The truck rocked back and forth, making sickening sounds as metal ground against metal—and then the truck began to slide.
Frightened, Jori fell back, bumping her head on the lip of the truck bed as she scrambled crab-like for safety. She heard Sam bark and a man cry out in pain. Almost as quickly as it began, the trunk shimmied to a stop barely a yard away. It was enough to reveal the ground scattered with the contents of the toolbox.
“Yes.” Jori pumped her fist in the air and then grabbed up an assortment of wrenches, wire cutters, pliers, anything that looked like it might cut something. With an armful of items, she scrambled back to the passenger side and knelt down.
“Having fun?” Law’s voice sounded strangled.
“Fuckin’ dandy.” She couldn’t see him well. The flashlight she’d left in the cab had rolled into the front section during the slide.
She dropped her tools, moved to the front, and reached a hand under the headrest to retrieve it. As she did so the man in the front suddenly reached up and grabbed her by her hoodie.
“Who are you?”
Startled, Jori blindly grasped the first thing to come under her searching hand and swung hard. Her assailant cried out and released his hold. She snatched up the flashlight and shone it in his eyes. “I’m the idiot trying to save your life, asshole!”
She scuttled on her knees to the back section again and shone the light on Law.
This time there was a look of doubt on his face. “Jori. You seem a little overexcited.”
“You think?” Her breath was coming quickly, taking in the cold that made her chest ache.
“Ease back, just a tad, before you wear yourself out.”
“Turn over. Now.”
The light caught a flash in his eye, something she didn’t have time to process before he began squirming to turn onto his stomach. The entire time, Sam lay beside him, whining softly as if cooing to a child.
Jori pointed the light on her collection to choose a tool. But the light bounced around. She grabbed the flashlight in both hands to steady it. Of course, she was bordering on hysteria. She could feel it creeping in. But she pushed it back down into whatever hole in her psyche it had slunk out of. Time to fly apart later.
She chose the oversized wire cutters and, going flat on her belly, slid in beside Law. That’s when she realized his prosthesis was missing. No time to wonder. She felt with her hands for a spot to cut and then slid the blades in under his right wrist.
The cuffs came off with ease. Two quick snips.
The first thing Law did was lever up, grab her by the shoulders. Hard.
Furious with him, she tried to push him away. He held her tight. His eyes were bright but his face was pale.
“You’re no illusion.” For the first time he looked close to happy to see her. But Jori was too cold, achy, tired, scared, and worried to accept his version of an apology.
“Lucky for you. Now let go of me. I’ve got to go find help.”
“The hell you are.” She tried to move away but he continued to hold her in place with what seemed like very little effort on his part. “You aren’t dressed for a long hike. You don’t know the terrain. You could get lost.”
“Or fall and break a leg, and freeze to death. I know that.” Her voice sounded so reasonable. As if she were saying second place wasn’t so bad. She didn’t know why.
“Look at me, Jori. You’re not going. And I don’t have a goddamn leg to stand on—literally. So we’re both going to stay right here until the storm blows through. At least we’ve got some shelter.”
Jori’s gaze went to the man watching them both with hot feverish eyes of pain. He was breathing in short rapid gusts.
“You’ve got to help me get him down and find where he’s bleeding. We can ride this out together.”
Jori held his gaze. She suspected Law could very well take care of his former kidnapper, or whatever he was, alone. But she wasn’t perfectly sure she could find help.
“Maybe I’m not equipped to go for help. But I know who is.”
She looked at Sam, who came instantly alert as if she’d called her name. “Sam’s been taught to go for help when her owner is in trouble. We can send her for help.”
Law shook his head. “I know search-and-rescue dogs. Sam’s not the type.”
“Yes, she is. She will find another human to help. That’s what she’s been trained to do. Even if her owner can’t send her for help, she knows to go and seek it.”
Jori scrambled back on her knees, making space. “Lie down, Law. And close your eyes.”
He watched her for two seconds then went prone.
Jori turned to Sam. “Look, Sam. Law is hurt. We need help.” She nudged Law. “Now your turn.”
Law opened his eyes and looked at Sam and said in a sharp voice. “Sam. Find help!” He gave the hand signal for help Jori had taught Sam.