| |
––––––––
The sparkling water of the Mustang River was a welcome oasis. Allie and Janet sat on a flat rock beside the river, clean again and, for now, safe.
“They’ll take hours to circle the bog,” Janet said, wringing out her socks and then waving them in the air. “But don’t get too comfortable. We need to push on, keep our advantage.”
“I know,” Allie said, lying back on the flat boulder, savoring its warmth against her clean skin. “But the sun feels nice. Our clothes will be dry in no time.”
“They can dry while we’re walking,” Janet said. “It’s my boots and socks I’m worried about. They’re drenched.”
“I can give you some socks.” Allie closed her eyes, welcoming the rays on her face. Her clothes were wet after washing them in the river, but at least they were clean again. She hadn’t slept a wink last night and after eluding Carter and Monty it was a luxury to stretch out and relax.
“You have dry socks?” Janet’s voice moved closer.
Allie nodded, keeping her eyes shut. “Yes, and also a pair of Kate’s climbing boots. She warned me to put them in a waterproof bag.”
She tilted her head, wishing Janet would shift sideways so she wasn’t blocking the sun. It felt nice with the rays beating down, drying her shirt and pants. Peaceful even. And she was so tired.
“That’s not fair.” Janet’s voice was sharp, bitter. “You have dry footwear and I don’t.”
Allie pried open her eyes, surprised by the woman’s reaction. “We’re partners, Janet. What’s good for one will help the other.” And if Janet had met with her the night before the race, she would have passed on Kate’s suggestion about extra footwear. Best not to go there though.
“If I had dry boots,” Janet said, “I could sprint along the river. Bet I could outrun those horses. And if I have to, I could climb the ridge. It would be simple to make it to the bridge.”
“We’ll make it to the bridge anyway,” Allie said, wishing Janet would give her five minutes of peace. Besides, she had no intention of scrambling up any ridge. Her shoulder was in no shape for climbing. “You can look in my pack and pick out any pair of socks you want,” she added. “Just give me a few minutes to rest.”
Janet said nothing, the silence stretching uncomfortably long.
“Is that okay?” Allie asked. “Or do you really want to go now?”
“No, you sleep. You worked hard. I’ll put away the soap and fill our water bottles.”
“Thanks, Janet,” Allie said, closing her eyes again. The last thirty-six hours had been physically and emotionally draining. Pulling off those leeches had been a horrible job. She still couldn’t believe she’d hidden in a bog like those guys she watched on movies. Kate’s husband was a former SEAL; he’d be impressed. Maybe Carter would be too.
She fell asleep with a smile on her face.
A chattering squirrel woke her, its scolding sharp and anxious over the rushing river. She opened her eyes and sat up, feeling refreshed.
“Thanks for letting me rest.” She gave a luxurious stretch and glanced around. But Janet wasn’t anywhere in sight. Only Allie’s backpack sat at the base of the rock, alone and looking rather desolate.
It took a moment for the realization to sink in but when it did, Allie scrambled off the rock and sprinted the twenty feet to the river. She wouldn’t just leave me. But Janet was nowhere along the shoreline or by the bank.
Allie spun and checked the sky. She must have slept for a couple hours. The sun was much lower. And she was by herself, alone in the wilderness.
Her heart was thumping, her breath coming in panicky gasps, and she needed a precious moment to calm herself. This wasn’t such a big deal. She could catch up to Janet. She had dry climbing shoes and clean wool socks. Her shoulder wasn’t that sore. If she had to climb, she could do it.
She bolted back to the rock and rummaged in her pack, hating how her hands shook. It’s daylight, she reminded herself. There’s nothing bad out here. Certainly no creepy men. Besides with her footwear, she’d be able to make better time than Janet. She’d catch up to her partner before dark.
Her panicky fingers couldn’t find her shoes though. Or her socks.
She impatiently tilted the pack and dumped the entire contents on the ground. Her eyes shot back and forth, her mind stuttering in disbelief, hating to accept the truth. But there was no denying the facts: Not only were her climbing shoes gone but so were her socks, water bottle and most of the food. Janet had even taken the radio.
Allie’s fists clenched with the burn of betrayal. She was alone with no map, no compass and no tent. Carter and Monty would be here by sundown, or if not tonight then early tomorrow. Capture was inevitable. If Janet had left the radio, Allie could have called and asked them to hurry. But even that option was gone.
She pressed her shoulders against the rock and stared numbly at the water. Everything looked different now. Earlier the river had been a refuge, a place where they could wash, rest, and fill their water bottles. Now it seemed as if the rushing water might spill over the rock and drag her away. Even the unseen birds sounded sinister. She’d watched a movie about a murderer who stalked women by a river. He’d cut them up for the birds and fish to eat... Stop it!
She pulled in a breath, determined to steer her mind in a different direction. It was better to be angry than afraid. Besides, nothing out here could hurt her. And Janet had left the dulse. At least she had that going for her.
She grabbed her crusty, sun-dried socks and angrily yanked them over her blisters. She hoped Carter would catch Janet. The woman was mean and selfish and didn’t deserve to win; she couldn’t even take a proper compass reading. Although at this point the route was straight forward. Just follow the river to the bridge. No wonder Janet had dumped her. She didn’t need help anymore. A person wouldn’t even need a water bottle to finish the race.
Allie grabbed her hiking boots, still damp but clean. Her socks were bone stiff but at least they weren’t wet. If she put plastic bags between her boots and socks, her feet would stay dry.
She pulled on the plastic bags then laced her boots, her fingers moving more carefully now as her mind weighed the options: sit by the river with her vivid imagination, just waiting to be caught, or else walk for a while. If she followed the shoreline, she wouldn’t need her water bottle that had been so essential in the bush.
So perhaps there was no compelling reason to give up yet. Not this early in the afternoon.
She reloaded her pack and gingerly eased it over her shoulders. At least it was lighter now and she no longer had to carry the tent. Fortunately she’d eaten two bars for breakfast. She would have eaten three if she’d known Janet was going to abscond with them. Still, she had the seaweed, and Carter and Monty would likely overtake her before suppertime... Unless she took a different route and they followed Janet’s trail instead of hers.
She eyed the shoreline wondering if they’d notice the small rocks that Janet had disturbed in her haste to flee. It would serve the woman right if she were caught before Allie. She certainly hadn’t shown much Olympic spirit.
Huffing, Allie kicked some more pebbles in the direction of Janet’s trail. She considered overturning some bigger stones, but Carter and Monty were savvy and that would look too obvious.
Then she turned and picked her way over the ridge behind the boulder, careful to step on large rocks that would leave no trace. Moments later, she squeezed into a stand of fir trees. The branches were so low she had to crawl on her knees and push her pack in front of her. But she wiggled deeper, motivated by her determination to outlast Janet.
She was sweaty, exhausted and mosquito bitten by the time she emerged onto a narrow game trail about an eighth of a mile above the river. But no horse would be able to follow. Even if the men noticed she and Janet had split up, they’d continue after Janet. Once Janet saw them, she’d panic and bolt, and even with Allie’s clean hiking shoes, they would catch her.
Allie gave a satisfied smile. She only wanted to prolong her own capture and let them overtake Janet first. It meant being alone for a while but she could handle that. She peered up, checking the sky through the canopy of trees. A patchwork of blue was visible although the sun was no longer overhead; she’d used up several hours crawling through the brush.
She sighed, wondering why she didn’t feel as triumphant as she expected. Squeezing through the dense brush was so consuming she’d forgotten that she was putting more distance between her and her rescuers. That wasn’t good. But at least she was moving in the right direction. The sun was at her back and the river to her right so it was impossible to get lost. And she was becoming used to the chattering squirrels, the thumping of woodpeckers and the smell of pine. There was no bog close by either so it wasn’t moose country. There was nothing dangerous here.
Unless there were grizzlies.
She yanked her pack off so quickly her shoulder protested, then she felt around until she located her can of bear spray. It was probably wise to have the spray in her hand, especially in the thick woods where she was more likely to surprise unsuspecting animals. She didn’t intend to move far from the river and its precious water supply, but this way she could control when she was caught. And while she certainly didn’t want to be out here alone at night, it was important to stay in play until Janet was caught. The thief!
She gave an indignant huff and continued pushing her way through the brush, ever careful to stay within earshot of the rushing river.
