Margaret and Ben exchanged a nervous glance.
Matt nodded. “See if you can get a signal.”
Lorie snapped the battery back into her old phone and turned it on, fear mingling with hope on her face. A moment later, hope faded. She shook her head and disconnected the battery again.
Matt sighed as she replaced it in the purse.
“Okay. Here’s the deal. We’re going to have to try to climb out of here, either up or down. Believe it or not, I think up would be better. It would be too easy to slip going downhill.”
Lorie looked at her parents, then at Matt.
“Not to worry about us, kiddo.” Ben was putting on a brave face. “Your mother and I aren’t ready to check out yet.”
“I know you guys love to go hiking, but this isn’t exactly a stroll through Balboa Park.”
“We’re in good shape, sweetie. Don’t worry about us.” Margaret clearly was trying to be brave, too. Maybe she’d fool her daughter, but Matt didn’t think so. After the crash, none of them was in any condition to climb out of here. Yet they had no choice but to try.
Lorie opened her purse and removed a small first-aid kit. “This isn’t much, but hold still.” She squirted some antibiotic cream onto Matt’s forehead, unwrapped a bandage and pressed it on top of the wound. Her gentle touch only reminded him of their uncertain situation.
“Thanks.” He’d have said more, but words stuck in his throat.
Fear gripped Matt in ways he hadn’t experienced since coming home from Afghanistan. Three people now depended on him to get them out of the woods and back to civilization—without the bad guys finding them first.
SIXTEEN
Lorie tried to assess their situation calmly, but this reminded her too much of scary movies she’d seen that started with people being lost and hurt in the forest. Dad hadn’t said anything, but he was moving a little too carefully. His face was drawn with pain. He must be badly injured.
She looked at her mother, who appeared more determined than frightened. Mom must have noticed about Dad but had apparently decided not to let him know she realized he was injured. Well, if Mom could be that brave, Lorie could, too.
Lorie looked up at the side of the mountain, unable to spot the point from which they’d fallen. It was so far that she couldn’t see the road at all. The car must have tumbled several hundred yards almost straight down.
Thank You that we’re not worse off, Lord. Please keep us safe.
Because the danger was nowhere near over.
She hoped Matt still had his sidearm. And she hoped he had a lot of bullets. She prayed he wouldn’t need to use them.
Matt picked up a broken branch about four feet long. “Anybody need a hiking stick?”
“I’ll take it.” Ben spoke quietly. “That is, if no one else needs it.” He looked at his wife and daughter.
Mom shook her head.
“You take it, Dad.”
He accepted it then, and leaned on it, looking grateful.
Lorie studied Matt’s face. He was worrying. By his expression, he didn’t want them to know.
Lorie’s leg ached.
Lord, You’re going to have to hike through me.
Mom spoke up. “Before we start, let’s pray.”
Lorie looked at her mom. “Good idea. You want to start?”
Mom nodded and held out her hands. They formed a little circle.
“Lord, we thank You for delivering us out of the hand of our enemies. We ask You now to guide us out of the wilderness to safety. We agree on this in Jesus’s name.”
Dad took up the prayer. “Lord, thank You for Your protection and Your love.”
Matt spoke next. “Lord, thank You for Lorie and Margaret and Ben and for bringing us all together, although I wish it had been under different circumstances. I don’t understand what Your will is in this, but I trust You. Don’t let us make a wrong step, Lord. Thanks.”
Matt squeezed Lorie’s hand.
“Father, I lift my heart to You. You’ve been so gracious to me through everything. I’m sorry I didn’t react better. Thank You for being here with us. Amen.”
Everyone else echoed her amen. Lorie felt a burden lift. It was going to be all right.
They started walking, slowly, haltingly. Ben had to stop every few feet to draw a worryingly ragged breath.
At first, Matt led the way, but then he stopped.
“Lorie, you take the lead. I’m going to bring up the rear, in case your dad needs help.”
“I’m okay,” Ben protested.
“It’s better if Lorie goes first. I can keep a weather eye out in both directions this way.”
Lorie nodded.
“Keep on a slight climb.” Matt bent and picked up another stick. “Here. Use this for balance on the downhill side. I don’t want you sliding down the mountain.”
“What about you and Mom?”
Matt looked around. “There’s bound to be more sticks in the vicinity. We’ll pick them up as we find them. In the meantime, your mom can lean on me.”
“Thank you.” Mom gave him a smile and then they were back on their way.
Lorie headed out slowly, picking her way cautiously around odd rock outcroppings and loose scree.
“Careful here.” She looked at the rock field. “I wish we didn’t have to cross it.” She looked up the hill. It was almost perpendicular in spots. She glanced down at her flimsy sandals. Not a good combination.
“I wish we had some rope,” Dad said with a sigh. “We could tie ourselves together.”
“Why don’t you wish for some pitons and crampons while you’re at it, Ben?” Instead of sounding sarcastic, Mom’s voice was full of affection.
Lorie smiled. “I wish we had a compass and map.”
“How about a helicopter?” Matt suggested.
“I don’t like to fly,” Mom said, and then laughed. Her laughter scared away a pair of cardinals.
“One good thing.”
They all looked at Matt expectantly.
“When my family realizes we aren’t on our way back and that they can’t reach me by phone, they’ll call out the troops.”
“Then we better pray they’ll start trying to reach you soon.”
Matt nodded.
The problem was, it might be a while before they could try to reach them. Would the situation with Adderson at Rob Roy Ranch be cleared up before nightfall?
*
They could only travel at a crawl, but the sun seemed to have sped up. At this rate, it would be dark soon. They’d get hungry before then, and Matt hadn’t spotted any convenient berries growing on bushes yet.
Matt lost track of how long they’d walked. Periodically he checked his watch, but time tended to lose meaning in situations like these.
When the sun progressed farther west, it sank behind the crest of the mountain. Not good. The shadows would cool things down in a hurry.
“Lorie.”
She stopped and looked back at him.
“We need to stop and see about shelter for the night.”
“Where?”
“Here, or somewhere fairly close.” He peered through the trees. “Over there. It looks like it evens up a bit. We’ll make camp there.”
Lorie nodded. “All right. I don’t think any of us is good for much longer.”
“Have you ever camped out in the woods before?”
“Not without a camping trailer.” Ben grinned. “Margaret does like her creature comforts.”
“Right now, a place to lie down, hopefully free of bugs, seems like a dream come true.” His wife smiled and patted his arm. “It feels as though we’ve been walking forever.”
“Or at least three weeks.” Lorie smiled, then turned back to Matt. “Do you want to go ahead to check it out?”
“No. We should stick together. We’ll just have to keep moving till we get there. If it isn’t suitable, we’ll find a way to make do.”
The ground leveled out in a small outcropping of
rock. Earth had puddled in the area for centuries, making a small meadow on the side of the mountain with grass still short enough that it would be comfortable for sleeping.
“What about making a fire?” Lorie asked.
“You’re reading my mind.” Matt’s smile was encouraging as he helped Margaret and Ben to sit on the ground.
“Maybe we can get a cell-phone signal from here.” Ben dug out his phone and opened it. “Very faint. One bar, and it comes and goes.”
“Give it a shot. Call 911.”
Ben punched the numbers and the send button.
The air was still enough for Matt to be able to hear the operator’s voice on the other end. “Nine-one-one. What is the nature of your emergency?”
“We’ve been run off the road on Highway 32 just south of Trueheart. There are four of us, and we’re injured.”
“—signal breaking up. Can you repeat your lo—”
“Cell-phone reception is really bad here. We’re injured. Halfway down the mountain from Highway 32 south of Trueheart. Please send help.”
“Stay on the line. We’ll—”
The phone line went dead.
Ben looked at Matt, desperation in his eyes. “It went. We lost the signal.”
“You tried. And the message might have gotten through.”
Lorie tapped Matt’s arm. “Let’s find some firewood.”
“We’ll need to clear away the grass for about three feet in a circle and dig a ways.”
“With sticks?”
“Unless you have a handy-dandy shovel tucked away in your pocket that I don’t know about.”
“I don’t.” Lorie thought a moment, then smiled. “But I do have a knife in my purse.”
“Good. That’ll also help us get the fire started. Get a rock. Flint if you can find it. Oil shale should work, too. I’ll dig. You gather up some twigs and fallen branches. Dry ones.”
“Boy Scout?”
It was Matt’s turn to smile. “Boy Scout wannabe and survival training in the air force.”
Lorie turned to carry out his orders. Good. She wasn’t going to question his authority. That was vital. In a survival situation, somebody had to be the leader, preferably the one who knew what to do.
Despite the phone call to 911, Matt knew the odds of their survival would greatly increase if they stayed in one spot, all together, and made a fire. Four people in a group were easier to find than individuals scattered around the woods. Of course, that could be a problem, too. Even if they were found…as easily as the fire could alert rescuers, it could draw their enemies.
*
Lorie had crossed plenty of rocks on her way to the clearing, but the little meadow didn’t seem to have many of its own. Twigs, either.
Lorie glanced up at the sky. There should still be enough daylight left, she hoped, for her to find what they needed. Of course, they really needed water and food, but next to that, warmth would be vital if they weren’t found before nightfall.
She picked up a few rocks that looked as though they might strike a spark on steel. She didn’t want to test them herself for fear of setting off an unintended fire. No sense adding arson to her record.
At the edge of the little meadow, plenty of fallen branches, last year’s pinecones and needles littered the undergrowth. Lorie gathered as much as she could, making a carrying pouch of her skirt.
Matt had made a good start on clearing the ground. He’d made a hole, and was ripping the turf off with his bare hands.
“Would my knife help?”
Matt looked up at her and smiled. “Only if it isn’t one of those little dainty penknives with a nail file and—”
Lorie threw a pinecone at him.
Matt caught it. “Hey! What’s that for?”
“Insulting my knife.” Lorie dumped her load of cones, rocks and branches and stooped to dig around in her purse. “These rocks look okay?”
Matt chose one. “This will do. Let’s see that knife.”
Lorie pulled out a folding knife with a lock blade.
“Whoa. I thought you’d be a Swiss Army knife kind of girl.”
“I make things for the library crafts program. This is my carving knife.”
Matt got a new look of respect in his eyes. “Okay if I cut turf with it?”
“Be my guest. I can hone it again later.” Lorie put it into his hand.
“Thanks.” Matt opened the knife and studied the blade with approval. “Nice and sharp.”
“Dull knives are dangerous. I’ll be back.” Lorie turned to head back to the edge of the clearing. “Are these twigs okay for starters?”
“Perfect. Pinecones, too. See if you can find some bigger branches. I’ll help you when I get the ground clear.”
Lorie nodded. Stopping to check on Mom and Dad, who sat at the edge of where Matt was working, her fears rose again. Dad’s normally rosy complexion had turned a pasty gray. Lorie reached out a finger and took his pulse. Although it was steady, it seemed a little too fast for someone who’d been sitting for the past twenty minutes.
“You okay, Dad?”
Dad nodded. “I’ll be fine, cupcake. Just hurry up with the wood, okay?”
Mom glanced at her, a world of things in her eyes that Lorie knew she wouldn’t say. Mom would never deliberately worry Dad.
“I’ll hurry. You both stay warm.”
Lorie spotted a bunch of fallen branches near the edge of the woods.
The branches felt dry to the touch. Thank You, Lord. Lorie had tried starting a fire with damp branches before, without much success. Pity there wasn’t a nice pile of chopped wood around here. Of course, that would mean someone nearby, which could also be a good thing. Or a bad thing, if it wasn’t a good person.
Now that she’d thought about it, Lorie remembered Matt had been hunting a meth lab. It reminded her to be careful. Not everybody in the backwoods was there for the peace and quiet.
Lord, thank You for rescuing us. I know You’ll keep us safe.
Lorie carried an armload of sticks when she returned to the clearing. Dad was shivering, even though the temperatures hadn’t dropped much. Lorie was thankful it was not still early spring. Mom had draped both arms around Dad’s shoulders.
Lorie dropped the sticks beside Matt and went straight over to her dad. She laid a hand on his forehead. It was much too hot. Running a fever couldn’t be good. She wondered whether he’d broken anything in the crash.
“Dad, are you all right?”
“I will be, cupcake.”
Mom’s eyes said otherwise, but she didn’t utter a word.
What was there to say? There was nothing they could do to make themselves any safer, any healthier, or any more protected from the dangers of the wilderness. And from the other dangers that had landed them there. Lorie watched Matt coax the fire into life and stayed silent, as well.
SEVENTEEN
Matt looked at Lorie over their small fire. “You get some rest. I’ll take the first watch.”
“I don’t think I can sleep.”
“Try anyway. You, too, Margaret, Ben. This was a huge strain on your systems.”
“All right. I’ll try.”
Margaret lay down beside Ben, and Lorie curled up next to her and closed her eyes.
Lorie wasn’t aware she was asleep until she felt someone shaking her shoulder.
“Lorie.” Matt’s voice, low and urgent, called her.
“Mmm.”
“I can’t stay awake any longer. Can you man the fire?”
Lorie blinked and rubbed her eyes. Disorientation gave way to awareness. The wreck. The clearing. The fire. They were in the woods, waiting for a rescue that might never come.
Lorie sat up, taking care not to disturb Mom.
“Okay. I’m awake. Have a nice nap.”
“Thanks. I fed the fire just now.”
Lorie looked at the pile of firewood they’d collected. It was a lot smaller than she remembered. Matt must have used a lot of wood.
> “Do you think it’ll last the night?”
But Matt was already dozing.
Left alone with everyone asleep, Lorie looked up at the stars. The array of constellations told her she must have slept quite a while. They were so bright out here in the mountains, even brighter than at her house in Wolf Hollow. Too many people had those halogen security lights these days, even out in the country. It was never pitch-black dark the way she remembered from her childhood.
“When I consider the firmament, the work of Your hands, what is man, that Thou art mindful of him?”
The psalmist must have been sitting out on the hills on a night like this when he made that song. She wished she knew the tune that went with it. How wonderful would it be to be able to sing the words in its original Hebrew?
Off in the distance, Lorie heard a new import from Texas. A pack of coyotes yipped as the waning moon peeked over the horizon.
Lord, please keep the coyotes away from us.
Of all the ends she could imagine, being eaten by coyotes was not high on her list of favorite ways to die. At least a bullet would be quick.
The fire was getting too low. Lorie added a stick.
The fire sputtered.
Oh, Lord, no. Please don’t let it go out.
The flame licked at the new source of fuel. After a minute, it crackled merrily.
Lorie let out a breath of relief, and reminded herself that, aside from the mosquitoes, the smoke and all their injuries, this wasn’t too bad. They could be a lot worse off. Well, maybe not a lot worse off, but worse off.
Lorie began to whistle softly, barely making any noise. She needed help to stay awake.
There’s nothing like knowing you have to be awake to make you sleepy. Remind me not to do this again, Lord. As if it had been her choice in the first place.
The moon rose higher in the sky, dimming the stars.
A noise in the woods brought Lorie to attention. She sat up straighter, glad she hadn’t been staring into the fire.
She turned toward the mountain, rising to her feet, picking up the walking stick. It wouldn’t make much of a weapon. Not if their pursuer had a gun.
Lord, help.
Lorie peered at the area of wood where the crashing noise had come from. It was so dark in the trees. The moonlight wasn’t strong enough to penetrate the thick tangle of branches.
Love Inspired Suspense June 2014 Bundle 2 of 2: Forced AllianceOut for JusticeNo Place to Run Page 58