Wilderness Target (6 page)

SIX

C
larissa breathed in the heady scent of coffee brewing as she crawled out of her tent. The others were already sitting around the fire, all of them smiling in welcome. Ezra stood a few feet away, holding his steaming metal coffee cup. She averted her gaze, not wanting to make eye contact with him. She’d managed to avoid being alone with him all day yesterday, so she wouldn’t have to explain where she’d been in the night.

She’d toyed with the idea of telling him who those men were. But why involve him? This trouble was of her own making. She’d figure it out on her own. Ezra had a survival class to teach. She didn’t want to disrupt that— especially when there was so much she could learn from it. The information could save her life when she was finally ready to strike out by herself. Thanks to his lessons, she now knew how to find and purify water. She could survive on roots and berries she found, for a couple days at least. If she could just get a bearing on how to get to the town Ezra had mentioned, she could strike out on her own.

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” said Jan. She pulled the coffeepot from the fire and poured Clarissa a cup.

As she fished out a sugar packet from a plastic container, Clarissa regretted that she had to leave the group soon. She was starting to like these people. She hadn’t spent much time with Leonard, still wary of his reasons for joining the expedition at the last minute, but the others were kind and fun.

Ezra returned to the group. “All right, people, finish up your coffee. This morning we’re going to head down to the river to catch our breakfast.”

Kenneth threw the remainder of his coffee toward the fire. “How long are we going to fish before we give up? My stomach’s rumbling already.”

Ezra offered them a wry grin. “Nothing like an empty stomach to motivate a man.”

Clarissa smiled. Ezra really was a very good teacher. He had a way of gently pushing people to accomplish more than they thought they could.

Ezra took another sip of coffee. “If we are not successful, don’t worry. You still have MREs left in your pack. But the sooner you start to obtain your own food, the better.”

“I’m glad we have that safety net,” said Jan. She looped her arm through Clarissa’s. Jan was so nice to her. They had a good time working together.

“I’m looking forward to this,” said Bruce, rubbing his hands together. “I’m sure we’ll do great.”

The others finished their coffee and one by one headed down the mountain. Jan and Clarissa were the last to leave, taking time to put away the coffee and sugar. Jan set off toward the river ahead of her. Clarissa rose to her feet just as she heard a distinct mechanical noise. The helicopter was far off in the distance, a tiny black oval against the blue sky.

“Are you coming?” Jan shouted.

Clarissa caught up with her, then shaded her eyes from the morning sun as she gestured to the helicopter. “What do you suppose that is about?”

Her friend shrugged. “Ezra said there were other hikers around here. Maybe some of them get dropped off by helicopters, to start their hikes at a particular spot. Or maybe it’s a search and rescue team doing an exercise.”

From this distance, the aircraft didn’t look like it was marked as a rescue helicopter. It appeared solid black.

As they made their way toward the river, where the rest of the group waited, fear shook Clarissa from the inside. What if Don and the other thug had decided to search for her using a helicopter?

She couldn’t wait any longer. As soon as the opportunity presented itself, she’d grab her pack and leave.

* * *

Ezra waited until Clarissa and Jan joined the group before he started talking. He braced himself for the anxious glances that passed between everyone. It happened every time he set up this lesson.

The rushing river water created background noise as he talked. The sky remained overcast and gray. He’d brought a rain poncho that fit in his pocket, in case the storm turned into something substantial. He wondered if anyone else had taken that precaution. If not, it would be a good lesson in planning ahead. The river was about twenty feet across, and over an average person’s head in some spots.

Ezra cut a willow branch and started to sharpen the end with his knife while everyone watched him. “There are tons of different ways to catch fish other than using the overpriced fishing pole you can buy at a tourist trap sports shop.”

The group laughed.

“Today, I will teach you two methods.” He held up the finished willow stick. “You can spear the fish. Make sure you tie some cording around this to retrieve it.”

“Where are we supposed to get the cording?” Bruce crossed his arms over his chest.

“Use a shoelace, whatever is available.” Ezra then demonstrated how they could catch fish by luring them into a net with bait. “Okay, choose the method that you think you can be the most successful at. Look for the calm eddies where the fish are likely to congregate. We’ll regroup back at the camp in two hours. Be aware of your surroundings, take note of the landmarks and don’t wander too far from this point.”

Bruce grabbed a willow branch from the bank and disappeared around the bend. Leonard and Ken walked away, their heads bent close together as they pointed at a smooth spot in the river.

Jan pulled Clarissa along the bank. They crossed the river on a fallen log and disappeared into a cluster of trees. He could hear the women laughing and talking. Their voices faded as they made their way up the rocky shore. Ezra was tempted to follow them, but decided against it. Though he continued to look for a chance to talk to Clarissa, he had other clients to think about. He made his way in the opposite direction, upriver, to check on Bruce, who seemed insistent on doing everything alone. Ezra had to find a way to draw him back into the group.

He hiked a quarter mile with no sign of Bruce. The sky had turned a deeper shade of gray, and a few drops of rain landed on his shoulders. Shouts from downriver caused him to turn and run. He recognized Jan’s screams, and he quickened his pace. The cries were coming from the other side, so he hurried over the log and strode toward them.

The screaming had stopped by the time he found Jan and Leonard huddled by the shoreline. Ken was dripping wet.

“Guess who fell in?” Ken offered Ezra a wry smile.

“Jan, take him up to the campsite. The fire should still be going. Get him dried off and warmed up. Where’s Clarissa?”

Jan pointed farther downriver. “She wandered off that way. Said she needed quiet to catch the fish.”

“Leonard, can you head upstream to find Bruce? We’ll meet back at camp.” Ezra stared down at the angled willow stick that held the one small fish Leonard had caught, then tilted his head, looking at the ominous dark clouds. “This storm is moving in fast. We might have to postpone the fishing lesson.” Ezra pulled his rain poncho out of its tiny package and slipped it over his head.

Leonard handed the fish to Jan. “You can take this with you.”

Ezra hurried down the river in search of Clarissa. Suspicion plagued his thoughts as he rounded bend after bend and didn’t find her. Maybe she was meeting up with her “friends” again.

Lightning flashed in the sky, and the sprinkle of rain became a downpour. He continued along the bank, searching for Clarissa. His mission had changed from wanting to talk to her to knowing that he needed to get her back to the camp so the group could get prepared to deal with the storm, which was getting worse by the minute. They were going to have an impromptu lesson in staying warm and dry in a bad storm.

* * *

Clarissa looked around at the trees, trying to get her bearings. Rain soaked through her thin jacket. Once she’d broken away from Jan, her plan had been to travel far enough downriver to avoid notice, and then head back to the camp to retrieve her backpack. The thick brush she had to push through had gotten her turned around, muddling her sense of direction. She worked her way back to the river to try and figure out which way to go.

The water has risen and was rushing faster than ever. Chunks of debris floated by. Would she even be able to get back across on the log? As she stepped closer to the edge, a chunk of the muddy bank broke off. Clarissa slipped and her foot dipped into the river. Strong hands grabbed her and jerked her up. Ezra’s arms enveloped her as he pulled her away from the bank. “Did your foot get wet?”

She nodded. Her hand rested against his chest as she looked into his deep brown eyes. Now how was she going to get away?

Lightning splintered the sky followed by the boom of thunder.

“That’s pretty close. Let’s get away from the water.” He scanned the area around them. “If memory serves, there’s a cattle shelter around here somewhere. My brothers and I used to play in it when we were kids.”

Again lightning split the sky. This time it struck across the river, slicing through a tree and tossing it into the swirling water.

Clarissa pulled away from him. “Shouldn’t we head back to camp?”

“Too far. We need to find someplace else to wait the storm out.” He started running before he’d finished his sentence.

Lightning struck directly behind them. The nearness of the blast rattled her nerves. She slipped her hand into Ezra’s. He pulled her through the tangle of trees toward the shelter. The three-sided shed was in disrepair and leaned to one side, but at least it was a roof over their heads.

She slipped in beside him. “What is this place?”

“It’s a shelter for cows to go into when the weather is bad. A lot of the land around here is government property that is leased out to ranchers. Must not be any cows running on it right now or they’d be in here with us.”

Rain drizzled in from holes in the roof. Clarissa tilted her head and a drop fell on her face.

“Are you still getting wet?” He chuckled and pulled his poncho up, lifted the edge and stretched out his arm. “It’s a little dryer under here.”

She scooted under the shelter of the rain poncho, but still maintained some distance from him, uncomfortable with being so close.

“I can’t hold my arm straight forever,” he said.

She glanced at him and then edged nearer, close enough to feel his body heat. He adjusted the poncho so it covered them both. She pulled her knees up to her chest. Her wet foot felt like a block of ice. The downpour was so heavy that it looked like gray sheets of rain rather than drops. The opportunity to get away from the group was lost for now.

“I hope the others are okay,” she said.

“Me, too. If they made it back to camp, they’ll be able to keep warm and dry.”

“I’m not sure if we’ll be able to get back across the river.” She couldn’t hide the worry she felt.

“There’s always a way, Clarissa,” Ezra said.

She forced herself to smile. “That’s right, we’ll build a rope bridge with our shoelaces.”

He laughed at her joke. “You don’t need to worry. As soon as the rain lets up, we’ll find a way across. Are you a little warmer?”

She nodded. “Yes, but my foot is still frozen.”

“Take your shoe off, and I’ll see if I can warm it up,” he said.

She slid out of her hiking book and pulled the wet sock off. He gathered her foot into his hands. The warmth of his touch enveloped her.

“Better?” he asked after a while.

She nodded. The heat transmitted from his hands made her dizzy.

He let go of her foot. “Slip it into the boot. Don’t put the sock back on. FYI, wool socks are better. They pull the moisture away from your skin.”

After she put her boot back on, she sat listening to the rain, knowing that sooner or later Ezra was going to come around to asking her why she had left the tent two nights ago. She was trapped here with him until the rain stopped. It was no longer a question she could avoid. But how could she answer without admitting that she’d put him and the rest of the group in danger?

* * *

Ezra could feel her shivering next to him. He knew, though, that offering to wrap his arm around her for warmth would only send her to the other side of the shelter. The tension that filled the tiny space was almost palpable. She must sense that he wanted to ask her for an explanation of the shenanigans two nights ago. He dived in with both feet. “So who were those guys the other night?”

She hung her head. “They’re after me. I don’t know why, exactly. I think it has something to do with my former job in California.”

Not the answer he had expected. “What did you do in California?” He braced himself for the answer and prayed that she would come clean with him.

She let out a heavy breath and shook her head. “I was the assistant to a man who sold real estate and managed property. There must be something—something I saw, or overheard or something he thinks I know—that could get him in trouble. I don’t know what it is, but it must be serious, since when I left California, he sent someone after me. The man at the airport is named Don. He works for my former boss, and he tried to abduct me as soon as I got off my flight. Then later that night, he tried to kill me. I joined the class to get away from him, but he followed me here. I overheard him in the woods two nights ago, talking with his partner. They were planning to snatch me from my tent. I let them spot me so I could lead them away from the camp and then hid out for most of the rest of the night.”

In that moment, Ezra was struck by her vulnerability. She seemed to be telling the truth, which meant she hadn’t been lying to him when she said she wasn’t a criminal. Though that seemed to be his default position to explain her actions. Guilt washed over him.

“I didn’t think they would find me out here.” Her voice faltered. “I don’t know if they’ll be back or not. I was going to try to get away, so the others wouldn’t be hurt. I think they just want me, but I don’t know the extent to which they would go.”

“Clarissa, why didn’t you tell me in the first place?” Ezra leaned a little closer so he could see her face in the dim light. She stiffened but didn’t pull away.

Her eyes searched his. “It’s my mess. I’m the one who needs to deal with it.”

“You don’t have to do everything on your own. What makes you think I wouldn’t have understood?”