Saving Grace

Chapter 12

Joe picked his way down the mountain. Most of it wouldn't be bad if they would be able to angle across the hillside as if they were using switchbacks. He grimaced as he came upon the wreckage from the other wagon. He picked his way through, smiling as he located the cache high up in a tree. She did a good salvage job.

Joe looked back up the mountain, calculating the path they'd have to travel and shook his head. "We're gonna hafta come right through this mess." He kicked a few boards and grimaced at the mutilated animals, wondering how they'd get them moved out of the way.

"I'm pretty sure we can save some of the wagon parts."

A crow cawwed in response.

Joe looked up at the black bird. "You don't think so?"

The bird cocked its head and cried again.

Joe shook his head and turned his attention to the mountain. He leaned against the wagon wheel and studied the hillside. He spent several hours plotting trajectories, examining possible trails, and marking items off his mental list. When he was finally satisfied with his plans he picked his way up the mountain toward camp.

He almost missed the rifle and hat on the ground. He looked around, expecting to see someone. The battered hat looked as if it had been used to collect leaves as they'd fallen from the trees. The stock of the rifle had been broken, almost shattered. The barrel seemed to be scratched but straight. He ran his fingers over the metal, his eyes narrowed. Next to Levi's rifle, this was one of the oldest he'd ever handled.

"What is going on around here? No phones. No batteries. They're using wagons and haven't heard of basic medicine?" He ran his hand over his scarred head. "It's almost like ... I've gone back in time ... no, that's not even possible."

He once again turned and examined the familiar landscape, devoid of all roads, 4-wheeler trails and the cell phone tower in the distance was gone. He blinked several times, then rubbed his eyes. Maybe it's on the next hillside that's hidden in the clouds.

Joe picked the hat up and beat the dirt and leaves out of it before plunking it onto his head. He picked up the shattered rifle, wondering if he could fix it.

He barely noticed the shocked looks as he plopped down by the fire.

"Where... Where did you get that hat?"

Joe looked up. "It was about halfway down. My scars are getting burned by the wind and sun." He shrugged.

"Th- That's pa's hat," Levi stammered.

Joe took the hat from his head, turning it around in his hands. He handed it to Levi. "I didn't know."

Levi humbly took the hat, rolling it around in his grasp. He closed his eyes for a moment before sharing a look with Sarah. "Here, you keep it," he said as he handed it back. "Pa don't need it anymore."

Joe looked at the boy. "You sure?"

Levi nodded. "Grace is hurtin' bad again. I was just gonna come lookin' for ya."

Joe shot a glance toward the wagon before digging another pill from his pack. He hurriedly crushed it and stirred it into some broth. "Has she fevered?"

Levi shrugged. "She's hot but not horribly so."

When Joe returned to the fire, Levi asked, "What plan have you come up with?"

Joe sat by the fire and ate a small biscuit Sarah had handed him. "We're gonna set everything up tonight and head out as soon as dawn breaks. We'll criss cross our way down the hill. There's several spots where we'll need to rig up the block and tackle. Sarah, you'll be on the saddle horse. Levi, you'll be helping me with the uphill ropes, trying to hold the wagon steady."

"What about Grace?" Levi asked.

"We'll tie her into the bed and hope for the best."

Levi shook his head. "I don't like it."

"Which part?"

"All of it. There's too many what-ifs. Too many unknowns."

Joe nodded. "Yeah. Life is full of those."

Levi glared at him. "We'll leave Grace and Sarah here. Then take the wagon down."

"No. We need Sarah on that horse. She'll have a rope attached as an anchor."

"Then I'll stay."

"No. You and I need to man the ropes on the uphill side."

"Fine. We'll leave Grace here and come back for her."

"Kid, you're really pushing it. Do you know what lives in these mountains?"

Levi shook his head.

"Wolves. They're not those nice puppies you see in town. These are big, vicious animals. They'd love to get a nice meal that doesn't run away and can't protect herself. The good news would be if we left her and they found her, she wouldn't feel them eating her. This medicine takes away pain."

Levi blanched. Sarah hid her face in Levi's shirt.

"Then there's the mountain lions, cougars. They're always looking for an easy meal. And the coyotes. And the bears."

"You said you killed the one."

"You think there's only one up here? And what about the small predators? Skunks, raccoons, rats, even squirrels will gnaw on a carcass given the chance."

"Grace isn't a carcass."

"Are you gonna put a sign on her? 'Hey! Don't eat me!' Animals can't read, last time I checked."

Levi swallowed hard.

"Then there's the problem of trying to get her down the hill once we have the wagon down. How do you suggest we do that?"

"In the litter."

"It took just about all the both of us had to get her this far. Plus, it hurt her - bad. Imagine the pain of going all the way down that mountain."

"You said she wouldn't feel anything."

Joe snarled. "That medicine takes away the pain. Yeah, I said she wouldn't feel it. But I can tell you from personal experience, the more you move with an injury like that, the worse it hurts - even with the pills. If you want to leave her up here, fine. But I won't be coming back up for her until after you've already made sure she didn't get eaten. That's not an easy thing to find."

Levi swallowed hard, before he nodded. "We'll tie her into the wagon."