Wilderness Target

by Sharon Dunn

  Ezra parked his car and sprinted toward a high spot that would provide a perfect view of the place where the men had gone. He pushed himself to run faster, praying that there would be some buildup before they killed Clarissa, giving him time to intervene. He got to the top of the rock formation and peered down. The two men were digging a grave, while Max kept an eye on Clarissa. Her hands were tied, but not her feet. Only one of the men had a gun visible on his belt. Ezra couldn’t tell if Max had a gun because he wore a jacket.

  All of this was good. Ezra moved stealthily down the rocks toward the trees that surrounded where the men were digging. Using the woods for cover, Ezra worked his way toward Max and Clarissa. The diggers were a good thirty yards away. Max was a big man, but not muscular.

  Ezra waited until the guy with the gun wandered away before making his move. He pounced on Max, disabling him with a single blow to the chest. Max groaned in pain and crumpled to the ground.

  Ezra reached for Clarissa just as a hand grabbed the back of his shirt. He was glad to see it wasn’t the thug with the gun. The henchman yanked Ezra back and landed a clumsy blow to the side of his head. Ezra whirled around and hit him hard three times in the head, throat, stomach.

  The second thug emerged from the trees. He’d taken his gun holster off while digging the hole and had dropped it on the ground. Ezra leaped for the gun and held it on the man, who backed up with his hands in the air.

  When he whirled around, he saw that Max had recovered and was leading Clarissa back to the car. He pushed her through the driver’s-side door and then got in himself. Ezra darted toward them, trying to get close enough for an effective pistol shot. He aimed for a tire just as Max turned the car around. As the car lumbered forward on the washboard road, Ezra ran after it and shot at the tires again. The car continued to move but never gained speed as the tires slowly deflated.

  Arms pumping, Ezra raced to catch up. When he glanced over his shoulder, one of the thugs was getting to his feet, but swaying.

  Max got out of the car, ran to the passenger side and yanked Clarissa out. He had a gun in his hand, which he must have retrieved from the car. Max shoved Clarissa into a grove of aspen trees.

  Had Max been pushed to the point of desperation where he would kill Clarissa even if there was a witness? Ezra doubted it. The new plan was probably to kill him, too. He entered the aspen grove. The white-and-black bark of the thin, close-together trees created a sort of labyrinth that was hard to see through. He caught a flash of color and moved toward it, aware that Max’s plan might be to lure him to a vulnerable spot and then shoot him.

  Ezra’s heart drummed in his ears as he slipped around the trees. He pushed aside mental pictures of Clarissa being killed. He was no good to her if he let that fear take over. He stopped and pushed his back against a tree. Enough dry leaves littered the ground that he should hear the crunch of footsteps if Clarissa and Max were still moving. Wind gusted around him. Aspen leaves clacked and chattered on the branches, but he couldn’t detect anything that sounded human.

  He wove deeper into the forest, pushing down the rising anxiety. He would find Clarissa. She would get out of this alive. He said a prayer as he took in a breath and worked his way to the edge of the grove.

  He stepped out into an open meadow, still seeing no sign of Max. He turned in a half circle, scanning the area around him.

  “Ezra!” Clarissa shouted his name.

  He whirled around. Max had stepped out of the trees and was aiming at him, some thirty feet away. But when Clarissa shouted, he turned the gun back toward the woods.

  Ezra was too far away to make a shot that counted, and now Max was going to shoot Clarissa for warning him. As he ran, the world seemed to move in slow motion. He saw Max raise the gun and step toward the trees. He heard Clarissa’s muffled scream.

  The shot from Max’s gun pummeled Ezra’s ears as he raised his gun and aimed for Max’s knee. Max groaned in agony and crumpled to the ground. Ezra raced past him into the trees.

  Dark red blood stained the white bark of an aspen. The images of his life without Clarissa floated free and rose to the surface. He’d been too late in saying he loved her. And now he would never get the chance.

  “Clarissa!” Agony and regret colored each syllable he uttered. He said her name again more softly. Blinded by sorrow, he pushed through the trees, but didn’t see her anywhere. He followed the dotted trail of blood.

  He found her lying on her side as blood spread across her shoulder. She shuddered with pain, unable to speak. He cut her free of the rope that bound her hands behind her back and lifted her into his arms.

  Her words came in quick, pain-filled gasps. “I ran...hid in the trees. He got me...anyway.”

  “Just stay with me.” He touched his hand to her cheek as he gritted his teeth. “It’s going to be okay. We’ll get you to the hospital.”

  “I... Oh, Ezra. I thought I wasn’t going to see you again.” She closed her eyes.

  “Hang on for me, Clarissa. I can fix this.” He wasn’t sure if he was telling the truth about that. Even though Max wasn’t going anywhere, at least one thug was still stalking around the woods, and Ezra’s car was a long ways away. As he headed back, Clarissa in his arms, he could hear Max’s cries for help. Even if the thug could help Max they wouldn’t get far on two shredded tires. But Ezra and Clarissa wouldn’t be safe until they’d put some distance between themselves and their attackers.

  He stepped free of the trees and walked up the road, increasing his pace. Clarissa was light as a bird in his arms. He walked faster. His Jeep came into view, and he loaded her carefully inside. Her eyes were still closed.

  “Clarissa, are you still with me?” She opened her eyes and nodded. “You have to stay with me, okay?”

  He jumped into the driver’s seat and pushed the accelerator to the floor. The back of the car fishtailed as he sped up the road. Within minutes, he pulled out onto the highway. He still saw no sign of the police. He yanked his phone out and informed them about Max and the thugs.

  Ezra raced into the parking lot of the hospital, braking so suddenly that the wheels squealed. He jumped out of the car. When he lifted Clarissa out of her seat, he saw that the bloody spot on her shoulder had grown.

  He burst into the E.R. Within moments the staff surrounded him, taking Clarissa from his arms. He stood for a long moment staring at the blood on his shirt.

  “Sir.” A woman’s voice broke through his numbness. “Why don’t you take a seat? We’ll come and get you as soon as we have her stabilized.”

  He collapsed into a waiting room chair and stared at the ceiling until it blurred.

  His arms felt empty.

  * * *

  Clarissa had a vague sensation of swimming to the surface in a very deep lake. She opened her eyes and saw only bright lights before she was plunged beneath the water again. The faint memory of being carried by Ezra tickled the corners of her awareness.

  “Clarissa?” A featherlight touch brushed her forearm. It took some effort for her to open her eyes.

  Gradually, Ezra’s face came into focus—his soft smile and wide brown eyes.

  She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.

  “Don’t push yourself. The bullet was quite a shock to your body. You lost a lot of blood. It tore up your shoulder muscle pretty good, but missed anything major.”

  The dulcet bass tones of his voice warmed her heart. She closed her eyes as the events that led to her being in this hospital bed came back in a flash of violent memory. She shuddered. “Max?”

  “In jail, along with his little helpers. It’s going to take quite a while for the lawyers to put together the list of charges against him, in both California and Montana.”

  A nurse entered the room holding a tray of food. “I was hoping you would be awake.” She placed the tray on the tab
le. “I know you’re still weak. But it would speed your recovery if you could get some nourishment in you.” She looked over at Ezra. “And I believe this young man is willing to help make that happen.”

  Ezra smiled. “We’ll give it a try.” His fingers continued to trace a pattern on Clarissa’s arm. After the nurse left, he turned to face her. “Are you thirsty?”

  Her throat was parched. She nodded and reached out for the plastic cup with the cover and straw. Her hand shook. Ezra steadied it by wrapping his hand around hers and helping her get it to her mouth. She sipped. The cool liquid felt wonderful going down her throat.

  “I was pretty thirsty. How long have I been asleep?”

  “About twelve hours.” He handed her a container of Jell-O and a spoon. She tried to pull the foil cover off and frowned when she couldn’t get it open.

  “I’m really weak.”

  He gently took the Jell-O from her hands. “Let me help you with that.” He peeled away the cover and then, holding her hand steady, placed the container back in it.

  She ate a few bites before putting it back on the tray. Maybe it was just the trauma of all she had been through, or the painkillers, but something between her and Ezra had shifted. He seemed more...attentive. He looked at her, and her face grew warm. She cleared her throat and reached for the toast on her tray.

  “If you’re up to it, I have a surprise for you.”

  “A surprise?” Her mind reeled with the possibilities. When she looked into his eyes, she saw a deeper affection than she had seen before. Was the surprise about...them?

  “Why don’t you get some sleep? I’ll be back in about forty-five minutes.”

  She nodded. He turned the light out and disappeared down the hallway. It took her only minutes to drift off into a deep sleep. She awoke when she sensed that someone had stepped into the room. She saw the silhouette of a man in the darkness.

  The fleeting thought that one of Max’s men had come to finish her off paralyzed her with fear.

  And then she heard the soft tones of Ezra’s voice. “Are you awake?”

  “You scared me half to death.”

  “Sorry, I thought switching on the light would be too harsh if you were still asleep,” he said. “Can I turn it on now?”

  She covered her eyes. “Sure.”

  Seeing his bright face washed away the final residue of fear over all that she had been through.

  “So are you ready for your surprise?” He stepped closer to the hospital bed and rested his hand on her good shoulder.

  “Yes, I’m ready.”

  “Okay, guys, you can come in,” Ezra said.

  One by one, Leonard, Jan, Ken and Bruce stepped through the door. Joy leaped through Clarissa to see her friends safe and sound.

  “I can’t believe it. When did you get into town? What happened?”

  Jan ran over to her and gave her a careful hug. “I’m so glad to see your sweet face.”

  Leonard stepped forward and gripped the rail. “Good to see you, kid.”

  Bruce moved close, as well. “After you two diverted attention to yourselves, the rest of us went and hid in the woods, thinking we’d go back and radio for help once those men had left.”

  Leonard ran his hands through his salt-and-pepper hair. “Unfortunately, they left a man there to be the lookout.”

  Ken joined the others at her bedside. “So we decided to hike back out the way we’d come.”

  “I think we made pretty good time,” said Bruce.

  “We caught most of our food on the way down,” Ken said, beaming with pride.

  “Best survival school ever,” added Bruce.

  “Anyway—” Jan patted Clarissa’s hand “—when we got to the base of the mountain, the van had been disabled, so we had to hike into town.

  “And that’s the story of how we got here,” said Leonard.

  Clarissa shook her head in disbelief. The four of them had truly become a team, even in telling what had happened to them.

  “That’s pretty amazing,” she said.

  “You’re pretty amazing,” said Jan. “Ezra told us what the two of you went through. I’m so grateful you’re okay, honey.”

  Clarissa couldn’t contain her happiness. “I feel like God has given me the family I never had. I’ll never forget you guys.”

  “You won’t be able to forget us.” Leonard turned and looked at the others. “I say we make the survival school an annual event, a reunion of sorts.”

  They all nodded in agreement.

  Jan squeezed Ezra’s arm. “We’ll leave you two alone.”

  “We’ll come back tomorrow when you’re feeling stronger, kid,” Leonard said as he left the room.

  Bruce, Jan and Ken all shuffled out after him.

  The door closed behind them. Ezra pulled a chair close to Clarissa’s bed. “They are something, those four, aren’t they?”

  “Lesser people would have been angry with me about everything that happened,” Clarissa said.

  “They’re good people. They’re just happy that you’re out of danger. And speaking of which, Sondra and that other agent are going to want to talk to you tomorrow if you are up to it.”

  “I figured that,” she said. She turned slightly to one side in the hospital bed. There was a heaviness in the room, as though there was something more that needed to be said. She stared at the ceiling. “Thank you, Ezra, for everything. For saving my life.”

  “You saved me a couple of times, too, you know.” His chair scraped across the floor. He rested his arm on the railing. His head was very close to hers. Wide brown eyes studied her. He reached up and brushed a wisp of hair off her forehead.

  The look in his eyes contained an intensity she hadn’t seen before.

  The intimacy of the moment made her nervous enough to start babbling. “So I guess you go back to your job and...I’m not sure what happens to me...where I’m going to go or anything,” she said.

  He continued to stroke her forehead. “How about you stay here in Discovery?”

  “I...I’ve always liked it here.”

  “I’d like it if you stayed. I’d like to get to know you better, under not so trying circumstances.”

  Warmth spread through her midsection all the way down to her toes. “I think I’d like that, too, Ezra.”

  “Maybe I can do something really ordinary and boring, like take you out to dinner.”

  “I’d like that.”

  He stood up, leaned over and kissed her full on the mouth. She opened her eyes when he pulled free of the kiss.

  “I sure don’t want you ever leaving again.” He looked at the floor and then back up at her. “When I thought I might lose you out there in the forest, and when you were shot, I realized... I saw my life without you, and I knew that I loved you.”

  Her eyes warmed with tears. She reached up and touched his cheek. “Oh, Ezra, I love you, too. Ordinary and boring sound wonderful to me.”

  He touched her cheek with a single finger. “I’m looking forward to it.”

  As she stared into his deep brown eyes, she realized that not only had God given her the family she’d never had, but also a man whose love would be as deep as the ocean.

  * * * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt from DESPERATE MEASURED by Christy Barritt.

  Dear Reader,

  Even though Clarissa and I have very different backgrounds, we both have had to learn to ask for help and to trust that it will be there even if past experience tells us otherwise. Clarissa believes that she must solve all her problems alone because no one was ever there for her in her childhood to help her. Her flight through the wilderness is also a journey in which she discovers that there are kind and good people everywhere. People who want to help and are willing to forgive.<
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  As a child, I got the message that I was on my own to work through problems and emotions, largely because of the chaos created by an alcoholic father. One of the hardest things I have had to learn to do was ask for help, whether it’s with a task or working through troubling emotions. People never cease to amaze me. God has brought many generous people into my life, even some who intuitively know when I need help. We don’t need to be defined by our childhood and there is always a chance for healing and redemption.

  Questions for Discussion

  Why does Clarissa have a hard time believing anyone would help her with her problems?

  Why did she put all her energy into her job working for Max?

  What events led to Clarissa choosing to become a Christian? Who influenced her in that decision?

  Much like Joseph in the Bible, Clarissa tries to do the right thing by telling Stella Fitzgerald what kind of man Max really is. For doing the right thing, she loses everything. Have you ever had a Joseph situation in your life?

  What was the most exciting scene for you?

  Who was your favorite character? Why?

  What do Ezra and the other members of the expedition do that helps Clarissa learn to trust?

  Have you ever known someone like Clarissa? In what way?

  What sort of survival skills did Ezra teach the members of the group?

  Did you agree with the decisions that Ezra made as a leader? What were some of those hard choices?

  A huge part of survival in a wilderness situation is mental, keeping your head in the right place. How did Ezra do that? How does he teach Clarissa to do that?

  How does Clarissa get the family she never had?

  Would you like to have a job like Ezra’s or go on a survival expedition?