Page 167 of 1001 Dark Nights: Bundle Forty-Two

“Is Angela stuck in the tree?” Colleen asked, seemingconfused.

“No. We’re pretty sure Officer Whittaker is in the tree,”Jackson said.

“Up in the tree?” Mark asked, soundingdumbfounded.

“No. Literally inside the tree,” Jackson said. “Ineed help here. Get me up so I can reach Angela. Between us, we might be ableto maneuver him out. What we really need is a ladder. When we reach the EMTs,we need to make sure that emergency services arrive with one.”

“I’m on the call,” Colleen said, pointing at her phone.

“And I’ll get you up the tree.” Mark put his hands into theshape of a basket.

Gallagher had what Jackson needed to reach the branch.Catching hold of the first, he hefted himself higher and reached Angela’sposition. She still dangled slightly but had raised herself as if she weredoing an extreme sit-up. “How do we get him out?” she asked.

“Colleen is getting emergency services to bring a ladder.But if we can switch around, I may be able to reach down far enough to get adecent grip beneath the man’s shoulders. Then you can help guide him. If we’relucky, I can hold him long enough to get him down to Mark. The EMTs will behere soon, but if we can get him out before they get here...”

“Every minute counts,” Angela said. “I just hope we don’t domore harm than good. We have no idea what his injuries might be.”

Jackson nodded, and below them, Red barked excitedly. Out ofthe corner of his eye, Jackson thought he saw the man wedged in the tree trunkshift just slightly.

Was it his imagination? Or was the man indeed alive?

“Mark!”

“Yeah?”

“We’re going to try to get him down to you.”

“Got it. I’m here. I’m ready.”

Jackson thought of himself as being in decent shape, and hisidea had seemed sound. He was taller and broader than Angela with a betterwingspan. And still, he strained to lower his arms into the tree trunk, andfelt the burn in his legs as he used them to hang from the branch over the holeas Angela had before.

He prayed the limb would hold his weight, but despite theprevious injury to the tree, the elm held, the branch a strong one.

Muscles Jackson didn’t even know he had burned.

But then... success. He caught hold of each of the man’sshoulders and then managed to get a grip beneath his arms.

As he strained and pulled, he felt sweat dripping down hisface and falling into his eyes. Just when he thought he might have to give upthe quest, the wedged body in the tree begin to inchupward.

“Now!” he told Angela, and she quickly reached out for thebody, guiding it from the tree and the branches, aiming him toward Mark.

Thankfully, Mark wasn’t alone anymore. Ragnar was at hisside. Even with the men below, Jackson realized he would have to let the bodydrop for a few feet, but he knew his coworkers would catch him before hereached the ground.

Jackson let go, and Angela eased back.

The man fell, only to be caught by the two Krewe members andeased gently to the ground.

“Got him!” Ragnar shouted.

Hugo was there then, along with Red, both dogs barkingexcitedly. Their masters calmly shushed them, butJackson was just glad his plan had worked.

Jackson saw the man wince at the sound of the dogs, and nowsaw in the light of the full moon that it was indeed Officer Whittaker. Hewasn’t conscious, but it seemed his senses were still working. He was alive,and there was hope.

“Hey!” Mark shouted up to Jackson. “You need some help? Youtwo are adorable up there. You look like a pair of possums getting situated forthe night.”

“Or vampires!” Ragnar shouted.

“Funny, ha, ha!” Angela called to him.