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His soul hurt when he said that Jim had drowned in the river, but it was the wisest thing to say, so those men wouldn’t go after him. Blair thought his life was over when one of the men said he was going to kill him, but then the two men started to fight and one of them accidentally shot the other. Blair took advantage of the situation and ran away as fast as he could.
The dawn was cold and misty in the woods. He ran at the same speed for about twenty minutes, then he stopped. He didn’t know where he was. He was lost.
He didn’t want to start calling Jim. Jim had to be very far away, so he’d have to raise his voice, and maybe that crazy murderer would hear him. If that man found him again, this time there’d be no one there to stop him. And Blair would be toast.
He was very frightened. What could he do? Sit by a tree, like the night before, and wait till Jim found him? Jim said he’d think of him as some self-serving, spineless goober, but he was just joking. Blair smiled. Thinking of Jim always made him smile.
What would Jim do? Probably not sit down there, just waiting. He’d go on walking, trusting his senses to lead him to the right direction. But Blair didn’t have the senses, and his sense of direction was really bad. Though what had Jim said? The criminals were going north. The rising sun was to the east. The opposite was the west. So, it was easy! He already knew in which direction he had to go!
He started running north, instantly happy, thinking that he’d soon be with Jim. Then he remembered that he was being pursued by a mad man with guns, and started to run faster, not feeling so happy anymore. Surely, the murderer had to be looking for him.
He was very cold and wet. He could be at the loft now, warm and dry, but no, he had to go after Jim. But he didn’t regret what he was doing. It was the right thing to do. He was Jim’s backup, and no one could deny that. Not even Simon did.
Then he recalled that they were there to rescue Simon, and started to run even faster. Simon was his friend, too. He remembered when Jim and he had gone to Peru to look for Simon and Daryl. He’d do that again in a heartbeat.
He couldn’t see clearly because his wet hair was getting in the way of his eyes. Suddenly, he hit something hard. When he pushed back the hair, he could see. It was Jim! Thank God! Safe again!
He just couldn’t stop talking, telling Jim what’d happened with the two men that found him, that were the same that tried to shoot them by the river.
“Whoa, whoa, Chief. Settle down. You’re talking too fast.”
“Sorry, Jim, it’s just that I’m scared. He was going to kill me!”
Jim’s face changed completely. A sweet smile and the glow in his eyes told everything.
“Don’t worry, Blair. I’m not going to let anything bad happen to you.”
When Blair saw that smile, and heard those words, he didn’t feel scared anymore. Even more, he felt an inner peace he only felt when meditating for hours. He smiled.
Jim raised his hand and stroked Blair’s jaw. The young man winced in pain. He explained to Jim that the man of the river had knocked him with a rifle’s butt.
Jim’s face changed to a murderous look. “I’m going to kill him.”
“No, Jim, don’t do that!”
“Okay,” said Jim.
Then he led the way and Blair followed him. They had to rescue Simon.