Wherever she was - it was cool, hard, and not very comfortable. It was almost completely quiet, but not entirely. Her head felt like it was filled with cotton, or something as equally thick. She couldn’t think very clearly and her head hurt. A lot.
Jennifer started to drift off into unconsciousness again, when it came back to her. ‘The plane! The crash! Jonathan!’ Her head shot up from its slumped position and she regretted it immediately. A sharp pain shot through her head and partnered up with the dull ache that was already present. She tried to reach for her head, but only had success with her right arm. Her left arm was being pinned to the seat by something.
Jennifer took a deep breath and opened her eyes. She noticed that she was virtually trapped in her seat by Jonathan’s right arm. He had reached across her torso and tangled his wrist amongst her seatbelt. Which was probably a very good thing since her door was missing. She glanced at her husband and saw that he was unconscious and sitting upright in his seat.
She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw his chest rising and falling with a regular rhythm. Jennifer ignored the various aches she felt throughout her body and freed her left arm. She reached over to her husband and shook him gently while she untangled his wrist from her seatbelt with her other hand.
"Jonathan. Jonathan, can you hear me?"
A small groan escaped from his lips and his eyelids fluttered open. His eyes revealed confusion, before his mind cleared and they focused on Jennifer.
"Are you alright?" he asked, noticing the open gash on her forehead.
Jennifer was still holding his hand that she had freed from her seatbelt and she squeezed it reassuringly. "I’m a little sore, but I think I’ll be fine. How about you?"
Jonathan sat up and winced as he felt the variety of bruises he acquired make their presence known. "Same here, a few cuts and bruises, but I don’t think it’s anything serious."
"Okay, so now what?" Jennifer asked looking around the area.
Jonathan looked at his watch and unfastened his seatbelt, "It’s quarter to five and it will be getting dark soon. We’ll take what we need and set up camp for the night."
Jennifer nodded and helped her husband gather what they needed to set up a temporary camp. They grabbed their packs, the flare gun, one of the water jugs, and the emergency survival and first aid kits before they made their way to a safe looking spot just outside of the surrounding woods.
They dug out a small fire pit and encircled it with the rocks that Jennifer had collected. Jonathan helped her gather some branches and log or two that they would need to maintain a healthy fire throughout the night. It was very early spring in California, and it could get very cold at night so it was best to be prepared.
Jonathan built a fire and placed the small heating grill over it while Jennifer set out their bedrolls. The couple had just finished eating their compressed survival meals as the sun dipped beneath the horizon making its departure for the day.
Jennifer was sitting near the fire watching the remainder of the sunset when Jonathan walked over and sat down beside her, canteen and first aid kit in hand.
"Okay darling, now that we have time I want to take a better look at that cut of yours." he said as he opened the kit.
Jennifer touched at the small gash on her forehead softly and angled her body more toward her husband, "Jonathan, I think that between the two of us this is the only real cut."
Jonathan gently removed the old bandage and dabbed at the dried blood that had gathered around the wound with a wet cloth. "I know darling, but I noticed that you were moving slowly and somewhat gingerly while we were gathering wood. Are you sure that there isn’t more?"
"Jonathan I’m fine. I ache a little, that’s all. Besides, you’re the one who’s been limping and carrying around that swollen wrist."
"I’m pretty sure that the wrist is just a mild sprain, and the limp is because I banged my knee sometime during our landing. And it’s not even bothering me anymore." He said as he applied a fresh butterfly bandage to his wife’s injury.
"Darling I’m fine. I’m just a little sore, a lot sore actually, from being tossed around like that."
"From the seatbelt you mean?" He asked.
"Yes."
Jonathan grabbed a fresh cloth and moved over to the fire where he removed the water being kept hot there on the grill, "A hot compress will help with that."
Jennifer pulled off her jacket and started unbuttoning her flannel shirt, "You don’t have to ask me twice. A hot compress sounds like heaven."
Jonathan dropped the thick cloth into the hot water before picking up the whole container and moving to the bedroll where Jennifer was now sitting. She had removed her jacket and shirt and was now clad in only jeans and her bra. She had wrapped a sleeping bag around her shoulders and was leaning back against a tree.
"This would probably work better if you were laying down." He said.
Jennifer dipped her head and carefully lowered herself down to the bedroll.
Jonathan pulled the cloth from the hot water and drained it the best he could without burning himself. He pulled the sleeping bag off Jennifer’s shoulders and inhaled audibly when he saw the blue and purple marks that covered a good part of his wife’s delicate torso. There were two distinct marks on her shoulders from the straps, and another one just above her belly button from the buckle.
"Darling, are you sure that you’re alright?" He asked concerned.
"I’m rather sore, but I think that I’m doing pretty well considering." She answered.
Jonathan ran the hot cloth over the dark bruises on his wife’s upper body, and she practically groaned in relief.
"That was quite a landing." Said Jonathan.
"So long as we walked away from it together."
Jonathan dipped his head in agreement and focused his attention back to his task, while Jennifer relaxed under the therapeutic caress.
Jennifer’s thoughts took her back to the plane, back to a time when she thought that they might not make it and Jonathans voice rang out in her head, "I want for you to make it through this landing with me." There was so much that she wanted, that she needed to tell him. About everything, about what he gave her and what he meant to her.
Jonathan dragged the cloth across Jennifer’s shoulders and the painful looking bruises that resided there. He remembered the first impact, the one where she cried out as she acquired the injuries. She cried out and there was nothing that he could do to help or protect her. Two of his worst fears danced around him at that moment. Not being to protect her and worst of all, losing her. ‘Life without Jennifer. Yeah right, like that was even possible. And if it was, it wouldn’t have meaning anyway.’ He thought. ‘She is absolutely my life. There is no me, without her.’
"Jonathan?"
"Hmm?"
"Those last few seconds on the plane … just before we … landed."
"Yes?" he encouraged.
Jennifer drew in a deep breath, "I wasn’t sure we’d make it. In fact, I kind of thought that we wouldn’t." She paused to collect her thoughts. "We love each other, and we both know that we do. We love each other more then most couples do, and we both know that too."
"Yes we do." He agreed, unsure of where his wife was going.
"The only thing that I could think of as we were going down was how much I love you. I could think of nothing but what you mean to me, of what your love has given me. I don’t think that you could ever truly know how much you mean to me, how vital you are to my existence. I need you more then I need air. I don’t have the words to tell you how much I love you, I don’t think they even exist." Said Jennifer through teary eyes, "You are everything to me."
Jonathan tossed the rag aside, gathered his wife into his arms, and he reclined against the tree that Jennifer had abandoned earlier. "Darling, you are my whole world. Before you, I didn’t think it was possible to love this much. My life started the day I met you, and took meaning the day that you said you loved me. I live because of you, and couldn’t without you. You are everything to me too."
Jennifer turned around in the embrace and wrapped her arms firmly around her husband’s neck ignoring the pain in her shoulders and stomach that screamed in protest. She felt his arms circle her waist and hold onto her tightly.
They held each other for several minutes until Jennifer finally pulled away. She pulled back and locked eyes with her husband, "I love you."
Jonathan smiled tenderly, "I know you do. And it’s very fortunate… because I love you too."
Jennifer returned the smile before leaning forward to brush her lips over his. "Very
fortunate indeed."
With that she released her husband’s neck and snuggled against him. She sat between his legs with her side pressed against his chest and her head resting on his shoulder. Her knees were drawn up and nestled against Jonathan’s side, so that she was virtually enclosed in her husband’s arms.
Jonathan held his wife close to him and rested his chin against her forehead, and every so often, he would tilt his head and place a soft kiss on her temple. One arm circled her back, while the other was wrapped around her drawn up legs and rested on her knee.
He felt her shiver against the cool night air and he wrapped the earlier discarded sleeping bag around her. Jennifer took her husbands hand that was on her knee between hers and pulled it onto her lap, entwining her fingers with his. Their hands rested against her bare stomach and Jonathan’s thumb brushed back and forth over the soft skin. Jennifer used her free hand to toy idly with one of the buttons on her husbands shirt.
Jonathan slipped his other arm beneath the sleeping bag and began to rub her back, he ran his hand up and down his wife’s smooth back in a slow, soothing motion.
Jonathan wasn’t sure how long they had been sitting together when he felt his wife start to grow heavy in his arms. He knew she had fallen asleep but he also knew that they couldn’t sleep that way. He kissed her on the forehead and used the hand on her back to shake her gently."
"Darling? Darling wake up, we can’t sleep like this." He said softly.
Jennifer groaned in protest and buried her face in the hollow of his neck in an effort to escape the intrusion.
Jonathan smiled, but persisted, "Come on darling, we’re not going far. It’s just a few feet to the bedrolls."
She groaned again and pulled away from her husband’s warm body.
Jonathan laughed as he stood and pulled Jennifer to her feet. She stood and leaned into him for a minute. He responded with a light hug before he guided her to her bedroll. Jonathan lowered his wife to her bedroll and then proceeded to unlace her boots and pull them off while Jennifer replaced her shirt.
Jennifer snuggled down into her bedroll while Jonathan tossed another log on the fire. He pulled his bedroll next to his wife’s, putting her between him and the fire. He lowered himself to his own bed and removed his boots and before checking his gun and placing it underneath his pillow.
When he was finally situated, Jonathan turned to kiss his wife goodnight and stopped when he saw that she was already asleep. He smiled before bending down to place a gentle kiss on her forehead.
"Goodnight darling." He said before settling down himself.
It had been an eventful day to say the least and despite his exhaustion, Jonathan couldn’t sleep. An earlier survey of the area surrounding their camp showed that they weren’t alone, but they didn’t have the option of moving far away from the crash. He just hoped that the other resident would leave them alone until help arrived, if there was any help on the way that is. He was fairly certain that their distress call wasn’t picked up, but he couldn’t be certain. With any luck, someone spotted their plane’s descent and notified the authorities. Or, if not, they left a somewhat significant crash line and the wreckage was sitting in an almost open field. Both would be easy to spot from above.
A little while later Jonathan fell into a light and alert sleep, ready to wake in an instant. Their luck with the crash had been unbelievable, hopefully, it would last them a little while longer.
It was just after dawn when Jennifer awoke with a start. She wasn’t sure what woke her -but she felt the hairs on the back of neck standing up, and she knew that whatever it was - it wasn’t good. Her eyes did a quick search and she saw Jonathan standing a few feet away from her with his gun raised and pointed toward the woods. And if the look on his face was indication, it REALLY wasn’t good.
She was about to ask what was going on when she heard it. A loud, menacing growl, no, roar was more like it, filled the air. It was so loud that it echoed several times making its origin impossible to determine.
Jonathan spoke without breaking his gaze from the woods, "It’s time to break camp."
You didn’t need to tell Jennifer twice and she moved like silent lightning. She had both their packs secured, extinguished the remainder of the fire, and had filled the canteens in under ten minutes while Jonathan kept watch.
He nodded towards the plane, "We’ll grab a full water jug from the plane and head out."
"Head where? We have no idea where we are."
"We’re somewhere in the San Bernardino National Forest, and right now we’re heading away from the very large bear that’s coming this way. There’s no cover here and a plane with a missing door isn’t going to be of much help." Said Jonathan as he started toward the wreckage.
"San Bernardino? Were we heading to Big Bear Lake?" she asked.
"We still are."
"Since when are there giant bears in San Bernardino? I thought that they only had a couple of grizzly’s, and in a secure area." Asked Jennifer.
"Aside from those few, there are no more grizzly’s in California. Not since the 1920’s anyway. Besides, I think ours is a black bear."
"Aren’t we a little far south for that?"
"Tell that to the bear. Come on."
After a quick stop to get a full water jug the Harts set off to put as much distance as possible between them and the angry bear, and hopefully find a way out the woods and back to civilization while they were at it.
They had been walking for about three hours when they came to a large clearing and a thin stream. It had been some time since they heard anything from the bear so they decided to stop and eat something before they continued on their trek to where ever it was that they were going.
"We haven’t heard anything from Yogi for a while. Maybe we just set up camp too close her and her cubs and she didn’t want us around." Jennifer offered between bites of her compressed survival meal.
"Maybe." Jonathan answered.
"Bears may be carnivores but they mainly eat fish and plants."
"A bear of that size isn’t surviving on salads." He replied gravely.
"How do you know what size it is?"
"There were bear tracks about fifty yards from our campsite. And I saw more then one tree with claw marks on the trunk. I could barely reach the bottom of the scratch marks; which makes this bear somewhere between 7 and 10 feet tall."
Jennifer paled slightly at the news, "Which means he would probably weigh a great deal."
"The prints were old but from the depth of them, I’d say he weighs at least 500lbs." Added Jonathan.
"You don’t believe in sugar-coating things do you darling?"
Jonathan had a grim expression on his face and he tapped the gun on his side, "This won’t do much to stop a bear of that size. However, we haven’t heard anything from him for a while. He may not even care about us, now that we’re off of his property."
Jennifer put away the remains of her meal and stood, "Why don’t we get further off of his property?"
Jonathan followed his wife’s lead and they started off again in search of civilization. They had walked for about an hour when he stopped dead and Jennifer crashed into him from behind.
"What’d you stop for?" she asked.
"Do you smell that?"
She sniffed, "Smell what?"
"Smoke." He said excitedly, "I smell smoke."
"Smoke like a campfire, or smoke like a forest fire?" she asked wryly.
Jonathan ignored her and pointed up, "Look."
Jennifer followed her husband’s arm and raised her eyes skyward. She saw a thin stream of gray smoke rising from the woods and into the sky.
"Come on." Said Jonathan as he started in the direction of the smoke, "Hopefully they won’t be lost too."
"Yeah, hopefully." She said dryly as she fell into step just behind her husband.
"What do mean?" he asked noticing the tone.
"What I mean is that knowing our luck the fire probably belongs to a couple of Seattle bank robbers on their way south to Mexico, and working their way through the forests to keep from being caught."
"Try to see the glass as half full darling." Said Jonathan as he increased the pace.
Jennifer just groaned and matched the pace.
The couple had been walking steadily for about three more hours when they pushed through some brush and came across the source of the now gone fire.
"A cabin!" Jennifer exclaimed, "Jonathan it’s a cabin!"
There was an old, but sturdy cabin about twenty yards away. There was hand made furniture on the porch, a large stack of logs for firewood and timber that sat just off to the side, and a water-well just beyond that. The shutters on the windows were open and they revealed dark curtains hanging from within.
"I wonder if the owner is home." Said Jonathan.
"Jonathan, what if the owners are a couple of hillbillies or something?"
"Well then maybe they’ll share some of their moonshine."
Jennifer shot him a look, "Do you think they’ll mind if we wait on the porch? I hope that they don’t think that we’re Avon ladies or something."
"Oh, you’re just a regular laugh riot. Keep chucking it up smiley, just wait till someone out of ‘Deliverance’ comes through that door and has eyes for only you."
Jennifer laughed, "You think that’s funny? I’d be careful Mr. Hart, because you know that they always have a hairy, toothless sister that you’ll be forced to marry."
"Really? Kind of reminds me of how we met." he said with eyes full of mirth.
Jennifer stopped in her tracks and turned around to face her husband. She opened her mouth to respond and a thunderous roar overtook the forest. A loud thrashing and tearing sound exploded from behind Jonathan. He turned around in time to see a large black bear burst from the woods.
Jonathan reached slowly for his gun and tried to retreat even slower.
The giant bear raised himself on his hindquarters and roared loud enough to leave Jonathan’s ears ringing.
Jennifer was frozen in place and stood staring at the massive creature. Jonathan was fairly accurate in his earlier assessment; the bear was about ten feet tall, maybe eleven. He could easily weigh anywhere from five to eight hundred pounds. He had a large, white, almost star shaped mark on his chest, and a roaring mouth full of sharp teeth.
The beast roared again and dropped back down to all fours with a resounding thump and Jennifer could swear that the entire Earth shook. He chomped his teeth together a couple times before charging forward. He closed the distance between him and Jonathan faster then Jonathan could draw his weapon, and the bear swatted him aside with his colossal sized paw. The impact sent Jonathan flying through the air and he landed several yards away, not moving.
Jennifer almost ran to him but the cold gaze from the bear kept her locked in place. She wasn’t even sure that she was still breathing. The bear held her eyes for a minute longer before turning his attention to Jonathan’s motionless body. He stared at the unmoving Jonathan for several minutes before turning his massive head and dark eyes back to Jennifer.
The bear stared at her with piercing eyes and Jennifer felt as if he was looking straight to her soul. She wondered if maybe she should lower her eyes in an act of submission. ‘No. I can’t show submission, that will probably make him perceive me as a meal. No, I have to show him that I am not inferior and that he doesn’t have a chance. Not to mention keeping him away from Jonathan. And me.’
Jennifer’s eyes left the bear’s and darted around trying to find a weapon, an escape, anything to work with. There were several climbable trees, the pile of large logs, the well, and cabin that may or may not be locked. Bears were excellent climbers, and she couldn’t use the well. That left her the cabin and the logs. Did she dare to try for the cabin? Maybe someone was home, maybe they had something to use as a weapon, maybe… maybe… maybe…
She inched her way towards the cabin and the bear watched her closely. She had gotten within mere feet of the front steps when the bear charged at her. Jennifer turned and ran, she took the steps two at a time and she reached for the doorknob. It didn’t turn and she bounced of the door with a resounding thud. She felt, more then she heard or saw the bear moving in behind her and she dove away from the door.
The bear missed her by inches and crashed head first into the thick wooden door. The cabin door creaked and groaned under the stress but didn’t give way. The bear stumbled back a bit and shook its head before turning to look at Jennifer.
Jennifer jumped to her feet and dashed across the porch. She used one hand to aid her in jumping over the banister of the porch and she fell the few feet to the ground. Her legs hit the ground and she tucked and rolled and was back on her feet and racing towards the pile of logs.
The bear moved as soon as Jennifer did and he tore across the porch after her. He however, was not as agile and too large to jump over the porch railing and slid into instead. The wood of the banister lacked the strength and thickness of the door and it fell away when the huge beast smashed into it. The bear and the remains of the railing fell from the porch and crashed to the ground.
The fall apparently didn’t phase the monster in the least because he rolled over and was right behind Jennifer again within seconds.
Jennifer was almost to the pile of logs when she heard the bears paws pounding on the ground behind her in pursuit. She ran faster then she ever had before and finally reached her goal and began to climb the unsteady pile. The bear was at the bottom of the pile before Jennifer was able to reach the top. The beast started to climb the pile after her, and Jennifer could feel it begin to give way.
"Jennifer!"
She heard Jonathan scream out her name just as the logs gave way completely and she and the bear were swept along with them. The wood was very thick and completely unyielding, and she was helpless against its assault. She felt the rough surfaces scratch and tear her skin and Jennifer tried desperately to grab onto something to stop her violent tumble. But it was no use, and she was swept along with the current of the wood. All she could do was hope that she lived through devastating fall.
She had lost sight of the bear but she heard it cry out and she knew that it hadn’t escaped the wave of wood either. The fact that the she managed to save Jonathan from the beast gave her some comfort from the beating she was receiving. At least she hoped that she had managed to save him.
And then it was over. At least Jennifer thought it was. She no longer felt the pain, and she was pretty sure that that the tide had stopped moving. Or, if not the tide, then at least her. And she wasn’t sure if she was actually trying to get up or not, but she didn’t think that she was able to move. Why was it so hard to breathe and where was her voice?
Jennifer felt something on her face; at least she thought she did. And then she could breathe again. It hurt, but she could breathe, and she sucked down air greedily. The air helped her to regain some of her senses, and she could hear… Jonathan maybe? Talking to her and she strained to listen. Yes! Yes, it was Jonathan talking, but what was he saying?
"Jonathan?" At least that was what she tried to say. It came out more as a gasp then the name of her husband and she forced her eyes open.
Jonathan was kneeling next to her and rubbing his hand across her forehead and he was saying … something. Jennifer redoubled her efforts to regain some clarity and his voice was able to break through the haze.
"Jennifer?" his voice sounded panic stricken. Why would he sound panic stricken?
"What happened?" she croaked.
Relief flashed briefly in Jonathan eyes, "You fell when the bear chased up the log pile. Do you remember?"
"The bear?"
"Yes, he’s somewhere under the pile."
Relief flooded her body, "I couldn’t breathe."
"You were trapped under a log that was pressing down on your chest. I got it off as soon as I was able to reach you. How do you feel now?" he asked with pain in his voice.
She thought about it for a moment, "I’m not sure. My chest hurts some."
Jonathan nodded, but he still had panic in his eyes.
"Can I get up now?" asked Jennifer.
Jonathan closed his eyes and tried to find an inner strength to draw from, "Darling, I was able to move the log off your chest. But right now, you’re still pinned beneath two very heavy logs that I can’t even budge."
Jennifer thought that, she should probably be afraid, at least worried. And probably in pain. But strangely enough she wasn’t. There was no pain, worry, or fear. She felt oddly detached from the whole situation. It was almost as if she was a spectator and the whole thing was happening to someone else.
A moment of clarity swept over her, "I think … I think I might be in shock." She deduced aloud.
Something that sounded like a large explosion conquered the forest and Jonathan’s head snapped around to see the large bear standing a few yards behind him with a blank look in his eyes. And in place of the large misshapen star on his chest was a large hole, and the giant bear fell forward to lay dead in front of him.
A short, husky man with a very large gun stepped out from the woods and laughed victoriously, "Ha Ha! I knew I’d get him one day."
It seemed to take him a few seconds to notice Jennifer lying trapped beneath the wood, and he rushed over and grabbed one of the logs holding her on the ground. Jonathan pushed with him and they were able to loosen the logs enough to pull Jennifer free.
Jonathan pulled her from beneath the logs and Jennifer’s head lolled limply to the side and she caught site of the bear lying several feet away.
"That bear is starting to get on my nerves." She declared.
"I’ll radio for help." Said the short man who stood and ran towards the cabin. "Try to keep her warm."
It took some considerable effort on her part but Jennifer turned her head towards the voice and gazed intently at the man who stood looking at her before turning and dashing towards the log cabin.
"Watch out! The door is locked!" she called after him.
Jennifer looked thoughtful for a moment and she shifted her eyes to where Jonathan was kneeling beside her and she noticed that he looked very scared. ‘Is he still worried about the bear? No. And who was that man?’
"That little man looks fery vamiliar … No. Very familiar. Do I know him? He looks like the man who … From the CIA … When he was in Hawaii. Remember … And we were there too … And Max too … He wanted the key my cabaña … I think … And then he tried for me to take his picture … Darling … Do you remember that darling … You were paying … Playing … Polo? No, it’s not polo … Was it golf? … No … It was with Richard … Before he got murdered … Did you notice that … A lot of people we know … Seem to get murdered? … Anyway … And then there was the bird … I’m not remembering his name good either … Hmm … Let me think for a couple minutes …"
Jonathan looked down at his wife; her clothes were torn and she had a multitude of cuts, bruises, and abrasions. Many of which were still bleeding. She looked fragile, far too pale, and very tiny. Jonathan placed his coat under her neck and threw the sleeping bag from his pack over her. She had her eyes closed but was continuing to mutter disjointed thoughts and memories through cut and swollen lips as she continued to slide in and out of consciousness.
"And then you threw the key away … Over the side of the boat … Like you did … Um … when you use to … To toast … In the Navy … Or is it the Air Force … I almost forgot that … That you used to fly submarines … But then Max … He did something to his foot … No … To his toe … And then he couldn’t dance with … with… with that lady in the moo moo … I wonder … Why doesn’t Max never dance anymore ... Remind me … To ask you … No … To ask Max … We should go dancing … Maybe … Maybe Max will want to go too …"
Jennifer nodded off but her eyes snapped open a few minutes later and she started to talk again, "Hi Max … Darling … Don’t be rude … Jonathan … Say hello to Max … Don’t go … Don’t … go where Max … What are you … Talking about Max … We should dance … But I can’t right now … Because … And then … There was this bear … And I think … I think he ate my lunch … He was very rude …"
Jonathan watched and listened as Jennifer finally succumbed to the darkness that had been calling to her. Her chest continued to move up in down with a steady rhythm and for the second time in as many days Jonathan was unable to protect his wife, and was dangerously close to losing her … again.
He knew that it was bad, very bad. His hands were shaking and he balled them into fists to try and get them to stop. He didn’t have any serious injuries, but for some reason he couldn’t really think anymore and he wondered if maybe he was in shock as well. But for a very different reason.
He was afraid when he knew their plane was going down, he was scared when the bear burst from the woods. But now, looking down at his bruised and battered wife, for the first time in his life, Jonathan Hart knew absolute terror.
He bent his head forward and placed a delicate kiss on her bruised forehead.
"Hold on darling."
Jonathan blinked and two tears rolled down his cheek.
"Just hold on."
