CHAPTER THIRTEEN
By the next morning, their white clothes were dry enough and they were rested almost enough for another trudge into town. Boulder was two hours down the hill, and Jeanell’s muscles were still worn out from the night before, not to mention the furious few days before that.
A hermit thrush fluttered from out of the blue spruce branches above them, its song rolling out of its tiny throat.
Nice to see some things haven’t changed, Jeanell thought to herself, wondering what else might have changed.
“So, that guy Reeves,” Jeanell said, “I dunno about him.”
“He was on your team, Jeanell.”
“Yeah, and that was a long time ago. Things have changed, and when things like this change the way they have, it brings out the worst in people.”
Ric smiled, looking her over. “Really? I was going to say the exact opposite.” Jeanell tried not to savor his flattery, but she couldn’t help it. Ric went on, “Anyway, if he wanted to kill us, he would have, or turned us over to the chancellor’s fo
rces. The fact that we’re here now is proof your man Reeves is on our side.”
“He’s not my man.”
“You know what I mean.”
“And how is it that you don’t have any guns? Frankly, I’m a little surprised that’s what the chancellor’s forces use that as weaponry, it must be ancient compared to your current technology.”
Ric shrugged. “Since they outlawed guns, the chancellor’s got them all. Development of that kind of tech was banned for the chancellor’s personal safety, though he claimed it was to end all the gun violence in society.”
“Wow, they took down the Second Amendment. I… I can’t believe it. Not that I was ever in favor all that violence, but… I mean, the right to bear arms did have a purpose—”
“Yeah, a militia.”
“And isn’t that more or less what’s called for now?”
Ric nodded. “But that’s just why they repealed the amendment.”
“And… no later guns?”
“Not needed. When the population sank after the Great Darkness, murder and crimes of that sort more or less disappeared.”
“But didn’t the population sink because of those murders and crimes?” Ric had to nod, Jeanell shook her head. “And now people are just using by black holes to get from one place to another… and to kidnap people en masse.” With a sigh, Jeanell said, “Some world we’ve got here, thanks to me.”
“No, Jeanell, no. You had good intentions, and this technology, any technology, can be used for good or for bad: guns, cars, planes, medicines. It’s not the fault of the inventor to what twisted purposes those inventions are put.”
“I suppose,” Jeanell said as they walked on. “Thanks for saying so anyway.”
“I mean it. And Jeanell, you know you don’t have any obligation to give your life for this mission, just because you may feel… I dunno, guilty—”
“You just said I didn’t have any reason to feel guilty.”
“And you don’t, Jeanell, that’s all I’m saying.”
Jeanell felt the tug at her ankle before she realized what was happening. With a whoosh and a snap, her legs were pulled out from under her and her world was turned upside-down. And that single, swift motion continued, pulling Jeanell up off the ground and into the air, pressure threatening to pull her hip out of joint.
Her guts heaved, blood rushing to her head as she was pulled higher up, finally settling about twenty feet off the ground, the rope tight around her ankle.
“Ric!”
“Hold on,” Ric said, looking around. “Must be a hunting snare, not one of ours. Your man Reeves must have put up.”
“He’s not my man!”
“Okay, okay, just hold on.”
“You still have that knife? Cut me down!”
“Can’t, you’ll fall straight down, break your neck.”
Jeanell felt suddenly vulnerable, the rope around her ankle her only lifeline. She didn’t want to be trapped up there, and she knew that if the chancellor’s men found her, she’d be easy pickings. But she also knew that Ric was right; if she fell from that height and managed to survive, she’d be paralyzed.
“Okay, Jeanell, just hold on.”
It was hard for Jeanell to tell, as she spun idly on that length of rope. But with every spin, she could see Ric climbing the royal pine trunk, inching his way toward her. “Hurry, Ric, hurry!”
Jeanell looked around, unable to see any encroaching threat. But that only worried her more, that they’d be stumbled upon unaware, Ric crawling up the tree like a bear cub and she dangled from a rope like a fish on a line.
Blood filled Jeanell’s skull, she could feel her face turning redder, pressure pounding in her temples. The snare line was slung over an extended branch, and Ric slowly made his way toward that branch above her.
Ric’s foot slipped and he slid down the side of the trunk, hands gripping that dewy, mossy bark before finally hitting another branch with a painful thud.
“Ric!”
“I’m okay, I’ll all right.” Ric stood up on the branch and then climbed again, hands clawing the tree as he pulled himself up. Jeanell strained to breathe, her guts sinking upward to press against her lungs and heart. She wondered how long she could stay in that position without passing out, and, after that, how long she’d manage to keep breathing and not slowly suffocate to death.
Ric made his way to that lethal branch above her. He called down, “Hold on, Jeanell. I’m gonna pull you up!”
“No, I’ll fall!”
“It’s our only chance!” Jeanell felt the pressure of Ric pulling up on the rope, her body slowly being raised up inch by inch. She started to spin and swing, holding her arms out to steady her, and that became more and more difficult. The more she tried to steady herself, the more she swung and spun.
“Jeanell, stop,” Ric called down, “stop moving!”
“I can’t help it, I’m gonna fall!”
“You will if you keep thrashing around!”
“I’m not, just pull!”
“I am pulling!”
There was a frightening crack cutting through their bickering, and Jeanell measured her quick fall at about six inches.
The branch is breaking, she realized, calling up, “Hurry, the branch!”
“I know, Jeanell. I’m right here!”
He kept pulling and Jeanell’s perspective slowly changed, higher and higher. “Okay,” Ric said, “this is the hard part.” Another loud crack did nothing to explain his caution. “We’ve got about three feet of slack, that’s just enough to get you to the trunk. When you’re near enough to it, grab hold and don’t let go.”
“What? No way! I’ll fall!”
“You won’t,” Ric said.
“I’ll be upside-down, Ric!”
“I’ll tie the rope off up here so you won’t fall. Then I’ll climb down and help you.”
“It’s crazy!”
“It’s our only chance,” Ric said with another loud crack of the tree branch. “Now get ready.”
Ric swayed her from side to side, her stomach ready to empty out as she got closer and closer to the tree trunk. He finally swung her close enough and she tried to grab hold, but her face hit the trunk and she swung back. A second try and Jeanell was able to hold on, clinging upside-down to the side of the tree trunk. Ric felt the tugs of the rope while he tied her off. Her arms ached, her legs threatening to fall back behind her.
“I’m coming, Jeanell, just take it easy.” But Jeanell couldn’t allow herself to speak, to think, even to breathe. Ric scrambled down the other side of the tree trunk. “Okay, Jeanell, do you see that branch beneath you?” She nodded but said nothing. “Okay, I’m gonna cut you lose, but I’ll hold your ankles. I’m gonna need you to climb down to that branch while I lower you. We’ll only manage in that position for a few seconds, so you’ll have to be quick. Stabilize yourself on that branch and I’ll come down and help you the rest of the way.”
Jeanell held on, feeling the reassuring tug of the rope around her ankle. She waited, near to passing out from too much blood to the head when Ric said, “Okay, ready?” She wasn’t, but she didn’t have any more time to think about it. Ric cut the rope and Jeanell felt her weight pull her down. Her hands crossed one over the other to find the branch and then to lead her out onto it, feet lowering until she could cling to the branch with both arms and legs.
Ric helped ease her back on the branch and turn her around. “Don’t look down, Jeanell,” he cautioned her, hand supporting her arms as they inched their way back down to the forest floor. Finally safe, Jeanell threw her arms around Ric and held him tight, his muscular arms warming and reassuring her, pulling her close, their hearts pounding nearly through their chests.
“Okay, it’s okay,” Ric said in a voice, low and smooth. After gathering their wits and steadying their nerves, Ric led Jeanell onward, Boulder close in the distance.