Page 51 of Chasing Creed

Creed crawled into the back, knees crunching glass. The bench seat had collapsed long ago. He still had to duck and twist his way under the bent-in roof.

He called Kyle’s name. Eyelids fluttered. His head bobbed. Creed saw a wound on his forehead, caked with blood and dirt. There was more smeared on his shirt and pants.

Creed reached slowly and pressed two fingers to the man’s neck. Found a pulse. It throbbed. Kyle’s eyelids fluttered again. His only reaction to Creed’s presence.

He tugged on latex gloves from his pocket and carefully ran his hands over other places. Not an easy task in the narrow compartment. Kyle’s fetal position made it more difficult. Immediately, Creed noticed his wrists weren’t tied. Neither were his feet. If someone dragged and shoved him in here, they didn’t expect him to live.

Or Kyle found his way here and hid himself.

With a mini-Maglite in one hand, Creed gently probed. He searched for wounds that might need staunching before a rescue crew arrived. Kyle’s clothes were covered with so much blood Creed wondered how much was Kyle’s. The most serious wound was a nasty slice along his right side, but it had crusted over, plastering his T-shirt to the skin. Creed decided to leave it alone. The T-shirt was already doing a better job than Creed could. He didn’t dare pull it away and risk more bleeding.

The tap-tap of rain didn’t last. Within seconds, it began pounding the roof. He’d forgotten about the storm, and now it was on top of them. The lightning had been a major concern an hour ago. Now it helped light the inside of the vehicle.

“Kyle? We’ve got help coming. Just hang on. Okay?”

More trembling. Another groan. Fists and knees shifted tighter to his chest. Creed searched around the inside. Everything was musty with a layer of grime. He peeled off his shirt and draped it over the man.

“Hang on,” he told him again and wormed his way back out of the tight squeeze.

The downpour felt good. He tilted his face to the sky, welcoming the rain and hoping it would wash away the blood, dirt, and sweat from his body. The fresh scent of pine cleared the must and grime from his nostrils. Norwich and Grace had found shelter under an evergreen’s huge branches, tucking themselves into the tree. Both were drenched. Creed ducked and crawled in beside them.

“He’s breathing,” he told Norwich. “But not responsive. He’s got a scrape on his head and a cut along his torso.”

“I gave them directions to the property,” she shouted over the rain. “We’ll need to meet them and guide them back here.”

“Okay.”

“I’m not even sure how to get back. Are you?”

“Honestly? I lost track.”

Her face fell, and he saw the panic close to the surface.

“Grace will find the way.”

The little dog had slipped under his arm. Now, she jumped up and licked his chin when she heard her name. The rain had matted down her wiry coat. Her ears flopped, drips running down the tips. But Grace hardly noticed. She was still hyped from her find and ready to start again.

Norwich, however, didn’t look convinced.

“I taught her a trick that might come in handy.”

Norwich stared at him. Not even a hint of a smile. She looked worn and tired and soaking wet. The sheriff had collapsed on him once before in the woods. After a search. It was hard for Creed not to think about that day. She ended up having an emergency heart procedure. He constantly reminded himself that she was leaner and stronger than ever now, but he still couldn’t shake that moment he thought they’d lost her. On his search. On his watch.

She must have seen a flash of concern on his face. She swiped at her wet hair plastered to her forehead as she said, “I’m fine. You don’t need to worry about me. I just don’t have a clue how we’re going to get that boy through these woods.”

“Can you text them to bring a Sked stretcher? Or a spine back board. Something lightweight to strap him down and carry him.”

“Is that s-k-e-d?”

“Yeah. It’s flexible plastic. Narrow. Allows the patient to be wrapped down and around. We used something similar for helicopter rescues. They know he’s in the middle of the woods, right?”

She kept texting as she said, “Yes. And I told them he’d need to be carried out.”

When she finished, she dropped her phone back into her pocket and shook her head.

“What is it?” Creed asked.

“I almost tried to talk you out of coming back here. I thought it was a waste of time.”