by Kelvin Teo
As it got closer, Danny could see it was Clark, dressed in a ghillie suit. He was covered from head to toe with branches, leaves and rags and if he were to lay down in the grass, it was likely no one would be able to see him.
He broke into a run across the clearing and went straight to Danny. Pulling his knife from his ankle holder, he sliced through the ropes holding his friend’s wrists and then ankles.
Handing the knife to Danny, he said, "Get the girls free."
As Danny jumped to Lizzie and started cutting her free, Clark went to all the dead laying around, pulling the arrows from their bodies and wiping the blood on the satin robes they were wearing. Then he stuck the arrows back in his quiver.
They could hear the sounds of engines being started down the hill and tires screeching on the pavement of the highway. It sounded like the start of the Daytona 500 down there.
When Clark reached the sheriff and Peaches, he picked up the sheriff’s gun and checked it out and then stuffed it in his belt.
When Danny finished getting Lizzie freed, he moved to the altar and began cutting Ali’s restraints, trying to keep his eyes off her naked body. When he was finished, he helped her stand up and they looked at Clark, who was bent over Peaches, removing the arrow from her face.
When he stood up, he turned and looked at Ali, looking her up and down.
"Damn woman, you hot!"
Ali jumped on him, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him deeply. It didn’t escape Danny or Lizzie’s notice when Clark’s free hand went down and squeezed Ali’s brown bottom.
"Uh, you two," said Lizzie, "we’d love to let you start humping like rabbits, but we need to get the hell out of here!"
They broke apart and Clark said, "But, Ali’s naked. We need to find her something to wear."
Ali reached down and picked up the white gown she had been wearing and held it up. It was torn to pieces from when Peaches pulled it off her, but she balled it up in her hands and said, "Let’s get out of here!"
She turned and started running for the edge of the clearing where Clark had come from and the other three followed her naked butt across the meadow.
In a couple of minutes, they were deep within the darkness and came to a stop. Lizzie helped Ali tie the strips of material from her gown together and they made a passable version of a bikini swimsuit and got her covered up.
"Oh, by the way, Clark," said Lizzie as she grabbed him and kissed him. "Thanks for coming back for us."
After she broke away from him, he looked at Danny and said, "Don’t you even think of trying to kiss me."
Danny laughed and reached out and grabbed Clark and pulled him into a hug.
"Thanks, man."
"Hey man, that’s my job. Protect the quarterback."
As they parted, Clark held up the sheriff’s gun and handed it to Danny.
"You know how to use one of these?"
"Absolutely," said Danny, taking the gun and checking it for ammo. He popped the magazine out and saw it was full and he knew he had at least fifteen rounds.
Clark looked at the girls and asked, "Do either of you know how to shoot a gun?"
They both looked at him and shook their heads.
"Alright," he said, handing the bow to Ali.
"Hey, I certainly don’t know how to shoot one of these," she said.
"You’re not going to shoot it. I need you to carry it and stay close to me if I need it."
Then he reached inside his ghillie suit and pulled out a 9mm pistol.
"I found this under the counter of the convenience store."
Danny said, "Just so you know, Lizzie is upset with you that you broke the window of the store."
Clark looked at her and said, "Really?"
"I think I’m getting over it, Clark!"
"Okay, we need to get moving," said Danny. "I’m sure those guys are going to regroup and come after us."
Clark said, "Well, maybe not. They might be so scared they don’t stop running until they get to the state line. But, you’re right, we do need to move."
He looked down at the girl’s feet.
"I hope you girls can run in bare feet."
"Oh please," said Ali. "We’re both out here, half naked and running for our lives. I think we’ll manage."
Clark looked at her and said, "Stop saying naked. It’s hard enough to keep my mind on what we need to do."
She cozied up to him, looked him in the eyes and said, "Naked."
Then she kissed him again.
"Let’s go, you two heathens," said Lizzie.
Without another word, the four of them
disappeared into the darkness.
16
The full moon lit the path through the woods, allowing the four travelers to wind their way through the trees without much trouble. The only problem came as they moved along and the girls began to have difficulty hiking with bare feet.
It soon became obvious that neither one was used to running around barefoot, especially in the wilderness. With the pain they were soon feeling, the group began to slow and the guys were beginning to worry the pace was going to put them in danger of being caught.
Both of the guys tried carrying the girls on their backs, but that didn’t last long.
"We need to do something for them," said Danny, as they came to stop for the third time.
"I don’t really know what we can do right now," said Clark. "We need to get out of these woods and heading down the mountain."
The girls were sitting on a log, rubbing their sore feet, trying to keep from saying they couldn’t go any further in their condition. They knew their lives depended on them moving.
Danny stopped for a second and looked around. Then, looking at Clark, he had an idea. Clark was wearing an old canvas tarp he had found somewhere.
"Let’s see what we can do for them with that thing you’re wearing," he said.
Clark whipped the tarp off and pulled the branches and leaves off it and held it up. It had a few holes in it, but there was a lot of material there to work with.
"Just a minute," said Danny as he disappeared into the woods the way they had come.
A few minutes later he returned with an old box he had seen just off the trail. It was cardboard and looked like it had been in the elements for awhile.
Together, he and Clark began cutting the box and the canvas up, making soles out of the cardboard and then cutting the tarp into squares. They placed the cardboard under the girl’s feet and then wrapped the canvas over this. Cutting some thin strips of material, they used those to tie the canvas into some makeshift shoes.
When the girls stood up, they could see the instant relief in their faces.
"These should work to get us off this mountain," said Lizzie.
Ali nodded her agreement and it was time to get back on the trail. Clark threw the remains of the tarp over his shoulders, not wanting to leave it. A person could never tell when it might come in handy again.
Just then the silence of the forest was broken by the sound of dogs in the distance. It was quite obvious what kind of dogs they were, too. Danny and Clark looked at each other and a knowing look passed between the two of them.
"We need to get out of here!" said Clark.
He didn’t have to say it twice. Danny took off up the trail they had been following and the girls fell in behind him, making sure to stay within just a couple of steps of him.
Clark followed after the three, but kept his attention to their rear. He couldn’t tell how far back the hounds were, but he knew they would probably be moving a lot faster than this group, having been in the forest all their lives.
The girls had to fight their way through some low hanging branches from the smaller pine trees and Danny tried to help them by picking the most open path through the trees, but it was a losing battle. The smaller trees were growing a lot thicker in this area and blocking their progress.
It wasn’t more than another five minutes before the sound of the river co
uld be heard. Lizzie began to tense up when she heard the sound of the rushing water. Having already been to the Gates of Heaven the day before, she wasn’t looking to revisit them anytime soon.
Before too long, they found themselves standing at the edge of the river, looking at the water swirl past them. It churned around the rocks in the river, causing the white water to shine in the moon light.
The one saving grace about it was the river was a little wider and calmer here than it had been the day before.
Danny felt Lizzie take hold of his arm and squeeze. He knew she was not looking forward to trying to get across the rushing water. He wasn’t looking forward to testing his ability to bring her back from the dead, either.
"I came across the river this afternoon, right here," said Clark. "It isn’t as bad as it looks. We just have to take it slow and watch where you put your feet."
Danny looked at Lizzie and said, "It’s going to be alright. I won’t let anything happen to you."
The sound of the dogs getting closer made the decision for them. Danny waded into the water and reached back and took Lizzie’s hand. He could hear her gasp as her legs sank into the cold water. Within a few steps it was up to her knees.
Gathering their courage, Clark and Ali followed, the guys taking charge of holding onto each girl. Clark had taken the bow back and hung it over his body, so Ali could use both hands to keep hold of him.
It didn’t matter that it was summer time. The water was still cold this high up in the mountains. They could feel their feet turning to blocks of ice before they reached the halfway point in their crossing. Clark was wishing they had had time to remove their shoes, knowing they would be prone to blisters once they came out on the other side and tried to run in wet shoes.
Danny and Lizzie continued in the lead, picking their way carefully across the rocks and they could feel the smooth stones shifting under their feet. The water didn’t rise any higher than their knees, which made it easier to pick their way across.
About the time they reached the halfway point, Danny and Lizzie heard a splash and Clark yelled, "Aw shit!"
Turning around, they saw that Ali had fallen and became completely soaked. Though the water wasn’t very deep, it was deep enough to soak her from head to toe. Clark helped her stand up and wrapped an arm around her, under her arms.
Danny turned himself back around and guided Lizzie to the far bank of the river and then turned and went back out to help the other two. By the time they got out of the river and Ali was shivering enough, Clark was afraid she was going to rattle herself apart. Ali’s handmade bikini was sagging on her body, but that was the last thing she was thinking of.
They moved about twenty yards up from the edge of the river and Clark stopped and looked back. They had the high ground now, being about twenty feet above the water. Looking into the distance, he could see some lights swinging back and forth.
"Idiots are shining flashlights like they don’t have a care in the world," said Clark.
Danny stepped up beside him and looked. They could see their attackers were about a hundred yards from the river and they could hear the dogs even more clearly. Those dogs were clearly onto their scent and wouldn’t give up until they tracked their quarry down.
"What do you want to do?" asked Danny.
"Well, we can’t keep running like this. They’re going to catch us in no time if we try to run."
He turned and looked around behind them. Then he pointed up the hill.
"Take the girls and get behind those rocks. Make sure they stay down. I’m sure these guys have guns and they won’t hesitate to start shooting. Especially since I killed their mama."
Danny looked at the girls and the rocks.
"Okay, and what are you going to do?"
"I’m going to set up right here behind this tree and give them a warm welcome if they start across the river."
He pulled the bow over his head and pulled an arrow from the quiver. He twirled it in the moonlight and Danny could see the razor sharp edges glinting in the light.
"Maybe I should stay down here and help you."
"No, what you need to do is get the girls to safety and be ready to defend them with your life if necessary."
Danny looked at his friend.
"Always trying to be the best guarding halfback in the state, aren’t you?"
"That’s why I made All-State," he said with a grin. "Relax. When the first one falls face down in the river, I expect the rest will scatter."
Danny turned and got ready to head up the hill, but stopped and said, "I’ll be ready to open fire from up there."
"Not unless you have to. It’s dark enough in the trees here, they won’t know where the arrows are coming from. You start shooting and they will draw a bead on you real fast."
Danny nodded and then herded the girls up the hill, to the rocks and got them hidden behind them.
Clark stepped in behind the tree he had chosen to make his stand from and looked across the river. He could tell it wouldn’t take their followers more than a couple minutes to reach the water’s edge and then decide what to do from there.
He looked back up the hill and saw the three were hunkered down behind the rocks, but he could see Danny leaning over the top of one of the boulders, with the pistol pointing down the hill.
He turned his attention back to the river and saw four men and two dogs come out of the trees. The dogs went straight to the edge of the water and then began moving back and forth along the edge. They had gone right to the spot where the four of them had entered the river and crossed.
He saw Ricky walk to the edge and look across. It was dark enough, Clark knew he couldn’t see him and their flashlights weren’t all that strong, so they did nothing, but give their position away.
"I think they went across right here," yelled Ricky.
"Let’s go," yelled Zeke and one of the other guys started wading into the water.
"They don’t make it across the river," said Clark to himself.
Ricky and Zeke were the last two to enter the water, being led by the other two Clark didn’t recognize. Each man was carrying a rifle. Clark had to smile when he saw the white bandage on Zeke’s arm from an earlier arrow. These guys were dressed for battle. Each one was wearing cammo pants and shirts.
Clark was standing behind one of the larger pine trees in the area, which gave him plenty of cover, but the branches were high enough he had a good view of the river.
And the four men wading across it.
He steadied himself against the tree and took aim at the guy leading the way across the river. About the time he reached the halfway point, Clark let the arrow fly.
The guy didn’t stand a chance. The arrow punched straight through his chest, killing him instantly.
As he fell face down into the water, Clark had another arrow ready to let fly, but the remaining three attackers opened up with their rifles.
Bullets buzzed through the air, but those firing them had no clue where the arrow had come from. They were just spraying the far river bank, hoping to hit something.
Clark stayed up behind the trunk of the tree, while Danny and the girls crouched behind the boulders. The girls were flat on their faces, hoping they wouldn't get hit with a lucky ricochet.
As soon as there was a lull in the firing, Clark peeked around the tree and saw the second guy had reached the midpoint. Because of the darkness of the forest, the attackers couldn’t see them and as long as Danny didn’t fire his gun, they wouldn't be able to pinpoint their locations.
Clark drew his next arrow back and took aim at the next guy in the river. He could see the guy was looking down at his fallen comrade, wondering if it was such a good idea to be chasing after these kids.
He didn’t have to wonder for too long. An arrow magically appeared in the side of his head, going in one ear and out the other. He fell backwards, splashing into the water at the feet of Ricky.
Ricky stood frozen in the middle of the river, still n
ot sure where the arrows were coming from. The silence of a bow and arrow, especially over the sound of the water rushing past his knees, made it impossible to know where Death was going to come from.
He raised his rifle and fired off another couple of rounds, still having no idea where to shoot. His shots went wildly off target and he screamed he was going to kill every last one of them.
Clark decided to try a battlefield tactic he’d heard of and he nocked another arrow and moved quietly out from behind the tree. He took aim at Zeke, who had just entered the water. He calmed his breathing and let the arrow fly.
It flew and hit the older brother exactly where he was aiming. In his right shoulder. The impact was so severe, Zeke lost his rifle in the river as he started screaming in pain.
Clark’s plan worked perfectly. Ricky retreated as fast as he could in the water and grabbed his brother and began hauling him back to the far side of the river. He called to the dogs and within a couple of minutes, they had disappeared into the trees on the other side.
"I know you’re a better shot than that," said Danny, as he came back down the hill and moved over to Clark’s side.
"Yes, I am," said Clark. "Now, Ricky has to decide whether to keep tracking us or take care of his brother. I was hoping he would choose the latter."
They moved back up the hill and found the two girls, still face down in the dirt, clutching each other.
"Hey," said Clark, "It’s over for now."
Ali looked up and asked, "How come you didn’t shoot, Danny?"
"Hey hey hey," said Clark. "He did exactly what he should have done. As soon as he shoots, they get a real good idea where we are. The arrows are silent."
Both the girls picked themselves up off the ground and Ali looked at Danny.
"I’m sorry. He’s right. Don’t shoot unless you absolutely have to."
"Ali, when the time comes, I will be more than willing to put some bullets into those guys. Like I said earlier, I’m not going to let anything happen to you two."
"We’re not going to," said Clark.
"Right. We’re not going to."
"Let’s get out of here," said Lizzie. "We need to find some place where we can stop and get Ali dried off or she’s going to die of pneumonia."