Part Eighteen – The Rescue of the Elf
When Bill woke up four hours later, he was lying on his bed. Natasha was standing over him wiping his face with a cold washcloth. He could see there was blood on the white washcloth.
“What time is it?” Bill asked Natasha.
“It’s two thirty Dad, now just lie still.” Natasha answered.
“Where’s Ken.” Bill asked as he got up on his elbows.
“I’m right here. Bill.” I said coming in through the open door. “I heard you from outside. Are you all right? I asked.
“I think so Ken,” Bill said as he sat up on the edge of the bed. “I guess I had some sort of episode?” he continued looking up at Natasha.
“I’d say so.” She answered. “Just look at yourself.”
Bill got to his feet and walked over to the mirror by the door. His shirt was torn to shreds and he had huge scratches covering most of his face. “What the hell?” he said, turning to Natasha.
“EMT’s tended to most of those wounds.” She said, “Ambulance came all the way from Longmont. I insisted they put you in bed. It took four men to haul your big ass up here.” She said as she smiled. She was happy that her father seemed well.
Suddenly Bill was in a panic. He had remembered something. “Get me a new shirt, Honey.” He said. “Ken grab a coat and meet me at your Jeep as quickly as you can.”
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“Just do it Ken, I’ll see you in five.” Bill said as he pushed me out the door.
I ran back downstairs, grabbed my down vest, and put on my boots but didn’t bother to tie them. I ran down to the lobby and out into the parking lot.
I got to my Jeep before Bill did. As started the Jeep, I could see Bill running through the parking lot toward Me. Natasha was close behind him.
Bill got in the passenger’s side of the Jeep and I could hear the springs whine with disapproval. Natasha jumped in the back of the Jeep.
“Forgot my coat.” She said.
“There should be a green jacket there in the back.” I told her.
“Nothing but this itchy wool blanket back here.” Natasha said.
“Damn, Amber must still have the jacket.” I thought.
“Ken start driving.” Bill said, “Amber said you would know where to find her.”
“What?” I yelled, “Where’s Amber.”
“Just drive, Ken, I’ll tell you on the way.” Bill yelled back.
I started driving down toward the main street of Estes Park. When I got to highway 36, I had a choice to turn right or left. I turned left toward Trail Ridge Road. That was the only road she and I had been on together, it was the logical choice.
Natasha had wrapped the wool blanket around her and I cranked the heat up on the Jeep and sped out of town up Trail Ridge Road.
As we drove up the mountain, Bill told me about the vision he had. “It’s probably because you started getting all wonky about some crazy mummy story.” I said.
“Maybe.” Bill said, but I didn’t believe him. I knew he thought there was more to the story.
I told Bill about my experience with the white poodle, and seeing Tim again. “It happened.” I told them, “It was real, I know it.”
“Then why can’t my story be real, Ken?” Bill asked. “It sure in hell felt real. And look at my face.” He said pointing at his face.
“Amber’s somewhere on this road.” I said, changing the subject, “I can feel it.”
“It’s getting colder.” Natasha said from the back. “This itchy wool piece of shit is worthless.” I could tell she was shivering.
“Get in the middle, I told her and pointed both vents down the middle toward the back of the Jeep.
“That’s a little better.” She said as she rubbed her hands in the hot air.
We drove a few more miles and saw some dim lights up ahead. As we got closer, we could tell it was Amber’s Mercedes. I jumped out of the Jeep before it had completely stopped and ran toward the overturned vehicle. Bill pulled the emergency brake. “Love.” Natasha whispered to Bill as they both got out of the Jeep.
It only took a few seconds to find Amber. She was unconscious, but had pulled her arms and head inside the jacket. “Turtle”, I thought as I picked her up. My back was screaming, but I didn’t care. I rushed her over to the Jeep.
I handed her to Bill, and jumped in the driver’s seat. Bill was cradling her in his huge arms as we turned around and headed back down the mountain. He was rubbing the outside of the jacket with his huge hands, and I could see tears rolling down his face and freezing on the bottom of his chin.
“I heard you bug.” He was whispering to her. “I heard you.”
Just then I remembered something else. I ran around to the back of the Jeep and took a flathead screwdriver from my backpack. I walked over to the overturned Mercedes and broke open the trunk with the screwdriver. A large suitcase tumbled out of the trunk. I grabbed the suitcase and threw it in the back of the Jeep. “She’s going to need this.” I said, and crawled back into the Jeep.
“Natasha, do you have your cellphone?” I asked.
“Sure do”, she said pulling it out of her back pocket.
“Forgets her coat, but has her damn iPhone.” I thought to myself, smiling. “Kids these days.”
“Call the ambulance and have them meet us halfway.” I asked
“Already done.” She said. “I called when we got to the Merc.”
“Good girl.” I said.
A few miles down the mountain we saw the lights of the ambulance, and pulled over. Bill still had Amber in his arms. When the ambulance arrived, he rushed her over to the EMT’s.
“Hypothermia, I think.” Bill told them.
“Hello again fellas.” Natasha said as she waved at them from the Jeep.
“What the hell is going on with you people?” One of the EMT’s asked.
“Take me with you and I’ll tell you the whole story.” Answered Natasha, as she jumped out of the Jeep and walked toward the ambulance. “You got heat in this sucker?” she said, as she got in the back of the ambulance with Amber. “I’ll call you guys from the hospital.” She said, “I get the feeling there’s some unfinished business back at the hotel.”
“Like Father, Like Daughter.” Bill said as he closed the doors of the ambulance. The siren sped off as Bill and I got back in the Jeep.
“Are you going to let me in on it?” I asked Bill as I tried to start the Jeep.
“You’ll find out soon enough, Ken. Even with all the wild shit you’ve been through this week, I don’t think you will believe this next one unless you see it. What’s wrong with the Jeep?”
“Hold on.” I told him as I jumped out of the Jeep, ran to the gas cap. It opened with a hiss as the pressure was released. I tightened the gas cap and jumped back in the Jeep. Bill was looking at me confused. “Vapor Lock” I told him.
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