Survival in Style

  Chapter 16: Red, White and Blue

  At first, when the helicopter landed, I didn’t even open my eyes. I didn’t want to know if it was Drosnin’s men or a rescue squad. Honestly, I was too tired to care. If it was Drosnin’s guys, what could I do anyway? I started weeping for all the things I didn’t take time to do - thank Tony for saving my life, twice; talk to my parents, and I mean really talk to them; try out for the school play because I was so scared of what other people thought. Well, if I survived this, I wouldn’t try to please so many people all the time. I would start doing the things I wanted most.

  Curiosity drove me to look. Red and white - a rescue copter.

  I burst into tears. Even in this moment, which should have been the sweet end to all our troubles, I pointed the gun at the man who stepped out onto shore. He was wearing a ranger’s uniform, to be certain, but then again, so was Nelson.

  “Stay right there,” I called. “Throw your gun on the ground.”

  He halted, but only for a second. Hands raised, he continued walking toward me. “Young lady, put that down. I’m here to rescue you.”

  “What proof do you have?”

  He looked confused.

  Just then, another man jumped out of the helicopter. But this one had a familiar face and a familiar voice. “Alana? Honey? What are you doing?”

  “Daddy!” I threw the gun out into the lake, past the ring of cattails, past the lily pads, where it could never be used again. Safe! Then relief hit with all the force of a hailstorm. I burst into tears.

  Dad snatched me up in a bear hug as if I’d been five years old instead of fifteen. He swung me around in a circle before putting me down.

  My ankle couldn’t support my weight. I fell flat on my face and didn’t have the strength to get up. “Doesn’t really hurt now,” I said, pointing to my ankle. “But I don’t think it works anymore, either.”

  He looked like he didn’t believe me. I don’t blame him, with all the tears pouring down my face. I tried to catch my breath.

  Meanwhile, the pilot was kneeling beside Tony. He pointed to Nelson. “What happened?”

  “That ranger tried to kill us. I shot him with a blow dart. My friend got bitten by a rattlesnake. I think he’s dying.”

  “Rattlesnake? We don’t have those this far north.”

  “I know what I saw. Can you help him?”

  “I’ll take care of him. Of you both.” He hoisted Tony over his shoulder and carried him into the chopper.

  My father carried me in his arms. He strapped me in to a seat on the side wall where I could keep an eye on Tony, who got strapped to a stretcher.

  The helicopter rose into the air, giving me a clear view of the damage I’d caused. The entire island smoldered. A few trees remained standing, but they were now charred and ugly, no longer white and beautiful. Plumes of smoke still climbed high though the flames were pretty near done. The part that made me smile, though, was the fact that the fire had not spread to the surrounding shores. My bonfire had done its duty.

  “How did you find me?”

  “Your watch. It has a tracking device. I waited and waited for you to turn it on. When you didn’t...” His face, usually so cheerful, pinched in unspoken words. He hugged me hard. “Why did you wait so long?”

  I rested my head against his shoulder, like I used to do when I was a little girl. I missed those simpler times. Would we ever be a real family again? Why couldn’t things just get back to normal? I glanced at Tony, who hadn’t woken up, even during all the bustle. What about him? Would his life ever return to normal? Even if he lived, and Drosnin got sentenced for life, would his troubles ever be truly over?

  My eyelids started to close. I jerked my head up so I could stay awake and keep an eye on Tony.

  “I’ll watch him,” Dad said. “You need to sleep. Go ahead, honey. I’ll take care of him.”

  “Promise? He’s been through a lot.”

  “So have you. I promise.”

  I closed my eyes and drifted into oblivion.