“To slow those guys down, I think we should go out the way we came in for a while, like you suggested last night. Then if we turn southwest, we’ll eventually come to some logging roads and possibly a camp. It will take two, maybe three days, of steady hiking if there are no problems. During that time we can signal a plane or a chopper if we hear one. With the food we have and what we can forage we should be all right. I caught some trout during the night. If we’re not being followed, maybe we could build a small fire and cook them later. The boys look like they could use the protein,” Stacey finished and waited for his reaction.
“What are the other options?”
“Well, we could follow the river west. The going would be easier and we might run into a fishing party or some hunters. That way we could fish and have plenty of water, but it would be easier for the crooks, too. The other option is to go all the way back to the crash site and wait for the chopper to check on us.”
“The river’s out. I don’t want to take a chance of getting caught by those criminals. How long would it take us to reach the crash site?” Cord asked. “Four days?”
“Closer to six. We’d be climbing most of the way and the condition the boys are in, it would take a lot out of them. There’s also new snow on the mountain. It would be rough on all of us. You really think those men will come after us, don’t you?” She watched him closely as he thought about what she told him. He walked away several paces, rubbed his hand over his face, and came back.
“Stacey, I don’t know.” Cord should have known he would have to tell her all of it. “The boys can identify them. Ricky and Don know those guys have the bonds and they will tell what they know once we get them out of here. We just have to assume the crooks will be behind us, but I didn’t want to scare you or those kids. How sure are you about the logging roads?”
“Fairly sure. The whole area between the Lochsa and Moose Rivers is pretty much owned or leased by timber operations. They’ll start logging early with this milder weather we’re having.”
“Okay. That’s the plan then. I’m going down to the river and clean up a little. Then we’ll need to get going.” Cord looked at the back of his dirty hands.
“What is that on you, anyway,” Stacey wrinkled her nose at him, “since you brought it up?”
“Just black mud, I hope. It made good camouflage, but it’s beginning to itch and smell.”
“I hear women in the cities pay big bucks for mud treatments like that. Makes them beautiful,” she laughed softly.
“Maybe I should leave it on then. I need all the help I can get,” Cord chuckled and turned to go down the trail to the river.
Stacey watched him for a minute before returning to where Ricky and Don were huddled together, still sleeping. Hating to, but knowing it was necessary she reached out and touched Ricky’s shoulder. “Ricky—Don—you need to get up. Why don’t you go find Cord and wash up at the river? We’ve got to leave, soon,” she told them.
“Man, just like a woman,” Don fussed as he stretched and yawned. “Only been around a few hours and she already sounds like mom.”
“Come on, Don. What she says makes sense. You have to excuse him, Miss Parker. He’s at that age, you know,” Ricky told her as he rolled his blanket and handed it to her with a shy smile.
“I know,” she smiled back. “Both of you should call me Stacey. I hope we’ll be friends by the time we get out of here.” She picked up Don’s blanket and rolled it before tying both blankets to her pack.
Ricky and Don made their way down to the river to find Cord. All three shed their shirts to wash in the cold water.
Stacey waited for them to hike back up the hill to rejoin her. As she looked toward them, she couldn’t tear her eyes from Cord. He had not put his shirt back on yet, letting his skin dry in the morning sun. His smooth, muscular chest caught and held her attention as he came closer. The muscles rippled under the sleek, tanned skin and her hands trembled with her desire to touch him.
Moving past her to his pack, Cord tossed each of the boys a chocolate bar then tied his sweatshirt onto the top of the pack with his bedroll. “Stacey!” he said loudly to get her attention.
“What?” She jerked her eyes guiltily to his face. He saw the desire in her eyes and his deep, brown eyes reflected it for just a second before he closed it off.
“Do you want one of these?” Cord held a chocolate bar out to her.
“No thanks, maybe later,” she responded and turned away to shoulder her pack. She definitely shouldn’t watch Cord put his thermal shirt on, she decided. “We should probably get going.” Leading the way, she reached the game trail and began the climb up the slope away from the river.
Cord motioned for the boys to follow her and took time to pull on his shirt. He was pleased that she liked him without it. Shrugging into his pack, he followed several yards behind the others. This position would allow him to drop back occasionally to be sure they weren’t being pursued. It would also put him in the line of fire first if they were followed. Cord rechecked his weapon as he walked and then, satisfied that it was in good shape, he secured it in the holster at the middle of his back.
Stacey kept up a steady pace. They stopped for only a couple of breaks as the morning passed. The boys didn’t complain and seemed comfortable with her leading. At noon, she located a sheltered spot slightly off the trail and called a halt for lunch.
“Do you think it’s safe to build a small fire? I have to cook these fish or throw them away,” she told Cord when he caught up.
“Yeah, go ahead and cook them. We can sure use the hot food. I’ll get some wood,” Cord agreed.
“Can we help, Stacey?” Ricky volunteered.
“Do you know how to make a spit?”
“Sure. I’ll cut the sticks,” he offered as he patted the pockets of his jeans. “I forgot. They took my pocketknife. Do you have one?”
“Here,” she pulled hers out and handed it to him. She watched as Don got up off the ground and followed his brother in search of the right branches to cut. In the sunlight, Stacey noticed a bruised area on the left side of the younger boy’s nose. It probably explained the blood she found several days earlier where the boys tried to escape. Maybe he would talk about it eventually.
Both boys seemed to be handling the situation pretty well. No apparent signs of shock or trauma. Of course, it might not show up until the ordeal was over and they were safely at home. That happened sometimes. She located the small pack of herbs in her pack and rubbed a pinch inside each of the trout after first rinsing the fish with water from the canteen.
Ricky and Don returned and busily erected a spit over the small fire Cord started. Stacey passed the seasoned fish to Ricky one at a time and he speared them onto the spit. Don appointed himself in charge of turning the trout as they grilled. Getting out her tiny stove, Stacey set it up in the edge of the fire. She poured water into the metal cup and added a packet of instant coffee before placing it on the stove. “Sorry guys, but I’ve only got one cup. We’ll have to take turns if you want coffee.”
“Yuck, I’ll stick to water,” Don gave his opinion. “Now, if it was hot chocolate, we’d talk.” He turned the fish again by rolling the branch that extended between two upright limbs jammed in the ground. Juices began to drip and the aroma made their mouths water.
“I’d like to have some coffee, if you have enough,” Ricky told Stacey. “Oh yeah, here’s your knife back.”
“Thanks. You can have the first cup,” she used the tail of her thermal shirt to take the cup off the little stove. “Be careful, it’s hot.”
Ricky pulled his shirtsleeve down over his hand and took the cup from her. “I guess there’s not any sugar?” he asked with a grin.
“Afraid not. Hey Don, are they done yet?” Stacey asked as the younger boy turned the fish again.
“I don’t really care. I’m ready to eat one anyway. I think I could eat one raw,” Don answered enthusiastically.
Ricky glanced at Stacey with
raised eyebrows, and at her nod he said, “Okay, squirt. Take them off and let them cool a minute. If you grab one now, you’ll burn your hand.”
Cord sat back and watched the friendly interchange between the female guide and the two teenagers. He could already tell Ricky was developing a huge crush on Stacey. He couldn’t blame him—he had one himself. The envy he felt for their easy relationship was new to him. He always managed to stay distant and detached before, with Stacey it wasn’t possible. She made him respond and want things he thought he had given up on a long time ago.
After heating another cup of water and adding coffee to it, she offered it to Cord. He shook his head. “You first, I’ll wait for the next one.”
Don carried the stick with the fish to each of them and waited while they slid a freshly grilled trout off. The meat was still very warm, but not enough to burn their fingers. The skin of the trout held the meat together as they began to eat. Inside it was tender and moist, delicious after power bars and trail mix. When they finished the fish and Cord was drinking his coffee, Stacey passed around a bag of honey-roasted nuts.
“I think this is the best meal I ever had.” Don licked his fingers and took another handful of nuts. “The only thing missing is the soda.”
“I saw where you two were eating plant leaves and seeds. You must have camped, a good bit,” remarked Stacey as she passed Don a canteen.
“Dad took us camping and fishing three or four times every summer. He always showed us the stuff we could eat and what to stay away from. Some of it was real nasty. Dad said we might need to know about such stuff some day. Guess he was right, huh, Ricky?”
“Yeah. Those guys wouldn’t even give us a drink of water. We took a chance on drinking out of the streams we crossed. We figured better a stomach ache than dying of thirst. Once we figured out they were hiding the trail and weren’t going to give us any food we tried to get away. That guy called Brooks caught on and busted Don’s nose. He said he would shoot him and pointed his gun at him. I couldn’t go without him. Dad always counted on me to look after him. After that we started remembering what dad taught us. Some of it did taste pretty bad, but it kept us from starving.”
“I think you and Don did a lot better than most people would under the circumstances, Ricky. Your dad and mom are going to be very proud of you when you tell them about it.” Stacey turned away to check her pack so they wouldn’t see the moisture in her eyes.
Cord rinsed the coffee cup then got to his feet, stretching and yawning. “Much as I hate to say it, we need to get going. Why don’t you three break camp and I’ll check the back-trail? I’ll be back in ten minutes.”
Stacey, Don, and Ricky buried the trash, put out the fire, and scattered the campfire ashes while Cord was gone. They left the trout skins on a rock for wandering wildlife to eat.
Ricky offered to carry Stacey’s pack for a while, but she tactfully declined. She distracted them by telling about the night she climbed the tree to get away from the bear. Both boys were laughing out loud when Cord returned.
“All clear,” he reported as he pulled on his pack.
They all fell in behind Stacey as she led the way. Keeping a steady pace, later in the afternoon they reached a large creek. They refilled the canteens, added purifier tablets, and kept hiking. Periodically Cord would drop back to make sure the criminals weren’t closing in. Walking slower now, they hiked up into the mountains.
When they reached the top of a high ridge, Stacey stopped for them all to catch up and then pointed to the southeast. The peak of Ranger Mountain loomed over them covered from half-way up to the top with snow. The late afternoon sun sparkled off the fresh white surface.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” she asked as she breathed deeply.
“And deadly,” Cord added. “I guess it’s a good thing we don’t have to go that way.”
“That’s where the plane crashed, isn’t it?” Ricky wanted to know.
“Yes, it is.” Cord kept it brief, not quite knowing what to say.
“Are the—are the bodies still there?” He stumbled slightly over the question.
“No. They’ve been lifted out by the Idaho Search and Rescue Team,” Cord told him.
“Good,” Ricky decided after a few minutes. “Dad wouldn’t want Geoff left up there.” He put his arm on Don’s shoulders and they turned away to start down the side of the ridge.
“I didn’t think about them losing someone they knew in the crash,” Stacey whispered to Cord.
“I know. We’ve been sort of busy. But they’re okay. They seem like good kids. Are you doing alright?”
“I’m just a little tired. At the bottom of this ridge we should turn southwest. Maybe tomorrow evening or Thursday morning we’ll locate a logging road. The going will be tough in spots and it’s going to rain again,” she informed him as she indicated the clouds drifting in from the northwest.
“At least it won’t be like climbing that,” he gestured toward the peak. “Let’s go on or the boys will lose us.”
Ricky and Don had stopped farther down to wait for them. Stacey moved into the lead once more. The shadows were deepening as they reached the lower slope of the ridge where the trees and the other mountains blocked out the sunlight. Taking a well-worn game trail going in the general direction they needed to travel, she kept an eye out for bears.
There were early berries in some of the sheltered valleys and they were bear magnets. Stacey wouldn’t object to finding some of those bushes herself to supplement their supplies. Clouds drifted slowly into the area. It would definitely rain by early morning. If it turned into a storm, they would do better to settle in and wait it out. But that would add to the food problem. She had already cut down on what she normally consumed while hiking and she noticed Cord doing the same.
A short time later, she saw a thicket with small white blooms a short distance off to the side of the trail. Holding up her hand, Stacey signaled a stop and slipped away to investigate. Several berries clung to the briars and were ripe enough to eat. After searching the area for fresh bear sign and not seeing any, she returned to get the others.
“Okay guys, berry picking time.” She searched in her backpack for empty baggies and gave one to each of them. “Just pick the ripe ones. The others will give you a stomach ache. Don’t eat too many at once, either, right?”
“Yes, mommy,” Don replied as he rolled his eyes.
Ricky gave him a smack on the back of the head. “Listen up, squirt. I don’t want you moaning with the tummy ache all night. What about bears, Stacey?”
“Keep a watch, but there’s no fresh sign. We should be safe enough,” Stacey replied.
“Men, we have our assignments. Hop to!” Cord ordered. He and Stacey shed their packs near the bushes then they all began filling their bags. The ripe berries were scattered among the flowers and it became like a treasure hunt. The boys began competing to see who could find the most. Near dark they were finally satisfied they had picked all of the ripe berries.
Ricky conceded to Don in their competition and Stacey consolidated the berries into two almost full bags. She put them in a pocket on the outside of her pack.
“We have to move on for a little way. It wouldn’t be safe to camp this near the berries because of the bears. There should be a good spot not far from here,” Stacey told them as she slipped on her pack.
“Man, I’m too tired to take another step. If a bear came along, Stacey, you could always ask it to dance,” Don teased hooting with laughter.
“Just you wait and see if I ever tell you anything else,” she grabbed Don around the neck with one arm and rubbed the knuckles of her free hand on the top of his head, laughing too. “Come on, man. You can make it.” She let go after a quick hug and led the way once more.
They stayed nearer to each other in the dark to keep from getting separated. After several hundred yards, Stacey spotted the dark silhouette of a well-filled out fir against the night sky. She headed carefully toward it.
“This looks pretty good. Hold on while I check it out,” she told them. Taking a small flashlight from her pack, she kept it aimed at the ground as she pushed slowly under the lower branches of the large, old Douglas Fir tree. Ticking items off her mental list, she saw no animal signs, no poison oak, no snake holes, and an abundance of pine needles. Plus, the lower branches would support the tarp in case it rained. Double-checking to make sure they would not be in a low spot where water might gather, she decided it would do for the night.
“Unless someone has an objection, this is where we’ll camp tonight,” she rejoined Cord and the boys. Even though the statement was general, she looked at Cord.
“Looks fine to me. I think we need to cold camp, though. Just in case. Once we get settled I need to check our back-trail. Should we use the tarp or do you think the rain will hold off?” They both scanned the dark sky overhead. A few stars were out, but the clouds were getting thicker and lower.
“We should go ahead and put it up. Looks like it will rain before daylight.”
“Can we eat first? I’m starving,” Don wanted to know.
“No, squirt. You know the rules. You make camp first then you eat,” Ricky reminded him.
“Hey, it was worth a try,” Don grumbled. “Maybe they don’t know the rules.”
“What do you want us to do, Stacey?” Ricky offered and rolled his eyes at his brother.
“Once Cord and I have the tarp up, you and Don can make our beds under it. Here, Cord. I finally found it. You might know it worked all the way to the bottom.” She passed him the special rubberized sheet they used before and some clips.
He unfolded it and they managed to spread it over several of the lowest branches securing it in place. Ricky and Don crawled under and began scraping together pine needles for bedding.
Surviving With Love Page 8