Montana Wild (5 page)

“Hey, Dad, they’re catching bigger ones on the other side. Let’s go there!” Watching Tommy in his glory was pure entertainment. She chuckled as Rick tried to keep up with his son as he raced across the wood bridge.

The cold beer warmed Jamie’s insides and made her a little drowsy. As she rested her head back on the large rock, her well-earned fatigue combined with the warm sunshine helped her doze off.

A short time later, she awoke to laughter and the sound of the rushing water. Refreshed by her power nap, she stood and stretched her limbs. Fisherman were scattered on both sides of the river. Every few minutes someone pulled in a fish, but they kept only the big ones. The smaller fish were thrown back for another day.

On the other side of the river, Tommy squealed with laughter. He reeled in his line and climbed up the rock bank to a higher perch where he could try his luck. Jamie kept her eye on him since he was making her nervous, but he soon settled in on his new ledge and cast his pole.

Jamie spotted Kevin nearby and strolled over to him as he pulled up his fishing pole. “I never was much of a fisherman,” he admitted to her. “I enjoy it, but I never was good at it. Uncle Jake was though.”

The mention of Jacob’s name drew her back to another place and time. A sad smile crossed her face as she thought of Jacob and made eye contact with Kevin. Reminiscing, she took a few steps toward the river. The sight of the guys fishing caught her attention and instinctively her eyes sought out Tommy. She caught a glimpse of upward movement which drew her focus to a rock ledge above his old perch. He was climbing too high and the rocks hung out over the river. Gasping deeply, her hand clutched her chest.

“Tommy!” she called, but her voice did not carry across the river. Kevin followed her eyes and locked in on Tommy. He called to Tommy too, and then Rick but they could not hear him either. Their voices were drowned out by the sounds of the rushing water. Kevin dropped his pole and hurried to cross the bridge, and she followed right behind him.

Everything happened so fast, but Jamie felt as if she was watching it in slow motion.

Chapter 7

Kevin called again to Rick as he ran across the bridge. Finally he caught Rick’s attention and pointed upward toward Tommy.

Rick looked up and called to his son with panic in his voice. “Tom, I’m coming! Stay put!” Rick began to climb toward his son, trying to scale large boulders in one step. “Don’t move, son! I’m coming.” The climb was steep and rough and more than once, Rick’s footing slipped despite using all four limbs.

Looking lost and scared, Tommy tried to descend, but the ledges were too shallow. He lost his footing but caught himself on a thin ridge.

Kevin, now in a full run, raced against time.

Tommy precariously hung over the rough water. He turned his head looking for help. “Dad! Dad!” he cried frantically. One of his feet slipped so he tried grabbing another rock shelf to his right. He missed his mark and now dangled by his fingertips.

“Hang on, Tom! I’m almost there,” Rick shouted.

“Daaaad!

Jamie ran across the bridge, but suddenly something stopped her. Halting in her tracks, she watched from the bridge as the drama unfolded before her eyes. By now, everyone had ceased their activities and watched in fear as Tom screamed for help.

Jamie knew that Tommy could not hold on for long, and Rick feverishly tried to reach his son over the steep rocky terrain. From her vantage point, she could see that Rick wouldn’t make it in time. Again without thinking, and listening to an inner voice, Jamie climbed over the bridge railing and secured her footing on the thin outside ledge, holding on to the coarse rope with one arm, leaning out over the river. Looking below into the raging waters, she was relieved to see no large rocks. She then focused her eyes on Tommy. As she’d predicted, he could hang on no longer and dropped into the rushing water below.

Knowing she only had microseconds to work with, Jamie fixed her eyes on Tommy. She could not lose sight of him in the churning waters. He was moving fast and her timing had to be perfect so she would need help here and once again trusted the inner voice that said,
NOW!

“Please, God!” she prayed out loud and let go of the bridge as Tommy approached. The ice-cold water jolted her as she went under, and all sound was muffled. She kept her arms open groping for Tommy until she touched the fabric of his life jacket and drew him close. With one hand clutching him and the other arm outstretched, searching for a rock to grasp, the whitewater took charge. She remembered the instructions given earlier and kept her feet in front of her to kick herself away from jagged rocks. As she kicked off one large rock she ricocheted toward another that had enough of a ledge to grab hold.

With almost supernatural strength, she grasped the cold distinct edge of the rock with her right hand. She felt a push from behind as she pulled herself and Tommy around to the back of the rock. Once behind the boulder, they were somewhat shielded from the brutal force of the foaming water and she pulled Tommy in toward her. He looked dazed and she worried he might pass out so she tried to get his attention, tried to get him to focus on her.

“Tommy! Tommy!” She had to shout even though he was only inches away. “I’m going to push you up on top of this rock. Help me.” It took a moment for his face to register comprehension. His eyes were glazed over and he looked stunned but finally he made eye contact with her and his blue lips mouthed, “Okay.”

Still holding on to his life jacket, she pushed him up the rock, and then shoved his small behind to get him up higher. “Pull, Tom! Pull yourself up on the rock.” Again she felt as if someone had control of her arm and after a few pushes, Tommy laid on his stomach, hugging the rock. A little guy like him wouldn’t survive for long in the frigid temperature. The rock was not big enough for both of them so Jamie couldn’t chance climbing up with him. She hung on to the rock with one arm and on to Tommy with her other. The glacial waters were numbing and she had to concentrate to keep her wits.

“Hang on, Tom. They’ll come to get us,” she assured him and herself, though she had doubts of how and when. “Hang on. You’re going to be okay.”

As Kevin ran toward Tom, he heard Rick’s scream of horror as it echoed in the canyons. “Nooooooooooo!” Rick froze for a nanosecond in mid-climb then leapt down and ran toward the river’s edge.

“Oh my God!” A knife-like pain pierced his gut as Kevin saw Tommy’s grip slip and the child fall into the water.

Horror turned to hope as he watched Jamie’s heroic actions which anchored them both, at least for now. Kevin had never experienced such a mix of emotions simultaneously. Hope that Tommy now had a chance and terror deep in his gut that not one person dear to his heart, but two were in grave danger.

As soon as Kevin realized that Jamie had secured her rock, he knew he had to work fast and shouted orders. Since the river ran around a peninsula here, the pair did not travel far from their rescuers and there was a real chance of saving them. Ben was already running to them with lines of rope. Kevin got as close to Tommy and Jamie on the shoreline as he could and began to tie the ropes around his waist.

Rick caught up to them. “Kevin, I’ll go. I’ll get them.”

“No, Rick. I’m already roped up, and I need you to guide and secure the ropes tight from shore. You have the strength for the anchorman.”

Rick didn’t argue, and there was no time to waste. With two ropes secured around Kevin’s waist, Rick took hold of one rope and Ben took the other.

“Kevin, bring my boy back,” Rick pleaded to Kevin with tears in his eyes.

“I will,” Kevin answered, looking him square in the eye.

Kevin made his way into the water.
Damn, it’s cold!
Rick and Ben positioned themselves on shore to help stabilize Kevin as he waded out.

The force of the water battered Kevin around like a toy but the ropes kept him on course. The anchormen on shore tightened and gave more slack in the lines as needed to direct Kevin to his precious targets. Stumbling repeatedly, the slippery rocky bottom hampered his progress and he went under again and again. The dunkings slowed him and Kevin cursed out loud, trying to regain his balance. Time was his enemy since he was already numb from the icy water. He had to get them out. An eternity passed before he finally made it to the pair.

Tommy was out of the water, lying motionless on his belly on the rock as Jamie held on to the life jacket.

“Jamie, are you okay?” he had to shout. She looked pale but nodded.

“Take Tommy!” she yelled back to him.

“I’ll take both of you together!”

Jamie shook her head. “No, the water’s too strong. Take Tommy first.”

Kevin knew she was right, but she didn’t look good. He feared she couldn’t hold on but he also knew he did not have time to hesitate if he wanted to save both of them.

“Tommy!” Kevin shouted to be heard above the water. “Tommy, it’s Uncle Kevin. I want you to move slowly but I want you to come into my arms, like you’re giving me a big hug. I’m going to take you back to your dad. He’s worried about you.”

At the mention of his dad, Tommy’s head perked up. He began to move and reached for Kevin who grabbed him in a bear hug. Turning to look at Jamie, he yelled, “I’ll be back for you. Don’t you let go! Do you hear me? Don’t let go!” he repeated.

“Okay.” She nodded but she did not convince him.

“Promise?”

“Promise,” she answered with a weak smile. He did not want to leave but he had no choice, he turned to go. She was right. He couldn’t have held on to both of them in this rough water. Tommy hugged Kevin as he tried to soothe him with words of encouragement.

“It’s okay, buddy, I’ve got you. You’re gonna be okay. Your dad’s waiting for you. You’re gonna be okay.” As Kevin began to walk back, he could feel the sheer power of his friends pulling on the ropes, leading him back to safety. He could not have made it back on his own. His strength was drained from the glacial waters.

As he neared safe water, Rick handed off his rope to another man and ran into the water toward his son. He embraced Kevin and Tommy, then lifted Tommy out of Kevin’s arms and hugged his son like he would never let go. But Rick did let go and handed his son to Mike on shore. “Go warm him up,” he ordered. “We need to get Jamie!”

“Kevin, let me go now. You’re tired,” Rick offered.

Kevin shook his head. “No time to change ropes. I don’t think she can hold on much longer.” Kevin turned toward the raging waters once again.

As he trudged back toward her, he watched Jamie make several unsuccessful attempts to climb onto the rock. She tried to get more of her torso up onto the boulder and with her back to him, she could not see a large log bobbing in and out of the water heading right toward her.

“Jamie! Look out! Look behind you!” He tried to get her attention but his voice was thrown back at him. In horror, he watched as the log hit Jamie on her right side and she went down, disappearing under the water.

“Oh my god! Jamie!” He was desperate and angry that he could not run faster in the chest-deep water. There was no sign of her.
Where is she? Where’d she go?
He stumbled on the rocky bottom and went under himself, brutally re-energized by the arctic dunking. Righting himself, his eyes searched the river for any glimpse of her as he continued to move forward, beaten by the churning waters.

“Shit!” His slow progress pissed him off. It seemed like forever for him to get there. “Jamie!” He screamed over and over again searching in all directions for any trace of her. His chest knotted up, thinking the worst. Denying the unthinkable, he kept plodding toward where he’d last seen her.

Frantic, he kept calling her, “Jamie!” As he got within a few feet of the rock, he did a double take. He thought he saw something under the water, sticking out under the rock. Fighting the force of the water against his exhausted body, he pushed closer. He reached down and his hand brushed something smooth. He dove under and searched this time with both hands, his eyes open wide in the foamy water. Nothing! He surfaced for a quick breath and dove under again, flailing his arms, refusing to give up. Thrashing under the water, his hand touched something soft.
Yes!
Jamie’s hand was trying to come up from under the rock. Grabbing her hand, he pulled but met resistance. Reaching under the water he felt her head under a ledge. Against the aquatic force, he pushed her head down to clear the rock then pulled her until he felt her release. They surfaced together. Desperate for air, he looked at her as she gulped for oxygen. Jamie was dazed, cold, and pale but she was alive. She coughed and gasped for breath but she was alive and breathing. He held her close.

“Jamie!” He hugged her. Relief flooded through him.

Her eyes fluttered and she fixed her gaze on him and gave him a weak smile.

In a barely audible voice, she said, “I keep my promises.”

He hugged her again, never wanting to let go. Holding tightly to her, he felt the pull of the ropes around his waist, and he turned to help the life lines lead them back to safety. Kevin was ice cold but Jamie felt even colder in his arms. He didn’t realize how exhausted his body was until he neared land. As they drew near shore, Rick, Ben, and the others came out to give them support. Jamie could still walk on her own but she shook violently as Rick put his arms around her shoulders and guided her in. He sat her on a dry rock to steady her.

“Jamie, are you hurt?” Rick asked tenderly, eyeing her.

“I’m fine.” And as if to prove it, she stood up. As soon as she did, her face went ashen, her eyes rolled back and her body crumpled. Luckily, with Rick’s size and strength, he caught her and swooped her up in his massive arms.

“Get her to the doc!” Kevin yelled.

Without another word, Rick carried Jamie up the shore and toward the bridge. One of the others had run ahead to warn Doc of incoming. Kevin was glad Rick had Jamie in his arms, since he wasn’t sure he could trust his own legs after fighting the frigid water. Mike offered him a steady hand while Ben carried Tommy, who was now alert and wrapped in a blanket.

“Is she going to be okay, Uncle Kevin? Is she?” Tommy’s eyes were wide and unblinking.

“She’s going to be fine, Tommy,” Ben jumped in, answering for Kevin.

Kevin and Ben exchanged a worried look.

“Kev, you okay?” Ben asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” But Kevin couldn’t take his eyes off the motionless figure in Rick’s arms.