Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
Ali and Jenny found the raft lodged between rocks on a bend in the river. From high on the bank the deflated craft resembled a discarded garbage bag submerged in a puddle.
They climbed over boulders to get a closer look. Fixated on the boat Ali slipped on the slimy surface. She threw an arm out to brace herself, but missed and toppled into a shallow pool, drenching her bag and clothing.
“Ali, are you OK?”
She grimaced in pain, clutching her arm to her chest as Jenny helped her from the water. Axe bounded across and licked her face as she sat on the bank. “So stupid.”
“Show me your arm.”
Ali extended the injured limb toward the ranger who inspected it.
“Wiggle your fingers.”
She complied.
“Now clench your fist.”
Pain shot through her forearm, but there was no impingement to the movement.
“It’s not broken. However, it’s pretty badly bruised.”
“I’m so sorry, Jenny. I’m not usually this clumsy.”
The ranger looked at her with kind eyes. “Hey, it’s not your fault. You’ve got a lot on your mind.” She took a map from her pocket. “The good news is there’s no sign of the boys. So, I think they’re walking out. If TJ is half the woodsman he seems to be they would have pushed up this ridgeline and down the track.” She used a twig to show the route. “That means they would have reached Granite Hut. It’s not far from here. We’ll head over, get you dry, take another look at that arm and radio HQ. You think you’re going to be right to walk?”
Ali nodded. “Yeah, I might be clumsy, but I’m not soft.”
“I didn’t think so. OK, let’s get a move on.”
* * *
It took Ali, Jenny and Axe a little under an hour to reach Granite Hut. The eight-bunk outpost got its name from an outcrop that was visible from the porch. Popular with climbers and hikers it was the main access point to the east of the park.
Jenny unlatched the door and placed her backpack on the table inside. Soon she had a fire lit in the iron stove and a kettle heating. “I’ve got a dry sweater in my pack.”
Ali sat on a stool with her arm held across her chest. “Thanks, any chance you have some pain killers?”
Jenny pulled clothing and a medical kit from her pack. “Of course. How’s the arm feeling?”
“Starting to swell.”
Jenny tipped pills into the cap of a bottle, poured a cup of water from the cabin sink and handed them to Ali. “This should help.”
She took the medication before struggling out of her wet T-shirt and slipping Jenny’s sweater over her head. As she warmed in front of the stove Axe explored the cabin, sniffing every corner.
“Mike hasn’t been here,” she concluded when he sat at her feet.
Jenny strode across to a large steel cabinet and unlocked it with a combination. Inside were a radio and shelves loaded with search and rescue supplies. She turned on the radio, adjusted the frequency and spoke into the handset. “Base, this is Jenny at Granite Hut.”
There was a pause then a hiss of static and finally a reply. “Jenny, good to hear from you. How are things going?”
Ali didn’t recognize the voice.
“We found the raft near Whistler’s Bend. No sign of the guys.”
“OK, the chopper spotted movement about three miles due west of your location. Had to return to base before he could check it out.”
Jenny turned to Ali and nodded.
“I’ll take a look. Ali’s injured her arm so she’ll be staying here at Granite.”
She shook her head at the ranger.
“Anything serious?”
“No, but I think it would be a good idea to have someone here in case they make it this far. Plus, I can use her as a relay back to you guys.”
“Good idea.”
“OK, well I’m going to go check out that sighting. Ali will radio in on the hour.”
“Good luck.”
Jenny secured the handset as the kettle whistled. She lifted it from the stove and took two mugs from a cupboard. “I think it’s better if you stay here. I need you to operate the radio in case I have to get in contact with the station. I’ll be back in a few hours.”
Ali winced as she raised her arm to take the coffee. “You’re right. I’m only going to slow you down. I’m sorry.” She glanced down at Axe who wore a concerned expression. “Take, Axe. If Mike is out there he’ll find him.”
“You sure he will be OK without you?”
The dog walked across to the door and scratched at it.
“I guess so,” Jenny said as she grabbed her backpack.
Ali followed her out onto the porch. “You two be careful and please, bring the boys home.”
Jenny embraced her in a hug. “With Axe’s nose there’s no way we won’t find them.”
Ali watched the dog and the ranger walk across the clearing. Axe turned at the edge of the woods and stared at her before letting out a reassuring bark. Then he disappeared after Jenny. She stood for a moment, staring after them. Then she returned to the cabin to man the radio.
* * *
Rick leaped over a log landed heavily and rolled. Jumping back to his feet he wiped the sweat from his brow and paused to listen.
A few hundred yards away the dog bayed. Then for the first time, he heard voices. The hunters were getting closer.
He started off through the woods, wincing as a rock punched through what remained of his dive booties. The shredded rubber footwear barely clung to his feet. His legs ached, he’d run out of water and the inside of his thighs were chafed to the point where he could feel the sting of raw flesh against the rubber.
Despite all that he wasn’t going to stop. The rest of the team depended on him. He needed to get to a phone and get help.
The baying of the hound turned to frantic barking. With each outburst he could hear it getting closer. The men’s shouting was also louder, accompanied now by the sound of them crashing through the undergrowth.
A wise man had once said, ‘Don’t run you’ll only die tired’. It was a motto that Rick embodied. He was all about lifting iron, fighting hard and kicking his enemy in the teeth. Skidding to a halt, he tore a branch from a tree to use as a club. He took deep breaths, slowing his racing heart rate. Whatever happened next he was going to go down swinging.
The dog was the first to appear. It charged out of the bushes and spotted him, baring its teeth. Rick waved his homemade cudgel at it. “You want a piece of me?”
Snarling it charged forward, snapping its jaws.
Rick swung and the dog jumped clear. He didn’t want to hurt the animal, but he saw no other way to escape.
“Hold it right there, muscles.” He glanced in the direction of the voice and found himself looking down the barrel of a pump action shotgun. The man holding it wore camouflage pants and a USMC T-shirt.
A second man appeared. This one carried a lever action rifle and was dressed in a denim shirt, jeans and cowboy boots.
“You’re pretty fast for a gym junkie,” said the guy with the shotgun. “Now lower the stick or I’m going to blow your head off.”
Rick’s jaw was clenched, his muscles taught and ready to leap into action. However, he knew he could never cover the dozen yards that separated him and the gunmen. His only hope was to jump behind a tree and sprint for cover.
“I know you’re thinking about running. You do that and old Bones here will run you down,” said the cowboy.
At the mention of its name the dog let out a savage growl.
Rick lowered his cudgel and came up with a new plan. He’d let the men get close then disarm one of them, knock out the other, deal with the dog and escape. The odds weren’t in his favor, but it was better than giving up.
Suddenly, there was a low snarl from the bushes. The noise sent a shiver racing up his spine. Bones dropped his tail then whimpered and cowered on the ground.
The shotgun swung in the direction of the commotion.
“What the fuck is that?” asked the other man. “Doesn’t sound like no bear.”
“RICK, DOWN!” a familiar female voice yelled.
As he dropped to the earth a shotgun boomed. He caught a glimpse of a brown shape as it streaked from the bushes.
The hound yelped wildly and the men bellowed in terror as Axe attacked. The SEAL dog went directly for the camouflaged gunman. Axe ripped the shotgun from his hands then latched onto his arm. The man in the cowboy hat fled after his dog.
“Axe, stop!” screamed the woman’s voice.
Rick watched as the dog released the hunter. The man turned and fled, crashing through the foliage. The shotgun boomed again, blasting leaves above his head.
“Damn, am I glad to see you,” said Rick to Axe as the Malinois set upon him with a slobbery tongue. He let the dog lick his face as he turned to identify the shooter.
Jenny, the pole-dancing ranger, stepped from the bushes dressed in cargo pants and a green uniform shirt. She looked like someone from the Wild West with a pistol on her hip and a shotgun in the crook of her arm. “You look a little worse for wear, sailor.”
Rick climbed to his feet, grinning.
“You’re a god damn angel,” he croaked from a parched throat.
“Axe is your angel.” She took a canteen from her backpack and passed it to him. “He led me straight to you.”
She gave him a moment to drink then handed him granola bars. He devoured two in a matter of seconds.
“We need to get help,” he managed as he chewed.
“Is someone injured? Where are the others?” she asked, reloading her shotgun. “And who the hell were those guys?”
He took another sip from the bottle and then recounted the past sixteen hours to her.
She shook her head in disbelief. “That’s crazy. I can’t believe they’ve got an entire plantation growing up there. We need to get back and let the police know.”
“More like the DEA. Do you have a radio?”
She nodded and unhooked it from her shoulder strap. “Ali, this is Jenny do you read me?”
“Ali’s up here?”
She nodded as she listened for a reply. When she heard nothing, she tried again. There was still no response. “There could be interference. Are you right to walk with me to the hut?”
“Can we contact the authorities from there?”
“Yes, Ali’s manning the radio back to my station.”
“Excellent, let’s get a move on then.” He climbed to his feet and took a few tentative steps.
“Are you, OK?” she asked.
Rick screwed up his face. “Not really.”
“Your feet?”
He shook his head. “My groin. The wetsuit has rubbed me raw.”
She rummaged in her pack and produced a jar of Vaseline. “This works for me.”
“You’re an angel. This is literally the third time you’ve saved me.”
She winked. “The bear doesn’t count. Now hurry up and get lathered up so we can get out of here before those assholes come back.” She strode across and recovered the shotgun the gunman had dropped. When she turned back he was screwing the lid on the jar. She waved it away when he offered it to her. “You keep it.” Then she handed him the other gun. “Just in case we run into them again.”
He checked the breech of the weapon. “I’m counting on that.”