by Marion Myles
“I thought we could make camp there.” He pointed to two large trees with a third, fallen one, near their base. “Sit tight while I’ll gather some branches.”
“I can help.”
“No, you can sit there and take care of your ankle.”
Within half an hour he’d secured a tarp between the two trees and added a second one which ran from one of the trees to the fallen log. He gathered a pile of branches and wove them together into sheets to cover the whole thing.
Inside, he stamped the snow level, set up the sleeping area, and dug a small depression for the fire pit before helping Rebecca inside. Once the fire was going, he organized snow to ice her injuries. He left her in charge of feeding the fire while he went scavenging for more wood before he finally took off his boots, unzipped his jacket, and sat down beside her.
“Now…this is a shelter,” she said, gesturing to the walls of their tent. “I’ll bet no wind can get through that thing. A lot of work though, huh?”
“Some,” he agreed. “But so worth it. We’re going to be toasty warm tonight. Now let’s eat.”
“Protein first then Smarties,” she said.
“Yum and double yum.”
“I know what you mean,” she said, handing him a box of Smarties before scooping out the mocha powder. “I honestly never thought I’d get sick of eating it, but I have to say, once we get out of here, I think me and chocolate will be breaking up.”
“If you were going to bring something, why not power bars and beef jerky.”
“Because I’m not an animal. Besides, we’re getting a nice boost of energy from the chocolate combined with the protein powder. It’s not the worst thing to survive on.”
“I saw some animal tracks. Rabbit and maybe a fox.”
“That’s nice. Oh, you mean for us to eat?”
He nodded. “Maybe. If we have to.”
“How exactly are we going to catch anything?”
“Haven’t figured that part out yet.”
“We’re okay for the time being,” she said, sipping her drink. “And who knows, now that we’re lower down, we might run across a cabin or something.”
“I wouldn’t count on it. Without roads, people can’t get their stuff up to a cabin or build it in the first place. I’m worried about that on ground level too. It’s so remote I don’t know if we’ll find anything or anyone until we walk a long way.”
“We will,” she said stubbornly.
They finished the food and dozed in front of the fire. Liam helped Rebecca outside to go to the bathroom and saw to his own needs. They settled down for the night with the fire still burning.
“Hopefully we’ll wake up a few times during the night to throw on more wood,” Liam said. “Here, let me take off your shoes.”
Kneeling beside her, he first removed the right one before carefully inching the left away. He took off her socks, and they saw the ankle was still huge and the bruising had spread to cover half of her foot.
“I’ll get more snow,” he said.
She gently probed the area then massaged the foot, hoping to get the circulation moving.
“Given the state of my ankle, I can’t imagine my face looks much better,” she said when he stepped back inside.
He didn’t make eye contact, instead focused on packing the snow around her ankle. “Maybe a bit better,” he said.
“You’re a lousy liar, but I appreciate the effort.”
“There you go.” He patted her knee and tucked the blanket around her leg again.
When he crawled in beside her and settled the sleeping bag over them, he carefully stroked a finger down the side of her face.
“You still look beautiful,” he said. “Good night, Rebecca.”
“Good night,” she mumbled.
His arm wrapped around her waist, and he snuggled against her and fell asleep almost instantly. She lay there and tried to remember if anyone, other than various horny guys hoping to get lucky, had ever called her beautiful.
No one came to mind.
Liam’s breathing deepened, and she counted the breaths, noting they were slow and regular. Then she thought back to the night less than a month ago, when he’d stopped breathing entirely.
In her mind, she now saw him as two separate men. The entitled alcoholic drug addict who had no interest in becoming clean—and the tough but caring man fighting his way off a mountain with courage and humor. No matter how she looked at it, she couldn’t reconcile the two versions.
“I wish this was the real you,” she whispered into the night.
Chapter Twenty-three
Morning came quickly after that. The first thing Rebecca did when she woke was to flex her ankle. Still plenty of pain but perhaps a little better. She patted her face, probing along her nose. Yep, it hurt like a son of a bitch. That was okay though because she didn’t need her face for walking.
Liam wasn’t in the tent, but she could hear him outside. Glancing over, she saw he’d built up the fire, and it was throwing lots of heat. The ring of snow around it had melted. Even if it was mostly muck and dead pine needles, being able to see the ground lifted her spirits.
The process of wrestling on her shoes with only one hand was difficult, but she eventually managed. Using a sturdy branch she’d culled from the pile the night before, she struggled to her feet and set her left foot on the ground, testing her ankle.
Not exactly weight-bearing, which wasn’t great, she admitted to herself. Still, if she used some of the clothes to rig up a support bandage and found a better, sturdier stick to lean on, she was certain she could hobble along somehow.
Outside, it was snowing and had been for some time judging by the amount accumulated on their tent. It now looked like a snow fort. Liam was nowhere to be seen. Footsteps crisscrossed the campsite with one set veering off into the woods.
She relieved herself, thankful she could manage on her own, and retrieved the small tarp to collect more snow. Back inside, she arranged the tarp around her ankle for another session of icing. She drank a container of water, refilling it with snow from the tarp and setting it close to the fire.
She took a handful of the snow and rubbed it over her face, then used one of the extra shirts to gently wipe the moisture away. The dried blood left streaks of red on the fabric. Probing near her left ear, she found the gash had completely crusted over. She decided to let it be. In all likelihood, it was contaminated with bacteria, but since she didn’t have any way of properly cleaning the wound, opening it up again would only expose her to more.
Mindful that they probably weren’t drinking enough, she was working on her second container of water when Liam returned. He had a huge armload of branches.
“Good morning,” she said. “You got an early start.”
“Gotta get up and take on that day.”
He sat, unzipped his coat and removed his hat, then brushed the snow away before setting it close to the fire.
“That’s a lot of wood,” she said.
“Aw, sucks.” He shrugged, playing at bashful. “That’s what all the girls say. Guess I was just born lucky.”
The remark was so unexpected that it took her a moment to understand what he was getting at, and then the laugh bubbled up before she could stop it. “Isn’t it a little early for penis jokes?”
His face serious, he shook his head. “It’s never too early for penis jokes.”
“If you say so. Have you eaten?”
“Not yet.”
She mixed up the protein drinks and handed him one.
“While you were gone, I tested out my ankle. It’s so much better,” she said, stretching the truth more than a little. “I’m going to strap it up, and I’ll be good to go.”
“Nope. Not happening.”
“I don’t think the toboggan is going to work. Now that we’re into the forest, there are too many obstacles. It’ll take forever.”
“I agree. That’s why I’m going scouting today, and you’re staying in the tent and
resting that leg.”
“But…oh…what are you scouting for?”
“I need to find a lookout to make sure we’re still going west and maybe figure out the best way down. Also, it’d be great if I could spot this mythical cabin you feel so certain is somewhere around here.”
“I guess that makes sense except we’ll lose a day of traveling.”
“Yeah, but hopefully make up for it by not wandering aimlessly around and going the wrong way. You’ll be fine here. I’ve brought lots of wood for the fire, and you have food and shelter.”
Tucking a Dove bar into the inside pocket of his jacket, he left her breaking down the branches into fire-size pieces.
She could see the logic of his plan, but she didn’t have to like it. This sense of helplessness was so foreign to her. In fact, she was usually the one taking charge and problem-solving a situation. Now, after Liam had hauled and literally carried her all day yesterday, the only thing she could do was sit here and wait.
Time dragged. She ventured out a few times to collect more snow for her ankle; otherwise, there was nothing much to do. Desperate for a diversion, she dug through the duffel bag. Pulling out some of the loose sheets of paper, she settled down and began reading about angiotensin II receptor blocker as related to cardiomyopathy.
It wasn’t long, though, before her thoughts started to swirl. Her life before the plane crash seemed more remote every day, and she felt as if she’d been stuck on this mountain for months. She tried to remember what it was like working regular shifts at the hospital, meeting for drinks with work colleagues, going on the odd date here and there.
None of it seemed real, and it was as if the scenes were snapshots of someone else’s life. How would she feel about going back to reality? she wondered. Now that she stood so far away and could see things with an almost outsider’s eye, the way she’d been living had been empty and meaningless. Surely there was more to life than that? Where were the purpose and passion and frigging joy in it all?
If she did die up here, would anyone even notice or care? It was a jolt recognizing probably no one would. Sure, her father would be disgruntled knowing she wasn’t around to hit up for infusions of cash, but outside of that, her death wouldn’t cause a single ripple. She realized it didn’t speak well of her or how she’d lived her life.
She’d been determined not to fall asleep while Liam was away, but now she found it was her only refuge from the dark thoughts and, lying back, she closed her eyes.
* * * * *
Liam sat on a rocky ledge and gazed down at the valley below. Under any other circumstance, he would have called the view stunning, but the thought of making his way across the rough landscape was a kick to the nuts. It seemed an impossible journey. And the way the snow continued to fall, it was only getting worse.
Siobhan must be going out of her mind by now. Or would it maybe be a relief? If he died out here, she’d no longer have to worry about rehabbing him or keeping him from self-destructing. Plus, as the only named beneficiary, she’d get boatloads of money from his estate. His houses alone must be collectively worth around thirty million. Not to mention his music would continue to provide significant cash infusions for years to come.
He shook his head. That wasn’t fair. Siobhan had never cared about his money and, only God knew why she’d been there for him as best she could over the years. At times like this, when he was of sound and sober mind, he felt ashamed for being such a burden.
Thinking back to the previous month while Rebecca had worked for him, he felt another huge pang of shame. God, he’d been a total dick. Talk about enfant terrible. When his mind flashed to Marisa, he shut it down. He couldn’t even go there. Not right now. Maybe when he got Rebecca back safe and sound, he’d visit Marisa’s grave. Tell her how sorry he was.
Hoisting himself up again, he continued walking. Still plenty of time in the day. He might as well push on and make sure the next part of the descent was reasonable. He didn’t know how long they’d have to wait until Rebecca was mobile, but it didn’t hurt to plan ahead.
* * * * *
The night was closing in when Liam returned to the campsite. Rebecca tried not to show how tough the waiting had been. She smiled brightly and patted the bedding beside her.
“Take a load off. I’ll stoke the fire up, and we’ll get you nice and warm. How was it out there?”
“Not bad,” he said. “I’ve figured out the next day or so of walking, and it’s decent. The main problem is all this damn snow. We must have had at least a foot and a half, and it’s still coming down.”
“Did you find a lookout?”
“Yep. I’d say we’re a good halfway down. Maybe more.”
“That’s great.” She fed branches onto the fire, waiting for each one to catch before adding the next.
“You cleared the hole?” He pointed up to where the tarps met above them. He’d left a gap and covered it with only a few bits of greenery so the smoke could escape.
“Yeah. The snow had piled on. I used one of the branches.” She paused and turned to face him. “I’ve been thinking. You should go on ahead. I’ll be fine here, and I’m only going to slow you down. You can send help back for me.”
“No. We stay together.”
“You need to think logically. There’s no way you can drag me through the woods. At least not without stopping every five minutes. I can walk, barely, but I’ll be slow as molasses. It makes sense for you to go and me to stay. I’ll bet if you were walking on your own you could make it down to ground level in a day or two.”
“Rebecca, I’m not leaving you here.”
“Even if it means we both die? Look.” She pointed to the stash of food she’d counted and organized while he was away. “We’re almost out of protein powder, and I think we’ve reached the point of cutting back to one chocolate bar a day because they’re going down fast. I somehow don’t see us hunting successfully, which means pretty soon we’ll be out of food. And there’s no telling how much farther we have to go.”
“And if something happens to me, no one will find you until next spring after you’re long dead. Have you heard of the rule of three?”
“You mean three minutes without air, three days without water, and three weeks without food?”
“Yeah. Exactly. We have lots of snow…so no shortage of water. And we haven’t run out of food yet, so we have at least a month.”
“I think that adage is true when applied to well-fed, healthy people. We’ve almost hit the two-week mark of barely eating enough to sustain body and soul. I’m not going to be the reason Liam Connors dies.”
“I owe you a life, remember? I wouldn’t even be here right now if you hadn’t saved me from ODing. Maybe that’s the reason I lived. Maybe it was to make sure you didn’t die on this mountain.”
“The debt was paid in kind when you dug me out of the crevice,” she said. “Since we’re playing the what-if game, maybe the reason I came to work for you in the first place was because my life was always meant to be traded for yours. The whole world will mourn your loss. Your music has touched so very many lives. I’ve never told you this, but I have your Jumping to Conclusions album. I loved that thing. It got me through some hard days. It will matter if you’re no longer alive. As for me, I doubt anyone will care.”
“That’s bullshit, and you know it.” He shook his head and glared at her. “I’m not having this conversation. I need water. Give me one of the Tupperware containers.”
He drank it down in furious gulps, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. She unzipped the sleeping bag and reached for her shoes.
“I’ll make myself useful and get more wood.”
“Don’t you fucking dare. The way you make yourself useful is by resting your ankle. And besides, I brought a bunch of branches back with me. They’re right outside, and I’ll get them.”
“Okay. Fine,” she said stiffly.
Huffing, he lurched to his feet and disappeared through the flap of the tarp.
When Liam took his time, Rebecca was glad. Her emotions were hot lava ready to spew all over everything, but most particularly him. She punched her thigh over and over again while her breath sounded like a train chugging down the tracks.
Liam wasn’t in charge, and he didn’t get to decide. She’d do what she thought best. It wasn’t as if he could force her to go. All she had to do is refuse to leave.
Unclenching her fist, she sighed heavily. Except then he’d stay with her, and they’d run out of food and die a nasty, lingering death.
Fine. She’d go then. And he couldn’t stop her from doing that either. If he said no to packing up their camp, she’d leave anyway. What was he going to do, sit here and let her go off on her own, limping every step of the way?
When he came back in and unceremoniously dumped the branches down beside her, she knew his mood wasn’t any better than hers. They both needed alone time to cool down. The only problem being they currently occupied a rigged up tent the size of a dog kennel.
She wiggled down in the sleeping bag and carefully turned on her side to face away from him. Behind her, she heard the rustling of the tarp and realized he was shifting the blankets as close as he could to the wall of their enclosure. Closing her eyes, she stewed silently.
An hour or so later, he opened a box of Smarties. He didn’t try and force food on her, which was a good thing because her temper was still bubbling. Eventually, she slept. When she woke, the fire was crackling, and Liam sat on the other side of it, staring across at her.
Blinking, she shifted onto her back and rubbed her eyes. It felt late. She flexed her ankle and realized it was packed in snow. Liam must have done that, but she wasn’t sure when. Her eyes flicked back to him. She watched his lips briefly shape into a smile before flattening out again.
“Haven’t you slept?” she asked.
“Not yet. Getting tired now though.”
She patted the ground beside her. “Then come to bed.”
He nodded and picked out a few more branches, arranging them on the fire. She unzipped the sleeping bag and began pulling it out from under her.
