THE DESOLATE SOUTHLAND

CHAPTER 18: INTESTINAL FORTITUDE

Harley and the girls finished eating their brunch. Ange and Hannah volunteered to clean up as a way of thanking Harley and Riko for saving them. Harley knew deep down that they were hiding something but finding out what would have to wait. Right now she needed to hear Rikos voice. He had been gone since 3:00 in the morning and she only talked to him twice in one hour intervals. It was now going on 10:30 a.m.

"Riko."

"Riko, can you hear me?"

"Riko, say something please!" Tears formed in her eyes.

****

Riko laid on his back, sweat formed little beads all over his face and arms. Every time he took a breath, a pain shot across his chest that felt like someone hit him with a Louisville slugger. The blood he coughed up earlier had oozed from the corner of his mouth, down his cheek to his ears. It was now dried up. He knew that laying there this long, his blood began to pool. He knew that he would have to move or when he got his chance to get away he would be so slow the jibbers would definitely get him. With a dislocated shoulder he wouldn't be able to fight them off for long.

"By God, I'll flush the toilet of humanity on as many as I can before they take me out though," he thought.

He closed his eyes and slowed his breathing. While ignoring the pain he planed out his every move. After a little while, he slowly began to ease his body toward the passenger side. Inch by inch he scooted, watching and listening, pausing to keep track of each jibber. Making sure he could not be seen, he peered out to access how much distance was between the truck and the brick wall.

"That should be enough for me to fit."

Again he methodically scooted his body so that he was laying on his side parallel to the brick wall. Bent at the waist so his legs extended under the truck he pushed himself up into a sitting position with his injured arm. Pain coursed through his body making the pain in his chest throb, it was so painful and unexpected he gritted his teeth to keep from moaning out loud. He closed his eyes and sat there momentarily catching his breath and mentally preparing himself for what he must do next. About five minutes passed when he slowly reached up to the edge of the bed with his good arm. While listening to determine where the jibbers were located, he slid his fingers along the edge until he found the bed extender slot next to the cab. Using two fingers he stuck them into the hole.

"Fucking 'A'. It is still there."

Paracord he had used to tie down cargo was still wadded up inside. He fished it out and slowly started pulling it down. When he had enough to reach, he laid back down and continued to pull it out a little at a time while he watched the movement of the jibbers. He had retrieved about fifteen feet when he reached into his pocket for his knife. Once he cut the cord, he realized something important.

"Shit, bright orange. Even those shit heads would notice this bright ass shit." He mumbled lowly.

He laid there disgusted with his choice of colors when it hit him. The threads inside that make up the paracord. He looked it over and began to pull one of the small threads out of the cords center.

"This will have to work," he thought.

Once he got the thread free from its cover, he tied a noose. Painfully propped on his right arm, he tossed the noose at and just beyond his com-link. Looking both ways he determined the direction each jibber was facing by the positioning of their feet. Satisfied they were not facing toward the com-link and would not notice any movement he slowly retrieved the noose. He tried to get it to catch the ear piece so he could drag it to him.

"Almost there...almost there. FUCK!" He tried several times with no success. Finally, it caught hold. He gently twitched the string and tightened it up around the com-link. The slow retrieval began. When it was within inches of the truck, he checked the locations of the jibbers one more time and gave the string a jerk. Grabbing the com-link he rolled over to his back and removed the noose. He placed the com-link into his ear when a jibber brushed against the truck. He froze.

"Riko."

"Riko, can you hear me?"

"Riko say something please." He could hear her voice shaking with fear and concern.

"Damn it, I can't answer right now." he thought.

The jibber just stood there groaning and the longer it stood there, it might draw others closer to the truck. Riko looked around trying to figure a way out now that the jibber had screwed up his plan. He looked ahead of the truck, only a few jibbers and a dumpster. Behind the truck was the concentration of jibbers. Except for the one, no jibbers were to the side. The truck was too close to the brick wall to crawl out and get in on the passengers side, so he laid there deathly still thinking. He glanced over to the brick wall. He looked hard, then he looked ahead at the dumpster and said, "I got it." He moved to the wall, laid on his back and felt around. Finally he touched a baseball sized piece of crumbled up asphalt.

"This is the only time I am happy about the Highway Department leaving their mess laying around." he mumbled.

Laying on his back and using as much leverage as he could, he threw the asphalt toward the dumpster. It made a loud clank and echoed off into the distance. Groans erupted. Riko looked at their feet as all the jibbers headed toward the dumpster. He moved to the drivers side laying on his stomach watching and waiting for the last jibber to go past. While their attention was on the dumpster, he quickly rolled out from under the truck and up on his knees. Grabbed the bed of the truck pulling himself to his feet. Opened the door and climbed inside, his eyes never leaving the jibbers up ahead. Pulled the door shut quietly and locked the doors.

"Whew. it feels good to sit up." He mumered.

He cranked up, slipped it into gear and stomped the gas. As he drove out from behind the sporting goods store, he ran ever jibber he could over.

"Harley."

pause.

Harley, you there?"

"Where in the Sam Hell have you been. I have been worried sick!"

"I'm sorry. I'll explain when I get there. But for now, I am just happy to hear your voice. See you in 20."