Page 58 of Convergence

I took my chance to get to the edge of the river, still in a crouch. The riverbed proved to be an obstacle when I slipped going up the riverbed and my fingers caught in the frigid, slimy clay. I scrambled my way up and ran downstream to where Nate had been fishing. I jumped over the same log he had and crouched behind it and listened. There was nothing moving around me or voices in the distance. Where were Nate and Everett? I waited a moment to catch my breath before I made my way through the woods to ‌find them.

I heard shouting in the distance and dread filled me. I stifled a sob with my gray clay covered hands before I crouched down and hid next to a tree. Who had been caught? Was it both of them? Was the ranger now calling for backup? Images of the guys being shoved into the back of a cop car or cornered and shot flashed through my mind. I felt helpless and alone, shivering on the floor of the forest. More shouting sounded in the distance, this time two voices. I couldn’t tell who it was, only that both voices were male.

This was it; the gig was up. We were about to be carted away and treated like terrorists. I was going to die in prison away from Nate and Ev. I laid down on the cold, damp forest floor and cried. It had been only three or four days since we went looking for Daisy on campus, but I was tired. Those days felt endless and exhausting as I reflected on them. It was too much for me, and I felt weak. I should have been able to protect the guys better. We should have only spent the night here with Easton and then left for another hiding spot. I felt unsettled and sick with anticipation as I waited for everything to blow up in my face even further.

It had to be near an hour on the ground of the forest before I heard the distinct sound of someone starting up an engine and driving away through the woods. It was only the one car, and I wondered if the ranger was leaving on his own or with one or both of my guys in the back. Wouldn’t he have called in back up to look for the rest of us?

On unsteady feet, I stood and walked stiffly through the forest. My joints and surgery sites were achy and cold, limiting my range of mobility. I was ‌lost in the forest, ‌but I could smell the birch smoke of Easton’s campfire, so I knew I was close. The desperation to get to the cabin and see Nate and Everett was so strong I didn’t feel the ache of my bones and the cold anymore. I trampled through the brush until I emerged on the side of Easton’s parcel, not where I thought I’d come out, but safe‌.

Easton’s eyes widened as he saw me approaching, covered in mud and leaves, soaked with river water, and wild desperation on my face. “There you are,” he said, relief in his voice as he rushed to me. I was sure I was a sight to see limping out of the forest like I’d been attacked by a bear.

“Where?” was all I could hoarsely say, looking around me.

Easton shook his head and grabbed my arm to help me to the fire. “They’re not back yet. I take it you got separated?”

I nodded and craned my neck around to look for Everett and Nate.

“Sit by the fire, I’ll find them. They’re probably still hiding. Relax,” Easton said and pushed me into a chair by the fire.

He was calm as he spoke to me, but I was feeling anything but relaxed as I almost tipped over in the chair looking into the woods. My back and knees were screaming in pain, so I aggressively scooted the chair closer to the fire to warm up. It would be days before my knees recovered from this. I knew my limits, and I had surpassed them by kneeling on the cold forest floor.

A crash of branches sounded on the other side of the parcel and Nate stumbled out, brushing debris off of his coat sleeves. I was up and limping to him despite Easton’s warning to stay in my chair.

Nate jogged to me, seeing my struggle, and opened his arms to hug me. My dried clay caked hands gripped him tightly, and he kissed me roughly. “Did you see?” he asked against my lips. “It was a ranger.”

I nodded. “I saw. Where’s Ev? Did you hear yelling?”

“He’s not here yet?” Nate asked, his brows drawing together. “I thought I was last because I got lost.”

Behind him, I caught sight of movement and I looked around him to see Everett walking up the path, tall boots in his hands. I gasped when I saw him, and Nate turned around with me still in his arms. Ev dropped his boots and ran barefoot in the snow to us and wrapped his arms around both Nate and me. I clung to them both, tears of relief falling now. Everett kissed us both as we all clung to each other and caught our breaths and relished in the feel of being reunited.

“I get it now,” Easton said from behind us. I startled, forgetting he was there. “I understand what you said about protecting them both.”

Everett swallowed as he studied his brother’s expression. “They’re… mine,” he admitted. The words were simple but said so much about how he was feeling about our relationship, and I knew ‌I felt the same. A look at Nate to see him standing tall while holding me and Ev told me ‌he felt the same as us.

Easton nodded and gave his brother a soft smile before looking at me and Nate. “Well, you are all probably wondering what the hell that was all about, so come warm up by the fire.”

He put a pot on for coffee as we sat with our chairs pushed together and wrapped in knitted blankets. I wondered if Easton knitted them himself since he had so many.

“Rick is a friend of mine,” Easton began.

“His name is Ranger Rick?” Nate asked.

“It is. He felt it worked better than Ranger Dick,” Easton shrugged. “Anyway, I live here on national park property. Not really supposed to be here, but Rick knows about me and the others who live in the woods. We don’t cause any problems and we’ve helped him out a few times, so he lets us be. He’s also a vet, so he understands that some of us have this drive for seclusion and privacy. I go with him to the VFW every so often to keep a good relationship going. He’s good people. That’s not to say I trust him. He doesn’t know what we do, and he doesn’t know you’re here. As far as he knows, I’m a veteran with PTSD living in peace in the forest. He came here today to check in, as he does occasionally, and inform me of what major media believes you guys have done. He was, indeed, looking for you.”

The guys held my hands on either side of me. Another close call. Though this time it was with real law enforcement. I swallowed tightly.

“What was the yelling about?” Ev asked. “I couldn’t hear what was being said.”

“Oh, sorry about that. I figured it might freak you out,” Easton chuckled. “He knows I’m off the grid up here and asked if I had listened to the radio lately. I said I had not, and he gently informed me that my baby brother was a terrorist on the loose. I got dramatic.”

Everett rolled his eyes. “You get the dramatics from Mom.”

“You obviously didn’t see Dad on the sidelines of your football games,” Easton chuckled.

“You played football?” Nate asked Ev, his eyes wide.

“He did,” Easton answered.

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