DISCLAIMER: Yep, they still belong to Saban, not to me. Saban has not given me permission to write these stories, and I sure as heck don't get paid for them.
TIME FRAME AND NOTES: Zeo period-after my story "48 Days" and all the ones preceding it, references are made to events in those stories. Some knowledge of those events is useful, but not absolutely necessary.
Male Bonding
By Mele
"Zordon, are you saying that Mondo, his family, and their flunkies, as well as Rita and Zedd and all their flunkies, are all at some intergalactic seminar on evil?" Rocky asked, disbelief evident in his voice.
"Essentially, yes," Zordon replied.
"So, we get some time off?" Tanya questioned, looking hopeful.
"I would not expect to see any of them back for at least five days, so, yes, you have some time off," Zordon agreed.
"Oh, wow, great! My parents were talking about going to New York this week, my father has some work to do there. This is perfect!" Katherine exclaimed excitedly. She turned to Tanya. "They said I could bring a friend along. Want to come?"
"Yes! Oh, wow, this is great," Tanya enthused, turning her radiant smile toward her friend.
"Maybe I can go see my uncle who lives on the coast, soak up some sun, check out the girls," Rocky added with a comical leer. He looked over at Adam. "Care to join me?" he invited. Adam's smile was all the answer Rocky needed. He turned to the other three young men. "How about you guys?"
Jason and Tommy glanced at each other, both reaching the same decision. "We'll pass, Rocko. We've been waiting for an opportunity to do some backpacking in the mountains. Now's our chance, but thanks," Tommy replied as Jason nodded his agreement. They turned their attention to Billy, who had been standing quietly to the side.
"Care to join us, Bro?" Jason offered.
"Or want to come along with us?" Rocky countered.
"Um, I was thinking it might be best if I did some catch-up work here in the Power Chamber," Billy stated.
"Billy, you will not spend this time off here in the Power Chamber," Zordon decreed. "I can't tell you what to do outside of here, but I can tell you that the Power Chamber is off limits to you for the next five days."
"Cool! So come along with us," Tommy declared. "It will be great. We can do some of that…..what do they call it?….male bonding." He made the comment with an exaggerated tone and expression that caused a general round of laughter.
"Or you can 'male bond' with Adam and me," Rocky offered.
"Perhaps I'll just stay home and relax," Billy countered.
"No way, man. It's the beach or the mountains. Zordon may not feel he can boss you around, but we outnumber you. So make your choice," Jason said.
Billy looked from one to the other, more than a little surprised. He could tell from the determined expressions on the Zeo Rangers' faces that they would not let him off the hook this time. He decided the only thing to do was give in gracefully.
"The mountains, then. But thanks, Rocky," he decided.
"Great! Let's go to the Juice Bar and make our plans," Jason said with a big smile.
The other four Rangers were secretly glad to see Tommy, Jason, and Billy spend some quiet time together. In recent months the three of them had been through some particularly difficult times, including Tommy and Billy being kidnapped and tortured by Mondo, then Jason and Billy being kidnapped by Briardians and spending well over a month trying to find a way back home. Toss in the fact that both Jason and Tommy were natural team leaders with different styles and a propensity to try to protect Billy, and it made for occasionally strained relations between the three elder Rangers. Maybe spending some time away from their Ranger duties would allow the three of them to realign their friendship. It was worth a try at any rate.
The seven young people teleported out to a concealed location, then hurried to the Juice Bar, laughing and chattering as they went.
It was going to be so great to have time off!
PR PR PR
The next day found Tommy, Jason, and Billy loaded in Tommy's small vehicle and headed toward the mountains. They had each packed a backpack with all the essentials they would need for the next three or four days. Everything except a communicator. They had agreed to leave anything to do with their Ranger duties behind, this was to be pure relaxation. The trail they chose had several offshoots, many leading to other trailheads, so they would likely see other people while hiking.
Tommy parked and placed his wilderness permit inside the windshield. "Okay, let's 'saddle up' as they say in the westerns," he grinned.
His companions groaned at the pun as they pulled their packs out and shrugged into them. They stood together for a moment, looking around, soaking in the beauty, cleanliness and peace of their surroundings, before heading on up the trail.
For the first couple of hours, none of them spoke at all, each lost in his own thoughts, gradually letting the stress and worries associated with being Power Rangers (or a Power Ranger coadjutor) fade away into the vast open spaces surrounding them. Then gradually they began to talk occasionally, mostly general comments about the scenery or trail conditions. At noon they found a shady spot off the trail where they could sit down and eat lunch.
"This was the best idea ever. I already feel more relaxed than I have in months," Tommy declared, leaning back against a rock and looking out at the panoramic view they had from this vantage point.
"Indeed. Between the peace and quiet, the physical activity, and the knowledge that our communicators will not go off anytime soon, we should all experience a marked decrease in our stress levels," Billy observed.
"And we will feel better, too," Jason grinned from his position reclining in the shade using his pack as a pillow.
"I believe that is what he just said," Tommy replied, tossing a pinecone at their prone companion.
"Whatever," Jason mumbled in response, refusing to rise to the bait.
They all chuckled and settled back for a needed rest. This was such a unique experience for them, not having anywhere they needed to be or anything they needed to do. Tommy smiled to himself when he realized there was absolutely no reason they couldn't set up camp right here if they so decided. That freedom was almost intoxicating.
However, they decided to move onward after a while, wanting to be closer to a lake when they made camp. Walking along single file, moving steadily higher and deeper into the mountains, they continued on until they found the perfect campsite near a pristine lake.
The site had a campfire pit already set up, so all they had to do was gather some wood so they could cook their evening meal. Working together without even consciously thinking about it, they gathered the needed fuel and water, and quickly set up a tidy campsite.
Tommy watched as Billy lit the fire using a silver lighter. "Where did you get that?" he asked curiously.
"My dad used to smoke, before he married my mom. She didn't approve of his smoking, so he quit when they got together. But he kept this lighter. I guess it had belonged to his father years ago. It's a lot heavier than the ones they make these days. Or so I've heard," Billy explained, handing it over to Tommy.
"It is pretty solid at that," Tommy agreed, returning it.
After a nourishing meal of beef stroganoff and green beans (courtesy of prepackaged freeze-dried packets) they settled around the campfire talking quietly. When Billy pulled out a bag of marshmallows and produced a few sticks to roast them on, they decided the day had been absolutely perfect.
"Billy, I should have known I could count on you to remember the marshmallows," Jason chuckled, reaching out to accept his stick and a couple of the white puffs.
"I do believe there is a written rule somewhere that states that roasting marshmallows at the end of a perfect day of hiking is an absolute requirement," Billy grinned, spearing a couple for himself and extending his stick toward the fire.
"Well, we all know the importance of following rules," Tommy agreed, adding his stick to the other two. Soon they were engrossed in a contest to see who could roast the 'perfect' marshmallow. After numerous disasters and near disasters, Tommy was declared the winner when he produced a uniformly golden exterior with a completely melted interior.
"Wait until tomorrow night!" Jason mock growled at their self-satisfied friend. Ignoring his companions' laughter he settled down on his back, staring up at the stars.
They all fell quiet, lost in their own thoughts. Tommy finally turned to Jason to ask him a question, but was stopped by the expression he saw on the burly teen's face.
"Jase, is something wrong?" he asked.
"No, I'm fine," Jason replied softly. Billy had also turned his attention to Jason, though he didn't say anything.
"Okay. But you had a…um…pretty serious look on your face there," Tommy said.
Jason sighed wearily. "I was just thinking about the last time I stood outside and studied the stars. They didn't look the same."
"Why is that?"
"I was on Primeria."
Billy's expression showed his concern. "You still having dreams about that place?" he asked gently.
"Yeah, sometimes. I was just remembering one night when I was looking at the stars and Napie asked me about it. I told her about how my dad had taught me to look at the stars so he would seem closer to me when he was out of town. But, there on Primeria, the stars were all wrong. And all it did was make it seem like he was even further away," Jason's voice was so soft it was hard to hear him.
"There is something so….I don't know….all encompassing about the stars, isn't there? While you guys were gone, I used to look at the stars, and think about you. We thought you were dead, that we would never see you again. I'd look out at the universe and berate myself for not being there for you. And I'd wonder about how you'd died, where you had been, and I'd miss you," Tommy reported quietly. It was the first time he had spoken to them of his feelings during the time they had been gone.
"Tommy, I'm sorry you had to go through that," Billy started. Tommy cut him off.
"You did what you had to. Your deception saved your lives, and I'm grateful for that. Never regret your actions. Not in this case. You did what you had to do in order to survive. And I'm damn glad you did so," Tommy's tone was quietly emphatic.
"Yeah, maybe so, but we put you, our families, and the rest of the Rangers through some pretty rough times," Billy countered.
"It was worth it since we got you both back in the end. But, yes, it was rough. I know Adam and Katherine in particular seemed to have a lot of trouble accepting what had happened. And I'm sure you heard from your folks how they felt."
Billy and Jason exchanged looks. "Oh, yeah. We heard about it. My mom kept coming in and looking at me when I was sleeping, for days afterward. Heck, I think she still does that from time to time. They get a lot more stressed if I'm late coming home from somewhere. Honest to God, I'm surprised she wasn't upset that I wanted to take this trip. It's the first time I've gone anywhere overnight since we got back," Jason reported.
Billy nodded. "My father is also a bit more 'clingy' than he used to be. Calls me daily when he's out of town, gets upset when I forget to tell him I'm going to be late, that sort of thing."
"Well, guys, what do you expect? They love you, and we all came way too close to losing you. Can I ask how close we really came?"
"In Jason's case, quite close," Billy finally answered after a considering look at his oldest friend. "The kid who owned him looked pretty determined to kill him. At least that was my take on the situation. Do you agree, Jase?"
"Oh, yeah, he was a psychopath. He would have had no qualms about killing me."
"As it was the little monster took out some of Jason's ribs, damaged his kidney, bruised his internal organs and broke his arm. All in all a pretty nasty beating. And it was ended prematurely."
Tommy looked a bit sick at the idea. "This was done by a kid?"
"A six foot one inch twelve year old. Primarians, especially the males, tended to be extremely large. Seven feet tall was not considered exceptional," Jason told him.
"Wow. How long did it take you to recover?"
"Three days. Modil had some great equipment, and Billy is a pretty fair doctor. And let's not forget that he ended up with pneumonia. He was not nearly as lucky as he would have us believe," Jason countered.
"I don't recall you mentioning that," Tommy said with a slightly accusing look at the former Blue Ranger.
"Like Jason mentioned those injuries?"
"Touché. Anything else I should know about?" Since he had them talking, Tommy decided to go for broke. Until now none of them had experienced any luck in getting the Jason or Billy to talk about their experiences, outside of the first night after they were returned, when they had given an obviously edited version of what had happened to them.
"Well, there was that torture thing," Jason said.
"How about the broken ribs and damaged knee you got when we arrived at the prison?" Billy shot back.
"Whoa, guys, slow down. Broken ribs? You got your ribs broken twice?"
"Yeah, one of the guards at the prison we were taken to broke a couple of them, along with messing up my knee. The doctor healed them just before we were taken to be sold," Jason explained.
"Ah, man, that's terrible. I broke one rib a few years ago and I still remember how much it hurt. And what was that about a 'torture thing'?" he asked looking more closely at his two fellow campers.
"Billy got in a fight and the punishment was torture. They chained him to the table and put this device against him. He screamed for five minutes. Geez, he was hurting so badly when he was brought back to me," Jason shuddered at the memory.
"But I was fine in a day or so. It just looked really bad," Billy said soothingly.
"It just HURT really bad. You can't deny that, Billy. God, it's awful to hear a friend scream in pain," Jason replied.
"Tell me about it. I can still hear it, the sound of Mondo beating him. The screams. The taunts. The sudden silence that was more frightening than the screams," Tommy's voice drifted off, his expression distant and haunted.
Billy looked from one to the other with an expression that was hard to decipher. "Can we please change the subject? I really do not enjoy remembering either occasion. I'm sorry I was so vocal, but if memory serves, I really couldn't help it."
"Hey, I know, Bro. But, I can't help that I feel like I should be able to protect my friends," Jason said.
Billy groaned. "You and Tommy. Two of a kind. Look, you can't protect us, can't protect ME, all the time. No one can. And I can take care of myself. Remember, I was winning that fight in prison before the guards arrived. And I am an competent intergalactic traveler with experience living in diverse cultures," he said loftily with a grin, hoping to lighten the mood some.
Tommy had to smile. "Man, he sure has gotten cocky, hasn't he?" he commented to Jason.
"Yeah, he has. I think you are a bad influence on him," he shot back.
"I'm a bad influence? How is this my fault?"
"He never behaved like this before he met you," Jason countered with an ever-widening grin. Billy was looking more and more disgruntled.
"What is it with you two? I'm simply pointing out that I can take care of myself. I don't need protection any more. Okay?" Billy found it hard to believe he was actually saying that out loud to his two friends. He had wanted to for a long time, but had held off for fear of offending them.
Tommy and Jason both gave him a considering look, sensing his seriousness.
"Okay, Bro. We let you stand on your own. UNLESS it's against cogs, or Mondo," Jason acquiesced as Tommy murmured his agreement.
"Fair enough. Thanks."
"Sure thing," Tommy said quietly. They settled back into their sleeping bags, keeping silent for a while, listening to the night sounds of the forest. The night was so fair, and the woods so beautiful, they all opted to forgo using their tents, and instead elected to sleep out under the stars.
"I saw this movie one night, on cable, called 'Deliverance'. These four friends were canoeing through the woods and they had a run-in with some mountain men. Weirdly scary movie, I actually found it scarier than most so-called horror movies. For some reason I keep thinking about that movie," Jason finally said.
"Isn't that the one with the scene of a savant who could play the banjo so well? 'Dueling Banjos' I believe the tune was called?" Tommy asked.
"That's the one. That scene spooked me too."
"Dudu-du-du-du-du-du-du-duuuu" Billy vocalized the tune from the movie.
"Dudu-du-du-du-du-du-du-duuuuu" Tommy countered, a wide grin on his face.
"KNOCK IT OFF!" Jason shouted at his two companions. They cheerfully ignored him, launching into the tune with enthusiasm. Jason groped about until he found the long stick they had used to stir the fire. He reached over and walloped Billy inside his sleeping bag, and repeated it with Tommy. The blows were not intended to hurt. Yet.
His actions did not deter his friends, who simply attempted to wiggle out of his reach while continuing their concert. Jason responded by following them and whacking them both with his stick. After a few moments the two 'musicians' laughingly called for a truce.
"Okay! I surrender! Stop!" Tommy was now laughing so hard he could barely get the words out.
"Ow! Okay, I quit!" Billy added, gasping for breath.
"That's better. Not nice you guys," Jason growled.
"But it sure was funny," Tommy couldn't resist teasing him.
"That's what you think."
"We'll be good now," Billy promised, shifting his sleeping bag back to its original position.
"That'll be the day," Jason grumbled, trying with little success to hide his own grin. Soon the three of them were back around the fire, settling down to sleep.
Within ten minutes the first soft snores could be heard.
PR PR PR
Morning found the three teens doing a kata together in the clearing near their camp. Despite their different body builds, they moved in perfect unison, never missing a beat. Once the kata was finished, Jason and Tommy decided to do some sparring while Billy saw to their breakfast. Soon the smell of hotcakes wafting across the clearing broke up the impromptu match and brought the erstwhile combatants back to the camp.
"That smells awesome! Thanks, man," Tommy said as Billy handed him a plate.
"Yeah, thanks," Jason added, accepting his own plate. "One thing I gotta say about having you along, we will not suffer from a sugar shortage."
Billy grinned at his friends. "It's supposed to be good energy, and I suspect we will need it today."
"Right. And the fact that you just like sweet stuff has nothing to do with it, right?" Jason teased.
"Of course not."
Twin snorts of disbelief greeted that comment. However, that did not prevent the teens from eating a prodigious quantity of food. Working together they cleaned up after their meal, repacked their backpacks, tidied the campsite and carefully killed the campfire. Once they felt sure they were leaving the campsite in the same condition they had found it in they set off along the trail.
The trail they were on had the advantage of being a large loop. This way they could avoid doubling back over previously explored territory. The first 'half' was mostly uphill, then downhill as they neared the starting point. They knew the hike out would be much quicker, so they were not concerned with making good time, but instead stopped and explored whenever the mood hit them.
By midday they had not really traveled very far, but they were ready for a meal and rest. They decided to set a goal of spending the night by a lake a short distance from the 'point' of the loop. They estimated that it would put them in position to enable them to finish the hike within their four-day limit. Satisfied they had a workable plan, they settled back to enjoy their break. They had picked a spot on the shore of a tiny lake, fed by swift running streams, running unusually deep and fast with the spring melt-off from the higher peaks.
Their picnic site was near the mouth of one of those streams. Jason noticed that some thoughtless prior camper had left cans and other debris on the other side.
"We should go over there and clean that up. I just can't believe people would walk all this way to enjoy the natural beauty and leave a mess like that behind," he declared.
The other two voiced their agreement, and Billy located a plastic bag he had put in his pack for just such a purpose. They approached the stream and checked for a way across. There were stones they might possibly use, but they were wide spaced and appeared a bit unstable.
"Why don't you go first, Billy. Show us the way across," Tommy suggested with a less than innocent gleam in his dark eyes.
Billy, engrossed in the problem of figuring the safest route, didn't notice Tommy's attitude and without a question started across. Despite the fact a couple of the rocks moved and shifted under his weight, he made it to the other side with minimal trouble. He looked across at his friends to see if they were following. They stood on the bank grinning at him.
"Since you are already there, we'll just wait for you here," Jason called to him with a smile.
Shaking his head and grumbling a bit, mostly at himself for falling for that, he quickly picked up the trash and tied the bag shut. He threw it over to Jason and Tommy, then started back himself. He was concentrating on his footing, so consequently he was badly startled by a loud splash near him. He looked to the side in confusion, then at the far bank. His bewilderment was quickly cleared up when he saw his two teammates with rocks in their hands.
"Guys, this is not that easy. I don't need any distractions."
"You wanted us to not help you so much," Jason pointed out reasonably.
"That did not mean I wanted you to hinder me," Billy countered, flinching from another splash close by. "And I really do not want an impromptu dunking."
His friends could not resist one last throw, which they did simultaneously. Billy, not expecting two missiles was startled and lost his balance. He landed in the icy water gracelessly, cursing loudly.
Both Jason and Tommy cringed, knowing Billy was not going to be a bit happy when he reached shore. They had the grace to look ashamed of themselves when the dripping former Ranger reached the bank again.
"Sorry, Bro, that was a pretty dirty trick to play," Jason said. Billy ignored him and walked over to grab his pack and head toward a nearby stand of trees. They watched him go in silence.
"Um, should we just let him walk off?" Tommy asked quietly.
"I think he is just going to change his clothes. Give him a few minutes and he'll cool down. He rarely gets really angry, but when he does it is usually over pretty quickly. I hope."
They settled down to wait, hoping Jason was correct. When Billy didn't return in ten minutes the two decided to go seek out their friend. Moving into the stand of trees they walked along quietly, feeling somewhat spooked, though neither one could say why. They didn't call out to Billy, or even speak to each other, and they moved as soundlessly as possible, trying to look in all directions at once.
Jason was about to break the stillness with a call to Billy when he spotted the light haired teen standing near a tree, facing away from them. Slapping Tommy's arm to get his attention, Jason headed toward Billy, who seemed to sense their presence and turned to them with a finger held to his lips in the age old gesture of silence.
As Tommy and Jason came up beside Billy they noticed he was still wearing his sodden clothing, and his backpack was nowhere to be seen. Then they saw the men in the clearing beyond. One was quite tall, probably in his thirties, and looked profoundly uncomfortable in outdoor gear. The second man was stocky, bearded, and looked like a lumberjack, obviously at home in the wilderness. The third man, who seemed to be at odds with the other two, was dressed in a suit. Their disagreement escalated until their angry shouts could be heard across the open space, though the words were indiscernible. Suddenly the one in a suit turned and began to run, prompting the tall man to reach into an inside pocket of his vest. Much to the boys' horror he pulled out a gun and fired at the fleeing man. The man fell forward heavily, lying still in the fragrant grass. When the shooter turned to his companion he spied the three witnesses standing in the trees. He shouted and pointed toward the three teens, alerting his companion to their presence.
Without a word the three teenagers turned and fled back through the trees, toward the trail they had been following earlier. They ran abreast of each other, ducking around trees, not looking back. The sound of a shot ringing out caused them all to instinctively duck.
"Guys, head toward the trail, but remember we are going to need some sort of obstacle between ourselves and our pursuers. We may have to parallel the trail," Tommy told them as they raced along.
Jason and Billy didn't waste time answering, they simply kept moving. They got to the area where they had had their picnic, and Jason and Tommy grabbed their backpacks on the fly, shrugging into the harnesses without breaking stride. Despite the extra weight they knew they would need the supplies in them.
Dashing across the small clearing, they went past the trail and plunged into the trees again. Moving in what they hoped was a parallel path to the trail, they dodged among the trees, careful to keep each other in sight. They knew the two men from the clearing were still on their trail, but they hoped their youth and speed would convince their pursuers to give up.
It didn't seem to be happening, though.
PR PR PR
The shooter was Dirk Peters and his companion was Boscoe Maxwell, both were professional hit men. They were being paid $200,000 for this job, and payment was dependent on there being no complications.
Three teenagers seeing the shooting could be considered a complication.
With that kind of payday riding on the outcome, to say nothing of their freedom, they knew they could not allow the three witnesses to survive. They set out in pursuit of the teens, determined not to quit until three more bodies were left stiffening under the wide, blue California sky.
PR PR PR
Tommy, Jason and Billy stopped to catch their breath, and to check if they were still being chased. They distinctly heard the sound of running footsteps, and too close for comfort at that. Taking off again they continued on, desperately seeking anything that would give them an advantage.
They were suddenly presented with an unexpected obstacle. A wide, rushing river cut across their path, blocking their way. They knew there was very likely a bridge at the trail, but it would be far too dangerous for them to use it. It would be the first thing their pursuers would expect them to do. So, they made the only logical choice, they moved downstream, away from the trail, keeping in the trees and shrubbery, looking desperately for a way across.
They finally spotted an old, abandoned bridge, rotted with age and disuse. It was a suspension bridge, reminding the boys of ones they had seen in old jungle movies. The runoff-swollen river almost brushed against the bridge's underside.
"This is our best bet, guys. Let's do it," Tommy decided. "We have to go across one at a time, though. I don't think it can take us all."
"Yeah. So, who's first?" Jason asked.
"I'll go. I'm lighter than either of you, and I don't have a pack," Billy volunteered, already heading toward the bridge. He started across carefully, testing each step cautiously. Twice rotted planks broke under his feet, causing a momentary panic before he could find firmer footing. At last he reached the far side and signaled his for friends to cross.
"I'll go next," Tommy decided. "You weigh a ton and will likely break it," he couldn't resist teasing Jason.
"Thanks a heap. We'll just see who breaks the thing!" Jason retorted.
Tommy used the same care Billy had, avoiding the places he had encountered trouble with. He was just over halfway across when disaster struck. His foot broke through a plank, throwing him off balance badly. His leg became entangled in the base rope as he pitched over the side. In effect he was tied to the bridge by his boot, his body entirely submerged in the raging river. Billy hastened back toward the trapped teen, as Jason started across as well. The bridge sagged under their combined weight and ominous snapping sounds could be heard.
"We have to get his foot free, see if you can reach his hand to help keep his head above water," Billy advised, reaching for his knife to cut the ropes holding Tommy. He looked over at Jason, who managed to somehow pull Tommy in closer to the bridge, where he was able to raise Tommy's upper body a bit to keep his head out of the river. It was taking every iota of Jason's considerable strength to do so.
"Tommy, you are going to have to lose the pack. Sorry, Bro, but it's too heavy. Here, let me help you get it off," Jason worked on releasing Tommy from the heavy backpack, breathing a sigh of relief once it was gone. It was much easier to support Tommy's body without the added weight.
"Guys, when I cut through this, the bridge may very well collapse. If it does so, Jason, your pack needs to be off, too," he nodded approval as Jason removed his backpack and set it beside him. They all looked with trepidation at the river. It was very deep, very fast, and full of boulders.
"Grab onto the handrail part, I'm going to cut this now." When Billy's knife severed the rope imprisoning Tommy's leg the entire down-river side of the bridge disintegrated, plunging the three young men into the raging rapids.
PR PR PR
Dirk Peters turned to Boscoe Maxwell with a terse question. "Which way?". They were standing on the bank of the river.
"They went downstream. I suggest we head upstream, cross at the trail, then downstream on the other side. We may be able to cut them off. My theory is they will head back and try to reach the trail again."
"I guess that sounds reasonable, let's go."
PR PR PR
Jason moaned as he pulled himself out of the water. Fighting against the current, struggling to reach shore, being slammed into boulders and pulled under water every few moments had exhausted him. He had no idea how far the river had carried him, but he knew it was a considerable distance. He also knew that when he reached shore Tommy and Billy were still being carried down-river. Despite the fact all he wanted to do was lie down and sleep for a few hours, he jumped to his feet and began running along the bank. He was becoming frantic when he finally spotted his companions. Billy was nearer the shore than Tommy, but not by much. Jason began to shout at them, sensing they were rapidly tiring.
"Billy! Tommy! Over here! Come on, guys, you can do it! Keep working at it, try to work with the river," he kept shouting anything that came to mind, just wanting them to know he was there, ready to help them. He cringed as Billy was flung into a boulder, then he realized it was Billy's chance to reach shore. Billy seemed to pause for a moment, then launched himself away from the boulder, toward the shore. Jason waded into the water and reached for his friend. He was able to grab the smaller teen's outstretched hand and pull him toward land.
"Thanks, Jase," Billy wheezed, breathing hard.
"Come on, we have to help Tommy!" Jason said as he began running downstream again. Billy followed him as quickly as possible, fear lending additional speed to their pace.
Tommy had heard Jason's shouts and the sound of his friend had spurred him to additional efforts to get out of the river. He had actually found a method that worked, albeit in a limited manner. As Billy had done, he was using the boulders as launching points to try to get himself closer to shore. He figured one or two more and he would be close enough to reach bottom and wade out. But the boulders were getting smaller while the other rocks seemed to be getting bigger. The result was that he was being pummeled pretty badly without being able to get any closer to shore. The constant pounding and the bitter cold of the water were weakening him steadily.
He heard Jason still shouting to him, yelling how something was coming up he needed to see. He looked down-river and felt hope blossom in him. There was a large log up ahead, partially submerged, reaching well into the river. With the last of his fading strength he reached out and grabbed it, wrapping his hands around the stump of an old branch, and holding on with all his might. Jason and Billy carefully made their way along the log, where they were able to get a grip on Tommy and haul him out of the water. They basically crawled along the log until they were in the shallows at the edge of the river, where they staggered to their feet and onto dry land. They collapsed in a clump, at the end of their endurance.
They stayed where they had fallen for an unknown amount of time, all of them too worn out to move. Gradually they realized they needed to get going, no matter how tired they were. Jason was the first to climb to his feet and begin to work the kinks out.
"Come on, guys. I don't think they have stopped chasing us yet. We need to keep moving, if we can," he leaned down and gave Billy a hand up. Together they hoisted Tommy to his feet and steadied him until he regained his equilibrium. Though none of them were too steady on their feet yet, they started out away from the river.
"If we set out moving away from the river at a slight angle, but at the same time moving back toward the trail we were on, logically we should intercept the trail and be able to make our way out of here," Billy noted, remembering the map he had been carrying before it was destroyed in their river adventure.
"Sounds like a plan to me. Lead on, Oh Mighty Trailblazer," Jason replied, indicating Billy should take the lead. They trusted Billy's memory and sense of direction.
As their lassitude wore off they began to notice the various bumps and bruises they had amassed in their tumble down the river. Tommy in particular had a nasty looking bruise on his forehead, and the entire upper portion of his left arm was discolored, as well as smaller bruises too numerous to count. Jason and Billy had also received a multitude of bruises, especially on their shoulders and hips. They all agreed it was almost miraculous that none of them had suffered any broken bones.
They slogged on, not speaking, following Billy's lead, until they reached a plateau giving them a panoramic view of the area. They stood near the edge, looking out over the territory they were going to have to cover. Billy took a few minutes to point out some of the landmarks they would need to know, such as the two peaks between which the trail they needed went. Before they started down the steep slope toward the trail, Billy excused himself to answer a call of nature. Tommy and Jason stood looking out over the forest below them, thankful that for a time at least they would be traveling downhill. The day was rapidly waning, and afternoon clouds, so common for the area, were gathering.
Billy emerged from a behind a couple of trees, and started along the edge of the plateau toward his friends. He hadn't gone very far when he heard a sound behind him and turned to find the two men from the field entering the clearing and drawing their guns. Jason and Tommy heard his surprised gasp and turned as Dirk fired at Billy, hitting him in the chest and sending him tumbling down the steep slope. Boscoe fired at the other two teens, but wasn't the marksman his partner was. He missed, but just barely. Tommy felt the tug as the bullet grazed the sleeve of his flannel shirt. He shoved the shocked Jason hard and both of them plunged down the slope, moving in huge, oddly graceful leaps. By the time Dirk and Boscoe had reached the edge, the two teens had disappeared into the trees below.
They walked to the other edge and looked down toward where Billy had landed. The light-haired teen was lying face down, unmoving.
"Should we go down and make sure he's really dead?" Boscoe asked. Due to the angle of the plateau it would end up taking them quite a distance out of their way.
"If he isn't dead now, he will be soon. I plugged him in the chest. What's he going to do? Walk out of here and get medical help? He'll bleed to death, or die of shock in a short time, if he isn't already dead. Forget him, we have two live ones to finish. Let's get moving," Dirk decided.
They headed toward the spot Jason and Tommy had started their descent and began down to continue the hunt.
"One down and two to go," Dirk muttered darkly.
PR PR PR
Tommy and Jason ran through the trees in an almost blind panic. The events of the day came crashing in on them, culminating with the sight of their friend's body pitching over the side of the plateau. Now those two men, who had already killed twice that day, were chasing them with the intention of doubling the body count. So the two teens ran on, ignoring their bodies' demands for rest, for water, for nourishment, until those demands became overwhelming.
They literally collapsed, breathing in ragged gasps, their throats and lungs on fire, lying next to each other. They stayed that way until their breathing eased somewhat, and they felt strong enough to make it to their feet again. They continued on, walking, checking their position against the mountain peaks Billy had pointed out earlier. It was now late evening, almost dark. With the cloud cover there would be no moon or stars to light their way. They found a stream and quenched their thirst, then looked for some place to settle down for the night. They knew they couldn't risk traveling in the dark forest.
They found a hollow at the base of a fallen tree. It wasn't perfect, but it would do. They huddled there together, trying to relax, knowing they would need all the energy they could muster for the following day.
As their bodies finally relaxed, their minds began to go over the events of the day, replaying them with horrifying clarity.
"I can't believe this, Tommy," Jason said softly. Well aware of their pursuers, they knew they would have to keep as quiet as possible, though they hoped the killers were also stopped by the all-encompassing darkness.
"I know, Bro. This seems like some sort of bad dream. We are supposed to be having fun, relaxing," Tommy's voice faltered a bit.
"Not getting shot in cold blood," Jason's voice broke completely, a sob wrenched from him at the memory of his friend's murder.
Tommy put his arm around Jason, who returned the gesture. There in the dark and cold, the two friends offered each other what comfort they could, as the first wave of their grief washed over them both, leaving them trying to cope with what had happened and what might happen the next day. They knew they were far from safe, and the murderers had already demonstrated that they would not give up easily.
Despite the anguish in their hearts and minds, the needs of their bodies eventually asserted themselves, and they finally fell asleep, still holding each other for comfort.
PR PR PR
The next morning Tommy awoke to a world of misery. As soon as he tried to shift his position, pain shot through him. His arm ached with the sharpness of a toothache, he had a headache that rivaled any he had ever experienced, and his whole body felt as if someone had taken a baseball bat and pounded him with it. He groaned and muttered as he disentangled himself from Jason.
"Better wake up, Bro. We need to get moving," he shook Jason gently as he tried to wake him.
Jason gave his own groan of protest at the prospect of waking up. "Is this really necessary?" he asked groggily.
"Afraid so. Man, I hurt in places I didn't even know I had."
"Tell me about it. Guess yesterday really happened, didn't it?" Jason's eyes filled with pain as the memories returned.
Tommy's expression mirrored Jason's. "Yeah, it did. We have to get moving, Jase. Those guys are still out there, looking for us."
Jason did his best to squelch his emotions, setting his sorrow for Billy aside for the time being. First order of business was survival. There would be time to mourn later, he told himself grimly.
Tommy was fighting his own battle with his feelings. He kept repeating to himself that he had to keep it together, had to keep fighting to survive. The opportunity to exact revenge would come in time. That thought helped him more than anything else did-that someday those two would pay for what they had done.
In the thin light of early dawn the two teens slowly made their way to their feet. Grimacing, they stretched, loosening stiff muscles and slowly restoring circulation to their extremities. Then, checking their landmarks as well as they could, they set out in the direction they believed would bring them back to the trail and, hopefully, home.
PR PR PR
Dirk and Boscoe had also been stopped by the darkness. Up with the first faint light, they waited until they could see a little more clearly. They had been following the tracks left by the two teenagers, and as soon as they had enough light to see them, the two killers started quickly on their way.
To be continued...