Page 32 of Scot on the Run

Ian’s reply was terse and determined. “I’ll rappel down and get him. No worries.”

The next five minutes were a blur. Ian had remembered seeing nylon rope in Finley’s workshop and had brought it along. With Bella’s assistance, he tied himself into a makeshift harness, secured the rope around a good-sized tree, and tested the knots.

She took his shoulders and kissed him lightly. “Feel free to be a hero, but don’t do anything stupid. It might not even be him.”

Ian broke free of her hold as if he couldn’t afford to be distracted. “Of course it’s him. Who else could it be?”

“A very large skunk?”

“Let’s hope not.”

Ian’s descent took far longer than Bella anticipated. He had to move with agonizing care to avoid kicking loose debris down onto his target. Consequently, it was more like twenty minutes than ten before he reached his destination.

It was so dark she could see virtually nothing. Knowing that unknown water lurked underneath the rescue attempt made the whole thing worse. Her eyes ached from trying to peer below. At last the prearranged signal came. Ian had told her to expect two firm tugs on the rope when he was ready to ascend.

Even she and Cinnamon working together were little help. Ian was pulling himself, unaided, up the steep hillside, carrying something… someone. Please God, let it be Jackie, and let him be okay.

Ian might be a hermit-nerd, as Finley had coined the term, but he was also a man’s man, physically strong and ready to face a grueling challenge at a moment’s notice. She prayed incoherently, especially when Ian and his burden were almost to the top and Ian’s foot slipped.

“Are you okay?” she cried out.

“I’m fine,” he said, his voice strained and winded. “I think the poor bairn has a broken arm.”

At last, the two males made it onto solid ground. Ian laid the boy in Bella’s arms. He had taken off his coat and wrapped it around the child, but Jackie whimpered softly as though he were cold or in pain or both. Cinnamon licked the boy’s face. The dog then sidled up to Bella’s hip and stood guard.

Ian untied himself and stuffed all the gear haphazardly into the backpack. “Do you have a phone signal?” he asked.

“No. Already checked. We’ll have to get to the top of the hill for a clear shot.”

“Damn it. His parents are going through hell.”

She put a hand on his arm where the muscles were tense. “We’re doing the best we can. Thanks to you, he’s going to okay.”

“We don’t know that yet. I’m not a doctor. Let’s get going.”

Their progress uphill was excruciatingly slow. Ian moved from tree to tree, cradling Jackie in his left arm and steadying himself with his right hand. The strength and energy it must be taking to accomplish such a feat astonished Bella. Ian didn’t mention her foot again, and she was glad. Her injury paled under the circumstances. Yes, she was in pain. And yes, it was possible she had significantly delayed her recovery. But she would do it all again.

Cinnamon was a huge help. Bella clutched the end of the leash in her free hand and let the dog pull her up. For the young animal who was barely older than a puppy, the whole nighttime excursion probably seemed like a lark. Truthfully, though, Cinnamon’s usual exuberance was muted as though she recognized the gravity of the situation.

At the top of the hill they paused for Bella to contact Hilda. The call signal still wasn’t strong, so she sent a text instead:

Come quickly. My house. We have Jackie.

Then they set out across the last hundred yards. They had no more than made it to Finley’s front porch when a cavalcade of vehicles appeared in the drive. With no real parking available, cars were abandoned wherever they stopped. Hilda and her husband led the charge. They jumped out and ran.

Jackie’s father extended his arms. “Let me have him. Is he…?”

Gently, Ian handed over the boy. “I think he has a broken arm. He’s semiconscious, but his pulse is strong. Is there a doctor nearby?”

An older woman stepped forward. “I’m the doctor. I’d like to take him inside for the exam if I may.”

“Of course,” Bella said. “The door’s open.”

Jackie’s parents, the tiny patient, and the doctor went inside.

For a moment, the crowd of townspeople was silent. Then pandemonium broke out. “Tell us where you found him,” someone yelled.

“Where was the boy?”