THIRTY-TWO

 

 

May 24th, 1887

Central Idaho Mountains

 

WADE AND SOPHIE had gotten back to the talus slope above Shannon Creek one day ahead of the slide. This time they had camped back in the trees after Duster explained to them that often the reason there were no trees close to a talus slope was because of rock slides like the one that had killed them the first time.

They both had on their heavy coats and had the four horses tied securely a distance back in the trees to make sure they didn’t bolt with the rumbling.

Duster also taught them a few tricks to building a decent trail across the slope once the slide passed. Wade was scared to death to face that slope again, but these kinds of slopes were normal in the steep mountains of the west, so he and Sophie both decided they needed to just get past their fear and get through it.

Now, they were standing off to one side, in the tree line, with a decent vantage spot for the coming slide. By Wade’s best guess, it would happen at any moment.

Once again the sun was on the rock face above them, but the valley around them was in shade. Under the trees the air had a thick dampness to it and below them the raging waters of Shannon Creek filled the valley with a loud rumbling all its own.

“You find this sort of creepy?” Sophie asked, squeezing Wade’s hand as they both stared up at the rock face.

“What?” Wade said. “Watching a landslide that killed us in another timeline happen? Nah, nothing creepy about that.”

She laughed.

He let go of her hand and put his arm around her, pulling her close to him.

At that moment, on the rock face far up the hill, a large section seemed to just break away and fall, almost in slow motion.

He held Sophie tight as they watched the massive slide of rock gain speed, coming down the thousand feet faster and faster.

The sound just kept growing and growing until they could no longer hear Shannon Creek below them.

The force of it going past them almost knocked them off their feet as the ground shook and the wind felt more like standing in a hurricane.

Wade had never felt anything like that before.

Ever.

Nature was amazingly powerful.

Dust filled the air, swirling clouds and they both turned away to protect their faces as the clouds washed over them.

Then, after only what seemed like a few seconds, it was over.

The sound of Shannon Creek below seemed to stop, and only the sounds of an occasional bouncing rock echoed through the valley.

Through the settling dust, they could see that the landslide had filled in across the creek and water was quickly backing up behind it. And as they watched, the intense pressure of the water pushed through, carving a channel without seeming to even stop.

The sound of Shannon Creek returned with the added sound of rocks being tumbled along with the water.

Before the slide, there had been maybe a hundred paces of brush between the tree line and the main talus slope. Now most of that brush was gone, wiped out or stripped of all leaves and branches.

“Tomorrow we start the trail,” Wade said, hugging Sophie.

“So what are we supposed to do between now and then?” Sophie asked, looking up at him.

He smiled at her. “Warm tent, warm blankets, two warm bodies. Both very much alive. I have a few ideas.”

She laughed and moved around in front of him and kissed him.

Then she stopped and looked at him directly, her dark eyes trying to be serious but he knew she wasn’t.

“So getting killed makes you hot?”

“No,” Wade said, trying to keep a straight face while looking into her wonderful dark eyes. “Not getting killed makes me hot. That and your wonderful brain and fantastic body.”

“Well, Doctor,” she said, smiling. “You know all the right things to say to make a girl feel better.”

“Wait until we get to the tent,” he said, smiling at her. “I’ll show you feeling better.”

She laughed and then took his hand and started back into the trees toward their camp.

They were both alive and for the moment, they were going to celebrate that.