A Reason To Breathe (23 page)

He didn’t hesitate; he turned and started running. I pulled out my flashlight and gun, then followed close on his heels. After a few minutes of running we came up on what looked like a body on the ground, and I hesitated, afraid it was Jenn.

“He’s dead, we checked him already but didn’t want to move him.” I shoved him forward, and we picked up the pace. I had my gun drawn ready for anything, praying that we’d round a curve, and I’d find that bastard standing in front of me, so I could empty my magazine into him.

Within a few minutes, we came upon two men who were standing at the entrance to a dark tunnel, holding metal pipes in their hands. I tamped down the disgust I felt, knowing Jenn was down there fighting for her life and these so called men just stood there and did nothing. I recognized both of them, but didn’t have time to shove my boot up their asses for being less than men.

“How long have they been gone?”

“Forty minutes, hour tops,” one said. Without another word, I turned with my gun and flashlight high, sweeping back and forth as I quickly made my way down the corridor, praying I wasn’t too late.

*                            *                            *

        No sign of struggle anywhere, I kept moving, knowing Gerry would see me before I could see him. I kept my finger on the trigger, instead of the safety position, ready to fire if I saw the whites of his eyes. Still nothing. Where the fuck are they?

Something dark opened up before me; it was a sinkhole in the floor of the tunnel. I scanned for a way around it and saw none. How had Jenn gotten around this in the dark?
Jesus.
Fear hit me, and I ran to the edge and pointed my light down. Twenty feet down, I saw Jenn lying unconscious not moving. I shouted, “Jenn,” as I dropped to my knees to get a closer look. There was a foot near her head, so I pointed my light over and saw Gerry, knife embedded in his chest, no movement, just stone cold dead. I shined my light back on Jenn and watched for movement. Holding my breath, paralyzed, thinking she was dead, then I noticed her chest rising and falling.

“Jenn, can you hear me?” Nothing.

“Baby, open your eyes.” I pleaded. Nothing. I watched her, trying to decide how to get her out. No phone would work in here, and it was too deep for me to reach her and carry her out, I needed the fire department, and I needed them right the fuck now. With one last look, to assure myself she was breathing, I knew I had to run back the way I came and get help. Then I’d come back, climb down in that pit and hold her till help arrived.

*
                            *                            *

        I reached the end of the tunnel, running faster than I had in years, to find none of the men waiting on me. Too fucking worried to give it a second thought, I followed the lights down to the exit and walked out into the light. My eyes were trying to adjust, so I pulled my sunglasses on to see, and was headed towards my truck when one of the men from the tunnel came into my view. Without even thinking I grabbed his shirt, shoved him back, and punched him in the jaw.

“You fucking left her to die.” I thundered at the three of them, my worry for Jenn multiplying ten-fold the longer I was away from her, so with no time to spare I turned my back on them and ran to my truck.

Fuck the Mayor, he wants my badge he can fuckin’ have it. All those men deserved that and more. I didn’t have time for this shit, I needed to get Jenn help and I needed it now, so I moved to my truck, opened the door and grabbed my cell.

No. Fucking. Bars.

I grabbed my CB and with a prayer to God, turned it on.

“Base, come in.”

“Base this is Gunnison, come in.”

Nothing.

I was ready to shoot every man who was standing there out of frustration, when I heard a faint crackle.

“Sheriff?”

“Base do you read me?” No reply.

“Base if you read me I need Fire Rescue to the mine. I’ve got an injured woman in a twenty-foot hole, and a dead body to retrieve, over.” I waited then like my prayer had been answered; I heard, “Affirmative. Fire rescue on the way, Jack, over.”

“Thank, Christ.” I turned to the back of my truck, opened the tool chest and pulled out my rappelling gear, first aid kit, and more flashlights. I heard Grady; Barry and Phil pull in, so I moved to them quickly and brought them up to speed. Barry grabbed his rope and started heading to the entrance. I turned to Grady and Phil and with a quiet calm I didn’t’ feel, ordered, “Check these people for injuries, then get them out of here, Mandy can stay, but the rest, especially the men, I want them gone. Secure the crime scene in the tunnel, and have Mandy direct Fire Rescue to the tunnel entrance when they arrive.” Both nodded, and with one last look at them both, I turned my back to them and headed to the entrance, and prayed to God I wasn’t too late.

Chapter Twenty-three

Drunken Stupor

        “Jesus, Jack, how far did she fall?” Barry asked when we reached the edge of the pit. Too fucking far, and I needed to get down to her now. I didn’t answer him; it didn’t matter, so I ignored his question and dropped my rope and pack, then shined a light down on my girl to make sure she was still breathing. When my light hit her face, her eyelids twitched, reacting to the light hitting her face. Relief hit me like a punch in the gut, and all I wanted to do was climb down in that hole and bring her out. But I couldn’t risk a possible neck or back injury being exacerbated by moving her.

“I’ll tie off and you can lower me down.”

“I think you should lower me down Jack; I’m lighter, and you can hold me easier.” I didn’t have time for this. I’m not gonna play this game with him. He wants to be near her because of how he feels; I get that, but there is only one of us going in the pit, and it’s not him.

“I’ll tie off and you can lower me down.” I repeat, ending the discussion. Our flashlights were putting off enough light for me to see him looking down at Jenn, worry etched on his face. Jesus, this guy’s in love with her? I didn’t need this; I didn’t want to see it, the irrational side of me wanted to punch him in the face for having feelings for her, so I turned from him and tied the rope off around my waist, then slapped him on the back to get his attention and handed him the rope.

“Let’s take this slow and easy, I don’t want to land on her.”

“Right.” Barry replied his mind still on Jenn, so I moved him back and drew up the slack and got his attention.

“I need your head in the game, Barry. I can’t help her if you drop me.” Barry nodded, handed me the first aid kit. I slung it over my shoulder, and then waited for him to tighten his grip on the rope. I leaned back, and started walking my way down the side of the wall, as Barry slowly lowered me down. When I reached the bottom, I untied the rope and moved to Jenn.

“Jenn, baby, I’m here; I got you; you’re gonna be just fine.” I whispered in her ear. I felt for her pulse; it was weak, but there. Shining the light down on her, I checked her front for injuries; none were found but scrapes on her hands and face. I gently felt around her head for any lacerations that needed my attention and felt something wet at the base of her skull. I pulled my hand back and found blood, so I inspected closer and found a large gash, just behind her left ear.

A rock nearby had blood and tissue on it, and I knew she’d hit it when she fell. Careful not to move her neck, I dug through my first aid kit, finding gauze and a roll of tape, then applied pressure to the wound to stop the bleeding and taped it in place.

Pulling a blanket from the bag, I tucked it around her to help fight off shock, then grabbed her hands and started rubbing them together to warm them up, watching to see if she responded. Nothing. No movement. Determined not to think about why she wasn’t responding, I pulled out a normal saline solution IV and an oxygen tank from my kit and began the process of starting an IV.

Finding a good vein in her hand, I cleaned it with betadine, popped the cap off the butterfly needle and gently inserted it into her vein. Tapping off the needle and looping the IV tubing, so it wasn’t caught and ripped out, I shined my light looking for something to hang the bag on and found a large jagged rock protruding from the side of the wall.

“Jack? Is she responding at all?” Barry shouted from above.

“Not yet,” was all I could give him, and kept working.

IV and oxygen in place, I looked at my watch noting it had been twenty-five minutes since I’d called the station; so Fire Rescue should be arriving any minute. With nothing to do but wait, I talked to Jenn, hoping my voice would get a response

“You know, when you walked up at that second crime scene six days ago, I thought you were the sexiest woman I’d ever seen. Then you opened your mouth.” Watching for a reaction, hell praying for her to sit up and argue with me, I kept going.

“You acted all tough and sure of yourself, hell that was sexy too. Didn’t know it then, didn’t see it till I confronted you at the paper that same day, but you’re not tough, no, you’re not tough at all, you’re a fighter. Fight for what you want, for those you love, fight for the right to be who you want to be, you even fight for the right to fight. So I’m asking you, right now, fight, don’t let that sonofabitch win.” Still nothing, so I lay down next to her, gathered her in my arms as best I could, then put my mouth to her ear and whispered,

“Fight for us, Baby.”   

Five minutes later…

“Jack Rescue’s here.” I leaned up, kissed her head, and looked up. Light shining down from above blinded me, so I covered the light with my hand and watched as an extension ladder came over the edge and one by one three EMT’s came down the ladder. I jumped up, helped them with their equipment and then stood back and watched as they assessed her, checked my IV site, collared her neck, checked her pupils, slid a flat board under her, then moved her to a recover basket, strapped her in, hoisted her up and out, and not one goddamned time, in all of that, did she move.

“Sheriff, this guy is dead.” I heard from behind me, as I watched Jenn rise to the top. I turned my head and not giving a fuck and said, “Good,” then moved to the ladder, climbed up and out, grabbed my pack, jogged over to Jenn, grabbed her hand and didn’t let go till they closed the doors on the ambulance, waiting outside the mine.

*                            *                            *

“There is swelling on her brain, a cerebral edema, we need to manage the swelling by administering Mannitol* and, bringing down her temperature. I’m also going to put her on a respirator to make sure she’s getting enough oxygen to her brain,” Gill Harrison, the county ER doc, explained after they ran a battery of tests on Jenn. Closing my eyes at this news, and praying yet again that God would give me another answered prayer, I shook his hand, pulled out Jenn’s phone and looked for the contact information for Bailey Stewart.
Christ, what a way to meet her daughter.

Ten minutes later, tears and a promise to be on the next plane out, I hung up with Jenn’s daughter and smiled to myself. Like mother like daughter, once Jenn was better, and we had her back and talking, something told me I’d have my hands full with the both of them and I couldn’t fucking wait. I looked up as Ben and Lorraine came rushing in, panic in their eyes as they came straight to me.

“How is she?” Ben asked.

“She’s in a coma due to swelling on her brain, they’re treating it with medicine, cold and oxygen.”

“Merciful heavens.” Ben whispered, and Lorraine grabbed his hand and patted it, then lead him to a chair and sat him down. I watched as she took care of Ben and for the first time it registered that those two seemed to be closer than I remembered. The elevator opened, and Barry, Grady, Phil, Mandy and a slew of people dressed in period costumes and fake blood walked out and right to me. Another ten minutes and I’d brought everyone up to speed. The doc told me I could go in and sit with her once they had her stabilized, so I stood at the entrance to ICU and waited.

“Sheriff Gunnison?” I heard a nurse call out. Moving towards her, she said, “Follow me,” and then led me down the hall. She stopped and let me enter in front of her. I sucked in a breath when I saw her tiny body in that big bed. There was a machine breathing for her, a water blanket to bring down her temperature and IV’s in her arms, sending fluids and medicine to heal her swelling brain. Pain hit me in the gut, and I moved to a chair, pulled it over to the side of the bed, sat down, grabbed her hand, and closed my eyes with my head to her hand and prayed like I’d never prayed before.

*                            *                            *

        “Come on Jennifer, enough with the sleeping already, it’s only six days till Halloween and I need you to help me come up with a sexy costume to make all the boys at school drool.” Coming out of the fog, I heard what sounded like my daughter chatting away. My mind seemed sluggish, and I couldn’t think enough to respond to her, my dreams as of late were getting more lifelike. Jack talking about being a fighter; Barry talking about getting coffee and apologizing for acting like an ass. Ben crying saying he didn’t know and please forgive him, and now Bailey, who was off at school wanting me to wake up.

“Enough is enough, mother, I lost dad, I am not losing you too, so pull up your big girl panties and fucking wake up.”

“Don’t cuss, it’s not ladylike.” I whispered through a dry throat. I tried to lift my hand, but it felt heavy, I wiggled my fingers, and they felt tight, like I’d been working too long in the garden, and dried out my skin from working the dirt. In fact, my whole body seemed tight and achy.

“MOM?” I heard Bailey scream. Flinching at her voice, my head felt full and I decided I’d tied one on and was just now waking up from a drunken stupor.

“Bailey don’t scream, my head hurts,” I replied, my voice sounding louder. I tried to move my arms again, and they rose and then fell.

“Don’t move I’ll get the nurse.” Bailey replied oddly. What the hell is she talking about? Nurse? There was a rustling in the room and then a noise that sounded like a shower curtain being pulled back. A moment later, a warm hand touched my arm, and I jumped from the sudden contact. Opening my eyes, I could make out someone standing there. My vision was blurry, so I blinked several times till I saw Jack’s smiling face looking back at me.

“Welcome back,” he whispered, but that just confused me more, so I asked him.

“Did I go somewhere?”

“Yeah, Baby, you went to sleep for about a week.” I snorted at his joke. That must have been some bender I went on. Trying to remember the last thing I did, the only thing that came to me was a hot body, strong arms and a fan-fucking-static orgasm.

“Did that orgasm you gave me knock me out for a week?” I giggled. Then I heard a cough and a woman’s voice I’d never heard before saying, “Sheriff, if you’ll excuse me I need to get in here and take her blood pressure.” Blood pressure? I looked around the room and realized I was in a hospital room, and started to panic.

“What’s wrong with me? Did I get sick? Did I wreck my Jeep?” The nurse’s face leaned into me; smiling faintly she shook her head. “You took a tumble down a hole and you needed rest to get better.” I laid there trying to remember falling in a hole, but nothing came to me, just Jack and great sex. Biting my lip, and concentrating on remembering anything, Jack leaned into my ear from my other side and whispered,

“Sweetness, I’ll explain it all once you’re better, just concentrate on getting stronger, ok?”

“Ok, Jack.” I whispered back and leaned my head into his. I heard Bailey laughing, then, “I like him, Jennifer, he knows how to shut you up.” Looking towards my mouthy daughter I smiled.

“Bailey how long have you been here? When are you going back?”

“Got here a week ago, Mamasita, been hanging with Jack here and his wild bunch of deputies. I’ll leave when you’re ready for me to and not a day sooner.”

“But your classes?”

“Got permission from my professors to follow the classes online to keep up, and they’re giving me extra time to make up my assignments. So don’t sweat it.”

“So you’re here till I’m better?”

“I’m not going anywhere till you can walk and talk and boss me around.”

“Awesome.”
I think my recovery period just got longer.

“I hear our patient is awake,” said a balding man with sharp blue eyes and a round belly. I turned to him and smiled, as he took the chart from the nurse and read it, then signed it, and stuck out his hand to me.

“Dr. Harrison, pleasure to meet you finally; your daughter has been regaling us with stories of her childhood and the supermom that you are.”

“If any of the stories were embarrassing, they were all lies.” I replied sleepily, yawning the words.

“Looks like you’re tiring out already, that’s to be expected. Give it a couple of more days, and you’ll be feeling more like yourself.”

“Is there anything still wrong with me?”

“Nothing time and rest won’t heal, so take it easy, no getting riled up, just rest and more rest.” I nodded my head and put it back on my pillow. I felt Jack grab my hand and raise it to his mouth for a kiss. Bailey watched and smiled a sweet smile, then looked at me and winked. I felt my eyes getting heavy, and before I could say anything else, I drifted off into slumber.

*
                            *                            *

        “Time to die whore.”
Gasping for air I tried to get Gerry off me; we’re falling, oh god,
“No, NO,” I shouted, arms thrown out to stop the knife from stabbing me in the heart. I felt strong arms wrap around me, and I fought, trying to get away when I heard Jack in my ear. “I got you, I got you, you’re safe.” I stopped my struggling and then everything came back to me at once. Gerry, the tunnel, the knife, the falling in a dark pit, I even felt the impact at the back of my head pounding with the memory. The shaking hit me like a tidal wave, reminding me of when I gave birth to Bailey. Everything shook that day after delivery, and this was the same. I couldn’t control it if I tried. I grabbed Jack’s arms and hung on, burying my face in his neck. Without asking, he climbed in the bed, lied down next to me and pulled me back into his chest and just held me while I shook and cried.