Royal Ransom (17 page)

I looked down at the two of them sleeping. Curled up together, they both looked so peaceful, as if they didn't have a worry in the world. I was almost tempted to just let them sleep for a little while longer. Tempted, but I really couldn't … unless it was still really early. I knew the sun was up there somewhere—probably just creeping over the horizon. I hadn't figured on leaving until around six. I wondered what time it was. If only I had a watch.

Victoria's watch was on her left wrist. Unfortunately, the way she was sleeping, her left wrist was all tucked up underneath her other hand. I got closer and bent down, trying to somehow catch a glimpse of the time. All I could see was the watchband. Maybe if I could just move that one hand slightly I could see. Slowly, carefully, I reached down and took her hand. Her skin was so soft—amazingly soft. Gently I started to move her hand and—

“What are you doing?” she asked groggily.

I dropped her hand and jumped backwards. “I was just trying to find out the time!” I exclaimed. “I'm sorry!”

“Is it time to get up?” Andrew asked as he opened his eyes.

“I don't know,” I said. “I don't know what time it is.”

Victoria looked at her watch. “It is a few minutes before six.”

“Then you could stay asleep for a little bit longer. Maybe ten or fifteen minutes.”

“Not likely,” Andrew said. “I am awake now, and I have to relieve myself.”

He sat up and then slowly got to his feet, stretching and shaking out the kinks in his back and legs as he rose.

“How are you feeling?” Victoria asked him.

“Surprisingly, not too bad,” he said. “Rested, more than a bit hungry, but my legs feel good.” He lifted first one leg and then the other, pumping them up and down. “I am certain I can travel well today.” He paused. “Now if you will both excuse me I need to find the nearest bush.”

“Please stay close!” Victoria called after him. “I don't really want you out of my sight!”

He stopped and turned around. “Dear sister, I won't go far, but this is one activity that is best completed out of your sight!”

I burst out laughing and Andrew's face broke into a smile. He turned back around and continued a little way into the forest. Victoria watched him walk away.

“There is more to him than what shows on the surface,” she said.

“I never said there wasn't,” I said, although I'd certainly been thinking it.

“Actually, Jamie, I believe I was almost talking more to myself than to you. He's demonstrated more intestinal fortitude—guts—than I thought he had.”

“He's hung in there pretty good,” I agreed. “But so have you.”

“Please,” she scoffed. “I could have been stronger. We have been completely reliant upon you.”

“Not completely. It wasn't me who knew how to use a watch as a compass, or start a fire without a match, or dig up those very tasty roots.”

She smiled. “Perhaps I have provided some morsels of information. But you have been the leader.”

“I'm supposed to be the leader. I'm the intrepid Native guide, remember?”

“Still, I'm sure this isn't exactly what you anticipated.”

I laughed. “That's for sure,” I agreed. “None of this is what I expected.
You're
not even what I expected.”

“Me?” she asked. “Have I failed to meet your expectations?”

“Not failed. You're just different than I thought you were going to be.”

“Go on,” she said.

“Well … I was just … sort of expecting you to act … to act more like … I don't know.”

“It is fine for you to say what you are thinking.”

“I just can't put it into words, that's all.”

“Allow me,” she said. “You had a belief that I would act like some sort of princess. Correct?”

I nodded my head slightly.

“And just how many princesses have you had on these trips?” she asked.

“Well, none, officially, but I've met enough rich people who act like they're royalty,” I joked.

“I see. So did you expect me to act all prim and proper? Like some spoiled little prima donna who would demand to be carried about and waited on hand and foot? Is that what you expected?”

“That may be what I expected but—”

“That is nothing but some ridiculous stereotype and it's very offensive to who I am as a person.”

“—but you're different,” I said, finally finishing my sentence.

She stopped, and her face took on a thoughtful look, like she was actually going to listen. I took a deep breath. And then I took another second to think, to make sure my words were going to come out right.

“Yes, different,” I repeated. “You're almost like a normal girl.”

“Almost like a normal girl!” she exclaimed. “And what exactly does that mean? That part of me is abnormal? That I am some sort of circus freak?”

“No, of course not!” I protested. “Look, I'm not trying to insult you.”

“So far that isn't working!”

“I'm even trying to compliment you!”

“Compliment?” she asked.

I shook my head. “I know that you're not like the girls from around here, the girls that go to my school.”

“Go on,” she said.

“But except for some of the words you use, and that accent of yours—”

“Are you going to start in about my accent again?”

“No, just let me finish.” I paused. “I just think that, except for those things, you could be somebody I go to school with. Somebody I could be friends with.” I took a deep breath. Did I have the guts to say what I was really feeling? I took an even deeper breath. “Somebody I could even—”

My words were cut off by a blood-curdling scream— Andrew!

Chapter Seventeen

F
OR A SPLIT SECOND
we were both frozen to the spot, unable to move, or talk, or even think. It was almost as if we'd both heard him cry out but it hadn't really registered. Then his cry came again, this time even louder and more desperate.

“Stay here!” I snapped.

“I am going with you.”

“No, it's too dangerous! You have to—”

“He
is
my brother and I
am
going with you!”

There was no time to argue—besides, I wasn't really sure I wanted to go by myself. We both ran.

“Stay behind me!” I barked. I braced myself for whatever we were going to find and wondered what I thought I was going to do. I burst through the bushes and saw … nothing. Where was Andrew, and why was he …? Then I saw the bear.

I skidded to a stop and Victoria bumped into me. It was no more than twenty metres away, down the tree-covered slope. It was grey and silver and all hunched over in that way that makes grizzlies seem almost unreal. It wasn't that big—at least for a grizzly. It was probably only about four times as big as I was. It couldn't have been more than
a year or so old. It was on all fours, facing away from us, sniffing and snuffling around.

Andrew must have seen it. Maybe his screaming had startled the bear as much as it had us, and in that instant he'd been able to get away. Maybe we could get away too, quietly move back into the bushes and out of its sight. Then we'd circle way around the bear and call out for Andrew. I started to slowly back away, keeping my eyes fixed squarely on the bear.

“Oh my God,” Victoria murmured.

“Ssshhh,” I whispered to her, “just back away and it won't see us.”

“You don't understand … it has Andrew.”

What did she mean? Surely Andrew had got away. But in that instant I caught sight of him, just a little glimpse of his body, on the ground, partially hidden by a tree, and partially hidden by the bear! I stared, not daring to move. I couldn't help but notice that I wasn't the only person not moving. Andrew was motionless. No movement. No sound. He had to be …

“AAAAHHHHHH!” Victoria screamed, and both the bear and I jumped into the air. Before I could react— before I could even think how to react—she started to charge down the slope toward it.

In that split second a hundred different thoughts and feelings and emotions exploded inside my brain. And then I ran after her. I stumbled down the slope, trying to run while keeping my arms held high above my head, trying to convince the bear that I was bigger than it.

The bear rose up on its hind legs and snarled. Victoria skidded to a stop and this time I bumped into her, practically knocking her off her feet. Behind the bear, Andrew lay motionless.

“Leave him alone!” she screamed.

The bear didn't move. It was confused by us—confused enough not to charge—but it wasn't going to retreat and leave its kill behind.

Victoria reached down and grabbed a rock. She threw it at the bear. It hit the ground and bounced wide. She reached down and grabbed another one, much, much larger. There was no way she could toss it that far.

“Give it to me!” I demanded. I took the rock with both hands, lifted it high over my head and heaved it with all my might. It flew through the air but fell short! It bounced and tumbled down the slope and then bashed right into one of the bear's feet.

The bear screeched in pain, jumped into the air, landed on all fours, turned and ran down the hill! It smashed through bushes and snapped off saplings as it charged away. It kept running until it disappeared, the sounds of its escape continuing for a few more seconds after it was lost from sight.

I stood there open-mouthed, not able to believe what had just happened. It was gone. We were safe.

“Andrew,” Victoria mumbled.

In my fear and then relief I'd forgotten he was there. Andrew lay still, lifeless, and … his pants were down around his ankles. The bear must have ripped them off during the attack. Victoria ran to his side, bent down and threw her arms around him.

“Andrew … Andrew … Andrew!” she sobbed.

“Is it gone?”

“Andrew?” she exclaimed in disbelief. “You're alive!”

“Of course I'm alive. Now let go of me.”

He got up, and as he did he reached down and pulled up his pants.

“You weren't moving … you were dead! I mean, I thought you were dead,” she sputtered.

“That was the idea,” he said. “I wanted the bear to think I was dead so he would leave me alone. Wasn't that smart thinking?”

“It would have been smart if that had been a black bear,” I said.

“Whatever do you mean?”

“That was a grizzly. You not moving only made it easier for him. That way he didn't have to catch you before he killed you.”

“You mean … ?”

I nodded my head. “Grizzlies eat everything, including dead things they find. By the way, what happened to your pants?”

Andrew blushed. “I was sort of taking care of business when the bear appeared. I tried to run but I couldn't move very quickly with my pants down around my ankles. I toppled over.” He turned a deeper shade of red.

“The truly important thing is that you're alive!” Victoria exclaimed as she once again threw her arms around him.

“The important thing is that the bear is gone and stays gone,” Andrew said. “It
is
gone … correct?”

“It's gone, but I don't think we should be sticking around waiting to see if it's coming back. Come on, let's go.”

“T
HIS LOOKS FAMILIAR
to me,” Victoria said.

“This all looks familiar to me, too,” Andrew argued. “Trees, rocks, water. It all looks the same.”

“Well we have been here before,” Victoria said.

“We have been everywhere before, have we not, Jamie?” he asked.

“We're not lost, if that's what you're worried about.”

“I'm not worried … not
too
worried.” He smiled. “You must admit that I have kept up well today.”

“You've done pretty well. We've all done well. We've covered more distance today than any other day. We've put a lot of trail behind us.”

“I don't even feel hungry,” Andrew said. “At least, not
too
hungry.”

We had eaten a ton of blackberries, some more of those roots, and chewed on some leaves that people usually brew to make a tea, but they still tasted pretty good just as they were. We'd passed by an anthill and Victoria had mentioned how she'd read that ants are a good source of protein, but nobody had the guts to be the first to try one to find out.

We came upon a little creek. “Let's stop for a minute and get a drink.”

“Will we stop soon for the night?” Victoria asked.

“Not yet. We have at least another hour of light left. Besides, I don't want to stop anywhere near here.”

“Why not?” Andrew asked anxiously.

“Do you know where we are?” I asked.

“No … where?”

“If we followed this creek downstream we'd come out just by our camp.”

“We would?”

“We're no more than two kilometres away.”

Andrew suddenly got back to his feet. “We'd better get going … we shouldn't be here.”

“It's all right,” I offered. “There's no reason for them to be looking this way. Besides, the one guy left in the camp probably isn't going to go too far away from Ray and Albert.”

“Albert and Ray,” Victoria said softly.

“They're fine,” I said, guessing what she was thinking. “I'm sure they're fine. They're all tied up, so there's no reason to hurt them.”

“And no reason to guard them,” Victoria pointed out.

I looked at her. “What do you mean?”

“Since they are securely tied up, perhaps their guard won't judge it necessary to stay at the camp.”

“You mean, he might come here?” Andrew asked.

“There's no reason for him to come this way,” I repeated.

“But possibly no reason for him to stay there. Perhaps he's flown the plane to the fishing lodge, where he is waiting for us to arrive.”