“Don’t I always?”
“Not always.”
“Yes I do.”
Tom helped her slowly move down the side of the cliff, noticing the scrapes on her bare legs from the cactus like foliage and rocks that had scrapped her legs through her nylons. As much as he didn’t like it, there wasn’t much he could do about it. His decision to take her with him and run was the right one. The gun he had found, only confirmed his decision.
“Tom, you know I hate heights,” Sandy said, reaching for a tree root sticking out of the rock.
“Use the rock and not the trees. Don’t look down.”
“He’s going to catch us and shoot us on the side of this rock.”
“He’ll never suspect we’re climbing down here,” Tom replied. “Watch your step on his rock.”
“I guess I’ll get down in a hurry if I fall.”
“You’re not going to fall. We don’t have much further and we’ll be at the bottom. You’re doing just fine. ” Tom assured her as she eased down from a large rock. “The last few feet are the easiest.”
“We’re almost there?”
“Yeah, we’re almost there honey.” He helped her down the last few feet then embraced her. “You did really good.”
Sandy looked up at the cliff they had just descended and took a deep sigh. “Now which way do we go?”
“This way,” Tom answered without checking the compass. “Stay as close to the wall as you can, so that if Hornbaker looks over the edge he doesn’t see you.” He looked at her in the shirt, then unpinning the badge, he put it in the shirt pocket. “We don’t need any chrome shining in the sun.”
Tom and Sandy moved up the ravine as fast as they could, crossing over the rock that had fallen from the wall, as they stayed close to it.
“Over here,” Tom said. Taking her hand, he helped Sandy over to a large boulder sitting near a shallow river that ran through the canyon. Moving behind it, Tom checked to see if he could see Colton. “I don’t see him. He probably doesn’t suspect that we’re down here. Not yet anyway. Give us a few minutes to catch our breath.”
Sandy looked at the stream. “I’m really thirsty, you think it’s safe to drink the water here?”
“I don’t know how safe it is, but we have to have water.”
Drinking from the steam, they drank all they could.
Sandy looked up at the sun, which shone from straight over head. “It must have taken us all morning to get down in here.”
Tom nodded as he studied the top of the cliff looking for Colton. “Most likely.” He was surprised that Colton hadn’t caught them going down it.
* * * *
Glen looked at Lucy dressed in some of Colton’s clothes. “I’ll take you to town, to the clinic.”
“Did you find Sheriff Moratelli and his wife?”
“No, I didn’t.” Glen looked around as he walked her to the police car. “Colton didn’t tell you where he was going hunting did he?”
Lucy shook her head. “He just said he was going hunting. How are you going to find the sheriff?”
“The state patrols coming with some dogs,” he said as he opened the car door for her. “Watch your head.”
“Can I call my mom and dad?” Lucy asked getting in the car.
“Yeah.” Glen handed her his cell phone. “I don’t know that it’ll go through out here, but you can try.”
* * * *
Colton looked at the rifle he’d propped against the tree. He picked it up and smiled. “So he didn’t take the bait.” Looking at the ground, he saw where their tracks disappeared onto the rock. “I knew you’d be more challenging, Moratelli.” Smiling, he walked in the direction he thought they might go.
* * * *
Tom looked up at the top of the cliff, studying it for any movement. “I don’t see him.” He looked across the river then at Sandy. “We start across this river, don’t stop till we get into the trees on the other side.”
Sandy nodded and followed him as he lead them across the river and into a thicket of thin, tall trees growing in the silt along the bank of the river. Glancing at her, he continued downstream through the small trees. “You doin’ okay?” he asked, not stopping.
“Yeah,” she answered, noticing through the tops of the trees, that the canyon walls were getting higher. It appeared to her that they were running deeper into the canyon instead of out of it.
* * * *
Standing on the rim of the canyon, Colton looked down into the rocky river bottom. “She’s scared of heights. He’s not going to take her down there.” He looked to the right and left, then turned right. “Back into the trees, that’s where he’d take her. In the trees, where they have cover.” Colton’s experienced eyes searched the ground for signs they had went in the direction he thought. But the rocky terrain made it impossible for him to track them.
* * * *
Tom stopped before they had to enter another open area. He pulled Sandy down to the ground as he looked around. They were both breathing heavy from the pace they had been travelling, although it wasn’t fast, the sand along the river was deep. “You doin’ all right?”
Sandy nodded, “I’m doin’ okay.” She looked up at the top of the canyon wall. “Tom, you know where we’re going? These walls,” she swallowed, “they feel like they’re closing in on us.”
“This canyon, it comes out onto the desert floor,” he assured her. “There’s a highway east of here.” He took a deep breath to catch his breath. “But, I don’t know how far it is.”
“As long as you know where we’re going, that’s what matters.”
“We flew over this area, when I was in the air with Jerry. Come on, we have to go. We’re going to be running out of daylight. We cross to the other side,” Tom motioned across the stream, “we have to stay as close to the wall as we can so Hornbaker can’t see us, in case he’s on the rim watching.”
They ran into the open and crossed the river a second time. Reaching the other side, they made their way across the rock, up by the wall for cover. Not only did the wall hide them from Colton, but the shade made it cooler, protecting them from the beating heat of the sun. Working their way up the canyon, it was slow, as they again crossed over large rock.
Sandy’s feet were sore from the rock. Her shoes soles were thin, and at times felt as if she wasn’t wearing any shoes. But she didn’t say anything as she followed closely behind her husband, determined to make it and not be a burden to him.
* * * *
After walking for an almost an hour, Colton stopped and frowned. The rock turned to sand, and there weren’t any tracks to indicate Tom and Sandy had come that way. Turning, he looked at the sun, which was setting low in the sky, as he started back. Colton mumbled to himself. “Guess a day’s hunt is going to turn into two days.” He smiled. “It’s the thrill of the hunt. I knew it was going to be a good one.”
* * * *
Tom and Sandy worked their way along the river. Coming to an area with tall foliage, they stopped and sat on the ground to rest.
“Your shoes are loose,” Tom stated, noticing they weren’t staying on her feet very good. “I’ll give you my socks.” he said as he started taking off his boot. “That’ll make your shoes tighter.”
“No, Tom. They’re fine,” Sandy said stopping him. “They’ll be okay.”
“Sandy, you can’t lose your shoes.”
“I won’t. If you take off your socks and get blisters, you can’t run.” Thinking, she pulled down one of her thigh high nylons, putting her foot in the upper part of her sock, she slid her foot into her shoe then wrapped the rest of the nylon around her foot, tying it. “That ought to keep them on,” she said, tying on the other shoe.
“I knew I didn’t marry you just for your looks. Sandy.” Tom held her. He wanted to kiss her, but his lips were dry and cracked from the heat of the sun and running all day. “I know, I haven’t told you for a lon
g time but, I love you. If anything happens, you have to know that.”
“I know you do. I love you.”
Tom looked up at the top of the canyon wall. “We have to go.” He helped Sandy up, then led the way through the foliage along the river.
Their running and jogging had turned into walking. As they walked along the edge of the river between it and the canyon wall, the trees gradually thinned out and they found themselves in the open without any cover.
Nineteen
Colton looked down into the canyon. “This is the only way they could have went,” he said and frowned. “Moratelli’s taking her east toward the highway. How the hell does he know where he’s going out here?” Colton shook his head. “Well Moratelli, you ain’t gonna make it. It’s too far. You have that so-called wife of yours dragging you down. Besides,” he looked toward the setting sun, “you’re runnin’ out of daylight.” Colton walked along the rim of the canyon, watching below for any movement.
* * * *
Daylight in the canyon had faded to dusk. Reaching an opening, Tom and Sandy looked across the steam at what appeared to be an endless desert.
“It’s like a whole other world,” Sandy commented.
Tom nodded, “We’re gaining almost an extra hour of daylight. We have to keep moving.” He looked at Sandy. “You’re still doing all right?”
“Yeah. I’m going to make it.”
“I know you are.” It was that determination that had got her through a lot of difficult times they’d encountered during their marriage. There were times he knew she’d been put her through hell, especially with Diana’s bickering and the financial strains of lawyer bills and child support. But she always smiled and told him they were going to make it, and they always did. “We’re not going to have water or cover for a long way. We cross this stream and it’s all desert between here and the highway.”
Sandy nodded and swallowed. Her throat already felt dry. “Colton hunts with a scope doesn’t he?”
“Yeah. But he also hunts with a 30-30, and it doesn’t have the range of a 30-06”.
“It’s far enough.”
“Yeah, it’s far enough,” Tom agreed, looking up along the ridge out of habit.
“You think he’ll try and find us at night?”
“I don’t know, honey. We have to keep moving. We can’t take that chance.”
“I know.”
“I don’t see him. But, I’m sure it’s a matter of time before he shows up somewhere. We have to try and stay ahead of him.”
“We have time for a short break?”
Tom shook his head. “We’re getting it now. We start across that stream, drink as much as you can, but don’t stop. I know we need water, but… I don’t see him up there, but that doesn’t mean he’s not watching us.”
* * * *
Colton looked at the setting sun. It was getting late. Too late to continue his hunt. Looking through his rifle scope, he scanned the desert floor, but didn’t see his target. “Maybe you aren’t as far as I think, Moratelli.” He smiled then chuckled. “You think you’re safe. But it’s a false sense of security. I’ll find you tomorrow. And when I do, I’m gonna kill ya.” Turning, Colton started walking.
* * * *
Sandy dropped to the ground.
Tom stopped.
“Just a few minutes,” Sandy said.
“Come on honey, you can do it.” Tom tried to pull her up off the ground. “We can’t stop here.”
“Where then?” Sandy asked. “There’s not any cover anywhere out here.”
“I know, but -.” Tom looked around. “Just a few minutes. We have to keep moving.” Kneeling down beside her, he had to admit, it felt good to stop, if even for a couple of minutes. “Hornbaker won’t be able to track us in the dark. He doesn’t have night vision equipment.”
“You’re sure?”
“If he had it, he’d be bragging about it.”
Sandy nodded, “That’s true.” She looked at the sun, which was barely visible. The heat of the desert was beginning to be replaced by cooler air. “We’ve been running all day. I bet we’ve gone miles.”
“Yeah, I know. Come on.” Tom stood, taking her hand. “We have to keep going. We get to the highway, we can flag someone down.” He helped her, as she struggled to her feet and they continued walking.
* * * *
Colton drove down the desert road. Laughing, he turned onto the highway. “God I love a good hunt,” he said, turning on the radio. He frowned at the talk radio that came on. “That Doctor Laura needs to come out here and really learn what life’s about.” He searched the stations for one he liked, finding a country music station. Humming with the music, Colton turned off the highway and onto a desert road.
As his house came into sight, Colton stopped, turning off the headlamps of the pickup. The whole place, house and yards were lit with flood lights. Police cars, which he recognized as being state patrol, sat in front of it. “Should have got rid of that damn cop truck,” he grumbled. Making a turn, Colton drove away from his house. “They won’t expect me to go to town.” He looked at the clock on the dash. The restaurant would be closed by the time he got there.
Colton shook his head. If it wasn’t for the Handling girl he could explain the truck, but how the hell could he explain her?” He pounded his fist on the steering wheel. “They sure as hell found her, snooping around looking for Moratelli.” He shook his head. “I should have taken her with me and got rid of her. Yeah,” he nodded. “I should have dumped her on Moratelli. That would have slowed him down, more than just having his wife along. That or would they have left her for their own survival. That would have been interesting. Wish I’d thought of that earlier.”
Pulling around to the back of the restaurant, Colton got out, looking around as he entered through the back door. Not turning on any lights, he found a box in the supply room, and using the light from the refrigerator, filled it with food and bottled water. He hurried out the door, looking around as he put the box on the bench seat beside him.
Starting the pickup, Colton drove around the restaurant and turned east out of town. “It’s twenty-miles across that desert,” Colton said, thinking. “There’s no way Moratelli can make the highway before morning. Of course there’s the jeep trail.” Colton smiled. “Maybe that’s where I ought to meet them tomorrow.” He laughed. “I’d like to see their faces, seeing me tomorrow morning on that jeep trail. It’s the thrill of the hunt.”
Twenty
Tom and Sandy stumbled through the darkness, guided only by the green illuminated compass, which Tom checked regularly, making sure they were staying on course. Not being able to distinguish the dips and ditches of the land in the dark, they fell as they stepped down, the ground a foot lower, as if it were a creek bed, but there wasn’t any water.
“Tom,” Sandy swallowed. “I can’t go on. I to tired.”
“I know. I know you are, honey.” Tom was exhausted. He didn’t know how Sandy had been able to keep up with him like she had. “Get as close as you can to the edge of this drop off,” he said, pushing her as close to the incline as he could. If Colton was still out there, maybe he wouldn’t see them. Tom thought the ground felt hard, harder than what they’d been walking on. Putting his arm around his wife, he held her close to him to keep her warm.
Colton was like a hunting machine, never stopping and never tiring when on a hunt. Tom swallowed at the thought that he was still out there, hunting them in the dark.
* * * *
The spare tire strapped on back the red, Jeep rattled as the vehicle travelled down the off road trail at a minimal speed.
“You’re driving too slow. It’s going to take us all day to get to Santa Rosa,” Frank complained. He looked in the mirror at the back of the jeep. “And I’m going to throw that damn spare in the back. It’s driving me crazy!”
“Shut up, Frank!” N
icole snapped. “I’m driving fast enough. There’s all kinds of animals out here, and I don’t intend on--- oh my god!” she screamed, slamming on the brakes.
“What the hell are you doin’?” Frank snapped, as he was pitched forward. He looked out the windshield. “I don’t seeing anything.”
“Someone’s on the road!”
“I don’t see anyone.”
“There!” Nicole pointed to the edge of the road as she pulled the jeep out of gear and pulled on the brake.
“Who is it?”
“How the hell should I know?” Nicole swung the door open and jumped out of the jeep. Hurrying over to the side of the road, with Frank trailing her, she looked at Tom. “Sheriff!” She looked at Frank. “It’s Sheriff Moratelli. Sheriff, what are you doing out here?”
Tom looked up at her, as though he were dreaming. “We, we need help.” He coughed. His mouth felt like it was full of cotton balls.
Frank frowned. “Moratelli. Leave him here and let’s go,” he ordered, taking hold of Nicole’s arm. “We’re behind the way it is.”
“We can’t do that,” Nicole exclaimed, pulling away from him. “He’s got his wife with him.”
“I don’t care! All he’s ever done is cause us problems.”
“It’s not a Christian thing to do,” Nicole argued.
“Christian thing?”
“We’re on our way to church aren’t we? And it wouldn’t be a humane thing either. Help me get’em in the jeep.”
“Humane, hell,” Frank said taking hold of Tom. “He ain’t a damn dog. If he were, I’d be more inclined to help him.”
“Just help me, will ya?”
Tom held onto Sandy as Frank and Nicole tried to pull him into the road. “Sandy.”
“We’ll get her after we get you in the jeep,” Nicole said, trying to help Frank lift him. “God, he’s heavy,” she complained as they carried Tom to the jeep.
“What’d you expect?” Frank asked, as they sat Tom on the back seat.
Nicole hurried back and took hold of Sandy’s arm. “Come on, lady.” She tried lifting Sandy, who was limp and barely responsive. “Frank, get over here. I need some help.”
Frank shook his head as he walked over, picked Sandy up off the ground and carried her to the other side of the jeep. “Well, you gonna open the door?”
“I’m getting it!” Nicole snapped. She opened the door.