Chapter 34
“Mom,” Tucker cried. “Please wake up.” Leslie moved her hand to her head, attempting to stop the throbbing.
“Mom,” Conner called out.
Leslie blinked, seeing nothing but darkness. “Boys?” she called out.
“I’m right here, Mom,” Tucker said, feeling for her hand.
“Where’s Conner?” she asked groggily.
“He’s on the other side of the wall. He’s scared,” Tucker confided.
Trying to move her leg, Leslie groaned as a beam lay across it.
“Conner, honey, I’m right here. Everything will be fine. Your brothers will search for us,” she told him, and hoped she told the truth.
“The rocks came down and separated us,” Tucker explained.
“Can you see anything?” I can’t move. There’s a beam across my leg.”
“No. I can’t see anything,” he said. “Conner, can you see anything?”
“There’s some light coming through the rocks,” he shouted back.
Leslie sighed. “Can you see if you can climb them. If they start to fall, move out of the way. See if you can squeeze your way out where the light’s shining.”
“I’m scared,” he cried.
“Tucker, Conner, Leslie,” someone called their names.
“It’s Dad,” Tucker said excitedly.
“Find something to bang on so they can hear us,” she told the boys.
Tucker and Conner made noise, and yet the voice seemed farther away.
“The rock made a solid wall, and they can’t hear us,” Leslie said. “We must come up with another way for them to find us.”
“Conner, see if you can get out,” Tucker ordered. “Mom’s hurt, and we need help. They can’t hear us.”
“I can’t. The rocks keep falling,” he called out.
“Stand back, Conner. I don’t want you hurt,” she yelled to him. Sitting up, she tried to remove the beam holding her down. Tucker lent his strength, but it refused to budge.
“What will we do, Mom?” Tucker said, panicking.
Leslie grabbed his arm. “You’re a Wolfe. What do you do when you’re in trouble?” she said, thinking about Owen’s story.
“We howl for our family,” Tucker said. “Conner, we need to howl for our Wolfe family. Ready?”
“Yeah.”
The two boys howled at the top of their lungs, making Leslie wince. Hopefully, Owen came before they ran out of air.
Dillon ran back to the house to see if any of the neighbors might let him borrow some equipment. They needed to get the boys and Leslie out of there. The condemned mine closed because of its instability. Cade and Owen removed rock after rock, still not seeing an end.
“Listen,” Cade ordered as he removed a few rocks and stopped.
The sound of wolves came from the mine. Owen froze.
“What’s that?” he asked, unsure if he heard it correctly.
“It’s the Wolfe family howl,” Cade said, grinning. “I hear both boys.”
The men lifted their heads and answered the boys' howls, hoping they heard them.
“Did you hear something?” Tucker whispered.
“Yeah. Conner, did you hear your brothers?” Leslie called out.
“They heard us,” he squealed.
“I’m tired. If I go to sleep, keep howling,” she instructed.
“We will,” Tucker promised.
By the time Dillon returned, some of the neighbors worried about Leslie and the boys. They brought equipment and lights, helping them dig their way through.
“Everyone, stop,” Dillon commanded. The Wolfe men let out a howl and listened. The two little boys howled back. One sounded closer than the other. Owen removed the rocks, and he heard Conner exclaim, “I can see somebody, Tucker.”
“Conner, it’s Owen. Are you hurt?” he asked.
“I’m scared, and my throat’s dry from howling. It sure took you long enough,” he shouted, making the crowd laugh with relief.
“I’m coming, buddy. Stay away from the rocks in case they fall,” he shouted as Cade pulled another rock down.
“Mom already told me,” Conner said. “I can’t see her or Tucker. Can you get them out?”
“We’re working on it,” Cade assured him.
Wyatt climbed up the rocky mound with his good arm and moved the rock.
“What are you doing, Wyatt?” Owen asked. “Get down.”
“No. He’s my brother, too,” he said stubbornly.
“Mine, too,” Mason said, climbing on Owen’s other side. “We told the boys to howl, and we’d come. It’s a hellava time to show ‘em we mean it.”
The men lifted their heads and howled, feeling the bonds of brotherhood for the first time.
“They’re coming, Tucker. I hear them,” Conner said as he climbed toward them. Owen poked his head through the hole to see Conner’s outstretched hand. He took it and pulled him through the hole.
“Hi,” Owen said as Conner clung to his neck. “Did you get hurt?”
“No, but Mom did. She says she feels sleepy,” Conner reported. Owen swallowed and glanced at his brothers.
“Come on, little man,” Wyatt said. “Let’s get you something to eat while our brothers get Tucker and Leslie.”
The hours drifted to the wee morning as they dug carefully. They heard Tucker’s cries as they broke through the rock wall.
“I’m coming, son,” Owen called.
“Mom’s not talking anymore,” he sobbed. “She won’t answer me.”
“She’s tired. It’s almost morning. You’re doing such a great job watching over her. She’ll be proud of you.”
The rock moved, and Owen shone a light into the hole, seeing Tucker’s dirty face and a beam lying across Leslie’s leg.
Unable to contain his worry, he raced to pull the rocks away.
‘Easy, brother,” Cade warned him. “One small mistake and we’ll have this wall crumbling around us.”
He turned his head, hoping Tucker didn’t hear him. “There’s a beam across her leg. It’s sat there for hours,” he said, his voice cracking with emotion.
“Then we’ll need to hurry,” Cade encouraged him.
“We got this,” Dillon said, peering at them with one eye completely closed.
They made an opening big enough for Owen to climb through. He reached Tucker, hugging him.
“Go with your uncles. I need to help your Mom.”
“Will she die?” Tucker asked on the verge of crying.
“I won’t let her. Please go to Uncle Mason,” he said, pointing toward the opening.
Taking out the canteen, he wiped Leslie’s face. Her eyes fluttered open, and she smiled. “Did you get Tucker out?”
“Yes, now it’s your turn. Do you hurt? Dillon can give you a shot of morphine,” he offered.
“No. I don’t feel anything,” she replied. “You’ll keep them together, won’t you?”
“Always, my love. With you,” he reminded her. “We will get you out of here, and then we’re getting married.”
“Married?” she said. “I’ve heard those words from you before. I can’t chase you down and beat you right now. I’m too tired.”
“Leslie, you’ll keep your eyes open. Do you hear me?” he said firmly as Dillon and Cade burst through, and together they moved the beam. Someone passed them a gurney, and they counted to three, picking Leslie up and placing her on the gurney. She cried out in pain, making the men grimace.
“The ambulance can only get up halfway,” Dillon informed them. “The EMT’s arrived.”
Owen kissed her as they passed her through the opening. “Get her to them.”
The neighbors rallied together and made a line, gently passing her down the mountainside.
By the time Owen climbed out and ran down, they almost reached the ambulance.
Instead of taking her to the hospital, a Life Line helicopter waited in the field.
They flew to a trauma hospital, and Owen held her hand until they wheeled her into surgery.
Leslie never woke up. It felt like he lost her again.
Six hours later, Owen stared at the door, willing the surgeon to walk through it. He felt like he’d go out of his mind if they didn’t tell him something soon.
A hand touched his shoulder, and he peered up to see Cade, Dillon, Elias, Mason, Wyatt, Conner, and Tucker.
“We drove as fast as possible. One of Leslie’s sitters watched the twins. Gunny stayed to hand off the sheriff and his thugs to his FBI contact. Have you heard anything?” Mason asked.
“No. She’s still in surgery,” he said, watching Tucker and Conner. He opened his arms and held them as they cried. No matter what, Owen vowed to keep his family together.