The Traveler

by Melissa Delport

  “You’re freezing,” he chides, giving me a quick once over, assessing the damage.

  “I’m fine,” I insist. “Where are the others?” Jason, Darren and Kate are in the van, but the Toyota and the Humvee are nowhere in sight.

  “A few miles ahead. They’re waiting for us.” We climb back into the van and Kate hugs me, her face creased in a relieved smile.

  “I’m so glad you’re okay,” she murmurs, squeezing me tightly.

  “Me too,” I smile back.

  “Good to have you back, Rhodes. When you get a moment maybe you could explain what that crazy stunt was all about?” Jason grins and I roll my eyes at him.

  “Later,” I turn back to Dex, “where are they?” Whoever was controlling the other storm can’t be far away.

  “I don’t know,” he admits, “but the sooner we get out of here, the better.”

  It seems Dex’s estimation was wrong, I think, as we weave along the small mountain road and the minutes tick by. The others must be quite a way off and I wonder just how far they got before Dex got his abilities back. As we meander downhill into a small valley I catch sight of a river below us, sparkling in the sunlight. Jason is focused on the winding road, but Darren and Kate are checking Joe's stack of maps, trying to find the shortest route that will still avoid any major towns. I silently take back every joke I ever made about Joe’s aversion to technology and his refusal to use a satellite navigator.

  “So, I bet you wish you were back in South Africa right now, huh?” I interrupt and Darren glances up.

  “Why?” he shrugs nonchalantly, “from what you guys have told me this attack is global. I’d be no better off there than I am here. In fact,” he continues, glancing obviously at Dex, “I’d probably be dead by now.” He hesitates and then he sticks out his right hand, offering it to Dex. “Thank you,” he says simply as Dex shakes his hand. “You saved our lives. That’s a pretty big deal.” Dex’s expression remains impassive but he nods in acknowledgement. “Besides,” Darren continues more lightly, grinning at Kate, “There are some perks to being here right now.” Kate blushes magenta at the obvious compliment and I avert my gaze, trying not to smile.

  “Where are they?” I ask, frowning as something catches my eye on the ridge above us. I squint against the sunlight trying to make out what it is and, as we round a corner into the shade I shout a warning. Too late the van gives a sickening lurch to the right, the bank beneath us slides away, and the van drops off the edge, rolling over.

  We complete two full three-hundred-and-sixty degree turns, all of us getting thrown around as if in a giant washing-machine, and then the van suddenly slams to a halt, wrong side up. I collapse in a heap on top of Dex, my body battered and bruised. I groan as a sharp pain shoots through my hip but I raise my head assessing the scene around me.

  Darren and Kate are groaning but they both seem to be in one piece. Dex is already trying to sit up and I move aside gingerly, wincing as everything seems to hurt.

  “Rachel,” Dex’s voice is urgent, “are you all right?”

  “I think so,” I groan, turning to the others “you guys?”

  “We’re okay,” Darren answers, lifting Kate into a sitting position. She has a nasty cut on her temple and Darren’s arm is bleeding.

  “What’s that noise?” I ask, cocking my head to one side at the drumming sound. “Oh you have got to be kidding me!” I whine as the sound intensifies. “I swear if I live through this I am moving to the driest, hottest place on earth. If I never see rain again it’ll be too God-damned soon!” The rain is relentless and already the inverted roof of the van is filling with water, which is washing over the window frames and out onto the earth around us.

  “Jason,” I hear Dex’s voice as he moves behind me and I turn to try and help him, but I can’t move past the pile of camera equipment that has fallen behind the front seats. Dex has managed to squeeze through.

  “Is he okay?” I call, and to my relief it is Jason who answers, “I’m fine, I just can’t get this belt off.” I catch sight of him, hanging upside down, held in place by his safety-belt.

  “Hold still,” Dex warns and a moment later Jason crashes to the ground.

  “Ouch.”

  “Sorry,” Dex quips before slipping back through the seats. He moves to the door and forces it open. Peering out we see the reason for the sudden end to our tumbling descent down the hill. The van hit a large tree, crashing against its trunk, which prevented us from falling any further. Looking down, I shiver; if it weren’t for that tree we would have rolled all the way to the river below with nothing to slow us down.

  Dex climbs out of the van first, slipping on the already muddy bank and helps each of us out in turn. I cling to the tree trunk, searching for a way up, but there is nothing. Just a sheer wall of soil above us which is already starting to slide away in the deluge, the bank collapsing under the heavy rain.

  “We’re going to have to go down and find another way up,” Dex explains as we all teeter on the bank around the van. I reach in and pull out three backpacks, two of which I recognize. I hold onto the lightest and hand the other two to Darren and Jason. I know that one is filled with food and one with clothing, but I have no idea what Jason packed in the third. Carrying the laden bags will hinder our movements, but I would rather have some supplies than nothing at all. Dex grabs a length of video cable and ties it around the tree trunk, tugging it violently to make sure it’s secure. He tosses it down the bank and we all watch as it slithers over the soil. Retrieving a second cable, he coils it over his arm.

  “Let’s go,” he meets my eyes for a second and I nod, determined not to let on how scared I am.

  Trying to move in the rain is infuriating. With each step my feet get sucked into the muddy ground and heaving them out uses up far too much energy. I’ve eaten nothing but a dried slice of toast in the last twenty-four hours and my strength is waning. Jason descends first and then Kate, followed closely by Darren. I watch as they slip and slide down the bank, clutching the cable with white-knuckled hands. As I reach the tree, I slip my arms through the straps of the satchel and secure it on my back.

  “Your turn,” Dex takes my hand and lowers me slowly around the trunk. I grab hold of the cable which is slick with the water and lose my grip immediately. I slip for a terrifying fraction of a second before I manage to dig my feet into the ground and slow myself enough to regain my grip.

  “Be careful,” Dex calls down to me and I nod grimly.

  Gradually I lower one hand under the other making ridiculously slow progress. After what feels like an age I finally reach the safety of an outcrop which is level enough for all of us to huddle together. A second later Dex drops to his feet beside me, as agile as a cat and lets go of the cable.

  “Oh my God!” Kate squeaks beside me and I follow her horrified gaze. The river below is only a few feet down and rising by the second, churning and writhing as though it has a mind of its own.

  “It’s a water-user,” Dex snarls. “They’re flooding the entire valley.”

  “No!” Jason roars, seething with rage, “I am not drowning - no way! I’m not going down like that!” He spins around, his eyes scanning the valley and the ground around us.

  “There,” he points to a space further along the ledge, “there are more trees that way, we can pull ourselves out.” Without waiting for our response he starts to edge his way along the outcrop, staying close to the wall and as far from the edge as possible.

  As the others move to follow him I grab Dex’s arm, trying to speak against the rainwater pouring down my face and into my mouth.

  “They were up there! I saw them from the van just before we started rolling!” Dex clenches his jaw, looking back up towards the ridge and then down at the churning water below.

  “We don’t have a choice,” he points out, “the only way out is up.”

  As we slowly skirt our way along the ledge I keep my back to the wall of soil behind me, my hands pressed against it, trying t
o ignore how it is slowly sliding through my fingers, the very bank behind us starting to wash away. I keep my eyes trained on the river below which is almost at our feet. I can hear Dex’s words of encouragement beside me, coaxing me on, but I don’t see how we are going to make it out of here. As the first small wave washes over my shoes, Kate comes to a sudden halt beside me and I comprehend dazedly that Jason has stopped. I peer through the deluge, spitting out water and blinking against the rain. I can just make him out. He grabs hold of a small tree and uses it to pull himself off the ledge, sliding over the top of the bank on his stomach. I watch as he kicks his legs, propelling himself upwards, and then he disappears. A moment later, I see his hand reach down over the bank and he pulls Darren up to safety. The water is almost to my knees as Kate goes next, and I know that if I lose my balance now, I will be swept away. As it is, I am battling to stay upright with the water swirling angrily around my feet and the bulky backpack preventing me from shifting further back against the wall of the bank behind me.

  Dex and I shuffle carefully along until we are right below the tree and I raise both my arms. Jason and Darren grab me and haul me up and I immediately move further up the bank and out of the way so that they can reach Dex. I breathe a sigh of relief as he clambers over the edge but my relief is short-lived as I realize the water is still rising. We need to get to higher ground.

  “We have to keep going!” Jason shouts. The next tree is about twelve feet further up the bank and Jason tries unsuccessfully to climb up to it. The ground is so slick and the mud so thick that he slides back down, again and again, until he almost slips right past us and back over the ledge, which is now well underwater.

  “It’s useless,” I mutter. “Dex, can’t you stop it?” I point desperately at the rising water. A look of helplessness crosses his face.

  “I can’t,” his voice is hollow. His abilities aren’t working again and this time I can’t get away from him.

  Determinedly not looking at the rising water I glance up at the tree and then at the others.

  “Give me the cable,” I hold out my hand and Dex shrugs it off his shoulder. I coil it over my own and then I pull him closer to the others, outlining my plan.

  “Are you ready?” Dex yells in my ear and I nod resolutely. I am crouched on my haunches, leaning back as far as I can, trying to ignore the sense of imbalance and the awful fear of falling. They won’t let you fall, I remind myself. I can feel all of their hands on my back and wonder briefly whose hands are on my ass. “On the count of three,” Dex roars, “one, two, three!” On three they all push as hard as they can and I am catapulted up the bank. I land only a few yards shy of the tree. Dammit! As I feel myself slipping back through the mud I scream in frustration and dig my toes into the ground. The tips of my sneakers catch and plug me in place. I’m so close! I scrabble in the ground with my hands, trying to secure myself and then I pull myself up, slowly gaining ground. It takes forever as I inch my way forward, praying that I don’t slip. It’s exhausting and I don’t think I’d have the energy to do it again. Eventually my hand wraps around the tree trunk and I heave a sigh of relief. I haul myself up and wedge myself behind it, quickly uncoiling the cable and trying not to think about how much time has passed. I peer around the tree trunk and can just make out the others. The dark water is dangerously close and I hastily secure the cable and drop it down. One by one the others pull themselves up while I rest my head against the tree trunk and try to catch my breath.

  Kate reaches me first and I pull her up, pushing her past me. The grass is thicker here and is holding the ground together for the time being, so it should be easier to free-climb without the cable.

  “We made it,” I smile reassuringly at Kate as she passes and she climbs with renewed effort. Darren passes me a few moments later not needing any help and Jason is next.

  “Go ahead,” I wave him past, “I’ll wait for Dex.” A few moments go by and I glance down at the cable. He’s not there – all I can see is the river below. I sit bolt upright, peering down the bank but I can’t see him.

  “Dex!” I yell, my voice panicked. “Dex!” I turn back up the hill, “Jason!” I scream, and he slithers back down to me. “Where’s Dex?”

  “He was right behind me,” he yells, “I swear, Rachel, he was right there!” I grab the cable and make to move past him.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m going to find him!”

  “Rachel, we need to... the water's still rising.”

  “I’m not leaving him!” My voice rings with authority and he opens his mouth to argue but shuts it again straight away.

  “Okay,” he concedes, “let’s go.”

  Chapter 20

  I go first, slipping and sliding down the bank, my heart racing. Jason is right behind me. I scan the ground where they had been standing but there is nothing there and the water is still rising. Praying he wasn’t swept away by the rushing tide I squint through the rain.

  “There!” I yell, finally spotting him. I had taken too long sending the cable down and heroically, Dex had let the others go first. He must have known they’d never all make it. The water obviously swept him away but he had managed to grab hold of another tree a short way downstream. He is now hanging from that tree; his body fully submerged underwater, the full force of the river trying to rip him away.

  “Hang on!” I yell, but there is no way he can hear me over the noise of the rain and the rushing water. I cling to the tree, desperately trying to find something I can use to reach him, but there’s nothing. “Son-of-a-bitch!” I scream in frustration.

  Jason gives a roar of surprise as something big slides down the bank colliding with him and almost sending him over the edge, toward the dark swirling water.

  “Sorry,” Darren grins, apologetically, “but I thought you might need this.” I give a cry of relief as I see the tow-rope he’s holding. “It was in my backpack,” he explains, as he presses his back up against the tree for support and starts to unravel the rope. Thank God for Jason’s packing sense, I think hysterically, remembering him scrounging around in the Graham’s garage. “We can’t throw it,” Darren adds, meeting my eyes, “it’ll take too long and this wind will whip it all over the place. Someone’s going to have to get in,” he gestures at the churning river and I feel a cold dread settling over me that has nothing to do with the weather.

  “How will we reach him?” I ask.

  “Easy,” he points at the water slightly downstream, “the current’s moving right for him, it’ll take us straight there.”

  “Okay,” I nod, “give me the rope.”

  “No way,” Jason interrupts, “not happening, Rhodes.” He snatches the rope from Darren’s hands.

  “Actually,” Darren takes it calmly back, “our best chance is if I go. I played provincial water polo for years – I’m a very strong swimmer. Also, I’m lighter than you are and I hate to admit it, but you’re probably stronger. Someone’s got to pull us back.” Jason hesitates and they both turn to look at me.

  “I’m the best chance we’ve got, then,” I voice what everyone is thinking, “I’m lightest; if anyone should stay to pull us back it should be you two.”

  “Yeah, not happening,” they shake their heads in unison and then Jason claps a hand on Darren’s shoulder. “Good luck, buddy.”

  Darren doesn’t hesitate; he wraps the other end of the rope around his flat stomach, fastens it tightly and takes a deep breath before stepping over the edge. He disappears instantly, reappearing a second later, already a few meters downstream. He was right, I realize, as his head bobs up and down. The current is carrying him straight to Dex, who is still hanging limply from the tree. It only takes a few seconds for Darren to reach him, grabbing hold of the same tree branch, which bends precariously under their combined weight.

  I can’t see what they are doing, the rain is too heavy, but after a few heart-stopping moments we feel a tug on the rope and Darren raises his arm, waving at us.

 
; “They’re coming back,” Jason grabs the rope and braces himself behind the tree, placing his right foot up against the trunk to steady himself.

  “You’re a good man, Jason,” I murmur, taking up position just behind him and remembering how he did a similar thing when we rescued the man from the chasm in Manhattan. He doesn’t answer and I take hold of the rope behind him, ready to help him pull.

  We can feel the instant they let go of the tree; the rope pulls taut and jerks almost out of our hands. This is going to hurt, I think, even without the added pain of my left hand which is still tender from my burn. The bandage provides only a modicum of protection, but my right hand is already stinging where the rope is biting into my skin.

  Over and over we pull back on the rope, gaining only inches at a time. It is back-breaking and laborious work, and twice the rope is yanked from our grasp and we lose what little progress we have made. I am sweating profusely, and steam rises as the cold rain meets the heat of our bodies. I figure that Dex and Darren must be pulling forward too, and hope raises its timid head, but then I remember that they are also fighting the current and trying to keep their heads above water, and the hope vanishes. It occurs to me suddenly that they might have drowned already and my adrenalin kicks in. I pull harder on the rope, desperate to get them both to safety. I am so focused I do not even realize that Kate has joined us until she grabs the rope behind me, adding her own strength.

  “You should get back up to safety,” I gasp, but she keeps hauling.

  “He better make it,” she says in a low voice. She is just as worried about Darren as I am about Dex.

  With three of us working together we start to make headway, pulling in perfect unison with Jason guiding us.

  “Okay, hold on, don’t let it slip!” he roars eventually, moving aside so I can brace myself against the tree trunk as he slowly releases his hold on the rope. The pressure is excruciating, the rope jerking and twisting in my hands as if with a life of its own, and I hear Kate give a groan of exertion behind me. Jason doesn’t hesitate; he rushes forward, grabbing Darren under the shoulder and lifting him to safety. The pressure eases slightly but the rope is starting to slip; a mixture of water and blood from the cuts on my hands making it almost impossible to keep a firm grip on it. I resist the urge to check if they are okay, needing all my focus to hold onto the rope. Darren collapses, panting, on the ground near my feet and it is too much for Kate. Forgetting herself, crying with relief, she rushes to his side, dropping the rope as she does.