Hunter's Way by Gerri Hill

to climb down.” She was already sitting on the tunnel floor, legs dangling over the sides.
    “Are you insane?”
    “It’s been mentioned,” she said lightly. “Sit down here,” she said, pointing beside her.
    “I’m not really crazy about heights,” Samantha murmured. “Is now a good time to tell you that?”
    “I’ll go first. If you start to fall, I’ll catch you.”
    “Oh, well that makes me feel better.”
    They sat side by side, both peering over the edge. Then they looked at each other and smiled, then laughed.
    “Been a hell of a day, huh?”
    “Oh, yeah,” Samantha said. “And it ain’t over yet.”
    “Creek beds are usually pretty soft. You know, mud and all.”
    “In case I fall?”
    “Yeah.”
    “I thought you were going to catch me?”
    “In case I don’t.”
    Samantha watched as Tori turned around and gripped the edge of the tunnel, lowering herself. She grabbed a root, then slipped as it pulled from the earth. She dropped five feet before stopping.
    “You’re not allergic to poison ivy, are you?” Tori called up.
    “I don’t know.”
    “Well, you’ll know in a couple of days.” Tori continued to climb down, finally looking back as Samantha still sat on the edge. “Come on, Sam. You can’t stay up there.”
    “You could use your cell phone and call for help,” she suggested.
    “Well, besides the fact that it’s been under water for a while now, can you imagine what the guys would say about that? No way. I’d rather get shot.”
    “I’d rather get rescued by helicopter,” Samantha murmured. Then she took a deep breath and attempted to follow Tori down. Unfortunately, the tree root didn’t hold. She slid and bumped her way down the embankment, landing with a thud in the water, face first. It was waist deep.
    Tori tried in vain to grab her as she slid past. Without thinking, she jumped the last twenty feet, landing just beyond Sam in deeper water. She grabbed for her.
    “Are you okay?”
    “As soon as I find my gun, I will be. I’m going to shoot you,” Samantha hissed.
    Tori laughed, then reached out and brushed at the mud covering Sam’s face. She laughed harder.
    Samantha stood up straight, then dove at Tori, tackling her and landing them both in the water again. They came up sputtering. They stood in waist-high water, staring at each other as mud and water ran down their faces. Tori grinned and Sam did the same. Then they laughed, hard laughs that shook them both.
    “Wonder where the hell we are,” Samantha finally said.
    Tori looked at her watch. It had been two hours.
    “Wonder where the cavalry is?”
    The words had barely left her mouth when gunfire was heard. They both looked up, listening.
    “Come on,” Tori said. She grabbed Sam’s hand and pulled her out of the water.
    They waded through the creek to the other side. Samantha had only one shoe. They took only a few steps before the gunfire stopped.
    “That didn’t take long,” Tori said. She walked over and was helping Sam along when the explosion hit. Tori took them to the ground, instinctively covering Sam’s body with her own. The earth beneath them shook, then another smaller explosion sounded.
    “Are you okay?”
    Samantha considered the question. She was soaking wet and covered with mud and water. Her clothes were ruined and she’d lost a shoe. And now, the not unpleasant weight of another woman covered her body. Was she okay? Yes, she’d just had the time of her life.
    “You weigh a ton,” Samantha said and heard Tori chuckle, then felt her move away. They sat up, looking back to the tunnel they had come from. Smoke was seeping out.
    “Damn.”
    Sam nodded, glancing once at Tori. They were sitting side by side, soaked head to toe. It was obvious Tori wore no bra… her shirt clung to her. For some unknown reason, Sam couldn’t pull her eyes away. Then a shoulder nudged her own.
    “Come on. They’ll be looking for us.”
    Samantha blinked and looked up, meeting Tori’s eyes. Then