Worthy of Riches (11 page)

The forest was silent, as if holding its breath.

His face and body saturated with sweat and every muscle screaming under the strain, Will scrambled over the top and gently lowered Ray to the ground at the foot of a spruce. “Do you think you could climb if you had to?”

Searching the forest, Ray said, “If I could have, I would have, and you wouldn't have had to carry me up that hill.” His eyes continued to move over the brush. His voice low, he added, “He's close. I can feel him.”

Will stood with his back to Ray and faced the brush. A moment later the big cinnamon-colored bear broke through a clump of willows and charged. Will swung the club at the animal and hollered. “Hah! Get out of here! Go on bear!”

The animal veered off, then stopped and studied the two men, his nose twitching. He stood on hind legs, then with a huff, dropped to all fours.

Will's heart beat hard and fast. This was a big animal, probably close to eight hundred pounds. His eyes rested on its huge paws and five-inch claws, then traveled to the animal's vicious-looking teeth. The branch would be no defense. He could climb a tree, maybe save himself. He looked at Ray and knew he couldn't do it. How could he abandon any man, even one as vile as Ray Townsend?

“You want to go, so go. Save yourself,” Ray said. “There's not much time, and I'm not worth dying for.”

“I'm not leaving you.” Will raised the club and waved it at the animal. “Hah! Go on! Get out of here!”

Swinging its head from side to side, the bear paced back and forth and moved closer. “Go on! Get!” Will took a few steps toward the grizzly.

The animal didn't back away, and his small dark eyes watched Will. With a snarl, he charged. Will and Ray both shouted, raising their feeble weapons. Unbelievably, the bear veered off again. Will began to hope they had a chance. Maybe the brute was more bark than bite. He glared at the animal, hoping he looked intimidating. “What do you think he's going to do?”

“He's gonna come at us again.” Ray held a knife in his hand. He looked at it and smirked. “Probably won't do much good, but I'll be hanged if I'm going to just
let
him make a carcass out of me.”

“Where are Mike and Joe? They can't be far off.”

“Hard to tell. There's a lot of ways they could have headed.” He shrugged. “Holler for them.”

Will cupped his hands around his mouth. “Frank! Mike! Joe! Where are you?” He listened, keeping an eye on the bear pacing a few yards away.

“Here!” came a call. “I'm coming!”

“That sounded like Frank,” Will said. “He'll be here.”
Hurry!

His coat glistening, the bear snapped his jaws, then swiped the air with a heavy paw. He circled the two men.

“Hurry, Frank!” Will shouted. He remembered Jean's dream. Had it been a vision?
I'm sorry, Jean,
he thought, envisioning her amber eyes and warm smile.
Lord if this goes bad, please watch over my family.

Without warning, the bear ran at the two. Will raised his club. In a matter of seconds the bear was on him. He managed to hit the grizzly across the face before the animal tore into him. With a roar, he knocked the branch away like a twig.

Blood ran into Will's eyes, but he felt no pain. He backed away. The bear kept coming at him. It took a swipe at his arm, and hot pain shot through his shoulder and across his chest. The arm hung useless.

“Hit the ground! Play dead!” Ray yelled.

Will did as he was told. Using his good arm, he pulled the injured limb in close to his body, then draped the arm over his head. He lay still, barely breathing. His pulse hammered through his body. Blood stained the ground. The bear batted him a few times, then sniffed him. Will remained motionless.

All of a sudden, a stabbing pain knifed him in the side. The grizzly bit into him, lifted him, and shook. “Ahhh,” Will screamed. Then the bear let loose, and Will hit the ground. He hugged the earth, feeling it was his only refuge. Then he remembered his true refuge was in the Father, and his terror lifted.

Will's thoughts turned to his family. They needed him. He had to fight; he had to try. The animal sniffed at his prey and took hold of the bad arm. In one swift move, Will rolled onto his back and swung his good arm at the bear's face, bringing his fist down on the animal's snout. At the same time, a boom echoed. The bear released Will, and he
lay on the ground panting, his cheek resting against the cool earth. The animal ran. Another blast resounded, and the bear fell. Will closed his eyes. The bear was finally dead.

The next thing Will heard was Frank's voice. “Will?” He felt himself being rolled over. “God almighty.”

Ray crawled to Will and lifted him, cradling him as he would a child. “Why did you do it?” His eyes were confused and guilt-ridden. “Why?”

“Do what?” Will asked with a wheeze.

“You could have saved yourself.”

“You would … have … done the same.” Will struggled for breath. Pain burned through his middle.

“No.” Ray shook his head. “I wouldn't have. I wouldn't have.” Tears washed into his eyes.

Will could feel the life leaving him. He glanced down at himself. His clothing was blood-soaked. He was dying.

“We'll get you out of here,” Frank said. “You'll be all right.”

Will gave the man a smile. “Thanks for getting here.”

“I came as fast as I could. I'm sorry it wasn't sooner.”

Will's eyes found Ray's. “Look after my family.”

“Don't even talk that way. You're going to be fine. I've seen men torn up worse than this who made it. You got to hang on.” Ray glanced at the blood oozing from Will's stomach. “Just hang on,” he repeated more quietly.

“It's all right. I know where I'm going. I'm not afraid.”

“You're not dying. You can't. We've got differences to mend. We're not done with our business, yet.” His voice softened, and he added, “Please live.”

“It's not your fault… I stayed … because I wanted to.”

“I can't figure out why. I'm not worth it. We were enemies.”

“I never hated you.” Will closed his eyes and groaned. It was getting harder to breathe. He looked at Ray. “God … has a life … for you to live. Live it.”

“He has one for you too.”

“Yep—but not here.” He grimaced and swallowed. His strength was leaving him. “Jean. She's going to need help. And … Luke …”

“Don't give up. We'll get you to the doc.”

Will's strength was gone and so was the pain. His body went limp.

“No!” Ray almost shouted. “You can't die!”

“Tell Jean I love her. Tell her I'm sorry.”

Will stopped breathing. Stunned, Ray didn't move but stared at the man who had been his enemy. “I never meant for anything like this to happen. I just wanted you out of the valley. I just wanted …” Truth spilled over him. This man wasn't his enemy. He had never been his enemy. He hadn't deserved Will's mercy. His bitterness and hatred were swept away, and shame engulfed him.

Ray saw his own ugliness and was sickened. He gazed at the dead grizzly and realized he'd been more a beast than the bear had been. The bear had acted out of instinct; he had no understanding of right and wrong.
I knew what I was doing. I'm the one who should be dead.

Ray turned his gaze to the man in his arms and wished he'd known him as a friend. “I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.” He let loose of Will and buried his face in blood-stained hands.

Gentle arms lifted him. “Come on, we need to get you to the doc,” Frank said. “We'll take you up on the litter.”

“What about him?”

“We'll get him out too.”

“And his family? Who's going to tell them?”

Frank didn't answer right away, then said, “I will. I'll tell them.”

“I didn't mean for this to happen. I didn't mean for it to happen.”

“It's not your fault. We never know what lies ahead of us when we're out here. That's the way it is. Nothing to be done about it. It's over.”

CELESTE HUNKERED DOWN IN THE SEAT AND SNUFFLED INTO A HANDKERCHIEF while Frank helped Ray into the pickup.

“I'm gonna need a hand here,” Frank said.

“Oh.” Celeste gently cradled her father's casted leg and settled it on the seat. Leaving her hand on the heavy cast, she glanced at her father but said nothing before sitting back.

Frank set a pair of crutches in the pickup bed, then hurried around and climbed in. Pushing in the clutch, he turned the key and the engine fired. Glancing at Ray, he shifted into first. “You don't have to do this, you know.”

“Yes I do,” Ray said, his voice weary.

Celeste dabbed at her eyes. “Thank you for driving us, Frank. I just don't think I could manage.”

“Glad to help.” Frank eased the pickup forward, pulled onto the road, and headed toward the Haspers. His brow furrowed, he gripped the steering wheel. “I don't know what you can say, Ray. Nothing'll fix what's happened.”

Biting her lip, Celeste grasped her father's hand.

“I have to be the one. I have to tell them…” His voice broke, and he tried again. “I have to tell them how sorry I am.” He could already envision the agony on Jean's face when she heard.
Oh, Lord,
he nearly groaned out loud. Pressing his hands against his face, he wished it were a nightmare and he'd wake up. This was his fault.

He ran his hands through his hair and stared at distant hills. It had happened up there. The heavy forests framed by snow-covered mountains looked peaceful, but they lied. Death had been waiting.

Ray turned his gaze to the road disappearing beneath the front of the pickup. His head throbbed and his stomach churned. His aching leg reminded him of the hideous scene. He tried to shut it out, but it persisted. He'd never erase Will Hasper's death from his mind.

What would he say to Jean Hasper? How could he tell her that her husband was dead? Sweat beaded up on Ray's face, and he thought he might be sick. He gripped the door handle. Will Hasper's death was his fault. How could he tell her that?

God, forgive me. I'm sorry. If only I had understood, maybe none of this would have happened.
The truck bumped through a puddle, and Ray winced, letting out a moan.

“Daddy, you're hurting. You need to send someone else. You should be in bed with that leg up.”

“I'm fine.”

“She's right. You ought to be at home. I'll tell them.” Frank slowed. “I can turn this truck around right now.”

“No.”

“Daddy, please. Listen to Frank.” Celeste's eyes refilled, and she choked back a sob. “This isn't your responsibility.” With that, Celeste started weeping again. “I can't believe he's dead. I just can't believe it.”

“Frank, stop the truck,” Ray said.

Frank pulled to the side of the road and turned off the engine.

“Give us a minute.” Ray opened the door and gingerly eased himself out. Standing on his good leg, he grabbed the crutches out of the back.

Celeste followed. “What do you want? You shouldn't be doing that. Get back in the truck.”

“No. I need the air.” Ray hitched his way to a log and sat down. “Sit,” he said, patting the rough bark beside him.

Celeste did as she was told. Her hands pressed between her knees, she stared at the ground.

Ray circled an arm around her shoulders. “This is bad. Real bad. I don't know how we're going to get through it, but we will… somehow.” He squeezed her gently. “I wish I could make it all go away, but I can't.”

Celeste leaned against his arm. “I know. I just can't believe he's dead. He was a wonderful man. You would have liked him.”

“I know that now.” Ray's eyes filled, and he wiped at them.

“Every time I think about Mrs. Hasper and Laurel and Luke, Brian, and Susie …” She started to cry again. “I remember how it was when Mom died.”

“She was the best.” Ray let out a shaky breath. “I let you down and everyone else. Ever since she died … well, I've been plain mad. I took out my hurt on the people around me. I'm sorry.”

“Daddy…”

“No. Let me say this. I don't understand it all just yet, but I'm beginning to make some sense of it.” He rubbed his hand on his thigh. “When your mother died, I wanted to die. There was a big hole where she used to be. And her death was my fault.”

“You…”

He raised a hand. “Let me finish. Your mother didn't want to come to Alaska. It was me. It was
my
dream, and she loved me, so she came.”

“Mom was happy. We all were.”

“I know, but I could have made sure she was in a safe place when your baby brother was born. Instead, we were out here—in the middle of nowhere. If we'd been near a doctor or a hospital, it could have been different.” He swallowed hard and blinked back tears. “I hated God for letting it happen, then I hated myself, and eventually I hated everyone.” He looked at Celeste tenderly. “Except you, of course.” He took a shuddering breath. “I don't know why things happen the way they do. I wish I'd turned to God instead of hanging on to the bitterness.” He shook his head. “Now this. Will Hasper's dead, and it's my fault.”

“It's not your fault.”

“It is.”

“You act as if you're the one who killed him. It was the bear.”

“Oh, the bear killed him all right, but if I'd treated him decently, he might not have felt like he had to come along. And when he did, I should have made sure he had a partner to hunt with. The rest of us went off and left him.”

“Mr. Hasper would have gone along no matter what.” Fresh tears filled her eyes. “And if he'd stayed home, you'd be dead.”

“That would be more fitting. He was a better man.”

Celeste took her father's face in her hands and made him look at her. “No. He was just a man—good yes, but not better.”

“I did some things you don't know about. I wish you wouldn't have to know, but… pretty soon everyone will.”

“What things?”

“I'm not ready to talk about them just yet.” He took Celeste's hands in his. “I'm sorry, honey. I'm sorry to bring shame on you.”

“I could never be ashamed of you.”

Ray managed a small smile and pulled his daughter into his arms. “You are so much like your mother. She was always quick to forgive. I should have been more like her.” He pushed himself to his feet and leaned on his crutches. With a heavy sigh, he said, “Well, I've got something to do, and I'd better get to it.”