by Robin Caroll
“Is it safe for us to move?” Paul asked.
“It’s safer than staying here.” Katie nodded toward the sack of trash. “Everybody grab as many water bottles as we have and follow me to the river.”
Katie reached into her personal pouch and pulled out a plastic bottle before heading to her bedroll. She untied the strings and unrolled the sleeping bag, then snatched up the cotton T-shirt, re-rolled the bag, and secured it tightly once more. Lifting the shirt and bottle, she spun on her heel and headed to the river. Shadow barked and shot ahead of her.
At the water’s edge, Katie kneeled in the soggy grass. Holding the T-shirt, she ripped it into long strips. She passed out the strips to the men before demonstrating what to do. “Hold the fabric over the mouth of the bottle tight, like this.” She pulled the material taut over the bottle, then gripped around the edge tightly. “Hold it down into the river, then lift it. Repeat until the bottle is filled.”
Each man dropped to his knees, mimicking her movements. Beside her, Hunter continued filtering the water into his bottle. She smiled when he nudged her. At least she didn’t feel like she shouldered the responsibility for the group alone.
Cracking jokes, Jerry kneeled beside Walter, Paul hovering on his other side. Orson and Carter knelt a little more gingerly than the others. Old age had a way of making one move slower.
Taking in the horizon and the tree line, Katie calculated they didn’t have a lot of time.
A loud splash caused Katie to jump to her feet as fast as her heart lunged to her throat.
Sputtering, Walter broke through the water’s surface.
Katie leaned forward, reaching for him. The current had him in its grip. “Swim this way, Walter. Come on,” she cried as her eyes locked on the direction of the current.
Walter’s head disappeared. Ten seconds later, it bobbed back up, a good ten feet away. She watched as he flailed about, drifting right toward the hydraulic.
“NO!”
Mindless to the men’s shouts around her, Katie dove into the river. She broke through the top of the water. She tried to get her bearings … get Walter in sight.
He made a muffled sound to her left. She shot her concentration in that direction, barely catching sight of the tip of his ruddy hair before he slipped below the foaming water.
Hauling in a deep breath, Katie plunged underwater. She pulled herself forward with strong, practiced movements. She continued to swim until her lungs burned, then she popped to the surface.
Barely making out Walter’s hand waving erratically in the rapids, Katie watched him hit the edge of the hydraulic. The pit of her stomach turned to mush.
Taking in another lungful of air, Katie dove again.
A hand grabbed her leg, yanking her backward.
She broke through the water, spitting and swinging.
“Whoa!” Hunter wrapped his arms around her, pinning her arms to her sides.
“Let me go. I’ve got to get Walter.” She thrashed against him and the undertow.
“He’s gone, Katie. Gone.”
“No. I can save him.”
He shook his head. “He went into the hydraulic. You said yourself there’s no chance of survival.”
“But maybe the current kicked him out into the Gauley.” She squirmed. “I have to check.”
“No. It’s not safe.” Using his legs, Hunter propelled them backward, away from the main current.
“Let me go. This is my job. I have to,” she spoke through clenched teeth. She couldn’t lose a man on her watch.
“He’s gone.” His hold on her tightened as he planted his feet and gently pulled her toward the bank.
Tears burned her eyes. “He can’t be.” She thrashed against him.
He tucked her head under his chin. She could feel his throat pulsating. “Let him go, Katie. Let him go.”
Despair tore through her body as she leaned on Hunter, letting him lead her out of the river.
The other men maintained a solemn silence, as if stunned by Walter’s accident. Or maybe it was being smacked with their own morality that held their tongues hostage.
Hunter kept his arm around Katie as he guided her toward the gear. Her dejection practically ripped his heart from his chest. He stroked her hair, trying to absorb her grief and break in confidence. Although she didn’t really know Walter, his loss seemed to devastate her. Then again, most people weren’t accustomed to someone dying right in front of them. She blamed herself. Katie Gallagher could act a tough game, but his training taught him to look inside a person’s psyche. What he discerned in her was pain, but gentleness, and a great deal of responsibility.
Oh, God, I pray You’ll surround Katie and the rest of us with Your love and peace right now. Thank You for saving the rest of us from harm. I pray for the strength to continue to keep us all safe.
She took in a deep breath, vibrating in his embrace. Katie pushed back and looked up at him. Unshed tears made her eyes attain an even brighter shimmer. She blinked. “I’m okay. We have to keep moving.” She hiccupped.
Shadow jumped against her, wedging himself between them. Had it not been for the severity of the moment, Hunter would’ve laughed. The dog proved himself loyal to his mistress once again.
She petted the dog’s head and made soft sounds. Seemingly satisfied at his owner’s soundness, Shadow bolted toward the gear—sniffing as the men silently hoisted their bedrolls onto their backs. The horror of Walter’s death washed over them all.
Katie reached for her bedroll, while Hunter slung both supply bags over his shoulder along with his sleeping bag.
“I can get some of those.” She situated her bag against her back.
“Yeah, but someone needs to carry both the tents, right?”
“Right.” She leaned forward and lifted her small two-man tent. As she secured it over her bedroll, Hunter yelled out, “Jerry, how about toting our tent?”
The man’s face twisted into a frown. “Why me? I’m the client here, remember?”
Hunter took a step toward him. He lowered his voice. “Yeah, well, we’re running out of firm employees. The pecking order has changed.”
“I’ll carry it.” Paul grabbed the tent and swung it onto his back.
Jerry tossed Hunter a told-you-so look.
Clenching his jaw, Hunter glanced over his shoulder to find Katie watching their exchange with interest. He hauled in a deep breath.
Without saying another word to Jerry, Hunter faced Katie. “Lead the way, madam.”
“Hey, can we change into our jeans before our hike?” Paul’s face resembled a pouting child’s.
“You’ll be thankful you stayed in your wetsuit when the rains hit. However, it might be a good idea for everyone to change into their other shoes.” Having made the statement, Katie plopped on the ground and unrolled her bedroll again.
Hunter dropped beside her and did the same. Everyone else heeded her advice as well. Once they’d secured their shoes, each person readjusted their load, and stood. Shadow barked and pranced beside Katie, who slipped a peppermint into her mouth.
Katie shifted the packs on her back, glanced around at each man in turn, then nodded toward the steep incline. “This way.”
Heart thudding, Hunter followed the group. His mind skirted around the idea that they were down to a party of six. At the rate they were going, there wouldn’t be a party left to make it up the mountain. He shifted his pack and dug in his feet. He’d stop these accidents. Before they lost another life.
Katie led the men up the steep embankment. They’d made it about five hundred yards when the rains hit. The fat drops pelted Katie’s upper arms and neck, driving into her flesh by the strong wind. She scrunched her shoulders, lowered her head, and trudged upward. Shadow ran ahead, disappeared for a few minutes, then ran back barking, almost as an encouragement.
She glanced over her shoulder. Paul tailed right behind her, then Carter, Jerry, Orson, and Hunter. Each man’s face lined in concentration as they followed her le
ad.
Katie made the next step, and slipped. She fell to her knees, breaking her fall with her hands. Paul gripped her arm. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, thanks. The ground’s saturated and now that it’s coming down in buckets, it’s slick moving.” Regaining her balance, she pivoted. “Be careful. It’s really slippery.”
Only grunts and groans reached her ears.
Katie grabbed an oak sapling to use as leverage and pulled.
The wind and rain fighting against them hindered their progress, and the water sluiced down the hillside. Katie shook her head, sending excess rivulets flying. Not that she could tell—the rain drove down so hard, visibility remained next to nil.
The air gust swept against her back, propelling her forward—the water rushed over her feet, shoving her backward. She’d take one step up, then be pushed two steps down. Katie used every tree and bush she could get her hands on to keep her footing. Her palms stung as bark, leaves, and thorns dug into her flesh. She didn’t have time to consider the pain—she had to keep moving, leading the group to safety. She couldn’t lose another person on her watch.
She. Would. Not. Lose. Anyone. Else.
Katie forged up the steep incline, her eyes trained on the rough terrain beneath. The tent slipped from her shoulder, catching on the edge of her wetsuit.
“Want me to carry that for you?” Paul asked.
“No, I’m good.” She shifted the pack higher on her back and kept trudging.
Another strong gust blasted against her. Her feet were soaked.
A loud thump, then a splat sounded behind her.
“Aargh!”
Grabbing hold of a tree, Katie spun around. Orson slid down the hill on his stomach.
“Help!”
Orson bounced and thrashed. He stretched out his hands, grasping at every object going by. He only grabbed air. Hunter turned, dropped his packs, and slid after Orson.
As if in slow motion, Orson picked up momentum. Hunter followed.
Thud! Thump! Splat!
Katie laid a hand to her throat and swallowed back her horror.
Time stood still as Orson tossed onto his back, arms flying out. He skidded toward a massive oak.
Katie opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out. Her vocal cords remained tangled into tight knots. She willed her legs to move, to follow, see if she could help, but they were rooted into the ground.
Orson hit the tree, feet first, at full speed. He slumped against bark and laid still.
Hunter slid sideways as he reached Orson. Catching hold of the oak, Hunter wrapped his arms around the trunk and stopped himself.
Finally, Katie’s feet opted to follow her commands. She descended the hill, Shadow sliding behind her. “You guys hang tight here,” she said as she passed the men on her way down.
She snapped her fingers and stared at Shadow. “Stay.”
Shadow whimpered and pressed against her.
“No, boy.” She made her voice firm. “Stay.”
As she slipped past Jerry, she could’ve sworn she heard a snicker. Not taking the time to register the sound, or the reason behind it, Katie continued her descent until she caught the tree next to the one Orson still lay at the base of.
“How is he?” she asked, looking to Hunter for reassurance.
Orson tried to roll over and let out a loud moan. He gripped his right leg. “Aww.”
“Don’t move. Let me check you out.” Hunter’s hands flew over Orson’s body. He reached the right leg, just below the knee, and Orson let out a scream. Hunter withdrew immediately and glanced at Katie. “I think his shin is broken.”
“Argh.” Orson moaned and writhed.
Hunter’s hand dropped to Orson’s shoulder. “Just be still. Moving will only make it hurt worse.”
Katie blinked, working to get her mind to focus. How were they supposed to secure a broken shin? She laid a palm against her forehead. The rain pounded against her head, intensifying the headache forming at her temples.
“What’s going on down there?” Jerry hollered.
She pinched the bridge of her nose. Hopelessness washed over her, and she slumped against the tree. Sense of responsibility threatened to overwhelm her, right on the spot. She forced herself to grip tightly to the sense of security of the familiar. Her fingers trembling, Katie unzipped her fanny pack and pulled out another peppermint.
Chapter 9
Hunter longed to pull Katie close and comfort her. For all her spunky attitude, she hurt inside, and he knew it. Unfortunately, holding her wasn’t possible. Right now, they needed to come up with an idea of how to get Orson secure and move him to higher ground.
From the sounds below, the rains washing down the hillside had already merged with the flooding from the river, and soon the water level would creep up the edge of the hill. They needed a game plan, and needed it like yesterday.
He looked up at the rest of the group, a good quarter of a mile away. “Orson’s got a broken leg. Stay there until we think of something.”
Scanning the side of the incline, Hunter looked for something to use to stabilize Orson’s protruding bone. Moving it without a splint of sorts could be extremely dangerous for the older man. He finally spied a tree limb lying right behind Katie, about twenty feet from him.
“Katie … behind you. The branch. Grab it and toss it over here.”
She wiggled around and moved toward the stick. A blast of water splashed down on her. She slipped, her legs shooting out from under her. Katie reached out and grabbed a neighboring tree with her lightning fast reflexes.
He let out a heavy breath. “Be careful.”
Her head jerked around. Those silver-blue eyes of hers stabbed daggers into him. “You think?”
Pressing his lips together, he watched her inch toward the limb. The torrential rains and wind hindered her progress, but she fought with determination. What seemed like a millennium later, her hand wrapped around the piece of wood.
Hunter let out a long sigh as Orson groaned. At least his screams had diminished to whimpers now. Katie crept toward Hunter, and he laid his hand on Orson’s shoulder.
“Here.” Katie tossed the branch to him. He caught it easily.
Holding it up against Orson’s leg from the knee down, he estimated it’d be long enough to use as a splint. Now he needed to find something to secure the stick to the leg. Orson still wore his wetsuit.
“Orson. Orson. Look at me.”
The old man’s eyes, deep with pain, gazed at Hunter.
“Are you wearing an undershirt under your wetsuit?”
Orson blinked, but didn’t focus.
“Orson!”
“It hurts so bad.”
“I know it does. We’re trying to get you some relief. So I need you to tell me—are you wearing an undershirt?”
Orson shook his head.
Hunter let out a sigh. What to use? He scanned the area again, seeking out vines or anything. Nothing.
“What?” Katie called over to him.
“I need something to tie the branch to his leg.”
She chewed her bottom lip. “Like what?”
“A rope would be nice, but I don’t think we’re going to find one anyplace close by.”
“Can’t you find anything that’d work?”
“No. We can’t move him without splinting his leg.”
“What about my fanny pack?”
Hunter stared at the little purse hugging her waist. The nylon belting sat on her hips. Her waist couldn’t be wide enough for him to use the belting. “Nope. I need two ties, or one long enough that I can rip into two pieces.”
Katie’s shoulders drooped, then she turned her back to him. She pulled down her wetsuit. He noted the straps of her bathing suit, realized what she intended, then quickly looked away, heat flaming his face.
“Here.” She tossed him the top as she pulled her wetsuit back over her bare skin.
He caught it and swallowed hard.
“Just get
it splinted and let’s move on,” she said. But he noticed her face blazed too, even as she gawked at the darkening skies.
Katie slid across the rough grassy knoll that was already drenched and holding water. Hunter ripped her cotton bikini top in two and tied the limb to Orson’s lower leg. The older man cried out several times, only to be hushed by Hunter’s low mumbles. She couldn’t hear the words, but assumed they were soothing as Orson settled down each time Hunter spoke.
She’d only made it halfway to Hunter when the rush of water down the mountain pushed her farther along than she’d estimated. Gritting her teeth, Katie reached for rocks embedded into the terrain. Anything to keep from sliding down the hill.
Hunter glanced in her direction. “You okay?”
“Yeah. Just making my way to you.” In the back of her mind, voices screamed at her to hurry—night would be upon them soon. How she’d accomplish getting everyone to safety, she hadn’t a clue.
At last she grabbed the tree beside Orson. Using all the upper body strength she could muster, Katie pulled alongside Hunter.
“I think it’s as secure as I can get it, considering the circumstances.” Hunter lifted his head and stared up to where the other men waited. “Now, how do we get him up there?”
Katie chewed her bottom lip. “A sleeping bag!”
“What?”
“If they throw down a sleeping bag, we can spread it out and lay Orson on it to haul him up.” Her words tumbled out on top of one another.
“That could work.” His eyes sparkled, from the rain or could it be admiration? A warming sensation rushed through her.
“It’d be much easier than trying to get him to hobble. It’s hard enough for me, and my leg isn’t broken.”
“We’ll need some sort of safety rope or something.” He looked at her. “In case we slip.”
“Why couldn’t we use the strings from the bedrolls?”
“I don’t think they’d be strong enough.”
Katie let out a long sigh. Desperation circled her heart. “Do you have any suggestions?”
“Actually, I do.”
“Could you share, please? Dusk will settle over the ridge soon, and we need to be in a secure place. I don’t like the thought of trying to climb in this mess after dark.”