Page 63 of Pretty Broken Dolls
She was completely covered in mud and cold earth, making her shiver. Opening her eyes, she checked out Cisco and he was muddy too but hadn’t sustained any injuries. Still gripping him tight, she was grateful they were both okay.
Looking around, she saw they were surrounded by branches that had miraculously missed them as the tree’s weight finally settled into softer soil.
“Well, Cisco, I guess we’re going to have to climb up,” she said softly.
The dog got to his feet and headed upward, sliding backward and then pushing uphill again.
Katie did the same. She made progress, but it was slow going, having to climb over branches and then navigate the slippery areas. She had more dirt, mud, and forest debris on her than she would have thought possible as they neared the top.
Cisco stopped abruptly. His tail lowered, along with his body stature. A low guttural growl emitted from him as his hackles rose along his spine, concentrating between his shoulder blades.
Katie knew there was some type of danger. It wasn’t insurgents, but she knew how to read the dog well enough that something was terribly wrong—unnatural. She didn’t have to wait long before she saw what Cisco had sensed.
Standing at the top, about fifteen feet away, along what was left of the hiking ridge, was a large mountain lion. The sizeable tan cat fixated its yellow eyes down at them. Its strong forequarters were poised, its ears alert against its round head. Katie could see from this range just how powerful were its neck and jaws. She knew it was unusual for them to attack people, but their numbers were strong and more reports of attacks had been documented.
Cisco began to bark rapidly—it echoed around the hillside and down into the valley.
“Cisco,platz,” she said, trying to get the dog’s attention in his trained German command for stay in place. “Platz,” she said again until the dog obeyed. Slowly he backed down and positioned himself in a low crouch between Katie and the lion with his hackles raised.
Katie had seen a few mountain lions in her life, but they were never aggressive, merely curious or territorial. She could tell that the cat was a male—he was largest one she had ever seen. She moved slowly toward her ankle holster. A warning shot should snap the cat out of its fixation and make it flee. That was the plan, anyway.
The mountain lion opened his mouth and began to pant, but never took its yellow eyes off them.
Gently unsnapping her holster, she was just about to withdraw her weapon when the sound of a gunshot rang out, instantly startling the mountain lion as it disappeared from Katie’s view. Shocked that there was gunfire—whether it was friendly or not—she stayed in her position next to Cisco, ready for whatever would come next. Her rapid heartbeat battered her chest. Her hands shook and cold perspiration trickled down her back. Her vision blurred and then cleared. Blinking her eyes rapidly to stay focused, she remained in the same position. Feeling the dog’s own rapid heartbeat next to her side, she flashed back as she detected the smell of expelled gunfire—an odor that was forever rooted into her memory.
* * *
Her platoon had walked into an ambush because of incorrect intel they had received. Half of the group had made it to safety with sufficient cover and the other half with limited safety, but she and Cisco were caught in between. The last barrage of gunfire had ceased, but the air was filled with smoke and gunpowder, along with an unnatural quiet. It was difficult to see anyone until the dust settled. The next onslaught could mean rockets and bombs, but the silence was more terrifying than bullets. She was in an unknown, foreign place, thousands of miles from home and no help available in the near future. They had to rely on each other, their wits, and calmness to focus on what had to be done. She heard “Katie”. It was faint at first, but then it was louder, “Katie”…”Katie”…
* * *
“Katie!” the voice yelled. “You alright? Katie!”
Katie tensed. Her hands felt sweaty against the gun grip as she wondered if someone was really calling her name.
Cisco barked three times.
“Katie!”
She knew she heard someone calling her that time. “We’re here!” she yelled back.
Carefully, with Cisco following, she managed to get to the top of the hill where there was a small flat ridge and sat down—waiting still with her gun in a prone position. The dog hunkered down next to her side.
“Katie!”
“We’re here!”
She still didn’t recognize the man’s voice. There was some thrashing just on the other side of the downed tree and climbing to the top was Special Agent Campbell.
“Agent Campbell?” she said completely stunned. “Where did you come from?”
“Let’s get you out of here first,” he said.
“How did you know I was here?” Immediately, she was suspicious: why had he happened to be there just when she needed help to scare away the mountain lion? “Why are you here?” she demanded as her usual senses came back to her.
“A long story,” he lamely answered. “Let’s get you to safer ground.” He was dressed in jeans and a heavy jacket. His blond hair was perfect, considering they were outdoors.
Katie was uneasy about the situation, but she took him up on his assistance.
