| Mystery and Crime Fiction posted June 19, 2020 | Chapters: |
...11 12 -13- 14... 
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The McClellans flee the campsite, no idea where the shooter
A chapter in the book Looking for Orion - 2
The Flight
by DeboraDyess
| Background When brother, Cody, is shot in the middle of nowhere, Jack has to do whatever it takes to get him to safety. |
Jack pulled his tee shirt over his head. Using his pocketknife he cut the shirt in half then along the side seam, making two long strips. With one he made a sling, tying it behind his brother's neck to support the weight of the injured arm. The other he tied around Cody's middle, securing his arm to his chest to prevent as much mov
ement as possible in the trip down the hill. "You ready for this?"
"Like a root canal," Cody breathed, trying to grin reassurance to his brother. It turned into a grimace, and Cody swallowed hard to stifle a moan.
Jack put his arm around his brother's back, catching hold of a belt loop on his jeans, and let Cody slide his left arm around his shoulders. "Slow and easy," he instructed, and he lifted.
He pushed the thought away, angry at himself for taking solace in not only the thought of his neice, but in her faith. It had nothing to do with this, nothing to do with now.
He looked toward the camp site and saw the top of their green tent. "Look, man. There's our camp." He already felt out of breath. And if he couldn't reach someone on the cell phone, they had a long walk to the Bronco.
Cody leaned his head against jack's hands as he buttoned the shirt. "I'm already exhausted," he whispered.
"Like a root canal," Cody breathed, trying to grin reassurance to his brother. It turned into a grimace, and Cody swallowed hard to stifle a moan.
Jack put his arm around his brother's back, catching hold of a belt loop on his jeans, and let Cody slide his left arm around his shoulders. "Slow and easy," he instructed, and he lifted.
The trail Cody had taken had been easy enough on the way up but proved to be treacherous now. Cody misstepped more often than not, stumbling frequently. Jack half-carried him over some parts, and kicked rocks and branches out of his way on others.
As they neared the bottom of the hill, Jack was filled with the memory of the morning. He'd entered Cody's kitchen door to find Katie sitting on her knees at her place at the table. "Whatcha doing, Stinky-Breath?"
"I just brushed." Katie looked up at him and exhaled like a dragon breathing fire. "See? Listen to this. 'When I am afraid I will trust in you.' Psalm 56:3. Dad says it should be 'trust in thee' and then it would rhyme, but it isn't."
"It used to be."
"When you were a kid?"
Jack nodded.
"Well, that was a really long time ago." She took a sip of chocolate milk.
Jack thumped her lightly on top of her blonde curls. "Your dad have coffee made?" He walked to the cabinet and pulled out a cup.
"I'm going to be ready for Sunday school and it's not even Sunday, yet."
Jack had raised his eyebrows. "What foresight."
"When I am afraid I will trust in You," Katie repeated rhythmically. "Grandma says It goes to The Wheels on the Bus."
As they neared the bottom of the hill, Jack was filled with the memory of the morning. He'd entered Cody's kitchen door to find Katie sitting on her knees at her place at the table. "Whatcha doing, Stinky-Breath?"
"I just brushed." Katie looked up at him and exhaled like a dragon breathing fire. "See? Listen to this. 'When I am afraid I will trust in you.' Psalm 56:3. Dad says it should be 'trust in thee' and then it would rhyme, but it isn't."
"It used to be."
"When you were a kid?"
Jack nodded.
"Well, that was a really long time ago." She took a sip of chocolate milk.
Jack thumped her lightly on top of her blonde curls. "Your dad have coffee made?" He walked to the cabinet and pulled out a cup.
"I'm going to be ready for Sunday school and it's not even Sunday, yet."
Jack had raised his eyebrows. "What foresight."
"When I am afraid I will trust in You," Katie repeated rhythmically. "Grandma says It goes to The Wheels on the Bus."
Jack took a swig of the strong, black liquid. "Grandma says everything goes to The Wheels on the Bus."
He pushed the thought away, angry at himself for taking solace in not only the thought of his neice, but in her faith. It had nothing to do with this, nothing to do with now.
He looked toward the camp site and saw the top of their green tent. "Look, man. There's our camp." He already felt out of breath. And if he couldn't reach someone on the cell phone, they had a long walk to the Bronco.
They got to the campsite and Jack lowered Cody to the sleeping bag where he'd been resting only 25 minutes before. It seemed like an eternity. He covered Cody with a blanket and, elevating his feet, looked for signs of shock. Cody was ghost white, but seemed as coherent as Jack could expect. He rummaged through the small first aid kit again, got two capsules and the canteen and helped his brother take the pills.
"What are they?" Cody asked after he swallowed them. His voice sounded weak, almost too quiet to hear.
"Couple of those pain pills the doctor gave me when I strained my back."
"The ones that … that didn't work?"
"Well, kid, it's those or aspirin, which is the only other choice. Now, where's the phone?"
"Backpack," Cody answered shortly. He closed his eyes and seemed to try to sink into the dark earth.
Jack got the phone, looking at the area they'd come from as he did so. Nothing he detected warned of the return of the shooters. He dialed, cursed and dialed again. Nothing.
"Won't work," Cody told him. "Hills."
"Well, what'd you bring it for then?" Jack snapped, frustrated.
"Was going to hike … up .... and call from there. That's what … you should do."
Jack thought it over. "I can't leave you, Code," he decided. "Those guys could be back any minute. And if that was a hit you stumbled into..." he left the sentence unfinished. "Let me get a few things and we're out of here. You rest while I get us ready."
Jack looked around the campsite, frantically thinking of the items that may be useful in their flight out of the woods. He combined them into one backpack. It was an odd assortment: Cody's gun, a length of nylon cord, a filet knife and the first aid kit, for all the good that would do. He grabbed both canteens and put them with the backpack.
"Got your name on any of your stuff?"
Cody nodded without opening his eyes. "All of it; had to … Boy Scout camp."
Jack frowned and looked around the site. He couldn't take everything that might lead these men to them. But he sure didn't like leaving his brother's name scattered around for them to find. He shook his head. One thing at a time.
"Now for you," he said to Cody, squatting beside him. "How ya' doing?"
"My ribs are killing me, Jack," Cody whispered. "My arm is resting across ... where it hurts. And my fingers … are numb. Which may not be a bad thing," he took a shaky breath, "considering how the rest of me feels."
"What are they?" Cody asked after he swallowed them. His voice sounded weak, almost too quiet to hear.
"Couple of those pain pills the doctor gave me when I strained my back."
"The ones that … that didn't work?"
"Well, kid, it's those or aspirin, which is the only other choice. Now, where's the phone?"
"Backpack," Cody answered shortly. He closed his eyes and seemed to try to sink into the dark earth.
Jack got the phone, looking at the area they'd come from as he did so. Nothing he detected warned of the return of the shooters. He dialed, cursed and dialed again. Nothing.
"Won't work," Cody told him. "Hills."
"Well, what'd you bring it for then?" Jack snapped, frustrated.
"Was going to hike … up .... and call from there. That's what … you should do."
Jack thought it over. "I can't leave you, Code," he decided. "Those guys could be back any minute. And if that was a hit you stumbled into..." he left the sentence unfinished. "Let me get a few things and we're out of here. You rest while I get us ready."
Jack looked around the campsite, frantically thinking of the items that may be useful in their flight out of the woods. He combined them into one backpack. It was an odd assortment: Cody's gun, a length of nylon cord, a filet knife and the first aid kit, for all the good that would do. He grabbed both canteens and put them with the backpack.
"Got your name on any of your stuff?"
Cody nodded without opening his eyes. "All of it; had to … Boy Scout camp."
Jack frowned and looked around the site. He couldn't take everything that might lead these men to them. But he sure didn't like leaving his brother's name scattered around for them to find. He shook his head. One thing at a time.
"Now for you," he said to Cody, squatting beside him. "How ya' doing?"
"My ribs are killing me, Jack," Cody whispered. "My arm is resting across ... where it hurts. And my fingers … are numb. Which may not be a bad thing," he took a shaky breath, "considering how the rest of me feels."
Jack ran his hand over his eyes, and then down his moustache. "The only thing I can do is reposition your arm, Code."
Cody nodded. The brother's eyes met, each seeing more in the other's gaze than they wanted to see. Jack helped him into a sitting position.
Staring up into the surrounding hills, Jack started planning their escape . If the phone worked, he could Google how to fix the sling and make it less painful. But, then, if the phone was working, he'd have help here before anything else could happen.
Staring up into the surrounding hills, Jack started planning their escape . If the phone worked, he could Google how to fix the sling and make it less painful. But, then, if the phone was working, he'd have help here before anything else could happen.
"Jack? We doing this? If not … I'm going to lay back down.:
Jack untied the strip holding Cody's arm to his chest and tightened the sling to bring his brother's hand up closer to his collarbone. Retying the makeshift immobilizer, he checked the bandages on Cody's back and saw to his surprise that the wound only bled slightly on the trip down the hill.
Cody sat still and wordless, eyes squeezed tight, teeth clinched, every muscle strained in the war against the incredible pain..
When he finished, Jack reached into his backpack and pulled out the red and black flannel shirt he'd brought to ward off evening's cool. "Here." He draped it around Cody's shoulders, buttoning the top and leaving the front open. "Okay?"
Cody leaned his head against jack's hands as he buttoned the shirt. "I'm already exhausted," he whispered.
Jack nodded. "I am getting you home today, Code."
Cody grunted but he didn't move.
"Come on. Time to go."
"Are you sure?" Cody pulled himself off of Jack's arm, but the movement took effort. He looked around them, almost surprised that they were ready to leave the campsite.
"Positive."
An almost-grin pulled at Cody's mouth but it hurt and he stopped it before it could manifest. "Only a fool is positive."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm positive."
"We've got to get some new material, Bubba. Although what could be better than that gag from 'Fail Safe'?""
Cody tried to emotionally prepare himself to get up, but the thought of it seemed far above what he knew he could manage. He hesitated for a second and then looked up at his brother. "Jack, I don't know if --"
"You have to trust me, Code. You've forgotten something important in all this. I'm always right." Jack brushed Cody's hair out of his sweaty face.
Cody coughed and grimaced.
"I'm getting you out of here. You understand? I am getting you home."
"I know."
"Then let's go." Jack made a move to rise, but froze half-way up.
A gunshot sounded from somewhere up the hills, echoing in waves around them. The vast woods vibrated with the sound, making it impossible to pinpoint. The brothers looked at each other.
"Where'd it come from?" Cody asked quietly.
Jack shook his head. "Don't know, Code. It doesn't matter. We're headed to the Bronco, even if we have to go through these guys." The impact of his words hit him. They could be walking directly into the enemy. They didn't know which direction the old man had run, or where the shooters were now. He knelt beside Cody, grabbed the belt loop on his brother's jeans and lifted. "We're out of here."
"Are you sure?" Cody pulled himself off of Jack's arm, but the movement took effort. He looked around them, almost surprised that they were ready to leave the campsite.
"Positive."
An almost-grin pulled at Cody's mouth but it hurt and he stopped it before it could manifest. "Only a fool is positive."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm positive."
"We've got to get some new material, Bubba. Although what could be better than that gag from 'Fail Safe'?""
Cody tried to emotionally prepare himself to get up, but the thought of it seemed far above what he knew he could manage. He hesitated for a second and then looked up at his brother. "Jack, I don't know if --"
"You have to trust me, Code. You've forgotten something important in all this. I'm always right." Jack brushed Cody's hair out of his sweaty face.
Cody coughed and grimaced.
"I'm getting you out of here. You understand? I am getting you home."
"I know."
"Then let's go." Jack made a move to rise, but froze half-way up.
A gunshot sounded from somewhere up the hills, echoing in waves around them. The vast woods vibrated with the sound, making it impossible to pinpoint. The brothers looked at each other.
"Where'd it come from?" Cody asked quietly.
Jack shook his head. "Don't know, Code. It doesn't matter. We're headed to the Bronco, even if we have to go through these guys." The impact of his words hit him. They could be walking directly into the enemy. They didn't know which direction the old man had run, or where the shooters were now. He knelt beside Cody, grabbed the belt loop on his brother's jeans and lifted. "We're out of here."
This chapter is pretty off balance. Sorry about that. There wasn't a good place to divide it up.
Thank you for reading!
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