Page 70 of Trapped

“What’s that?” she whispered?

“Helicopter.”

“I guess it’s not some random tourist flyby.”

“No.”

“Will they see us?”

“Don’t know.”

The noise grew louder, and she caught a glint of metal above the tops of the trees.

“Keep your face down.” Cash scooted away, and she saw him gathering up handfuls of leaves. He threw them over her, then lay down beside her again and tossed more leaves over himself.

She could hear the helicopter getting closer. Then it sounded like the spy in the sky was hovering above them. From the corner of her eye, she could see Cash’s hand gripping the Sig. But finally, the noise receded.

“We’ve got to get going while we can.”

“I know.”

They both scrambled up, heading away from the burning cabin.

Once more, they heard the helo coming back, and once more, they got down, digging into the leaves and waiting as the motor noise grew louder.

“If they didn’t see me at the cabin, they may think I’m dead,” Cash muttered. “Unfortunately, when they start poking through the ashes, they won’t find a body.”

“I don’t think the guy who caught me saw you.”

“But he knows he was hit from behind.”

When the noise receded, Cash stood up and started jogging downhill.

They detoured around a large rock. “Lucky you looked out the window when you did,” she said.

“I’m due for some luck.”

Neither one of them could move quite as quickly now. “Did the fire trigger any memories?”

“You mean like when Mr. Luskin caught me and Teddy smoking out behind the garage.”

She laughed. “Teddy Luskin. I haven’t thought about him in years.”

“He came up with all kinds of ways to get into trouble. He was the guy who broke the gym windows.”

“Were you with him?”

“No. But we each drank a six pack of beer afterwards. I threw up.”

“Did it turn you off beer?”

“No. I taught myself to like it.”

“I never did. I taught myself to drink coffee. But I just couldn’t get into beer.”

“That’s probably good.”

“Back to the fire. I meant, did it trigger any memories from Afghanistan.”

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