by Adele Niles
Rescued by the Hero
The Hero Series
Book Number 2
Copyright
First Edition, August 2019
Copyright © 2019 by Adele Niles
This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is entirely coincidental. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and situations are the product of the author's imagination.
All rights reserved. No parts of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without written consent from the author.
License
This book is available exclusively on Amazon.com. If you found this book for free or from a site other than an Amazon.com country specific website it means the author was not compensated for this book and you have likely obtained this book through an unapproved distribution channel.
Table of Contents
Rescued by the Hero
Copyright
No Regrets
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About This Book
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Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Epilogue
Autumn's Coming
Chapter One
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About This Book
Rescued by the Hero
Belinda
Why did I decide a solo hike into the Catskills during a rainy spring was a good idea? Trapped by a mudslide in the middle of nowhere, I’m really in trouble--until the most badass man I’ve ever met shows up. But he seems as determined to rescue me from my virginity as from the mudslide…
Jake
It was a pretty standard post-mudslide search-and-rescue--me and the dog, checking the mountainside for trapped hikers. Didn’t expect an Instagram model I follow on the sly to be at the bottom of that canyon. Now that she’s safe and warm, no way am I passing up the chance to get that curvy beauty into bed.
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Chapter One
Belinda
“All right, guys, this is it! I’m so excited to be doing this fitness-at-any-size challenge for you!” I smiled into the camera, head tilted at a cute angle. “The Catskills are beautiful this time of year. The weather is perfect, and I’m looking forward to a little time out of the city, enjoying a little nature.” I paused, closing my eyes for a minute. “The birds are singing, and it’s just so amazing to be here. So I’m gonna go for now, get my hike on, and I’ll check in soon! Love ya!”
I blew a kiss into the camera and grinned before shutting it off.
Intro done. Now, I could enjoy a nice little hike.
Maybe it was a little ambitious, but I liked to go big.
I had outfitted myself in good hiking gear—sturdy boots, an ergonomic backpack, two stainless steel water bottles. My backpack was packed with snacks and a healthy lunch, and I had charging bricks for my phone and camera in a waterproof pouch. I was ready for this.
But I was a little nervous all the same. I usually did stuff like this with Audrey; she was an amazing camera girl and my best friend, but she’d been unexpectedly called away for work. And as much as I hated to let her go, I understood—paying bills was way more important than helping me out.
And I couldn’t exactly reschedule—I’d made a promise to my followers that I would start this today. The response to my decision to do the fit-at-any-size challenge had been positive, and I didn’t want to let anyone down by backing out of it. The goal of my Instagram program was to be a positive influence and bailing on a commitment wasn’t going to look good on me.
I’d just have to handle this one alone and make the best of it.
The first part of the hike was easy—a slow, gentle climb uphill. I’d picked one of the easier trails, but it was still eight miles. And even if I walked a lot, like every other New Yorker, that was a long one.
But I was sure I’d be fine. I wasn’t worried at all.
I pulled my hair up into a ponytail after the first mile, grabbing my camera from my bag. The parking lot was already gone from sight; I was surrounded by beautiful, vibrantly green forest. Birds sang around me, and I could hear the soft rustling of animals in the underbrush.
It really was nice to get away from the city for a little while.
Every once in a while, I thought about moving away from New York. It usually happened when I got on Pinterest and saw gorgeous photos from people living more rustic lives—teacups steaming in front of a beautiful mountain view, children playing in lush vegetable gardens, bees resting on vibrant flowers. I always wanted to reinvent myself when I spent too much time on that part of the Internet.
But then I had to accept that I was a city girl. I liked going out to eat, going shopping, and hitting nightclubs and parties. I liked being able to see Broadway shows whenever I wanted and occasionally bumping into celebrities at Starbucks.
Living in the middle of nowhere wasn’t for me.
I walked a while longer, climbing the trail farther. I stopped at a split and started to film again—first the signs for the two trails, then turning the camera to the trails themselves. One was paved and looked like it started to slope downward again pretty quickly. The other was a well-worn dirt path, curving farther upward.
“Which way, guys? I’m thinking I’m up for a challenge. Let’s take the dirt trail!”
I posted it to my story—a teaser for the whole video, which would get posted after a lot of editing.
I tucked my camera back in my bag and took a long drink of water before turning and starting up the dirt trail.
Chapter Two
Belinda
The sky started to cloud over an hour later.
I hadn’t brought an umbrella.
All of my equipment—phone, camera, chargers—was stored in waterproof pouches, but I was still worried. I hadn’t seen rain in the weather forecast and definitely wasn’t dressed to be caught in a storm.
And it’s not like there was shelter anywhere.
I was so screwed.
I pulled my phone out and filmed again—just a quick little blurb. I filmed the darkening sky, then flipped the camera to face me.
“Guys, it’s getting super cloudy here, and I did not come prepared for rain. It wasn’t supposed to rain at all!” I laughed and shook my head. “So like… I’m gonna probably turn around and head back to my car. I hate having to back out of something, but this really is a freak change in the weather. I promise you that I’ll get
back to it soon, okay? If the ground isn’t too wet, I’ll even come out tomorrow, since I have a hotel room nearby.” I smiled, then shut the camera off and zipped it into the waterproof pouch.
Almost as soon as I had my bag back on my shoulders, the first raindrops fell.
I groaned out loud.
I turned, looking back down the trail. I’d climbed pretty high in the last hour, and when I checked my smartwatch, I saw that I’d hiked four miles.
Great.
At this point, it didn’t really matter if I went back or kept going.
I sighed heavily, looking at the trail behind me, then turning.
I could still follow through.
And maybe the rain wouldn’t last too long.
I nodded and decided to just keep going.
* * * * *
I’d made a mistake.
The farther up I got, the harder it was to keep my footing. The rain was coming down hard, and I’d slipped more than once. I hadn’t fallen yet, but it was getting dangerous.
Still, there was no point in turning around. I was over halfway through the trail now. If I stopped and turned around, I’d just end up walking longer.
At least I would get a good story out of this.
I groaned as I reached the top of the hill I’d been climbing for the last few miles. I bent forward, hands on my knees as I tried to catch my breath. I needed a drink, and a second to rest and let my thighs stop burning.
I shook my head, my wet ponytail falling sadly over my shoulder.
This was not as fun as I wanted it to be.
And I was alone, too.
Caught in the rain by myself.
I groaned and closed my eyes, taking a few more steps. There was a little lookout point at the top of the hill, with a little bench situated at the edge. It would be a nice place to stop, rest for a minute. The rain wasn’t a full-blown storm, so I wasn’t too worried about being hit by lightning or anything.
I approached the edge of the lookout, sighing softly. I unclipped my backpack and shrugged it off my shoulders.
The ground under my feet seemed to shift.
I looked down, frowning in confusion, and shifted my feet.
The ground gave out under me.
I screamed as my feet skidded along wet dirt, and I twisted to try and grab on to something. The dirt—mud, really—crumbled in my hands. I was sliding fast, following a mass of mud and dislodged rocks.
And then I started to roll, tumbling down the hill. Each time I flipped, I shouted, the impact hurting.
I didn’t know how long I fell, but soon the ground evened out and I rolled to a stop, laying on my back on wet, slimy leaves leftover from the previous autumn.
For a moment, I just lay still, looking up.
Nothing felt broken. The pain was all pretty surface-level. I was sure I’d be bruised all over, but that was better than stranded out here with a broken leg.
Slowly, I sat up, still being cautious. My back was sore but not hurt. I was sure I could walk.
The only problem was figuring out where to go.
The trail I’d taken had winded and climbed the hill. I had no idea what direction my car was in from where I’d started.
I rose to my feet, turning and looking back.
The hill was steep. Too steep to climb from this angle. Especially when it was already wet.
And I definitely couldn’t see the trail from here.
I was so screwed.
I shut my eyes, taking a deep breath. I hadn’t seen another person in over an hour, and I had no idea how I was going to get out of this.
I cupped my hands around my mouth. “Hello!” I shouted as loud and hard as I could.
But the only response I got was my own voice echoing back to me.
Chapter Three
Belinda
I should have prepared for a disaster like this.
I’d read a little about what to do if I got lost while hiking—stay where I was so I didn’t get even more lost, shout for help as much as I could. I knew that if I had to make a shelter, I needed to put a thick bed of leaves between me and the ground, but I didn’t know how to make a shelter.
I hadn’t even brought a poncho or umbrella to protect me from the rain.
For a second, I was afraid that I would die out here.
And then I mentally slapped myself.
Thinking like that was the only way I’d die out here. I was smart, strong, and had been taking care of myself for long enough now that I could handle this.
I needed to start by finding my backpack.
I’d had it in my hands when the ground dropped out from under me; it had probably tumbled down the hill, too, but it wasn’t right beside me.
I took a deep breath and walked back toward the hill.
I wasn’t going to make it if I tried to climb up to the top, but I could at least get high enough to find my backpack.
It took me a minute of looking, but I finally spotted it. The bright pink stood out against the sad brown leaves, and I ran to it, dropping to my knees. My leggings were already filthy, and I was sure they’d only get worse over the rest of the day.
I’d managed to tear my jacket, too, but it wasn’t bad enough to make it useless.
I unzipped my backpack, digging inside. My camera was unharmed, safe in its carrying case; my phone’s protective screen was cracked, but the phone itself was unharmed. One of my water bottles had spilled, but the other was fine, still completely full. And I had snacks to last through the night, if needed. I’d just have to be careful.
I unlocked my phone.
No signal.
Shit.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I’d paid extra to get a case with a signal extender, just because of this hike, and I was really disappointed. I’d have to mention that in my review.
When I got home.
If I got home.
No, that was stupid. There was no reason to be so pessimistic! I just needed to walk a little while and find a signal.
I opened the compass app on my phone.
Nothing.
Shit.
It needed a signal to determine where I was. Of course.
Same with my watch. It could still calculate how far I’d traveled, but it wasn’t going to be able to point me in a direction.
I took a deep breath and started walking, holding the phone up. I just had to get enough of a signal to call for help, and I’d be okay.
I wandered for a while, staying close to the hill I’d fallen down. I kept my eyes on the top right corner of my screen.
When the signal changed from no service to one bar, I almost laughed.
I punched in 911 and hit send, turning my phone to speaker.
“911, what’s your emergency?”
The voice of the woman on the other end of the line was the best thing I could have imagined hearing.
“Hello? My name is Belinda Bell. I’m out hiking in the Catskills, and I fell down a hill from a lookout point. I’m not hurt but I’m lost. I need help.”
“Hello?”
Oh, no.
The signal was bad.
“Hi, I-I’m Belinda Bell. I’m lost in the Catskills. I’m not hurt but I need help.”
“In the Catskills?”
“Yeah, I parked in… I don’t know where I parked. But I’m here. My car is a white Nissan Versa Note, New York plates.” I gave her my tag number, biting my lip.
“I didn’t catch all of that, ma’am. New Jersey plates?”
“No, New York. New York plates.” I repeated the number.
I heard her typing, the keyboard clicking in the background. “All right, Miss Bell? Can you stay on the line with me?”
“I’ll try, but the signal’s bad.”
“All right. I’m turning this over to State Police and the Search and Rescue team.”
“Okay.”
“Do I have your permission to give them your name and phone number?”
“Of course, an
ything that’ll help them find me.”
“All right. Miss Bell, I thi—”
The line made a weird static sound.
“Hello?” I asked.
“—ing to… —nd you…”
“Hello? Hello!”
The call dropped.
No service.
Shit.
I did the only thing that made sense. I sat down on the ground, holding my backpack. After a little while, I got up and started to push leaves around, laying them down thick and settling again.
It hadn’t stopped raining.
I pulled my hood up over my head, closing my eyes.
Soon, it would get dark. The rain had already lowered the temperature, and it was definitely going to get colder from here.
But if I kept walking, I ran the risk of getting myself even more lost.
I felt tears sting my eyes and sniffled, folding my arms. I put my head down on my knees, letting myself weep.
That’s how I spent the next few hours—sitting on a bed of leaves, watching the sky grow dark. I kept checking my phone, but the signal never came back. I tried to keep from crying too much, not wanting to get dehydrated, but it was hard.
I’d never been this scared in my life.
At least there were stars, visible through the trees overhead. I looked up at them, sniffling.
It was so quiet.
So quiet that I started to worry that my mind was playing tricks on me.
Because I was sure I could hear something coming toward me.
Slowly, I got to my feet, squinting into the dark.
It burst out of the bushes—something big, running at me on four legs.
I screamed.
The creature leaped, tackling me to the ground.
And immediately started to lick my face.
I lowered my arms, looking up into the face of a goofy-looking white dog. The dog licked me once more, then climbed off of me, letting out a series of loud barks.
He had a collar on. I couldn’t read the tag in the dark, but I was sure this was somebody’s dog, and that I was going to be saved.
“Hello?” I called. “Hello! I’m here! I’ve got your dog with me!”
