Rapid Attraction

by E. F. Jacks

  “Yeah, well, at least I didn’t accept money to lie.” Nick turns when Seth calls to him.

  He forces a quick, frustrated breath out of his mouth and talks to Seth in private near us. Their voices are hushed, but I overhear Seth telling Nick they only have enough bullets for one of us and that they shouldn’t have wasted ammo on the ranger.

  Seth shouts, and I can hear him quite clearly. “Damn it, we should’ve used our bare hands!”

  Ellis stretched his arms out a little to his sides when Seth started a knot around our wrists and bound us together, inches apart from one another’s face. Now Ellis’s face strains until he’s red as he struggles to loosen the rope further. It’s tied so tightly that the area on my skin above the secured knot is white, while my skin under the rope is red and swelling.

  Ellis stops and his eyes drop to mine, and it’s like we’re both thinking the same thing. The seconds pass, and Nick and Seth’s banter back and forth materializes as our one chance to free ourselves before they shoot us.

  “Where’s your gun?” I say, the words as quiet as sudden breaths passed between us.

  “My backpack. By the tent,” Ellis says.

  “How long do you think it would take for you to bolt over there and get it, assuming we can get this rope off us?”

  “A few seconds. But I’d have to get past them and their gun.”

  I sigh. It’s hopeless. We’re going to die. But what if... “I’ll distract them.”

  Ellis raises an eyebrow. “With what? How?”

  I’d be biting my nails as I ponder his question, if my hands weren’t attached to his. Seth raises his voice at his brother, and I glance up at Nick pushing Seth away from him.

  An idea strikes me. I lift a little up from my seat in anticipation. Before I can agree to let Ellis in on my plan, I have to know I can trust him. “How do I know that if we’re able to free ourselves and you grab your gun, you won’t flee and leave me here with them to fend for myself?”

  Ellis releases a heavy sigh. “Even if you can’t bring yourself to trust me, Pauline, know that I love you and will do everything within my power to get you home safe.”

  Even if I’m not sure I can believe him, his assistance is a risk I’m willing to take this one time. But given his lies, I don’t know if I can really trust him, so I’ll make sure the plan works in my favor regardless of what happens.

  With a start, I lean into Ellis and speak. “You break free and distract them. While you’re doing that, I’ll grab your gun. I’m smaller than you are and can get past them quicker. It’s loaded, right?”

  Ellis nods and gives me a skeptical glance. “Do you even know how to use a gun?”

  Coming from the city, guns are unknown to me. This isn’t something I ever thought I’d consider doing. Then again, a lot of what I’ve done on this trip are things I never thought I’d do. “No. I guess I’ll aim and fire?”

  One side of Ellis’s mouth moves up, then lowers, and he clears his throat in a muffled way, as though he’d been about to laugh. “The safety’s above where you place your thumb. You’ll have to disengage it before you can shoot. Be careful. You won’t have time to get a feel for it. Make sure your grip is good. Don’t let it take control. And when you fire, don’t let go.”

  My breathing is ragged. Instead of motivating me, his instructions are freaking me out. If he keeps talking, I might freeze and not get up. Why did I ever suggest this?

  “Now,” he says, and my hands slip free of the rope. He’s wriggled his way out, and, in the process, has freed me. The rope is unwound and hanging loose on my wrists.

  We have one chance. I have one chance.

  In what seems like a flash, Ellis is up and charging toward Nick and Seth, who’s reaching for his gun. I swoop past them to the backpack as twigs and stones jab my feet through my socks.

  The bag’s not zippered, thank God, which saves me a millisecond. I close my eyes and dip my fingers inside, as though the thing will kill me just by my touching it. Then I remember what Ellis said about the safety. I take in air and open my eyes. I have to do this. For myself. For Sam’s honor. And, yeah, maybe even for Ellis.

  My hand touches the cold steel pistol. The first gun I’ve ever held. It’s lighter than I imagined, and even loaded couldn’t weigh more than two pounds.

  There’s yelling coming from the direction of Seth, Nick, and Ellis. There’s no time for me to prepare. And then before I get an opportunity to aim and fire, Seth’s gun goes off, the sound exploding in my ears. The shot rings through the air and remains there for a second. The smell stings my nose. I duck and hold Ellis’s gun above my head.

  Ellis cries out. He’s been hit! He twists around and grabs onto his shoulder.

  Nick throws his arms in the air at Seth. “What are you doing, man? You used all the fucking bullets.”

  Now’s my chance. Perhaps my sole chance. Ellis is down on the ground. His gun is in my hand, the metal cool and hard. I swipe the thumb safety off. Now I’m motivated. I lift it up and aim it at Seth. “Drop your gun, and take off your bow,” I say, with my finger on the trigger.

  Seth peers at the gun in his hand as though he’s deciding what to do, then he tosses it behind him and it smacks on the ground. The crossbow and empty quiver follow. “They’re useless to me anyway.” His eyes level on mine, and then fall to my hand, as if he’s testing whether I have the nerve to pull the trigger. “You wouldn’t dare. I’m not worried one bit.” But Seth’s lips tremble. And they should.

  Nick’s gaze remains focused on me. The gun’s cocked. If I fire, I won’t save my life or Ellis’s. Seth and Nick are out of ammo. I hate Seth for what he’s done, but I don’t need to shoot him to survive.

  He’s right. I can’t end another life. And I’m not ashamed.

  Ellis leaps up from the ground and eases my arm and the pistol down. “It’s okay, Pauline. They can’t hurt us. Be careful not to hurt yourself. The safety’s off.”

  The gun shakes in my hand as I refuse to give it up, and then I slowly pass it to Ellis. He points the gun between Seth and Nick. I have no doubt he’s a terrific shot, and neither do Seth and Nick, who are stock-still.

  Nick lunges toward Ellis, and Ellis fires a warning shot into the air. I don’t duck and cringe this time. And the smell doesn’t bother me. Nick backs off and returns to his place alongside his brother.

  I edge close to Ellis and whisper near his face. “What’s the plan?”

  He meets my gaze, with his pistol still aimed and ready. “Taking you home. But first we’re going to tie up these two assholes.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Pauline

  Ellis and I take turns keeping an eye on Seth and Nick and putting our boots back on.

  With his pistol, Ellis gestures to the log where Seth made us sit before. “Get the fuck on there.” Seth shuffles over and sits where I sat, and a trace of a smile materializes on my lips. When Nick hesitates, Ellis yells at him. “You sit, too.”

  Nick’s mouth curls up on one side and he steps back. “No way.”

  Wrath blazes high and strong in Ellis’s eyes as the creases in his brow deepen and blotches of red creep up his neck. Nick staggers forward and lowers himself onto the log until he touches the surface. His eyes are red-rimmed, and I can’t tell whether their bright color is from exhaustion or unease.

  Seth’s head is bent, and his eyes are lowered to the ground when he asks Ellis, “What are you going to do with us?”

  Ellis grins, with his gun ready to take him wherever he needs to go. At the same time, he’s wincing and his lips are twisted in pain. One glance at his whitening face and the wet, dark red mark seeping through his jacket tells me his shoulder wound is more severe than he’s let on. “You’ll see,” he tells Seth. His lips are paler than before.

  “Ellis, are you okay?” His good hand holds the pistol, and as I touch his arm with the wounded shoulder from behind, he sucks in a sharp breath to dull the pain and twists away from me.

  “I
’m fine.” He won’t look at me. Instead he tosses me the gun.

  It’s warm in my hand from the shot he fired. I guard Seth and Nick as Ellis picks up the ropes they were to use on us and proceeds to tie their wrists and ankles together.

  Seth cringes as Ellis fastens the rope very tight around him. “Something special for you, buddy,” Ellis says with a big grin.

  When Ellis is done tying up Nick and Seth, he motions for me to hand him back the pistol. I’m less afraid handling it this time. I shake my head and instead point it level to his neck. “Did you know?” I demand.

  Ellis raises his hands in the air and holds them out in front of his chest, backing up. “Pauline.” From his tone he isn’t begging me. Rather, he sounds confused.

  “Did you know what they were up to the whole time? All those nights you stayed up to keep an eye on things. Was that all an act?”

  “No. I swear to you. I was paid to guide you. I had no idea they would be following us.”

  I refuse to give up the gun and keep it aimed at him. “Sounds like you need to get a different job.”

  “Pauline, give me the gun. You don’t really know how to use it. Don’t let them get the upper hand.”

  He has a point. I part with the pistol as though it’s something beloved—how things have changed since I started this trip—and pass it to him while eyeing Nick and Seth.

  As Ellis watches over them, I grab our gear and disperse it among us, then we set off.

  Seth and Nick’s complaints ricochet along with us as we walk on the trail.

  “Are we going to leave them back there?” I ask Ellis.

  He takes a t-shirt out of his bag and ties it around his arm and shoulder to staunch his wound. My chest is warmed and expands from the newfound sense of freedom found once we’re out of the forest and onto the path back to civilization. With the perpetrators behind us, I no longer have to worry about harm coming our way, except for maybe the rare, occasional wildlife. But the business with Ellis is far from being resolved.

  “We’ll let the police know where they are when we reach town,” he answers.

  “I could use a drink of water.”

  He digs into his bag and passes me the water bottle. A smile brightens his eyes, but I frown. I lift the top to my lips and take a swig. When I’m done I shake the bottle and there are a few mouthfuls left. “Here, you drink some.” I pass it back to him.

  I’m worried about his shoulder wound. The t-shirt bandage he’s created is darkening with blood. He insists his shoulder doesn’t hurt him, but how can it not? “Are you sure you’re going to make it with your arm in such bad shape?

  Ellis waves me off. If his face turns any more blanched it’s inevitable he’ll pass out. “The bullet didn’t hit me. It grazed me. It’s not in me.”

  “Do you think we’ll arrive in the town before dark?” He might not last if the journey takes any longer than that.

  Ellis shakes his head in a swift motion. “We should be there by the morning. It’s closer than I thought, but not that close.”

  My heart sinks. Can I trust his memory? “Are you sure? I thought you said…”

  When he struggles to step forward, I help him along, our bodies brushing against each other, and I think of the many intimate things we shared not long ago. So much has changed. I’d convinced myself I loved him. Although I feel for him because of everything he’s been through, my body bubbles with anger when I think of the truth he hid from me. There’s anger at myself, too. Because I’m still in love with him despite everything.

  “You should know I’m only helping you because letting you die out here wouldn’t be ethical.” Though I’m curious, I don’t ask him for his actual name, because knowing his true identity could put me in danger.

  Ellis talks between wheezes. “That’s comforting.”

  I offer to carry his bag for him—he’s still lugging the tent—but he refuses to part with it.

  “Suit yourself.”

  After a moment or two he says, “Why don’t you come work with me. After this is all over.”

  I stop in my tracks. “You mean as a criminal?”

  “No. I’m quitting that life. Come work for me as a guide. You’re not a bad paddler.”

  I laugh out loud. “There’s no chance in hell I’d ever have anything to do with you ever again after this, and you’ll be lucky if I don’t turn you in to the police. Aren’t you the least bit worried I’ll tell the cops about you?”

  Ellis shrugs. “I don’t even know most about who I am, so how will they?”

  He’s right. I’ll give him that. “When we first met—that thing you told me about your friend collecting your truck—was it true?”

  “No.”

  “Like I can believe you.” After a few moments, I muster the courage to seek additional answers. “How about at the very beginning of the trip…”

  He shoots me a quizzical look.

  “At the beginning of the trip you were trying to make me not want to go. Why?”

  “I was unsure whether I wanted to go through with it.”

  His answer is direct and honest, and I don’t know why that bothers me. But it does. It cuts through me like a cold, heartless blade.

  For the rest of the trek, I’m silent and avoid looking at him. At the same time, I’m trusting he knows where we’re headed.

  ***

  We reach the town of Mayer the next morning after a long, final hike and catching a few hours rest at night. For a moment, I actually worry about Seth and Nick out there alone last night, and wonder if they made it through okay. Ellis tells me I’m a good person and that’s why I’m concerned. I do right by others, even when they’d tried to kill me.

  “Not that you’d know what makes someone good,” I snap back at him. Ellis’s wound held up well overnight, but I’m eager to get him to a hospital as we set foot in town.

  “I’ll be okay,” he says.

  “Last night I was worried I’d wake up and find you dead this morning.”

  A smile spreads across Ellis’s lips as he glances at me while we walk almost side by side. “I’m touched. I slept like a dead man. It was the first night I didn’t have to stay up and keep watch.”

  The town is quaint, connected by wide, tree-lined sidewalks. The morning here is clear and bright. The smells of food waft to my nose and my stomach grumbles. Most of the shops appear closed. Is today a holiday I’ve forgotten? As we round the corner, people are gathered on the steps outside of a large white church. Men and boys are in dark suits and bright ties, and the women and girls wear pastel-colored dresses or cream dress slacks. They look like families, mostly, and are chatting and laughing in groups. Their faces are vivid with smiles. The sight is so beautiful. Is it a mirage?

  No. It’s real. It’s Sunday, and the day that was supposed to be the conclusion of my rafting trip. I breathe out and almost smile because we made it on schedule in spite of the ordeal. We made good time.

  Ellis and I must look like some sort of vagabonds to the families. With our dirty clothing and general unkempt appearances, we’re such a stark contrast to them.

  They turn to face us as we walk past them and gape and whisper at Ellis’s wound. About a dozen people ask if we need their assistance. I half expect someone to appear with a medical kit and start attending to Ellis on the spot. I ask a woman with an amenable face for directions to the hospital, and Ellis asks an older man for the way to the police station. Considering who Ellis is, I’m surprised he wants to step foot in a place filled with cops at his own will, but I reason he’s doing it for me. And that counts for something. But it doesn’t necessarily mean he loves me. And logic says I can’t love him knowing what I do, even though I do love him.

  The older man can’t remember the street name where the sheriff’s office is located, but a handsome blond guy is able to give us directions. He says, “Would you believe the other day some other travelers came in here asking me for the same thing?”

  Other travelers?

>   Ellis wins, and we follow the directions to the sheriff’s office first, and not the hospital as I wished. We stride past the decorated storefronts to a tall brick building identified by a bronze sign hanging above the entrance. From what Ellis said about the town, I assumed it would be larger. It’s a frontier community, small, and old-fashioned in a nostalgic way, as though we’re standing in the Old West.

  Ellis uses his good arm to open the door for me.

  “You didn’t have to hold the door for me,” I say, stepping inside with the bell on the door chiming.

  “I know, but I wanted to.”

  Inside the building a guy in a tan uniform and an immaculately groomed older woman, both behind a large desk, gape at the straggly travelers who’ve stepped into their cool, clean admittance area, and jump to their feet. The ceiling is high, and our voices echo throughout the open room. It’s Sunday, so the place is pretty empty.

  A guy seated on a bench in a jean jacket with a baseball cap pulled down low on his head and the rim obscuring half of his face, lets out a low whistle. He nods at Ellis’s shoulder wound. “That looks like a bad one you’ve got there, man.” His wrists are in handcuffs.

  The uniformed officer behind the white u-shaped desk speaks to us. “You two look like you’ve been through a war.” His eyes gleam with interest.

  “You don’t know the half of it,” I reply.

  We don’t have to explain the reason we’re here, because he says, “I’ll go fetch the sheriff and tell him we have another pair.”

  Another pair of what? From the look on Ellis’s face, he’s perplexed, too.

  The man motions to Ellis as he steps out from behind the front desk. “How badly are you hurt, sir?”

  “Not too bad. The bullet only grazed my shoulder.”

  His quickness to downplay the severity of his injury roils me enough to interject. “He’s been bleeding overnight.”

  “I’ll call an ambulance,” the officer says to me. “And in the meantime, I’ll get something to help him with that wound.”

  Ellis watches him disappear down the hall and speaks to me. “Thanks, but I don’t need you to take care of me, Pauline.”