Wilderness Target (7 page)

She rested her forehead against her hand. “I know I made it worse by thinking I had to fix it on my own. I see that now, and I worry that those guys might hurt someone to get to me.”

Ezra cleared his throat. “There is the rest of the group to think about.” He wasn’t sure how to solve this problem. His responsibility wasn’t only to her.

Outside, the rain continued to fall, creating puddles around the wood structure. She was still shivering.

“If you pull some of this loose straw around you, it’ll warm you up a little.”

She gathered the straw around her lower body.

“Here, hold this.” He transferred the poncho to her and bunched up the remaining straw around her. “Take your wet jacket off.” Then he removed his flannel shirt, which was still dry, and draped it over her shoulders. All he had on now was his long-sleeved T-shirt.

Gratitude shone in her eyes as she slipped out of the wet jacket and into the flannel shirt. “Aren’t you going to get cold?”

“I’ll be all right.” He pulled the poncho over his shoulders. “Long as I keep dry.”

The rain fell relentlessly, and the puddles outside grew larger and deeper. He spoke some about growing up with his four brothers and his time as a marine. Clarissa offered only yes and no answers to his questions about her life.

Gradually, though, she eased closer to him, seeming to trust him more, until their shoulders were touching, and he could feel her body heat through his thin cotton shirt.

She spoke up. “I don’t know if those men will come back for me or not.”

He was glad she trusted him enough to share her concerns.

“Maybe once this storm lets up and we are all back together, the group can be told the situation and then decide whether they want to continue or head back down the mountain.”

“Really? We’re going to involve everyone?”

“Those people care about you already. Jan treats you like you’re her long-lost daughter.”

Clarissa turned to face forward, obviously thinking deeply about what he had said.

“All of this is because of me. It’s me they’re after. I’m the one who should head back down the mountain.” Despite the resolve in the words, he could hear that her voice was filled with fear.

“Clarissa, we make these decisions as a team.”

“Maybe you could point me toward that little town you said was on the other side of the mountain. I think I would be safe there.”

“It would be irresponsible of me to send you off alone. What kind of a man do you think I am?”

“It’s just that all these people paid for a wilderness adventure, and my problems shouldn’t get in the way of that. I don’t know if those men will even come back.” Her eyes glazed with tears and he was struck by the guilt that he saw there.

His fingers grazed her cheek, and he spoke more tenderly. “We’ll figure this out together as a group.”

The drone of the rainfall was interrupted by a cry. Both of them turned to face outward.

She gripped his upper arm. “Was that human?”

He leaned out a little more, listening and studying the landscape. They were surrounded by trees except for a path that led back to the river. Another cry rose up. This one was more distinct, but still far away.

“That might be one of our group. I have to go check it out.”

She moved to follow him.

“You stay here.”

“But it’s raining buckets out there. You’ll get wet.” She moved to take off the shirt.

“Keep it. I’ll take the poncho.” He slipped into it and put up the hood while he crouched beneath the roof of the shelter.

Rain gushed over him as he stepped out into the wind. He looked back to see Clarissa huddled with her legs drawn up to her chest and her head down. She wouldn’t stay dry for long with that leaky roof. He found some fallen tree branches and placed them on the roof, then bent over and looked in at her. “That should help keep you dry.”

She hugged her knees with her arms. “Thank you.”

“Promise me you’ll stay here until I get back. This is the safest place for you until this storm lets up.”

He heard another cry. This time he could discern the word
help.
The sound was coming from upriver. “Promise me, Clarissa.”

She looked up at him and nodded. That look in her eyes was like that of an animal caught in a trap, filled with desperation.

“I’ll come back for you. Just stay here.”

With only a backward glance, Ezra plodded toward the river. The water had risen and was rushing even faster. He made his way along the bank toward where he’d heard the call for help.

He prayed that he’d make it in time to rescue whoever was crying out, and that the others were safe and dry on high ground. More than anything he prayed that Clarissa would stay put until he could come back for her, and wouldn’t think she had to go off on her own.

SEVEN

C
larissa slipped back into a corner of the shelter where it didn’t seem to be leaking as much. She gathered the straw around her. Her shivering had subsided thanks to Ezra’s warm flannel shirt. The heat from his body had seeped through her skin when she’d put it on. His kindness had caught her off guard.

He’d been angry at her deception, and rightly so. But the care he took with her, making sure she was safe and dry, confused her. Sending her packing down the mountain alone after what she had done would have made more sense to her. She had hurt his business and could have jeopardized the safety of the others in the group.

Max Fitzgerald was not Ezra Jefferson’s problem. And yet he was willing to take it on. What if Max’s thugs did come back? The memory of Jan helping her, of laughing and joking with her, caused guilt to wash over Clarissa again. She couldn’t risk harm to these good people.

After ten minutes, the rain finally showed signs of letting up. She dived out into it, determined to find a way across the river and over the mountain. The water had risen several inches and was rushing fast. She remembered the log where she and Jan had crossed in the first place and ran in that direction, seeking the cover of the trees as much as possible. When she came to the log, she found it completely submerged. Clarissa stood with the wind and rain whipping around her, and tried to fight off a feeling of despair. There had to be another way across.

She retreated deeper into the trees to escape the worst of the storm while still following the river. She heard what she thought was Ezra’s voice, though it blended with the wind. Maybe it was only her hopeful heart. She didn’t know what to do with the kind of consideration he had shown her. Part of her did not want to leave him or the group even though she knew she had to.

She walked farther upriver, bent over to resist the worst of the storm. When she poked her head through the trees to assess crossing the rapidly moving water, she saw a flash of color ahead of her: Ezra’s rain poncho hanging on a tree. Fearing the worst, she ran toward it.

Ezra stood in the raging water, holding on to Bruce’s upper body.

“Hurry, I can’t hold him much longer. His arm is trapped underneath a log,” he shouted above the roar of the river. “Find something you can use to wedge it off of him.”

Clarissa turned in a half circle, searching for a strong branch. She ran a short distance toward one, but quickly dismissed it—too weak. Bruce’s cries of agony pelted her ears. She dragged a crooked branch from beneath some thick underbrush and rushed back to the river.

Freezing water swirled around her as she waded in beside Ezra.

“Hold his head out of the water. I’ll lift the log off,” he told her.

Clarissa handed Ezra the stick and nestled her hands underneath Bruce’s head, lifting it above the rushing water. He opened his eyes, but no light of recognition shone in them when he looked at her. His skin was so pale it appeared almost translucent. His lips were blue.

Ezra stepped through the river, bending at the waist and feeling for Bruce’s arm and the log that pinned him down. He jabbed the branch into the water, then strained against it, groaning. “Now! Get him out now!”

Clarissa wrapped her arms around Bruce’s chest and pulled backward, nearly falling into the water herself. Ezra braced her back with his arm and then gripped Bruce. They dragged the man toward safety before collapsing on the rocky shore. Bruce took in a sputtering breath and turned to one side.

Ezra gazed up the hillside. “All of us need to get warmed up quickly. Let’s get back to the campsite. The others must have gone there already.”

Clarissa reached out to help Bruce to his feet, but his knees buckled as soon as he stood. Ezra slipped in beside the injured man and rested Bruce’s rubbery arm on his shoulder.

It took only seconds for the cold air to hit her skin. Her teeth chattered as they made their way up the hill. Finally, the camp came into view.

“I’ll build a fire. You take care of his arm. Do you know how to dress a wound?”

Clarissa nodded. “From first aid classes.”

Ezra was already racing around the camp, pulling his pack out of the tent and slipping into a fresh flannel shirt.

Clarissa saw no sign of Jan or Ken or Leonard. Where could they be? The camp looked out of order. One of the tents was missing, maybe blown away by the storm. Another had collapsed.

Bruce groaned in pain, and Clarissa drew her attention back to him. He held his arm protectively against his chest. She poked her head inside one of the tents, which looked relatively dry. “Bruce, can you get in here to stay warm?”

While he crawled into it, Ezra pulled a tarp out of his tent. “Help me get this up so we can get out of the rain and build a fire,” he told Clarissa.

They worked quickly, grabbing sturdy sticks to prop up the tarp. He dashed in and out of the camp, piling up wood and kindling. “Some of this will be dry enough to burn.” He pulled items from his pack. “We need to find anything dry that will burn. Any kind of paper.”

After she helped Ezra find kindling, Clarissa grabbed a piece of cloth and some string from her pack. When she glanced up again at Ezra, he had a fledgling fire started.

“It’s kind of hard. Everything is so wet.”

She nodded in understanding, then called out toward the tent where she’d left their patient. “Bruce, we got a fire started, and a tarp set up so we’ll be out of the rain. Come on out, and I can put your arm in a sling.” At least she hoped she could. She’d done something like this only once, in a first aid class.

Bruce poked his head out of the tent, pressed his lips together and nodded. He crawled out, and Clarissa was pleased to note that he’d started to get a little color back into his face. “I’ve got a cut on my leg, too,” he said.

She touched his arm as gently as she could. His body jerked and he let out a groan. Her hands were trembling from cold as she draped the cord around his neck and tied it through a hole she’d punched in the cloth.

“Let me see the cut on your leg,” she said.

Bruce lifted his pant leg. Clarissa winced when she saw the gash. She located the first aid kit, put disinfectant on the cut and covered it with gauze and medical tape.

She helped Bruce to his feet and settled him in front of the fire.

“Stay close to the heat. Get dried out.” She patted his shoulder. He nodded.

She felt the weight of a blanket settling on her shoulders, and Ezra leaning close and whispering in her ear. “Now get yourself warmed up.”

She settled down beside Bruce while Ezra disappeared into the trees and returned with more wood. He tossed it beside the fire. “Once we get it going strong, we can throw some of that damper wood on.” He knelt and held his hands closer to the flames.

“Where is everybody?” Bruce’s voice was weak.

“I don’t know. I’m not sure what happened here.”

Clarissa detected the tension woven into Ezra’s words. His sideways glance toward her made her wonder if the reason for the others’ disappearance wasn’t the storm, but something more sinister. Something connected to her.

* * *

Ezra allowed the heat from the flames to surround him. His pants were soaked, and he was still shivering. There were a hundred things he needed to do, but he would be no good to anyone if hypothermia overtook him. His mind raced. He wasn’t sure about Leonard, but Jan and Ken should have been at the camp. So where were they?

He couldn’t focus on the disaster that was behind him. He needed to put his energy into pulling things back together. He needed to find the other members of the group. Clearly, Bruce couldn’t continue the journey. And they all might need to be going home. The first step was to get some help on the way with the satellite phone.

Bruce lay down close to the fire and nodded off. The rain had turned into a drizzle.

Clarissa patted the sleeping man’s shoulder. “He’s been through a lot.”

“We all have. This was certainly not what was on the itinerary.”

She stared at the disaster that had been their camp, a sad and bewildered expression on her face. She drew the blanket tighter around her shoulders.

If it hadn’t been for Clarissa showing up when she did, he might not have been able to save Bruce. “Thanks for helping me back there.”

She stared at the fire. “It’s what anyone would have done.”

“Guess I’m glad you left that shelter after I told you not to.” That much was true...but it led to the question he wished he didn’t have to ask. “Where were you headed?”

She opened her mouth as though to say something, but then turned sideways, pulling the blanket tighter around her. She focused on the flames, touching the back of her neck delicately, and then looked out into the distance.

“You weren’t thinking about taking off on your own, were you?”

She stared down at her hands. “I’ve been so much trouble already.”

Ezra leaned toward her, taking her face in his hands. “I meant what I said. We decide as a group how to deal with your problem.”

She cupped her fingers over his, the warmth of her touch seeping through his skin. The furrow between her brows indicated he still hadn’t got through to her.

If kindness didn’t work, maybe he could scare her into not bolting. “You’ll die out there by yourself.” Or guilt her into staying. “I don’t want that on my conscience.” His hand pressed against her cheek and he brushed away a strand of wet hair. The look of disbelief remained on her face.

He moved back. “Look, we might not be staying out here, depending on what condition Jan and Ken and Leonard are in when I find them. First things first. I’ve got to get on that satellite phone and get some help for Bruce.”

Ezra stuck his head back in his tent. The phone wasn’t there.

Clarissa must have picked up on his alarm when he poked his head back out. “Is something wrong?”

He looked all around the area. Rain pattered on his skin as he surveyed the campsite. The phone was not anywhere. He didn’t want to scare Clarissa, so he decided to keep the news to himself for now. In the meantime, he had to think in terms of getting everyone to a safe place, which was proving to be harder by the minute.

“I’m going to do a quick survey around here and down by the river to see if I can find the others, or at least figure out where they went.” And search some more for the satellite phone. He pulled a meal packet from his pack. “You should focus on eating something and getting food into Bruce.”

“How long will you be gone?” Clarissa’s voice was tinged with fear.

“Less than an hour.” He moved toward her. “I do need you to stay put this time.”

Ezra walked the perimeter of the camp in widening circles. The only sign he found of the others was a canteen that must have fallen from one of the packs. So they had headed uphill, maybe seeking better shelter. From his trained perspective the move was a foolish one. Once the storm was raging, the smart thing to do would be to hunker down in the camp, not hope to find something better when you didn’t know the lay of the land. But Ken and Jan hadn’t had that training. Was it possible that they had panicked and taken the satellite phone with them?

Ezra picked up the canteen and turned it over. He wondered, too, if something or someone had driven them out of the camp. They’d taken their packs, but left tents and sleeping bags behind, signs of a hurried retreat.

He walked down to the river to the last place he’d seen Leonard. He found no sign of the older man. When he returned to camp, Bruce was sitting up and shoveling a plateful of beans into his mouth. The color had returned to his skin and he seemed alert.

“I’ve got some hot food if you want.” Clarissa stirred the pot on the fire. “It’s just rehydrated beans with some kind of mystery meat in it.”

Ezra grabbed a tin plate. She filled it with several spoonfuls of beans.

“No sign of them?” she asked. He could tell she was trying not to sound worried.

“I think they may have headed uphill.” He glanced around, pushing down the growing anxiety. “Why, I don’t know.”

“Maybe they got scared when that storm came up.” She spooned out some food for herself. Her movements were quick and jerky. She was on edge, too. Maybe they were both thinking the same thing. That it wasn’t the storm that had driven Jan and Ken, and maybe even Leonard, out of the camp.

Ezra addressed his question to Bruce. “Did you see the others at all?”

Bruce rested his spoon on the edge of the plate. “I heard Leonard calling for me. We never caught up with each other.” He shook his head. “My big mistake was that I kept trying to catch fish even after the storm got so bad. That’s why I fell into the river.”

Bruce had beaten himself up enough over the accident. What he needed now was encouragement so he wouldn’t stay in that place of condemnation. “This storm wasn’t even a factor when I checked the seven-day forecast,” Ezra told him. “It’s not something we could plan for and certainly not something I adequately prepared you for.”

They ate, then packed up what they could carry, leaving several of the tents behind in case the others came back and needed them. At this point they were closer to the lodge than the trailhead and the van. Ezra had decided to lead them up the trail toward the lodge, searching for the others along the way. Once they reached the lodge, they could radio for a helicopter for Bruce. With any luck, Ezra wouldn’t also have to be asking for a search party for three people.

* * *

By early evening, fatigue set into Clarissa’s legs. Bruce seemed to be slowing down, as well. He favored the leg that had the cut on it. They’d hiked at a steady pace, stopping as little as possible. When he did call for a break, Ezra would leave the trail to search for Jan and the others. In all, he’d probably hiked twice as much as she and Bruce had. He left cloth markers ripped from Jan and Ken’s distinctive yellow tent on trees, so if the others were behind them, they would know Ezra had come this way.

Clarissa hooked her thumbs under the straps of her pack and quickened her pace to catch up with Ezra. “Should we be stopping to make camp soon?”

He paused and stared at the sky. “I’d like to press on for a long as we can.”