by Gary Paulsen
Jeff tossed the knife to Mitch and jumped to his feet.
Madge swung around. Jeff stepped closer. “What are you going to do, lady? You can’t get both of us.”
The woman slowly backed into the corner. “Stay away. I mean it. I’ll shoot.”
Roman waited for her to look over at Jeff again. The second she did, he jumped in and landed a swift karate kick, knocking the gun out of her hand. It sailed across the room and dropped through a hole in the old wooden planks to the dirt below. Madge slumped to the floor, holding her wrist.
“All right!” Jeff slapped hands with Roman.
Mitch had just finished cutting the last piece of twine on Woody’s feet. Woody rubbed his ankles. “What took you so long?”
“Shut up, Worm.” Mitch playfully punched him in the shoulder. “Your nose okay?”
Woody nodded and looked at Roman. “What do we do now?”
“Grab the radio. We’ve got to get out of here. I heard Ripper coming back. He could be here any second.”
CHAPTER 10
“In here.” Roman led the way into a dark thicket. “We’ll rest for a few minutes. We’ve been moving hard for the last couple of hours.” He reached for the radio. “I don’t know what good it’ll do to call out, since we don’t have a clue where we are.”
Woody sat down and dumped the dirt and rocks out of his tennis shoes. “It couldn’t hurt, and right now it’s about the only hope we have.”
Mitch was puffing like a bellows. He leaned over and put his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. “Man … I’m tired. What I wouldn’t give … for a cool … glass of water.”
Jeff fell to the ground and stretched out. “Somebody wake me when this nightmare is over.”
“Don’t get too comfortable.” Roman set up the radio. “We’re moving out again in a couple of seconds. Ripper and Spoon could be anywhere. They know the area. We don’t.”
He pressed the transmission button. “Hello, does anybody out there hear me? My name is Roman Sanchez. I was kidnapped along with three other guys two days ago.” Roman let go of the button and listened.
Nothing.
He tried again. “If you can hear me, we need help. We have escaped from the kidnappers but they’re after us. I’m not sure of our location. All I know is that we’re on a mountain, somewhere near a small gas station called Freddie’s.” He listened again. There was no response.
Roman packed up the radio. “I’ll try again later. We better be on our way.”
“On our way to where?” Jeff asked. “It’s getting late and we don’t even know which direction to head.”
“Like the Worm said, we should keep going downhill.” Roman started walking. “This time I have a pretty good idea where the road is. I’ve been trying to stay out of sight and still keep it to the left of us.”
Mitch moved up beside him. “Do you think there’s any chance we’ll make it to that little town we drove through before it gets too dark?”
Roman shrugged. “Who knows? All I know is the farther away from those guys we can get, the better.”
They walked single file for the next mile without talking. The sun was almost down and it was starting to get cold.
Mitch broke the silence. “If we keep going in this darkness, somebody’s gonna trip and break a leg or something. Maybe we should find someplace to lay up until daylight.”
“He’s right, Roman,” Woody said. “I’m worn out. Those guys aren’t going to find us in the dark. We can get a fresh start in the morning.”
Roman hesitated. “I don’t know …”
“Come on. It’ll give you a chance to try the radio again.” Jeff pointed to some trees. “We’ll spend the night over there.” He patted Roman on the back. “I’m not worried—if anything goes wrong, we’ve got the Karate Kid on our side.”
CHAPTER 11
Roman’s eyes flew open. It was morning. He needed to get everybody up and moving. He stretched. His neck was stiff from sleeping on the cold ground. He was about to turn over on his makeshift bed of leaves when, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a flash of movement.
A sharp-toed cowboy boot was coming at him. He rolled but it still hooked him in the ribs. He groaned in agony and tried to stand up. The boot came at him again, this time catching him in the stomach and knocking the wind out of him. He rolled into a ball and looked up.
Ripper stood over him. “You thought you were pretty big stuff yesterday, didn’t you, hero? What’s wrong, kid? You don’t seem so tough today.” The blond man laughed and looked over at his partner. “Does he, Spoon?”
Spoon shook his head. He was standing behind Mitch, Woody, and Jeff with his gun out. “No. In fact he looks kinda sick today. Maybe he ain’t feeling so good.”
“Leave him alone.” Woody took a step toward Ripper. “Pick on somebody your own size.”
Ripper burst out laughing. “Like who, half-pint? You?”
Woody glared at him. “Leave us alone. We haven’t done anything to you.”
“Wrong again, little man.” Ripper stepped in front of him. “You four have given me a lot more trouble than you’re worth. But that’s going to stop because we’ve decided to move you to a different place. A place where you’ll never be heard from again.”
The three boys glanced at each other.
“Get your friend up,” Ripper ordered. “We’re going back to the cabin.”
Jeff and Mitch tried to help Roman to his feet. Halfway up, Roman drew a sharp breath and held his left side in pain. “I think a couple of my ribs are broken.”
“Here. Put your arm around me.” Jeff moved to the right and let Roman use him as a crutch.
“You shouldn’t have kicked the kid so hard,” Spoon said. “He’s gonna be all day getting back to the cabin at this rate.”
“What are you griping about? They’re not supposed to deliver the money to the airstrip until tonight. By that time we’ll have these little problems of ours safely tucked away and we’ll be on our way to the good life in South America.”
Spoon grinned and pushed Mitch and Woody ahead of him. “I think I’m gonna like being rich.”
Woody stumbled forward. “You’ll never get away with it. In the last century there hasn’t been a single time when this type of crime was successful.”
Spoon frowned. “What’s he talking about, Ripper?”
“Nothing. He’s just running off at the mouth.”
Mitch looked back at Spoon. “I’d listen to him if I were you, mister. He’s a walking encyclopedia. There isn’t anything he doesn’t know.”
“See if he knows how to keep his mouth shut,” Ripper growled. “That goes for the rest of you, too. No noise until we get back to the cabin.”
CHAPTER 12
“Break’s over. Get the big kid up. We’re almost there.” Ripper watched Jeff help Roman stand. “I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes when Madge gets ahold of you. She’ll probably tear your eyes out. She’s pretty mad about what you did to her yesterday.”
Roman struggled to his feet. He ignored Ripper and started walking. When they were a few feet away, he whispered to Jeff, “After we get there, I’ll start something and you guys make a run for it. It may be your last chance.”
“No. We’re not leaving you.”
“You have to. I—”
“No talking,” Ripper barked. “Spoon, get the rest of them up here. The cabin is just over the next hill. I don’t want to take any more chances.”
Mitch walked up beside Jeff. “Want me to take over for a while?”
Jeff shook his head. “No, I’m doing okay.”
They crossed the road and started down the bumpy path to the cabin. Woody studied the ground. His photographic memory immediately noticed something different. Quickly he moved to the other three and pretended to help Roman.
“New tire tracks,” he whispered.
Roman looked around. “Be ready for anything.”
When they topped the hill, the cabin loo
ked the same as it had when they’d left. Madge’s old car was still parked out front.
“Go tell her we’re back,” Ripper ordered. “I’ll load the boys in the car.”
Spoon went into the cabin, and Ripper opened the back door of the car. “Get in, kiddies. This will be the last ride you’ll ever take. Enjoy it.”
Woody bent down to tie his shoe. Mitch stopped at the car door. “Listen, mister, we haven’t had anything to drink in three days.”
“My heart bleeds for you, kid. Get in the car.” He yelled over his shoulder at the cabin. “What’s takin’ you two so long? Get out here!”
There was no answer.
Ripper’s eyes narrowed. “Spoon?”
Silence.
The front door opened and a tall, well-dressed man stepped onto the porch. Several more men moved out of the brush around them.
The man on the porch flashed his badge. “Give it up, Ripper. We’ve got your partners. Drop your gun and move away from the boys. There’s no way out.”
Ripper acted as if he were going to drop his gun but then whirled and grabbed Mitch with one arm, using him as a shield.
“You cops come any closer and this kid won’t see his next birthday.”
“Give it up, Ripper. You can’t win.” The man on the porch edged down the steps.
“Don’t come any closer!” Ripper screamed. “Everybody get back.”
The agent near the porch put his hands up. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
Roman let his arm quietly slide off Jeff’s shoulder. He held his side tightly and jumped. One foot jabbed into Ripper’s stomach, making the blond man drop the gun and double over. Before anyone could blink, Roman brought the other foot up under Ripper’s chin, spinning him around.
In seconds the agents had surrounded Ripper and handcuffed him.
“Way to go, Roman!” The boys crowded around him, slapping him on the back.
“Hey, watch the ribs …”
“Are you Roman Sanchez?” The agent who had done all the talking walked up to them and put out his hand. “I’m Sam Williams. I worked on a few cases with your father years ago. He’d have been proud of you today, son.”
“Thanks.” Roman stared at the ground, embarrassed.
“How’d you find us?” Woody asked.
“We had the general area pretty well pinpointed after we got your message at the gas station. But what helped at the end were your radio transmissions. You boys really used your heads.”
Roman looked at the tired, dirty faces of the other three boys. “We had a lot of luck, all the luck there is.”
“Luck, nothing!” Woody held both fists in the air. “We’re just too awesome for ’em to hold, right, guys?”
Jeff moved to Roman and supported him while he sagged in pain, helping him to the porch. “Right, Wormy—totally awesome. At least one of us.”
“You know what I think?” Roman said, wincing and watching the officers put the kidnappers in the backseats of government cars.
“What?” Jeff asked.
“I think next year we should do something else on our field trip.”
HIKING SURVIVAL GUIDE
The best rule of thumb in any situation is be prepared. This is especially true in hiking because the wilderness often makes special demands on those who use it.
Before you go, make sure you have the right gear and clothing, and that you are physically able to withstand the rigors of the trail. Make a checklist of the things you need to be sure that nothing will be left behind.
Gear for a one-day hike might include a map, a flashlight, a compass, matches, a small first aid kit, a rain poncho, a sweatshirt, a pocket knife, a whistle, a canteen, and lunch. All of this can be easily carried in a lightweight rucksack.
If you become lost, there are a few simple rules to follow. Keep calm and trust your map and compass. If you can’t find your position, clear an area and build a signal fire. Don’t get caught by darkness. Find a shelter and spend the night.
Planning ahead can make hiking a unique wilderness experience that anyone can enjoy.
GARY PAULSEN
Gary Paulsen has written many popular novels for young people, including the Newbery Honor books Hatchet, Dogsong, and The Winter Room. He is an avid outdoorsman who has twice raced in the Iditarod, a 1,180-mile dogsled race across Alaska. He has journeyed from New Mexico to Alaska by motorcycle, has sailed the Pacific Ocean, and frequently takes pack mule trips into the mountains. Gary Paulsen and his wife, the artist Ruth Wright Paulsen, have homes in New Mexico and on the Pacific.
