A Reluctant Hero

by Dara Girard

  That was true. Although his hands remained rested on his hips in what could have been a casual stance, Richard looked like a leader in front of his platoon. The fury that emanated from him was clearly visible and as he spoke the men seemed to get smaller and smaller. Moments later they returned with their heads bowed.

  “Since we’re going to spend some extra time together,” Richard said, clearly taking the lead, “I think we should introduce ourselves.”

  Introductions were made. Wendell Scottsdale was the tall, thin man. He was an insurance salesman. Glenda Travis Pruit was the unfortunate daughter-in-law to Mrs. Mavis Pruit. At present her only profession appeared to be that of being nursemaid, but she had once been crowned Miss Georgia before marrying Mrs. Pruit’s son. Stephen and James Baxter were brothers who lived in upstate New York where they ran their family business, making small parts for military planes. Lastly, there were the two children, Anna and Mark Thompson, who were traveling alone to go and live with their great-aunt after losing both their parents in a recent car accident. While the children had not been forthcoming in telling everyone their fate, Daniella was able to pry the truth from Anna, and could understand why they had been abnormally quiet throughout the trip.

  For a moment Daniella was angry. Why hadn’t anyone accompanied them on the trip? Especially after going through something so traumatic as losing their parents? Someone should have taken the time to be with them instead of them traveling alone. But now was not the time for her to be concerned about something she could do nothing about. The last person to introduce himself was Richard.

  “My name is Richard Engleright and the main thing you need to know about me is that I have training in survival, and if we work together we should be able to survive until we are rescued. Wendell, you and Stephen can go and gather what food and bags you can salvage from the plane.” Richard looked at James, the heavier of the two brothers. “Help me bury the pilot.”

  “No,” Daniella shouted. “I think we should wait until we’re rescued.”

  Richard spun around and looked at her surprised. “What?”

  “Do you have to do that now?”

  He lifted a brow. “Are you expecting a priest or rabbi to show up?”

  “You really have a terrible sense of humor.”

  “I’m not trying to be funny.”

  “We can’t bury him here. What if his family wants to bury him?”

  “They can do that later.”

  “Why don’t we just put a blanket over him?”

  Richard’s eyebrows shot up. “A blanket? Maybe we should just tuck him to sleep and say ‘Rest in Peace’?” He held up a hand before she could protest. “We’re burying him because we don’t want him exposed to the elements or, even worse, a coyote, fox or bear. I’m not leaving a dead man out like that. You’re going to stay near the center of the camp and—”

  “I don’t take orders—”

  “Then you’ll start now.”

  Daniella rested a hand on her hip. “Listen, here—”

  “No, you listen to me. I’m in charge and you will take orders from me.”

  “You’re the leader?” she sniffed. “Was there an election I missed?”

  “The moment I took over the plane I took office. I claimed leadership.”

  “Well, I think—”

  “No,” he cut in. “This isn’t a time to think. This is a time to follow orders. To trust that your leader—that’s me—will make the best decision for all of us. This is not a meeting of consensus. From the way we landed and the damage, I know that the plane will never get off the ground, or trust me, I’d try to fly us all out of here. I know how to survive and I’ll make sure that you do, too. Is that clear?”

  Daniella took a deep breath, biting back what she really wanted to say. She understood his taking control. It couldn’t be a democracy where they voted on every point. Instead, it was a hierarchy and he was the alpha male as much as she hated to admit it.

  “Is that clear?” he repeated.

  Daniella offered him a mock salute. “Yes, sir.”

  He flashed a cool smile, as if reluctantly offering her a salute, recognizing them as equals. “I’m glad to see you have a sense of humor. Now take the children to gather wood, but don’t wander off too far.”

  Daniella could feel everyone looking at her. Tension lingered and she knew only she could ease it. She took one of the children’s hands. “Okay.”

  “Gather wood? What for?” Mrs. Pruit said. “You mean we have to stay out here?”

  Richard sent her a cool look. “If you know of more luxurious accommodations, please feel free to lead the way, madam,” he said with a broad mocking gesture.

  “Is that a joke?”

  “It’s whatever you want it to be.”

  “Shouldn’t we try to see if there’s a town or city nearby?” Glenda asked.

  “No. Besides, we need to stay near the plane so it will make the rescuers’ job easier to find us. Think of it as an unexpected camping trip.”

  “I hate camping,” Mrs. Pruit said. She tried to use her cell phone then tossed it down in the dirt in disgust. “You could have at least had the foresight to land the plane in a clearing where we could get a wireless signal.”

  “I’ll remember that next time.” He walked away.

  All of them, including Richard, had tried using whatever electronic equipment they had to see if they could get a signal and call out, but because of where the plane had landed, their efforts were futile.

  “Without a signal how will they find us?” Wendell asked.

  “The plane has a transmitter. It shouldn’t take them too long to track us.” Richard knew he needed to smother any mounting anxiety, although he was totally convinced that the transmitter wasn’t working. He just hoped it was.

  “Are you sure they’re looking?”

  “Yes. Now that’s enough talking, daylight won’t last forever. Let’s get to work.” Richard looked at the copilot, who was still resting over to the side, and knew that he needed to find some kind of shelter immediately if his condition wasn’t to get worse. He had been checking on him every fifteen minutes, and while he had fully regained consciousness, he didn’t remember anything about the accident and had suffered a slight ankle sprain and a pulled shoulder muscle. Richard had administered some first aid, and recommended total rest.

  Daniella helped the children gather wood and once she was done she sat, or rather collapsed against a tree feeling strangely light-headed, but she attributed it to the shock of everything—the crash, the dead pilot, The Renegade. She just needed to rest. She drew up her leg and lowered her head. When she looked down she saw fresh blood. That’s when the pain hit. She slowly pulled up her trouser leg and saw a large gash. She glanced around, glad that everyone was too busy to notice her. She didn’t want anyone to see and worry about her. They all had to be strong. She didn’t want to be the weakest link.

  “What’s wrong?”

  She froze, recognizing the voice and hearing the demand in it. The tone didn’t anger her because she could hear the concern he was trying to hide under his brusque tone. She bit her lip, hoping to take control of her racing heart. She looked up at Richard then jumped to her feet not wanting to draw any attention to her wound. She’d tend to it later. “Just have to catch my breath. Do you need me to do something?”

  His keen eyes searched her face. “Sit down.” He shook his head. “Please don’t argue with me.”

  She sat. “I was just taking a quick rest.”

  “Are you hurt?”

  “I’m fine.”

  “Then why is your face pale?”

  “How do you know?”

  “I can tell by looking at your lips.”

  “I’m looking this way because I just survived a plane crash.”

&n
bsp; His hard eyes studied her and then he looked down and swore. Fresh blood soaked through her trousers.

  A flash of emotion crossed his face—a mixture of anger and regret. He hung his head for a moment then looked at her again, his eyes no longer hard, but amazingly tender. “Damn, I checked everyone except you. I just assumed you were okay.” He turned away and swore. When his gaze returned to hers, the distant mask had settled back in place—all softness gone. “Why didn’t you tell me about this?”

  “I didn’t know about it until now. I hadn’t felt it.”

  “Too busy trying to be damn Florence Nightingale,” he grumbled. He stood. “Wait here.”

  Daniella gave him another mock salute. “Yes, sir.”

  He hesitated then left. Moments later, Richard returned with water and a first aid kit. He pulled out a knife and cut away her trousers, revealing a large wound. He swore again, this time with more emotion. “You should have told me or someone. Do you think it will help any of us if you get sick out here?”

  “I told you that I didn’t know. I didn’t feel anything until now. It’s not like I did it on purpose and I’m fine really.”

  “You’re not fine. You’re already running a fever,” he said, holding the back of his hand against her forehead. He applied some peroxide to the wound.

  Daniella felt the world spinning and her stomach turn over. “You’re not allowed to faint,” he said.

  She steeled herself against his harsh words. “I wasn’t going to.”

  “Good. You’re strong. I need you to stay that way.”

  She would. She didn’t want anything to do with this hard uncaring man. No, that wasn’t fair. He could be caring. Although his eyes could be like chips of ice, she’d seen moments when they’d briefly melted and in turn could have melted her heart if she let them. There was another side of him that a part of her wanted to uncover and another part wanted to remain hidden. He was a man who knew a lot about the world and would fight to get whatever he wanted from it. She could just imagine how he’d be if the right woman came into his sight. How would he act if he wanted a woman? She could picture him using his magnetic command, a dark glance to hypnotize a woman to abandon any wariness she may have and surrender. But that woman wasn’t her. She needed to focus on survival and nothing else. Richard’s movements were surprisingly swift and efficient. Her wound looked bad, but he didn’t make her feel bad about it. He had done it before and she was grateful for his knowledge, wishing he wasn’t so disagreeable.

  “I had to do it,” he suddenly said as if reading her thoughts about him.

  “What?”

  “At the camp. I had to establish my authority. I couldn’t have you fighting me at this critical point.”

  “You didn’t have to challenge me so publicly,” she said, glad he’d brought up the topic. “You could have pulled me aside—”

  “No, I had to let everyone know where I stood and where you and I stood. The fact that we work as a unit had to be established and made clear.”

  “You certainly did that, sir.”

  “My name is Richard.”

  “Does it matter?”

  “Yes, that’s what I want you to call me.”

  “Another order?” Daniella scoffed.

  Richard’s eyes pierced hers and for a moment she felt as if she couldn’t breathe, or didn’t dare to. “You don’t have to like me,” he said. “It would be easier if you did, but it’s not important. I need to know you’re loyal to me. You’re my second-in-command.”

  “A promotion? I’m all aflutter.”

  He finished bandaging her leg and sat back. “Sarcasm doesn’t suit you.”

  “Sorry, sir.”

  He grabbed her arm, his face close to hers, his voice low. “You don’t seem to understand the risk you’re taking.” His gaze dropped to her lips. “You’re a powerful woman.”

  Daniella swallowed hard and licked her lips, trying not to tremble. He would feel it and part of her wanted him to. She forced a laugh. “Me? Powerful?”

  “Yes, you.” His gaze held hers. “You don’t fool me. I can tell you’ve got a lot of strength.”

  She stared back in shock, mesmerized by his dark eyes. Perhaps he’d hit his head harder than she’d thought. No one had ever thought of her as strong. Her sister Mariella, yes, even Izzy and Gabby, but not her.

  “People will follow you,” he continued. “You can influence others. If you cause any break within this group our chances of coming out of this alive will plummet. Do you understand me? I don’t care if you like me, just act cordial and do your job.”

  “And obey you?”

  “Yes. Now say my name.”

  Daniella’s heart picked up its pace, aware of how close they were. “Sir.”

  His gaze again fell to her mouth and lingered there, as tangible as a caress, making her lips tingle. “I knew you’d be trouble.”

  She began to smile, wondering how far she could push him, but when his dark, unfathomable eyes captured hers she realized she couldn’t push him too far without dealing with the consequences and she wasn’t sure she was ready for that. She knew that in an instant he could turn from prey into predator. His lips always made her forget that. They really didn’t seem to suit the rest of him and they were her biggest weakness—seeming so soft and inviting. She forced her gaze to his eyes. She had expected them to be as hard and unrelenting as before, but instead his eyes were like melted brown sugar and she saw the glimmer of a slight plea there. She knew this wasn’t a time to play games. He had to know he could trust her, but right now he was unsure and she knew that he wanted this to work. He knew the dangers they faced and she couldn’t be another obstacle for him. She had to think of the others. “Yes, Richard.”

  He released his grip and stood. “Good.”

  “Sir,” she said under her breath as a sly comeback.

  “I heard that,” he said, with a smile in his voice, as he walked away. The remainder of the day was spent retrieving whatever they could from the plane’s cargo hold. There was an emergency kit that contained essential items needed to survive several days, including waterproof and windproof survival blankets that would reflect up to ninety percent of their body heat. It also included a butcher knife, sharpening stone, lightweight LED flashlights, waterproof matches, a compass, metal cup, signal mirror and water-purifying tablets. In a separate section of the plane, they were able to locate a medium-sized cooler loaded with nonperishable items, primarily canned beans and tuna fish, and several jars of peanut butter. Richard knew that they would be able to survive at least for several days, but wasn’t sure what he’d do after that. He just hoped they would be found before he had to face having to make that decision.

  Richard was a born leader. He instructed the Baxter brothers to clear a section of earth near the plane, so that they could use the body of the plane to provide shelter from the elements when the temperature began dropping in the evening and through the night. Next he instructed Wendell and Glenda to start a fire once Daniella and the children returned with their stack of twigs and branches. He had found an ax in the plane and used it to chop several of the tree branches that had become impaled in the plane into small, manageable pieces. They had enough wood to last them for at least a couple of days.

  Since they were in the middle of spring, Richard was thankful that at least they wouldn’t have to worry about snow or freezing temperatures. Several of the extra emergency blankets were used to create a tentlike area. The blankets resisted tearing and did not shred like other blankets. Upon further inspection, Richard wasn’t pleased when he discovered that the plane lacked some other critical emergency supplies, forcing them to be creative.

  James Baxter positioned several of the magnifying lenses up in the trunk of several trees nearby. Water was an essential survival item that would be in great demand. Wende
ll surprised everyone by his ability to locate a small brook nearby, that was down in a small crevice hidden by several large boulders. While the survival cooler had a water supply, he and Richard knew that it would probably not last more than a day or two, and they had no idea how long they would be stranded.

  Glenda also proved useful, volunteering to make dinner by creating a somewhat unappetizing combination for their evening meal, but everyone was too hungry to make any complaints.

  That night as the group settled in to sleep, Stephen, the slimmer Baxter brother, tried to keep the mood up.

  “It’s like we’re part of Gilligan’s Island,” he said.

  “Gilligan who?” Mrs. Pruit said.

  “Not who, what.”

  “Gilligan’s Island,” his brother said.

  “What about it?”

  “He was comparing our predicament to that show,” Daniella said. “It was a TV show about strangers who are stranded on an island.”

  “After their plane crashes?”

  “No, it was a boat.”

  Mrs. Pruit shook her head. “Then I don’t see how it applies to us.”

  “Don’t you watch TV?”

  “Not that kind.”

  “I’ve never seen it,” Anna said.

  “That’s because you’re too young.”

  “You can see reruns,” Daniella said.

  Richard sent Daniella a curious, teasing glance. “So should I call you Ginger or Mary Ann?”

  She couldn’t help a smile. “I preferred I Dream of Jeannie,” Daniella said, referring to the classic ’60s sitcom about a genie and her astronaut-master.

  He nodded. “Me, too.” A grin tugged on his mouth, lighting his eyes. “Go on and say it.”

  She blinked, feigning innocence. “What?”

  “Yes, Master.”

  “You’re not an astronaut.”

  He leaned toward her, the fun light in his eyes becoming a warm glow that drew her in. “I could take you to the moon in other ways,” he said in a husky tone.

  She bet he could and she’d enjoy the ride. “Now who’s dreaming?” she said, meeting his steady gaze, wanting to run and stay at the same time.