Page 49 of Trapped

When they were on level ground, he untied the rope and slung his arm around her shoulder. “Did that Decorah Security group tell you what to do when you got out of the cave?”

She sighed. “I had a cell phone in a waterproof case. But it was in the pack. I’m sorry. It’s gone.”

“Don’t beat yourself up over it. The important thing is that we got across the river.”

“Okay,” she answered in a small voice.

“Let’s head that way,” he pointed to his right.

“Why?”

“It’s downhill. Better for the leg.”

“Right.”

They started walking, and she didn’t feel any warmer than when they’d been up on the rocks. It might be May, but the wet clothing felt like ice on her skin.

She tried to clamp her teeth together, but that was too much effort, and she finally gave up and let them click like props in a graveyard movie.

Cash stayed right beside her as they staggered through the woods, occasionally detouring around a patch of brambles or poison ivy or large rock outcroppings.

Too bad the cave entrance was on a rock wall in the middle of nowhere. But that was probably why no one had discovered it. Or maybe they had, but they’d decided it was too inconvenient to develop—like the other caverns in this part of the country that had become tourist attractions.

As their feet crunched across dry leaves, she started wondering how she was going to keep going. She wanted to sink to the forest floor and cover herself with leaves to try and get warm.

But Cash urged her along, and if he could keep walking on his mangled leg, she could damn well keep up.

“I’m not much help,” she muttered.

His hand tightened on hers. “Oh yeah? If you hadn’t risked your life to go into the bunker and get me out, we wouldn’t be here now.”

“Okay.”

He turned toward her and wrapped her in his arms. She clung to him for long moments, glad of the warmth and the comfort.

“Just a little farther,” he said, easing away.

“How do you know?”

“Because we’re due for a break.”

He knitted his fingers with hers, and they kept walking. She started off with more resolve. But soon her head drooped, and she watched her feet shuffle through the leaves and sometimes slide over rocks. When she stepped into a foot-deep hole filled with water, she almost fell over.

Cash pulled her up.

“Okay?”

“Yes,” she managed.

How far had they walked? A couple of miles? Farther? She had no way of judging.

When he stopped short, she made a small sound and looked up.

“Over there.” He pointed ahead of them and to the left.

She squinted, trying to follow his gaze. “What?”

“A cabin.”

“Maybe somebody’s home.”

“And maybe not.”

---