If We Dare to Dream

by Collette Scott

  “Concerned?” His voice was low. “This has nothing to do with you. I only need you here to get Andrew’s attention. This is between him and me.”

  It was Jamie’s turn to regain her feet. Though they were sore from the punishing hike up the mountain, she closed the distance between them and placed her hand on his arm. She kept her voice low. “What’s between you and him? Hasn’t he been through enough already? Why are you scaring him unnecessarily?”

  Adam stared down at her with curiously detached eyes. His lips twisted with undisguised disdain. “I wouldn’t expect you to understand.”

  “Understand what?” Jamie cried. “Don’t you see that this is all crazy? It makes no sense.”

  “It’ll make sense soon enough. I’ll explain everything once he gets up here.”

  “I want to talk to him. Where’s your phone? Can you call him?”

  Awareness suddenly dawned on his face, as though he had forgotten all about his vital piece of technology. He reached into one of the many side pockets of his backpack and pulled out the mobile phone, sliding the top and typing out a rapid message before walking back to the edge of the mountain and throwing the phone with all his might over the side.

  “Wait! What are you doing?” Jamie cried, rushing to his side. She watched as the phone bounced on a rock a hundred feet down and landed in the thick desert brush below. Shivering slightly, she looked over at Adam again, her intent to remain calm and collected suddenly being overshadowed by the fear he was completely losing it.

  He had been right. She did not understand.

  “I won’t need it anymore,” he said in a deceptively calm voice.

  They stood silently looking down at the where the phone had disappeared. Jamie’s disquiet grew. Feeling a trembling start in her legs, she began to piece together that there was a very real danger approaching, and somehow, some way, she would have to use her head to get herself out of it.

  ***

  Andrew pulled his phone from his pocket and stared at the message displayed on the screen. “Meet us at the Flatiron,” was all it said.

  Us. Though his instincts had told him that Jamie was with Adam, knowing he was right disappointed him more than he wanted to admit. He glanced up at the sky and frowned. The weather report had predicted a 30% chance of showers. In the desert, that meant chances were pretty good they would have rain.

  “What?” Ford asked, glancing at him. He had just made the turn onto his grandmother’s dirt road, but Andrew felt a greater sense of urgency. Now they had to beat the rain.

  “Do you know when the storm’s coming in?”

  Ford shrugged. “No idea.”

  “We have to hurry. They’re up the mountain.”

  “How will you get down if it starts to rain?”

  “Exactly… We have to hurry.” Andrew was out of Ford’s truck before it came to a complete stop and jogging inside. Before his startled grandmother could respond, Andrew rushed to his room and grabbed a pack, calling out to Linda as he passed her in the hall. “I need water. Can you pack it up?”

  Linda had pressed up against the wall when Andrew rushed by but came to stand just outside his door. “What’s going on?”

  “Adam and Jamie are up on the mountain. I have to get up there.”

  “But it’s going to rain,” Linda said in dismay.

  “Which is why I’m hurrying.”

  “I’ll get you some,” she said. “Can’t you just call him?”

  “I’ve tried. He must have left his phone behind.”

  “But he packed up everything this morning. He said he had to leave to fix some things.”

  Andrew felt a chill go down his back. Maybe he had actually called the detective himself. Suddenly his trip up the mountain with Jamie took on a more serious bent, that of a man who was desperate. Desperate men were dangerous men, and Andrew feared Adam’s state of mind already. Seeing the concern on Linda’s face, he patted her shoulder. “I’ll get them. We’ll be home before the rain.”

  She smiled tremulously. “I’ll pack you some food, just in case.” She turned to leave but turned back. “Dress warm. The temperature’s dropping already.”

  With record speed, Andrew managed to pack up warm clothes for Jamie in case she was not wearing the proper garb and a tarp and rain gear in case they were trapped above the Basin. Only one thought continued to run through his head. Get up there and stop whatever it was Adam was planning.

  When he returned to the kitchen, Andrew scooped up the water and food that Linda had hurriedly packed for them. She helped him stuff everything in his overloaded pack before reaching for his arm and giving him a nervous squeeze.

  “Linda, you’re amazing,” he said with a lopsided grin.

  “Just make sure they’re okay,” Grandma said in a low voice.

  He glanced over his shoulder and spotted her in her chair, gripping the hand wheels tightly. “I’ll get them down, Grandma. Don’t worry.”

  “It’s not you I worry about.” Their eyes met and communicated what they both feared. It was the very thing he had been accused of when he was sent to prison. The stress becoming so overwhelming that the soldiers cracked. The sadness in Grandma’s eyes nearly broke his heart, but ever the pinnacle of strength she took a deep breath and smiled bravely. “I’ll be expecting you for dinner at six.”

  Turning away from the tears of hopelessness she struggled to hold back, Andrew strode to the door. His own voice broke as he pulled the slider open. “I’ll bring him home, Grandma.”

  What he did not say, and what both women noticed, was that he did not say how.

  Ford had managed to collect Bruno and Tabasco and was in the process of tightening Bruno’s girth when Andrew entered the barn. Tabasco’s saddle was resting on the stall door, but Andrew ignored it. “I don’t need a saddle,” he said reaching for the lead.

  Ford nodded and gave the cinch one last tug before gathering up Bruno’s lead and deftly tying it into a set of reins. After hiking his backpack high on his hips, Andrew did the same and then swung effortlessly onto Tabasco’s back. Ford watched with a grimace. “I hope you don’t expect me to be that svelte.”

  Andrew glanced down at him. “I just expect you to keep your seat.”

  Ford nodded. “I think I can do that.”

  Though slower in mounting, Andrew noticed that Ford seemed to have a good seat. With a quick nod, he spun Tabasco around and sent him off toward the trail, keeping steady control as the horse skittered sideways and shook his head to express his displeasure at leaving the safety of his pen. Once he had full control of Tabasco, he sent a quick glance behind him. Ford was doing well on Bruno, despite their hurried pace. Feeling more secure in Ford’s skill, he took the opportunity to run his plan by him. He knew that Ford would balk at his suggestion, but he hoped Jamie’s brother would find it possible to trust him. No one knew Adam better than him, and no one cared more about Jamie’s safety. He hoped Ford could see that.

  “We won’t be able to take the horses all the way up. It’s too dangerous and too vertical. I’m going to get us as far as we can, but then I’d like you to bring these two back for me. Would you do that?”

  “Hell no.”

  As he expected, Ford was adamant. He took a deep breath and pulled on his reserves of patience. “I can move a lot faster alone.”

  “That’s my sister up there.”

  “She’s with my brother.”

  “Who you just told me may be having a breakdown.”

  “He won’t hurt Jamie.”

  Even as he spoke, Andrew felt doubts of his own. In truth, he really did not know what Adam was capable of doing or why he was even doing what he was. That was what he needed to do first. He needed to get inside Adam’s head. Unfortunately, what he saw scared him to death.

  “You sure of that?” Ford asked. “Can you promise me that?”

  Andrew faced front again as he considered how to best answer him. They were just beginning to enter the draw, Tabasco’s surefootedness
finding his way through the rough trail with ease. Nevertheless, he drew him up to a brisk walk rather than the quick trot they had been pacing up until then.

  “I can promise you that I’ll do everything I can to get them both down safely. But if we both go up there, I can’t guarantee anything. If you can trust me to take care of her, it would be best if you stayed down here. If we’re trapped up there for the night, you may need to call in the rescue to get us down. It floods during storms. We won’t be able to make the hike down without being swept away.”

  One more look behind him showed him that he was finally reaching Ford. The other man nodded reluctantly. “Fine… Just promise me you’ll take care of Jamie.”

  “You have my word.”

  Going as far as they could, Andrew dismounted and stared up at the Flatiron above. He still had at least an hour of hiking to go, longer if the rain started. Glancing at the sky, he assumed he could make it. Off in the distance he spotted signs of virga, rain that evaporated before reaching the ground, but it was to the north by Fountain Hills. Further south, the desert would hold off on rain until the air was oversaturated.

  He handed Tabasco’s reins to Ford and rubbed his horse’s neck. “Do you think you can handle them both for the ride back?”

  “If I go slow enough.”

  “Don’t let him pull on you. He has a habit of jerking his head to pull out of your hand.”

  “Got it.”

  Adjusting his pack, Andrew turned to go. He began heading off at a quick jog when Ford called out one last time. “Hey!”

  Andrew turned back with one brow raised.

  “Remember your training, Andrew.”

  Nodding once, Andrew turned again and set off at a steady jog. He knew that Adam was watching him, could feel his gaze burning on the top of his head. Whatever it was that his brother had planned, he was playing right into his hands. Oh yes, he would remember his training, for better or for worse.

  ***

  “I knew it! He rode over… See Jamie? I told you he’d be here. He doesn’t know how to be selfish.”

  Jamie crossed the wide expanse and went as close to the edge as she could. Being so near to the side of a sheer cliff took her breath away, but it did not seem to faze Adam at all. He stood at the very edge on a rock, his binoculars pressed against his eyes watching the speck that was Andrew approaching at a rapid pace. She watched his approach in admiration, wishing she was in tiptop shape like these two men apparently were. His steps never faltered, despite the steep incline.

  “Okay, so he’s on his way up. Now what?”

  “We have to wait for him to come.” Adam lowered the binoculars and stared at her. “Relax. It’ll be over soon.”

  “That’s what scares me.” She reached for his arm and gripped him tightly. Noticing how the muscles under her hand tensed reflexively, she looked up into his eyes knowing she had his full attention. “Promise me you’re not going to try to hurt him.”

  “Hurt Andrew? I’m not going to hurt Andrew,” he said incredulously.

  His eyes were clear when he answered, so she released him with a sigh of relief. Making her way back to their dwindling fire, she sat back down and put her hands over her face. She was starting to feel the bite of the wind through the sweatshirt Adam had given her, and her fingers were cool against the warm skin of her cheeks. Though she was eager to see Andrew, the misgivings she had felt earlier would not leave her. She was confused about the entire situation she had put herself in, and Adam was not in the mood to enlighten her. Every time she asked, all she would receive for an answer was a simple “just wait”. So she waited.

  Though still confused about Adam’s plan, she hoped it was just a ploy to get Andrew’s attention. As he had promised, Adam had not hurt her. In fact, he was ever conscious of her comfort, stoking the fire, offering her what meager food he had with him, and promising her she would be safe.

  Now seeming calm again, Jamie watched as Adam strode back to her. The way he moved was a very familiar sight to her. In looks and build, he was so similar to Andrew - tall and darkly handsome, with straight noses over deep set light brown eyes. However, the similarities were superficial, especially at that moment. As Andrew continued his hasty approach, Adam’s movements had become erratic again, and he began muttering to himself as he wandered back and forth across the flat expanse. When he returned, he grabbed his binoculars and went to the side again. That was when the first drop of rain hit.

  The rain came on quickly. First she felt a single drop on her hand. When she lifted it to see what had struck her, a sudden barrage of drops began falling on her head. The raindrop dripped over her hand and onto the ground, joining a multitude of others that began a drumbeat of danger.

  She heard Adam’s swear just as she came to her feet. “Ok, Adam, I think I’ve had enough. We need to get down now.”

  “We can’t leave.” Holding his binoculars to his eyes again, he swore even louder.

  “What?”

  “I can’t believe it,” he shouted. “He just turned around.”

  Hoping she could finally talk some sense into him, Jamie spoke in a low, calm voice, using every bit of persuasion she could. “He probably feels the same way I do, Adam. It’s too dangerous to hang out up here with a storm coming. We don’t have any shelter.”

  “This wasn’t supposed to happen… I need to finish this!”

  The binoculars lowered long enough for him to hit his forehead with them several times. She frowned. Things were not working out the way he planned, but she never expected him to take it so harshly. She swallowed hard and watched him warily. He suddenly appeared frightened and confused, but when he turned away from the trail his face had regained its determined set.

  “Forget it. I can just do it myself,” he muttered.

  “Do what?”

  He stalked off again, back to his pack. She watched as he jerked the zippers open in irritation, pulling out a beige folded tarp and some collapsible poles. Having no other choice, she joined him by the fire and glanced down.

  “Why don’t we just start heading back? It’s not raining hard.”

  “It will be in a minute. I’ve got to set up your shelter. You’re stuck up here until the water runs off or someone comes to help you down.”

  She noticed how he mentioned just her and frowned. “Where are you going?”

  “I’m not going anywhere,” he said firmly.

  Returning his attention to the poles, he hastily erected a sort of lean-to, with the back blocking the wind and the front leaning over the fire pit. The efficiency with which he worked was impressive, and though she wanted to offer to help, she knew it would be futile.

  “This should keep you fairly dry. The rock is elevated and slopes off the sides. That’ll keep the rain away. It’s a good campsite...” He stared down at it and then nodded. “I’ve got to find some more dry fuel. Wait here.”

  Spreading the sleeping bag down on the smooth rock, he tossed the pack in and then indicated with his hand that she should follow. With a resigned huff, she ducked and went under the tarp, a part of her happy to escape the rain while the other part of her wished they were heading down.

  When Adam saw her frustration, he shook his head and explained. Though he had been varying between excitement and an unexplained tension, his voice was calm and matter-of-fact, almost completely lucid. “The water will make its way down the canyon we climbed. There’s no way we can leave yet. It’ll be slippery and we’ll break bones.”

  Jamie hated that he was right. “Isn’t there another way?”

  He sighed impatiently. “Unless you want to jump over the side, no. We have to wait it out.”

  Grasping for anything at all that could put an end to their crazy situation, Jamie sent him a pleading look. “What about the ridgeline? Surely there’s another trail.”

  “It’s just as steep, Jamie.” He sighed in frustration. “Just stop arguing and stay here.”

  “Maybe we should call for help. We’re n
ot exactly prepared for bad weather up here.”

  “I need to think... Just give me time to think.”

  Realizing that he had not prepared for the current developments and was now dealing with his own doubts increased Jamie’s panic. Andrew was not coming up; he had turned back, and that meant she was on her own. But that did not mean she would have to stay, and she planned to go now while she still had a chance. “I’m sorry, but I can’t do this with you anymore. I don’t know what’s going on, but this has gone beyond creepy to outright dangerous. I’m leaving now.”

  Turning on her heel, she ducked under the top of the tarp and began to walk away. Surprisingly Adam did not respond, but no sooner had she traveled twenty yards than a loud crack broke the soft pitter patter of the rain. She jumped as a tuft of dirt alongside the trail exploded outward. Disbelief and panic caused her to spin around with wide eyes.

  “You have a gun? Why do you have a gun?” Jamie shrieked in disbelief.

  The gun that had magically appeared in his hand was now leveled on her. Knowing his skill with a firearm, she froze and waited for his next response. His voice was deceptively calm when he spoke. “You can’t go down alone. I’m sorry, but it’s for your own good.”

  Heart thundering in her chest, she took a step forward. However, tears now formed in her eyes, tears of fear and desperation. “Please, Adam.”

  Scowling at the sight of her distress, he stormed off to collect more kindling for the fire. There was a stand of pine trees back down the trail, and she could hear him snapping branches just out of her line of sight. For a moment she considered making a run for it, but as she prepared to go she saw him coming back with more kindling in his arms. He dumped his load at her feet, just under the tip of the tarp. The wind had picked up, and the back of the shelter blew in the wind. Though feeling the chill, at least she was dry. For how long remained to be seen.

  She sighed in frustration. “All right. It’s time for you to tell me what’s really going on. Did you bring me up here to hurt me?”

  Adam chuckled, the sound deep and eerie to her oversensitive ears. Pulling a hunting knife from his boot, he began trimming the branches he had carried over with a violence that sent shivers down her spine. As he made short work of the dead branches, he glanced at her. “I had a plan, Jamie. It didn’t have to involve you, but you calm him down and I needed to get Andrew’s attention. I wanted you here so I could talk to him reasonably before this all ended.”