Kate cut Tom’s backpack from his back, retrieved his fire starting material, and then piled up some dead wood a few feet from his prone body. Starting the Vaseline soaked cotton on fire was easy, and the small twigs and sticks soon flared up as she saw Tom’s life slipping away. The fire was quickly roaring after another minute. Kate grabbed the thermos full of hot coffee from her saddle that Granny had handed her as they left that morning. She remembered to get their bedrolls from their saddles and piled the stuff beside her husband. Kate then removed her parka and the semi-frozen clothing from his body, wrapped him in a thermal blanket, and moved him a bit closer to the fire. She stripped her clothing off, wrapped another thermal blanket and a thick wool blanket around her body, and joined Tom by the fire.
She wrapped her arms around Tom and shook him. His eyes opened. “Where’s Granny B. I need to thank her.”
Kate’s teeth chattered. “You’ll thank her in a few minutes. I called for help on the walkie-talkie. I can hear the truck coming up the hillside. Tom, you saved my life. I was about to drown when you shoved me up to the bank. I love you.”
Tom’s mind was fuzzy. “I’ve never been so cold. Who pulled me out of the water?”
Kate rubbed her cheek on Tom’s face. “You fought your way to the surface, and I pulled you out. Now shut up and let the fire warm your body. Here, take another sip of this hot coffee to warm your insides.”
Kate checked her watch. Only fifteen minutes had passed since Tom had leaned over the spillway. She rubbed his fingers and placed them under her armpits. Her mind was fuzzy on what to do, but the fire felt warm. She barely heard the truck come to a stop. “Rick, is that you?”
***
Kate and Tom spent the rest of the day in bed with Granny B and Jackie, tending to them. Several hours passed before they stopped shivering. Tom knew they were lucky to be alive and thanked the ones that came to take them back to the warm bunker. “Granny B, I’d given up when you told me to get my ass in gear. If you hadn’t scolded me, I’d be at the bottom of the pond.”
“Son, I never left the bunker this morning. You dreamed that, but I’m glad your mind knew what I’d say. “Never give up. Won’t quit. Can’t quit.”
Tom thanked her again, and then Granny B said, “Both of you will be darn lucky if you don’t lose an ear or a couple of fingers. Tom, that pinkie on your left hand is turning blue. Your ears and other fingers are red.”
“I don’t have any feeling in it either. Damn, do we have anything that will kill the pain when you have to cut …”
“Don’t think about that now. I’ll check on you after supper. Oh, don’t eat any supper. If I have to knock you out, I don’t want you vomiting on the surgery table,” Granny B said.
Tom gasped. “Can’t you just get a pruning shear and have Rick and Jack hold me down and lop it off? I don’t have any feeling.”
“Hush and get some sleep. I’m the nurse, so listen to me and do what I say.”
Tom changed the subject. “We have to find out who shoved us into the water. Jackie says she’s certain Sam and Lucy never left their room. Rick reported large boots made the footprints. One boot had a small chunk out of the heel. He’s quietly checking everyone’s boots to see if there is a match.”
***
Two days later, Kate massaged Tom’s back before leaving their room for supper. “Hon, what are you going to do about Sam and Lucy?”
Tom looked at his bandaged hand with the short left pinkie finger. “I’m here to tell you that even with that double dose of Oxycodone, it hurt when they cut my finger off.”
“You changed the subject.”
“I guess we’ll have to keep Lucy and Sam locked up in their room until we figure out what to do with them. If they were strangers, I’d shoot them.”
Kate said, “Tom, everyone here except Granny B, Jackie, and Jack’s family were strangers until your plane crashed.”
Tom fidgeted. “I know that, but I got to know her and Lucy on the trek here. I don’t think I can shoot them.”
“I think she’s hiding something. Something big!”
Tom frowned. “Bigger than being Carlos’s ex-girlfriend?”
Kate tilted her head. “Much bigger.”
Tom looked at Kate. “I guess we’ll have to kill Carlos and destroy the gang before we have peace and can raise a family.”
Kate nodded. “Yes, and we need to do it in a manner that sends a message that gangs and criminals won’t be tolerated in Southern Oregon.”
The dinner table was more boisterous than usual. Tom kept thanking the ones that came to Kate and his rescue, and Kate pampered him. Bill sat in a chair with his leg propped up, with Lou and her daughter attending to him. Bill and Lou were now a couple, and Bill talked Tom into bringing her and her daughter to the ranch. Lou’s friend Jane had developed a liking to Colt’s younger brother and stayed in the Community.
Granny B watched Lou mother Bill. “Bill, it looks like you’re in good hands. That wound
