by Marion Myles
“This is nice,” she said, gazing into the fire.
“Yeah. It is.”
She fell asleep in his arms, and when she woke sometime deep in the night, he lay wrapped around her, his breath fluttering across her cheek. Reaching for his hand, she fitted her fingers with his. She clutched it to her and laid it against her heart.
He mumbled in his sleep, and she saw his lips moving before they shifted into a frown. For some reason, it reminded her of the morning she and Cindy had dragged him out of bed and into the shower. She’d had to give him IV fluids just to get him to the set. Regardless, he’d been a disaster.
It still didn’t seem possible he was the same man. Since they’d walked away from the plane, Liam had been nothing but tough and strong and protective of her. Basically, a white knight from a fairy tale.
I’m already halfway in love, she thought in despair.
Love? No. Impossible. It was only the circumstances and the fact she was beaten down with fear and injuries and the cold. Otherwise, she’d never fall for someone like Liam. And he wouldn’t be interested in her either. They both obviously needed this physical contact and the comfort it brought. And there was nothing wrong with that as long as she didn’t go all dipsy doozy and turn it into more in her mind.
Chapter Twenty-five
Rebecca’s ankle was still hugely swollen when she woke. After testing it out, she declared the pain wasn’t any worse than before and insisted they try another day of walking. Liam was quiet while they sipped their protein drinks. Time and again she felt his eyes on her face.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Nothing. I’m fine.”
“Okay. Let’s gear up and get out of here.”
Liam exited the tent and started pulling off the branches to get to the tarps while she began gathering the extra clothes and folding them to put into the duffel bag. An object rolled out of a shirt and looking down, she saw the forgotten half of her Dove bar. Her fingers went to her lips, rubbing gently back and forth, and she closed her eyes, remembering the heat of the kiss.
Outside, Liam stood by a branch he’d staked in the snow. She hobbled over and stared down at the marks he’d made.
“What is that?” she asked.
“I’m taking a directional reading. I marked the shadow when I got up, and it’s about fifteen minutes later for that mark.”
“Okay?”
“Well, the sun’s moving east to west. If we use these shadows as a guide, it gives us a clearer picture.”
“How do you know this stuff?”
“I told you. I did a lot of camping when I was young…plus I was a scout.”
“Huh…it’s hard to picture you as a kid.”
“You ready?”
“Pretty much. Not so windy today.”
“Yeah. We caught a break for once.”
“Do we need to talk about last night?” she searched his face. “You seem different. Quiet maybe. Are you regretting it?”
He stepped up to her and wrapped his arms around her shoulder. “Nothing in this world could make me regret kissing you.”
And then, as if to prove his point, he tipped her chin up and laid his lips on hers. Firmer this time and with a sense of urgency. He nibbled along her bottom lip, and his tongue traced around the corner and across her top lip before pressing gently into her mouth. She felt like she was floating, exactly as she had last night.
“There,” he said, resting his forehead against hers.
“There indeed,” she said, smiling before she realized her lips had moved.
“Are you sure about walking today?”
“Positive. We only have two days’ worth of protein powder. We have to keep moving.”
They started off as they had the day before with Liam leading and Rebecca hobbling behind. The temperature had improved greatly, and it was, in fact, the warmest day they’d had since the crash. Before long, both of them were taking off hats and opening jackets.
The snow was heavy and deep but, at least for the morning, the terrain gently sloped. By the time the sun was directly overhead, the forest had thinned out, and they faced steep descents and sheer drop-offs.
Liam stopped to stare down yet another decline. When Rebecca finally caught up, slightly out of breath, she rested on her walking stick, and he turned to her.
“This goes down a long way. I think we should try the toboggan again,” he said. “I ought to have enough traction to keep hold of you.”
“Okay. If you’re sure.”
Liam tied the two large tarps together, and they set the sleeping bag and bedding on one of them along with the carrier bags. Once Rebecca was zipped in, he folded the bottom corners of the tarp back and handed them to her in the hopes of preventing the sleeping bag separating from the tarp. After securely tying the second tarp around his waist, he started forward.
“Here goes,” he called out and took a few steps down the slope.
Rebecca and the tarp came over the edge and, gathering speed, brushed by him. She was slowly spun around and now faced backward toward him.
“Everything okay?” she asked, lifting her head.
“I think we’re good,” he said, his breathing strained. “You’re still holding the ends of the tarp, right?”
“Promise, I won’t let go.”
He kept his stride short and braced his legs with every step, thankful the snow was nice and tacky. Under the snow, he guessed the terrain was mostly rock, and he had to concentrate not to trip over the uneven surface. The sun had started to swing farther west, and it shone in his face, partially blinding him.
Going down this way, they made a lot of progress in a short period of time, and he felt heartened. Maybe by the end of tomorrow, they’d finally reach ground level. Not that it would be smooth sailing from there…but just knowing they were off the mountain would be a huge boost.
The strain on his core and legs was intense, and sweat dripped down his back. He blinked against the glare and let his eyes drift toward where the ground leveled out. Almost there. He had to force himself not to lengthen his stride. Short, secure steps, he chanted in his mind.
“Look how freakin’ far we came,” Rebecca said, pushing up to sitting position and unzipping the sleeping bag.
Liam exhaled and turning, glanced back up. “Yeah. That was worth the risk. It would’ve taken the rest of the day to wind our way down to this level. You up for more walking?”
“I just had an awesome rest, so I’m pretty much up for anything.”
They packed everything away, and Rebecca continued on foot. The area was still mostly open with only a few trees here and there. She was sweating again and from time to time, lifted her head to catch the sun on her face. I’ll never ever complain about being too warm, she thought.
“Should we stop for the day?” Liam asked a few hours later.
“I can do more,” she said, thinking about how close they were getting to the bottom of the mountain.
“Okay. But make sure you tell me when you’ve had enough.”
They’d been hiking through a wooded area but soon enough found themselves in the open once again. Even with the sun directly in her eyes, Rebecca found she didn’t mind. Somehow, with all the progress they’d made today, she felt certain they were going to get out of this alive. Maybe not today but darn soon. And nothing was going to ruin her most excellent mood.
The going became steeper, leveling out for a bit, then going straight back down. They didn’t even discuss it this time, simply pulled out the tarps and between them set up the toboggan.
“Nice and slow, same as before,” Liam said, carefully picking his way down the beginning of the slope.
Rebecca lay there clutching the corners of the tarp. She noticed it was much bumpier than the previous time but held herself stiffly trying not to react when her various injuries took a jolt. She figured if Liam could deal with the physical strain of getting them down, the least she could do was lie quietly.
Glanc
ing to the bottom, which was still a long way off, Liam noticed the ground barely leveled before the start of another drop-off. The second one looked to be a lot steeper than where they were now.
It was going to be challenging finding a decent spot to camp on that narrow section of level ground, but he was sure they’d sort something out. And he was so ready to call it a day. He’d already been feeling some fatigue, and now his legs and back ached from the effort of the downhill trek.
He plodded on, step, brace, step, brace, keeping his eyes fixed toward the mountain in the far distance. All of a sudden, a huge bird swooped low over them. Lifting his leg for the next step, he paused, watching while the creature circled back. It appeared to be a bald eagle with the familiar large body and distinctive white head and tail feathers.
Putting his foot back down, he flicked his gaze to Rebecca. “Look at that beauty,” he said.
She unzipped the sleeping bag, and half sat up, turning to follow the flight of the bird. “Gorgeous,” she said with a touch of awe in her voice. “And so close. Here it comes again. Wow.”
Liam leaned back and stared as the bird shot over them and continued straight up the mountain, climbing like a fighter jet. “Doesn’t get cooler than that, huh?”
“Yeah,” she agreed. “Almost worth the price of admission.”
He grinned at her. “Almost.”
Shifting his weight, he began to step forward while glancing up at the departing bird one last time. He felt his supporting leg slip. Rebecca was in the process of settling back to the prone position while zipping up the sleeping bag when she bumped over a rock, and unprepared, gasped aloud before clutching at her shoulder.
Liam’s leg shot ahead as though he was wearing a ski with the other one being dragged behind. He pitched forward, scrambled, desperately trying to get his legs under him again, and tripped over the same rock that had jolted Rebecca.
He was already half falling when the toboggan jumped forward into the slack and tugged him hard. It sent him flying into Rebecca who cried out when he slammed against her right side. Liam continued rolling past in a jumble of arms and legs with the tarp wrapped around him. The action spun Rebecca and the sleeping bag across the snow and down the slope.
The material of the sleeping bag had a lot more friction than the tarp, and it slowed dramatically, while Rebecca and some of the Tupperware sailed straight out. The duffel bag strap remained securely around her torso as she rolled, but the blue nylon bag somehow came loose and shot off.
Its material apparently possessed the perfect degree of slipperiness because it picked up speed and arrowed straight down the slope. Slowing only marginally when it hit the narrow band of flat ground, it went airborne as it continued down the second drop-off and disappeared.
Liam howled—and still wrapped up in tarps—scrambled after it. The second drop-off went straight down several hundred feet into a rocky area below. He yanked at the tarps, freeing himself, and hung over the edge as far as he dared. He couldn’t see the bag anywhere.
Dazed, he crawled back to the level ground and saw Rebecca limping toward the sleeping bag. He watched while she retrieved a Tupperware and stuffed it in the bag, dragging the whole thing down to him. The duffel bag was still around her shoulder and rested against her hip.
“We lost the food,” he said softly, his eyes fixed on where his hands rested in the snow.
“The flare gun was in there, too. Maybe we can get it tomorrow,” she said, injecting cheerfulness into her tone. “We can hike down to the spot below, and I’ll bet we find in buried in the snow somewhere.”
He shook his head. “No, I can’t see it, and even if I could, we can’t hike into there. It’s nothing but rock crevices and ice.”
When his eyes met hers, she saw the devastation and the fear. Her stomach clutched. “Okay. Well, we stick with the plan and keep walking every day until we find someone. Like you said, we can go three weeks without food. Are you hurt?”
“No, I’m fine. You?”
“I don’t think I’m any worse than before.”
He got to his feet and began bundling the tarps together. She sat, wiggled the duffel bag free, and rolled the sleeping bag. Liam went back up the slope to rescue a second Tupperware container and a few random items of clothing that had come free during the mishap. He stuffed everything into the remaining bag and slung it over his shoulder.
“Thank God I keep the lighter and the knife in my inside pocket,” he said, patting his chest and attempting to smile.
They started off in search of a camping site, and Rebecca was grateful that at least her walking stick remained. She tried not to think about the food but then remembered she’d also tucked all the pages into that bag as well. They might have a lighter, but without the paper, she imagined it would be very difficult to start a fire.
She was crying before she even realized her face was wet with tears. She swiped at them savagely. What good were tears? They wouldn’t get back the food or the paper. They wouldn’t heal her injuries. They wouldn’t even help find a decent spot to make camp for the night.
Thankfully, Liam didn’t look back.
Eventually, they came across a few trees set near a small rise of ground. Liam declared it would work well enough. Rebecca insisted on helping gather insulating branches to lay over the tarps. Making several trips, she tucked a couple of branches under her left armpit and limped back and forth to the tent.
“I can do it,” Liam said, his tone impatient.
“So can I,” she shot back. “And why should you have to do everything?”
“Because I don’t have a sprained ankle, cracked ribs, or a broken collar bone. Would you just sit?”
“No, I want to help.”
“It’s not helping. It’s just pissing me off.” He walked to her and grabbed the branches from under her arm then pointed to the ground beside where he’d strung up one of the tarps. “Now sit there and rest.”
“I don’t want to sit. It’ll just piss me off,” she said, turning and taking a limping step.
He ripped the walking stick from her hand and hurled it over her head. “No more. You’ve done enough.”
“You don’t get to decide when I’ve done enough,” she shouted, furious when tears gathered in the corners of her eyes.
She turned her head away, but he walked up to her, placed a hand on her left shoulder, and shook her. “Are you being a bitch on purpose to pick a fight?” he said.
Terrified he’d see she was crying, she closed her eyes. “I don’t want to fight.”
“Well, you’re doing a pretty good job of…oh, hell…don’t cry. Goddammit.”
His arms came around her in the next second, and he crushed her to his chest. The pressure on her collar bone hurt, but she didn’t care. She was so, so close to having a full-blown, howling panic attack. At least his touch brought a tiny bit of calm. Just enough to tip the scales back in the right direction.
“We’re going to be okay,” he said. “We’ve made it this far, so we dig in and go farther. Don’t cry, Becks. Please.”
She hiccupped against him and exhaled in one long, slow whoosh. “I’m okay,” she whispered.
He stroked her back, her hair, curling toward her until she could feel his chin pressed up against the top of her head. She realized he was trembling.
“Liam. I’m sorry. You’re right. We’re going to make it out of here.”
Now he was the one exhaling. “Can you say that again?”
“We are. Of course, we are. We’re almost off this damn mountain, and there has to be something down there.” She sighed against him, snuggling into the warmth. “If we don’t find a cabin, there’ll at least be a road or a trail, and we follow it to safety. Easy peasy.”
“Thanks.” He released her and drew back. “Now will you please sit? I’ll have the second tarp up in a jiff. Then you can go in and set up the bed.”
“Okay. I’ll sit.”
Once everything was set up, they sat on the bedd
ing and drank from the two remaining water containers.
“We might have to start eating snow if we can’t melt these down fast enough,” Rebecca said.
“I guess that’s one good thing about being stranded in the winter. No shortage of water.”
“The temperature is dropping faster than I expected. Is it going to be hard to light a fire without the paper?”
“I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to get one going.”
He handed her his empty container, and she filled it from the pile of snow on the small tarp that was currently spread over her ankle. Liam picked up one of the branches and arranged a shirt across his lap. Using the Swiss Army knife, he scraped it along the length of the branch, peeling off the bark and whittling a pile of shavings into the shirt.
“That’s genius,” Rebecca said. “I’m starting to believe you really were a Boy Scout.”
“Got all my badges too,” Liam said.
He continued until the pile of shavings and bark was several handfuls in size, then dug a hollow in the snow beside the sleeping bag and arranged it at the bottom. He went through the branches, snapping off the tiniest twigs and putting them in a teepee shape over the shavings.
“Here goes,” he said and lying on his stomach, brought a flame to the shavings.
It smoked, and he blew gently until it glowed red and started to catch. The twigs above crackled, and he cupped his hands around and continued blowing until the flames licked up and the twigs began to burn. He carefully fed a few of the smallest branches onto the top. It took only a few minutes until the fire was properly established, and he built it up further, adding the bigger pieces of wood.
Rebecca sat staring mesmerized by the flames. “All I can say is thank God you’re here with me. Without you, I’d probably be dead by now. Who would have thought that a pampered rock star with full house staff could rough it in the wild? I’d have bet against you every day of the week.”
