The Advocate - 02 - The Advocate's Betrayal (26 page)

“One of the most beautiful places on earth.” They held hands and walked alongside the rim for a few minutes. “Let’s put our hiking boots on and go down. Are you up to it?”

Sabre knew she wouldn’t—and shouldn’t—be satisfied with looking. She needed to feel the power of the two-billion-year-old rock under her feet and fingertips. She needed to interact with the landscape to achieve the full effect. “Sure. It’s all about the adventure. Right?”

They packed their backpacks with four large bottles of water, put on their hiking boots, and started down the canyon. Luke led the way down the rocky trail. It was the hottest part of the day, and the bright sun had Sabre’s sunscreen already melting away. But then they’d go around a curve on the trail and the shade would be cool, almost too cool. The views were breathtaking; the sun shone on the rocks, giving them a bright yellow-orange color. The sharp edges carved by the water millions of years before couldn’t have been more striking if they were planned—layers and layers of artistic masterpiece and unending color spread before her.

Other hikers were plentiful as they started the trek down. A family of four followed them to the trail. A gray-haired couple ventured ahead of them. They soon passed the couple and lost track of the family. Other hikers were just ascending out of the canyon as they were entering it. Each one politely said hello or commented on the beauty they had just experienced.

For the first two miles the hike zigzagged at an unrelenting pitch, but the surrounding beauty kept Sabre going downward, ignoring the strain on her body. Not until she descended into the canyon did she gain a real sense of its true proportions. The adventure and the beauty kept her walking, although her legs were beginning to tire. They stopped occasionally and took a drink of water, careful not to overdo or use up their supply.

Sabre absorbed the beauty of the jagged-edged cliffs, the steep slopes, and the stepped-pyramid appearance of the canyon walls. In addition to the bright yellow and orange colors which Luke had explained came from the iron in the soil and rock, she was overwhelmed by all the other stunning colors. Sabre thought about the many times her brother, Ron, had been here. He’d tell her tales of his adventures to this “heaven on earth,” as he called it. He had explained how the canyon resembled an oil painting. The varied hues of red, black, pink, brown, blue, and lavender were even more incredible than he had described. Saffron prevailed in some lights; in others, vermilion was prevalent; but somewhere in the canyon, every color of the palette was displayed. No wonder it was one of Ron’s favorite hiking spots. Sabre wondered where Ron was now, and if he was able to enjoy this beauty.

They continued down the winding trail for approximately two miles and reached a comparatively gentle slope. Sabre looked up and saw the huge towers that bordered the rim. The towers had shrunk to pigmies.

The sun beat down. Sabre wiped the perspiration from her forehead and blew her nose to clear the dust away. The adrenaline from the journey pumped her up like a caffeine high and prevented her from feeling tired. The spectacular views, the excitement, and her love for Luke drove her into the canyon. Luke, although leading the way, looked back watchfully every ten or twenty yards.

Luke stopped and waited for Sabre to catch up. He gave her a kiss on the lips. “How are you doing, baby?”

“Great. This is fabulous. I’m loving it.”

“You okay to keep going?”

“I’m feeling good, but we’re going to have to climb back up. Do you think we should turn around before it gets too late?”

“I’ve made arrangements to ride the mules back up. We’ll be okay, as long as you’re all right.”

“I couldn’t be better.”

Luke took her in his arms and kissed her deeply and passionately. Then he swatted her on the butt. “Good, then on we go.”

They continued the hike, passing the occasional pine tree or juniper bush and some dry, low growing bushes; in the midst of the sparse vegetation, Sabre spotted a bright red flower on a hedgehog cactus. They met fewer and fewer hikers as the day wore on. Not everyone went all the way down. Many went just far enough to obtain a taste of the canyon. But Sabre wanted the full experience, and she trusted Luke to keep her safe. She skipped along the level parts of the trail feeling exhilarated.

Enveloped in nature’s grandeur, they continued to descend the multicolored rock walls, craggy cliffs, and sandy slopes. Sabre stood still, leaned against the canyon wall, and was dazzled by the panorama before her. She looked out at the labyrinth of structures, endlessly varied in design and color in pure harmonious tones, and thought about the millions of years it took to form and the many creatures that had passed through.

Sabre took a deep breath and moved on down the path, only to step on a loose rock. Her feet came out from under her. She grabbed for the wall, but couldn’t hold on. She stumbled forward, trying to stay away from the edge of the cliff, and yelled out, “Ahhh….” She felt herself falling forward. She leaned sideways toward the wall, grabbed a juniper bush, and felt her knee hit the ground. She rolled over against the wall and stopped.

Luke ran back to her. He knelt beside her, grabbing her by the arm. “Are you okay?”

Sabre sat up, breathing heavily, said, “Yeah. Yeah. I’m okay.” She took a deep breath. Feeling pain in her knee, she looked down. The scrape on her knee was filled with dirt, and the blood ran down her leg.

“Here, stand up; see if you can walk.” Luke helped her to her feet. Sabre took a couple of steps. “Okay. Let’s get you cleaned up. There’s a little area right down there where we can sit more comfortably.”

“Thanks.” Sabre’s face reddened, feeling clumsy for stumbling. She made light of the fall, walking as normally as she could even though she felt some pain. They sat down a few yards later. Luke took the first-aid kit out of his backpack, cleaned up her knee, and put a bandage on the scrape.

“Are you all right to walk?”

“Yeah. It’s just a little scrape. I’m fine.”

“We could turn around, but we’re almost to the bottom where we can get the mule ride back up. If we turn around and go back, we need to walk all the way.”

“I’m fine. Let’s keep going.”

“Want me to kiss it and make it better?”

Sabre pointed to her lips. “How about right here instead.”

He kissed her and then started the lead. “I’m going to walk a little slower and I want you to stay closer to me.”

“Yes, sir!”

“You joke, but I’m serious. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

They continued down the canyon until they reached the bottom of the trail. A little cove ahead invited them in. The rocks on the floor of the cove were flat and well worn. Several rocks formed steps leading to a shelf that made a prime place to sit. In the middle of the cove, a waterfall flowed over a huge rock about ten feet above their heads into a small pond in the rocks below. Sabre and Luke were hot and dirty and the water was inviting. Two young couples, appearing to be college age, splashed in the pond and washed their topless bodies in the flowing water.

“Should we join them? I’d love to wash off,” Luke suggested.

“Maybe without the ‘topless’ part. But let’s rest a little bit first. If they leave soon, we can have it all to ourselves.”

They sat down on the rock shelf and leaned back against the wall. They sat together, drinking their water, and taking in the romantic essence of the cove. “I love you,” Sabre said, testing this new phrase. It felt right.

“I love you, too.” His response validated her.

32

The cool water splashed across Luke’s half-naked body. Sabre felt sprinkles as she stood just outside the full force of the waterfall. Luke, wearing only his boxer shorts, leaned into her. “Sure you don’t want to strip?” he whispered in her ear.

She smiled and nibbled his ear. “I’m just fi….”

Luke pulled her into his arms and under the gushing water. She laughed and screamed, “It’s cold!”

He held her out in front of him at arm’s length looking at her wet tee-shirt clinging to her body, her flat, wet hair dripping on her face. “You’re so beautiful.”

Sabre hadn’t felt so wanted and so loved in a very long time. She melted into his body as he pulled her back to him and kissed her longingly. Then he swept her up in his arms, walked out from under the waterfall, and carried her to a flat rock in the sun. Only a few minutes had passed as they lay there drying off when Sabre looked up the pathway and saw the mules trekking up the canyon. She sat up and pointed.

“Luke, look. The mules have left.” She jumped up. “Let’s go. Maybe we can catch them.”

He took her hand and pulled her back. “Relax, there are more mules. That’s not the last group to go up.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure.” He kissed her hand and then her arm. “Just a few more minutes to get dry and then we’ll go.”

Sabre lay back down, spreading out to feel what was left of the sun’s warmth. She closed her eyes, content, relaxed, and confident Luke would take care of her.

She opened her eyes to a scuffing noise to see Luke being yanked off the rock next to her by two men. One of them stood about six feet tall with broad shoulders, a full head of hair, and dark brown eyes with thick eyebrows.  The other man was several inches shorter, but he was just as muscular and had a flat top and mustache. The tall man spun Luke around, and dragged him behind some rocks. Luke was kicking and struggling, but he was unable to break loose.

“No. Stop,” Luke yelled. “Don’t hurt her!” The tall man covered Luke’s mouth and continued to drag him off.

Sabre stepped back, her bare feet unstable on the slick rocks, and she slipped and fell just as the shorter man reached for her. He missed her arm. She reached for a rock, picked it up, and as he leaned down toward her, she hit him on the side of the head as hard as she could with it. He fell backward onto another rock and then rolled to the ground. She jumped up and looked around for Luke, but couldn’t see him. Still holding the rock, Sabre skulked along the canyon wall, following in their path until she reached a turn. She peeked around but couldn’t see anything. As she continued along the wall she reached another area with a slight turn. Voices emanated from behind the rocks, but she couldn’t decipher the words. Moving closer, she inched her way along the wall, hoping her breathing wouldn’t be heard. It sounded so loud to her. She stood still, holding her breath as she heard Luke’s voice. Sabre peaked around the corner and saw the man behind Luke holding a gun.

Sabre felt a knot in the pit of her stomach. She was no match for the man. Her only hope was to find someone to help. Terrible confusion clouded her brain. She froze for a moment, her limbs unable to move. She took a breath and stealthily moved back around the corner the way she had come. When she reached the waterfall, she looked for her backpack. It was gone. It was there when they showered in the waterfall, but she couldn’t remember seeing it after that. She walked around the man who had assaulted her, afraid to stop to see if he was breathing. She began running around trying to find help. She heard the loud blast of a gunshot ring out, echoing through the base of the canyon. She ran to the path and started upward.

Even though she was already tired from the hike down and drained from the sun, she ran as fast as she could up the canyon, her bare feet cutting into sharp rocks. The sun was starting to go down and there was no one near. Far up the canyon, she could see tiny clusters of people. She kept going, looking back every few steps to see if she was followed. So far, she didn’t see anyone.

Pure adrenaline kept her going for a while, but finally she couldn’t run any longer. She stopped for a second, caught her breath, and then started hiking toward the crest. She had such a long way to go and she knew that, once Luke’s captor discovered his buddy, he would come after her. It wasn’t as if she could take an alternative route. There was only one way out, and that was up. She only hoped he took some time to search for her at the bottom before he started after her. Her mind raced between going back for Luke, or going forward to find help. She knew she was no match for anyone, especially someone with a gun. She plodded on, praying she had made the right choice.

As the sun started to drop, the air cooled. Sabre’s clothes were still damp, and the slight sunburn from the walk down mixed with the cool air provoked chills. Her sore feet made it difficult to hike. She sat down for a second to check them. The pain was excruciating. She picked up her right foot and rested it across her knee. She had blisters on her toes and her foot bled in several places. She removed her t-shirt, and using a sharp rock to make a hole, she tore off a piece of her shirt. It was difficult to tear, but the rock helped her to break the threads and peel off the piece of fabric. She wrapped it around her right foot, tying it off at the top around her ankle like a sandal.

Then she tore off a second piece of her shirt and did the same thing for her left foot. She put the top back on; it barely covered her shoulders. She knew she was going to be cold no matter what, but her feet had to keep moving or she’d die in the canyon.

She trudged on. The “shoes” softened the blow to her sore feet. They were thin, however, and still uncomfortable, but at least she didn’t feel the unbearable pain she had previously suffered. She shivered in the shaded spots on the trail and warmed up in the sunny areas. She climbed as fast as she could. Her dry mouth acted as a barometer for her body’s serious need for water, and her stomach pains indicated dehydration.

She felt herself getting weaker and dizzy. She moved closer to the wall, using it for support, all the time moving forward and checking her back. Nausea set in and she stopped for a second, leaning against the wall. The cramps in her stomach were becoming intolerable. She looked up toward the top and then toward the bottom. She appeared to be less than halfway there. So far to go. She took a deep breath and tried to conjure up pleasant thoughts, picturing herself on an island, lying in a hammock, and sipping a cool, summer drink. She couldn’t maintain the image. She just had to keep going. She needed to get help for Luke.