Perilous (14 page)

It had originally said missing, but then the police called Carl and told him they had a cremation record on file for the woman at the local morgue. Carl had crossed out ‘missing’ and written ‘dead.’ It remained to be seen if the boys had killed her or not.

“Seniors at Johnsburg Central High.” Apparently after four days of not coming to school, the teachers finally reported Neal as missing. Not Ricky—he skipped a lot. But they were concerned about Neal, a devoted student who had already put down pre-med for his undergraduate studies.

“Born Little Falls, New York. Custody battle.”

He stood up. The police had said if they found the boys, they would arrest them. They were wanted for arson, and charges might still be pressed for the grandmother’s death. Ricky had broken his probation, first with the fire, and now by hiking out of town. Carl shook his head. What kind of psychos had the girls run into this time?

They were out there in the forest somewhere among the thousands of acres. He needed the park rangers’ phone numbers. They needed to be on that trail, alerting hikers to watch out for these kids.

He tried to imagine where they would be, what route they would take. The girls wanted to get back to Idaho. Where did the boys want to go?

He would spend a few days here to see if he could glean anything from the boys’ friends and teachers. Or even Ricky’s probation officer. He needed to get to Little Falls. He needed to see the court records.

Those records might give him a hint as to where the boys were heading.

Chapter 23

Jaci splashed cold river water over her face, shivering as it fell into her sweater.

“Hi.” Sara joined her. “Where’s Amanda?”

“She was already up when I got up.” Jaci searched around the river bank. Standing, she dried her hands on her jeans. “I’ll find her.”

Sara shrugged. “She’s probably with the boys.”

“I’ll just make sure that’s where she is. You ready to head out?”

“Give me five more minutes.”

Jaci found one of the boys using his foot to cover a small circle of ash with dirt. From the serious expression on his face, it had to be Neal. The light gray color of his sweater was dirtier now.

“Hi, Neal.”

He looked up and gave her a brief smile. “Jaci.”

“We’re going to leave soon.” She glanced around. “You seen Amanda? She wasn’t up at our camp.”

Neal shrugged his shoulder toward the path they’d made the day before. “She went that way.”

Jaci started down the path, straining her ears to hear voices.

She didn’t need to go far. She almost walked into the grove where Amanda and Ricky were kissing.

She tiptoed back, careful not to step on a twig or give any other notice of her presence.

“Let’s go, Neal,” she said shortly, not bothering to look at him as she hurried back to Sara.

Catching up to Sara, she jerked her shoulder bag from the river bank. “Come on.”

Sara jogged to match Jaci’s stride. “What about the boys?”

“They’re coming.”

Sara kept pace with her and didn’t ask any more questions. Amanda and Ricky stayed behind, close enough that the murmur of their voices carried.

Neal moved ahead, staying in front of Jaci and Sara, moving thorn bushes and stamping on dry underbrush.

The air grew colder when dusk fell, as if the sun had taken the last rays of warmth with it. Just like the day before. The stream gurgled and bubbled over rocks close to the shore.

Jaci pulled on a thread of her pink sweater, watching it unravel. It ran around and around her sleeve before catching and tearing.

“We should stop,” Neal said.

Jaci nodded. She walked over to the creek. Only about eight feet across, the opposite bank looked close enough to jump. She leaned over it and cupped her hand to gather the water for a drink. It smelled clean. The water they had gotten upstream yesterday hadn’t upset their systems.

Pulling a water bottle from her bag, she began refilling it. Finishing with that one, she rolled it behind her and started on the next.

“I’ll see if I can find my brother,” Neal said, touching Sara’s shoulder.

Sara picked up the bottle Jaci had rolled back and shook it. She held it close to her face and examined it. “Do you really think this water is safe? I’d hate to get dysentery.”

“Looks fine. Is this stream on the map?”

“Hmm.” Sara unfolded it and examined it. “How am I supposed to know one stream from another? We haven’t been plotting our course.”

Amanda waltzed over, twirling her arms and swirling like a ballerina. “Hey, you two.”

Sara stood up and walked away. Amanda looked over at Jaci. “What’s her problem?”

Jaci shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe she’s still mad about last night. She didn’t tell me.” She stood up, brushing dirt from her jeans, and wandered in the direction Sara had gone.

She found her squatting on the river bank, throwing rocks into it. It was dark now, and Jaci could barely see her outline. A twig snapped under her foot, and Sara spun around, hands leaping to her chest.

“It’s me,” Jaci called out quickly.

“Jaci,” Sara breathed, dropping her hands.

“Yeah.”

The younger girl stepped to her side and they walked along the bank for a moment. Jaci stopped and moved over to the edge, staring down into the calm water below. The bank was higher here, a good three feet from the stream. The slender crescent of the moon reflected in the water, slightly distorted by the gentle ripples.

Jaci felt disturbed inside, and wasn’t sure why. “So many thoughts. So many worries. I need to sit and think and not talk to anybody. Just for a few minutes.”

She looked up at the dark sky. Stars were starting to dot the horizon. “I’m going to cross to the other side.”

Sara looked down at the water. “How?”

“I’ll wade. It’s only a few feet deep.”

“But it’s freezing.”

“I’ll only be a few minutes. Save me a spot next to you.”

“Okay. I won’t sleep till you come back, though, so hurry.”

Jaci waved her off. “Sure. I’ll be right there.” Her head felt heavy with fatigue, her eyelids itchy. She wouldn’t be gone long.

Chapter 24

The night sky lit up like a giant firecracker, followed by a crack and rumble that shook the ground.

“What on earth?” Jaci pulled herself to her knees and slipped on the wet river bank. Large drops fell from the sky, making dents in the soft earth.

She dug her fingers into the mud. Where was she? Water began to fall from the sky in torrents, soaking her clothing and dripping into her face. The trees overhead shook and the wind roared around her like a train. A tree branch above snapped and crashed to the ground.

She had fallen asleep on the wrong side of the river. She ran through her options. Cross the river now and try to meet up with her friends, or wait out the storm on this side?

She could barely see, except for when lightning lit the sky. Where was the edge of the bank? She crept forward on her hands and knees, stretching her fingers out in front of her. The water roared close by. Any minute now—she should be almost to the edge—

The ground under her fingers crumbled away, and she screamed as she plummeted forward. Her flailing arms hit a tree root protruding from the eroded bank, and she clutched it.

Her legs swung under her, slipping into the icy water, and it shocked her when she couldn’t find the bottom. The shallow stream had turned into a raging river, eating away at the bank until it was a steep ledge.

She kicked her legs, trying to find a footrest. She was up to her waist.

“Help!” she cried. Thunder crashed again and the wind whipped her words away from her.

Digging her knees into the bank, she tried to get enough leverage to use her arm muscles to pull herself up. It was too muddy, and she lost her footing. She cried out as her body twisted around, but she didn’t let go of the branch.

Her legs were going numb and the water surged beneath her ribcage. “Someone, help me!”

One hand slipped from the root and the raging current pulled her legs downstream, tugging her clothes around her. Her head submerged underwater for a second, and then she managed to get her other hand up to the root again.

She took a deep breath and choked on water. Panic fueled her, and she kicked her legs.

Her feet found a hold and her head emerged. She gagged and coughed. Her stomach tightened, and she threw up bile.

“Please,” she moaned, not daring to move a hand to wipe her face. Part of the bank crumbled under the root and fell into the water. The water pulled on her, urging her to relax and succumb to its force.

Dear God, don’t let me fall. I don’t want to die this way.
She held onto her tree root with all her might, but she was weakening. The cold water bubbled up around her neck, making her teeth chatter.

Jaci leaned her head against the muddy bank, her hand going numb. She felt so tired. She closed her eyes.

“Jaci? Is that you?”

She jerked her head up, forcing the heavy eyelids to open. Jaci let out a sob of relief. “Neal? I’m here!”

“It’s Ricky.” His fingers grabbed her hand, prying her free of the tree root.

“Ricky?” Jaci said, resting her head against the muddy incline and feeling his cold hand clasp one of hers.

“Are you okay?”

She couldn’t answer. She wanted to, but her mouth didn’t seem to be responding.

He grabbed her other hand. “Everything is going to be fine now, you can stop crying.”

Was she crying? “Hurry, Ricky. The current…” Her voice faded away, too exhausted to continue.

“Okay.” Ricky gripped her forearms and started to pull.

The water increased in volume, rising up to her chin even though Ricky was pulling her up.

A roar like a waterfall filled Jaci’s ears. She twisted her body, kicking at the bank, trying to get leverage. “Do you hear that?”

He paused, and then swore. “The beaver’s dam must’ve broke.” He grunted and pulled harder.

The beaver dam. If that water swept through, it would take her along with it and maybe Ricky, too. A rush of adrenaline warmed her body, and she jerked an arm out of Ricky’s grasp, clawing at the bank. “Hurry, Ricky.”

“I am!”

She tried to help, digging her elbows into the mud. He wrapped his arms around her waist and dragged her away from the edge. The roar grew louder, and Jaci scrambled forward as if a mountain lion were at her heels.

A flash of lightning illuminated the wave as it thundered past, overflowing the river bank. She heard the snap of branches, and the tree she had clung to tumbled into the water along with a large section of river bank.

The water lapped at her feet and she tensed, climbing to higher ground, afraid she might be swept away, but Ricky held her tight.

When he finally released her, she sank into the mud, sobbing. “Thank you,” she cried. “I was praying… I didn’t want to die.”

“No,” Ricky said, pulling her to her feet, “you’re not going to die. Come on, we’ve got to warm you up.”

It was wet everywhere, but the storm was starting to dissipate, leaving as quickly as it had come.

Ricky led her away from the mud and laid her down in the tall, wet weeds, then lay down next to her, wrapping his arms around her and rubbing her back and shoulders. “Gotta get your blood going. You’re shaking.”

He took her hands and pressed them to his chest, and Jaci bent her palms against the black t-shirt. “Where’s your sweater?”

“I left it behind. It would’ve slowed me down. Doesn’t do much good wet, anyway.”

“No, I suppose not.” Jaci closed her eyes and tried to relax.

Multiple aches and bruises clamored for her attention; her body throbbed. Floating debris in the water had pummeled her.

She tossed and turned through the night. A cool breeze tickled her ear. She opened her eyes, and for a moment the world seemed to swirl in front of her. The sun was up, and a few birds were chirping, as if no thunderous storm had burst through the area a few hours earlier.

She sat up, holding a hand to her head to suppress the vertigo. How much of what she remembered was a dream, and how much was real?

Her hand felt hard and stiff, and when she looked at it, she realized it was caked in dry mud. A glance down at her clothes showed they were in the same condition.

Ricky stood on the bank where he had dragged her up, his back to her as he surveyed the depth of the water.

Jaci looked at the swollen rapids beneath them, staying away from the edge of the bank. The water was high, and she didn’t trust the ledge to stay where it was. The river frothed white as it fought its way around broken tree limbs.

A shiver ran through her, and she let her legs bend under her. The soft mud squished beneath her body weight. “What happened last night?”

Ricky shrugged, hands in his jean pockets. “Big storm—common around here, actually. Sara told us you had crossed the river.”

He looked at her. “It was pretty dumb to come over here alone.”

The chastisement hung in the air, and Jaci bristled. “I didn’t know a storm was going to come in and triple the size of the stream, okay? How’d you find me, anyway?”

“We heard you. Neal can’t swim. Someone had to come.” Ricky hesitated. He glanced up at the morning sun. “We should hurry back.”

Something in his voice caught Jaci’s attention. “Why?”

He shrugged. “Nothing. I thought they would be across the river this morning, looking for us. But they must be waiting downstream.”

He kept his tone even, but Jaci picked up on a nervous air. “Was there danger last night?”

He shook his head. “Neal and I took the girls out of the ravine when it started raining. He stayed on the hill while I came back to get you. He’ll keep them safe.”

It would be a good answer, except for the way Ricky avoided looking at her.

“I meant danger from other people.”

He met her eyes. “I’m not sure. Sara thought she saw someone. A man.”

“When?”

“During the storm. Don’t worry,” he added quickly, “Neal will protect them.”

Jaci stared down at the mud, thinking. Sara had been seeing and hearing things for weeks. And with all the noise of the water and wind, it might have been nothing. Then again, they
had
seen the fire pit.

“How are we going to get across?”

“The water’s gone down from last night, but the current’s still strong. We have to wade across, but not here. We should walk downstream until we find a place.”

She frowned and studied the water. “I don’t really want to get back in there.”

She hesitated, remembering her fitful sleep the night before, and then asked, “Did you hear anything last night?”

“I heard you crying for help.”

“No, I mean… after that.”

“Nope.” He shook his head. “I slept like a rock.”

“I must’ve been dreaming,” she said, staring into the swirling, murky water below. She shivered.

“Are you cold?” he asked, stepping to her and wrapping his arms around her.

His touch sent a spark through her veins. She jerked away. “I want to wash the mud off my face.”

He indicated the brown water. “It won’t help much.”

“It’s better than nothing.” Still, she hesitated, afraid to approach the water.

“Let’s walk downstream,” Ricky said. “We might find a spot that’s easier to cross.”

The sun came out, beating down on them warmly. Jaci took off her pink sweater and tied it around her waist. It was wet, anyway, and making her colder. She didn’t say much, lost in her own thoughts as she stumbled along behind Ricky.

“Was everyone else okay?” she asked.

“What?” He waited for her to catch up to him.

“Last night. Did the storm hurt anyone?”

“Everyone’s okay.” He stopped walking. “Uh-oh.”

The river roared beneath their feet as it was bottlenecked through the sides of a cliff. They stood two feet above the water, six feet between them and the other side.

“It’s getting worse,” Ricky said. “Maybe we can cross where the dam used to be, or where Neal and I crossed with Sara.”

“But that means…” Jaci swallowed, trying not to cry. “We’ll have to go back the way we came.” They had walked forward all day. Back for how long?

Ricky pointed downstream, “It splits up ahead into two rivers.”

“We could jump it.”

He grabbed her forearm, fingers closing as if afraid she might try. “Don’t you dare. You fall in there, I won’t be able to get you out.”

She blinked back tears, feeling childish. “I’m starving. I can’t walk all the way back there with no food. I won’t make it.” Her legs trembled underneath her. She needed to eat.

Ricky broke off a branch and tossed it into the water below. They both watched it disappear in the current, pop up again, and disappear for good.

“We don’t have a choice. I’ll figure out a way to get some food. Sit and rest, okay?” Ricky turned his back on her and jogged away.

Getting to her feet, she moved to a spot where she could reach the water. She had rinsed the mud from her face and arms earlier that morning, but now she had time to clean more thoroughly. She glanced down at her muddy shirt and hesitated. Casting a quick look over her shoulder, she yanked the shirt off and swished it in the water.

Within an hour Ricky was back, looking like a proud caveman as he plopped two fish down in front of her, still squirming with life.

“How’d you do it?” Jaci said.

Their empty, opaque eyes stared outward while the slimy mouths opened and closed, desperate to breathe. She had to be starving for the sight of them to make her mouth water.

Ricky reached into his pocket and pulled out a rock. Then he gathered up a couple of twigs and a few other rocks.

“It wasn’t that hard. I went back to where the bank is lower. I lay down on my stomach and put my hands in the water. It’s going so fast, I just had to hold still and wait for something slippery to swim into my hand. Then I closed my hands and caught it.”

He gave her a quick grin as he began to strike his rock against another. “I’ve got fast reflexes.”

She had seen this rock before. He always played with it. “What are you doing?”

“Well, we’re not going to eat them raw, are we? This is my fire-starting rock. It’s called flint.”

“I know what flint is.”

“That’s right, you’re smart. So you know if I have this rock and any other rock, I can get a spark. It might take awhile, with everything being damp, but we’ll get a fire going soon.”

Sparks jumped from the rock, landing on the twigs.

“You know,” he said, leaning over to blow on the sparks, “it’s probably just gonna be us for awhile. Even if we try to go faster than the others, we’re going to have to walk back for at least a day to find a place to cross. And then another day or two before we find everyone. Will you be okay?”

He laid the fish on the rocks next to his little fire.

“I guess.”

Ricky didn’t say anything for several minutes. He turned his attention back to the fish, cooking them on the rocks in the fire until the skin turned pink and flaked with his stick.