Bitter Wild

by Jennie Leigh

  Casey nodded. “Yes there is.”

  She picked up the bag and hurried down the stairs. Jack followed her, wondering what she was up to now. She called the dog when they finally reached the ground. She let the dog smell of the bag, then she gave him a silent hand signal. Jack watched as the animal spun around and ran off. She turned to look at Jack. “If Jesse is around here, Chance will find him. Meanwhile, I think you and I had better see what we can find in the way of medical supplies.”

  They found what they were looking for in the living quarters. Casey left Jack to assemble the supplies they thought they might need while she went outside to check for tracks. He heard her calling him only minutes later. He found her on the other side of the tower. She pointed at the ground.

  “This is where Jester tied up his horses while he was here. And there are two sets of tracks. One large, matching the ones I’ve seen at the two campsites we’ve found and the other smaller. They have to be Jesse’s. There’s no other explanation.”

  The dog returned then, and sniffed of the area around the tracks she’d located. Finally it lifted its head and whined softly. Casey nodded. “See, Chance can smell him.”

  Jack finally accepted that she might be right about the boy. “This isn’t going to make things any easier, you know. Now he has a hostage to bargain with.”

  Casey nodded. “I know, but at least we know Jesse was alive when he left here.” She looked off into the woods for a few seconds, then turned back to Jack. “Come on. We’ve got to go get the others and try to stabilize Paul as much as we can.”

  The trip back to the others was quickly accomplished. Casey used some of the supplies they’d brought back with them to re-bandage Paul’s wound while Jack filled Skip in on the things they’d found and what they’d guessed. Jack watched as Casey told Terry that his brother was still alive. The older boy took it fairly well, though Jack could see that he was worried sick about his younger sibling. Casey gave him what comfort she could, without giving him any false hope.

  They decided to put Paul on Jack’s horse with him. Ideally, they would have liked to keep him as flat and still as possible, but under the circumstances, this was the best they could come up with. Terry rode with Casey as they all made their way back to the ranger station. Once there, they put Paul in the bedroom and Casey gave Terry the job of fixing them all something to eat. Then she led Jack and Skip outside on the premise of tending to the horses. Once they were out of earshot of the boy, though, she stopped and faced Jack and Skip.

  “Okay, we’ve got a serious problem here. We’ve got to decide how we’re going to proceed.”

  “We can’t just leave these two boys here alone.”

  Casey fixed her gaze on Jack. “Right, but if we wait here for help, it’s going to give Jester an even bigger lead on us.”

  Skip shook his head. “So what do we do?”

  Casey was silent for a while, then she spoke up. “I’ve got a solution. I know neither of you is going to like it, but under the circumstances, I don’t see that we have any other choice. I think one of you ought to stay here while I take the other one and stay on Jester’s trail.”

  Skip started shaking his head immediately, but Casey held a hand up to stop him. “Think about it. We can stay here and wait for help, which will put a lot more distance between us and Jester and Jesse, or we can leave Terry and Paul here while we all go after Jester, which we’ve already agreed isn’t a viable option. So what do you want to do? Personally, I don’t want to leave Jesse in Jester’s hands any longer than is absolutely necessary. You know it won’t be long before Jester gets tired of dealing with him and puts a bullet in his head. He’s fourteen. He hasn’t even begun to live his life yet.”

  Skip shot Jack a frown. “This is nuts. It was risky taking Jester on with just two of us.”

  Jack nodded. “I know, but Casey’s right. We’re out of options.”

  Skip clearly didn’t want to agree, but he finally sighed and nodded. Jack glanced at Casey. “Okay, so who goes and who stays?”

  “I’ll warn you that it isn’t going to be easy. I intend to dump every ounce of extra weight I can. That means no packhorse and no tents. Things are going to get really rough from here on.”

  Jack glanced at Skip, who just shook his head. “I don’t care, you decide.”

  Casey hesitated for a moment, then cleared her throat, drawing both men’s gazes back to her. “I don’t mean to interrupt, but if you’re interested, I have an opinion.”

  “Go ahead.”

  She glanced at Skip. “Don’t take this personally, but I think you ought to stay here with the boys. You’re a good man, but the fact is, Jack is a much better rider.”

  Skip wasn’t offended. He knew riding wasn’t one of his better skills. He just nodded in acceptance and Jack tried not to be pleased that Casey had chosen him to go with her. It wasn’t a personal choice. She was just selecting the most sensible option. It felt good to receive even that small measure of her praise, though. She shot him a quick glance before turning back to Skip.

  “We contacted all the ranger stations the morning of the day we left. They were all put on alert. That means they’re supposed to be making regular reports. When this station doesn’t check in, they’ll know something is wrong. They’re probably already on their way in. Most likely, they’ll come up the old road. It’s the long way around, though, and it’s going to take a while for them to get here. I’d expect them to show up sometime tomorrow. If we’re lucky, they might even make it in tonight. If, for some reason, they haven’t shown up by noon tomorrow then you will have to go out on your own.”

  Skip frowned. “How am I supposed to do that?”

  “The same way you got in here. You and the boys get on the horses and you ride out. Follow the road. Terry knows it well enough to keep you from getting lost.”

  Jack spoke up. “Paul will never survive it.”

  Casey turned to meet his gaze. “He might not survive long enough for it to be an issue. Either way, getting him out of these woods is his only chance.” She turned back to Skip. “Help will come up that road. They’ll have a radio and a chopper on standby.”

  Skip finally nodded. “Okay.”

  Casey glanced back at Jack. “Give me a hand with the horses, will you?”

  Skip went back into the building to give Terry a hand and Jack followed Casey to the horses. They went through all the gear on the packhorse, taking only the absolute necessities. Then they loaded it all onto their two animals. By then, Skip was calling that the food was ready. They ate, then Casey explained things to Terry. He clearly didn’t want her go, but he also obviously understood that Casey and Jack were his little brother’s best chance. It seemed like no time at all before Casey and Jack were walking out the door.

  Skip gave Jack a hard look. “You be careful out there, Jack. Don’t put yourself into any dangerous positions.”

  Jack got the feeling that Skip wasn’t just talking about Jester. When his partner darted his gaze toward Casey, Jack knew Skip was talking about her as well. He nodded, then turned to take his horse’s reins from her. They both mounted up, then they were on the move again. Jack glanced at his watch. It was getting late already. He didn’t think they were going to make it far before they were forced to stop for the night. But he had no idea just how determined Casey was.

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  CHAPTER FOUR

  Twilight had come and gone when Casey finally forced herself to stop. It was too dark to see the tracks she was looking for. She wanted to keep going, though. She was tempted to get out her flashlight and follow the trail on foot, if that’s what it took. But she knew that would be too risky. Tracking in the dark was a fool’s errand. She turned to meet Jack’s gaze as he reined his horse in beside hers.

  “I hate the thought of Jesse being out there alone with this lunatic.”

  Jack nodded. “I know.”

  She sighed, then nodded toward Jack’s left. “There’s a tight grove that way. It�
��ll give us a little more shelter from the night wind.”

  He turned his horse and headed for the cluster of trees she’d indicated. They didn’t make a fire that night. They hadn’t brought anything along with them that required it. From now on they’d survive on jerky, trail mix, protein bars, and water. They laid their bedrolls directly on the ground and turned in as soon as it was too dark to see their hands in front of their faces. Jack found it vaguely amusing that the dog stretched out between them. He couldn’t imagine any more effective chaperone.

  Morning came more quickly than he’d have liked. He woke feeling tired and cold. He’d spent a fair portion of the night dreaming about things that he couldn’t quite remember in the light of day. He thought they’d involved the dog, but he wasn’t sure. It took them only minutes to pack up and get moving. By mid-morning Jack detected a distinct nip in the breeze. He was wearing his jacket, as was Casey. He glanced up through the trees and saw only blue sky and large fluffy clouds that were moving overhead at a surprisingly quick pace. He focused once more on Casey. She stopped as she approached a large boulder.

  She studied the ground for a long while, then lifted her gaze and gave Jack a smile. He frowned. “What?”

  “Jesse led him to a dead end.”

  Jack shook his head. “A dead end? How’d he manage that?”

  She waved to their left. “This trail leads straight up the side of the ridge. It ends at a rope bridge that isn’t big enough for horses. Jester will have to either leave his horses behind or turn around and come back down the trail. He hasn’t, which means he’s somewhere ahead of us.”

  Jack glanced up the trail she’d indicated. If she was right, then this thing might be over by nightfall. The problem was, Jester might be waiting up there for them. He glanced back at Casey.

  “I’ll take point.”

  She shook her head. “Don’t be ridiculous. I know the terrain better than you do. It isn’t easy going. If he’s up there waiting for us, Chance will let us know.”

  Jack sighed. She always had to do things her way. She turned her horse and started up the trail. At first it was a relatively gradual incline. Then it began to grow increasingly steep. They’d been riding for nearly half an hour when the dog suddenly barked and darted forward. Casey had her rifle out almost as quickly as Jack drew his gun. The dog disappeared behind a large group of rocks, then came back out a few moments later accompanied by someone. Jack immediately guessed it must be the boy, Jesse. Casey jumped off her horse and ran to him.

  “Jesse!”

  The boy grabbed her with every bit as much enthusiasm as his brother had the day before. Jack got off his horse as Casey led the boy toward him. She was checking him for injuries as she questioned him.

  “What happened?”

  He started relaying the story from the beginning. For the most part it was virtually identical to the scenario Casey had outlined the day before. The boy cried when he talked about Jester shooting at his brother and Paul. Then he cried harder when Casey explained that Terry was okay. He said Jester told him they were both dead. She folded him into her arms and met Jack’s gaze over the top of the boy’s head. Then she pulled away and looked into Jesse’s eyes.

  “How did you manage to get away from him?”

  He held up a key ring. It was attached to a small pocket knife.

  “He checked all my pockets, but he never thought about looking at my shoes.” He gave Casey a tremulous smile. “I always tie it to the laces so I’ll never be without a knife. You know, like you said. Anyway, he tied me to a tree last night and I used it to cut the ropes.”

  Jack gave the boy an admiring look. “That was smart thinking, son.”

  Jesse shrugged. “I knew he’d kill me once he figured out that I’d led him into a trap.”

  “So you did tell him to take the ridge trail.”

  Jesse nodded. “His map said there was a bridge. I told him it was right. It was late when we started up the trail and I knew he’d never make it to the top before nightfall. I cut my ropes and ran down the trail as fast as I could. I finally got scared that he’d come back down and catch me so I decided to hide. I guess I fell asleep.”

  Casey reached out and smoothed his hair away from his face. “I’m proud of you, Jesse.”

  Jack watched the boy’s chest puff out. He smiled to himself, then turned to look up the trail. Jester was up there somewhere, waiting for them. He turned back to Casey.

  “Now what?”

  She looked up at him. “Now we go up there and find him.”

  Jack shot the boy a quick look. Casey glanced down at him. “Jesse, I want you to stay right here, okay. Don’t go anywhere.”

  He frowned at her. “I can help.”

  Casey shook her head. “No, I need to know you’re here, just in case something happens. You’ll have to go get help.”

  Jack realized she was giving the boy a sense of purpose as the kid nodded. “Okay, Casey. You can count on me.”

  She patted his shoulder, then turned to Jack.

  “Let’s get this thing done.”

  They got on their horses and continued up the trail. Jack never took his eyes off the path in front of them. He kept expecting Jester to pop out at any moment. Finally, Casey reined in her horse and dismounted. Jack did the same, moving to tie his horse to a tree beside hers. Then he moved to her side. She glanced up at him.

  “The summit isn’t far, now. It only makes sense to go the rest of the way on foot.”

  Jack nodded. “Okay, but I go first.”

  This time she didn’t argue. He moved up the trail, scanning every tree and rock. He realized quickly that the dog was actually the one taking point, though. It stayed several years ahead of them. For once Jack was glad the beast was there. It took almost an hour for them to reach the top. Jack didn’t dare go any faster for fear of walking straight into an ambush. The trees gave way to open rocks and Jack realized that neither Jester nor his horses were anywhere in sight. He scrambled up the final rise and found himself standing only yards away from a sheer cliff. He took in the bridge that spanned the ravine, then turned to face Casey.

  “He’s not here.”

  Casey could see that much for herself. She also saw a number of other things. The breeze that had been with them all morning was stronger up here. Off to the west she could see that the clouds were getting thicker. She walked over to the bridge, then turned around to search for any sign of Jester. Two horses didn’t just disappear into thin air. She backed away from the edge of the cliff and carefully made her way toward the tree line several yards away. She searched the ground there for a few minutes, then came to an abrupt halt when she found what she was looking for. She turned and called out to Jack.

  “I’ve got something.”

  Jack started to come to her, but she shook her head. “Stay there.”

  She stayed with the trees as she worked her way back to the trail. Jack was waiting for her when she finally reached it. She shook her head. “He’s gone. The fool tried to follow the river.”

  Jack frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “There are two bridges across the river. This one and another about six miles downstream. That one is large enough for horses. He must have thought he could avoid whoever was on his trail by following the ravine down to the other bridge.”

  Jack shook his head. “And why does that make him a fool?”

  “Because there’s no way to make it through there. On foot it would be risky. With horses it’s impossible. He found that out the hard way, I’d say, since he came back up on foot.”

  Jack sighed. “You mean he’s still out here somewhere?”

  Casey nodded. “Probably on the other side of the ravine. Without the horses there wouldn’t be any reason for him not to cross the bridge.” She turned to scan the sky again, then shook her head. “This isn’t good.”

  Jack thought that was a monumental understatement. She locked her gaze onto him once more. “I need to find the horses.”
>
  “Why?”

  “Because we need to know how much gear he has now.”

  “I’ll go.”

  She shook her head. “No, you get down the trail to Jesse and the horses. I’ll meet you back there as quickly as I can.”

  Jack wasn’t about to let her go off alone. Not when they were this close to Jester. “No way. You’re just guessing that he crossed that bridge. For all you know he’s out there watching us right now.”

  “If he was then he’d already have picked you off so he could come after me. He’d be a fool to wait around and I’d say we’ve established that Jester is no idiot.”

  “I don’t like this.”

  “Neither do I, but it has to be done.” She nodded toward the trail. “Go on. I’ll be fine.”

  Jack’s gut told him to refuse, but Casey didn’t give him that chance. She turned on her heels and headed for the trees. Her dog followed her and Jack assured himself that it wouldn’t let her get hurt. By the time two hours had passed, though, he was berating himself for letting her go. He should never have let her out of his sight. He tried not to look worried because he knew the boy would pick up on it. It wasn’t easy to sit there, wondering what had happened to her and trying not to let his fear show. It didn’t help that the clouds were getting thicker overhead and the wind was starting to really pick up. Jack might not be experienced in survival, but he was smart enough to figure out that a front of some kind was coming through and that probably meant a storm.

  Another fifteen minutes passed before Jack glanced up to see Casey and the dog coming out of the woods. The relief that swept through him was intense. She didn’t say anything as she moved to sit down on a large rock a few feet away. Jack could see the strain on her face and he knew that she was hurting. She met his gaze. “He lost the horses about a mile down. Frankly, I’m amazed he made it that far with them. He set up some ropes and I used them to go down and check out what was left of his gear. Most of it was probably lost or destroyed. I spotted some of the guns near the edge of the water along with most of the other stuff. It was too far down for him to reach it. My guess is he’s got little more than we do, now. I didn’t see a tent, but that doesn’t mean anything. It might have gotten swept downstream. Either way, he’s lost a great deal of his advantage.”