Ezra’s head lolled on his chest and he watched with dazed fascination as a thin string of bloody spittle dropped from his chin to the floor, landing with a wet splat. A calloused hand grabbed his chin, forcing his head up. He stared uncomprehendingly at the blurry face in front of him.
“He’s out of it,” Reggie said, releasing Ezra’s face. “Get Sammy.”
Jimmy opened the door and waved the other man inside.
“Did you get anything?” Sammy asked.
“Nope,” Jimmy said, shaking his head for emphasis. “Kept insisting he was on vacation.”
“Shit,” Sammy said. “I don’t like this. Who knows how many other Feds might be up here?”
“Maybe the guy really is on vacation?” Reggie suggested. “I mean, what does the ATF care about us? It’s the DEA we should be worried about, right?”
“He’s still a Fed,” Sammy pointed out.
“Should we call off the drop?” Reggie asked.
“No,” Sammy replied. “It’s too late. The drop will go as scheduled.”
“What do we do?” asked Jimmy.
“We get the stuff and get the hell out of here.” Sammy looked at his men. “We’ll need to make sure this place is cleaned out, just in case.”
“What about him?” Jimmy jerked a thumb toward Ezra, who lay in a crumpled heap on the floor.
“He knows too much,” Sammy said. “We gotta take care of him.”
Reggie pulled out his gun and smiled. “I’ll do it.”
“Not like that,” Sammy said. “Gunfire might draw us some unwanted attention. No, I got a better idea.” He outlined the plan to his men.
* * * * * * * * * * JD sat on a small boulder, stifling a yawn as he watched the clearing from the bushes. Vin sat beside him, silent and unmoving. It amazed JD that his friend, who normally could not sit still for two minutes at a time, was able to maintain such a motionless pose for so long. He himself was getting antsy and was having an increasingly difficult time keeping still. His gaze drifted to the helicopter and he frowned.
“Vin,” he whispered. “What do we do if they decide to take Ez away in the helicopter?”
Vin looked over at the helicopter thoughtfully. There was no way they could alert anyone if it left, since Chris was the only one who had brought a cell phone on this trip. Even if they had a phone with them, it was unlikely that it would do them any good, since Chris had not been able to get a clear signal after their first day. That left them with one option.
“Stay here,” Vin whispered to JD. Climbing to his feet, he crept into the bushes.
JD watched curiously as Vin stealthily made his way toward the camouflaged aircraft. A grin spread across his face when he realized what his friend was up to.
Silently, Vin made his way around the helicopter, keeping in the shadows to avoid being seen. Once he was behind it, he carefully opened the engine compartment and began disabling the engine. The cabin door opened suddenly and Vin froze, waiting for the men to emerge. One man exited the building and headed to the middle of the clearing, pulling out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. Vin waited until the man was comfortably enjoying his smoke before he quietly latched the door that covered the engine and faded back into the trees.
“They won’t be goin’ anywhere in that bird,” Vin whispered, flashing a triumphant smile.
JD matched his smile then nodded toward the cabin. “They moving out?”
“Maybe,” Vin whispered. “Just have to sit tight and wait.”
They didn’t have to wait long. Several minutes after their hushed conversation, the two men inside the cabin came outside, dragging a limp Ezra between them. The third man quickly joined them, and the men made their way into the woods. Vin and JD looked at one another worriedly.
Vin brandished his knife. “Let’s go get Ez,” he said, his eyes glittering with anger.
JD nodded firmly and followed Vin, gun in hand and a determined look on his face.
* * * * * * * * * * He was moving. Ezra lifted his head, squinting through swollen eyes at his surroundings as he was dragged from the cabin. He tried to pull away from their grasp, but his attempts were feeble at best, as his battered body refused to cooperate. His captors ignored his groans as they hauled him roughly into the woods. Ezra swiveled his head clumsily as he tried to discern his captors’ intentions, but all he saw was trees. They had strapped his backpack on him and sounded far too pleased with themselves back at the cabin for his comfort. From what he had heard of their conversation, he knew these men were not planning something he would enjoy.
“Almost there, Mr. Agent,” Sammy said with a chuckle.
“Yeah, you’re gonna like this spot,” Reggie said, snickering. “The view is great.”
“But you gotta watch out for that first step,” warned Jimmy. “It’s a killer.”
The three men laughed loudly at their own cleverness while Ezra listened in horror. He had no doubt that they were planning for him to have a long fall with a very hard landing. Frantic, he began to struggle weakly against the strong hands that held him.
“Shit, he’s fightin’ me!” Jimmy said as he tightened his grip on Ezra’s arm.
“Hurry up! We’re almost there,” Sammy said, reaching out to help his two men.
Ezra felt his little remaining strength fading and realized that it was unlikely that he would be able to prevent what the three men had in store for him. Still, he resisted and struggled for all he was worth; he wasn’t going to give in without a fight.
“Get him over here!” Sammy ordered his men.
He dug in his heels, but his efforts were in vain. The hands released their grip on his arms and Ezra swayed on unsteady legs for a moment before he was shoved from behind. Time seemed to pause and an eerie silence enveloped him, broken only by the roaring in his ears. He imagined he could even hear his heart hammering in his chest as he found himself suddenly airborne. The sensation of falling through the air might have been pleasant if he hadn’t known what awaited him when he landed.
His fall was violently interrupted when his body suddenly crashed into an outcropping of rock. Ezra instinctively reached out to slow his fall, tangling his right arm in the branches of a small bush growing from the ledge. Wrapping his other arm around the rocky protrusion, he breathed a sigh of relief that he was no longer falling. His relief was short-lived, though, when he realized that his situation had not improved by much. Instead of lying dead at the bottom of a ravine, he was dangling from the side of a cliff and no one but the bad guys knew he was there.
“Aw hell,” he muttered, tightening his grip on the rough surface of the rock.
* * * * * * * * * * “Where are they taking him?” JD whispered as he and Vin slipped behind a clump of bushes.
Vin shrugged. “Don’t know, but I don’t think they intend on bringin’ him back.”
They shared a grim look and then continued trailing the men. There was no trail here, but the men seemed to know where they were going as they dragged Ezra through the underbrush like so much baggage. They disappeared from view suddenly, forcing Vin and JD to increase their pace. What they saw when they again caught sight of the men made them freeze in their tracks. They stood at the edge of a precipice, obviously intending to push their friend to his death. Ezra was fighting them, but he was in no condition to take on three men.
“No!” JD cried when Ezra disappeared over the edge. His face was a mask of horror and his eyes burned with an angry fire as he bolted from the bushes, intent on avenging his friend.
Vin felt as though he had been kicked in the stomach and allowed his rage to take over. He joined JD, and together, the two of them charged into the three unsuspecting men, who were still staring over the edge, admiring their handiwork.
* * * * * * * * * * “Have a nice flight,” Reggie said with a grin, waving as the agent sailed over the edge of the steep ravine.
An unknown voice crying out startled them, and Sammy whirled around in time to see two men bearing down on him. He attempted to duck away, but was unable to move in time to avoid being bowled over. He pulled himself to his feet and watched for a moment as Jimmy and Reggie began fighting in earnest with the two strangers, who he could only assume were friends of the newly-deceased agent. The interlopers were smaller than his men, but fought with greater speed and agility, and he had a sinking feeling that they would prevail. The outrage that seemed to spur them on didn’t bode well for his men, and Sammy decided that retreat was his best option. Throwing one last look at the brawling men, he slunk quietly into the woods and headed back to the clearing and the helicopter that would assure his freedom.
* * * * * * * * * * Vin fought with a ferocity born of wrath. These men had killed his friend and he was not about to let them go unpunished. He and JD used every trick and technique at their disposal to defeat the murdering bastards and were beginning to turn the tide in their favor, when one of the men tired of the fisticuffs and drew his gun, pointing it firmly at Vin’s head. Vin froze, letting his arms fall to his sides as he gazed calmly at the large man.
“Move and you’re dead,” Jimmy said, breathing heavily.
Vin merely gave him a cold, silent stare, which seemed to unnerve the man.
“Reggie,” Jimmy called, not looking away from his captive.
Behind them, JD had taken notice of Vin’s predicament, and with a burst of speed, he spun and planted a solid roundhouse kick to the side of his opponent’s head.
Reggie, who had bent down in preparation to charge the young agent, was caught off guard by the blow. Staggering backwards, he found himself teetering on the edge of the ravine. His arms windmilled wildly as he struggled to regain his balance. “Jimmy!” he screamed as his foot slipped and he toppled over the edge.
Jimmy turned in time to see his friend fall. The distraction was all that Vin needed. He lashed out with lightning speed, kicking the gun out of the thug’s hand, breaking his arm in the process. Not to be defeated so easily, Jimmy dove for the gun, reaching it at the same time as Vin. The two men struggled for the weapon, rolling around on the ground as each fought for dominance. The sudden report of the gun echoed through the wilderness.
JD stopped short, shakily aiming his own weapon at the two still forms in the dirt. “Vin?” he called, his voice laced with fear as the silence dragged on.
“’M okay, kid,” Vin finally gasped, pushing the dead body off of his chest.
“Thank God,” JD breathed, lowering his gun and dropping to the ground.
Vin crawled over to sit with him. “Good job on that other guy,” he complimented.
JD nodded wearily. “The third guy got away.”
“He can’t get anywhere in the chopper,” Vin said. “I pulled the spark plugs. He’s gonna have to walk out of here.”
“What are we going to do about Ez?” JD asked quietly. “I don’t want to leave him out here.”
“Maybe we can use the radio in the chopper to get some help,” Vin suggested.
JD slowly picked himself up from the ground and walked to the edge of the ravine. Steeling himself for what he was going to see, he leaned forward and looked down.
“JD,” Vin said, scrambling after his friend. “You don’t have to look.”
JD didn’t answer, instead moving further along the edge.
“What’s up?”
“I don’t see Ez anywhere,” JD said with a frown.
Vin joined him, scanning the rocky ground below. The body of the goon who had fallen lay sprawled awkwardly among the rocks, but there was no sign of Ezra. Vin headed in the opposite direction, while JD continued his search along the edge, hoping to catch sight of their friend. A flash of movement caught his attention, and Vin narrowed his eyes, scanning the area closely for its source. He took several more steps and was rewarded with a glimpse of a blue-clad leg dangling in the air about thirty feet from the top. The leg moved suddenly, trying to gain purchase on the nearby rocks, and Vin sucked in a stunned breath. “Jesus,” he whispered.
* * * * * * * * * * Ezra was unaware of the battle being waged above him. His world had narrowed to the small ledge and scraggly bush that had kept him from meeting an early demise among the sharp rocks at the bottom of the ravine. Climbing out of here was his only hope for survival, but thus far, he had had little success. His legs hung too far away from the face of the cliff to get any kind of foot hold, and the beating he had endured had left him too weak to compensate with his arms. All in all, his situation sucked.
He rested his head wearily against the rock, wishing there was a way to drop his backpack. The weight of it was sapping his strength and he didn’t know how much longer he would be able to maintain his hold. His eyes were closed when Reggie fell past him and he never heard the man’s panicked screams over the sound of his heart pounding in his ears. The gunshot from above did break through the fog, however, and Ezra groaned aloud, assuming that his tenuous perch had been discovered. He just hoped that they were bad shots, since there was no way to avoid their bullets without falling to his death.
* * * * * * * * * * “JD!” Vin shouted excitedly. “Get over here, quick!”
The younger man didn’t question him and rushed over to where he stood. “What?” he exclaimed breathlessly.
“Look!” Vin said, a grin splitting his face.
JD looked to where Vin had indicated and gaped at the sight. “Ez!”
“That lucky sonofabitch,” Vin commented. “I don’t know how he did it, but he’s alive.”
“Maybe not for long,” JD said, his forehead creasing with concern. “We better get down there and help him.”
“I’ll go get the pack,” Vin said, turning on his heel and darting into the woods.
“Ez!” JD yelled. “Ez, we’re here! Hang on!”
Ezra didn’t respond, but gamely continued to hang on to the ledge. Vin returned after a few minutes and hastily unfastened the coil of rope from the backpack. JD smiled, glad that he had brought some of his climbing gear, despite Buck’s assertion that he wouldn’t get a chance to use it. Vin had also brought gear, but it was lost in the river, along with his backpack. They hadn’t planned to do any rock climbing, but thought it would be useful to have ropes and harnesses with them in case of an accident. Lifting his pack, JD unzipped one of the side pockets and removed a harness, handing it to Vin. He was a good climber, but Vin was better and more experienced.
“How do you want to do this?” JD asked. The tiny ledge from which Ezra was dangling was located below a crumbling section of the cliff face, and it would be difficult to get to him without dislodging some of the rock.
Vin studied the rock face, cataloguing all of its features and plotting the best path toward his beleaguered friend. “You’ll have to start over here and move over to him.”
“Me?” JD looked at him, confused.
“You’re smaller than me,” Vin said as he expertly rigged the harness. “It’ll be easier for me to pull you and Ez up than the other way around, and you’ll fit better on that ledge.”
JD nodded in agreement. “Okay.”
Minutes later, JD stood at the edge. Mimicking Ezra’s two-fingered salute, he started his journey down the cliff. The surface of the rock was rough and jagged, giving him plenty of handholds. It didn’t take him long to bring himself nearly level with Ezra. He began to make his way sideways along the rock face toward the southerner.
“Ezra,” he said quietly when he was only a few feet away. “Ez, it’s me, JD.”
The southerner showed no sign that he had heard him, so JD moved closer, speaking softly so as not to startle him. “Ez, we’re here. Me and Vin are gonna get you out of here. Can you hear me?” He reached out and touched his friend’s head gently. He was unprepared for the reaction he got. The startled man lashed out at him with his foot, kicking him solidly in the chest. JD lost his grip on the handholds and fell several feet before the rope abruptly stopped him. The sudden change in velocity sent him crashing into the cliff, his head bouncing off of the rock with a sickening thud.
* * * * * * * * * * There was an odd hum intruding on his world, distracting his focus from the task at hand. Ezra paid no heed to the voices trying to get through the haze. He couldn’t afford to lose his concentration. That would delight his tormentors far too much, and he was not going to allow them that pleasure. Concentrating on his goal, Ezra again swung his leg upward in yet another futile attempt to climb into a better position.
He closed his eyes and rested, trying to ignore the pain shooting through his body. His arms were growing numb and Ezra knew he had little time left. Again, the voices tried to break through his wall of concentration. They were closer this time and almost... familiar. It was getting harder to ignore them. He kept his eyes closed, not wanting to see the gloating faces of the men who had caused his current predicament. Something touched him and Ezra reacted without thought, striking out at the person who was after him. He smiled in satisfaction as his foot solidly connected with flesh.
* * * * * * * * * * “JD!” Vin cried out as he was nearly knocked off his feet by the sudden force on the rope. Bracing himself against a tree, he slowly pulled on the rope, hauling his friend up a foot at a time. His muscles burned with the effort, but JD’s head finally appeared at the top of the precipice. Securing the rope, Vin rushed over and pulled him the rest of the way up.
“JD, are you all right?” Vin checked him for injuries, finding only a large, bleeding bump on his head. “Damn!” he muttered, sitting back on his heels. He didn’t want to leave JD unattended, but Ezra was not going to be able to hold out for much longer. Working quickly, Vin undid the harness, putting it on himself. After testing the knots on the rope, he made his way to the edge of the cliff and started climbing down toward Ezra. It wasn’t the safest thing to do without having someone on top to man the rope, but given the circumstances, he had little choice.
It took him longer than he expected, but finally he was within reach of Ezra. He approached cautiously, noting the lines of strain on the southerner’s bruised and bloody face.
“Ezra,” he said softly. “It’s Vin. I need you to look at me.”
* * * * * * * * * * The voices were back. He sighed inwardly at their persistence and tried to ignore them, but the voices continued their insistent urging, forcing him to pay attention. Ezra was confused. Something about this voice made him feel safe. His curiosity got the best of him and he turned his head toward the soft voice calling his name. “Vin?”
* * * * * * * * * * Ezra recognized him. Vin breathed a sigh of relief. “Yeah, pard. It’s me.” He reached out and touched Ezra’s shoulder, feeling the tremors in the muscles there. “Got yourself in quite a spot.”
“You might say that,” Ezra said softly.
“Hang on for a couple more minutes and I’ll get you out of here.” Vin pulled himself onto the small protrusion of rock and unfastened the rope. There was no way he was going to be able to get Ezra into the harness quickly enough, so he had to make do with tying the rope around his chest. The backpack made it more difficult, but he couldn’t remove it without risking Ezra’s tentative grip on the ledge. Carefully, he threaded the rope through the shoulder straps and under his shoulders, whispering calm reassurances to the other man.
Once the rope was secure, Vin let it drop. He had left himself plenty of slack, which now looped down below Ezra and back toward the top. Calmly, he said, “Ez, I need you to hold on for a few more minutes, okay?”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Ezra said, his damaged lips curling slightly into a faint smile.
Vin smiled, then turned around and started free climbing back toward the rope. Once he reached it, he quickly made his way to the top, where he rested briefly and checked on the still-unconscious JD before picking up the rope again. He took up most of the slack and called down to Ezra. “Okay, Ez. I’m gonna start pullin’ you up now.”
After Ezra’s faint acknowledgement drifted upward, Vin braced himself and started hauling the other man up. It didn’t take him long to realize that it wasn’t going to work. He could have handled Ezra alone, but the added weight of thirty pounds of gear was just too much for his tired muscles. The other man was in no condition to assist him, so the only option was to go down.
“Ez!” he yelled. “It ain’t gonna work. I’m gonna have to lower you down.” A light tug on the rope confirmed that Ezra had heard him. Keeping his hold on the rope, Vin untied the end, taking his best guess as to how far it was to the bottom. He retied it securely and began lowering Ezra downward, his arms straining with the effort. Finally, the rope went slack, and Ezra signaled he was down with two tugs.
Vin sat back, exhausted, but his work wasn’t finished yet. He still had to get Ezra out of the ravine. He wasn’t up to pulling both him and his backpack up at the same time, but he could manage them separately. Sighing wearily, he moved to the edge and told Ezra what he had planned.
* * * * * * * * * * Ezra leaned his aching head against a boulder and watched as his backpack was hauled up the craggy rock face. It had been a shock to find the sharpshooter clinging to the cliff next to him, and an even greater surprise to discover that JD was with him. He hadn’t seen or heard the other man, though, and assumed he was up top, helping Vin. Chris had probably sent them after him to bring him back. The man hated when anyone defied him. Glancing over at the mangled body of one of his captors, he had to admit that he was grateful for the intervention.
The rope, now with a harness attached, suddenly landed next to him, startling him from his musings. Pain flared in his midsection as he reached for it, but he gritted his teeth and pulled it toward him. Sliding it awkwardly over his legs, Ezra secured it around his waist and tugged on the rope to signal his readiness to Vin. The tension on the rope gradually increased and he struggled to his feet, determined to assist Vin as much as possible.
* * * * * * * * * * Vin sighed with relief when Ezra’s hands came into view and the stubborn southerner dragged himself weakly over the edge. After tying off the rope, Vin hurried to pull him the rest of the way up, dropping into the dirt beside him when he was safely on solid ground.
“Good job, Ez,” Vin said.
“Likewise, Mr. Tanner,” Ezra said, still breathing heavily from the exertion.
“Come on,” Vin said, tugging on Ezra’s sleeve. “Let’s get you fixed up.”
Slowly, Ezra levered himself to his hands and knees, pausing for a moment before accepting Vin’s help to get him on his feet. As they shuffled toward a tree, Ezra spotted JD lying nearby and turned his questioning gaze to Vin, who waited until he had the southerner settled on the ground before responding.
“He hit his head,” Vin said with a shrug.
“How?”
Vin looked away, unsure of how to answer.
“Vin?” Ezra’s voice took on a worried tone.
“He went down after you,” Vin said, meeting Ezra’s concerned gaze. “Lost his footing and banged his head on the rocks.”
A hazy memory flickered in Ezra’s mind and he said softly, “I kicked him.”
“It’s okay, Ez,” Vin said earnestly. “You couldn’t have known it was him.”
Ezra didn’t reply, refusing to meet his eyes.
Vin shook his head and picked up JD’s first aid kit. “You look a little ragged there, pard. Let me check you out.”
Ezra nodded, allowing Vin to tend his injuries.
“Probably got a few cracked ribs here, but it don’t look like anything else’s broke,” Vin said finally, after carefully inspecting Ezra’s face and ribs. “You’re gonna be showin’ lots of colors for a while.” He finished taping some gauze in place on Ezra’s scraped hands. “Any idea what those assholes wanted with you?”
“They were rather upset at my intrusion upon this trail,” Ezra said tiredly. “They were questioning me as to the presence of other federal agents in the area.” He grimaced slightly as he shifted position. “I believe they are smugglers of some sort – probably drugs, as they kept referring to a ‘drop’ that is supposed to occur tomorrow.”
“Well, there’s only one of ‘em left,” Vin said. “Me and JD took care of the other two.”
As if reacting to his name, JD groaned and moved his head.
“JD? Hey kid, you awake?” Vin shook the younger man’s shoulder gently.
JD opened his eyes, blinking owlishly at the two faces looking down at him. “Vin?”
“How’s the head?” Vin asked.
“Hurts,” JD replied, turning to look at Ezra. “Oh man.” He turned away suddenly and vomited.
“Concussion,” Ezra commented.
“He ain’t the only one,” Vin said, giving Ezra a knowing look. “I saw that bump on your head.”
Ezra shrugged. “I have recovered somewhat.”
Vin rolled his eyes, and returned his attention to JD. “Just lay still for a bit, kid. I’ll get you some water.” Ezra handed him a canteen.
“It’s getting dark,” Vin said after giving JD a drink. “You guys think you can walk for a bit?”
“I believe I can manage,” Ezra assured him.
“Me too,” JD said.
“I think our best bet is the cabin,” Vin said. “We might be able to use the radio in the chopper to call for help.”
“What about the other miscreant?” Ezra queried. “Suppose he is their pilot?”
Vin flashed a mischievous grin and reached into his pocket. “He won’t get far without these.” He opened his hand to show Ezra the spark plugs he had removed from the helicopter.
“You are quite a devious man, Mr. Tanner,” Ezra said with a grin. “A man after my own heart.”
JD chuckled. “Vin’s almost as sneaky as you, Ez.”
“Almost?” Vin slapped him playfully on the shoulder, then started gathering their gear. “We better get going.” He shouldered Ezra’s pack, ignoring the other man’s protests. JD took his own pack, and the three men supported each other as they hiked into the woods.
* * * * * * * * * * The night passed without incident inside the rustic cabin. The criminals had furnished the two-room structure with three collapsible cots and a beat-up table and chairs, providing the agents a comfortable place to stay the night. After a quick dinner prepared on the small wood stove, Ezra and JD had immediately retired to the cots, wrapped snugly in their sleeping bags. Vin had stayed awake for a while longer, keeping watch over his friends and waking them periodically to check on their conditions. He had attempted to use the helicopter radio to summon help, but found that it had been sabotaged. It was too dark to attempt repairs, so he returned to the cabin. After creating a rudimentary alarm by stacking empty cans at the door and windows, he stretched out on the third cot and allowed himself to sleep.
Despite being the last to fall asleep, Vin was the first to awake in the morning, albeit a bit later than usual. His makeshift alarms were all intact, so he turned his attention to his two friends, who lay sleeping on either side of him. JD slept peacefully, looking none the worse for wear. Ezra, though, looked terrible. His face was a collection of mottled bruises and, even in sleep, Vin could detect faint lines of pain marring his countenance. He sighed and moved to the stove to brew some coffee, wishing there was more he could do to ease his friend’s discomfort.
The coffee was almost ready when JD began to stir, blinking sleepily in the daylight.
“Hey, kid,” Vin said, crouching next to the young agent’s cot. “How’re you feelin’?”
“Okay,” JD said, yawning as he wriggled his way out of his sleeping bag. “Head hurts a little.”
“Here.” Vin handed him some aspirin and a cup of water.
“Thanks,” JD said, accepting the pills gratefully. “Need some help with breakfast?”
“Nah, I got it.” Vin turned back to the stove. “Figured I’d whip up some flapjacks.”
“Think we should wake Ez?”
Vin shook his head. “Let ‘im sleep a while longer.”
JD looked at the sleeping man and grimaced. “Yeah, he’s gonna need it.”
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