by Hunt, Jack
Slow and steady, that was the rhythm.
Eventually the water lowered until it was up to his knees. A surge of confidence beyond what he’d felt before gripped him. He sped up, water sloshing around him as he made it through the final stretch. As soon as they were on the shore, Grizzly shook his body, and Landon took a moment on his knees to catch his breath. He looked back at where they’d come from and marveled at the achievement.
He removed his boots and poured the water out before sinking his cold feet back inside. It was one of the most uncomfortable feelings ever.
“You good?” Dakota asked.
He nodded.
Dakota went over to Beth’s backpack which was still where she’d set it down and fished inside hoping to find a gun, but there was nothing except clothes, the tent, a small medic kit, and a sleeping bag rolled up beneath the pack.
“I have an idea,” he said. Landon staggered over to the wooden paddle and smashed the end against the rocks until it cracked and he was able to break off a section of the wooden blade at the end to fashion a long, thick jagged spear. Following suit, Dakota rummaged in the nearby tree line for a thick branch that she could snap and use as a weapon. Both would have been useless against a gun but the handgun was only useful if he saw or heard them coming.
Taking a piece of clothing from Beth’s bag, he placed it against Grizzly’s nose. “That’s it, boy, find her. Find Beth.” They took off into the woods more determined than ever.
Back at the small camp, dark black smoke swirled up into the air above the fire Billy had created. It was laughable. He had zero positional awareness. Beth had always been careful to avoid creating fires. The times she did create them she opted for what was known as a Dakota pit — a simple design used by the military, it relied on digging two small pits in the ground connected by a vent. By keeping the fire below ground it provided the added benefit of hiding the flame, and then when they needed to move on they could just cover it over with sod.
Billy thrust his grubby fingers into Beth’s mouth. She bit down on the squirrel meat that was undercooked. “Tastes good, doesn’t it?” She felt like gagging but instead she nodded with enthusiasm.
He set the pot down and pulled out a half-smoked cigar from his pocket and scurried over to the fire like some strange creature. Once it was lit, he blew out gray smoke and smiled at her. “You want some?”
“I’m good, thanks. You wouldn’t have some water, would you?”
“Sure.” While his back was turned she went back to tugging her feet apart and trying to use one boot to push off the other one. She’d already managed to loosen the laces by rubbing the tip of her foot against them. It was tricky at first but the more she tugged, and scraped her toes again them, the weaker the laces became. She didn’t expect them to break but she was hoping she could loosen the boot. As soon as he turned she stopped and smiled back. He returned and brought a canister to her lips. “You know you have pretty lips,” he said.
“Thank you.”
It was so hard to restrain her disgust for him.
The thought of what the night would bring if she didn’t get out of these boots lingered at the forefront of her mind. “You know, when we were traveling together I used to watch you while you washed in the river.”
Okay, that couldn’t be any more creepy, she thought.
“I know you’re younger than me but age is just a number, right?”
She wanted to throw up in her mouth.
“Right?” he fished for an answer.
Beth shrugged. “I guess.”
He took another toke on his cigar and his lips formed a smile. “I was thinking we could go back to Pawling. You remember all the resources they had.”
“You were there?”
“Of course I was. It was hard to remain out of sight but it’s amazing what you learn when you have no other option. Anyway. Now that you know that lady. What was her name?”
“Abigail.”
“That’s it. Abigail.” He squinted. “You could tell her that you changed your mind. Landon continued on his way and you met up with your boyfriend. Me. Ah, you’ll get used to it. What do you think?” He fished his fingers into the pot and scooped out more squirrel and offered it to her. She declined, so he opened his mouth and dropped it in.
“Sounds like a plan.”
He leaned forward and ran his hand around her face. “See. We’re already off to a good start. Right, well I’m gonna clean up and…”
“You wouldn’t have any fruit, would you?”
“An apple. Would that do?”
“Perfect.”
Once again as he turned, she worked away at her boot with the other foot, until she suddenly felt the boot slip. Billy turned back before she could get her foot out so she just remained still, waiting for him to come over and feed her. He rubbed the red apple against his chest and rattled on about the future and how it was fate that she crossed his path. “Here you go,” he said crouching and bringing the apple to her mouth.
She took a large bite. “Oh that is good,” she said.
He took a bite. “You’re right.”
Meanwhile she managed to slip her left foot out of her boot.
“Another bite?” she asked trying to distract him and make sure he didn’t notice while she used her free foot to push the other boot off. Running in socks wasn’t uncommon to her. Growing up on the mountain she had spent the better part of her childhood running around with no shoes or socks on.
“One more and then we must move on. I can’t have—”
Before he got the next word out, Beth reared back her leg as fast as possible and thrust it into his nutsack, then followed through with another to the face. It all happened within seconds. Beth bounced up, her wrists still tied, and took off into the forest. She had no idea where she was, only that she had to put as much distance as possible between her and him. She hit the ground running, threading around trees, stumbling and having sharp rocks jab into her feet. Every direction looked the same. Her thighs burned as she heard Billy scream her name. “Beth!”
She struggled to control her panic, fear getting the better of her.
While she figured he might not kill her — punishment, that was definitely in the equation. It was the crack of his gun that changed all that. Beth felt like a hunted animal. Her mind went into overdrive.
“I trusted you, Beth.”
Beth was so preoccupied by looking over her shoulder to see if he was catching up or about to shoot her that she didn’t see what lay ahead. Her foot caught on a downed log and she stumbled over into the underbrush and the ground disappeared beneath her. Like a rock bouncing down a hill, she twisted and turned and spun out of control down a steep incline while flattening plants, brambles and tall grass until she collided with a tree trunk.
She let out a muffled cry. Cut and bruised, she was sure she’d broken a rib or two. Every breath was harder than the last.
Get up… you need to move… Rattled, she crawled onto her belly and clawed at the soil until she was back on her feet. That’s when she heard him.
“You won’t survive out here, Beth. Come out.”
Beth scrambled behind a boulder and pressed her body against it and slowed her breathing. Only the sound of Billy’s voice could be heard. She looked down at her arms and hands that were cut up. Blood was trickling down her arm and she realized there was a piece of a branch embedded. She clamped on to it and gritted her teeth then pulled it out. The pain was agonizing. She closed her mouth and tears welled in her eyes. Beth dropped the bloody piece of wood and scanned the ground for a stone, anything she could use as a weapon. Dropping to her knees she dug out a rock the size of a baseball and held it tightly as Billy’s voice got louder. He was almost upon her.
Exhausted, in pain and bleeding badly, she knew if she didn’t face him, he’d keep coming after her and she would bleed out. A surge of anger and pure will drove her out from her hiding spot and up the incline. She yanked on tree roots and thick underbr
ush to reach the cusp of the ridge she’d gone over. Between the trees she saw him. He kept looking around and wheeling the gun in a crazy fashion. She knew the odds were against her but with Grizzly, Landon and her family gone, she had nothing else to lose.
Darting over to a tree, she crouched down waiting for him to walk by. A quick peek. He wasn’t heading her way. Damn it. She rushed to the next tree, then the next and it was when she sprinted for a boulder that a dark mass came out of nowhere, nothing but a blur before she was dragged down.
Beth struggled, automatically thinking it was Billy.
“Stay silent.”
“Landon?”
24
The reunion was short-lived. Keeping a firm grip on Beth, he eyed Billy in the distance. He had his back turned. “Okay, listen to me. Dakota is about half a mile from here.” He pointed. “Head that way and she’ll see you.”
“What about you?”
“He’ll keep coming if I don’t end him.”
“But Landon.”
“For once. Please. Just do as I say.”
She studied him for a second or two then nodded, and while Billy was still searching the forest, Landon released her and she took off running, staying low and out of sight. Landon saw the cuts and bruises on her. He could only imagine what he’d done to her. Rage bubbled up inside as he tightened his grip on the spear. He held it with both hands and waited for his moment before bursting from tree to tree to get closer. He couldn’t risk throwing it. He’d have to get close which meant increasing the odds of being shot. Billy already had a gun in his hand, and his finger on the trigger.
“Beth! You’re starting to piss me off,” Billy roared turning 360 degrees and firing a few random rounds into the forest as if that would motivate her to come out of hiding. What an idiot.
Figuring it was better to have Billy come to him than risk him hearing his approach, Landon crouched down and took a stone the size of his hand and tossed it about fifteen feet away. The rock hit a tree, then rolled down through the brush. Billy whirled around, a smile spreading as he broke into a jog holding his handgun out in front of him. Landon slid his body around the tree and waited. He eyed the ground below him. There was the smallest amount of brush at his feet. Would he hear him? It was a risk he would have to take. This was the closest he could get without being spotted.
“I know you’re out there,” Billy said, his voice so loud that it sounded as if he was right beside him. Landon snuck a peek around the tree and saw Billy peering over the rise down the grassy slope. His hands began sweating and his throat went dry. He rubbed them together and then readjusted his grip.
This was it.
Now or never.
Without a cry, Landon wheeled around and burst forward, his spear out like an Olympic pole vaulter making their approach. His thighs punched the ground like pistons. Billy’s head turned, his eyes widened and instinctively he brought up the handgun but it was too late. Landon thrust the spear into his side with such force that both of them went over the rise and rolled down the slope. Crashing through the underbrush, their bodies collided and bounced off each other like balls in a pinball machine.
At some point, Landon must have cracked his skull against a rock as when he awoke his head was throbbing, and there was blood dripping onto his hand. He groaned and drew up his knees beneath him, immediately checking his body to see if he’d been shot. No. Everything was in order. His bones hurt like hell but he was alive and in one piece. Quickly he scanned the terrain for Billy, unsure of how long he’d been out. Turning fast he scrambled over to a nearby tree seeking cover until he could figure out where Billy was. He heard groaning but couldn’t place where it was coming from. The sound seemed to bounce off the wide trees.
Then.
He saw movement.
Billy was scrambling up the slope, one hand gloved in blood as it pressed against his rib cage. In the other was the handgun. He turned, surveyed and saw Landon. He fired off two rounds in his direction, one lanced the tree, the other tore up the dirt. He knew he couldn’t let him escape. And that was exactly what Billy was trying to do. Dealing with tremendous pain, Landon had to dig deep to find the strength to blast away from the tree and shorten the distance between them.
Another round echoed.
Every time he darted out it was like playing Russian roulette with his life.
Billy lost his footing and stumbled and rolled back down the slope. He cried out in pain but was quick to get back up and fire off a few more rounds. How many did he have left? Landon spotted the bloodstained spear nearby. He raced over to it, scooped it up and darted from one tree to the next, and then took cover behind a mossy boulder.
“I should have killed you,” Billy yelled.
Landon never replied. A few times he tried to sneak a peek, and Billy unloaded a few more rounds. “You’re running out of bullets, Billy,” Landon shouted. He shot out again, playing with fate. Landon zigzagged his way through the trees getting closer by the second. Billy clawed his way up the slope, nervously looking back and firing shots until there was no more ammo. Landon knew it as he heard him curse and toss it.
That’s when he stepped out and looked at him.
“Look, we can work this out,” Billy said.
Landon said nothing as he strode towards him with only one thing on his mind.
Billy backed up but stumbled again, his hands hidden by the brush which he clung to as he tried to avoid slipping down.
“You’re losing blood fast,” Landon said as he got closer.
“Please. Just leave me to die.”
Within spitting distance, Landon replied, “You made that mistake with me, I won’t.” With that said, Landon thrust the spear at him only to have Billy lunge forward drawing a knife hidden behind underbrush. They struck each other at the same time. The spear penetrated Billy’s sternum and his knife drove into Landon’s lower abdomen. Their eyes widened. Landon staggered back, clutching his side, as Billy collapsed and blood streamed over his lips.
Landon dropped to his knees; his breath stuck in his throat.
He didn’t take his eyes off him for even a second.
Only when Billy took his last breath did Landon lay back and stare up at the blue sky. Clouds melted; others passed overhead. Birds chirped and the wind rustled leaves.
In that moment he wasn’t scared or fearful of dying.
It was peaceful.
“Wake up. Wake up,” a familiar voice said.
His eyes fluttered and there standing over him was Ellie.
Was he dead?
“Ellie?”
“Hi, Dad,” she said in a soft tone.
“Baby.” Tears welled in his eyes; his chest became heavy.
“You need to wake up,” she said.
“But…”
“WAKE UP!” the voice changed from soft to harsh.
In an instant, Ellie was gone and Beth was looming over him. “Wake up!” He coughed a few times. “Oh my God, I thought you were gone. Don’t you ever do that to me.” Tears streamed down her cheeks. Out the corner of his eye he saw Grizzly and Dakota. His hand reached up and the knife was gone. In its place was a bunched-up shirt. Beth was applying pressure.
“How long, Beth?” Dakota asked.
“Ten, maybe fifteen minutes of direct pressure should be enough to control the bleeding.” Landon noticed his body had shifted, his head was now facing down the slope and his legs higher up. He knew from the little knowledge he had of knife wounds that if the wound was below the heart, blood loss would occur faster and so to offset that, repositioning the wound above the heart slowed it down.
“Dakota,” Beth said tossing her the blood-soaked shirt. Dakota handed her another piece of clothing. Neither one looked sanitary but it was better than nothing. Beth shook a canister of water over the wound and he winced in pain before she covered it.
“What about infection?” Dakota asked.
“Not many options right now,” she said. “Hang in there, Landon.”<
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“You gotta stop making this a habit,” he said managing to form a smile.
“What?”
“Saving my ass.”
She returned the smile but it soon vanished with the seriousness of the situation. The truth was he needed professional medical help but that wasn’t always available when someone was hiking the trail.
“Is he dead?” Landon asked. Although he’d heard Billy stop breathing, he had to be sure. She nodded. “Good.”
“Dakota, I need you to run to my backpack. There is a small first-aid kit in there. It’s not much but it will do. I’ve got to clean and close this wound up.”
“Close it?” Landon asked.
“Sew it shut.”
“But has it hit an artery?” Dakota asked
“Arterial bleeding causes blood to spurt and it’s bright red in color, there’s no sign of that around or on him. Venous oozes out and is darker. That’s what we’re seeing. Usually you can stop it with pressure as long as there isn’t a bleeding disorder or the person isn’t on blood thinners. Landon?”
“No,” he said.
She nodded and smiled. “Good.”
Dakota took off running and Beth remained with Landon, applying pressure while Grizzly laid down and placed his head on Landon’s leg. Beth looked at Grizzly. “Even he wants you to pull through.” She stared at him. “Dakota said you crossed the river. For me.”
“Yeah, I think I stubbed my toe on a rock,” he said.
She burst out laughing as did he before groaning again.
Landon didn’t manage to stay awake long enough to see Dakota return or feel the DIY repair that Beth performed on him a few miles from Caratunk, as shock set in and he eventually lost consciousness.
A warm band of summer light kissed his skin as the world snapped back into view. Landon’s eyelids fluttered as he came to the awareness that he was in a hospital room. There was no beeping. Nothing monitoring him, but he was tucked beneath blankets and Dakota was asleep in a comfortable chair beside him. His throat was dry and he had no recollection of how he got there or where he was. The room was simple. A single bed with gray blankets and white sheets. A three-drawer dresser across the room. A flat-screen TV on the wall, two side tables, one chair for a guest, a bathroom, and flowery drapes covered the window. Attempting to shift into a raised position, he felt a twinge of lower pain. Instinctively he reached out and that’s when he noticed a tube was in his arm. “Dakota.”