Cold. Pain-a lot of pain in the right knee. Water nearby. Someone's crying...meat cooking...Jack moaned and opened his eyes. He grimaced at the sun overhead. He hadn't seen it so long it felt alien, wrong.
"How're you feeling?" A weak voice beside him asked. Jack winced turning his head. The right side of his head and neck felt like they'd slammed into a rock. Mac looked down at him. Jack was bundled up in blankets, laying on the cold wet ground with his head in Mac's lap. It might have been the light or Jack's wishful thinking, but the kid looked slightly less pale. His breathing still sounded terrible, but he didn't look like he was struggling or feeling any pain. The light blue was almost blocked out by black pupils.
"You stoned again, bud?" Mac smiled and caught himself just before he shrugged. Jack slowly pushed himself up moaning as the world became a twilt a whirl. His elbow bumped a sapling carved into the shape of a sturdy crutch. Jack winced as a lightning strike of pain burned across his right knee. He looked down surprised to see it splinted, wrapped and bloody. He looked at Mac.
" Nick made the crutch. I think you flattened your patella and sprained everything else in had a sliver of rock embedded." Mac offered. Jack grimaced and pushed himself up to sitting. After a minute, he worked his way to his feet where he stood swaying, his blood pooling way below his head. The crutch was a little too tall and sunk through the snow. Jack grunted pulling it up. He almost fell back onto his ass.
"Take it easy, big guy," Mac said reaching out with his left arm to steady Jack. Jack blinked and took in their surroundings. A small river trickled under icy overhanging branches weighed down by heavy melting snow. Behind them, a steep pile of boulders stood in front of the almost sheer cliff they'd fallen off/ slid down last night?
"Wow." Jack marveled.
"Yeah, we came down far, fast and hard." Jack caught a note of strain in Mac's voice. He looked at Mac who tipped his chin. Jack followed the gesture.
"Oh no." Jack whispered.
"Yeah, she ran into a tree and died on impact. Broken neck, Nellie says." Jac rubbed his hands over his face. He kept his free hand leaning on the rocks as he wobbled over to the others. Nick and Nellie crouched beside a fire where they were cooking some small animal and a pair of fish on sticks. Nellie looked up and offered Jack a watery smile. Jack nodded at her and kept walking. Anna and Dominique stood over a fresh grave black wrapped in white snow stained with boot prints. They looked up as Jack neared. Without saying a word, he hugged one then the other. They all stood side by side staring at the grave picturing the brave woman it held.
"I didn't know anything about her," Jack whispered.
"She said she was a cashier at the Piggly Wiggly; Cathy begged to join our
private flight so she could get to her brother's wedding," Anna said sniffing.
"Yeah, she never did shut up about that damned wedding! Now she…" Dominique broke off crying against Jack's shoulder. Jack took a deep breath and winced putting his weight on his left leg. Easing the pressure from his right armpit, he turned. Dominique and Anna helped him back to the others. Jack found a rock that came to his mid-thigh. He grunted as he sat on it. Nellie handed him a slab of meat on a stick. Jack took it and munched on it. He nodded it wasn't bad. The water from the river was clear and fresh. He felt refreshed. The meat was juicy and a little stringy. It tasted like a gamey pig. Jack guessed it was probably a rabbit or possum. The solemn group ate then sat in silence a long minute.
"Ok, we have to move. They may not know where we are, but it won't be too hard to guess where we're going. Nellie, how far to the village?" Nellie frowned in thought.
"I'd guess probably three miles downriver. The forest is thinner near the water, but it's pretty rocky." Of course, it is, Jack thought. He glanced at Mac who was unconscious. Jack ran a hand through his sparse hair trying to figure the best way to approach traveling with an unconscious person, a gimp, and four others. He looked at the river, it was too twisty and had too many rocks to build a raft. At least the sky was visible. Jack looked up. It was mostly a cloud with occasional windows of the sun, but he was free of the damned forest, for a while at least.
"When we came here, we carried Mac on blankets as a hammock and Nick carried you on his shoulders." Anna offered. Jack shot Nick a look. The younger man looked down his face pink. Jack smiled and nodded.
"Ok, we'll have to go with what we have. I guess it to be around noon. I'd like to make the outskirts of the village near sunset. That'll give us a chance to recce the village. We'll rest then attack it before dawn." He looked into everyone's eyes. They were exhausted beyond fear but still had the determination to get the hell out of this mess.
"How are we possibly going to take the village?" Cathy asked holding one arm with the other. Good question, Jack thought. Instead of giving in to doubts he grinned.
"I have a two-pronged plan." The others looked at him clinging to whatever hope he could offer, "step one, improvise. Step two, kill them all." The others managed weak grins. As rousing speeches it sucked, but it was all he had. They spent the next half hour taking inventory.
During their sledding misadventure, the Kalishnikov's barrel had gotten bent. Jack jacked the bullets from his pocket and slid them in his pocket. The others looked at him puzzled. He shot Mac a fond smile.
"You wouldn't believe what my boy can do with bullets." Nick who had somehow managed to keep their one remaining bomb safe, laughed.
"No, I think we would all believe it." They chuckled. Jack had lost the Colt, but he still had the belt pack. The glass of the emergency light shattered, but it still sent the signal. Jack looked up wishing with all his heart that there would be a plane or helicopter. There wasn't. It was just as well, the bloodthirsty bastards still had an armory that would shoot them down. It would save a lot of trouble if a helicopter preferably one with a few Stinger missiles found them. Jack sighed and rubbed his right shoulder. It hurt less but remained and stiff. Jack admitted it might hurt less because his knee hurt like hell. He shoved it all aside and continued the inventory.
Nellie still had her Sharps rifle, and Anna had the Browning Hi-power. One bomb, a handful of bullets, and two guns-Jack sighed and squared his shoulders refusing to give in to defeatism. The surest way to lose a fight was to enter it determined to lose. Nellie packed a small bundle of cooked fish and filled the wooden jug with water. She only had a little packet with two of her magic pot pods, or whatever. They layered all of the blankets on top of each other. Nick and Nellie gently lifted Mac onto the makeshift stretcher. Mac cried out in pain his eyes opening wide. He gasped for breath and rolled to his side choking out blood. Jack awkwardly fell to his right knee beside him.
Any improvement Jack had thought he'd seen was gone. Jack could see blood oozing from Mac's shoulder, and the bone in the back popped out. Not good. The blood Mac coughed up was less frothy, and darker. Not good.
"Brother?" Jack asked his tired face lined with worry until Mac rasped in a faint breath. Mac
looked up at Jack blood staining his chin and the blanket below his head. Jack wiped it with his thumb, rubbing his hand on his jeans. Mac's eyes were twin pools of misery, and Jack could tell he was having trouble focusing.
"Now you got the hardest job, stay breathing, ok? We haven't hauled you to hell and gone to lose you now, besides none of us know shit about rigging up a radio." Mac managed a ghost of a smile then closed his eyes sinking into unconsciousness. Nick helped Jack to his feet. Jack paused looking back at the lonely grave behind them.
"Should we say something?" Anna asked subdued. They were silent for a long awkward minute everyone waiting for someone else to say something. The soothing gurgle of the river and chattering of the birds filled the space. Without a word, they all returned to continue their trek. Nellie led the way. Nick and Dominique carried Mac and Jack brought up the rear.
To say it was a grueling trial was a gross understatement. Everyone was quickly wet with sweat. The snow was melting leaving a thick layer of mud. After the six slogged through that, there were fields of boulders. Some were one or two smaller stones; some were piles of rocks. Jack's three companions worked out a rotation to spell each other carrying Mac. Jack burned with frustration. Mac drifted in and out of awareness. He moaned with every jostle. A steady trickle of blood leaked from the corner of his mouth and nose. His cough was weakening. Watching his best friend die slowly in front of him, gave Jack motivation and allowed him to continue on despite the nagging agony in his shoulder and knee. No one wasted energy talking.
The sun was sinking into the black silhouette of the mountaintop behind them casting long shadows as the river dwindled then vanished underground. The terrain became less stony as the dark forest slowly reclaimed them. Back in the claustrophobic fist of the looming trees. Jack's heart thumped with a primal fear. The increasing sound of savage cannibals echoing through the palpable shadows that danced with menace. Nellie found a small clearing surrounded by pines drooping under patches of snow. Jack nodded in approval and sat beside Mac as the others cut down pine boughs and laid them on the muddy ground.
They shared the two fish and sips of water. The group pulled into a circle and huddled together. A wet dampness wound around them settling in their bones making them all feel sluggish and heavy. The fires from the village lit up like a nest of fireflies in the distance. Occasional echoes of their garbled language and laughter echoed across the darkness seemed to plunge out in all directions like a funhouse mirror in a dungeon. This was the only sign of life as the small group was plunged into complete black silence. They all stayed close enough to touch each other needing contact to remind them they were not abandoned. Exhaustion won. The group managed short, restless shifts
of sleeping.
Shadows, textures, and ghosts pressed on Jack trapping him in a box with his darkest thoughts. The only sound was Mac's creaking wet breathing, a prequel to all of Jack's nightmares. Jack closed his eyes trying to sleep, to push them away, but his imagination wouldn't quit. Jack reached out repeatedly checking the solidness of the blanketed familiar form of his partner. He was afraid this was the nightmare and when he woke up, Mac would be gone. Jack yawned. He glanced at the luminous hands of his watch and forced himself to take a long breath. The air was thick and icy and made Mac's skin feel frigid like a corpse. Jack shook his head only another hour; he prayed for some light that didn't involve the death sentence of cannibals.
Mac's arm suddenly grabbed Jack's arm in a death grip, Mac's breathing turned into a wordless gurgle.
"Mac? MAC!" Jack hissed and whirled bending over his friend. He could feel Mac's body thrash. Jack blindly reached for the kid's face. It was soaking with hot wetness pouring from his mouth. Jack gently rolled Mac onto his side. It didn't help. Jack felt panic sent his heart into a wild gallop.
"Blood's blocked his airway." Nellie said urgently from a mile across the small circle, "make him puke." Jack grimaced opening the kid's mouth and sticking his fingers as far down Mac's throat as he could. Mac's body jackknifed and Jack's hand was bathed in a hot mess. Jack didn't notice. Mac's hand twisted into the sleeve of Jack's coat. Jack clung to Mac's body begging it to take in air. Mac kept losing more and more blood with each violent wretch. Jack looked up as he felt movement. He smelled the faint whiff of flowers and herbs.
"Nellie, thank god!" Jack shouted. He knew he didn't shout, but in the quiet death of the night, his whisper echoed as if he'd screamed "fire!" in a shopping mall. Jack felt his wet hand pulled aside. He winced at the slurp it made. He wiped it on the blankets covering Mac. Jack's lungs fluttered like wings on a bee. "Nellie?" He didn't try to hide his terror. Nellie's voice was steady as a stone.
"I'm just wiping the blood out of his mouth. It started congealing in his throat...Do you still have a syringe?" Jack felt an hour of panic as he fumbled to find the belt pack then dug out an empty needless syringe and held it out with a shaking hand. Nellie waved her hand until she ran into his fist. Nellie groped the plastic from Jack's desperate grip. Jack heard rustling but had no idea what she was doing. Jack was going to scream...he was losing it…
"Here." Nellie took his outstretched hand and moved it to the side of Mac's face. Mac felt cold and dead. His hand flopped away from Jack's coat.
"No, no, no…" Jack's voice came out a tiny squeak; his face was wet.
"He's still with us, Jack. Hold open his jaw as far as you can...be careful not to break it." Jack pushed on the hinges of the kid's mandible. Mac's mouth opened. He was barely making noise now. Jack felt the hard plastic of the syringe and Nellie's blessedly warm tiny hands work around his as she drew up gore then moved the needle. He could hear the squish as she ejected fluid, then she was back drawing up more blood.
"Jack, breathe," Nellie said her voice above a whisper. Jack sucked in a breath and forced his lungs to keep working. He closed his eyes, willing Mac's to do the same. A century later Mac again heaved then took in a feeble gasp. Jack almost screamed. Nellie's warm hands grabbed Jack's wrists, "Let go, he's going to be alright...for now." Jack dropped his hands and curved over his chest caving with pain. A warm embrace engulfed Jack.
"Easy, kiddo, breathe. Our boy's still here. He's too stubborn to leave us in a pickle, right?" Jack started crying, he couldn't help himself. He was glad he couldn't see the thick blood on his hands. He could feel it greasy and thick as pudding. Dominique pulled him in closer and rocked him. Jack's tears and snot joined the mess on his hands. "Shhh, listen." The African-American woman said. Jack exhaled a long stuttering breath. Mac still wheezed, but it wasn't as bad as it was, thank god. Dominique gently pushed Jack toward Mac. Jack didn't need encouragement. He flopped down to the muddy pine behind Mac. Careful of the kid's broken shoulder, he pulled his brother close leaning his head against Mac's neck. Jack bit his lip stifling a cry of pain as Dominique reached down and straightened his right leg.
"Sorry." She whispered. Jack let out a deep breath.
"Thanks, ladies. If you weren't...hadn't…" Jack's voice quavered again. Dominique patted him on his hip.
"Get us the fuck outta here, and we'll call it even." Jack smiled and closed his eyes fatigue making them impossible to keep open.
"Deal." He murmured.
An eyeblink later he jerked awake every muscle ready for mortal combat.
"Jack." Mac wheezed. Jack jumped back realizing he'd given his partner a bear hug in his sleep. Jack pulled his hands back in horror.
"Mac!" Mac coughed, "Oh my god, kid, I'm…"
"Jack...shhh...you'll wake up...the whole ne...neigh...borhood." Mac panted. Jack winced and went to rub his face only to stop feeling the dry glove of mess on his hands. Mac sounded like he was trying to suck air in through a straw buried under a mile of broken glass.
"S...sorry, bud. You scared the crap out of me." Jack breathed. Mac gagged.
"I'm...k…" Mac's voice tapered off, "is it...all...black….o...or...me?"
"No it ain't you, this shit place has become the heart of darkness." Jack grinned as Mac managed a familiar groan even if it did end in a rolling cough. Jack opened his mouth to say something but Mac's body had relaxed into sleep. Jack rolled onto his back and checked his watch. He frowned unable to see the soft light beneath the dried gore. Jack pushed him up to sitting.
He silently counted the deep breathing, everyone accounted for and sleeping. Jack let loose a breath he hadn't known he'd sucked in. He scooted back until his hands ran into a pile of wet snow. Jack grabbed it up by the handfuls and washed off his hands as well as he could. He dried them on his jeans then looked at his watch. Another half an hour and the sun should be peeping over the horizon. He glanced up the bluff. The cannibals had gone quiet. Their savage celebration had quieted. Jack still heard their gibberish. Jack froze and strained his ears.
"Son of a bitch!" He swore. On Mac's other side he heard a rustle.
"What's wrong? Mac…?"
"No, listen." There was silence followed by a loud gasp.
"My god, how could they?" Jack sighed and ran his hands over his face shaking off sleep. From the sounds from above, it was apparent Nellie's people had joined forces with the flesh eaters in the village above. Not good. Jack forced his tired mind to wake up and shake off the despair.
"We threaten their way of life." He guessed.
"But to throw in with cannibals...it was bad enough they'd trade…" Jack wasn't surprised the girl had flipped into flat-out denial. There was only so much a rational mind could handle, and they all had reached their quotas a long time ago. He leaned forward until he found her thin arm. She jumped at his touch then put her hand over his.
"It doesn't change anything, darling. We're gonna get out of here as planned." He could almost see her smile.
"There's a plan?"
"Always." Jack chuckled. He moved his hand to Mac's side feeling the relief of the kid's breathing. Jack closed his eyes hating himself, "Nellie." His words evaporated.
"Jack? What's wrong?" Panic flared in her voice. Jack looked directly into the dark where he thought her face was.
"How much of those magic pot pods do you have left?"
"Three, why? What?"
"Listen to me, sweetheart." Jack took in a breath and forced himself to go on, "I need you to put it all in a medicine to give to Mac along with something to keep him alert and aware."
"I could probably use chickory, and I have…"
"Whatever you got Nelly. It has to keep him going without feeling any pain." There was a long minute of silence.
"Jack, that will…"
"I know that, Nellie." Jack's voice was short and harsh. He let out a long breath and rubbed his short hair, "I know, girl. I'm...We have no choice. We need him able to make that radio or we're all dead."
"Alright, Jack. At first light" Jack nodded forgetting the girl couldn't see him. He leaned his head on his hands fighting the urge to cry. How could Jack choose between Mac and all of their survival? He pushed the heels of his hands against his wet eyes. He laid a hand on the unmoving blond, his fingers automatically finding Mac's bangs and pulling them back from his damp skin. Mac turned into his touch. Jack bit his lip to keep from screaming. He made Mac a promise if what he did killed his best friend, Jack would stay and die at his side even if rescue somehow came. Jack knew there was no way he could live without Mac. Jack closed his eyes and bowed his head letting his silent tears flow.