"It's a boat!" JD shouted, running to the top of the boat ramp then running
back.
"It's a person in a boat, Vin. We gotta catch 'im."
Vin looked up at JD, then at Ezra. Desperately looking for assurance. He leaned forward touching the sweating forehead gently like he had seen Nathan do sometimes, and the action got Ezra's eyes to open.
"Go . . . "
"We'll come back." Vin whispered then started shouting and jumping as he ran with JD after the sound of the boat.
It's electric, outboard motor had taken it slowly past the edge of the lake closest to them and they started along it, waving and shouting.
Behind them Ezra, clamped his hand down onto the wound harder, fighting the pain and nausea to succeed in standing. For a minute.
He landed heavily on his backside and cried out before he could stop it. The unforgiving ground and the laws of gravity teaching him a solid lesson he wasn't soon to forget.
The cry had the boy's attention immediately and they scrambled back, taking there places on either side of their baby-sitter and staring wide-eyed at the even paler face.
"Ez-wa, what are we gonna do. That mister didn't stop and we can't walk all the way back home!"
Ezra groaned agreeing totally. He wasn't walking anywhere.
"I agree . . . Master Dunne but . . . we have to . . . reach some form of . . . civilization." He let his head fall back and closed his eyes for a moment, fighting the desire to sleep.
It seemed that was all he did.
Fight.
Fight the urge to lose the meager contents of his stomach.
Fight to stay awake.
Fight the pain.
Fight for breath.
Why couldn't he just accept defeat and move on? Of course he knew that could mean death, but for once he wanted to be able to sit back, close his eyes and not fight. Just give up and let the fates do whatever the hell they wanted.
Think, Standish. Think. You have a lake. He turned his head to the side in the short grass and looked out over the glassy waters.
Nothing there.
Trees, nothing.
No car, nothing.
If there had been a single vehicle in the parking lot he at least could've dragged himself over to it and hot-wired it.
Or teach Vin how to.
He frowned as he let his head fall back to the ground. How had the vandals gotten into this hellhole then?
"Do you . . " He swallowed, catching a particularly painful breath, then continued. " . . . see any horses?"
Vin frowned, and turned his head so he could see up at the sky as Ezra was seeing it and shook his head. He pointed to the cloud just above his head.
"That looks like a whale."
Ezra groaned and rolled his eyes, immediately drawing their concern, though he hadn't meant to.
"I mean . . . the . . . badmen that took . . . took the car. They got here . . .somehow . . . and I need . . ." He closed his eyes tiredly.
It was getting too damn hard to talk. He could barely breath without pain shooting
everywhere. " . . . to know how."
It took a moment or two but Vin and JD caught on to the idea and started searching around, each getting to their feet after a moment and running off one at a time to investigate.
A yelp and the sound running feet and hooves brought a smile to Ezra's face. Up until he remembered two major obstacles in his way.
Vin came running leading the horses. Two geldings of a chestnut color, shoed and apparently well cared for. Both wore plain, non-discript saddles with empty saddlebags and bridles. Strong horses but most likely rented.
Vin too, quickly saw the problem. They now had a way out of the park and to civilization but . . . how could they get Ezra on the horse.
They were both too small to be of much help, and then they had to worry about keeping him on.
Vin had a look of utter dismay in his eyes as blue met green. Ezra saw the worry and the fear and moved with determination, though he didn't get to very far.
He rolled himself onto his stomach with a little too much energy and fell unconscious with a grunt of pain.
Vin stared at Ezra's still form for a few seconds. Then he jumped forward and shoved with all his might until he got Ezra on his back again. He got to his knees and stared at Ezra's chest.
He had suddenly gone limp. He couldn't be dead. He had to be living.
Living people breathed and he had to see Ezra breath.
He waited for what seemed an eternity until Ezra's chest rose and fell with a breath.
JD, who again had frightened tears rolling down his cheeks, went to Ezra's other side and knelt down. When Vin looked relieved and reassured him that Ezra was not he sobbed and laid his head
gently against the man's chest.
This was bad.
This was all very, very bad.
Vin didn't know what to do. He kept pushing down on the handkerchief and thought the evil bleeding had stopped but that was no good when there was no one to help them further.
He looked up at the horses that had begun to chomp on the grass at their feet, then looked over to JD and Ezra.
His young cousin was staring at the undercover agent's slack face, petting the slick forehead and hair gently with one five year old hand, the other remaining steadfastly on his chest.
JD was scared.
Vin saw it.
Vin was scared too.
Scared for Ezra.
Scared that they would have to be out here all night. Scared that Ezra wouldn't last that long. If they could just get to help. Or if Vin could.
He looked at the horses again, then stood and grabbed the reins of one. He looked up at the saddle and led the horse towards a tree.
He wasn't tall enough to reach the stirrups yet, but climbing onto a low branch he was able to reach the seat and from there he knew what to do. Daddy Chris was a good teacher.
He rode the horse back towards Ezra and JD to tell them what he was planning. But Ezra was still unconscious. JD looked asleep. Vin couldn't wake them.
If he did JD would put up a fuss about being left alone and Vin was sure they'd be fine. He had no time to argue
with JD. He had to find Chris and tell him.
Once he found Chris everything would be all right.
Vin turned the horse towards the parking lot then clicked his tongue and the animal started to walk. Impatiently he kicked the horse into a gallop and leaned over in the saddle as Chris had taught him.
He just had to find Chris.
Find Chris.
"It's a person in a boat, Vin. We gotta catch 'im."
Vin looked up at JD, then at Ezra. Desperately looking for assurance. He leaned forward touching the sweating forehead gently like he had seen Nathan do sometimes, and the action got Ezra's eyes to open.
"Go . . . "
"We'll come back." Vin whispered then started shouting and jumping as he ran with JD after the sound of the boat.
It's electric, outboard motor had taken it slowly past the edge of the lake closest to them and they started along it, waving and shouting.
Behind them Ezra, clamped his hand down onto the wound harder, fighting the pain and nausea to succeed in standing. For a minute.
He landed heavily on his backside and cried out before he could stop it. The unforgiving ground and the laws of gravity teaching him a solid lesson he wasn't soon to forget.
The cry had the boy's attention immediately and they scrambled back, taking there places on either side of their baby-sitter and staring wide-eyed at the even paler face.
"Ez-wa, what are we gonna do. That mister didn't stop and we can't walk all the way back home!"
Ezra groaned agreeing totally. He wasn't walking anywhere.
"I agree . . . Master Dunne but . . . we have to . . . reach some form of . . . civilization." He let his head fall back and closed his eyes for a moment, fighting the desire to sleep.
It seemed that was all he did.
Fight.
Fight the urge to lose the meager contents of his stomach.
Fight to stay awake.
Fight the pain.
Fight for breath.
Why couldn't he just accept defeat and move on? Of course he knew that could mean death, but for once he wanted to be able to sit back, close his eyes and not fight. Just give up and let the fates do whatever the hell they wanted.
Think, Standish. Think. You have a lake. He turned his head to the side in the short grass and looked out over the glassy waters.
Nothing there.
Trees, nothing.
No car, nothing.
If there had been a single vehicle in the parking lot he at least could've dragged himself over to it and hot-wired it.
Or teach Vin how to.
He frowned as he let his head fall back to the ground. How had the vandals gotten into this hellhole then?
"Do you . . " He swallowed, catching a particularly painful breath, then continued. " . . . see any horses?"
Vin frowned, and turned his head so he could see up at the sky as Ezra was seeing it and shook his head. He pointed to the cloud just above his head.
"That looks like a whale."
Ezra groaned and rolled his eyes, immediately drawing their concern, though he hadn't meant to.
"I mean . . . the . . . badmen that took . . . took the car. They got here . . .somehow . . . and I need . . ." He closed his eyes tiredly.
It was getting too damn hard to talk. He could barely breath without pain shooting
everywhere. " . . . to know how."
It took a moment or two but Vin and JD caught on to the idea and started searching around, each getting to their feet after a moment and running off one at a time to investigate.
A yelp and the sound running feet and hooves brought a smile to Ezra's face. Up until he remembered two major obstacles in his way.
Vin came running leading the horses. Two geldings of a chestnut color, shoed and apparently well cared for. Both wore plain, non-discript saddles with empty saddlebags and bridles. Strong horses but most likely rented.
Vin too, quickly saw the problem. They now had a way out of the park and to civilization but . . . how could they get Ezra on the horse.
They were both too small to be of much help, and then they had to worry about keeping him on.
Vin had a look of utter dismay in his eyes as blue met green. Ezra saw the worry and the fear and moved with determination, though he didn't get to very far.
He rolled himself onto his stomach with a little too much energy and fell unconscious with a grunt of pain.
Vin stared at Ezra's still form for a few seconds. Then he jumped forward and shoved with all his might until he got Ezra on his back again. He got to his knees and stared at Ezra's chest.
He had suddenly gone limp. He couldn't be dead. He had to be living.
Living people breathed and he had to see Ezra breath.
He waited for what seemed an eternity until Ezra's chest rose and fell with a breath.
JD, who again had frightened tears rolling down his cheeks, went to Ezra's other side and knelt down. When Vin looked relieved and reassured him that Ezra was not he sobbed and laid his head
gently against the man's chest.
This was bad.
This was all very, very bad.
Vin didn't know what to do. He kept pushing down on the handkerchief and thought the evil bleeding had stopped but that was no good when there was no one to help them further.
He looked up at the horses that had begun to chomp on the grass at their feet, then looked over to JD and Ezra.
His young cousin was staring at the undercover agent's slack face, petting the slick forehead and hair gently with one five year old hand, the other remaining steadfastly on his chest.
JD was scared.
Vin saw it.
Vin was scared too.
Scared for Ezra.
Scared that they would have to be out here all night. Scared that Ezra wouldn't last that long. If they could just get to help. Or if Vin could.
He looked at the horses again, then stood and grabbed the reins of one. He looked up at the saddle and led the horse towards a tree.
He wasn't tall enough to reach the stirrups yet, but climbing onto a low branch he was able to reach the seat and from there he knew what to do. Daddy Chris was a good teacher.
He rode the horse back towards Ezra and JD to tell them what he was planning. But Ezra was still unconscious. JD looked asleep. Vin couldn't wake them.
If he did JD would put up a fuss about being left alone and Vin was sure they'd be fine. He had no time to argue
with JD. He had to find Chris and tell him.
Once he found Chris everything would be all right.
Vin turned the horse towards the parking lot then clicked his tongue and the animal started to walk. Impatiently he kicked the horse into a gallop and leaned over in the saddle as Chris had taught him.
He just had to find Chris.
Find Chris.
