Shiver(109)

“Fox!” she continued to holler, ignoring Aidan’s warning.

He hurried behind her, reaching out into the sinister abyss until he felt the fabric of her parka. His fingers clenched around the material, dragging her to a stop. “Raven, slow down. Think. You’re going to get hurt or worse, if you don’t slow down.”

Her breathing was ragged. Her body twitched with the effort it took not to rush. He understood what she was feeling. He wanted to tear this fucking place apart stone by stone until they found Fox and then he wanted to torture the bitch who had put him here too.

He reached into his pocket, took out the mini flashlight on his key ring, and flicked it on. A black mouth of stone braced with ridges of rough-cut, rotting logs flashed in front of them. Even knowing what the scene would be didn’t help the clenching of his heart, knowing his son was somewhere in the labyrinth of tunnels, scared and cold. “Fox!”

“There.” Raven pointed to the left. “I thought I heard something.”

He grabbed her arm. “Hold onto me.” They trekked left, being careful of the loose mix of dead leaves, gravel, and rock that made up the debris littering the floor of the mine. “Fox!”

Then he heard it. A muffled sound. He hurried, keeping a firm hold on Raven. They turned a corner and Aidan’s flashlight shone on Fox, his hands and feet tied with rope, a gag around his mouth. He was lying on his side, huddled in a ball, his face tucked into his knees. Raven rushed to him, her cries bouncing off the stone walls.

Aidan felt for Fox’s pulse, releasing a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding when he found it steady, a bit fast, but strong. Raven released the gag over his mouth and pulled Fox into her arms, tears streaming down her face.

“Mom, Dad?” Fox asked, his voice jagged with emotion, his body racked with shivers. “Are you really here?”

“Yes, yes, we’re here.” Raven tightened her arms around him, and buried her face in his neck. “You’re safe.”

“Mom,” Fox croaked. “C-can’t…breathe.”

Raven pulled back, laughter adding to her tears.

“How? How’d you f-find me?” Fox asked. “I-I didn’t think anyone w-would ever find me.”

Aidan cleared his throat in order to get words past the fear and love thickening his throat. “Let’s get you out of here, son, and then we’ll answer all your questions.” He handed the mini flashlight to Raven. “Hold this on the ropes so I can cut him loose.”

Raven took the flashlight with a shaky hand and held it for Aidan as he flicked open his pocketknife and sliced through the ropes binding their son’s hands and feet.

“Can you walk?” Aidan asked, helping Fox into a sitting position.

“D-don’t know. Can’t feel my toes.” Fox laid his head back on Raven’s shoulder as she steadied him from behind. “I’m r-really tired.”

Aidan and Raven shared a look.

“No going to sleep, son.” Aidan grabbed Fox’s face, looked into his eyes. Fear shot through him at the dazed, glassy-eyed reflection in his son’s pupils, the blue tint of his lips. Aidan glanced at Raven, and saw the same cloudy expression in her eyes. He needed to get them to the hospital. “Stay with me.” He spoke to them both, praying under his breath to any God who would listen.

He unzipped his coat and lifted Fox into his arms, cradling his son tightly to his chest, hoping his body heat would help quell Fox’s shivers. “Raven, can you walk out of here?”

“Is M-mom hurt?” Fox asked, voice shaky, worried.

“I’m fine.” She looked at Aidan and blinked, as though the action was as close as she could come to a nod. He couldn’t even imagine how she was holding it together.

“Grab my coat. I need to feel you behind me.”

She fisted her hand in his jacket and held the small flashlight on the carved rock ahead of them. Aidan led them out of the mine as fast as he dared. The dim light of the setting sun glimmering on the snow was a welcome relief as they exited.

Raven stumbled in the snow, falling to her knees, her head bowed.

“Raven?” Seeing her hunched over, he knew he was losing her too.

“I’m okay.” She grabbed his pants and pulled herself up. “Just tripped.”

He slowed the trek to the snowmobile, his body shaking with the need to hurry. Fox’s eyelids were shuttering closed and Raven was using everything she had to keep up with him. Hell, he didn’t know how she’d made it this far.

“Stay with me, guys.” He sat Fox on the snowmobile, holding him steady as he mounted the machine, wrapping the edges of his parka around Fox. It was going to be a tough ride back to the lodge with the machine loaded down with the three of them. Raven got on and leaned onto Aidan’s back, her arms wrapping loosely around his waist. “Hold onto me tighter, sweetheart.” He felt her try, but she was spent. He started the machine and headed down the hill. At least they were close to the lodge and the trails were packed from other snow machines. Halfway to the lodge, Aidan felt his son give into sleep. It felt like forever until the lodge came into view. He pulled the machine right up to the front door, hollering for help.