“Go, go, go.” Shouting, eyes stinging, I cover my brothers while they leap inside.
Fifteen seconds left. A pickup truck screams into view—an insurgent with a stinger on his shoulder.
I fire. Once. Twice. Another pickup rounds the bend.
Behind my back, the helo lifts.
Ah well, it’s a good day to die.
As I reload, strong arms grab me under the armpits—
A bullet slams into the metal beside my hip.
Someone grunts, hauls me into the cabin just as the bird banks hard.
Jesus. We made it.
The pilot turns, grins, and winks.
Holy shit.
It’s her.
The woman I’m out here searching for… just saved my life.
Chapter 6
Briana
Last Tuesday
With my gear stolen, I inventory what’s left—and what isn’t. I’ve still got my outer shell on, so hypothermia won’t kill me.
Kneeling in the wet brush, I empty my jacket pockets, picturing a bulleted list:
Compass
Jackknife
Bear spray
4 protein bars
Lighter
Missing? Water. Which, of course, is falling from the sky in buckets.
My first priority? A container.
Second? Don’t get shot.
Half the day slips by while I scour the area for said vessel. Drinking from the stream would be easier, but I can’t afford parasites or vomiting.
Finally, I score an old, cloudy, intact Pepsi bottle. Once it’s rinsed, I dip it into a deep rock crevice. It should be safer than the mountain runoff.
By late afternoon, I’ve doubled back to where the nightmare began. The rain has almost washed away any signs of Andrea. Like her, I can hike to the parking lot. She must’ve driven her car away. However, if I’m lucky, I can bum a ride into town with day hikers.
The damn precipitation has turned frigid, now needle-sharp on my face. I build a lean-to from downed tree branches, crawl underneath, and nibble an energy bar, counting every chew.
