In Limbo (20 page)

             
“Have you folks seen anyone else out here?  A larger group, more like six or more
people?”

             
Jeff Craft carefully scanned the two canoes, trying hard not to be too obvious. Three people, two men and one woman.  The two men were together in a canoe, the woman seemed to carry all the supplies, yet she is married to one.  That one seems to have had quite a bit to drink, by the way he is lying in the canoe.

             
“No.”  Tom shook his head and looked toward Sandy, who also shook her head.  “But then we haven't been out here all that long and we're already on the way back.”

             
“I see.  Would you mind giving me a phone number where I could reach you if I have any more questions?  You know, you may have seen something and don't realize that it is of importance to me.”

              Before Tom could say anything, Sandy spoke up: “Why, certainly Jeff, let me give you my home number.  At least I have an answering machine.  Do you have anything to write with?”

             
Jeff produced a small notebook and a pencil, and Sandy proceeded to give him what sounded like a legitimate St. Louis phone number.

             
“Thank you, Mrs. Carmichael.  Sorry to have troubled you all and I hope you enjoy the rest of your trip.”  He handed Tom a business card.  “Please feel free to call me if you notice anything unusual.”

             
As if on cue, the helicopter approached them.  Jeff turned and carefully waded through the water.  He snatched at a rope ladder dangling from the aircraft.  The tourists were once again alone.

             
“What did you make of that, Roger Jones?”  Sandy had a tremble in her voice.  “And by the way I hate the names, Susie and Joe?  How did you dream them up?”

              Tom shrugged, “I just didn't want him to have our real names, that's all.  For some
reason I just don't like that guy.  So, if you don't mind, let's get out of here.” 

             
Tom had already started to paddle again and they fiercely dug their paddles into the water
. 

             
“Sandy, look straight ahead, where the bluff ends right there.”  He pointed, “Right there is our spot.”

              Then the rock wall receded and gave way to a small sandy area.

             
“That's it. Oh baby, you are beautiful.”

              Sandy picked up speed and Tom had to work hard to catch up with her.

                                    Chapter 3
2
                                   

              They beached the canoes.  Tom carefully climbed out and pulled both further out of the water.

              He looked around, Sam and Chris should be here by now.  I hope this is the right place, he thought.

              “Sandy, stay here with Ralph a moment.  I want to make sure this is really it.  Our welcoming committee hasn't rolled out the red carpet.”

              “Hey, you want your shoes?  They're over here.” 

              But Tom just waved her off.  “Nah,” he yelled back.  “I'll just be a minute.”

              Wearing his thin, plastic canoeing sandals, he walked toward the trees. They certainly looked familiar.  Okay, and now to the right and that should be his Blazer.  Yes, there it was, nicely stashed under the trees.  Supposed to be hidden from the burning rays of the sun, it was also effectively hidden from the helicopters.  And right next to it, Ralph's old truck. 

             
OW!  Tom was startled by a sudden sharp pain in his left foot.  He stopped and looked down just in time to see a snake vanish into the tall grass.  Damn, he said to himself, all these years out in the woods, a damned snake bites me now.  Why here and now on this godforsaken trip?  Shit! 

             
He sat down to take a closer look at his foot.  I know better, he thought.  I know better
than to walk into tall grass with just flimsy sandals on.  I could have made some noise.  I know there are snakes around here. Damn!  A closer look at his foot revealed a single bite mark on the outer edge of his left foot, at the base of the little toe.  It was just about where the strap of the sandal had been.  The area was already swelling and getting numb.  Tom took a closer look at the shoe, and there in the rubber of the strap was a tiny hole.  It was not deep enough to completely perforate the strap.  That's good news, he told himself.  I got bit by a snake, but only with one fang. 

             
He reached into the Blazer's glove box, where Chris kept a well-stocked First Aid kit.  He carefully cleansed the area around the fang mark, then covered the wound with a large Bandaid.  Okay, he said to himself, now what?  If I tell Sandy, she'll freak out.  If I tell Ralph, he freaks out.  So I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't.  Shit!  Why me, why now?  And what kind of snake was it anyway?  He couldn't remember.  He felt dizzy when he stood up, and now he felt his heart racing.

             
He climbed into the car.  The comforting scent of the familiar surroundings was almost overwhelming.  He gripped the steering wheel, to give himself a chance to catch his breath.  Then he turned the key and the engine came to life.  At least you had the decency to bite me in my left foot, he said to the now-absent snake.  He carefully drove across the field to get as close as possible to the canoes.  The shorter the distance to Ralph, the better.

             
“What now?”  He asked Sandy, without expecting an answer.  “Sam and Chris should be here by now.  Let's load Ralph up and get back into town.”

              Sandy looked at her watch.

              “Yeah, I think so too.  Let's load Ralph and figure out what to do about Marty.  We can
always come back for the canoes.”

              Tom nodded.  Marty!  Damn, he had forgotten all about Marty.  

              “How bad is she?” he asked.

             
“I can't smell her.”  Sandy wrinkled her nose. “If that means anything.”

              “
Oh well,” Tom said.  “Let's get Marty loaded into the back first, then we'll put Ralph into the back seat where he can lie down.  With the air conditioner on, it'll be cool in no time.  I think there's an old tarp I keep in the back in case I have car trouble in bad weather and don't want to get messed up.  We can wrap Marty in that.”

             
He retrieved an old blue plastic tarp from the back of the Blazer and spread it out in front of the canoe.  Slowly he raised up, feeling tired and old.  He was acutely aware of an ache in his back he had never felt before.  He was missing Chris, suddenly and intensely.  He felt his heart racing, heard every pounding beat inside his head.  Gotta make it home, he told himself.  Just gotta make it home.

             
Sandy grabbed hold of his forearm, tightly, like a vise.

              “I don't want to drive back by myself.”  She had an edge in her voice and looked panic stricken.

              “You won't be alone.  Now let go of me.  I need that arm, damn it!”

              “Sorry.  I'm just suddenly so scared.  I don't know why.”

             
“Try to lighten up a little, okay?”  Tom tried to sound more confident then he actually felt.  His heart beat so hard and fast, he thought he'd choke. 

              “Come on Sandy, let's get Marty moved.  Sam and Chris should be here pretty quick, and we'd best be ready.”

             
“Couldn't we just leave Ralph's old clunker here and pick it up later?”

              “It's pretty secluded.” Tom nodded.  “If that's what you want to do.”

              “I do, I do!”

             
“Let's get Marty moved now, before Sam and Chris get here.”

              They stood staring at the small body wrapped in plastic.

              “Somehow, I remember her bigger than that.”  Tom scratched his head. 

             
“Well, I'm just glad she's not a two-ton woman.”

              Sandy still had that edge in her voice, Tom thought.  Probably pretty tired, but then so am I.  He patted the plastic wrapper. 

              “This seems to be the feet.  Here, you take this end I'll take the upper half.”

              “Story of my life, I always get stuck with the ass end.”

             
“Sandy, if you want the top, just say so.  I just thought it'd be easier on you.”

              “No, no, no.  Don't worry about it.  Let's just get this show on the road.”

             
But it wasn't as they had envisioned.  When Tom lifted Marty's torso from the canoe to the tarp, it felt as if he were picking up a bunch of dried up-sticks, only lighter.  He didn't dare grab just the bag; the plastic just wasn't strong enough to support any weight, and the last thing he needed was for the bag to rip.

              He straightened up again.  He felt dizzy and lightheaded, and his left foot felt like it was on fire.  For a moment, they stood staring at each other.

              “That felt weird.”  Sandy looked at Tom.  “What happened to her?  That felt like a bag of
feathers, just skin and bones.  I know that Marty weighed at least hundred and forty pounds.  What we just lifted wasn't no hundred and forty pounds.”

              “I don't know, and right now I don't care.”  Suddenly Tom felt very very tired.

             
“How did you come up with those names anyway?”  Sandy asked as they were gathering their belongings together.

             
“Just made 'em up.  How about that phone number in St. Louis?  Do you know anyone in St. Louis?”

              Sandy laughed; for the first time all day, she really, heartily laughed. 

             
“It's the number for the zoo.  I had to call it for the Boy Scouts to set up an outing, and I memorized the number.  I thought that was a nice touch.”

             
Tom had to smile.  Yes, he thought, a nice touch.  Ralph hadn't said a word since they arrived.  He just watched as Sandy and Tom gathered everything up.  He looked pale with deep, dark rings under his eyes.  

              “How are you planning on getting me into the car?”      

             
Tom stretched.  “Hey man, relax.  We've got the motor running and the air conditioner cooling things down in there for you.  We'll drag the canoe, with you in it, right up to the car and then we'll help you up.  You just put your weight on your good leg.  That's how we're gonna do it.”

              “It'll hurt.”   

              “Yes, it probably will.”

             
Tom knew he sounded harsh, but he didn't care.  They had the army chasing them, Ralph shot, Marty dead, and Chris God knows where.  To top it all, he was snake-bitten.  What a mess!  They positioned the canoe at a ninety-degree angle to the Blazer's back door, and together they lifted Ralph out of the canoe and stood him up.  While Tom steadied him, Sandy climbed into the back seat.  When they were done, Ralph had to admit that he was pretty comfortable.

             
“Lets leave the canoes behind.”  Tom looked around, feeling dizzy and lightheaded.  “And let's get out of here.”

             
“But what about Chris and Sam?”

              “Let's leave them a note.”

              Tom dug into the glove box and produced a scrap of paper and a pen.  On it, he wrote, 'Been here and headed back.'  He stuck the note under the windshield wiper of Ralph's old truck. Together they carried the canoes into the underbrush, closer to the river.  Leaving them upright, they pushed both canoes into the dense growth.  Then they left.