Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience.
 
 �>�Summer at Cache Lake

   Chapter 131: Fences

    -�Yes . . .  thank you, but time is short. -�

    -�Jane -(TM)s a lifeguard.  She has her WSI, -� said the redhead.

   Was this woman -(TM)s name really Jane?  Jill wondered as she asked, 
-�WSI? -�

    -�Water Safety Instructor, a Red Cross certification program, -� the
short woman explained.   -�I -(TM)m hardly a paramedic.  But he was
breathing, right? -�

    -�Oh, yes.  Breathing and a heartbeat.  Unconscious, but alive, -� she
replied.

    -�You need someone with actual medical training . . .  not me.  Better
yet, you need to get him to a hospital.  Head injuries are the worst -- -�
her voice trailed off.  She looked as if she suddenly realized that she
shouldn -(TM)t have said that.   -�I -(TM)m sure everything will be all
right, -� she added, attempting a smile.

   One of the other guys held up a store-bought bottle of water, offering
it to Jill.  Seeing a look of interest on Jill -(TM)s face, Jane took it
from him and walked it over to her.  She accepted it gladly.

   As Jill unscrewed the cap, she said,  -�So, he told you we were brother
and sister.  He told you my name.  What else did he tell you? -�

    -�Well, let me see, -� said the redhead.   -�He said that you liked
being naked, but were always acting as if you didn -(TM)t.  He said that if
we met you, that you -(TM)d be shy and hide . . .  or maybe ask us to loan
you some clothes.  But that secretly you would be hoping that we wouldn
-(TM)t . . .  because you craved exposure.  He said that the two of you had
a game going.  You always went to great effort claiming not to want to be
naked . . .  he called it a face-saving effort.  He -(TM)d push back and
you -(TM)d remain naked . . .  happily naked. -�

    -�Oh, great, -� muttered Jill under her breath.  Glancing around the
group, she saw two shirts looped through belts.  Either one of them would
be perfect.  She shook her head and took a deep breath, letting it out
slowly before taking a drink.  Even David was conspiring to make this more
difficult than it needed to be.

   As she took a second long drink, she heard,  -�Smile, ladies. -� She
looked up in surprise and noted that she and Jane were being photographed.

    -~Why does this always happen to me? -(TM) she thought, stepping
quickly behind Jane.

    -�Come on, Lola.  Jane deserves a Tarzan and Jane photo, -� said the
guy photographing them.

    -~Why?  No she doesn -(TM)t, -(TM) thought Jill, but looking at the
phone, she asked hopefully,  -�Is there cell reception here? -�

   The guy holding up the phone looked at the screen and replied,  -�Hmm .
. .  doesn -(TM)t look like it. -�

    -�Jane, get them to delete any photos they might have . . .  please . .
.  taken here or up on the mountain, -� she whispered to her.  Not seeing a
very cooperative looking expression on her face, she added,  -�At the very
least, do what it takes to keep them off the internet. -�

   Jill tried to hand the bottle back, preparing to depart.   -�Keep it.  I
think you need it, -� the guy who had given it to her replied.

    -�Thanks, -� she said forcing him to take it.   -�But I -(TM)ve got to
hurry.  It might slow me down. -�

    -�I -(TM)m coming with you, -� said Jane.

    -�Let -(TM)s all go with her, -� proposed one of the guys.

   Jill looked at them skeptically.  She didn -(TM)t think they -(TM)d be
committed to keeping up.   -�Sure, I need all the help I can get, -� she
replied indifferently.   -�But no more photos, and delete any that you have
of me . . .  please. -� She didn -(TM)t think that they would, but she
wanted her wishes to be on record even if she didn -(TM)t have any time to
devote to the effort necessary to get them to actually erase the images.

   With that, she turned and took off.  The entire encounter had lasted
barely a minute, but the time combined with the water had been enough for
her to regain some of her energy.  At the next switchback, she saw that a
few of them had already dropped out.

   For some reason, she didn -(TM)t really want them tagging along.  She
couldn -(TM)t imagine them being of any real help.  With that in mind, she
set a particularly grueling pace.  When she next looked back about a minute
later, not a single one of them was running.  A couple of them were still
visible, but they were no longer trying to keep up.

   Continuing on alone hadn -(TM)t necessarily been Jill -(TM)s goal. 
Getting down the mountain quickly was.

   Six or eight minutes of hard running later, Jill again spotted hikers on
the trail just ahead, a couple.  She was now so close to town that she
believed that there might be cell reception.

   She immediately started noticing things that seemed unusual about the
couple, as she stopped to catch her breath.  Their color-coordinated hiking
outfits looked so new that she imagined they -(TM)d had the tags cut off of
them that morning.  Typically people hiked in heavily-worn, comfortable
clothing.  Not this couple.  Similarly, they both wore their hair perfectly
coiffed, seemingly better suited for an upscale office environment than a
dusty trail.

   Trying to not think about how naked she felt, she jumped right in and
asked,  -�Is there cell reception here? -�

    -�Umm . . .  excuse me? -� replied the woman, looking Jill up and down
suspiciously.

   Resisting the urge to cover up and allow her nudity to become the topic
of conversation, Jill stuck to her guns.   -�Would you mind checking?  I
-(TM)m in a big hurry. -�

    -�You -(TM)re in a big hurry? -� asked the woman indignantly.

    -�Sorry, -� replied the man politely.   -�We wouldn -(TM)t be roughing
it if we stayed in touch with the outside world. -� He was much less bold
than the woman when it came to staring at Jill -(TM)s nude form.

    -�Okay -- -� said Jill suspiciously.  She resisted the temptation to
roll her eyes.  She doubted that their  -~roughing it -(TM) definition
matched her own.

    -�Why are you nude? -� asked the woman point blank.  From her
expression, it was more than obvious that she didn -(TM)t approve.

    -�There was a rockslide, -� explained Jill.   -�Two injured hikers, my
brother and a friend, both in -- -�

   The woman cut her off.   -�I suppose you expect us to believe that this
alleged rockslide ripped off your clothing.  You have no cuts, no bruises.
-�

   Turning to the man, Jill continued,  -�As I was saying, they are both in
need of medical assistance.  I -(TM)d like to call 911 . . .  if you have
your phones. -�

   He reached into his pocket, but instead of a phone, he produced a
business card, handing it to Jill.

    -�Norman J.  Baldwin, Jr., Esquire, -� she read aloud.   -�Are you a
doctor? -� she asked, even though she already knew the answer.

    -�I -(TM)m an attorney, -� he replied.   -�If someone -(TM)s hurt,
chances are, I -(TM)ll be able to help. -�

    -�Umm . . .  I don -(TM)t have any pockets, -� said Jill.  With that,
she handed the card back and resumed her trek toward town.  She chuckled to
herself; no phone, but a business card at hand.  Yep . . .  this guy was
definitely  -~getting away from it all. -(TM)

   She realized that she should have ducked out of that conversation as
soon as she had found out that they didn -(TM)t have their phones with
them. Even if one of them had been a doctor, it wouldn -(TM)t have made
sense to hike all the way back up to David and Ryan without first getting
in contact with the authorities.  What might a doctor be able to do without
any medical supplies or equipment?

   In order to steer her mind away from her ever-present grave concerns,
Jill decided to update her tally.  It had stood at forty-three.  The two
male hikers near the top would bring it to forty-five, and the group of
five would make for an even fifty.  However, at that point, Jill remembered
that the group was already in her tally.  They had lifted the number to
forty-three.  So, forty-five, plus the two with perfect hair and
color-coordinated outfits brought her tally to forty-seven.

   She tried not to think about how much higher the number might go as she
arrived at the trailhead parking lot.  There were about half-a-dozen
vehicles there, but no people.  She made a beeline for the gravel road
exiting toward town.

    -�Now the fun begins, -� she said aloud as she raced for the
intersection she could see about a quarter mile ahead.  She was so tired
and thirsty, but somehow she found it within herself to keep going.  She
even managed to speed up given that she no longer needed to pay such
careful attention to her footing.

   At the intersection, the road turned hard right.  Looking along that
section of road, she could see where it again turned hard left.  The
arterial was obviously taking a route to town that respected property
lines.

   Jill decided to take a shortcut.  A few seconds later she was doing her
best to climb carefully through a barbed-wire fence.  Barbed wire was
always challenging; however, it seemed much more perilous given the amount
of exposed skin involved.

   As she put one leg through, straddling one of the wires, she came into
light contact with the wire above.  Reacting quickly, she jerked her butt
down.  Glancing down she saw just how narrow the margin of safety was
between her delicate girl bits and a certain sharp point.  She shifted her
arms through, one by one, all of her attention focused on the scary looking
angle-cut wire nearly touching the inside of her thigh close to her crotch.

   Gently pushing the wire down, she moved her pointy nipples through the
gap as carefully as possible.  Yet another benefit of small breasts, she
thought, as she was able to get her chest through completely unscathed. 
She did get a minor scrape from one barb just below one of her knees, but
that seemed like a small price to pay.  Fortunately, such contact had not
occurred with any of her most delicate skin.  The last thing that she
wanted was a painful mark visible at her crotch where her bikini bottoms
might typically be.

   A moment later she was up and running across a dirt field.  It seemed as
if a crop had just been harvested, but she could see green up ahead.  The
green turned out to be a number of baseball diamonds.

   The ball fields were bordered by a chain-link fence, but fortunately,
there was a narrow zigzag gap designed into it; one intended to keep
bicycles off the grass while allowing foot traffic to pass.  Once inside,
Jill found herself in the outfield of one of the diamonds.  A couple of
ballfields over, she could see some boys playing baseball.

   Studying them, she noticed that there were no uniforms.  It looked to be
a neighborhood game with no adults present.  She decided to continue on
toward town.  She started around a field that had sprinklers running;
however, when some water hit her leg, she made the snap decision to run
straight across.  It was easy to justify running through the sprinklers as
it would be a shortcut that would shave time off her journey.

   The spray had felt good.  Looking down at the water on her leg, she saw
just how dusty her skin was.  She ran straight at a sprinkler, the water
hitting her full in the chest.  It was cold, but also so refreshing.  It
felt absolutely wonderful.  Spinning round in the spray, she was instantly
soaked.  She ended up taking the quickest bath imaginable.

   She paused at the sprinkler head and grabbed it.  She cupped her hands
around the nozzle, doing her best to kill the velocity.  She took a
much-needed drink, even though it was difficult, the water going every
which way.  She was glad that her hair was in a ponytail: otherwise, it
would have been a complete mess.  A second later, she was again up and
running, the cool water spraying her naked body from behind as she raced
off the field.

   Under different circumstances, she might have stayed and played. 
However, her urgent mission drove her on.  She regretted that she was
soaked, but it seemed better than being covered in trail dust.

   Negotiating the next fence zigzag to leave the baseball park, she
quickly found herself on a concrete sidewalk following a narrow but paved
road.  The part of town she was in appeared slated for development;
however, as of yet, all the lots were vacant.

   Down a road to her right, she saw what looked to be one of the
national-chain daycare places.  She pictured herself running in their front
door naked.  That didn -(TM)t seem like a good idea.  She expected that the
majority of the employees in that building would be female.  Ultimately,
they might be sympathetic to her cause; however, it seemed as if their
initial reaction might be quite negative.  She could see them being quite
concerned about protecting the young children from a naked woman.

   Straight ahead, she saw a large grocery store, a big parking lot in
front.  Just past it, the town began in earnest, the street looking
entirely residential.  Studying the grocery store, she decided that they
were about to have a nude female visitor.  The thought of running into a
grocery store naked sent shivers along her spine.  It was the last thing
that she wanted to do, yet it had to be done.

    -�For you David.  Everything for you, -� she repeated to herself aloud,
hoping to find strength in those words.

   Hopefully, she wouldn -(TM)t be in the store long.  Surely there would
be an adult there who would help her without getting too distracted by her
nudity.  She had to locate someone who could help her get in contact with
the appropriate authorities.  As she had no phone and didn -(TM)t know the
lay of the land, she needed to find someone, anyone, who would listen to
and then befriend her.

   Jill slowed to a jog for the last block, again trying to catch her
breath.  She knew she -(TM)d be speaking with the first adult she met. 
That might not go well if she was so out of breath that she couldn -(TM)t
say what had to be said.

   As she raced for what looked to be one of two main entrances, she saw a
woman loading groceries into the back of a large white Suburban.  Jill
veered toward her.



   Chapter 132: Mrs.  Brooks

   The woman looked up.  Jill saw an expression of fright form on her face.
She slammed the hatch and raced for the driver -(TM)s door, quickly hopping
in.  Jill was not particularly surprised by the woman -(TM)s reaction.  No
one was used to having nude girls run at them in parking lots, and to make
matters worse, she was still wet from the sprinklers.

   Jill ran up to the driver -(TM)s window and stopped.  The woman stared
at her, a look of dismay on her face.  Jill tried to indicate with her
fingers that she should roll down her window.

   When she didn -(TM)t, Jill knocked on the glass and shouted,  -�Please!
-� Glancing into the backseat, Jill saw the faces of a couple of surprised
and curious kids.

   The woman opened the window a crack.   -�Please stay away from us, -�
she begged.

    -�There are two severely injured guys above Stanton Ridge . . .  the
hiking trail, -� she explained, pointing back in the direction from which
she had come.   -�I desperately need help.  Do you know where the Ranger
Station is? -�

   The woman hesitated but then nodded, pointing off into town.   -�Eight
or more blocks down Stanton Creek Road, turn right on Poplar. -�

   Jill looked where she was pointing, committing the directions to memory.
 -�Will you drive me?  It -(TM)s a matter of life and death . . .  please?
-� she begged.   -�I -(TM)m not always naked. -�

   The woman seemed to consider the request briefly, but then she shook her
head and the crack closed.  She turned her head away, obviously indicating
that the conversation was over.

    -~I -(TM)m not always naked, -(TM) thought Jill, scolding herself. 
What an inane thing to say.

   She looked around, trying to decide what to do.  She was exhausted and
her legs ached, but she made the calculated decision that she could
probably run the distance indicated in less time than it might take to go
into the store and convince someone to drive her there.  Other people might
react as this woman had.

   Taking a deep breath to summon any remaining stamina, she headed across
the parking lot at a trot.  With a little bit of difficulty, she managed to
again break into a run.  As she turned onto Stanton Creek Road, she passed
a large group of teen boys hanging out by the corner of the store.  They
were all sitting astride bicycles and eating ice cream bars and popsicles.
She remembered doing just that, riding her bike to the store for ice cream
with David as well as others from the neighborhood.

   As she passed them, she saw their jaws drop almost in unison. 
Hopefully, their ice cream will keep them from following, she thought
wishfully.  However, it was not to be.  A few moments later, they were all
in hot pursuit.  As those in the lead caught up to her, she saw that one of
them had managed to hold onto his ice cream, but that all the others were
now without.

   The group surrounded Jill, some ahead and some behind, as she ran down
the road just to the right of the center line.

    -�Leave me alone, -� she yelled, knowing full well that they wouldn
-(TM)t.  In their world, a naked girl running down the street was probably
the most exciting thing that had happened all summer.  They all seemed to
be middle school age, a few of them younger.

   They pestered her with questions.  Jill tried to ignore them as she ran,
reading each street sign carefully, searching for Poplar.  However, there
was one boy who was particularly persistent and daring.  He was obviously
doing his best to show off to the rest of the group with his lewd remarks.
She tried to tune out his nasty comments about her tits, pussy, and ass,
but finally, she could take no more.

   She swerved abruptly and grabbed his handlebars.  Lifting up, she jerked
his bike out from under him.  A second later, he was sitting on the
pavement and she was climbing onto the bike.

   As she started pedaling away, she wondered why she hadn -(TM)t done that
at least a block sooner.  Glancing back, she saw that he was up on his feet
and giving chase.  Being larger than they were, Jill started to leave most
of them behind as she accelerated.

    -�She -(TM)s getting pussy stink all over your seat, Jimmy, -� she
heard one of the other nasty boys call out.

   Disgusted, Jill glanced down.  Maybe the seat was getting a little wet
where she was sitting on it, but that was mostly because of the sprinkler.

    -�You -(TM)re in a hurry, aren -(TM)t you? -� she heard a friendly
sounding voice on her left say.  Glancing over, she saw a boy who looked to
be closer to her in age.  He was keeping up; whereas, the majority of the
smaller boys had fallen behind.

    -�I -(TM)ve got . . .  to get . . .  to the Ran . . .  ger Station, -�
she replied, huffing and puffing.   -�My brother . . .  and a friend . . .
were hurt.  Got to . . .  get help! -�

    -�Got it, -� he replied.   -�Follow me.  I know all the shortcuts. -�

   He sped up and cut across in front of her, obviously heading for an
alley.

    -~Finally some help! -(TM) she thought, deciding instantly to trust
him.

   She veered off into the alley right behind him, lifting her butt up off
of the seat as she went over a pothole.  Jill was quickly lost as the two
of them raced through a series alleys and streets, cutting every corner as
they went.

   The boy set a blistering pace, and Jill did her best to keep up. 
Fortunately, pedaling seemed to use slightly different muscles than
running. They passed a number of pedestrians, all of whom seemed to turn
and follow them with their eyes as they passed.  Jill imagined how strange
the two of them must look.  A boy pedaling as fast as he could, seemingly
doing his best to try and escape the naked girl chasing him.

   She tried to focus on her mission rather than think about how she must
look on the bike, bare-naked but for her hiking boots.  She did her best to
watch for traffic as the boy she was following didn -(TM)t seem to be.  At
one point a car slammed on its brakes as the two of them raced diagonally
through a four-way stop intersection.  Glancing around at the cars at the
stop signs, Jill saw wide-eyed expressions of astonishment on a number of
people within.

   As they raced along the street from there, Jill glanced back.  In
addition to the boys on their bikes, still doing their best to keep up,
there was someone in a small pickup following her.  From there, they
fortunately turned and cut across a vacant lot.  Jill didn -(TM)t look
back, but she suspected that the pickup would not have followed.

   A block later, they arrived at the back of an older building.  It was
clearly a ranger station as Forest Service trucks were parked haphazardly
in the dirt lot they were cutting through.

   The boy who had led her there gave her the thumbs up, and she took the
lead, heading around the building towards the front.  Once she saw the
front door, she dropped the bike and took the front steps two at a time,
bursting inside.  A couple of bells hanging on the door announced her
brusque entrance; they seemed to wake the woman behind the desk.

    -�Can I help you? -� she asked, but then she blinked her eyes as she
realized that Jill was naked.   -�You can -(TM)t come in here like that, -�
she added in a startled tone, shaking her head.

    -�Unfortunately, I have no choice, -� said Jill.  She launched into her
entire spiel about how two boys were hurt, how they were miles away up in
the mountains, how they needed to be rescued and taken to a hospital.

    -�Come back in here dressed as a young woman should be, -� said the
woman calmly but sternly,  -� --then we can talk. -�

   The woman -(TM)s attitude was not sitting well with Jill.   -�Don -(TM)t
you think I -(TM)d be dressed if at all possible? -� she asked
rhetorically.

    -�I doubt you would be, -� scowled the woman.   -�Just look at you! -�

    -�Fine! -� said Jill, the woman -(TM)s attitude making her upset.

   There was a restroom right there.  Realizing just how badly she needed
to pee, Jill dashed in.  After relieving herself, she paused to look at
herself in the mirror.  The girl staring back at her was quite a sight. 
She splashed water on her face and took a long drink from the faucet. 
Unfortunately, there were no paper towels.  There was only an electric hand
dryer.  Realizing that she didn -(TM)t have time for that, she left the
restroom, water dripping from her chin down onto her chest.

   Upon returning to the lobby, Jill saw that a dark-haired ranger had
emerged from a back office.  He stood next to the woman she had been
talking to.

    -�Oh, good, -� said Jill.   -�I need to speak with you. -�

    -�Mrs.  Brooks tells me that she believes you -(TM)re on drugs, -� he
said, struggling to keep his eyes focused above Jill -(TM)s neck.

    -�I -(TM)m not on drugs! -� Jill shouted in frustration, her adrenalin
pumping.  She clenched her fists; she didn -(TM)t have time for this. 
Realizing that shouting was not the best way to get her point across, she
relaxed her hands and took a deep breath to calm down.   -�I -(TM)m sorry,
-� she continued in a calm voice.   -�What I meant to say, is that I -(TM)m
not on drugs.  I -(TM)m just in desperate need of help.  My brother and a
friend were injured in a rockslide. -�

   Suddenly they all heard the bells hanging on the door.   -�She -(TM)s a
bike thief, -� yelled a boy, thrusting his head inside.

    -�I am not, you little runt! -� she shouted, charging at the door to
get him to stay out.

   Through the glass door, she saw the boy who had led her to the ranger
station just outside.  He took ahold of the foul-mouthed boy whose bike she
had borrowed and pulled him back.  Seeing a latch on the door, she turned
it to prevent further interruptions.

    -�The door -(TM)s not supposed to be locked during business hours, -�
said the woman.

    -�Come back to my office, -� said the ranger.

   Jill nodded and followed him toward a hallway.

    -�Are you sure you should be alone with a naked girl, especially one
behaving like this? -� asked the woman.   -�You don -(TM)t know what she
might claim happened while you two are in there. -�

   He glanced back at Jill as if he were attempting to evaluate her mental
state.   -�I -(TM)ll leave the door open, Mrs.  Brooks, -� he replied.

    -�Have a seat, -� he said, once they were in his office.  Jill looked
around the room for something to cover up with.  There was a coat tree in
the corner, but there was nothing on it.  That was hardly surprising; it
was summer.

    -�I -(TM)m not on drugs, -� she said, doing her best to sound calm and
collected.   -�I -(TM)m just in a hurry.  I -(TM)m so worried about my
brother.  For all I know, he -(TM)s bleeding inside his head.  As I said,
he was unconscious when I left the two of them there to go for help. -�

    -�Above Stanton Ridge, you said. -�

    -�Exactly! -� she said.

    -�On the side of Spaghetti . . .  while hiking back from Pimple Peak,
you said. -�

    -�Uh . . .  yes, -� said Jill, suddenly realizing her error.

    -�Miss, with all due respect, none of those places exist, -� said the
ranger.   -�Why don -(TM)t you tell me why you -(TM)re really here?  I
-(TM)m a little inclined to believe Mrs.  Brooks -(TM) theory. -�

   Jill bit her lip.  She took a deep breath while trying to decide how she
might recover.   -�We were kids.  We named all the mountains ourselves.  We
didn -(TM)t have any maps, -� she said.   -�The ridge and those mountains .
. .  they exist, you just have different names for them.  I know the
mountains and all the trails around here like the back of my hand.  I
-(TM)ve been hiking here every summer since I was little.  I just don
-(TM)t know the official names for things, Mister Ranger, Sir. -�

    -�Call me Hicks, -� he replied.

   Jill glanced down at the nameplate on his desk.  It read,  -~Jeffery S.
Hicks, SAR Officer, NFS. -(TM)

    -�You look thirsty, -� he said standing up.  He went to a small
refrigerator located under the window and returned with a bottle of water.
Jill accepted it gladly.   -�Thank you, -� she said, doing her best to
sound as if she was not under the influence of anything.

   Jill saw him eyeing her forearms as she unscrewed the cap.  Realizing
what he was looking for, she held up both her arms, turning them outward so
that he could verify that there were no needle marks.

   Somehow, she needed to break through quickly, she realized.  She saw the
phone on his desk.   -�May I make a call?  A long distance call? -�

    -�Sure, -� he shrugged.

   A moment later, her mother answered.   -�Mom, -� she said, tears filling
her eyes.   -�Something terrible has happened . . .  you better sit down.
The three of us were hiking the trail, the one on the side of Spaghetti,
coming back from having lunch on Pimple Peak.  There was a rockslide . . .
caught us by surprise. -�

   She heard her mother gasp in shock.



   Chapter 133: Hicks

    -�Yes, I -(TM)m fine, but David and Ryan . . .  they aren -(TM)t.  They
got caught up in it.  They both went downhill.  I -(TM)m so sorry to be
telling you all this in this way . . .  so abruptly, but . . .  David . . .
he was unconscious.  Ryan . . .  he -(TM)s hurt too.  He has a broken leg,
but at least he wasn -(TM)t unconscious.  I expect they both have multiple
injuries.  I -(TM)m in the Stanton Ranger Station.  I ran all the way down
the mountain, mom, -� she said, starting to cry.  She wiped her tears on a
forearm as she continued,  -�But, mom, I -(TM)m having trouble convincing
them that I -(TM)m telling the truth.  They think I might be on drugs, but
we need to launch a rescue effort and get them both to a hospital.  Will
you tell the ranger to believe me?  It -(TM)s been quite an ordeal, and I
-(TM)m sure I -(TM)m not looking my best.  Frankly, I -(TM)m frustrated and
exasperated . . .  worn out from the run . . .  nearly an hour to get here.
And, mom, tell him the official name for Spaghetti, if you know it.  That
might help. -�

    -�Oh my God, Jill, -� she heard her mom say.   -�Yes, put him on. -�

   Jill extended the phone toward the ranger, covering the receiver.  
-�Please don -(TM)t tell her that I -(TM)m naked, -� she requested.

    -�Jeffrey Hicks, SAR Officer, National Forest Service, -� he replied to
her mother -(TM)s first question.   -�Uh, huh.  Uh, huh, -� he repeated at
various intervals.

   As Jill watched him, he stood up and went to a file cabinet.  He
returned with a map and handed it to Jill.  She unfolded it and spread it
out on the desk.  It only took her a moment to get oriented.

   What they had always called Stanton Ridge was labeled,  -~Buckner Ridge.
-(TM) Spaghetti was apparently Bearhead Summit.  Makes a little bit of
sense, she thought; it was round on top just as a bear -(TM)s head might
be. Pimple Peak was actually Hayford Peak.  She wasn -(TM)t too impressed
with that name.

   Finding the trail along the side of Bearhead Summit, she placed her
finger on the approximate location of the rockslide.

   Waving her other hand to get the ranger -(TM)s attention, she said, 
-�Here -(TM)s where they are . . .  right here . . .  here on the side of
Bearhead Summit. -�

    -�Okay, Mrs.  Wahlund, -� he said, leaning down to see exactly where
Jill was pointing.   -�I -(TM)ve got to go.  Yes, yes . . .  as quickly as
possible. -�

   Jill took the phone from him.   -�I -(TM)ll call you back when I know
more, Mom, -� she said into the receiver.   -�Let Ryan -(TM)s parents know.
-� She hung up the phone without listening to her mom -(TM)s response. 
Time was of the essence.  She felt a little bad for having sprung the bad
news on her like that; however, she had to know.  Fortunately, involving
her did seem as if it had made the difference.  It seemed as if she was now
going to be taken seriously.

    -�Oh, yes . . .  that hillside, -� said the ranger.   -�Not that
surprising, really.  One of our many steep hillsides. -�

    -�By the way, thank you, -� said Jill.   -�Thank you for not telling my
mom. -� She waved her hands indicating that she was referring to how she
wasn -(TM)t dressed.

    -�Not a problem, -� he said.   -�I would have, mind you . . .  had it
seemed relevant. -�

    -�What did my mom say? -� she asked.

    -�That I better get my butt in gear.  That -(TM)s not exactly the word
she used . . .  if you know what I mean. -�

   Jill chuckled.   -�I -(TM)m pretty sure I do.  I know my mom. -�

    -�She also told me to put you in charge.  I guess she trusts you more
than me. -�

   Jill shrugged.   -�I get things done.  I make things happen, -� she
explained.   -�But we obviously need to work together.  What -(TM)s the
next step? -�

    -�Tell me again about who we have to rescue and what you know of their
medical condition, -� he requested.   -�Your mom said he is your twin
brother.  I -(TM)m sorry.  I didn -(TM)t know that.  You -(TM)d only said 
-~brother. -(TM) -�

    -�Yes, David and I are twins.  We -(TM)re nineteen, as is Ryan, -� she
explained.  She went on to answer the rest of his questions to the best of
her ability.

   A short time later, Jill was out in the lobby.  Officer Hicks was making
a few quick phone calls.   -~Setting the wheels in motion, -(TM) had been
the expression he had used.  Jill had wanted to participate but knew that
the process would likely go faster if she gave him his space.  She was more
than aware just how distracting a nude girl could be for a guy.

   Even though she was theoretically helping by not being a distraction,
Jill still felt antsy.  She couldn -(TM)t just sit and wait.  To take her
mind off of things, she was studying a beaver diorama.  It featured a
cutaway of a beaver lodge, attempting to show what a beaver -(TM)s life
might be like while inside their home.  It looked as if it would be an
unimaginably dark and damp existence; she knew she wouldn -(TM)t like it.
There were also dioramas that dealt with geology, even one covering plate
tectonics and earthquakes.  Jill had walked past that one.  Given all that
had happened, it had felt much too close to home.

   To her surprise, Mrs.  Brooks came out of the back and approached her.
She had a jacket in her hand.

    -�I found this in the back, -� she said, holding it up.   -�It -(TM)s
been hanging there since early in the year.  It belongs to Patty, but I don
-(TM)t think she -(TM)d mind. -� Jill reached for the jacket as she
continued,  -�It -(TM)s bound to be tight, mind you.  Patty -(TM)s very
petite. -�

   From the look in Mrs.  Brooks -(TM) eyes, Jill could tell that she was
being tested.  She knew that Mrs.  Brooks had not believed her earlier when
she had said that she -(TM)d be dressed if at all possible.

   Jill felt tears again welling up in her eyes.  She hugged the green
Forest Service jacket to her chest.  She could tell that it was short, but
it felt heavenly.  Having the material against her skin brought back
feelings of comfort and safety.  Holding in her hands a reminder of what
she had been lacking served to highlight all the vulnerability that she had
been experiencing.

    -�Oh, Mrs.  Brooks, -� she said leaning toward her.  It was a bit
awkward, but Jill gave her a hug.  Finding her something to wear was the
kindest thing that anyone had done for her all day.

   Being caught off guard by Jill -(TM)s reaction, Mrs.  Brooks initially
reacted quite stiffly.  However, once she was convinced that Jill was
genuinely appreciative, she softened up.

    -�Here, let -(TM)s see how it fits, -� she said, offering her
assistance.

   At first, Jill didn -(TM)t want to let go of the jacket, not even long
enough to try it on.  It just felt so wonderful to hold.  For the first
time since she -(TM)d left camp that morning, her breasts were covered.

    -�Just how small is this woman? -� Jill asked as she put an arm in a
tight sleeve and pulled the jacket around her back.

    -�About as tiny as they come, -� chuckled Mrs.  Brooks as she helped
her locate the other sleeve.   -�But you don -(TM)t have an ounce of fat on
you either.  Well, maybe one or two, -� she added, glancing down at Jill
-(TM)s small breasts.   -�You just have a bigger frame. -�

   Jill did manage to get both of her arms into their respective sleeves.
It was a tight fit.

    -�You do have broad shoulders, -� remarked Mrs.  Brooks, taking a step
back.

   Jill was able to get the zipper started, but she had to suck her stomach
in to do it.  Breathing out, she managed to zip it part way up.  The jacket
was definitely tight on her; however, even with the front zipped to just
the bottom of her ribcage, her breasts were largely covered.  Looking down,
Jill saw that her nipples were completely hidden from view, even with the
jacket open wide across the center of her chest.

    -�Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you! -� she said to Mrs.  Brooks who
was standing a few feet away and looking at her dubiously.

    -�I guess it -(TM)s not going to work, -� she replied.

    -�Oh, it -(TM)s going to work, -� said Jill adamantly.   -�I -(TM)ll
make it work! -�

    -�Well, good luck with that, -� said Mrs.  Brooks.  Turning to return
to her desk, she continued,  -�Just get it back to me in one piece.  I don
-(TM)t think that Patty would mind that I -(TM)m loaning it to you,
provided it comes back. -�

   Jill nodded.  Once Mrs.  Brooks was back at her desk, Jill slipped into
the restroom.  She needed to see how it looked in the mirror.

   In addition to being tight, the jacket had one serious shortcoming; it
was just a jacket.  Jill stood there looking at herself in the mirror.  She
bit her lip trying to figure out if there was anything that could be done
about it.

   The jacket covered her belly button, but that was about it.  Had she
been wearing pants, she could tell that it would extend down over her belt,
but not by a lot.  It was definitely cut for a much shorter woman.  She
lifted her arms to see what would happen.  As expected, her belly button
peeked out.

   Lifting her arms also revealed another issue.  The jacket was so tight
on her shoulders and upper arms that she had a limited range of movement. I
-(TM)d never be able to play basketball in this, she thought.

   Putting her arms back down, she grasped the hem and tried to pull it
down.  As expected, it didn -(TM)t give.  It was a very sturdy, no-nonsense
jacket, meant for warmth.

   Standing there looking at herself, she admired the cut, the sharp crisp
shoulders.   -~I look so official, -(TM) she thought, turning so that the
Forest Service patch on the shoulder was completely visible.   -~But I
-(TM)m definitely a bottomless girl -(TM) she thought, glancing down at her
completely bare lower half.

   She might have been disappointed; instead, she decided to view the cup
as half-full rather than half-empty.  The jacket was a wonderful
development!

   She placed both hands over her crotch, tucking her fingers back between
her legs.  That worked quite well.  She smiled at the girl in the mirror.
This is the most dressed I -(TM)ve been all day, she thought.  The girl
smiling back at her had all the important points covered.

   Feeling much less naked, she left the bathroom.  Hicks was just coming
out of the back.

    -�Are you ready? -� he asked, looking her up and down.

    -�Yep, -� she said, forcing herself to think,  -~half-full. -(TM)

    -�She -(TM)s going with you? -� asked Mrs.  Brooks in surprise.  
-�Since when do family members go along on search and rescue missions? -�

    -�I -(TM)m afraid she has to come, -� he replied.   -�She knows right
where the young men are.  It wouldn -(TM)t do anyone any good if we wasted
time searching for them.  This is a rescue mission . . .  not a search and
rescue mission. -�

    -�I have to come, -� announced Jill resolutely.  She -(TM)d never
imagined that she might be left behind.  Surely there was more she could do
to assist with the effort than merely guiding the Rangers to David and
Ryan.

    -�But maybe you should leave Patty -(TM)s badge here, -� he said.  
-�Not that anyone would accuse you of impersonating a ranger . . .  there
-(TM)s just no chance it will go missing in Mrs.  Brooks care. -�

   He stepped up to Jill and reached up to unpin it.  Jill pulled back. 
Seeing his hands approach her chest, even though the thick jacket was in
between, had surprised her.

    -�Oh, pardon me, -� he said, realizing that he needed to be more
careful.

    -�I -(TM)ll take care of it, -� said Jill.  A moment later she handed
it to Mrs.  Brooks.

   Glancing out the front window where many of the boys seemed to be
waiting for her on the front lawn, she asked,  -�Can we go out the back? -�

    -�We are going out the back.  That -(TM)s where the vehicles are
parked, -� he replied.  Glancing over at Mrs.  Brooks, he added,  -�We
-(TM)re taking Search and Rescue Two. -�

   As they made their way through the ranger station, Jill looked into
every room they passed, hoping to see something that she might borrow to
get her lower half covered.  There didn -(TM)t seem to be any spare
clothing lying around.

   A moment later, they went down the back steps and headed toward a long,
official-looking Jeep.  Jill hadn -(TM)t been conscious that the ranger
station was air conditioned until they stepped outside.  It seemed to be at
least twenty degrees warmer than in the building.  The increase in
temperature made the winter jacket particularly uncomfortable.

   Even though she was much more dressed than she had been when she had
entered the ranger station a short time before, it was still very scary to
leave the relative safety of the building.  Jill looked around
apprehensively.  She realized she -(TM)d have to stay with the ranger if
she saw someone, but she felt a strong need to know if she was being
observed in her bottomless state.  It felt unusual, to say the least, to
only be naked from the belly button down.  She scampered towards the Jeep,
wanting to get herself hidden within as quickly as possible.

   The Jeep was painted the typical pale  -~Forest Service -(TM) green
color and had the official seal on the door, the one with a pine tree
between the letters  -~U -(TM) and  -~S. -(TM) On top it had a red light
bar similar to a fire engine as well as two all-metal stretchers, nested
one on top of the other.  There were other pieces of equipment on the back;
a giant jack, several shovels, and a large metal can that surely contained
additional fuel or perhaps water.  Unlike their Jeep, it had four doors; it
looked like a stretch model.

   Suddenly she saw a man come out from behind the Jeep.

    -�All set? -� Hicks asked him.

    -�Gassed up and good to go, -� the man said, his eyes never once
leaving Jill -(TM)s pelvis.

   She blushed anew.

    -�Take shotgun, -� said Hicks, noticing Jill -(TM)s discomfort.

   Jill was glad to find the door unlocked, and she jumped inside, closing
it as quickly as she could manage.

    -�Welcome to Search and Rescue Two, -� Hicks remarked once he was also
inside.



   Chapter 134: Yet Another Surprise

   Jill looked around.  The interior, like the exterior, was all business.
In addition to radios and GPS devices, the dash was configured with a
compass and an inclinometer.

    -�Do you always have the stretchers on the roof? -� she asked.

    -�No, -� he replied, pointing at her seatbelt to indicate that she
needed to buckle up,  -�Those are called Stokes Rescue Litters or Baskets.
I had the guys strap them on while I was making calls.  I also had medical
kits loaded into the back. -�

   Jill turned to look, but the rear seat kept her from seeing what he was
talking about.  Jill was glad to hear that the time she had been waiting
had been put to good use.  She knew that it had amounted to little more
than a few minutes; it had just seemed longer due to the urgency of the
situation.

   As he started the motor, he continued,  -�Today is your lucky day.  If
you saw my title on my desk, you might realize that I am a Search and
Rescue Officer.  In fact, I -(TM)m the district -(TM)s senior SAR Officer.
Most days, the Stanton office is staffed with a Naturalist.  They might
know more about flora and fauna; however, I -(TM)ve had all the medical
training of an EMT, and then some. -�

   Jill nodded.   -�I -(TM)m not feeling so lucky today, -� she replied.

    -�My apologies, -� he said.   -�I didn -(TM)t mean it that way. -�

    -�I know, -� she said, attempting a smile.

   Jill saw him switch on the emergency light bar as he turned out of the
parking lot and mashed the accelerator pedal to the floor.  There was no
siren, but there were no cars in their proximity.  She saw the boys waiting
on the lawn with their bikes turn and look.  Their wait was destined to be
fruitless.  Did they really think that she was going to come back out the
front door naked?

   As they accelerated, Hicks remarked,  -�I don -(TM)t want you to take
this wrong.  I am, after all, nearly twice your age . . .  happily married
with two young children . . .  but this look . . .  the jacket only thing.
Pretty damn hot! -�

   Jill looked out her side window and sighed.  She felt the familiar
warmth surging in her cheeks.  She couldn -(TM)t really blame him for
noticing that she was still naked below the waist; however, it seemed
inappropriate for him to bring it up.  Jill glanced down at her legs.  Her
knees were as close together as she could get them.

    -�Sorry, -� he apologized, noticing her reaction.   -�Forget I said
that. -�

    -�Okay . . .  I will, -� she replied, trying to get her voice to sound
strong and confident.  She hoped that he would respect that she didn -(TM)t
want to talk about how naked or dressed she might be.  She wanted them to
be able to have a professional working relationship during their time
together.

    -�There -(TM)s a thrift store a mile or so away.  We could stop . . .
grab you some shorts and a T-shirt.  You -(TM)re going to boil in that
jacket. -�

    -�No, -� she replied.   -�We need to hurry.  I do wish I had clothes,
but I -(TM)m not willing to waste a single moment on that until David and
Ryan are receiving medical care. -� She hoped he believed her.  She didn
-(TM)t want him to think that she was using that as an excuse to stay
naked.

    -�Okay, -� he said nodding.   -�I -(TM)ll crank the AC.  Maybe that
will keep the jacket from getting too uncomfortable. -�

    -�Thanks, -� she replied.  She was already sweating.  She only had it
zipped where it was against her belly, so it was wide open across her
chest. That helped, but not all that much as there was very little room for
air to circulate between the jacket and her skin.  And it was certainly a
winter jacket, two substantial layers with some thin insulation in between.

   Jill looked down at her bare chest.  Her nipples were covered, but her
cleavage, if she had been a girl with cleavage, would have been on full
display.  As it was, the wide-open plunging neckline seemed to enhance just
how flat she was.  That no longer bothered her as it once had.

    -�Can you explain what we are doing? -� she requested as they turned
onto Stanton Creek Road heading away from the grocery store she had passed
earlier.   -�We can -(TM)t very well drive up to . . .  the ridge. -� She
was racking her brain trying to remember its official name.  She knew it
wasn -(TM)t Stanton Ridge.

    -�Actually we can, -� he replied as he switched the siren on to pass a
car.  The loud noise forced Jill to slap her hands over her ears.  Hicks
pointed at some ear muffs hanging from the dash in front of her, but as she
started to reach for them, he switched the siren back off.

   He continued,  -�The road is not nearly as direct as the trail you came
down, but we can drive to Buckner Ridge.  The first section of road we
-(TM)ll be on is one that the sheepherders in the area use.  That connects
to a logging road.  Above the tree line, this will be unadulterated
four-wheeling. -�

   Jill looked around inside the Jeep.  It was outfitted with a serious
roll cage.  That was a little comforting given how fast they were driving
and how steep she knew the slope up to the ridge to be.

    -�Now it makes sense, -� she said.   -�But we get there . . .  then
what?  We can -(TM)t very well strap David and Ryan on the roof and then
drive back down, right? -�

   Hicks chuckled.   -�Certainly not.  As I was just about to tell you, I
-(TM)ve arranged a medevac helicopter.  It -(TM)s based out of Elk Bend. 
You have heard of Elk Bend, haven -(TM)t you? -�

    -�Oh, yes, -� said Jill.   -�There is a popular little bakery there. 
My parents get David and me our birthday cake there each summer. -�

   A tear formed in her eye.  She -(TM)d never had a birthday that hadn
-(TM)t involved a shared  -~twins -(TM) birthday cake.  With trepidation,
she wondered what next year -(TM)s birthday cake might look like.

    -�I think I know the bakery, -� said Hicks.   -�So the helicopter is
coming from Elk Bend, but one never knows how long it will take them to
locate a crew.  They have pilots on call, not on duty.  But it shouldn
-(TM)t take long.  The helicopter might beat us to the ridge.  It might
not. -�

    -�Wow . . .  so it -(TM)s on its way? -� she asked, surprised but
delighted at the news.

    -�It might still be on the ground, but if so, they -(TM)ll be airborne
shortly, -� he replied.   -�We -(TM)ll rendezvous on the ridge.  They
should be able to locate your twin brother and your friend from the air.  A
fresh rockslide stands out like a sore thumb.  They -(TM)ll land as close
as possible.  They -(TM)ll have Stokes Baskets with them, as well.  I
brought these in case we get there first.  Whoever gets there first will
triage the two boys.  That -(TM)s the first step. -�

    -�Triage? -� she asked.

    -�A medical term . . .  means that we -(TM)ll evaluate each patient
from the standpoint of urgency . . .  determining priorities for their
treatment.  Given how you have described their injuries, they -(TM)ll be
flown to the hospital in Elk Bend. -�

    -�Elk Bend?  I was assuming they -(TM)d be taken to Stanton. -�

    -�The hospital in Elk Bend is larger, and they have a neurological
treatment center.  So it -(TM)s not just because the helicopter is based
there, but once you -(TM)re in the air, it only takes a few more minutes to
get to Elk Bend. -�

   Jill sat there thinking through all that she -(TM)d just heard.   -�They
won -(TM)t be able to land close to where David and Ryan are, -� she
informed him.   -�It -(TM)s way too steep there. -�

    -�They -(TM)ll land as close as they can, -� he replied, again
switching on the siren to turn left against the light at an intersection. 
-�They know what they -(TM)re doing.  At least that area -(TM)s above the
tree line. -�

   Jill again covered her ears as she took a deep breath and let it out
slowly.  She felt as if a huge weight were being lifted off of her chest.
She -(TM)d told Ryan that she -(TM)d be back with the cavalry.  Based on
what Officer Hicks had just said, the cavalry was indeed en route.

   She didn -(TM)t know how serious David -(TM)s injuries were, but
suddenly she felt as if she could breathe.  She burst into tears.  She
-(TM)d done it!  She was on her way back with the cavalry!  A variety of
emotions  -" strong emotions  -" surged through her.

    -�Are you all right? -� asked Hicks, concern evident in his voice.  He
handed her a box of tissues.

    -�No, -� she said, shaking her head.   -�I -(TM)m just so worried about
David.  At least now, help is on the way.  Thank you so much, -� she added
quietly.

   He didn -(TM)t reply.  Using a tissue, Jill dabbed her eyes.  Somehow
she -(TM)d managed to discharge her duties quite admirably.  She -(TM)d
raced to town as quickly as possible.  Even David himself might not have
been able to cover that distance in less time.  And there had been no
delays of significance.  She -(TM)d stopped briefly at one point due to
feelings of despair, but she -(TM)d probably made that time back up.  She
-(TM)d run through a sprinkler, but that had happened because she -(TM)d
taken a shortcut.  A little time had been wasted convincing Officer Hicks
that she was telling the truth.  That was regrettable but also unavoidable;
however, even that had been accomplished relatively quickly.  Hopefully,
David would be fine, but no matter the outcome, she knew that she should be
proud of how much she had poured into the effort of getting help to him
quickly.

    -�Skyline Adventures?  Why are we stopping here? -� she asked in
surprise.  Officer Hicks had just turned off the paved road to enter a
gravel parking lot right in front of the aerial park -(TM)s huge sign.

    -�We -(TM)re going to need some help.  We -(TM)re picking up one of our
volunteers . . .  he works here.  That was one of the calls I made while
you were waiting. -�

   Jill knew just one person who worked at Skyline Adventures.   -~What are
the odds? -(TM) she fretted as Officer Hicks accelerated toward the
entrance gate.  She shook her head in disbelief as Nick came into view.

   Officer Hicks rolled down his window as he slammed on the brakes to come
to a stop.   -�Hop in the back, -� he called out to Nick.

    -~Oh, my God! -(TM) thought Jill in disbelief as Nick pulled open the
door and clambered into the seat behind Hicks.

   A second later, Nick had the door closed and Hicks was executing a quick
U-turn.  Jill slid way down low trying to disappear.  She felt like
crawling under her seat, but she knew that hiding was not going to be
possible.  The last time she had seen Nick, she -(TM)d been topless.  This
time, she was bottomless.

    -�Thanks for coming, -� said Hicks gratefully, looking at Nick in the
rearview mirror.

    -�No problem.  Always glad to help with search and rescue, -� he
replied.   -�My boss didn -(TM)t mind.  Things were slow . . .  even for a
Thursday.  So what -(TM)s up?  You said, some climbers, a rockslide. -�

   Jill had gotten herself down so low that Nick had not yet noticed her.

    -�That -(TM)s right, -� said Hicks, turning back out of the parking lot
and hitting the gas.   -�A short time ago, this young lady showed up at the
ranger station.  It seems that she and two young men, her twin brother and
a friend, were hiking along the trail that runs along the side of Bearhead
Summit when -- -�

    -�Young lady?  Twin brother? -� asked Nick, interrupting Hicks and
leaning forward to peer into the passenger seat.

   Jill knew that he was going to recognize her right away.   -�Hi, Nick,
-� she said bashfully, peering up at him.  With her hands and arms, she was
doing the best she could to cover herself so that he wouldn -(TM)t notice
that she wasn -(TM)t wearing pants.

    -�Jill? -� he exclaimed in surprise.

    -�Wait, you guys know each other? -� said Officer Hicks in
astonishment.

   Jill looked over at Hicks and shrugged sheepishly.  She slid back up in
her seat.  Since Nick had seen her, there was no longer any point in trying
to hide.  She knew that sitting up would help her conceal the fact that she
was bottomless . . .  for a little while, anyway.  She had a sinking
feeling, realizing that he was going to find out sooner or later; however,
she definitely wanted to put that off as long as possible.

   An uncomfortable silence ensued as she and Nick looked at one another. 
-�I think we went on a date or two, -� said Jill, after giving Nick more
than enough time to reply.

    -�What do you mean  -~you think -(TM)? -� chuckled Hicks.

   Nick ignored him.   -�So, David, Ryan? -� he asked, looking into Jill
-(TM)s eyes.

   She nodded, her expression revealing deep mental anguish.

    -�Oh, Jill.  I -(TM)m so sorry.  How badly are they injured? -� he
asked, genuine empathy evident in both his tone and expression.

    -�Pretty bad, -� she replied,  -� --but I don -(TM)t know. -� She went
on to describe what had happened and everything that she had told Hicks
about their condition.  Nick listened attentively.

    -�Now, I -(TM)m feeling bad.  I didn -(TM)t believe her at first, -�
Hicks confessed.

    -�Why wouldn -(TM)t you? -� asked Nick.   -�Do many people make phony
reports of backcountry injuries? -�

    -�It -(TM)s not so much that, -� explained Hicks pausing.

   Oh, no, thought Jill.  Here it comes.

   Hicks continued,  -�It -(TM)s just that her story was full of fictitious
place names.  What would you think if someone told you that they had just
sprinted down from  -~Stanton Ridge -(TM) because two people had been hurt
in a rockslide on the side of  -~Spaghetti -(TM) while they were hiking
back from  -~Pinnacle Peak -(TM)? -� He chuckled.  He obviously thought it
was rather funny.

    -�Pimple Peak, -� said Jill, hesitantly correcting him.

    -�Spaghetti! -� laughed Nick, shaking his head.   -�They -(TM)re a
funny bunch.  They call Inspiration Peak,  -~Sharp Tooth. -(TM) -�

    -�It looks a lot more like a dinosaur tooth than an inspiration . . .
whatever that might look like, -� said Jill defensively.

   Hicks chuckled.   -�Kids these days, -� he said, shaking his head.

   A moment later, he came to a stop in front of a gate.  The pavement had
ended a mile or more earlier and the road had started climbing steadily.  
-�Nick, you -(TM)re up! -� he exclaimed.

   As Jill watched, Nicked jumped out and raced to the gate.  After
unlatching it, he gave it a shove, swinging it wide open.  He stepped aside
so that Hicks could drive through.  Nick then closed the gate behind them
and hurried back into his seat.

    -�The gate -(TM)s to keep the livestock where they belong.  BLM land,
-� explained Hicks, looking over at Jill.

   She didn -(TM)t reply.  She knew very well what the gate was for.  They
-(TM)d done their share of four wheeling.  Hicks talked as if he thought
she was new to the area even though she had told him otherwise.



   Chapter 135: The Road to the Ridge

   Jill observed as Hicks shifted into gear to continue up the dirt road.
Once the Jeep was rolling along slowly, he shifted into 4x4 low-range.  In
that regard, this Jeep was exactly like their own.  She was glad that Hicks
seemed as if he were well versed in piloting a Jeep over rugged terrain. 
He did a good job of maintaining momentum.

    -�So, do I get to hear about your dates?  How you two know each other?
-� Hicks asked as he accelerated.

   Jill looked back at Nick.  Staring into his eyes, she shook her head
ever so slightly.  That was the last thing that she wanted to have
discussed.  Her love life was far from interesting, and the Nick chapter
had not gone well; she knew she wouldn -(TM)t come off looking very good.
One, less than exemplary, chapter had seen her letting Nick believe that
she was going out with Ryan so that he -(TM)d give up and stop asking her
out.

   She certainly didn -(TM)t want Hicks to hear about that.  Shortly, he
-(TM)d be meeting Ryan.  Everything was already as awkward as it could be.
It would be worse if Hicks were left with the impression that Ryan was her
boyfriend.  And she didn -(TM)t want to have to tell Nick the truth, that
she -(TM)d deceived him, especially not right then, not in front of Officer
Hicks.

   The drill with the gates repeated itself twice more, each time Nick
getting out to open and then close them after they -(TM)d driven through.
Jill could tell that the two of them had a bit of a routine established. 
They -(TM)d obviously done this before.

   After the third gate, the slope of the dirt road increased and they
entered a dense section of the forest.  It was obvious that they were now
on a logging road; it was narrow and very steep.

   The road branched in several places.  Jill could see clear-cut areas off
to her right.  At each fork, Hicks stayed to the left.  He obviously knew
exactly which way to go even though the road was completely unmarked.

    -�So, Jill . . .  what -(TM)s with the Forest Service jacket? -� Nick
asked out of the blue.

   The question didn -(TM)t surprise her.  The jacket seemed hard to miss.
Hopefully, he -(TM)d just seen the shoulders and not that it was open
across her chest.  She -(TM)d expected that the color would stand out to
him.  She -(TM)d thought of trying to zip it up further, but knowing that
he was going to find out sooner or later that it was all she had on, she
hadn -(TM)t made the attempt.  Getting it zipped up over her ribcage was
probably impossible.

    -�Mrs.  Brooks found it and loaned it to her, -� explained Hicks.  
-�When she came in . . .  she was . . .  umm . . .  cold. -�

   Jill looked over at him and saw him wink.  She didn -(TM)t know why he
thought that she might be naked.  They -(TM)d both avoided talking about
it. Now that Nick was with them, she -(TM)d been dreading the topic  -"
hoping that it wouldn -(TM)t come up  -" at least not for a while.

   Hicks -(TM) explanation seemed to satisfy Nick.  Was he really that
gullible?  However, maybe he was thinking of the AC.

   Jill blushed spontaneously as she considered just how embarrassed she
-(TM)d feel once Nick found out that not only was she bottomless, but that
she had run all the way down from the ridge and then into town to the
ranger station, stark naked.  He -(TM)d probably realize that she -(TM)d
been hiking in the nude.  What might he end up thinking of her?  What did
he already think of her?

   She thought back to her now very regrettable decision to leave her
clothes behind in camp and how she had voluntarily chosen to meet the boys
at the bridge that morning.  She -(TM)d been imagining a lonely hike up a
trail that saw minimal use, one that hopefully would not include any chance
meetings with strangers.  She -(TM)d never imagined that she might
encounter someone she knew while naked.  Somehow that seemed a thousand
times worse than any of the stranger encounters that she had experienced.

   In the case of a stranger, she could maintain her anonymity.  She could
be a nameless girl, who happened to be naked, and then she could disappear
back into the obscurity from which she had emerged.  In Nick -(TM)s case,
that possibility did not exist.  He knew exactly who she was.  He -(TM)d
met her parents and grandparents.  There was no anonymity.

   He did not seem like a person who would talk, and yet if he told just
one person, the word would get out.  In no time at all, people in Agency
and Stanton might be talking about Jill Wahlund, the skinny girl who spends
summers with her grandparents on the east side of Cache Lake, and who hikes
naked.  She shuddered at the thought.  If that happened, even her
grandparents would start being asked about their granddaughter -(TM)s
penchant for nudity.

   First, David and Ryan had been injured, now this.  She had known there
might be repercussions when she had made her choice  -" when she had
decided to go for help.  She had known that she might pay a price.  Now
that help was on the way, her perspective was changing.  But as she thought
about it, she realized that her resolve was just as strong as ever.  She
was still willing to pay a price, even a high one, on the chance that it
might make the difference for David.  But that didn -(TM)t mean that she
wanted to.

   Suddenly the Jeep lurched to a stop.  Looking ahead, she saw that there
was a large tree down across the road.  It was clearly much too large in
diameter to drive over in the Jeep.

    -�Anyway to go around? -� asked Nick.

    -�Afraid not, -� replied the ranger.   -�No other roads, and the forest
it too thick.  We -(TM)ve got to go through. -�

    -�Through? -� she asked.

    -�Fortunately, we -(TM)re equipped for this sort of thing, -� said
Hicks.   -�Nick and I will have this taken care of in no time. -�

    -�Oh . . .  Nick and you, -� she said scornfully after the two of them
had climbed out.  It struck her as a very sexist remark.   -�So what am I,
chopped liver? -� she muttered to herself as Hicks opened the back of the
Jeep.  He must have a chainsaw back there, she realized.

    -�Just like a baby diaper service truck, -� she heard Nick remark.

   As she listened to them getting the equipment that they needed out of
the back, she found herself getting more and more upset.  David was her
brother; Hicks knew that.  Sawing up the tree and removing it would
probably go faster with all three of them working.  Did he really think
that she was too weak to be of any help?  Sure she was skinny, but she was
also strong  -" and she had the heart of a lion.  He might not know that 
-" but he ought to by now.  He was probably a male chauvinist, plain and
simple, she realized.

   Another possibility occurred to her as she watched them walk forward
toward the tree.  Hicks was now wearing gloves and a full-face shield. 
Just maybe he had decided to let her sit this one out so that she could
keep her naked butt hidden in the Jeep -(TM)s passenger seat.  Considering
that, she realized that she would have most likely reacted quite negatively
had he suggested that she get out of the Jeep and help  -" bottomless.

   Deciding that the chainsaw could only cut as fast as it could cut, she
decided to stay right where she was.  If it didn -(TM)t get help to David
any faster, there was no reason for her to reveal how little she had on. 
Keeping Nick in the dark a bit longer was just fine with her, even if it
meant swallowing her pride.

   The chainsaw roared to life as Hicks let it bite into the log.  Wood
chips flew.  It cut like the big powerful saw that it obviously was;
however, the tree was large in diameter; the first cut took over a minute
to complete.  Hicks stepped to the side and started the next cut.

    -�What the hell! -� shouted Jill from inside the Jeep.  He -(TM)d only
moved over something like sixteen inches.  He was intending to cut firewood
length rounds!  At this rate, he would be spending over ten minutes sawing.
That just wouldn -(TM)t do!  Realizing again that in the end, Nick was
going to see her bare ass naked, she opened her door and climbed out.

   After Hicks completed the second cut, she watched as Nick struggled to
roll the large round.  Hoping that there would be a pair of gloves for her,
she raced to the back of the Jeep.  There were several pairs; she grabbed
one that looked about right.  She searched around quickly in the back of
the Jeep, hoping to find a blanket of some sort  -" nothing!

   She tried swinging her arms, testing just how restrictive the jacket
was.  -�Shit, shit, shit! -� she said aloud, realizing that it was limiting
her movement and would be in danger of getting a popped seam or otherwise
ruined.  She shrugged it off.  After all, they -(TM)d both seen her
topless.

   Seconds later, she was running past the Jeep, heading into the thick of
the battle.  She was wearing only leather, just her boots and the gloves,
her hair still back in a ponytail.

    -�This is for you, David! -� she said aloud even though there was no
way she could be heard over the deafening noise of the big saw.

   Hicks was almost halfway into the third cut when she reached him.  She
tapped him firmly on the shoulder, unavoidably startling him.  The chainsaw
dropped down to an idle as he turned and stared at the naked girl, a look
of profound astonishment on his face.

    -�We don -(TM)t have time for this! -� she yelled, trying to be heard
above the noise of the engine.  He seemed frozen in place.  Jill glanced
back and caught a glimpse of Nick just behind her.  His eyes were as big as
saucers and his mouth was hanging open.

    -�We don -(TM)t have time for this! -� she said a second time, turning
her attention back to Hicks.  She stepped over next to him.  Placing her
hands on the handles next to his, she gave a yank, pulling the long blade
up out of the kerf.  She could tell that Hicks had no idea what she had in
mind as she guided the blade over about another sixteen inches and set it
back against the wood.

   To her astonishment, he just stood there acting as if he had no idea
what to do.

    -�Cut the goddamn log! -� she yelled at the top of her lungs.

   Hicks nodded, finally acting as if he understood.  He turned his
attention back to the saw, instantly giving it gas.

   Chips flew everywhere, forcing Jill to take a step back toward Nick.  He
had just finished getting the first round out of the road.  She sensed that
he was staring, but she didn -(TM)t look over.  Even though there was no
need to watch, she maintained her focus on the sawing operation, but from a
safe distance as she didn -(TM)t have eye protection.

   She knew that Nick had to be quite surprised by the fact that she had
just appeared naked.  She was glad that the noise of the chainsaw prevented
any discussion.  The situation was as awkward as it could be, but it was
better to just stand there, trying her best to ignore him.  It would have
been much harder to look at him and invite discussion about how she had
nothing on.

   As Hicks completed the cut, Jill jumped into position.  Nick stared at
her but didn -(TM)t move.  To get him to snap out of it, she pointed at him
and then pointed at the ground where she wanted him.  Finally cluing in, he
hopped over next to her.

   Even though the section of log was twice as big as what Hicks had been
cutting, it was still short.  It placed the two of them shoulder to
shoulder, hip to hip.

   Jill noticed Nick peeking down at her legs as the two of them placed
their gloved hands on the log.  She braced herself, extending her legs
back, one a little further than the other.  Leaning forward like that, her
nipples pointing almost straight down at the ground, she poured every ounce
of her strength into her half of the log.  Nick did the same.  The log
moved!  Seeing that the two of them were going to be able to roll the big
section, Hicks gave Jill the thumbs up and shifted into a position to cut
another round of the same length.

   Looking down, Jill took her turn stealing a glance at Nick -(TM)s legs;
they looked so sturdy, his thighs flexing where they emerged below his
shorts.  Her legs, much more exposed than his, had a similarly solid yet
decidedly feminine muscularity about them.  As the two of them pushed, her
muscles rippled just below a thin layer of smooth, bronze skin.  There was
a fair amount of skin-on-skin contact between the two of them; it was
unavoidable.

   Jill did her best to not think about that lest she get distracted from
their important project.  It was a little difficult to be naked around guys
and behave as if she were indifferent about it, especially when they were
attractive  -" and so very close.  And it didn -(TM)t help matters that it
was coming immediately after riding in the Jeep where her bare loins had
been on the vinyl - being affected by the vibrations coming from the low
gearing.  She -(TM)d been doing her best to ignore that; it had probably
only been possible given the serious nature of their mission.

   She couldn't match Nick -(TM)s strength, and yet he wouldn't have been
able to roll the large round by himself.  However, together they had it
rolling in the chosen direction.  They got the large section of tree trunk
off of the road and were back ready for the next one just as Hicks
completed the cut.

   As Jill brought her strength to bear against the second large round, she
found herself glad that she had not been any more ambitious when she had
chosen where to place the blade.  The sections were almost too heavy;
however, she and Nick, struggling and sweating side by side, were getting
the job done!

   As Jill and Nick struggled, Jill did a little math in her head.  One
round at sixteen inches plus three at thirty-two equaled  -"
one-hundred-twelve inches.  That was over nine feet.  That would be wide
enough for the Jeep to fit through.  Those four pieces would take five cuts
 -" probably about six or seven minutes.  The same gap would have required
seven rounds  -" eight cuts  -" had she not joined the effort.  Just four
or five minutes difference, however, unquestionably worth the effort  -"
and the exposure.

   The last cut seemed to be taking longer.  Jill was antsy to get going.
As Hicks finished the final cut, he switched off the saw and set it down.
Jill realized that he was moving into position to help roll the last big
round out of the way.

    -�Nick and I will have this taken care of in no time, -� she said with
a stiff jaw, deliberately repeating Hicks -(TM) line from earlier.  Her
words came out quite a bit louder than necessary; it was suddenly so quiet.
 -�Load up the chainsaw! -� she added to get him moving in a productive
direction.

   He shrugged, but picked it up and headed back toward the Jeep.



   Chapter 136: The Road to the Ridge, continued

    -�Jill, you -(TM)re naked, -� remarked Nick as the two of them worked
as a team to get the final section off the road.

    -�No shit! -� she replied.  She -(TM)d felt plenty naked without the
reminder.

   He laughed out loud.  She was glad that he didn -(TM)t continue talking.

   Once the road was clear, she smiled at him gratefully.   -�Let -(TM)s
go! -� she said, dashing back to the Jeep.  Nick followed.  Jill blushed
yet again as she tossed her gloves into the back.  She dusted the wood
chips off of her skin.  There were also chips in her hair, so she took out
her ponytail and quickly shook out of her hair, combing through it with her
fingers.

   At that point, she picked up Patty -(TM)s coat from the back of the Jeep
where she had tossed it earlier.  She didn -(TM)t bother putting it back on
as she raced forward to get into the Jeep.  Along the way, she renewed her
ponytail.  As she had never been too picky about how her hair looked, she
was good at putting in a ponytail on the fly.

    -�Hurry up, guys, -� she yelled back at them through the Jeep.   -�Shut
the hatch.  We -(TM)ve got to get going! -� She could hear them talking
back behind the vehicle.  She couldn -(TM)t make out what was being said,
but she was positive they were talking about her.   -�Talk all you want
about the naked girl . . .  just do it in front her . . .  once we -(TM)re
driving! -� she shouted.

   That seemed to do the trick.  A moment later the hatch was closed and
they were climbing into their respective seats.

    -�How did you know we were talking about you? -� asked Hicks as he
buckled up and started the motor.

    -�Wild guess. -�

    -�We could have been talking about how the saw was getting dull.  It
was.  Each cut was taking longer than the one before.  You probably noticed
how the trunk had embedded itself into the ground, forcing me to cut all
the way down to the dirt.  Chains don -(TM)t like that. -�

   Jill had noticed the last cut taking longer.  It probably meant that her
efforts had saved more time than her initial estimate.  She also knew that
a dull saw could stop cutting altogether.  She didn -(TM)t know what they
might have done had they not been able to clear the road.

    -�That -(TM)s not what you were talking about. -�

    -�You -(TM)re right.  We were talking about the naked girl . . .  but
not about how she was naked, -� said Hicks, driving through the gap they
had just made.

    -�Yeah, sure, -� she said, rolling her eyes.

    -�It -(TM)s true, -� he pleaded.   -�Nick, tell her what I said. -�

    -�That you -(TM)ve got a beautiful ass, -� replied Nick with a smile.

    -�Not true! -� Hicks snapped.   -�I mean, it is . . .  you do . . . 
but that -(TM)s not what I said.  Come on, Nick!  Goddamit . . .  tell her
what I really said. -�

    -�Okay, -� said Nick begrudgingly.   -�He said your mom was right.  He
said you should be in charge. -�

    -�That -(TM)s what I said, -� said Hicks looking over at her.

   Jill laughed.   -�Okay.  Much better than talking about a girl -(TM)s
ass behind her back.  But get your speed up.  Time -(TM)s a-wastin -(TM).
-�

    -�So, why are you naked? -� asked Nick.

   Jill glanced back.  She knew that he had every right to be curious.

    -�Born this way, -� she replied.

    -�So was I, -� said Nick.   -�But I -(TM)m not naked. -�

   When Jill didn -(TM)t respond, Hicks said,  -�Man -(TM)s got a point. -�

   Jill took a deep breath, trying to think of what to say.  Both of these
men were going to great effort to help her in a time of tremendous need. 
She didn -(TM)t feel as if she ought to simply ignore their question; it
was a valid question.   -�I got talked into hiking naked, -� she said at
long last.   -�But truth be told, I was one of the people talking me into
doing it. -�

    -�You talked yourself into hiking naked? -� asked Nick, astonishment
evident in his voice.

    -�I certainly had some help . . .  a lot of help . . .  but something
like that . . .  I guess, -� she said, her cheeks glowing red.

   She couldn -(TM)t really deny that she -(TM)d played a role in what had
happened.  No one could have gotten her to do what she had done had it been
completely against her will.  Feelings of embarrassment surging within her,
she found herself again wanting to crawl under the seat to hide.  Sitting
there as she was, she couldn -(TM)t very well put the jacket back on. 
Instead, she pulled it up in front of her.  She felt a little more
comfortable having it just below her chin, hiding much of her body from
view.

    -�Do you like being naked? -� asked Nick.

    -�Not today, -� she replied truthfully, turning to look out the side
window so that neither of them would be able to see her face.

   Fortunately, Nick did not continue grilling her.  She hoped that her
short, evasive answers would convey that she didn -(TM)t want to talk about
the matter.

   She knew that soon they -(TM)d be on the ridge.  Circumstances would
again require her active involvement.  That would mean that she -(TM)d
again be outside the Jeep.  Likely she -(TM)d have to help carry the
stretchers to where David and Ryan were.  Such tasks would mean that
wearing the jacket would again be inconvenient; it would hamper her ability
to help.  She knew that she didn -(TM)t really care all that much about the
jacket.  After all, it didn -(TM)t cover her butt or her pussy, and both
Hicks and Nick had now seen everything.  The helicopter would have a crew,
probably two people, she realized.  Those two individuals were also likely
to see her naked.

   As she considered the helicopter crew, Jill realized that her tally was
going to need to be updated.  She decided to save that mental task for the
end of the day, but in order to not forget anyone, she quickly thought
through what had happened since she had last updated her tally to
forty-seven.  There had been the woman and her kids in the grocery store
parking lot.  There had been the boys on their bikes.  There had been
pedestrians and motorists who had seen her en route to the ranger station.
She thought back through all that, seeking to fix the encounters in her
memory.  There had been Mrs.  Brooks, Officer Hicks, the man near the Jeep
and now Nick.  She could tell that some estimating was going to be
necessary.  She couldn -(TM)t say for certain just how many boys on bikes
there had been, for example.

    -�Got any snacks or anything to drink? -� she asked as the dirt road
faded and then disappeared altogether.  They were now above the tree line,
driving straight up a rocky slope.  There was still vegetation, but not a
lot of it.

    -�Actually, we do! -� said Hicks.   -�Nick, look in the box down behind
Jill -(TM)s seat.  Nothing cold, but there are juices and other things. -�

   Nick opened the box and listed off its contents for Jill.  A minute
later, she had a bag of trail mix in one hand and an apple juice in the
other.

    -�My God, did I ever need this! -� she remarked.  The coat had fallen
down.  It lay all but forgotten in her lap.  Hoping that it would look
inadvertent, she pushed it a bit to the side so that the air could
circulate against her skin.

   Every once in a while, she would notice Hicks stealing a peek over at
her.  Something about being looked at was exciting, but she did her best to
ignore him.  Having him occasionally glance over at her kept a little
redness in her cheeks, but other than that, it didn -(TM)t really bother
her.  He was working his butt off on behalf of David and Ryan; that was
what mattered.

    -�Get Officer Hicks something to drink, -� she called back to Nick.  He
was quite sweaty from running the saw.

    -�Water, Nick, -� he said.  Looking over at Jill, he added,  -�Just
Hicks.  I think we -(TM)re all on friendly terms here. -�

    -�Sure . . .  Hicks it -(TM)ll be, -� she replied with a smile.

   During the ensuing lull in the conversation, David again crossed Jill
-(TM)s mind.  She -(TM)d been doing her best to keep herself from thinking
about him.  His condition was something that she couldn -(TM)t control.  It
was much better to try and focus her thoughts on the things that were
within her realm of influence, things like the tree across the road.

    -�We made quick work of that tree, -� she commented.

    -�We did, -� acknowledged Hicks nodding, a smile on his face.

    -�That reminded me of an experience I once had that involved a baby
diaper service truck, -� said Nick.

   Suddenly Jill remembered an earlier comment about that truck.  It was
obvious that Nick had a story that he was itching to relate.  He paused as
if waiting for some encouragement.

    -�How in the world could that remind you of a baby diaper service
truck? -� she asked, tossing him the ball.  She glanced over at Hicks and
saw him wink.

    -�A few years back, I happened to be driving right behind just such a
truck, heading out of a newer neighborhood.  We came around a bend, and
there in front of us was a tree across the road, much like what we just
encountered, only a lot smaller.  I didn -(TM)t know what we would do,
other than stop and wait.  As far as I knew, there was no other route out
of that particular neighborhood. -�

    -�What did you do? -� asked Jill.

    -�Well, to my surprise, the driver hopped out, chainsaw in hand.  He
must keep it right next to his seat!  He yanked the cord and it spit to
life as he walked to the tree.  He and I had the road open in a matter of
minutes, but, as I said, it was a much smaller tree than the one we just
cleared. -�

    -�That -(TM)s funny, -� said Hicks.

    -�I guess a chainsaw is a tool of the trade . . .  in the baby diaper
business, -� said Nick.

    -�That -(TM)s what I love about this part of the state, -� said Jill. 
-�Here, people take responsibility.  Back home, everyone would wait for the
government to send someone out to reopen the road. -�

    -�Where are you from? -� asked Hicks.

   Jill decided to sidestep the question.  It was bad enough that he knew
her first and last name.   -�I think I -(TM)m going to put our chainsaw in
our Jeep, -� she said.   -�I think we should keep it there.  It would
surprise the livin -(TM) daylights out of someone at home if one day I
hopped out and cut up a tree that had fallen across the road . . .  just
like the man in the baby diaper truck. -�

    -�You should do that! -� said Nick.  He seemed happy that he had found
an audience for his story.

   As they crested the ridge, Jill looked all around.  She was disappointed
that there was not a helicopter in sight.

    -�They -(TM)ll be here, -� Hicks assured her.

   From the top of the ridge, he started driving along the trail heading
toward Bearhead Summit  -" the same one Jill has run up earlier in the day
after seeing the group climbing toward the ridge.  At the cutoff, Hicks
went left, following the trail that went around  -~Spaghetti. -(TM) They
hadn -(TM)t gone far before Hicks stopped.   -�Any further and we risk
rolling, -� he said.   -�Jeeps can go up hills that are much steeper than
those which they can safely cut across.  How far from here, Jill? -�

    -�Maybe half a mile, -� she replied.

    -�Okay, let -(TM)s have at! -�

   Jill turned and looked back at Nick.  Putting on her best puppy dog
eyes, she asked,  -�Nick, loan a girl your shirt? -�

   Nick smiled compassionately.   -�What, and force you to have to talk
yourself into hiking naked . . .  a second time in one day? -� he asked.

    -�Wait . . .  what? -� she asked taken aback.  She hadn -(TM)t expected
such a response.  He seemed like much too nice of a guy to refuse.

    -�Those were your very words, as I recall.  You said you talked
yourself into hiking naked today.  Whatever that might have entailed, I
doubt we have time for you to go through it right now.  For David -(TM)s
sake, I think it -(TM)s best if I save you the effort . . .  make it easy
for you. -�

   Jill didn -(TM)t know what to do.  She looked over at Hicks.

    -�Don -(TM)t look at me.  I -(TM)m supposed to stay in uniform. -� He
shrugged.   -�And besides . . .  the man has a point. -�

   Jill had thought that Nick would quickly surrender his shirt.  As it was
now clear that he wasn -(TM)t going to  -" certainly not quickly  -" she
gave the jacket a second thought.

   She knew she should wear it, and yet she knew that it would be
uncomfortable; more importantly, it would slow her down.  The hot blast of
air that swept into the air-conditioned vehicle as the doors all opened
made up her mind for her.

   She thought about just holding it to her front.  In that way, it could
be positioned to cover her crotch in addition to her breasts; however, she
couldn -(TM)t give that serious consideration.  She would need both hands
free if she was going to help.  Resolving to put the jacket back on when it
came time to meet the helicopter crew, she climbed out, leaving it behind
on the passenger seat.

   Once Hicks had the stretchers free, Nick and Jill lifted them down from
the roof.

    -�My, you -(TM)re tall, -� remarked Hicks, looking at Jill with her
arms up over her head.

   The remark sounded innocent enough, but Jill tried to ignore it
nonetheless.  Her nude body was obviously a distraction.  He had only
mentioned her height, she felt, as most other comments about her body would
have been inappropriate.  She was sure he was looking at her girl parts
while trying to pretend otherwise.

   Once the stretchers were down, Hicks opened the rear hatch and pulled
out a few items to bring.  Two of them appeared to contain medical
supplies. One was a small hard-sided case and the other was a large loosely
packed army-green duffle.

   Jill was feeling extremely impatient.  They were so close!  She could
think of nothing else than racing back to where David and Ryan were, but
getting Hicks there was what was important.  To Jill, he seemed to be
moving in slow motion.  She felt like yelling,  -~Let -(TM)s go!  Let
-(TM)s go! -(TM) But she knew that would surely distract him.  He was just
being thorough, which was of course important.  It would be
counterproductive if something essential were left behind.

   As soon as Hicks was happy with what he had loaded into the stretcher,
the two men picked it up, Nick in front, Hicks in back.

    -�Okay, lead on, -� said Hicks looking at her.

    -�What can I carry? -� she asked.   -�The other stretcher? -�

   At first Hicks -(TM) expression betrayed what he was thinking, that she
had to be joking, but then the look on his face changed.  He had probably
realized that she would somehow manage to carry it  -" if he gave the word.

    -�No need, -� he replied.   -�We -(TM)ll have to carry the boys out one
at a time.  We -(TM)ll take the second one back next trip. -�

    -�Okay, -� she agreed.  As instructed, she started along the trail,
leading the way; however, it didn -(TM)t feel right to not be carrying
something.  She went a short distance but then had to stop and wait.  The
two men with the laden stretcher were not able to cover ground nearly as
quickly as she could.

   She walked back toward them.  Passing Nick on the uphill side, she
reached into the stretcher and lifted out the largest item, the dark green
duffle bag.  It was heavy but lighter than she had been expecting.

    -�You don -(TM)t need to do that, -� said Hicks.

    -�Maybe not, -� she replied, looping the long strap over a shoulder.  
-�But I want to.  Maybe you guys will be a little faster without quite so
much weight. -�

   Hicks laughed.   -�You -(TM)re right.  That will probably help.  Let
-(TM)s hurry. -�

   Jill again headed along the trail, the one that was now missing a large
section.  The canvas duffle sat low, resting against and covering her butt.




   Chapter 137: Whatever it takes

    -�What -(TM)s in this? -� she asked the next time she stopped to wait
for them to catch up.

    -�Well, c-collars, among other things, -� replied Hicks.

    -�C-collars? -� she asked.

    -�Cervical collars . . .  neck braces . . .  in several sizes. -�

    -�Oh, -� said Jill nodding.   -�Makes sense. -�

   For a little bit, Jill continued on in silence.  She was tempted to run
on ahead, but she thought that she needed to guide them down off of the
trail where she had come up on her run to Stanton.  That route would be the
safest and the quickest.

   Walking along, Jill glanced down at her nude body.  Leather boots and a
wide green strap crossing her chest between her breasts; that was all there
was to see other than skin.  Her stubborn nipples were just as pointy as
ever even though the temperature could not be to blame.  Considering the
vulnerability of her nipples, she made a mental note to renew her sunscreen
as soon as there was a lull in the action.  She didn -(TM)t have it with
her, but it was waiting up ahead in David -(TM)s backpack.

   Glancing down further, she looked at the raised fleshy area that had
recently been Fuzzy Wuzzy -(TM)s home.   -~Good timing, Jill, -(TM) she
admonished herself.  She wished she hadn -(TM)t gotten so daring.  Why had
she just shaved everything off?  She wondered what Hicks and Nick thought
of her bald pussy complete with its telltale white line.  She was curious
to know, but the last thing she was going to do was ask.

   Given what Nick had just said  -" and Hicks -(TM) response  -" she
expected that both men thought she wanted to be nude, liked being nude. 
However, she had said that.  Why in the world had she said that?  They
probably thought that she liked having her little lady bits seen; that she
was a pussy shaving girl in order to be even more naked.  How embarrassing!
She knew she was again blushing.  Yep, perfect timing.  Shave your pussy,
and then have all this happen!  Beyond embarrassing!

   But even as those humiliating thoughts passed through her head, she
realized that it would be much the same if Fuzzy Wuzzy were still along for
the ride.  Naked was naked.

   Upon reaching the place where she intended to leave the trail to head
down the rocky slope, she stopped to wait for her companions to catch up.

    -�Ryan, we -(TM)re coming! -� she yelled at the top of her lungs.  Due
to the curvature of the mountainside, she couldn -(TM)t see them; however,
she expected that she might almost be close enough to be heard.   -�David,
we -(TM)re coming! -� she added, feeling bad that she had assumed that he
would still be unconscious.  She didn -(TM)t want to get her hopes up that
he would be awake, but she didn -(TM)t remember ever wanting anything more.
She held her breath, listening for a reply.  She didn -(TM)t hear anything,
but she convinced herself that the distance was still too great.

    -�How much farther? -� asked Hicks as they came up.

    -�We -(TM)re probably halfway, -� she replied.   -�Shortly after we get
to the base of this slope, we should be able to see them. -�

   Jill held onto the side of the stretcher to steady herself as well as
them, as they started down.  Together, the three of them made their way
down the steep hillside, sliding in places.

    -�Now we just go across, -� she said once they had gotten to where it
leveled out a bit.  She again took the lead.  A short distance on, she
caught a glimpse of the boys lying on the rocks.   -�Ryan, David, we
-(TM)re almost there! -� she yelled.

   She saw an arm go up into the air.  She waved back as she took off
running.  There was no longer any reason to stay with the rescue team now
that the boys were in sight.

   Racing towards them, Jill felt excited yet apprehensive.  Maybe David
had woken up.  Maybe he hadn -(TM)t.  Maybe he -(TM)d stopped breathing. 
She couldn -(TM)t bear the thought of that third possibility.  As she
neared them, she took off the duffle, setting it down carefully.

    -�What . . .  still naked? -� asked Ryan.

    -�I went for help, not clothes, -� she replied, mostly ignoring him as
she was looking at David.   -�David, David, -� she said, hoping to get his
attention.  He was right where he -(TM)d been more than an hour and a half
earlier.  Not only that, but he looked almost exactly the same.

    -�That was quick.  I thought you -(TM)d need at least another hour, -�
remarked Ryan.   -�You -(TM)re a lifesaver! -�

    -~That remains to be seen, -(TM) she thought.  She liked that he was
aware of the tremendous effort that she had gone to, but it was premature
to know if it would end up making a difference.

   Suddenly David -(TM)s eyes opened.  He looked up at her without moving
his head.  He didn -(TM)t say anything, and his expression didn -(TM)t
change, but he was looking at her!

   It was more than Jill could take!  Her tears burst forth as she
collapsed next to him.  She wanted to take him in her arms, and yet she
knew better.  Just seeing that he was alive made her realize just how much
she had been worrying that he might not be.  Despite her best efforts, her
subconscious mind had been thinking that she might never see those eyes
again.

    -�He -(TM)s been awake for some time now, -� said Ryan.

   Oh, David, -� she said, speaking softly near his face.   -�Help is on
the way.  Hang on . . .  for me! -�

   There was no reply.

    -�He -(TM)s said a few things, -� said Ryan.   -�His brain and his
mouth seem to work. -�

   Jill was overjoyed to hear that.

    -�But he -(TM)s not been very talkative.  I think he -(TM)s quite
uncomfortable.  He must be in pain, -� he continued.

    -�You both must be in pain, -� she said glancing over at Ryan.  His leg
looked more swollen and there was more discoloration.

   Ryan didn -(TM)t reply.  Jill stroked David -(TM)s cheek with the backs
of her fingers, speaking to him softly.  She hadn -(TM)t heard him say
anything, and his eyes had again relaxed closed.  He appeared to be
resting. She wanted to stay next to him, but the men were approaching with
the stretcher.  She got up to make room for Hicks.

    -�So, this is David? -� he asked, kneeling down next to him.

    -�Yes.  He had his eyes open a moment ago, -� said Jill, choking on the
words.  She wanted to be as helpful as possible, but she was having
difficulty speaking; she was feeling so very emotional.

    -�David, can you hear me? -� said Hicks, raising his voice a little.

   After a few seconds, David again opened his eyes.  Emotions again surged
within Jill, and her eyes moistened.  She wanted to ask if that meant he
was going to be all right, but she knew that it was too early for Hicks to
know much.  She tried to blink her eyes dry.

    -�Don -(TM)t try to move, David, -� said Hicks.   -�I -(TM)m here to
help, and there -(TM)s a helicopter on the way.  We -(TM)re going to get
you to a hospital. -�

   As Jill watched, he took a small flashlight and shone it in one eye and
then the other.

    -�Equal and reactive . . .  that -(TM)s excellent, -� he said without
looking up.

   Jill wasn -(TM)t exactly sure what  -~equal and reactive -(TM) meant,
but Hicks -(TM) word  -~excellent -(TM) cycled back and forth in her mind.
She continued to watch as Hicks checked David -(TM)s vital signs.

   After taking his blood pressure, Hicks looked up at her.   -�So far, so
good, -� he said with a reassuring smile.  He seemed to know just how much
she had been worrying.

    -�David, how old are you? -� he asked, looking into his eyes.

    -�He -(TM)s nineteen, -� she volunteered.

    -�I know that, -� said Hicks glancing up.   -�I -(TM)m trying to get
him to say something . . .  to evaluate brain function. -�

    -�Oh, sorry, -� said Jill, biting her lip.

    -�David, where are we? -� asked Hicks.

   Jill studied him carefully.  She held her breath.  He appeared to be
trying to speak.

    -�Umm . . .  Spaghetti, I think, -� he said in a weak voice.

   Hicks smiled and then chuckled.   -�Before meeting your sister, I would
have considered that a wrong answer. -�

   Hicks went on to ask a few more questions, such as what year it was and
who was president.  David got the questions right.  Jill was so happy to
hear him talking even though his voice sounded feeble.

    -�So it is good to know who the president is? -� asked Ryan.

    -�After a head injury, yes, -� said Hicks.   -�It -(TM)s a very good
sign. -� Looking over at him, he continued,  -�Ryan, I presume.  How are
you? -�

    -�I -(TM)ve been better, but I -(TM)m fine, -� he replied, trying to
sit up.

    -�Just relax.  We -(TM)ll get you taken care of shortly, -� said Hicks
reassuringly,  -�but first things first. -�

    -�I understand . . .  David first.  I wouldn -(TM)t have it any other
way, -� said Ryan, as Hicks turned his attention back to David.

    -�Can you feel your toes? -� he asked.  Looking down at David -(TM)s
hiking boots, he said,  -�Jill, can you take off his boots . . . 
carefully? -�

    -�Sure, -� she replied.  She was more than glad to be asked to help. 
While she worked on the laces, Hicks went about verifying that David had
feeling in his fingers and had the ability to move them.  As Jill started
on the second boot, she suddenly became aware that her body position was
the opposite of what might be considered ladylike.  She was squatting, her
knees apart.  She shifted, bringing her legs together, even though it
appeared as if Hicks, who was right in front of her, had not taken notice.

   Once the boots were off and Hicks had confirmed David -(TM)s ability to
move his toes in addition to his fingers, he got Jill and Nick busy helping
with some other tasks.  He showed Nick where he wanted him to try and make
a level spot for the stretcher and he had Jill locate some things in the
duffle she had carried.

    -�What we -(TM)ll do, working together, -� he said,  -�is get a
c-collar on David . . .  to support his neck.  Then we -(TM)ll transfer him
into the Stokes basket.  It is a backboard and a stretcher all in one.  We
-(TM)ll do that where he is, gently rolling him onto it as we slide it
under him.  Once he is on it, we -(TM)ll need to be very careful.  It
-(TM)s steep enough here that it might want to take off downhill.  David
doesn -(TM)t need a sled ride.  So we -(TM)ll move the stretcher to the
flat spot that Nick is preparing.  There we -(TM)ll secure him to the
stretcher and I -(TM)ll start an I.V.  Questions? -�

   Nick started on his assigned project while Jill asked if it would be a
good idea to take Ryan -(TM)s boots off, as well.

    -�It would be a great idea! -� said Hicks.   -�Even being gentle, it
might be a painful process for him.  You were right . . .  that leg is
broken. -�

   Jill did her best to keep it from hurting, but there was no way around
pulling on the boot to get it off.  Looking up, she saw Ryan clenching his
teeth bravely.

   Once Ryan -(TM)s boots were also off, Hicks said,  -�I have something
very important for you to do.  I need you to hold David -(TM)s head in
position while I go about fitting the collar.  Making sure his neck and
spine are not stressed in the process is critical. -�

    -�Okay, -� she said, drawing the word out in a sign of extreme
nervousness.  She was suddenly feeling the weight of the world on her
shoulders.   -�I -(TM)ve never done anything like that, but I -(TM)m sure
you -(TM)ll instruct me. -� She found herself wishing he hadn -(TM)t used
the word  -~critical, -(TM) and yet she knew that it was clearly the case.

   While Hicks busied himself with preparations, measuring David -(TM)s
neck and selecting the right size c-collar, Ryan remarked teasingly,  -�So,
Jill, you didn -(TM)t have time to get any clothes, but you managed to find
Nick and invite him along. -�

   Not liking what he seemed to be implying, Jill snapped,  -�Don -(TM)t
look at me.  I didn -(TM)t invite him! -� But then realizing how that had
probably sounded to Nick, she added,  -�But I -(TM)m very glad he -(TM)s
here. -�

   She looked over at Nick.  He was looking down as he worked, but he had a
big grin plastered on his face.   -�So am I, -� he said without looking up.
Jill went on to give Ryan a quick explanation of how Nick volunteered on
search and rescue missions and how Hicks had picked him up at Skyline
Adventures.

    -�I -(TM)ll bet you were surprised! -� said Ryan.   -�Shy little Jilly
Bean.  Everyone -(TM)s seeing her naked today . . .  shaved bare and all.
How many people saw you naked . . .  just on this trip to town? -�

    -�Stop it! -� she said.   -�I have to concentrate. -�

    -�Okay . . .  sorry, -� he replied.  Jill looked at him curiously.  It
was so unlike him to apologize for teasing.   -�But you -(TM)ll be glad to
know that I got your phone to turn on, -� he added.

    -�You did? -� she replied in surprise.

    -�I had some time on my hands, so I -(TM)ve been messing with it.  It
seems the  -~on -(TM) switch itself is broken, physically broken.  But you
can do it with a fingernail.  I -(TM)ll show you how. -�

   Jill looked at him apprehensively.   -�You better not have -- -�

    -�Don -(TM)t worry . . .  what could I do?  I can -(TM)t get past the
password screen.  Not that I didn -(TM)t try.  I was so bored.  You better
believe I wanted to watch your Tarzan videos. -�

    -�Shhhh!  Dang you! -� she scolded.

   She shook her head, glaring at him in disgust.  All she -(TM)d done for
him and he still had to bring up those videos!  Biting her lip nervously,
Jill looked at Nick and Hicks out of the corner of her eye.  Nick was
obviously studying her reaction.

    -�Tarzan videos? -� he asked.

    -�Forget it.  They -(TM)re nothing, -� she said.  Glancing over, she
saw Ryan snickering.

    -�By the look on your face, I know they -(TM)re something.  I want to
see them, -� replied Nick.

    -�Oh, you absolutely do!  I -(TM)m telling you! -� said Ryan, a
malicious smile on his lips.

    -�Enough, -� interrupted Hicks.   -�We -(TM)ll all watch them later. 
Right now, we don -(TM)t have time.  We -(TM)ve got important things to
accomplish.  Jill, come here. -�

   Jill was glad that Hicks had put a stop to the conversation even though
she didn -(TM)t like him suggesting that they would all watch the videos
later.  While she was glad to know that her phone would turn on, she knew
she wouldn -(TM)t be unlocking it to share the videos.

   Doing her best to clear her mind, she knelt down above David as Hicks
talked her through what she needed to do.  Cautiously, she took ahold of
his head, firmly but carefully . . .  lovingly.  Through her touch, she
sought to communicate to David just how much he meant to her.

   Hicks talked about the importance of chin position as he fed one end of
the unrolled collar in under his neck from behind.  Wrapping it gently
around, Hicks aligned it so that the integral cup would support David
-(TM)s chin.

    -�Okay, Jill, you can relax, -� he said after the Velcro straps were
secure.

   Jill breathed a sigh of relief.  As instructed, she relaxed, but she
didn -(TM)t remove her hands.  She was glad to have that out of the way,
but she was concerned.  David -(TM)s eyes had remained closed the entire
time.

   They had all just finished rolling David onto the stretcher when the
unmistakable rapid chuff-chuff-chuff beat of an approaching helicopter
reached Jill -(TM)s ears.  She couldn -(TM)t remember having ever heard a
sound more beautiful.

    -�Oh, good, -� said Hicks, looking off into the distance.

   As they moved the stretcher to the flat spot, the helicopter arrived. 
It hovered loudly just overhead.  Glad that her hair was in a tight
ponytail, Jill squinted up at it.  She presumed that they were studying the
situation from the air before searching out a place to land, but they were
raising quite a bit of dust.  She couldn -(TM)t help but realize that they
were easily close enough to see that she was nude.  A moment later, the
helicopter rose and banked as it departed.

    -�They -(TM)re headed for the ridge, -� observed Hicks once the wind
and the loud thrumming noise had died down so that they could once again
hear themselves think.   -�And, Jill . . .  I -(TM)ve got something else
for you to do.  I sense that you -(TM)re ready and willing to do whatever
it takes. -�



   Chapter 138: Tamara and Avery

    -�Whatever it takes! -� she echoed agreeably.   -�You name it. -�

    -�Hypoxemia . . .  a low level of oxygen in the blood . . .  can limit
recovery from a traumatic brain injury.  David -(TM)s airways are clear;
that -(TM)s not the issue, but we need to get his O2 sat . . .  his blood
oxygen saturation level up . . .  standard protocol for prehospital
treatment of head injuries, especially at altitude.  David really should be
on oxygen, and unfortunately, we didn -(TM)t have any at the ranger station
to load into the Jeep. -�

    -�The helicopter? -� Jill asked, wondering why he was taking so long to
get to the point.

    -�Yes, when I called, I requested specifically that oxygen be put on
board.  They know to bring it when they come, but I -(TM)d rather not wait.
I imagine that you could get it quickly. -� . Jill hopped up.   -�I -(TM)m
on it! -� she said energetically.  She was ready to leave, but she paused
to see if he had anything else to say.

    -�Make sure they follow you with another stretcher . . .  for Ryan. 
Tell them that I don -(TM)t need anything else.  Go! -� he said with a jerk
of the head.

   One minute, she was helping to get David situated on the stretcher, the
next, she was again running along the steep hillside  -" in hot pursuit of
a helicopter that had only just disappeared from view.  It was the exact
stretch of ground that she had covered less than two hours before.   -~This
running never ends, -(TM) she thought as she realized just how glad she was
to be able to assist in a way that might positively impact David -(TM)s
recovery.  She again had something important upon which to focus her
thoughts and energy!

   Everything considered, things seemed as if they were going quite well;
although, David seemed to be slipping in and out of consciousness.  She was
uncertain about what that might mean; however, she was now feeling lucky.
Earlier Hicks had used that exact expression, telling her that  -~today was
her lucky day -(TM)  -" because he happened to be a Search and Rescue
Officer  -" someone with relevant medical training.

   He certainly did seem to know exactly how to deal with head and spine
injuries, and yet that made sense.  The region was popular with both hikers
and climbers.  Falls were to be expected.  What was more, he had taken
important steps right from the get-go.  As she had been waiting in the
lobby worrying that nothing was happening, he had been making arrangements
for everything that would be needed.

   As she charged back towards the ridge, running as fast as she dared on
the uneven rocky terrain, she wondered just how far she had traveled that
day.  She had already hiked about five miles when the rockslide had
occurred.  It had probably been another five to the ranger station  -" the
trail portion alone had been 3.4 miles.  She was glad that her feet were
accustomed to heavy use and that her boots were fully broken in.

   As she climbed back up to the trail, she turned her thoughts to the
encounter with the helicopter crew just ahead.  The saving grace was that
it was destined to be brief.  She chuckled to herself as she contemplated
that.  How could there be any saving grace to meeting people with her pussy
on display?  Even with the jacket, she -(TM)d still be bottomless.  Ryan
was right; everyone was getting to see her pussy, her freshly shaved pussy.

   As the helicopter came into view, Jill was surprised to see that it was
not where she had anticipated.  The upside was that it was quite a bit
closer; however, there was a significant downside: the pilot had found a
spot to land that was well to the right of the path that went past the
Jeep. Going by the Jeep en route to the helicopter would cost time,
precious minutes that she knew she couldn -(TM)t justify.

   It was beyond embarrassing how things were working out.  Even though, if
she put it on, she would have still been bottomless, she had been counting
on the jacket.  Alternately, she might have simply held it in front of
herself.  She decided to do her best to be happy that the helicopter was
closer rather than lamenting that she was naked but for her boots.  She
-(TM)d have the oxygen back more quickly.  Trying to put on a brave face,
she put her head down and sprinted.

   She had thought that the big blade might still be spinning, and yet it
wasn -(TM)t.  A large side door was open.  She could just make out someone
moving inside; however, that was difficult, given the shadows inside and
how bright and sunny it was out.  As she got closer, two people climbed out
of the helicopter.

    -�Oxygen! -� she shouted as she approached.  Slowing so that she might
be able to catch her breath and speak, she continued,  -�Officer Hicks
wants me to bring back oxygen! -�

   She stopped just fifteen or twenty feet from them, placing her hands on
her hips and gulping air as fast and as deep as she could manage.  She
needed oxygen and David needed oxygen.  As she fought to catch her breath,
she remembered Hicks mentioning the altitude.

   At first, the two people didn -(TM)t move; they just stood there and
stared at her.  Jill wasn -(TM)t surprised.  They obviously needed a moment
to take in the view of the naked girl before their brains would switch back
on.  Of course, they must have known she was nude; they had just seen her
from the air.  She -(TM)d been holding the stretcher.  Surely they would
have been able to tell that she was not wearing anything.

   The crew consisted of a man and a woman.  The woman wore sunglasses and
had her dark hair pulled back in a tight bun.  She looked to be in her
forties.  The man looked to be much younger, probably in his twenties, she
thought.

    -�Hicks said you -(TM)d have oxygen.  I -(TM)m supposed to bring it
back quickly, -� she said, trying to force the issue.

    -�Do you know what she -(TM)s talking about? -� asked the woman,
looking over at her companion.

    -�I do, -� he replied, turning his back and unzipping a gear bag on the
floor just inside the helicopter.

   As she waited, she studied the woman who was, in turn, studying her. 
Jill decided that she had to be the pilot.  She had a serious, no-nonsense
look about her.  In addition to the sunglasses, she wore a dark leather
bomber-style jacket.  She stared at Jill, a slightly amused look on her
face.

    -�Nice tan, -� she remarked.

   Jill glanced down at her body, trying to decide how to respond. 
Fortunately, the man turned back around right then.

    -�Here -(TM)s what he requested, -� he said, extending a bag toward
her.

   Jill stepped forward to take what he was holding.  It was a relatively
small blue bag with a white stripe and  -~OXYGEN -(TM) embroidered in block
letters.  It had carrying handles, but no shoulder strap.

    -�Everything -(TM)s there, -� he continued.   -�The cylinder -(TM)s
full and the hoses and regulator look good. -�

    -�Thanks, -� said Jill, feeling its weight.  As she turned to head
back, she added,  -�We need one more stretcher.  But that -(TM)s all we
need.  Hicks said to let you know. -� She noticed that they had some with
them.

   With that, she again broke into a run.  She felt two pairs of eyes on
her bare buns as she raced away.  She suddenly realized that she had been
blushing.  This  -~being seen naked -(TM) never gets any easier, she
realized.

   It had been a brief encounter, a minute if that.  It had been
embarrassing, yet she realized that she hadn -(TM)t made any effort to
cover up; her thoughts had been on other things.

   At that point, she thought back to how she had told Hicks and Nick that
she had been among those who had talked herself into hiking naked that
morning.  She scolded herself for that statement.  It had been truthful,
but painfully so.  Why be that honest?  They had obviously taken it to mean
that she wanted to be nude, to remain nude.  And now she was paying the
price.  Had she been less than completely honest, Nick surely would have
loaned her his shirt.

   Remembering all that had transpired caused her to wonder if she really
did want to remain naked.  Of course, she didn -(TM)t; however, being naked
was rather comfortable, given how hot it was.  But it was still
embarrassing; it was those first few minutes around someone new that were
the worst.  However, after that, she would start to adjust.  It was no
longer all that uncomfortable to be around Hicks and Nick.

   Jill tried to clear her thoughts and concentrate on getting the
heavy-for-its-size bag back to Hicks as quickly as she could . . .  without
falling along the way.  She -(TM)d had a very good day in terms of staying
on her feet, she realized.

   Upon getting back, she saw that Hicks was busy with Ryan who now seemed
to be wearing something that looked splint-like on his left leg.  Hicks
stood up and took the bag from her.

    -�Well done, -� he said approvingly.

   As Hicks went about pulling the contents out of the bag, Jill saw that
there was now a short I.V.  pole extending up from the side rail of David
-(TM)s stretcher.  A bag containing fluid was hanging on it.  With her
eyes, she followed the small tubing that extended down to a bandage on
David -(TM)s forearm.  She wasn -(TM)t the only one who had been hurrying.
In the short amount of time that she -(TM)d been away, Hicks had started an
I.V.  and put on a leg splint.

   She was delighted to see David -(TM)s eyes following Hicks as he went
about hooking up the oxygen.  He turned and looked at her.   -�I -(TM)m so
sorry, Jilly, -� he said.  She was so delighted to hear his voice; she
raced over and knelt down next to him, gently taking his hand in hers.

    -�Don -(TM)t be sorry.  No one can predict rockslides, -� she replied
between breaths.

    -�I -(TM)m sorry you -(TM)re naked.  Look what I -(TM)ve done to you,
-� he said.

    -�What we -(TM)ve done to me, -� she corrected.   -�But if there -(TM)s
anyone to blame, it -(TM)s Ryan, -� she added, looking over at where he lay
in his splint.

    -�Yes . . .  let -(TM)s blame Ryan, -� agreed David.  He started to
chuckle, but then a look of pain came over his face.

    -�Sorry, -� said Hicks, sliding a small clear mask over David -(TM)s
nose and mouth.

    -�We -(TM)ll talk later, -� she whispered into his ear.   -�You focus
on getting better, and . . .  now that you -(TM)re being taken care of . .
. I -(TM)ll focus on finding myself something to wear. -�

   He seemed to nod, but then his eyes closed.  To Jill, it looked as if he
were simply resting.  She suspected he was still conscious.

    -�So, you met the helicopter crew.  Who did they send? -� asked Hicks.

    -�Two people, a man and a woman.  There wasn -(TM)t time for
introductions, so I don -(TM)t know any names. -�

    -�Describe the woman, -� he requested.

   After Jill had done so, Hicks said,  -�Tamara Castillo.  Quite a woman,
that one. -�

    -�I think she -(TM)s the pilot, -� Jill replied.

    -�Oh, yes . . .  ex-military.  Fought in the Gulf War.  Not a better
pilot for search and rescue.  She can do things with a helicopter even the
helicopter doesn -(TM)t think it can do.  You -(TM)d like her. -�

   Jill shrugged.  The last thing she wanted to do was to get to know this
woman who had just seen her naked.

    -�If you want to impress her, know the difference between Desert Storm
and Desert Shield.  She once told me that she -(TM)d never met a young
person who knew the first thing about the Gulf Wars. -�

   Jill looked at him blankly.  She wasn -(TM)t planning on discussing
anything with her.

    -�I don -(TM)t think she thinks much of me, -� said Jill.

    -�And the guy? -� he asked.

   Jill hardly remembered him, but she did her best to describe him.

    -�Probably one of the new guys, -� he said.   -�It -(TM)s the
old-timers that I -(TM)ve worked with the most.  Tamara -(TM)s an
old-timer. I think you should run back and guide them here. -�

   Jill had been thinking the same thing.  She knew they had seen where
they were from the air.  They wouldn -(TM)t get lost, but they probably
wouldn -(TM)t take the most direct route.

    -�You don -(TM)t want to, do you? -� said Hicks, noticing her
reluctance.

    -�Not really, -� she replied, biting a thumbnail.  She was trying to
decide if doing so might be beneficial to David.

    -�I -(TM)ll go, -� volunteered Nick.

   Jill brightened.   -�You will? -�

    -�Of course, -� he replied with a smile.

    -�That would be so nice, -� she said appreciatively as he headed off.
She knew that Nick was doing his best to impress her, but that was okay. 
He seemed like a genuinely good guy, and their dating days, not that they
-(TM)d really had any, seemed to be over.

   Hicks busied himself with securing David to the stretcher while she
watched.  Hicks seemed to be both knowledgeable as well as conscientious.

    -�We won -(TM)t have to do this quite so meticulously with Ryan, -� he
said.   -�The way he has been moving around makes it obvious that his spine
is very unlikely to have suffered an injury. -�

    -�I -(TM)m so glad to hear that, -� she said.

   A few minutes later, the helicopter crew arrived with Nick.  Jill had
expected it to be very awkward, and it was, just not quite as uncomfortable
as she had been anticipating.  Hicks had been right; the female pilot
-(TM)s name was Tamara.  The paramedic had introduced himself as Avery.  As
it was an uncommon name, he had explained that his parents had named him
for the college where they had met.  Jill had never heard of Avery College,
but he explained that it was near Kingsley.

   Hicks and Avery, with Nick -(TM)s and Tamara -(TM)s help, went right to
work on getting Ryan onto the stretcher.  He was being quite brave about
it; Jill could tell that being moved was causing him a lot of pain.  She
watched from a short distance away.  She was keeping David company, holding
his hand.  It felt wonderful to still have a twin brother.

   She suspected that Nick had probably been fielding the helicopter crew
-(TM)s questions relating to her nudity.  She wondered what had been said.
She expected it had been something about how she had admitted to daring
herself to hike naked.  She wished she hadn -(TM)t said what she had said,
but it was pretty much what had happened.  It was just embarrassing to
think that what she had said would be shared.  It was hard for a naked girl
to have secrets.

   Shortly after Ryan was on the stretcher, they were ready to go.  Hicks
and Avery had rigged up some straps so that the weight could be borne
predominantly by their shoulders.

   Hicks decided that he and Nick would carry David.  He didn -(TM)t give a
reason, but Jill suspected it had something to do with his more fragile
nature.  In other words, David was more likely to be injured if he were
dropped.

   That meant that Jill and the helicopter crew would be carrying Ryan,
which didn -(TM)t seem to make complete sense as he was the heavier of the
two.  However, she wanted to help and she knew that carrying them both out
at once would get the helicopter in the air the quickest, even if she didn
-(TM)t like being paired with the newcomers.  She chose not to say
anything. She felt that Hicks -(TM) was doing an excellent job of working
with what he had at his disposal.

   It was decided that Avery would go first, carrying Ryan -(TM)s feet. 
That placed Jill and Tamara side by side, carrying the end of the basket
containing Ryan -(TM)s head.  Jill was sure that she could carry one end
all by herself, but she wasn -(TM)t in charge.  Her mom had told Hicks to
put her in charge; however, during the course of the afternoon, she had
learned that Hicks was indeed the man for the job.



   Chapter 139: Left Behind

   Hicks had decided that the rest of their baggage, the excess medical
supplies as well as the boys hiking boots, would be left there.  After the
helicopter had left, they could retrieve everything.

   Walking next to Tamara while carrying Ryan was even more awkward than
Jill had imagined.  Fortunately, Avery was facing way, but Ryan wasn
-(TM)t. He was smiling up at her, his face not even an arm -(TM)s length
away from her breasts.  Her nipples were diamond hard and she could feel
Ryan -(TM)s eyes on them.  She wanted very much to tell him to find
something else to look at, but she knew that doing so would only start the
teasing.  In the end, she decided to put up with him ogling her chest in
hopes that the half mile to the helicopter might be covered in silence.

   It was not to be.  Tamara decided to break the ice.   -�So, Jill . . .
Nick filled us in a little on your background.  He said that you and David
are twins. -�

    -�Twins, -� she confirmed nodding.  She hoped that the short, abrupt
answer might help Tamara figure out that she was not interested in talking.

   Fortunately, Hicks had set up the straps such that they were essentially
on the corners of the stretcher.  She and Tamara weren -(TM)t touching, but
they were definitely in each other -(TM)s personal space.  Jill was glad to
be on the downhill side.  That placed her head just below Tamara -(TM)s
even though Jill was the taller of the two.

   After an uncomfortable period of silence, one that Jill had hoped would
go on and on, Tamara continued,  -�He also said that he doesn -(TM)t
believe that incest is involved. -�

   Jill looked away and sucked in a breath through her nose.  She didn
-(TM)t want to talk about being naked, but she absolutely abhorred the
prospect of trying to convince this woman that she and her brother had
never had sex.  That was simply too repugnant to think about, much less to
talk about.

    -�Uncomfortable topic? -� asked Tamara, studying Jill -(TM)s reaction.

   After another long period of silence, she asked,  -�Cat got your tongue?
-�

   Jill decided that she was not going to answer this woman -(TM)s
questions, no matter how intolerable she became.  It was none of her
business.  She decided to try and change the subject.

    -�Hicks tells me that you were a pilot in the Gulf War.  He said that
you think my generation is ignorant when it comes to the details of Desert
Storm as well as what preceded it, Desert Shield.  Well, I -(TM)m here to
prove you wrong.  Ask me a question that you think someone ought to know.
-�

   She was feeling a little cocky.  The Gulf Wars under President George
H.W.  Bush as well as his son, George W.  Bush had been the last topic they
had covered that spring in her American History class.

    -�I -(TM)m not at all interested in what you know about recent military
history.  What I want to know is if I need to report the two of you to the
authorities.  Have you been screwing your brother?  I saw you holding
hands. -�

   Something in Jill snapped.   -�Leave me alone!  He -(TM)s my f**king
brother.  He was in a goddamn rockslide, -� she snarled.  Jill instantly
realized that her word choice had been unfortunate.

   Tamara snickered.   -�Your f**king brother! -�

   Jill looked away, trying to calm down.  It would serve no purpose to
argue with her.

    -�Leave Jill alone! -� interjected Ryan angrily.  After a pause, he
continued in a steady, mature voice.   -�She -(TM)s had a very traumatic
day, and she -(TM)s done nothing wrong.  I appreciate so much all that you
are doing to help David and me.  I respect you and understand that you are
an accomplished helicopter pilot.  For all I know, you -(TM)re probably a
war hero.  Please show Jill some respect.  Today she -(TM)s the hero! -�

   Jill was quite surprised to have Ryan swoop to her assistance like that.

    -�And for all I know, you -(TM)re probably their enabler, -� said the
pilot.

    -�I -(TM)m Jill -(TM)s friend, proudly so, -� said Ryan.   -�If she and
her brother were romantically involved, I -(TM)d be the first to know . . .
and the first to advise them to seek counseling. -�

   Somehow Ryan -(TM)s well-targeted defense seemed to put an end to Tamara
-(TM)s interest in interrogating her.  Jill so very much wanted to thank
Ryan for intervening; however, she didn -(TM)t.  She couldn -(TM)t think of
a way to do so without the woman next to her overhearing.  That seemed as
if it might result in more conversation  -" something that she definitely
wanted to avoid.

   Hicks and Nick had David in the helicopter when they got there.  Ryan
was also quickly inside with his stretcher secured.

   As Tamara took her seat at the controls and started flipping switches,
Hicks informed Nick and Jill that he would be leaving in the helicopter.  
-�Continuity of care reasons, -� he said.

    -�May I come? -� Jill asked.  The prospect of climbing out of the
helicopter naked next to the hospital in Elk Bend was daunting, but she did
want to be with David.

    -�I -(TM)m sorry, but there isn -(TM)t room, -� he replied.

    -�Sorry . . .  no room! -� echoed Tamara from the pilot -(TM)s seat.

   To Jill, there looked to be room.  She was thin and didn -(TM)t weigh
all that much.  She could fold herself up and squeeze into a corner.

    -�Don -(TM)t worry, -� said Hicks.   -�I -(TM)ll make sure that the ER
staff is fully informed.  In my opinion, they should do a CT scan of David
-(TM)s head first thing.  The doctors there won -(TM)t do it because I say
so, but if I do a decent job of explaining what happened, then they will.
-�

    -�What might a CT scan show? -� she asked.

    -�Skull fractures, internal bleeding, swelling . . .  that sort of
thing, -� he replied.   -�Or none of the above.  That -(TM)s what we hope
it shows . . .  knock on wood.  However, that -(TM)s unlikely, given that
he was unconscious. -�

   With that, he -(TM)d handed the keys to Nick, telling him that he needed
to drive.   -�Because of your status as a volunteer, you can officially
operate Forest Service vehicles when necessary, -� he said.

   Jill and Nick stepped back as the helicopter door slid closed and the
big rotor started moving.  A minute later, as the dust started to settle,
Jill and Nick were alone on the ridge.  Standing side by side, they watched
the helicopter dive down toward the valley, picking up speed as it went. 
It looked as if they -(TM)d be wheeling David and Ryan into the ER in a
matter of minutes.

   Suddenly, Jill felt both relieved and profoundly exhausted.  It was
probably the fact that David was now completely in the care of others that
allowed her to finally acknowledge the toll that the afternoon had taken on
her body.

    -�Come on, there are drinks and snacks in the Jeep, -� said Nick,
turning toward where it was parked a few hundred yards away.   -�Do I need
to carry you? -� he asked, once he -(TM)d paused to get a good look at her.

    -�No, I can walk, -� she said as she started up the slope.  She knew
that was exactly what her body needed most right then: fluids and
nourishment.  As she struggled up the hill, she remembered that she had
sprinted up it twice that day: once, before they had made the video and
then a second time, carrying the oxygen bag.  Making her way slowly up the
path, she couldn -(TM)t believe that she had been able to do that.

   Somehow, she managed to get to the Jeep.  From the box, she selected a
bottle of water and a chocolate bar  -" and then another.  The chocolate
bars were liquid, so she ate them by tearing a hole in the wrapper and then
squeezing the contents into her mouth through it.

   They -(TM)d forgotten to leave windows open, so it was boiling hot
inside the Jeep.  They quickly rolled them all down and opened the rear
hatch.

    -�You -(TM)ve had quite a day, -� said Nick, looking at her
sympathetically.

    -�I hope to never have another day like this, -� she replied frankly.

    -�You relax.  I -(TM)ll go back for what we left behind, -� he said.

   Jill had all but forgotten about the things that needed to be retrieved
from the site of the rockslide, but then she remembered that her cell phone
and her sunscreen were there, in David -(TM)s backpack.  Suddenly it dawned
on her that she -(TM)d forgotten to renew her UV protection.  It had simply
been too chaotic to remember the less important things.  She felt as if she
should accompany Nick; however, she knew she wouldn -(TM)t be able to.

    -�Thanks, -� she said.   -�I do need to rest.  Don -(TM)t forget our
small backpack. -�

    -�Don -(TM)t worry.  I -(TM)ll get everything, -� he assured her warmly
as he departed.

   Jill climbed into the backseat from the downhill side  -" the doors on
the uphill side wouldn -(TM)t stay open, but the two downhill doors were
hanging wide open.  The Jeep was still warm, but it was cooling down and
she felt the need to be out of the sun.  She started to remove her boots. 
-�Finally! -� she said aloud.

   As she pulled off her socks, the twenties that she -(TM)d put there
earlier fell out.  Unsurprisingly, they were damp with sweat.  She reached
into the front seat and put them into one of the pockets in the Forest
Service jacket.

   Jill opened another bottle of water and started sprinkling it on her
feet.  Rubbing it in, she found herself thinking about running through the
sprinklers in the baseball park.  She thought about having Nick stop there
on their way into Stanton.  Fortunately, time could now slow back down. 
She wanted to get to the hospital as quickly as possible, but the urgency
was gone now that David and Ryan were probably already there.  She could
again start considering her own needs.

   She realized it wasn -(TM)t just her body that was exhausted.  Her mind
was also completely worn out from all that it had been through.  In some
ways, the day had been harder on her brain than it had been on her body.

   She made a mess in the Jeep by washing her feet, but she knew the water
would evaporate quickly.  It felt so good!  Now that the emergency had
passed, she found herself thinking about all that her poor feet had been
through.  She searched them for blisters.  Finding plenty of sore red areas
but no actual blisters, she fell back and was quickly asleep, her feet
hanging out the open door.

   Jill woke with a start.  She had no idea how long she -(TM)d been
asleep. She lay there for a moment looking up at the dark headliner above
her.  Realizing that something must have caused her to wake up, she raised
her head to look around.  There were two faces near her feet, two sets of
eyes peering up at her.  Jill panicked.  Jumping in fright, she kicked her
feet propelling her back against the far door, the uphill door.  A gasp of
fright, an almost silent scream, escaped her lips.

    -�Calm down.  It -(TM)s just us, -� said a woman.

    -�We saw your feet hanging out and came to investigate, -� explained
the man.

   With wide, terrified eyes, Jill stared at the two people.  She -(TM)d
wrapped her arms around her torso, simply a gut reaction; more a defense
mechanism than an attempt to hide her nakedness.   -~Just us? -(TM) Did she
know these people?  And then she recognized them.  She -(TM)d met them on
the trail.  This was the lawyer and his companion, the pair with new
clothes and perfect hair.

    -�Are you alright? -� asked the woman.

   Jill was still in shock, unable to reply.

    -�By the looks of it, you found the help you needed, -� said the man,
peering curiously around the interior of the Jeep.   -�So glad. -�

   Still unable to speak, Jill nodded in the affirmative.  Realizing that
they were not axe murderers, Jill -(TM)s heart rate started to come down. 
-�My brother and . . .  um . . .  taken out in a helicopter, -� she
stammered.

    -�We saw the helicopter, -� said the woman.

   Suddenly she heard Nick yelling from a distance.   -�Jill, are you
alright?  What -(TM)s going on? -�

   Glancing out the front windshield, she saw him running toward the Jeep,
his arms full.  Suddenly realizing where her legs were, pulled up against
herself but not together, Jill turned sideways, shifting her body such that
she was sitting in the seat, as close to the uphill door as she could get.

   Nick yanked her door wide open.   -�Are you alright? -� he asked. 
Somewhere he -(TM)d dropped everything he had been carrying.

   Jill nodded, but then retreated even further from the couple by
immediately climbing out the door toward him.  With her arms still tightly
wrapped around her upper body, she leaned into him for comfort, her chin
tucked down and the top of her head touching his chest.

    -�Are you sure?  You don -(TM)t seem alright, -� he said, placing a
comforting hand on the back of her neck and holding her against him.

   Jill lifted her head and they made eye contact.  She again nodded.  
-�They startled me, but just because I -(TM)d fallen asleep. -�

   Nick looked deep into her eyes for a moment but then shifted his
attention to the couple on the other side of the Jeep.  Looking at them
through the open back doors, he asked,  -�Do you have a reason to be here?
-�

   The man started to answer, but Jill cut him off,  -�They were just
concerned.  They saw my legs hanging out of the door and came to
investigate.  I met them on the trail earlier.  He -(TM)s a lawyer.  He
offered me his card. -�

    -�Correction . . .  I offered her my assistance. -�

    -�Well, I found the help I needed.  Thank you for your concern. -�

    -�Here -(TM)s my card again, -� he said, walking around the back of the
Jeep to hand it to her.   -�I see you still don -(TM)t have any pockets. 
Possibly the ranger can hold it for you for now. -�

    -�Thank you, -� she said, handing the card to Nick.

   She really didn -(TM)t want it, but she also didn -(TM)t want to be
rude. She considered explaining to them that Nick was not a ranger, but
there seemed little point; doing so would take time.  Nick -(TM)s Skyline
Adventure -(TM)s uniform was composed of muted colors  -" not altogether
different from Forest Service clothing.  However, it was different enough 
-" again proving to Jill just how distracting a naked girl could be.

   As quickly as they could, she and Nick got rid of the couple.  They were
curious about the rockslide, so after saying goodbye, they headed off along
the trail that went around Bearhead Summit with the intention of seeing it.

   Jill retrieved David -(TM)s backpack from where Nick had dropped it. 
While he loaded Hicks -(TM) things into the back of the Jeep, she went
about applying sunscreen.  She didn -(TM)t know how much more she might be
out in the sun, but it seemed like a good idea.  Realizing that Nick was
watching, she turned her back to him as she coated her neck, shoulders, and
breasts.  She then applied a thick layer to the little pinkish-white stripe
just above her slit.

   While she was doing that, she was thinking about asking him to do her
back.  However, just as she had finished getting her lower abdomen taken
care of, Nick commented,  -�You just shaved off your landing strip, didn
-(TM)t you? -�

   Surprised at his audacity, she decided that her back would have to go
without.   -�It -(TM)s that obvious? -� she asked, knowing full well that
it was.  She peeked bashfully back at him.

   He nodded as their eyes met.   -�Pretty obvious, -� he said with a grin,
an engaging twinkle in his eyes.  Jill blushed crimson.



   Chapter 140: Starting Down

   A few minutes later, she was in the passenger seat and Nick was steering
across the ridge in the general direction of Stanton.  There were no road
signs and no tracks to follow on the rocky surface.  To Jill, it almost
felt as if they were about to drive off a cliff.  The angle of descent kept
getting steeper and steeper.  Past the hood, Jill could see nothing but the
bottom of the valley at least a mile below.

    -�How do you know where to go? -� she asked apprehensively.

    -�Dead Reckoning, -� he replied with a relaxed smile.

   Nick -(TM)s confidence was reassuring, but even so, Jill cinched her
seatbelt tighter.  She had the jacket up in front of her.  She -(TM)d
thought about putting it on, but had decided to wait at least until the AC
had kicked in.  She was torn between an inclination to protect her modesty
and a desire to be comfortable.  Because it was so warm, she held it away
from her skin, allowing room for the air to circulate.

    -�Remember the night we met? -� asked Nick out of the blue.

    -�How could I forget . . .  so embarrassing . . .  such a lonesome
puppy dog.  Your father calling you . . .  setting me up for a blind date,
-� said Jill, her strained voice betraying feelings of indignity and
remorse.

   Nick laughed amiably.

    -�Remember me asking you to go for a drive in the mountains? -�

    -�Again . . .  how could I forget? -�

    -�Scared you off, didn -(TM)t I? -�

    -�Well . . .  sort of, -� she agreed.  She remembered back to thinking
that he was just an older college guy who wanted to get her alone and drunk
so that he could get into her pants.

    -�I was going to bring you up here.  This ridge is beautiful at night .
. .  absolutely gorgeous.  An endless number of stars above.  The lights of
Stanton below. -�

   Suddenly Jill was wishing that she had agreed that night.  She could
have simply stipulated that there be no alcohol.  Now that she -(TM)d
gotten to know him, she knew that he would have been fine with that.

   She could almost picture how lovely that would have been.  Even now, she
wanted that experience, yet in the back of her mind, she had the feeling
that her summer was quickly coming to a premature end.  The curtain seemed
to be falling.  It was unlikely that she -(TM)d have the opportunity to
visit the ridge at night, even if Nick were to again extend the offer.

   As they continued to talk, Jill found it hard to believe that she had
been so worried about the idea of being alone with him.  She had been dead
set against going up into the mountains where there would be no one to hear
her if she had needed to call for help.  How ironic that she was now all
alone with him.  There, in the Jeep heading down from the ridge, she could
scream all she wanted to  -" no one would hear.  And she was naked, not
even a pair of panties protecting her from unwanted advances.  And yet, she
wasn -(TM)t at all concerned for her personal safety.  She wondered about
that, given that Nick had not been willing to let her wear his shirt.  And
yet, for some reason, that hadn -(TM)t made her feel uncomfortable in his
presence.

   Somehow her unease that first night had prevented her from sensing Nick
-(TM)s true nature.  There was something peaceful about him.  He was indeed
a calm soul.  On the outside, he was a slender but brawny guy with a love
for the outdoors, always looking as if he didn -(TM)t own a comb.  However,
on the inside he was a principled, straightforward man; she could tell. 
Wondering if they were kindred spirits, she realized that he was fun but
also as reliable as they come.

   Jill -(TM)s thoughts were interrupted by a comment of Nick -(TM)s.  
-�Ryan told me that the two of you were never going out.  That surprises
me. That day Martina and I walked into your camp unannounced, catching you
-- -�

    -�Don -(TM)t remind me, -� said Jill.  She didn -(TM)t want to hear him
talk about how she had been topless.

    -�Well, I -(TM)m pretty sure there was confirmation.  I recall the word
 -~honey -(TM) being used.  It -(TM)s a distinct memory. -�

   Jill didn -(TM)t know what to say.  In the first place, even though she
-(TM)d said it, the word  -~honey -(TM) sounded stupid.  She -(TM)d cared a
great deal about Tyler, and she -(TM)d never called him,  -~honey. -(TM)
And in the second place, she hadn -(TM)t been in a relationship with Ryan.
She had sought to deceive Nick.  That had been so unlike herself.

    -�I guess I owe you a bit of an explanation, -� she said.  She didn
-(TM)t want to talk about the matter; however, doing so was in keeping with
her new honesty commitment.  She was bound and determined to conduct her
future relationships with the opposite sex by being honest.  Never again
was she going to take a backseat and allow things to unfold haphazardly.

    -�Only if you -(TM)re comfortable talking about it. -�

   Jill smiled; she liked his respectful attitude.   -�I was an ugly
duckling during my formative years.  At least that is how I pictured
myself, and that self-image imprinted itself deeply.  I have also always
been a shy, reserved person.  While my friends all . . .  how should I say
this . . .  started to fill out . . .  I kept my boyish figure. -�

    -�I wouldn -(TM)t -- -� interrupted Nick.

    -�Wait . . .  hear me out, -� she pleaded.

   She looked over at Nick and saw him nodding.

    -�So I focused on basketball.  I -(TM)ve had very few actual dates, and
for the most part, they went badly.  There was one exception, one boy.  We
might have been in love.  That relationship also ended up . . .  well, I
don -(TM)t want to talk about it. -�

    -�You don -(TM)t have to. -�

    -�But lately things seem to be changing.  Even though this ugly
duckling will never become a swan, I -(TM)ve been attracting my share of
attention. -�

    -�If you were ever an ugly duckling, you have certainly blossomed. -�

    -�Well, maybe . . .  but still essentially no curves, -� said Jill. 
She pointed her index fingers at her bare breasts and shrugged.   -�Well,
like I was saying.  This last year guys have started noticing me.  Prior to
that, I felt as if I were invisible.  I haven -(TM)t known how to handle
all this new attention.  I haven -(TM)t wanted to date and suffer through
more of my blunders.  What happened that day with Ryan?  One in a long
series of missteps.  I -(TM)ve resolved to do better.  Mostly by being
honest . . .  I -(TM)m being very honest right now . . .  and by taking a
hiatus from dating. -�

    -�Jill, will you marry me? -�

   Jill laughed.   -�Nick!  I -(TM)m being serious.  Why can -(TM)t you be?
-�

    -�What makes you think I -(TM)m not serious? -�

    -�We hardly know each other? -�

    -�But that -(TM)s your fault.  I -(TM)ve been trying to get to know
you. -�

    -�Darn it . . .  now where was I? -� she said, struggling to recall her
train of thought.

    -�Don -(TM)t just brush me off, -� said Nick.   -�It -(TM)s my turn to
talk. -�

    -�Okay -- -� said Jill reluctantly.   -�But marriage?  Definitely out
of the question. -�

    -�Maybe it was foolish of me to suggest that, -� said Nick.   -�But
this is how I see it.  I -(TM)ve been trying to get to know you, and now
you -(TM)ll be going home.  Hopefully David is fine, but even so, you
-(TM)ll leave.  And then in a few weeks, you -(TM)ll be off to college.  I
-(TM)ll never see you again. -�

    -�Probably not, -� said Jill with a shrug.  What was there to be
unhappy about?  That had been the plan all along.

   They were now driving slowly down a steep rock-strewn road, the Jeep
constantly pitching from side to side.  Fortunately, Nick knew to be in low
gear and to keep his speed down.  Even though the AC had done a good job of
lowering the temperature in the vehicle, the jacket lay all but forgotten,
just a token sleeve draped across one of Jill -(TM)s thighs, covering
nothing of significance.

    -�Well, over the course of the summer, I -(TM)ve been realizing that
you and I have quite a bit in common.  I admire you in so many ways.  You
-(TM)re smart and honest, kind and ambitious.  I -(TM)ve never met another
girl like you. -�

    -�You didn -(TM)t mention,  -~naked. -(TM) Are you sure your thoughts
aren -(TM)t clouded by the fact that I don -(TM)t have any clothes on? -�
She had to ask.  Her nudity was certainly a factor.  It had to be
influencing him, even if he wouldn -(TM)t admit it.

    -�I knew you were beautiful even before I saw you without clothes, -�
he said.   -�That -(TM)s not really what we -(TM)re talking about here. 
You and I, we both love nature, and I enjoy your company a great deal.  We
have so much in common.  I -(TM)ve come to believe that we -(TM)d make a
great couple.  You and I . . .  we -(TM)d have a lot of fun together. -�

   Jill knew that the two of them were probably well suited for one
another, but she didn -(TM)t reply.  They weren -(TM)t going to be a
couple. She was going off to college.  She had her priorities firmly in
mind.  The discussion was pointless.

    -�I brought up marriage because I feel the need to do something
disruptive.  Being nice to you and asking you out has gotten me exactly
nowhere.  I could kidnap you . . .  that would be disruptive . . .  but I
-(TM)m not a kidnapper. -�

    -�Glad to hear that, -� said Jill.  She knew he wasn -(TM)t, but she
didn -(TM)t appreciate being reminded of her vulnerability, off alone on
the mountainside with him.

   As they drove through the gap they had cut through the fallen tree, Nick
commented,  -�I -(TM)ll bet these rounds aren -(TM)t here more than a week
or two.  Somebody in a truck will see them as free firewood. -� Suddenly a
smile crossed his face.   -�I -(TM)m going to treasure that memory . . . 
when I turned around and realized you were naked.  Almost had a heart
attack.  And then working side by side! -�

   Jill blushed yet again.  Why did every reminder of her nudity do that,
she wondered.  It seemed as if she should have the blushing out of the way.

   After a lull in the conversation, Nick said,  -�I -(TM)ve seen how Ryan
treats you.  He -(TM)s a bit nasty . . .  always demanding, always in your
face, and yet you put up with him.  You seem to reward such behavior . . .
spending a lot more time with him than you spend with me. -�

   Jill didn -(TM)t know how to respond to that observation.  It was true;
however, Ryan -(TM)s nastiness was getting him exactly nowhere.  Surely
Nick knew that as well.

    -�Ryan and I have an unusual relationship.  No excuses.  But he -(TM)s
not the sort of person that I would ever consider dating . . .  to be
completely frank. -�

    -�Am I? -� asked Nick point blank.

    -�Oh, Nick, -� said Jill with an involuntary sigh.   -�You probably
are, but that doesn -(TM)t change anything.  To be completely honest, I
-(TM)m just not available right now, emotionally or otherwise. -�

    -�What about next summer?  We could keep in touch.  You spend every
summer at Cache Lake, right? -�

    -�In the past I have.  But I -(TM)ll be in college, so I don -(TM)t
know what I -(TM)ll be doing next summer.  However, if word of me hiking
naked spreads, I -(TM)ll have to stay away from this side of the state. 
And the word is probably going to get out . . .  so many have seen me nude
today, on the trail, in town, the helicopter crew. -�

    -�I can probably help with that, -� he volunteered.   -�I can tell
people that you fell victim to a serious wardrobe malfunction. -�

    -�No one -(TM)s going to believe that.  What?  That I got caught up in
the rockslide and it tore off my clothes, leaving me otherwise unscathed.
Hardly plausible. -�

    -�You -(TM)re right, but try this on for size.  You were wearing a
light, flimsy sundress, and when the earthquake struck, you were standing
next to David.  The section of trail under his feet collapsed, but yours
held.  In desperation, he reached for you, grabbing anything his hands came
in contact with.  The next thing you knew, he was sliding down the
mountainside, your dress in his hands.  Fortunately!  For had it not
ripped, you would have been with him . . .  you would have been hurt, too.
There would have been no one to go for help.  Later, you searched for it,
but it was nowhere to be found . . .  buried somewhere under tons of rock.
It -(TM)s a stretch . . .  maybe . . .  but I think people will buy it.  It
-(TM)s probably as easy to believe, for most people, as the notion that a
young girl hikes in the nude of her own free will. -�

    -�My own free will? -�

    -�Sorry . . .  isn -(TM)t that what you said? -�

    -�Never mind, -� she replied.  It no longer seemed to matter whether
she had been talked into hiking naked, been dared, or done it voluntarily.
-�I guess by now it -(TM)s water under the bridge. -�

   At that point in their conversation, they came to the first gate.  Nick
set the parking brake, indicating that he was intending to open and close
it himself.  She knew that would be twice the work; he -(TM)d have to
return to the Jeep to drive through and then get back out to close it
behind them.

    -�I -(TM)ll do it, -� she said, unbuckling her seat belt.

    -�Are you sure?  You don -(TM)t have shoes on. -�

   Jill hadn -(TM)t thought about that.  Her thoughts had all been about
how she was nude, how she -(TM)d be putting on a little naked show for Nick
at each of the three gates.

    -�My feet will survive, -� she said, opening the door to climb out.

   As she made her way to the gate, walking on her toes and picking each
step with care, she tried to imagine what she must look like to Nick,
watching from the driver -(TM)s seat.  She wondered if walking like that
made her legs look sexy.  As she was up on her toes, she thought of the
things she -(TM)d heard about high heels; how they altered a woman -(TM)s
posture, resulting in her butt being thrust out and her back being arched.

   She -(TM)d also heard that women walked differently than men, swinging
their hips more, and that high heels accentuated that particular aspect,
making a woman -(TM)s walk appear even more feminine than it already was.
She did her best to walk as normally as she could, and yet she knew that
being up on her toes was affecting her gait.

   Opening the first gate and waiting for him to drive through, she
struggled with the decision of how to stand.  As she turned and faced the
Jeep, she fought the inclination to cover up.  It seemed that doing so
might look a bit theatrical, almost as if she were trying to draw attention
to herself.

   Instead, she did her best to appear casual, neither standing with her
legs clamped together nor especially far apart.  She tried to imagine how
she might stand if she were dressed; however, that proved to be nearly
impossible.  She was simply too self-conscious.

   Nick gave her a charming smile and a thumbs up as the Jeep rolled slowly
by.

    -�You -(TM)re beautiful, Jill, -� he said as she climbed back in.  
-�Ryan was right.  You do look like a supermodel. -�

    -�When did that come up, pray tell? -�

    -�While you were off getting the oxygen.  I probably shouldn -(TM)t
admit this, but he noticed me admiring you as you were running away. -�

   Jill flushed.   -�You were admiring me? -�

    -�Hey, what can I say?  I -(TM)m a normal red-blooded American.  It
would be strange if I didn -(TM)t look. -�

    -�I guess, -� she replied, looking down bashfully.