Total pages in book: 41
Estimated words: 37111 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 186(@200wpm)___ 148(@250wpm)___ 124(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 37111 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 186(@200wpm)___ 148(@250wpm)___ 124(@300wpm)
“Can you see what it’s caught on? I don’t want to risk moving it if there’s a chance it could slip and really hurt her.”
There was a pause before Sword answered me. “It’s a risk no matter what we do. But she needs out of the water and mud or she’s gonna freeze. Besides, that brace is shaky at best. One good puff of wind or another branch falls and it’ll give.” He scrubbed his hand over his face. “Wish Goose had stayed until we got her free.”
He was right. It was a risk. “We could wait for the others. Could be half an hour before they get to us with the terrain the way it is. Even with Goose leading them to us.” I didn’t want to. I wanted Chloe out of her prison and in my arms where I could keep her safe.
“We could…”
Yeah. I got it. He didn’t want her under there a second longer than she needed to be.
Sword and I locked gazes for long moments before we came to a silent agreement. We’d be doing this now rather than waiting on help.
“I’ll lift this motherfucker.” Sword tested the weight and balance of the log, changing positions a few times before satisfied he was going about it the most efficient and safest way. I knew because it was what I’d do. “OK.” He steadied his stance. The limb was too low to the ground to lift with his legs or put on his shoulder to let his legs take the brunt of the work. He had to lift with his arms and back, which would not only put a strain on Sword’s back but make the lift even more dangerous. If he slipped, Chloe could be in a worse position than she was now. “You ready?”
“Don’t you drop it before I tell you, Sword. I can lift it if you can’t.” Sword was a big-ass, stout motherfucker, but he was also in his mid-fifties. As angry as I was at him, I didn’t want him to be seriously hurt.
“Just get her free, you bastard. I won’t drop it.” I could see by the look in his eyes he was dead serious.
“OK then. On three.”
Sword counted it down. The second he lifted, I pulled Chloe, trying to get her free of the downed log. She cried out, and her body refused to move any farther. With the log off the ground, I immediately saw the problem. Her ankle was caught between a rock and an exposed root.
“Fuck!” I swore as I let her go to scramble to her foot and pull at her leg, trying to free her as quickly as I could.
“Hurry!” Sword’s voice was strained as he yelled at me.
Try as I might, I couldn’t free her ankle. The rock seemed to have some give to it, but not enough for me to pull her free. I was about to tell Sword to lower the limb when I saw another problem. The branch holding it off Chloe’s leg had shifted when had Sword lifted the limb pinning Chloe. If he let it go, the heavy branch would crush any part of Chloe’s slight body pinned beneath it.
“Fuck!” I started digging with my hands, trying to pry either the rock or the root to move it just that little bit. Sword cried out, pain on his face, but he didn’t let go. He bellowed with the strain, still holding the log above Chloe’s leg. The second I freed Chloe’s ankle, I pulled her legs back and rolled over twice, taking her with me as Sword dropped the log.
“Did you get her?” Sword’s voice shook. “Is she hurt?”
“I got her. She’s good.” I had no idea if she was good, but I knew I’d gotten her free before Sword had dropped the log. “Look at me, Chloe!” She was cradled in my arms. I sat on the ground trying to assess her injuries as much as I could. There was nothing obvious other than probably hypothermia. “Look at me!”
Rain pelted her face, making her eyes squint. Even in the small amount of light from the flashlight in my hand I could see her struggling to keep her eyes open as water streamed down steadily onto her face. Ice formed on the ends of her lashes. I didn’t shine the light in her face, even though I needed to see her clearly. That would make her very uncomfortable when she was already freezing and terrified. She managed to look up at me, obeying me like I’d told her to.
“Good girl,” I said, smiling as much as I could. It was fucking cold, and I was very afraid for her as wet as she was. “Can you move your feet for me?” She nodded and wiggled both her feet slightly. “How about your legs? Can you bend your knees?” Again, she did as I asked. “Pain?” She shook her head. Sword wasn’t hovering over us so I assumed he was trying to keep his distance so Chloe wouldn’t freak out.