White Water

by Linda I. Shands

  And maybe pigs can fly. She shook her head. Get over it, Wako. All this maybe stuff won’t find him. She had to keep on looking.

  When she reached the tree where they had been hung up in the raft, she shed her pack and shimmied out onto the trunk. The branches dipped perilously close to the water, but held her weight. For once, she was glad to be small. The tree limbs carried her almost to the middle of the river. She sat up, and when she was balanced, searched the river and its high, brush-choked banks. It was a long, straight stretch of water, but it was like sitting in the end zone of a football field. Things were pretty clear for the first fifty yards, but after that details were blurred. As far as she could tell though, there was no sign of a backpack, or a little boy wearing blue jeans and a dark green jacket.

  He made it to shore. He’s disoriented. He’s holed up somewhere and can’t hear me call. Her mind spun with possibilities as she resumed the search, this time walking a zigzag course downstream, inland from the river. It was nearly dark when she heard the sound of the chopper blades.

  Kara felt a surge of hope. Colin and Tia had sent help! She dropped her pack and unzipped the outside pocket, searching wildly for the waterproof matches she always kept there. She had to light a fire or the chopper would never see her in this light. She ran toward the sound of the churning engine, then froze. A feeling of sharp despair nearly brought her to her knees. So what if they find me? Ryan’s the one who needs rescuing. It was almost dark. If she got into that chopper, they would take her back to Eagle Lodge and suspend the search for Ryan until morning.

  She hurried back to where she’d left her pack and practically dove into a cluster of juniper and wild rhododendron bushes. A squirrel scolded her from the nearest tree, and a pair of crows took flight, setting up enough ruckus to stampede a herd of cattle. Thankfully, the chopper crew wasn’t looking for crows.

  Kara made herself as small as possible and held her breath as the helicopter passed overhead. It flew slowly, stopping every few yards to hover. She knew they were trying to cover every foot of ground between here and the rapids. She hoped they wouldn’t stop until they had. Please, please don’t let them see me; they have to keep searching, they have to.

  “I will never leave you, or forsake you.”

  That Bible verse was not the answer she’d expected from her desperate prayer. “It’s not me I’m scared for,” she wanted to shout, “it’s Ryan. I don’t want anything for myself, God. Please just let us find him!”

  She huddled in her hiding place until the sky grew dark. The helicopter made one more pass with its searchlight blazing only inches from her hunched over form. She squeezed her eyes shut and listened as the engine noise faded into the night. She knew they would not be back until morning.

  WHEN SHE WAS SURE THE helicopter wasn’t coming back, Kara dug a flashlight out of her pack and started inland, looking for a grove of trees where she might find wood to build a tepee and start a fire. She’d gone only a couple hundred yards when she tripped. She caught hold of a tree to keep from falling, then trained the flashlight on the ground to where a wooden stake held down a piece of rope. She followed the rope with her light and gasped when she found an old, square-frame shelter covered with a green canvas tarp, almost identical to the one Dad had used with their old army tent.

  Kara could hardly believe it! She peered cautiously inside. The shelter was empty, and from the looks of things, no human had occupied it for awhile. She scooped out old pine branches littered with animal droppings and small bones. She studied the debris carefully, then decided none of it was fresh enough to worry about. When the floor of the small shelter was clean, she cut some fresh pine boughs, laid them down, and covered them with a space blanket. She was so tired, it took every ounce of energy she had just to crawl inside, roll into her sleeping bag, and close her eyes.

  When she awoke, the thick darkness had given way to a million stars winking like diamonds in an ink blue sky. The world outside her sleeping bag was sharp with cold, and her face and nose felt numb. She rubbed some feeling into her cheeks, then looked at her watch. The luminous dial told her it was close to 11:00 P.M. Her stomach churned, reminding her that it had been hours since her last meal.

  Keeping as much of her body as possible in the sleeping bag, she rifled through her pack and found the raisins, a piece of jerky, and her canteen of water. She wanted more than anything to look for Ryan, but she knew better than to try. The woods were no place to roam in the dark. She could only hope and pray that he was holed up like she was, safe and warm.

  She chewed the dry meat, enjoying the salty, smoky flavor. If Ryan had managed to grab his backpack, he wouldn’t go hungry either. The packs were waterproof, and he had a change of clothes, not to mention extra socks and a sweatshirt. He’ll be fine. She tried to convince herself of that, but the tears came anyway, and she knew there was a good chance he wasn’t fine. A good chance he wasn’t even alive.

  Don’t think like that, Wako, it doesn’t help.

  “Cast all your anxiety on Him, for He cares for you.”

  First Peter 5:7. They had memorized that verse at youth group a few weeks ago, and Mr. Andrews had given the illustration of anxiety or worries being like a heavy coat. “When something is worrying you,” he had said, “you can mentally take it off, as if it were a coat, and lay it across Jesus’ shoulders. No burden is too great for Him.”

  “There are no problems too big for God, but a stubborn heart can muffle His voice.” Anne’s words again. Suddenly Kara realized they were true. “I have been stubborn, haven’t I, God?” she whispered. “I should have turned it over to you a long time ago.” She thought about her family back at Eagle Lodge. Tia would be in Lariat by now. But the rest of them would be awake. Colin had probably told them that Ryan had drowned, and now she was missing too. She could picture Anne crying and Dad on the radio organizing volunteers and supplies for a search the next day.

  “I messed up, Mom,” she said aloud. “I should have flagged the helicopter and talked them into searching with an infrared scope.” Sheriff Lassen might not have one, but the forest service would.

  Another Bible verse popped into her mind. “If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

  Still snug in the sleeping bag, Kara drew up her legs and rested her chin on her knees. Staring out into the beauty of the moonlit forest, she said simply, “I’m sorry, God. If I could take it back, I would, but there’s nothing I can do. So please forgive me and watch over Ryan. I know he’s out there somewhere. Please keep him safe.”

  She started singing softly, “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound . . .” By the third verse, she felt drowsy again. She curled up on the lumpy pine mattress, closed her eyes, and fell instantly asleep.

  The scream shattered her sleep like an arrow striking glass.

  Kara jumped up. Thwack! Her head hit the top of the shelter. She went down again, rubbing the instant lump that had formed on the top of her head and struggling to fight her way out of the sleeping bag.

  The scream came again, louder this time, followed by, “Get out of here, you big bully!” Then, “Help! Kara, help meeee!”

  Ryan! There was no mistaking her little brother’s howl. Kara finally pulled free of the tangled bag. Grateful that she had slept in her clothes, she bolted out of the shelter into the pale, gray light of early morning. Her thick cotton socks did little to save her feet from becoming a pincushion for pinecones and sharp twigs, but Kara hardly noticed as she sped toward Ryan’s continued calls for help.

  “Leave me alone! Kar-raaa!”

  His screams sent chills through her, spurring her on. She started to yell, “I’m coming, Ry,” but stopped in time. She would need stealth and a weapon. She came to a halt in front of a huge boulder. Ryan’s frantic cries came from the other side. Please, God, she prayed silently, show me what to do! An instant picture of David preparing to do battle with Goliath flashed through her mind. She
nearly laughed out loud, but the message was clear. Quickly, she searched the ground. She needed stones, good-sized ones. She settled for two that she could stuff in her jacket pockets and quickly began to climb the boulder, thankful for stocking feet that kept her approach somewhat quiet. Not that it mattered much. Ryan’s clamor continued with the same force as before. Whoever was after him wasn’t doing any damage to his voice. And, she realized, it didn’t sound as if anyone was hurting him. He sounded as mad as a cornered cat!

  At the top of the largest boulder, Kara froze. There below her on the ground were the remains of Ryan’s backpack and jacket. It looked like they had been fed through a shredder, with pieces of blue canvas, green nylon, and white cotton padding strewn all over the ground. Heart pounding, her eyes followed the trail of debris across the small clearing to a tall ponderosa pine. She found Ryan about halfway up the trunk, firmly wedged between two stout branches. Eyes squeezed shut and still yelling like crazy, he hung on with one hand while beating at the tree below him with a long, bushy pine frond. At the base of the tree, a large black bear stood on its back legs, clawing the tree trunk, staying just out of reach of Ryan’s flimsy weapon.

  Kara’s chest tightened in fear when she saw the radio collar around the bear’s neck. Was it the same animal that attacked Lyman? That ranger, Brad, said it would probably work its way back to its home territory. Was it possible for a bear to travel this far in just a few days?

  Kara tried to slow her breathing. So far the animal didn’t seem to know she was there. She must be downwind. “Once they’ve tasted blood . . .” The memory of the warning made her stomach churn. Stay calm. She couldn’t call out—that would scare Ryan, and he might fall out of the tree. She’d give anything for Colin’s rifle, but it was back at Eagle Lodge. The only weapons she had were the stones in her pocket.

  Okay, God, this time it’s all up to You. She hefted a baseball-sized rock from her pocket, drew back, and pitched a hard fastball straight toward the back of the animal’s head.

  The instant she threw, the bear must have caught the sound of her movement. It turned, and the rock smacked hard into its nose. With a bellow of fury, the animal started toward her, still on two legs, roaring and acting more like a grizzly than a black bear.

  Crazy! The minute the thought crossed her mind, Kara knew it had to be true. For whatever reason, this bear was insane. It was capable of anything, and there was no way she could know what it would do next.

  “Kara!” Ryan’s yell of recognition distracted her for only a moment, but by the time she had snatched up another rock, the creature was already at the base of the boulder. If she didn’t give it a good reason to leave, and soon, she was literally dead meat.

  “Get him, Kara. Knock him out!”

  At Ryan’s yell, the bear hesitated and turned back toward the tree. Kara wound up and threw the second stone as hard as she could, aiming for the same spot. It struck just behind a well-padded ear, and the bear turned back to her, huffing loudly, its eyes blazing in fury.

  Quickly she scanned the area around her for another weapon. A few larger, heavier rocks were scattered among the stones across the top of her fortress. Instantly, Kara knew what she had to do.

  “The Lord is my strength.” The same David who killed Goliath had written those words in the Psalms. “Be my strength too, God,” she prayed, as she hurried toward one of the bigger rocks. She hefted it into her arms. The weight of it nearly pulled her over as she staggered to the edge of the boulder.

  Her appearance sent the bear into another rage. She held her breath and froze in place until the animal was directly below her, then drew air deep into her lungs, lifted the rock as high as she could, and hurtled it straight down. It landed with a crunch right on top of the bear’s upturned snout. Blood spattered the rocks and ground as the animal fell. For one heart-stopping moment it swayed on all fours, shaking its head, then, to Kara’s relief, it turned and sped off into the woods.

  “Whooee! Way to go, Kara!” Ryan had dropped the branch he’d been waving and had both arms locked around the trunk of the tree.

  Kara half-jumped, half-slid down the side of the boulder and raced across the clearing. She felt a prickly sensation at the back of her neck, as if the bear was right behind her. One glance proved he wasn’t, but that didn’t mean he might not return at any moment.

  At the base of the tree, she stopped and looked up. “Come on down, Ry, you’re safe now.”

  He shook his head. “I can’t. There’s no branches to climb on.”

  He was right. She wanted to ask him how he’d gotten up there, but then she realized adrenaline must have turned him into a monkey. That, or maybe God had given him a push. The tree limbs shifted with his weight when he moved, and she could see him shiver. He was dressed in his sweatshirt and a pair of long johns, with thick wool socks several sizes too big pulled up like leggings over his feet to his knees. The cold morning air called for a jacket.

  “Are you hurt anywhere?” When he shook his head no, she breathed a sigh of relief and moved to where he could see her clearly. “Watch me, Ry.” She hurried to another tree, sat on the ground, and wrapped both arms and legs around the trunk. “Come down like this. Go slow; I’ll stay underneath so you won’t fall.”

  He sniffed and shook his head. The reality of his predicament was sinking in, and Kara was afraid he would stay there all day. That option might keep him safe until the rescue party came, but if that bear came back, it left her as the main course in people stew. Besides, black bears were good climbers and this one was insane, which, in her mind, put them in double jeopardy.

  She decided to be truthful and firm. “No choice, Ry. If that bear comes back, we’re in real trouble. We’ve got to get out of here, so do as I say and do it now!”

  To her surprise, he drew a shuddering breath, wrapped his body around the trunk, and inched his way to the ground. She guided him the last few feet, then pulled him into a tight hug. “Oh, Ry, I thought we’d lost you!” The last two words came out on a sob, and she clung to him, rubbing his back and smoothing back his hair, just as she’d seen Mom do dozens of times. It was then she knew that with Mom gone, Ryan had become more to her than just a brother; it was like he was her own child.

  Ryan squirmed out of her grasp, sniffling, and wiped his nose on the sleeve of his sweatshirt. “Snot-nosed ole bear ate my breakfast, then I thought it was going to eat me, so I climbed the tree.”

  Kara grinned and brushed away her own tears. “Good thinking, Ry. But let’s get out of here, okay? Dad will be coming with a rescue party soon. We need to be closer to the river.” She took his hand to lead him back toward the boulders, but he wouldn’t budge.

  “Wait. I gotta get my stuff!”

  Kara studied the remains of Ryan’s shredded pack and shook her head. “Sorry, it doesn’t look like there’s much left.”

  Ryan frowned. “Not that. My survival kit and bear blanket. Over there.” He pointed to a huge, blackened tree stump. The rest of the tree had fallen, struck by lightning, Kara guessed. It had broken at about the halfway mark, and animals, insects, or time had carved a large hole into the base of the trunk. Before she could stop him, Ryan raced toward the stump and returned clutching the canvas pouch he called his survival kit. With his other hand he half dragged, half carried, a large bear hide.

  Kara gasped when she realized what he had. “Where did you get that?”

  “From Big Foot,” Ryan said calmly as he stepped ahead of her. “We’d better go now, Kara, ’cause that bear might come back, and he’s gonna be mad.”

  KARA KEPT HER EYES ON the bushes as she pushed Ryan ahead of her. She moved quickly around the boulders and back down the thin trail to the shelter where she had spent the night. The sky had brightened to an eggshell blue, with wisps of white clouds streaking across the tops of the trees.

  “Wow, cool!” Ryan crowed when he saw the small pole structure. “I bet Big Foot made this. Yours are pointed at the top.”

  Kara frown
ed. “What are you talking about, Ry? There are no Sasquatch around here.” She bent down and quickly pulled on her boots. “Besides, no one knows if they’re real or not.”

  Ryan’s chin came up, and he pointed to his chest. “I know! Big Foot saved me. He helped me breathe.”

  Kara stared at him. Was this his imagination? Or had someone really pulled him out of the river? And where did he get that bear hide? “Ry?” She started to ask again where he had found the rug, but the drone of an airplane engine stopped her.

  “Yeah! Dad’s here! Can we go home now, Kara? ’Cause I’m really hungry.”

  She smiled and took his hand. “Sure. But we’d better hurry. Walk really fast, but stay with me, okay?”

  Quickly Kara led the way back to the river. A few yards from where the raft had tangled with the tree, a rocky beach separated the forest from the river. “If we stand out here,” she told Ryan, “they’ll see us right away.”

  The plane had already made one pass, but she knew they’d be back. She watched Ryan struggling to keep the bear hide wrapped around his skinny frame, then took it from him. “Let me see that. Please?” Even without close examination, she could tell the hide had been expertly tanned. She bent down in front of her little brother and said evenly, “Where did you get this, Ry? If you took it from somewhere, I promise you’re not in trouble.”

  Ryan scowled. “I told you! The Sas . . .” Behind her, a branch snapped. Ryan’s face turned white, and Kara jumped to her feet. The grunts and huffing sounds coming from the bushes meant only one thing.