A/n: So I learned something about my word processor. apparently if it starts acting like it has indigestion, just close it out then reopen. then spell check miraculously begins to work again...which hopefully means there are less screwups...
Chapter Ten
Ed was tired, he was wet, no, make that soaked, and he was fed up. This had been a mistake of colossal proportions from the get go. It had started pouring buckets not five minutes after he had convinced the others to go on one last hunting trip. He had contemplated just making his suggestion right then and there, but then figured the others would probably just want to return to the cabin as it was so close. That was the last place he wanted to be, so he kept his mouth shut and just swore incessantly under his breath. He fervently hoped that one of the other two would break first. His money was on Mike the Moron since he knew he would get his damned money no matter what.
He would have lost the bet. Ben cracked first. Then again, growing up, Ben had always begged off camping trips or anything vaguely resembling it. "This is freaking ridiculous. Mike, let's just blow this pop stand. Ed said he'd give you the cash so let's just go already!" he whined.
"Five more minutes, man! I wanna bag a bear!" Mike was stoned. Again. Or maybe still. Ben wasn't sure any more and was past caring. Ed just shook his head in resignation. This was not going to end well, he just knew it.
A few minutes later, Mike excitedly shushed the others and raised his rifle. Ed was not entirely sure what he was aiming at but Mike pulled the trigger anyway, followed quickly by a second shot. Ben had also raised his rifle but never pulled the trigger before lowering it and advancing on Mike, fury all over his face.
"What the hell were you thinking?!" he screamed.
"I thought I saw a bear!" Mike yelled back defensively.
"Since when do bears wear bright orange windbreakers?!" was the retort. Ed just groaned upon hearing that.
"Well that tears it. You probably brought the entire rescue team down on our heads."
"What rescue team?!" Mike squeaked.
"The one the girlfriend prolly rustled up after escaping some time last night." was the resigned reply.
Ben stared, then shrugged and said. "You know what? I don't wanna know. Let's just get the hell out of here." Ed was in full agreement, but Mike by now had panicked and was wildly waving the shotgun around.
"No way man. I ain't getting busted for murder!"
"Then maybe you shouldn't have shot the guy then huh?" was Ben's sarcastic reply. Mike was about ready to tear into his cousin when the sounds of running footsteps coming their way silenced them. They all looked at each other, panic stricken and then all three broke away and hid behind a tree or rock. Mike and Ben each aimed their guns towards the noises, but Ed had decided he was done. He'd surrender first opportunity he could.
Neither side made any noise for a very long minute. But eventually Mike's paranoia got the better of him and he made a move. "You stay back! I'll shoot!" both Ben and Ed groaned at that announcement. It was like inviting whoever was out there to go for a kill shot immediately, no opportunity to surrender.
On the other side of the small clearing that separated the two groups, Frank smothered an incredulous laugh as he dropped his face into the crook of his arm. "I cannot believe he actually said that! What is this a cheesy movie? Joe's gonna be pissed he missed that corny line." There was a twinkle in his eye that Melody had never seen before. It made him seem less annoying. Barely. "Wish Hall had been able to tell us more about what kind of weapons they all had besides 'shotgun'. I mean are we dealing with repeaters, Double barreled? And it would be lovely to know how much ammo they have."
"Two less bullets than 5 minutes ago" came the wry observation. Frank lost it at that point and he laughed out loud. "Now a comment like that I'd expect from my brother, not a Park Ranger." When he smiled, his whole face changed and Melody found herself staring into those expressive brown eyes a little too intently. She mentally shook herself out of the daydream. Now was not the time to be second guessing her earlier assumptions. She had poachers to catch.
From Frank's angle, he had noticed a change in her demeanor as well. No longer angry or petulant, her face was a calm mask of determination. Her professionalism impressed him. He was comfortable with her as his back up. Then again she probably assumed he was her backup..."Now what? He asked her, letting her take the lead.
"Three against two. Like those odds?"
"I've been up against worse." Her eyes narrowed at that but she chose to not make any comment. Sam's earlier admonishment about jumping to conclusions rang in her mind.
"Okay Big Man. Prove it." the challenge was almost friendly. "You circle around to the left, I'll take the right. Try not to get shot. I don't feel like draggin' your carcass back to my cousin." Frank actually winked at her before taking off at a trot, half crouching. Melody just snorted and went right, also half crouched.
Mike's eyes were wide with panic. His swerved one way then the other trying to decide which of the two to track with his gun. He opted for the one in uniform. He pulled back on the trigger but swore when it merely clicked after being fired twice already. He'd forgotten to replace the cartridges. By then it was too late as Melody came rushing up to him, her own arm raising as she tried to take aim. Mike swung the shotgun like a club, clipping her on the side of the head. Melody fell with a dull thud. Mike took off running in the opposite direction.
Frank cursed under his breath but continued on his course, going after the younger of the remaining two men. The back of his mind registered the fact that the older was not armed or at least was not aiming a weapon at either of them. Ben held his aim shakily for about 3 seconds before yelping in fear, whirling around and making a break for it, running madly through the trees. Frank detoured over to Melody's side. "Are you okay?!" he shouted at her.
Melody was dazed, and she was bleeding from a scalp wound, but she angrily waved Frank away. "Forget about me, get those bastards!" Frank nodded once and took off after the two fleeing men. Melody stood up, only slightly dizzy and glared daggers at the older man, the one who didn't run. The man's gun was propped up against a tree several feet away from him, and his hands were raised in the "I surrender" position.
"Lady, I am done." Ed said in an earnest voice. "No trouble from me at all, I swear."
"You can say that again" came a growl from behind him. Both Ed and Melody turned to see Sam coming up , his own gun leveled straight at Ed's chest. He gestured with the gun for Ed to turn around. "Hands on your head, if you would." When the man complied, Sam walked up to him and cuffed his hands behind his back. He then looked over Ed's shoulder at Melody. "You hurt?" at the negative shake of her head he continued. "Frank?"
"Went after the other two." Sam grunted. "I'll take this bozo back to the others, you go help Frank." Sam didn't even bother acknowledging, he just took off in the direction where Melody had waved. Melody grabbed Ed's arm above the elbow and steered him back towards the spot Bruce and the others were at. Neither person spoke as they made their way back. Ed stumbled every so often; it was hard to maintain balance in the muck when your hands were cuffed behind your back. Melody kept him upright, but none too gently.
There was no sign of the others at the place she had left them. Just as she was about to call out, Ed stepped on a branch, causing it to snap loudly and shattering the silence. She jumped, but before she could do anything, Ed screamed " Wait! Don't shoot!" and he literally ducked behind Melody.
Her shoulders sagged in relief as she saw Bruce raise his head out from behind a large rock. He turned back, said something she couldn't make out, then stood up, his gun still trained on Ed. He stepped around the rock and as soon as he saw her bleeding, tucked the gun in the waistband and came rushing over to check her out. Melody allowed herself to be steered over to where Halloran was sitting on the ground, Joe's head in her lap. Halloran tightened her grip on Joe when she saw Ed's face, who at least had the grace to look ashamed.
Joe had been dozing, but woke up with all the commotion. His eyes narrowed when he saw Ed, but he did note the cuffs so decided nothing else needed saying. He did however, look around and when he didn't see his brother he spoke to Melody. "Where's Frank?"
"I sent him after the other two. Sam followed." Her words were terse and she winced as Bruce dabbed away at the blood with antiseptic.
"You did what?!" Joe bellowed as he tried to sit upright, only to fail and fall back in pain, hissing in anger and agony. Halloran was surprised at the vehemence in his tone. Melody bristled.
"Well I assumed he could take care of himself!" she bit out.
"Not what I meant. They are in unfamiliar surroundings. They don't know their way around here. You do, or so I was led to believe. And just how do you expect them to find their way back to civilization without a guide? Do they at least have a compass?!"
Melody started to retort angrily, then abruptly shut her mouth with a snap as she realized the blond had a point. A good one, she admitted rather reluctantly. Oh, hell. Instead of responding directly, she asked Bruce "Do I need stitches?"
"Nahh. But sorry, you won't be winning any beauty contests any time soon."
"I think I can contain my disappointment." She sighed, then stood up, well aware that Joe was still glaring daggers at her, and also keenly cognizant of the fact that even Halloran was looking at her askance. "Okay, you made your point," she looked at Joe. "I get the hint. I'll go back after them. On one condition." she paused expectantly.
"And that is?" he asked, wary.
"That you continue on outta here and get to a hospital."
Joe shook his head. "No way. Not leaving til I know Frank's okay. And Sam." he added almost as an afterthought. Halloran, however, had other ideas.
"She's right. You've been too long without proper care as it is. Besides I am cold and my butt is damp and you are shivering and about a dozen other good reasons to shut up and do as you are told." She smiled gently to take a little of the sting out if her words. Joe took one look at her eyes, now solidly determined and gave one last ditch effort.
"Honey, much as it pains me to admit this, I can't walk out of here on my own. And no offense Babe but there is no way you could help carry me."
"I will." all eyes turned in surprise at Ed's words. He shrugged as well as a man can with his hands cuffed behind his back. " I owe you that, if not more." Joe's eye's narrowed once again but Halloran stroked his arm and spoke up.
"He did offer to help, he apologized and he tried to keep you comfortable. And he kept Ben away from me." her eyes were hard as she stared directly into Ed's eyes. Ed gulped as he realized now that Halloran had known exactly what Ben's intentions had been. Embarrassment warred with guilt. "And I assume he surrendered peacefully?" she now turned to look at Melody, who nodded. "Then that's settled. Bruce, you take one end and Ed will take the other. I will take the kit and lead us back. Mellie, you go after Frank and Sam." she leaned down, kissed Joe, then slipped out from under his head and stood up, stretching and trying to relieve the cramps in her legs. She walked over to Melody, and hugged her friend as she whispered into her ear. "I don't care about the other two and I really don't care if you have a problem with them getting away. But if something happens to Frank, Joe will never forgive you. And I want you to be friends. If it comes down to it, I will choose him over you. And I don't want to have to do that. Please, Mellie. Do this for me?" Halloran so rarely asked for anything, never in all the years they had known each other. Melody was flabbergasted. She also began to see just how much Joe Hardy meant to her her friend, and by default she guessed that Frank was part of the package too. She returned the hug and nodded, handing over the keys to the cuffs that Sam had left with her before taking off after Frank.
Hall tossed the keys to Bruce, who quickly released Ed. Ed nodded his head gratefully and assisted Bruce in reloading Joe back onto the stretcher. Joe pointedly ignored Ed's attempt at small talk and apologies. As he was being lifted though, he put out a hand in a 'pause' gesture. "Melody?" he asked, seriously. She turned to look at him. Gone was the sarcastic tone she was used to from the young man, as well as the glint of mischief. Instead, his eyes were very serious, almost pleading. "Please find my brother." Suddenly, she got a hint of the intense bond the two men shared. And once again she was forced to reassess her initial assumptions about both of them.
"I will. I promise." She too had lost her angry tone and biting comments and was once again the Park Ranger, professional and even tempered. She took off at a jog back from where she had come. And to her immense surprise, she found that she meant it.
Everyone watched Melody take off until a violent coughing fit by Joe startled them all. Halloran immediately was down on her knees on one side with Bruce on the other, each holding a shoulder as he fought to get his breath. When It finally stopped, he was pale, clammy and starting to wheeze. Bruce grabbed the stethoscope and listened hard to Joe's lungs. "Dammit!" he swore under his breath. "That tears it. We just ran out of time. Ed, is it?" he turned to the older gentleman, who nodded. "We are going to march as fast as we can out of here. He's got pneumonia." Halloran shrieked at that pronouncement. Bruce immediately stood up and shook her by the shoulders. "Hallie! Keep it together! You need to show us the way, I am just as lost out here as Frank is, remember?!"
Bruce watched as Halloran visibly pulled herself together. She was, in truth, stretched far beyond what she had always thought was her breaking point. Some tiny corner of her mind marveled at the fact that she had not yet succumbed and was not a blubbering mess. She took a long, shaky shuddering breath and lifted her chin to look directly into Bruce's concerned eyes. "I'm good. Let's get out of here."
Joe was unconscious again, and privately both Bruce and Hall though that was a good thing. Despite the chill in the air, only about 15 degrees above freezing, he was flushed and sweating. Bruce stuck a thermometer in Joe's ear and his lips tightened at the readout. 104. "Halloran, we have to hurry." Her only response was an increase in her pace.
They made record time through the woods and even Bruce was surprised at how quickly they found themselves at the clearing where their vehicles had been left. By now Joe was delirious, moaning incoherently. Ed and Bruce quickly slid him into the back of the truck, where Halloran climbed up and situated herself by his head. Bruce gestured to Ed to take the passenger side and he wasted no time putting the key in the ignition and spraying gravel as he made for the main road. About a mile down, they got cell service back and he called ahead to the airstrip and told the controller who answered to have the bird ready to go in ten minutes.
As he pulled into the airstrip, Bruce noticed a welcoming committee. He recognize only one of the men, Danny Walters, the air traffic controller for the small airport..if one could actually justify calling a flat field with a windsock an airport... beyond, he saw the helicopter which had one door wide open and the blades were gently spinning in idle. For half an instant, he was transported back in time to the desert where he'd done the same thing time and time again, rushing a critically hurt man to safety.
He had barely pulled to a stop when the older gentleman came rushing over and peered over the side of the truck. "Joe?!" he cried as wrenched down the tailgate. Halloran reached up and hugged him tightly. Bruce realized this man looked an awful lot like Frank, so he assumed this was the father.
"Reunions later. He's needs a hospital. Yesterday." Thankfully Fenton Hardy was pragmatic and less prone to argue the point. Unlike his youngest son. Bruce helped Halloran down and sent her directly to the helicopter. "We've got him, Kiddo."
Fenton grabbed the end by Joe's head, aghast at how lousy his son looked. Bruce backed up slowly, letting Fenton scramble down from the bed before reaching back for the handles and continuing on. As they they quickly made their way to the helicopter, where Jack was already buckling Hall into the seat next to his, Bruce quickly and succinctly brought Fenton up to speed on Joe's condition. "The lung was re inflated fine but he's got pneumonia now. Bullet is still inside and I bet there's infection by now. He was lucid til about an hour or so ago. Don't waste any time." Bruce strapped Joe's stretcher down and handed Fenton the radio helmet. "Good luck. And make sure somebody tells me how he does!" with a jaunty salute he stepped back, threw the door closed and ran quickly out from under the great rotating blades. When he was far enough away, he raised his arm above his head and did a circular motion to indicate it was safe to take off. From inside the cockpit, Jack Wayne saluted and the helicopter rose quickly into the air and headed towards the hospital.
A/n: I am really hoping the reason I got so few reviews last chapter is because everyone is enjoying the last days of summer and not because you are all bored to tears...