Chapter 11
Eleven
Jackson’s head ached, and his ribs were on fire from his injury. When they returned to civilization, he’d have it looked at. It was possible he’d broken a rib.
He shifted, and pain shot through him. He clenched his jaw and squeezed his eyes shut, willing the agony to pass.
Mia had fallen asleep, her head on his shoulder, somewhere around three in the morning. The sun would be rising soon, and the bats would return to roost. He and Mia probably didn’t want to be inside the cave when they did.
Earlier, he’d wanted to kiss her more than he wanted his next breath. He still didn’t know how that had happened. She’d moved away fast though, so clearly, she didn’t share the growing attraction.
He sighed. He didn’t have time for romance in his life anyway. Especially not with someone who didn’t share his faith. Maybe if she did—
Thinking of what-ifs did no good. But there was no way he’d forget the heat of her lips so close to his.
After she’d stayed awake so late, he didn’t want to rouse her, but they needed to move.
He’d sat thinking for a long time about what she’d told him.
Her ex-fiancé was a jerk. No doubt about that.
And what she’d hinted at with her family told him there weren’t many warm, fuzzy moments in her home life either.
He hadn’t known her as well as he’d thought. Glancing down at the dark braid trailing down his chest, little tendrils escaping, he fought the urge to lean closer. To inhale and see if she still used the same shampoo. To touch his lips to her head to see if her hair still felt silky.
He forced himself to move away. Mia Turner was a temptation he couldn’t afford.
“Hey. Mia.” Gently, he nudged her awake.
She stirred. “Go away.”
He chuckled. “I can’t. Listen, it’ll be sunrise soon. Unless you want to have a bat roost in your hair…” He let that thought dangle.
Mia shoved herself upright. “No bats.”
“I thought you’d see it my way.” Heaving himself to his feet, he stretched. His bones cracked, and the noise sounded loud in the silence. “Rain stopped around three.”
“That’s good. I’m going to grab a protein bar. Want one?”
“Absolutely.”
It didn’t take long to gather their gear together and head out. They started east, in the direction of the car. “We’ll still have to find a way to the top again.”
Mia strode beside him. She frowned. “We’ll have to use hooks.”
He nodded. Their anchors had been left behind. He didn’t know if they’d be able to retrieve them. “We can try and find the anchors once we get the police out here to search the scene.”
If they got the police out here.
He couldn’t help but think they weren’t out of danger yet.
But he wouldn’t let fear stop him. His brother, and Reggie, needed him.
Did Dylan know he’d search for him? Jackson hoped he did.
People needed something to believe in. He wanted to trust that Dylan believed in his big brother—only Jackson hadn’t been there for the kid the way he should have been.
Some of it wasn’t his fault, but he couldn’t shift all the blame onto others.
He shook his head.
He was letting his past mistakes cloud his mind. He needed to concentrate on what could be done here and now to get them out of this situation, keep Mia from getting hurt or killed, and rescue Dylan and Reggie.
“Here.” Mia reached over and handed him a can a second before the sharp scent of insect repellent hit his nostrils.
“Great. Nothing like bug spray to wake you up,” he joked. He held his breath and doused himself with a heavy layer of the pungent stuff. He’d stink, but at least he wouldn’t get eaten alive.
“Once we’re out of the woods, we should have a better signal. Then we can call for backup.” He handed the spray back to her. “How’s your phone charge holding up?”
She pulled her device from her pocket and swiped it to open it. “Forty-one percent. I turned it off last night. Otherwise, it would be nearly dead.”
“Hmm. I have a portable battery charger. I used it while you slept, but it still has some juice. If you get too low, I’ll grab it from the pack.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Hopefully, we’ll be out of the woods, literally and figuratively, before that’s needed.”
He nodded but didn’t reply. There were too many variables. Once again, he sent up a silent prayer. He doubted he’d have any hope if his faith weren’t strong. He’d seen God act too many times in his life since he’d graduated high school to doubt Him now.
The river gurgled ahead in the distance.
“I hear water,” Mia announced in a hushed voice. “It sounds worse than yesterday.”
“It’s probably swollen from all the rain. That was some storm we had last night.”
He glanced her way. A rosy tide flooded her cheeks.
Whoa. What had caused that reaction?
“I’m a sound sleeper when I finally get there. I think I missed most of the storm.” She cut her eyes at him. “And my second shift.”
He shrugged, a smile tugging at his lips. She seemed to have slept better resting against him than she had on the hard ground. “No worries. I wouldn’t have been able to get back to sleep. And you didn’t snore—that much.”
Those gorgeous eyes flared wide, then narrowed. “Grrr.”
“Not going to claim you don’t snore?”
She snorted. “I’m not awake to hear myself, so I don’t know.”
Hmmm. That was telling. “I’m pulling your leg. A little sniffing. That was it.”
Within minutes, the roar of the river made conversation impossible unless they wanted to shout.
The uneven ground became treacherous. Twice, they stumbled over roots or a rut in the narrow path between trees.
Each stumble sent waves of agony burning up his side. He didn’t complain. They kept moving.
The river came into view, and the wind carried the spray to them.
“Watch your step,” he shouted near her ear. “These stones are slick.”
She nodded, her gaze trained on the terrain.
Jackson tugged on her sleeve. She turned, her eyes questioning. He jabbed a finger in the direction of the cliff. “This looks like a good place. Plenty of holds.”
Mia shrugged free of her pack in response, letting it thud to the ground.
They donned their climbing equipment and prepared to ascend. Jackson indicated that she should go first.
Mia approached the rock wall with confidence, plunged her hook in, set her foot on the rock, and began climbing. When she raised her arm, her short sleeve fell back enough to reveal the toned muscles on her upper arms.
She’d always been fit, but this was a woman who took working-out seriously. When she’d said she could take care of herself, she’d meant it.
Impressed, he followed her, letting her set the pace.
It might not have been as high as other spots, but ten minutes in, he felt the strain on his ribs and his shoulder. He blocked out the pain as much as possible. He had no other option if he wanted to get to the top and resume searching for the missing boys.
Mia disappeared over the top of the cliff, and instantly, the adrenaline flowing through his system hiked up.
Putting on a burst of speed, he scrambled the next few feet of the incline.
Rocks shifted and gravel crumbled beneath his feet.
Readjusting his foothold, he silently rebuked himself.
Mia is FINE. But he wouldn’t be if he got stupid and careless.
Too many people depended on him at the moment to give in to fear.
At a more controlled pace, he completed the climb. Crawling over the top, he immediately sought out Mia. Only when he saw her calmly putting away her gear could he take a deep breath and feel his heart rate slow.
“You okay?” she asked him. “I looked over the edge and saw you lose your footing. Those rocks are treacherous.”
“I didn’t know you were there. Once you crossed the top, I lost sight of you.”
“Yeah, well, I couldn’t yell down to you and tell you to be careful. That would have distracted you. But I also couldn’t watch.”
So she hadn’t been as unconcerned as he’d thought. Good to know.
He set about packing up his own gear.
When that was done, he swung his pack onto his shoulders. Between his lack of sleep, the pain from his injuries, and his recent stress, he moved too swiftly and stumbled. He took a couple of steps to regain his balance.
A loud click was his sole warning before the metal jaws of a small-game foothold trap closed around his boots.
“Those are illegal in Colorado!” Mia dropped her gear on the ground and rushed to Jackson. “Does it hurt?”
Stupid question. Of course it hurt!
“Not too bad. At least I have my boots on. They took most of the sting. But I can’t walk like this. I don’t want the teeth to dig in deeper.” He bent down, then groaned. “I can’t.”
She patted the hand at his side. Then she sank down to see if she could find a way to open it.
“I don’t see any buttons on this thing. How do you open this?” Sweat trickled down her face. She swiped it away, still scanning the trap for instructions.
“Do you see the two levers on either side of the teeth?”
Jackson’s low words pushed her to action. She winced at the raw tremble and leaned sideways to get a better angle. There. The levers were at the front and back of the teeth surrounding his boot.
“I see them!”
“Okay. You’ve got to be careful. I don’t want you getting your hands caught in this thing.”
“Hold on.” Rising, she rushed to her pack and put the gloves she’d recently discarded back on.
“That’s just what I was planning on telling you to do.” He took a deep breath.
She chanced a look at his face. Deep lines framed his mouth. His lips were pressed so tightly together that a white line had formed on the outside. He might say he wasn’t in pain, but his face told another story.
She scrambled back to the trap. “What now?”
“You need to use your palms. Fingers aren’t strong enough, and if the trap buckles, you could break one.”
“Got it.”
“The levers are attached to very strong springs. Press them down at the same time, and whatever you do, don’t let go until I tell you what to do next.”
“Pressing down now.” She pushed. It was harder than she thought, so she leaned into it. They depressed slowly. Her muscles protested, but she kept pushing. Above her, she heard a whispered prayer.
She hoped his prayer worked. While she struggled to believe praying achieved anything, she still envied those who had the comfort of a relationship with Jesus.
“It’s coming!”
The jaws opened like a slow-motion video. Her hands were nearly flat on the ground. She just needed another inch.
She pressed. Nothing happened.
“I can’t get it all the way!” If she let go, it would catch him again. Even if he stepped out, she might get caught.
“I’m going to step out. Wait for me, I’ll come help you.”
For once, her hackles didn’t rise at the comment. She needed his help.
Jackson lifted his boot, hissing. Blood dotted the outside of his blue jeans in a circular pattern.
He immediately moved to her side and placed his hands on top of hers, adding his own strength to hers.
The levers flattened out with a click, and he lifted his hands, then motioned for her to do the same.
She backed away, avoiding touching the trap anywhere else. He rose and limped to where several large branches were on the ground. He selected a thick one, roughly as big around as his leg.
“Get back.”
She scooted away. He placed the branch on the pan, and it snapped shut. The teeth burrowed deep into the wood. She shuddered, imagining that around his leg or her arm.
“There.” He stood back and gazed at the trap with a crisp nod before giving her a thumbs-up. “That should keep any animals from getting trapped.”
“I wonder who set it.”
“It’s rusty. I imagine someone set it years ago, then forgot to collect it.”
She started to speak, then froze when he lifted a warning finger to his lips. He tilted his head as if listening. Pursing her lips, she copied his stance. A moment later, she heard it. Voices. Gruff and muted, they sent chills dancing up her spine.
It was possible these were hikers, enjoying the beautiful day, but it wasn’t even eight in the morning.
The voices grew closer. She whipped her head around and gave Jackson a fierce stare. They needed to get out of here.
Had the others heard the trap go off? She pointed to the trap, then at her ears.
He shook his head, then used both hands to mimic two mouths talking.
Right. If they’d heard the sound, they probably would have stopped talking so their prey wouldn’t be aware of their presence. Instead, the voices continued to rise.
Two men were arguing.
“I can’t make out what they’re saying,” Mia breathed. She wasn’t worried about them hearing her. If they hadn’t heard the trap over their shouts, her soft whisper wouldn’t be noticed.
“I can’t either.” Jackson led the way in the opposite direction.
“The vehicles are that way.” She jerked her thumb to the side.
“I know. If we take a straight trajectory, chances are pretty good we’ll meet up with those guys. I’m trying to avoid that.”
She waved a hand, telling him silently to proceed.
After a few feet, she drifted to walk behind him. The path was too narrow for them to walk side by side. As they moved deeper into the trees, the shadows and dank aroma of wet dirt enfolded them. A cobweb brushed her face. She wiped it away on her arm, noticing the goosebumps on her skin.
The forest seemed to have closed in on them.
Behind them, the voices had stalled. That didn’t settle her nerves. It might mean she and Jackson had been discovered and killers were hunting them down. She sped up to close the gap that had formed between her and Jackson.
He didn’t even slow. Just continued to plow through the dense foliage.
A scream ripped through the silence.
They halted and whirled toward the sound. Of course, there was nothing to be seen. Then a gunshot singed the air. A heavy thump, followed by wild thrashing.
Someone had fled. Fortunately, the individual was fleeing away from them.
“What or who was shot?”
“I don’t know, but I think I should check it out.” Jackson made a move, as if he was going back. “What if it’s Dylan? Or Reggie?”
She reached out and grabbed his hand. He halted and half pivoted to face her. She released his hand and patted the gun nestled against her side. “We’re going back.”
Because there was no way she’d be left alone out here.