The door shrieked, in its steel frame, and rose up on Slim's face.
Gris barked, happily, and bounded out, leaping around him. He crawled inside. Touched her on the thigh.
"Can you move?"
"If you'll get the hell out of the way," she snapped. God he looked hurt. He backed out and stood, waiting.
"Sorry," she said. She rested her weight on her hand— agony.
Out of the trap, she stumbled and he caught her up.
"I'm so sorry," she breathed in his ear. "So, so sorry—"
It turned into sobs. Gasps. He could feel her heart hammering in her small frame, as he stroked her back, her hair, her face.
Brakes screeched and a truck flew through the gate, then skidded to a stop. Red shirts. They pounded toward the trap.
"What the goddamn hell is— urr-r-r-rk."
One of the guys was on his hands and knees, puking. The other looked at her with a white face.
"Jesus H. Christ," he said in a low voice. "What the hell is this?"
She didn't follow his gaze.
"We have to get her inside," Slim said. "She's half frozen."
"I can walk," she said, and pitched into the duff, howling as her hand struck.
She woke up in her bed, with Slim wrapped like an octopus around her. A hot octopus. Gris whined, on the floor next to the bed, with his stinky mouth an inch from her face.
"Get away," she snapped, then felt bad as he shrank.
"Good boy. Sweet dog."
"Are you okay?" Slim said, carefully.
"I was freezing. Not anymore," she said.
His arms tightened, then relaxed. "What about your hand?"
"Hurts like a bastard," she said.
"I'll get the First Aid kit."
"Nope. Stay put, boyfriend. This is heaven, while it lasts."
"The Game & Fish guys radioed for an ambulance."
"For me? Can't you drive me?"
"Sure. We can meet the ambulance on the way. I'll radio. Don't think they'd make the last mile or so. Pretty rough."
"Keeps the riff-raff out."
"Not all of 'em," Slim said.
"What about— the guy?"
"Uhhh— pretty bad. The bear really went after him."
"He's dead?"
"Way beyond dead," Slim said, with a shudder.
"Can I get to your truck without seeing?"
"Yeah."
"Let's go."
YOU ARE READING
THE FERAL STRUT
Mystery / ThrillerEscaping her trailer-trash background for a summer job as a forest ranger in Wyoming, Mary Browne deals with various hazards, natural and human. But when she moves to Jackson Hole, and starts playing with her band, The Feral Sluts, she steps unwit...
