp.”
“It was probably just the horses,” she said, keeping her voice low.
He shook his head. “Talking? Listen.”
Riley cocked her head toward the tent opening and heard faint voices but couldn’t make out what they were saying. Coop silently put his clothes on, then crept to the back of the tent for his rifle.
One of the intruders whispered, “Someone’s in the tent,” but it was loud enough for Coop and Riley to hear.
Coop motioned for Riley to get behind him. “Who’s there? You’re trespassing in our camp.”
A male voice barked a laugh. “Unless you can prove you own this land, it’s fair game. Get out here and claim it to my face.”
“You know the new rules. We were here first, and you won’t like it if I come out. Move on before something happens that you’ll regret.”
“Trust me, mister, you’ll be the one with regrets, if you live long enough.”
The voice sounded familiar to Riley, but the odds of it being someone she knew were minute. “This is sounding like a cheesy Western,” she whispered. “We should go out before they steal the horses.”
“We don’t know how many there are or what weapons they have. We can’t just rush out, guns blazing.”
“He’s not alone,” Riley called out. Coop sighed in exasperation.
“Riley?” the voice said.
Recognition flooded over her. It was Brooks, who’d had a part in taking them captive two months earlier. He was the man she’d injected with Midazolam to escape from him and who cut his head when he passed out. Riley was probably the last person he wanted to see.
“Is that you, Riley Poole?” a woman said.
Riley recognized that voice immediately. “Dashay?”
Her friend shrieked in delight and rushed into the tent, but froze when she saw Coop kneeling with the rifle aimed at her. He slowly lowered the weapon and laid it on his sleeping bag, then raised his hands. Dashay brushed past him and threw her arms around Riley.
“What’s happening in there?” Brooks shouted. “All of you get out here, now!”
“Shut it, Brooks,” Dashay said, before getting up and ducking out of the tent. “You’re not in charge. And put that gun away. It’s Riley and Coop.”
Riley saw Coop pick up the rifle as they followed Dashay out of the tent. When she shook her head, he whispered, “Just in case.”
Brooks was between their tent and the other pavilion with his rifle resting on his shoulder. Nico Mendez, the medic from the compound, stood behind him.
Riley bypassed Brooks and pulled Nico into a hug before stepping back and giving all of them a good look. “I can’t believe my eyes. What are you doing here? How did you escape the compound?” She cocked her thumb at Brooks. “And what are you two doing with that snake?”
“Snake’s a bit harsh, don’t you think?” Brooks said. “If I remember right, you’re the one who attacked me at the warehouse and left me for dead.”
Riley squared her shoulders. “I didn’t attack you or leave you for dead. I medicated you in self-defense and stitched you head. I left you with food and water, didn’t I? You’re the one who took us hostage with that psychopath Jepson, by the way, who shot my daughter!”
Brooks lowered his weapon and rubbed his
forehead. “Got me there. Honestly, I’m relieved to see you both survived.”
Dashay put her hand on Riley’s arm. “Where’s Julia? Please don’t tell me she didn’t make it.”
Riley smiled. “She’s alive and safe with my aunt and uncle at their ranch.”
Brooks squinted at her. “You left Julia? How could you abandon your own kid?”
Coop stepped closer to him. “That’s quite a question coming from a man took part in getting Julia shot before taking her hostage.”
Brooks raised his hands and backed away. “It wasn’t me, man. That was Jepson. It wasn’t supposed to happen.”
“It’s all right, Coop,” Riley said. “I’ll answer his question with a question. What if one of your three boys was safe in Virginia, and the other two were in Colorado, and you had no idea if they were even alive? What would you do, Brooks?”
Brooks gave her a pained look, and she knew she’d struck a nerve.
“Before we say anything else, tell us how you got away from Branson. That psychopath had the compound sealed tighter than a drum.”
“And what about Angie?” Riley said. “I’ll never forget the look of terror in her eyes as we sped away from the compound gate, leaving her behind. If she’s dead, I’ll never be able to live with myself.”
The newcomers glanced at each other before Dashay said, “Angie’s the reason we got out of the camp. She was alive and well the last time we saw her. We’ll give you the full scoop, but first, do you have any food to spare? We haven’t eaten for two days.”
“We have plenty,” Riley said and went into the tent for the food pack.
“I wouldn’t call it plenty,” Coop said under his breath as she passed him.