Homeward Bound Ch. 04

For those of you who have e-mailed me with your suggestions and praise, I cannot tell you enough how much I appreciate your excellent critique and comments. Thank you.

Again, no sex with this chapter.

Temuchen

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"Is this one of the famous battles
Between head and heart
With both having opposing views
But the same hold on your psyche
Neither winning, neither losing"

Chuck Smoot

The towering Douglass firs, pines and cedars trembled and swayed dramatically from the onslaught of the winds as the storm reached its peak, sheets of cascading rain drowning the thick forest. Overhead, thick black clouds invisible against the dark sky roiled over the sweeping hills and mountains surrounding Mt. Rainier. Lightning snaked within the nebulous shroud creating a myriad of ghostly bright bluish-white streaks. Any woodland creature possessed with an instinct for survival would have gone to ground long before the fearsome storm struck. Any creature but one single man struggling through the storm debris trying to find a small weathered line shack.

This is so fucked, thought David as he stumbled into a massive sheared trunk of a fallen tree. The shack should be here but...it's not. David pulled out his Magellan GPS and checked for the waypoint designating the old lumberjack shack.

The tree line suddenly lit up from a flash of lightning as he grasped with the device. "Where is that god damn shack?" he howled into the wind. He wiped the water from his goggles as he searched the area. Nothing...not a god damn...another flash exposed the downed tree and David briefly spied what remained of a small structure. The huge tree trunk had smashed through the frail shed that he believed was the shack he was searching for. "Oh, this just keeps getting better and better," he muttered as he made his to the small shack.

David reached what was once the west wall now reduced to kindling. Most of the damage was to the south of the building taking out most of the south and east siding. The ceiling had caved inward on the south portion with just a small section still intact over the far north end.

"Well hell, I doubt another tree's gonna come crashing down...maybe there's enough shack left to set up camp," he said.

David moved around the undamaged section and found a doorway, the door blown outward. His search light swept the interior and saw the ceiling's crossbeam had fallen at an angle beneath the wall crashed inward from the tree. He spotted an old pot bellied stove in the corner and froze. Next to the iron stove was a familiar bag...Johnny's!

"Johnny...John where are you!" he shouted. He heard a faint sound from the other side of the building and moved around the downed beam. He moved the light around and found his brother pinned beneath the wall.

"JOHN!" he screamed as he carefully stepped over the debris and wall and knelt next to John. John turned his head toward the light and peered up into David's face. He made no sign of recognition and David realized John had no idea who he was; his hood and goggles hid his face.

"I...I'm pinned under this siding and beam but I don't think my legs are broke. If we can somehow move this beam up, I might be able to pull myself out." John turned his face against the driving rain as he spoke. David nodded and patted John's shoulder.

"I'm going to see what I can use as a lever...be right back."

David moved off and searched the shack for something he might use to lift the cross beam. Inside, he failed to find anything strong or long enough to work and moved outside to look. He soon returned, dragging a piece of ripped timber, a thick branch from the downed tree. He moved to John's side and slid the tree limb through a gap in the fallen siding. Now he needed some type of a fulcrum. Looking around, his eyes fell upon the stove.

Fifteen minutes later, John was propped up against the north wall, beneath what was left of the roof. David had dragged the stove over to John and tried to start a fire; however, all the wood was soaked. He knew John had to be freezing and suffering from hypothermia. He quickly opened his backpack and removed a small bundle. Finding a sizeable open area, he opened the bundle and a small two man dome tent popped up. He secured a vestibule over the small tent, and dragged his brother into the shelter. Once in, he ignited the small portable backpacking stove and told John to strip. While his brother disrobed, David reached into his pack and withdrew a pair of woolen long johns.

"Here, put these on," he said passing the underwear to John.

Beneath the pack, he unfastened a sleeping bag and, unrolling it, unzipped the bag. By this time, John had donned the long johns and told to get into the sleeping bag. The winds and rain pounded against the dome tent as David heated up water for soup on the small Peak 1 stove.

He glanced at John encased within the sleeping bag. At a rating of minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit, David knew the bag would help. When he looked at his brother, David was not surprised to see him dozing and knew he would have to wake him. For a while, he would have to monitor his brother before he was satisfied with John's progress.

While John slept, David left the tent and secured the little dome and vestibule to the floor. The shelter was strong and would hold up to the heavy elements. He grabbed his brother's bag and tossed it inside the dome next to his backpack. He crawled back in and zipped closed the opening.

"John...john, wake up. You need to eat this. John?" David watched as his brother's eyelids parted into slits and turned to look at him.

"Da...David?"

"Hey bro, how ya feelin?"

"What the fuck are you doing here? How did you find me? Why did you find me?"

David was ready for this. He knew John hadn't forgiven him and, in all likelihood, wouldn't. But, he didn't care. As long as John was safe, David would suffer his brother's resentment.

"I'm here because I am your brother and I love you. I knew of this old lumberjack line shack but I had no idea you would be here; though knowing you, it doesn't surprise me. Now, shut the fuck up and eat this!" David held a metal cup of hot broth and shoved it into his brother's hands. "I know you hate me and deservedly so, but for now, you're going to have to put up with me, so get over it. Okay?"

"Fuck off and die!" John spit and glared at his older brother but he did take the hot tin of soup. After he finished off the meal, David knelt by his legs and asked John how they were.

"They're fine...now, stay the fuck away from me!"

David rolled his eyes and shook his head and thought, this is going to be a long night.

"All right, John...I'll leave you to yourself. As for me, I'm going to get some shut eye, see you in the morning." With that, David jammed the backpack under his head and bedded down. John just sat there staring at his brother; David's back turned toward him. John finally turned away and saw his bag at the foot of the sleeping bag. For a brief moment, he thought of the pistol. Looking at David once more, he dismissed the notion that flared within his hatred. He lay back seething, his breathing rapid. The cause of his shattered home life lay no more than a foot away. His belly warm from the hot broth and with the comfort of the sleeping bag, exhaustion finally caught up and soon he fell into a deep sleep.

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JoAnne couldn't sleep. The storm raged on, the wind and rain battering the house. She sat at the kitchen table, a cup of hot tea in her hands as she stared out the window and watched the violence weather wreak havoc. The girls were in bed and JoAnne's mother was sleeping in her room. Jo and the girls didn't want her to be alone in this hellish storm.

As she gazed at the dark savagery of the elements, she knew she was taking a chance sitting so close to the large plate glass window. John would have the windows either boarded up or at least taped and the curtains drawn. But, John wasn't here. He was lost somewhere in the wilderness; in the storm...if...he was alive. No! Don't think that, she angrily thought. He is alive, I know it!

JoAnne sighed and stood. She looked at the clock and noticed the time was three in the morning. I'd better try to get some sleep; she thought and turned toward the stairs when a tremendous crack resounded followed by breaking glass and a deep wail. She whirled to see the window gone, smashed by a strange flat object. Water covered the kitchen from the incoming rain and scattered shards of glass littered the floor and table. Her eyes widened and she gasped when glimpsed the chair she had sat in. It was nearly cut in half from a large fragment of the window still imbedded in the seat; the back rest hanging from a single slice of the chair's frame.

"Mom? Are you okay? What happened?" The girls screamed in chorus as they ran into the kitchen.

"JODIE...SAM! Stay out of the kitchen and dining room. The floors are covered in broken glass."

"JoAnne...what happened? Are you all right?" Jo's mother stood on the foot of the stairway gazing at the shattered window.

"Ye...yes mom, I'm fine but keep the girls upstairs. There's too much broken glass here. Something came through the window, looks like maybe part of a roof or something."

JoAnne moved to the stairs and the girls hugged her. "Leave it for morning. Let's get upstairs. Jodie...Sam, check your windows and make sure the curtains are closed. I'll check the other rooms."

The girls ran to their rooms as Jo and her mother moved down the hall and into her bedroom. Jo noted the blinds were closed and sighed. She looked at her mother.

"Jo...how long have we lived here? You think this is the first storm we've weathered?"

JoAnne smiled and nodded. "I know...I know."

Her mother moved up to her wrapping her arms around her daughter. Jo couldn't stop the onslaught of tears as she pressed her face into her mother's shoulder and sobbed.

"Jo...he'll be okay. I have more faith in that man of yours than anyone I've known. Unless God decides otherwise, that man will crawl on his hands and knees to get to you. And, I have this feeling he's alive and doing everything he can to get home to you and the girls. That man loves and adores you and them."

JoAnne grimaced at her mother's words. She knew they were meant to calm her. But Jo was carrying a tremendous amount of guilt. Would John even want to come back to her?

As if her mother had read her mind, she said, "Jo...you have some work ahead of you. I don't know why you did what you did with David, but...if you love John as much as I think you do; you have to do everything in your power to make him understand how much he means to you."

Jo pulled away and wiped her face, her mother still holding her. "I know mom, and I do love John so very much. He is my life. I don't know what I would do if I lost him. I don't know what I can do to keep him. He hasn't talked about what happened since that night. For the past month, we've hardly spoken. I don't know what to say and he avoids me. I am afraid he's going to leave me, divorce me and I wouldn't blame him. He discovered his wife was a slut for his brother. I can't fathom why he's stayed with me the past month."

Jo's mother stared at her and could see the deep sadness and regret in her daughter's face. "JoAnne, have you considered professional help? Counseling?" As she said this, she wiped the tears from her daughter's face and kissed her forehead.

"Yes, I have. Actually mom, I've seen a counselor for the past two weeks. I'm afraid to ask John if he would go with me. The counselor wants me to try and get him to come in with me."

"He will, Jo. You need to ask him. You might not feel so, but, John loves you. I see it in his eyes, the way he looks at you. It's because of his love for you that makes him hurt so. He lost his trust in you. Ask him; tell him you need his support."

JoAnne pulled away and sat on the edge of the bed. "Okay mom...I'll try."

The empty bedroom door exploded with Jodie and Sam running into the room and sat on both sides of their mother. Each one grabbed JoAnne and hugged her.

"Mom, is Dad gonna be okay?" JoAnne looked into the worried face of Samantha. She could see Sam's eyes glistening.

She hugged her youngest and whispered, "Yes, he'll be fine." Now, if she could only convince herself.

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David woke first. Something was different. Then, it hit him...no wind, it was quiet. He stared at the dome's peak and saw morning light trying to filter in. He unzipped the opening and peered outside. It was morning and a gray mist hung in the air. But, the storm had passed. He grabbed the backpack and removed the sat phone. Shuffling outside, he could see the damage to the shack.

"My God," he softly spoke. The tree that had smashed through the tiny structure was enormous. Why the entire shack hadn't collapsed he didn't know, but somehow, the northeast corner had maintained its integrity. David knew, with undeniable certainty, John would have died, should have died when the tree fell. The entire south section was gone.

He stood by the tent and spoke into the satellite phone.

*******************

"Bzzzzz...bzzzzz...bzzzzz!"

"Ohhh, my head!" JoAnne groaned and pressed her hand to her temples rubbing them. She finally recognized the sound coming from her cell phone and tried to reach for it; however, Jodie was lying next to her in the bed. As she reached over her daughter, the phone stopped. She grasped the device and checked finding one call waiting. Listening to the message, she heard her father-in-laws voice asking her to call right away. The next sentence caused JoAnne to scream waking both Jodie and Samantha.

"They found him...they found your father, he's alive!"

"Wha...what?" Both girls shot up and stared at their mother.

"That was a message from your grandfather. They found your father...he's been found and is on his way to the airport right now! Get dressed! Jodie, go wake your grandmother!"

JoAnne's excitement was infectious and the girls, squealing with delight, ran out of the room. Her hands pressed against her face, she closed her eyes and quietly prayed, "Thank you, Lord for watching over him, for bringing him back to me and the girls."

When her mother entered the bedroom, she found JoAnne crying with relief. JoAnne saw her mother and ran to her yelling, "He's alive and on his way to the airport. They're bringing him in on a Navy helicopter as we speak!"

The following several minutes was witness to a flurry of activity as JoAnne, the girls and her mother dressed and ran to the car. When they backed out from the garage, they were surprised by the stillness of the morning as sunlight peaked from between the clouds creating an explosion of color on the landscape. JoAnne, momentarily, stopped the car and pressed her head against the steering wheel.

"Mom?"

JoAnne looked up and wiped her eyes. "It's okay...I'm fine, let's go see your father." As they drove to the Tacoma Narrows Airport, she called Frank.

"Frank LaRouche here, leave a message and I'll get back to you." She grinned. Short and sweet and to the point, that was Frank. "Frank, this is Jo. I got your message and I'm on the way to the Narrows. Jodie, Sam and my mother are with me. Call me back."

Two minutes later, her cell toned. "Jo LaRouche," she said.

"Jo...don't bother coming to the airport. John's going to be taken directly to Memorial. Jo...David's with him."

JoAnne caught her breath for a moment before saying, "Okay, Memorial then. We'll meet you there. How is he?"

"Don't know yet, Jo. They had to winch a basket down for him. David went out last night looking for John and, somehow, found him. But, they needed the chopper to send a basket down. See you in a bit."

"Okay Frank, we'll be there in twenty minutes, see you then."

JoAnne disconnected and thought about what Frank said...David found John. David will probably be at the hospital. Her elation at John's return was rapidly eroding into a growing fear; fear of what John must be feeling, David, the man who seduced his wife, the brother who betrayed him had rescued John. She gritted her teeth and decided, despite David...despite John...despite everything that has happened she would be there for her husband.

****************

I remember rousing to the sound of a heavy rhythmic thumping. Opening my eyes, I stared at a military zinc green nylon ceiling, the daylight filtering in through the thin material creating a strange almost radioactive glow. I tried to move to the opening of the dome but gasped when a sharp pain radiated from my left ankle. Shit, maybe I did break it, I thought. That throbbing clamor increased and suddenly David stuck his head into the tent.

"Hey sleepy head, ready to go home?"

"What the hell you talking about?" I groused at him.

"Got ya a ride on behest of the United States Navy! Hope you appreciate it, grouch!"

"What the fuck are you saying, you got a chopper in here?" David looked at me as if I wasn't very bright.

"Come one Johnny...I know you're not that slow on the intake. Yes, I called in a favor and have a Navy Seahawk parked just above us. Now, let's get your ass out of that tent and into your hovering limo!"

David squeezed into the tent and helped me to crawl out.

"Don't forget my bag!" I didn't want to leave my Dad's gun behind.

"Yeah, I know...Dad's Colt is safe in my pack." I looked at him angrily. "Who gave you the right to take it?"

David looked serious as he said, "John, honestly? I wasn't sure about your reception and knew you always took the 45 with you. I just didn't want to take any chances you might not be in your right mind. Sorry if I made the wrong assumption but live with it for now."

I grunted and finally made it outside of the tent. Sure enough, a pale bluish-gray Navy Seahawk was hovering above with a basket hooked to a cable extended to the ground about twenty-five yards away. David helped me to my feet and half carried me to the basket. Making sure I was secured, he went back into the tent and emerged with my bag. Once I was set, he looked up and gave the thumbs up. The next thing I knew I was floating toward the helicopter, mixed thoughts running through my mind. I was relieved this ordeal was over and I was going home but was upset David found me and got me out. My great idea of pulling off a vanishing act had evaporated.

Shortly, David was settled in and we were off. I heard David yell at the pilot to make for the Lutheran Memorial Hospital, the pilot acknowledging with a curt nod. David sat opposite from me and spent the remainder of the flight staring at me. I refused to recognize his concerns and turned away. God damn it all to hell, I thought. Soon, I would be forced to see my wife and David together. Not what I wanted.

Thirty minutes later, the chopper settled onto the tarmac of the hospital, attendants standing my with a gurney. Quickly, I was off-loaded and ran into the emergency room and transferred to a bed, a young doctor examining me while attending nurses and such started hooking me up. I screamed as they examined my left leg, the ankle flaring in agony. I groaned as they prodded everywhere and gasped when the doctor pressed on the left side of my torso.

"Mr. LaRouche, does that hurt?" His eyes shown with concern as I nodded. "Okay, we are going to set you up for some x-rays. You may have a fractured rib or two and a possible break to your left ankle. Other than a number of scrapes and bruising, is there pain anywhere else?"

"No, I don't believe so," I said. "Just really tired."

"After what you've been through that's understandable Mr. LaRouche."

"Please," I said. "Call me John. Mr. LaRouche is my father."

The young doctor smiled and said, "Okay Frank. You are also suffering from hypothermia. You know, it's a miracle you're here at all. I heard you had crashed and spent the past couple of days in the Rainier wilderness during the storm." I just stared at him as continued examining me.