Chapter 6

November 16, 2013 – Hozomeen Camping Area Ranger's Office

The ranger's office made a nice, warm place to sleep. Josh woke up around 7:00 AM. Spots of sunlight flashed against the tops of the mountains on the far side of Ross Lake. Josh roused Molly and then stepped outside to take care of his morning business. Opening the door was a shock. The cold air stung Josh's face as he hurried outside to empty his bladder.

They made some coffee and ate a bag of granola cereal before packing up their bags. Molly tried to pick her bag up but couldn't lift it.

"God, this is ridiculous," Molly moaned as Josh helped her get the bag on. "This weighs too much."

"We added a lot of food," Josh responded. "We're going to need every bit of it if we have to head through the mountains to Oroville. That is the direction the captain at the rescue center recommended we go."

Josh helped Molly get her pack on, clip her hip belt and adjust the straps. "Can you manage that?"

"I think so," Molly replied. Josh hoisted his own pack on. The pair headed down the park road to the Hozameen Campground. The trail into the mountains started from the campground. The first couple miles were steadily uphill. Clouds rolled in, blanketing the sky as they hiked up into the snow zone again. The damp chill in the air foretold the coming snow.

Snow flurries were falling when they reached Stromberg Cabin at the west end of a long meadow at Willow Lake. Snow gently coated the pines surrounding the meadow. Flurries added to the white blanket. The frozen lake was the perfect centerpiece to the idyllic scene that could have come from a Currier and Ives Christmas card.

Josh and Molly sat on the cabin porch while they warmed up and ate their lunch. "Why don't we stay here tonight, Josh?" Molly asked. "You know I'm not much for being out in nature but ... this place is so gorgeous that I am glad we are here. This is a marvel."

"It is beautiful," Josh agreed expansively. "Under normal circumstances I'd agree that we'd stay. I could spend days at this cabin ... if we could afford it." Josh's face went serious as he turned to Molly. "Do you remember those men dying in the helicopter crash right in front of us last night?" Molly nodded yes. "We're in a struggle for our lives. We have to keep pushing hard to get out of these mountains somewhere away from the Chinese. We have a very limited amount of food and a very long way to hike. We have to push ahead as far as we can every day. Maybe we won't run out of food before we reach help ... maybe."

"I get that," Molly replied. "Finally I get that. I didn't understand our predicament when we left Sedro-Woolley. I began to get it when those two Chinese soldiers were looking for us back at the last lake. I certainly got it last night. The men in that helicopter are dead. They died coming to save us. No one else is going to risk their lives for us. We're on our own. I'd love to stay in this pretty spot but you're right. We need to push on. Where do you think we can get to tonight?"

Josh pulled out a map and spread it out on the cabin porch. "I would like to get to this shelter this evening," Josh explained. "We're about half way there."

"Sounds like a plan," Molly agreed. "How's the trail look between here and there?"

"Not too bad," Josh answered. "It's about like the last four miles we did."

Josh was right. The hike down Lightning Creek wasn't hard. A couple inches of snow covered the trail but the footing was good. They headed east up the Three Fools Creek valley when they reached the Deer Lick Cabin. They followed the trail about three miles up the valley before reaching the Little Fish Shelter.

The open front of the small but sturdy three sided Adirondack style shelter had a wide overhang that extended almost to the fireplace in front of the shelter. The shelter had a sturdy wooden floor about eighteen inches above the ground. Josh and Molly put their packs in the shelter. Molly pulled things together for dinner. Josh headed out and gathered some firewood for a fire.

Josh kept the fire going after they finished dinner. It helped warm the shelter. The temperature hovered in the mid-twenties, as it had all afternoon. Flurries and light snow drifted down from the low clouds that hid the tops of the peaks around their shelter.

"Do you want to help plan out our route?" Josh asked as Molly finished packing up their pots and dishes in the packs. "We need to change the route I originally planned."

Josh spread the maps out so Molly could follow. "I planned for us to head through these valleys towards Mazama and Winthrop. They're the closest towns clear of the Ross Dam. The captain I talked with last night said Chinese anti-aircraft shot down one of the three helicopters they sent to pick us up near Winthrop. We need to keep clear of those towns."

"OK," Molly agreed. Josh pored over the maps. Molly tried to follow along too but was confused by all the squiggly lines and blotches on the maps. Math, science and geography hadn't been priority subjects for her or her friends in school. For the first time in days, she thought about Amber, Kimberly and Evie. Where were they? Were they all right?

Molly watched as Josh studied and measured things on the map. After about fifteen minutes Josh sat back and smiled. "I got it."

"Where do we go?" Molly asked.

"Captain Foster said the Chinese are in Omak and Winthrop," Josh explained as he showed her on the maps. "He suggested we stay further north ... towards Oroville." Josh pointed at the small town near the Canadian border, about fifty-five miles to the east of them.

"I think we keep on the Boundary Trail we're on," Josh said. "We take it up over this mountain and head for Frosty Pass."

Molly wasn't well versed in map reading but she understood what the small "x 6128" meant on the map. "Climb that mountain? It's over 6,000 feet. We froze at Chilliwack Pass. That was a lot lower. How can we survive up there?"

"We put our tent up inside a snow shelter," Josh said. "That campsite didn't have enough snow for a snow shelter to protect and insulate our tent. You won't wear damp clothes to bed again. Right?"

"Yeah, I did do that, didn't I?" Molly admitted. "Couldn't we keep following the creek valley up to Frosty Pass? We did that after Baker Lake where we didn't have a trail. It looks shorter on the map too."

"It is shorter," Josh confirmed. "We had a wide gravel bar along the creek on Baker River. That made the walking easy. This is a tight valley. All we'll have if we follow the creek is steep hillsides or walk in the creek bed in the water. That doesn't sound like much fun."

"Can we at least try it?" Molly asked. "Going up on top of the mountains scares me."

"We can look at it in the morning," Josh agreed.

Josh and Molly put the maps away and hung their packs for the night. Josh built the fire up before they went to sleep. It would help warm the shelter ... at least for part of the night. The shelter had room for six or eight hikers to sleep inside. Molly and Josh had plenty of room to spread out when they went to bed.

Sometime in the middle of the night, Josh woke up with the feeling he was pushed up against something. Half awake, he assumed he'd rolled over to the wall. Before he moved he realized whatever it was to his side, it was soft and warm, not hard and cold. Molly had snuggled up against him. Unconsciously, Molly pressed tighter against his side. Josh could feel those lovely ... oh so delectable breasts pressing against his side. Blood rushed to fill his penis.

All Josh could do was groan silently. It was too cold to go outside and beat off. He couldn't do it here beside Molly. He tried to will his organ to deflate, without success. Josh tried to go back to sleep but thoughts of Molly's pretty body competed with memories of his last time sleeping with a girl – last fall when he had dated Allison Morgan for a month. He fell into a fitful sleep after half an hour of dreaming.

--oooOooo--

November 17, 2013 – Little Fish Shelter, Six miles west of Ross Lake

The snow had stopped and clouds were lifting when Josh woke up in the morning. He wandered down to the creek to fill his canteens and to scout the creek route. The creek bottom was a jumble of brambles and undergrowth. It was totally unpromising as a hike route. Josh sent Molly down to the creek when she got up. She looked glum as she carried her water bottles back up to the shelter.

"We're climbing that damn mountain, aren't we?" Molly asked.

"I think it is the best way to go," Josh replied. "We could be tied up in that jungle in the creek bottom for a week."

"I don't know if I can do this," Molly said. "That mountain scares me."

"Do you trust me?" Josh countered. Molly nodded yes. "I will get you through this and I will take care of you. I promise."

"I believe you," Molly managed in reply.

The two had breakfast and packed their things for the day. Molly noticed Josh pull some bags of food from her pack when he thought she wasn't looking. It was very decent of him. His pack already was considerably heavier than hers. He normally carried the tent, stove, fuel, pots and pans in addition to his half of the food.

Josh instructed Molly to pack her pistol in her pack. He did the same with his M16. The only way they would see any Chinese that day was if they flew over the pair at the top of the mountain. Josh expected that to happen. They heard Chinese planes fly over yesterday, above the cloud cover.

The trail started up the hill almost immediately after they left the shelter. The pair were fortunate. The trail turned onto an exposed face of the mountain about half a mile from camp. The winds blew most of the snow off the trail so the footing wasn't too bad. They trudged up the mountain slowly, zigzagging across the side as the switchbacks carried them higher. They climbed for a few minutes at a time and then stopped to catch their breath before proceeding again.

Molly and Josh took it easy climbing the hill. They cleared the tree line a little after ten o'clock that morning. The skies had cleared and the sun lit the Elbow Creek basin below them. The sun helped warm them. Molly's thermometer said the temperature was ten degrees. A gentle breeze blew across the face of the mountain, stinging any exposed skin. The pair continued climbing slowly and carefully up the big mountain.

They reached the crown of trees ringing the top of the mountain an hour later. They hiked along the side of the mountain just below the crest, passing the spur of Skagit Peak. They stopped around noon at a saddle between the peak they just passed and the next one ahead on their trail.

Josh and Molly sheltered at the edge of the trees where they had a little protection from the wind but were still in the sunlight. They rested while their MREs reheated. They took a nice long lunch break. It was needed after the 3,600 foot climb up the mountain. Josh knew they weren't going to do the usual ten or twelve miles that day. Making it to the top of the mountain was damned impressive.

Josh and Molly hiked on when they started to chill down after their lunch break. They followed the knife's edge of the ridgeline northeast and east passing below a couple small peaks, two or three hundred feet higher than the trail.

About forty-five minutes after lunch, they heard a distinct rumble ahead of them. Josh stopped in his tracks and scanned the hillside ahead. Molly peered around Josh. They could see trees shaking and then a mountainside of snow and smashed trees rumbled down into the Elbow Creek basin half a mile ahead of them.

Josh and Molly stood, dumbfounded at the awesome power of Mother Nature. A great cloud of snow rose from the valley as the mass of snow, trees and rocks slumped to rest below them. Josh was the first to speak.

"I'm glad we're here and not there."

"Are we going that way?" Molly asked.

"We are," Josh answered. "Now you see another reason I didn't want to be hiking the creek valley."

"We would have been killed," Molly murmured.

"Buried under twenty or thirty feet of snow and rock," Josh agreed. "I want us to stick to ridge tops instead of valleys as much as we can while we are in this mountainous portion of the state. I don't want us in deep snow while there's a chance of us getting caught in an avalanche." Josh pointed at a peak ahead of them. "See that one? The trail goes along the side of that peak. We may leave the trail and stay on the peak if we find too much snow on the trail."

"Where did you learn so much about avalanches?" Molly asked.

"Emergency Preparedness Merit Badge, ' Josh answered with a smile. "Boy Scouts taught me a lot."

"I guess it is a good thing I'm hiking with a Boy Scout," Molly said.

Josh and Molly hiked on. The snow on the trail wasn't too deep. Half an hour later they passed above the avalanche zone. The snapped trees and ripped earth testified to the power of the snowfall. The trail near the next peak was covered by a few inches of snow. Josh and Molly did not have to climb to the top of the peak to get through safely.

Fifteen minutes later they crossed a saddle, where the trail turned and headed down the far side of the mountain with a series of switchbacks. The snow wasn't deep but there were signs that the snow slid down into the valley already. They descended 1,600 feet in the next three quarters of a mile. The air was noticeably warmer when they reached the woods down closer to the valley floor.

They got to Face Creek around 3:30 in the afternoon. Josh decided they should camp there, so they would have a good supply of water. Josh cleared the snow from the spot where they would set up the tent. Josh hoped to get the tent burrowed into the snow so they'd have more insulation. The snow was only six to eight inches deep in the woods where they were camping, but it would have to do to protect and insulate them.

Clouds rolled in while Josh and Molly were preparing supper over their campfire. That was fortunate for the pair. The clouds kept in what little heat the valley had after the sun dropped below the top of the mountains. Josh and Molly piled more wood on the fire and hung out by its warmth after dark.

The pair hung their packs and headed to bed after an hour of watching the fire smolder down to ashes. The clouds dumped flurries into the cold forest as the two fell asleep. Molly snuggled up against Josh overnight even though it wasn't nearly as cold as last week at Chilliwack Pass.

--oooOooo--

November 18, 2013 – Campsite on Face Creek, 9 miles east of Ross Lake

Josh gradually became aware of three things as he woke up that morning – 1) he'd rolled over sometime during the night; 2) Molly was now nestled tight to the front of his sleeping bag; and 3) he had a raging erection. Josh tried to shift away so he didn't poke Molly with his erection. Josh's eyes bugged out as Molly followed him and bumped against his hard-on. God, did she just rub on it? Josh rolled over to get the evidence of his lust away from his tent partner.

"You're awake," Molly said cheerfully. "Did you have nice dreams?"

"Um ... um ... yeah," Josh managed to gulp. "How about you?" he added feebly.

"I did," Molly asserted. "I expected to be cold way up here on this mountain side but I found the perfect place to be warm and comfortable. You told me to trust you yesterday when I was afraid. I do. You take care of everything I need."

"Um ... yeah," Josh agreed. "Give me a minute to get dressed and then I'll get out of here and give you some privacy."

"Sure," Molly agreed. Usually Molly rolled over so her back was turned while Josh dressed. Today she peeked. She could see Josh's back was muscular and well developed. She caught sight of his tight, well-formed ass too. He might have been a geek when he was in high school, but he was all man now. She smiled as she turned away while he finished dressing.

She had been so shallow and stupid when Sedro-Woolley was evacuated. Josh had rescued her and gotten her out of a situation where dying was likely. He had protected her through the worst moments as they escaped sure captivity with the Chinese. She was lucky ... damn lucky he was around to protect her.

It wasn't as cold climbing out of the sleeping bag as Josh expected. The cloud cover last night must have held some of the heat in their valley. Josh dressed and climbed out of their tent, trying to keep his raging hard-on pointed away from Molly so she wouldn't think he was some kind of perv.

Josh found out the light snow had continued through the night as they slept. An inch of new snow coated everything with its clean whiteness. Josh headed up hill into the trees, away from the camp and the stream.

Thankfully the only human being within ten miles was still in their tent. Josh's hard-on tented his pants obscenely as he waddled up the hill. A good long piss didn't relieve his erection. It had been almost two weeks since he'd relieved his balls with a good jerk-off. Josh, Zach and Tyler studiously ignored their crewmates at night if one of them needed to "spank the monkey."

Josh whipped his erection out and started stroking in spite of the cold. It was the only way he'd get rid of his damned erection. His hand was a blur as he tried to climax before he froze. He imagined himself on top of Allison again, like he had been on one of their dates last fall. He remembered the feelings as he humped and pumped her. Less than a minute later the thrill burst up from his gut. Josh squinched his eyes shut and imagined climaxing last year. His mind stared at those beautiful breasts he remembered and then his mind's eye continued up to her face. Josh's pent up spunk blasted across the woods as he stared into ... Molly's imagined face.

Josh's body pumped spurt after spurt out until he was drained. His face turned red as he realized who he had been dreaming of fucking. The last damned thing he needed was to get involved with some cheerleader/princess type of girl! Josh wiped off and tucked everything back inside quickly to avoid frostbite. He headed back to the campsite.

"You OK, Josh?" Molly asked. "You look flushed."

"Yeah ... yeah, I'm fine," Josh answered guiltily. What would she do if she knew what he'd been imagining?

Josh and Molly headed over and retrieved their packs. They heated an MRE pack breakfast and some coffee. The pair packed up and hit the trail as the snow started to taper off, around 8:30 in the morning. They headed up the trail as it zigzagged back and forth as they climbed up the side of the next ridge. It took an hour for them to reach the top of the ridge, about 1,200 feet above Face Creek and their campsite.

The pair hiked along the top of the ridge, passing over or by six peaks before they reached Castle Pass around 12:30 p. m. A sign marked the intersection where the Boundary Trail, which they were following, intersected with the Pacific Crest Trail, which ran north to the Canadian border and south to the Mexican border.

Molly's thermometer stayed steady at ten degrees through the morning. The snow stopped but the wind picked up as they ate lunch. Josh and Molly did not linger over their meal. They climbed a thousand feet up to Frosty Pass and dropped down the east side into the Frosty Creek basin. The next four miles were slow going as the trail descended into the broad valley. They broke out the snow shoes part way down the hill when the snow got deeper. Josh used a long stick to probe the firmness of the snow as they travelled. He didn't want to get caught up in an avalanche.

Josh felt more comfortable when they reached Frosty Lake, at the base of the hill. They followed the trail near Frosty Creek down the broad, wooded valley until around four o'clock.

"How are you feeling, Molly?" Josh asked when they stopped for a break.

"It's been a long day, but I feel pretty good," Molly answered. "What's up?"

"Normally I'd say let's camp here," Josh answered. "There's a cabin about two and a half miles down the valley. We probably would be a lot warmer there than outside in our tent."

"I could walk that far for a warm place to stay for the night," Molly agreed.

The two pushed on down the valley. Light was fading as they reached the cabin down at the end of the valley. Josh had to break the lock to get into the cabin. They found they had hit the mother lode when they explored the cabin. It had a gas lantern, with fuel, a stove, bunks, a table and chairs and a stock of emergency rations. The pair dined on thawed canned ham, baked beans and peas for dinner, instead of their usual freeze dried fare.

Eating food that wasn't rehydrated was nice. So was being able to sit on chairs at a table and enjoy time in the evening with light. The cozy little log cabin almost felt ... civilized. Josh used the extra time in the evening to study the maps carefully to confirm their route plans.

Molly and Josh took advantage of the shelter and warmth to take bandana baths too. Josh headed outside to give her privacy after she warmed water for her bath. Josh took the satellite phone along. He wanted to check in with the army and see if they could take advantage of an opportunity.

"Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, Sgt. Deboer speaking," the voice on the phone reported.

"This is Frosty Boot," Josh replied. He felt a little silly using the code name, but that was what protocol demanded.

"Frosty Boot?" Sgt. Deboer muttered.

"Code name Frosty Boot," Josh added. "Is Capt. Foster on duty tonight? He tried to arrange a pick up for my group three nights ago."

"Oh ... Frosty Boot ... let me get the captain for you," Sgt. Deboer answered.

"Frosty Boot, good to hear from you," Capt. Foster said when he got on the phone. "I'm glad you're surviving up there in the mountains. What can I do for you?"

"I'm after information," Josh answered. "We're staying at a cabin about three miles northwest of something marked on the map as the 'Pasayten Air National Guard Center.' I was wondering if there was anything of value there to help my partner and me or if it would be possible to pick us up. The map shows some sort of airfield there. Maybe you could get in with a small plane instead of a chopper?"

"I know the Pasayten field," Capt. Foster responded. "There isn't much more than a grass field at the site. No food or survival gear is there. I doubt we could get a plane in this winter. I'm sure the field is covered with quite a bit of snow."

"I'm sure it is too," Josh agreed. "It's been snowing off and on for the last two days up here. Any chance of a chopper ride out?" The snow was settling down from the clouds as Josh spoke. It started again sometime after dinner.

"No chance, Frosty Boot," Capt. Foster answered. "The Chinese air defenses are multiplying. They have positions in Mazama, Winthrop, Twisp, Okanogan and Omak. We don't have information north of those towns. I would suggest you stay north towards Oroville, Loomis or Tonasket. Northport, Kettle Falls and the Grand Coulee Dam are still American held. I suggest you aim to hike out at one of those points."

"Thanks for the info, Captain," Josh replied.

"Have you seen any enemy?" Capt. Foster asked.

"No," Josh answered. "I would have called in if I had anything concrete to report. We've been socked in with low clouds for two and a half days. I can hear Chinese aircraft flying over us but I can't give you numbers, type or strength."

"That's fine, Frosty Boot," the captain said. "Good luck on your hike. Call in every couple days and let us know your progress. Maybe we'll get the Chinese air defenses suppressed and can save you some walking."

"That would be much appreciated, Captain," Josh agreed.

Josh hung out outside for a while, enjoying the stillness and whiteness of the wintery forest. Molly called him about fifteen minutes later when she finished her bandana bath. He came back inside and heated water for his bath. He told her about the call to the search and rescue command while he waited. She wasn't surprised that the air force wasn't coming to get them.

Molly promised to turn her back while Josh washed. She kept her promise and didn't watch ... much. She caught glimpses of Josh's sturdy, well defined legs and tight, smooth ass. She saw a man with strong, ripped back muscles. Molly caught her breath when Josh turned in silhouette. She spotted his beefy penis. Damn! It had to be five or six inches long and he didn't have a boner!

Molly was no virgin. She saw her first boy penis when she was twelve. By fourteen, the attractive young girl had learned to give head to keep her many dates from pushing her too far. She lost her virginity just before the end of ninth grade to Thomas Alderston, the senior who was a star tailback on the football team and had a scholarship to play at Eastern Washington State in college.

Josh's penis ... wow ... it was a big one. Most guys' penises were boners when they unveiled them to her. She knew how to get her dates or boyfriends off, so she knew what they looked like flaccid too. This one was a big one, probably the largest she'd ever seen. She was intrigued and stared too long.

"Uh..." Josh gasped as he realized Molly was watching him. His face turned bright red and he turned so his back was towards her.

"I thought you were done," Molly exclaimed lamely. "Sorry about that." She wasn't. Not in the least.

Josh dressed while Molly tried to calm her too active imagination. Molly climbed into bed. Josh turned off the lantern in the cabin and stumbled his way over to the second bed and climbed in. The two beds were head to head. Josh pulled off his boxers and dropped them on the floor. He zipped up his sleeping bag, rolled over and promptly fell asleep.

Molly didn't. She couldn't get the sight of Josh's big penis out of her head. She pulled up the bottom hem of the T-shirt she was wearing and slipped a hand between her legs. God, it had been too long since she got laid!

Her mind went back to her last date three weeks ago with her boyfriend (former boyfriend?) Evan Coker. They had gone to a movie and then went parking down by the river. Evan gave her a good fucking in the backseat of his car ... twice. Mr. Coker had decided Sedro-Woolley was entirely too close to the war and was moving his family to Colorado. The Cokers left the morning after her last date with Evan.

Molly rubbed herself as she remembered the sweet, 6'-5" tall, shaggy black haired boy fucking her earnestly. Evan was an attentive boyfriend and sweet too. He was handsome, the captain of the basketball team, travelled in the right circles at high school and was a good catch ... for Sedro-Woolley. Did Molly love him? No, not really. She liked him a lot and they had fun together, in bed and out. Could she expect more from a boyfriend in high school? Probably not.

Molly had responded to the teenaged hormones that started flooding her body five and a half years ago. She was a sexual being. She was at the top of the right social circles at her high school. As the granddaughter of the town's richest man, as a knockout herself and as the top cheerleader at her school, Molly had the pick of the boys in Sedro-Woolley over the last four years. She had no difficulty filling her sexual needs – even multiple times a week. Going without for three weeks? That hadn't happened since tenth grade.

Molly thought about the big penis she saw and continued rubbing. Could she go all the way with a tire salesman's son? Worse, he was a computer geek too. Molly got sore before she could bring herself off. She wiped her hand on her T-Shirt hem and rolled over and went to sleep.

--oooOooo--

"NOOOO!!! STOP!" a high pitched voice wailed. Josh bolted upright in bed. His gun was over by his pack. He rolled out of bed and across the cabin floor. He had his M16 trained, at the ready, in moments. He peered around the cabin without seeing. No light filtered into the small building.

Josh heard sobs from the other side of the room, by the beds. He reached down and grabbed his flashlight. He shined it towards where he thought the door was first before scanning the rest of the cabin. Josh lowered his gun when he realized the door was closed and no one was inside with him and Molly. His light stopped when he saw Molly.

She was sitting upright in bed, half out of her sleeping bag. She was wearing a T-shirt. Her head was down and she was sobbing uncontrollably. Josh put his gun down and walked over and sat down beside the hysterical girl.

"It's all right Molly," Josh consoled as he put his arm around her shoulder. "What's wrong?" She didn't answer, just continued to sob. Josh rubbed her shoulder, side and back as he continued trying to calm her. "It's all right. You're OK," he chanted as he soothed her.

"They ... they..." she gulped as she calmed a little. "The ... the ... Chinese ... they..." She gasped before continuing. "They ... shot you."

"It's a bad dream," Josh consoled. "Nothing but a bad dream. The Chinese are miles from us. We're both safe here."

"It ... it was ... horrible," Molly managed as she settled herself. "We were hiking over one of these mountains and came over ... the other side and ... four Chinese soldiers were over there ... and ... they shot you."