Unlikely Allies

"We're going to find her," I said firmly, trying to convince myself as much as them as I pulled on my rain slicker.

"It's raining though," said Tracey, one of the shyer girls.

"I know, which means she probably didn't go far," I answered, hoping I was right.

"Ready?" Amy asked, coming out of the bathroom and pulling on her own rain slicker.

"Yep, try not to worry," I told the girls as we headed out of the cabin and raced over the mud-slicked ground toward the mess hall.

The large room was busy with activity. Everyone crowded around one of the round tables that had a map spread out on it. "We're going to split up in teams and take the five different trails," Rick said, pointing to various spots on the map. "It's likely she stayed on familiar ground, but I still want us to search all the trails, including the advanced ones. Mason will team up with someone and take the Mountain Lion trail, while Travis and I will take the Black Bear trail. The easier trails will be divided up by the remaining teams. Amy I want you to stay behind in case Alyssa comes back. She knows you best," he added.

Amy nodded.

"What about me?" I asked.

Rick turned to me, but before he could answer, Mason answered for him. "You'll be with me," he said.

Rick started to argue, but Mason interrupted again. "Look, she doesn't know the trails at all and I'm your best guide. If we're partnering up, she should be with me."

"You better watch her like a hawk," Rick answered, giving Mason an odd look that was hard to read.

"Yes, sir," Mason said with just a touch of anger.

Without a doubt, the tension between them had something to do with me, but now wasn’t the time to deal with it, not with Lyssa out there somewhere.

Rick handed me a lightweight backpack. "Keep this on at all times," he ordered.

"What is it?" I asked, adjusting the straps on my shoulders so it would fit more comfortably.

"Emergency supplies in case anything happens."

"Oh, okay," I answered, feeling it was overkill. I wasn't the one lost in the forest.

I felt a little better once I saw everyone else shrugging on similar packs.

"Team leaders, grab a walkie-talkie from the chargers and let’s head out. We have a scared little girl to find," he said, pulling on his own pack.

He stopped in front of me before heading out the door. "Do not leave Mason's side, do you understand me?"

I nodded, feeling my emotions getting the better of me again at the concern in his voice.

"I mean it. The terrain you'll be on can be dangerous under normal conditions. In these conditions it will be much worse. Make sure you watch your footing."

"I will, Rick," I said, taken aback at how serious he sounded.

He pulled me in for a quick hug. "Be careful," he told Mason, giving him a one-armed hug as we exited the building.

The rain was still coming down in bucket loads, so I tightened the drawstring of my hooded raincoat so only my face peeked out. Mason did the same before purposefully striding past the cabins toward the notorious Mountain Lion trail. I had to practically jog to keep up with his long strides, but I was careful with each step I took over the uneven ground. The idea of holding up our search by doing something embarrassing like tripping or falling down the mountain was stressing me out. Mason and I both held flashlights, but the rain was falling so hard, it was like sheets of glass, making it difficult to see more than a few feet ahead. I slowly began to fall behind and debated calling out to Mason, but my breathing was labored from the slow steady climb we'd been on.

Mason finally turned to check on me and waited impatiently for me to catch up. "Can you do this?" he asked when I closed the gap.

"Yes, I can do this," I said through gritted teeth, fighting the urge to hit him. Where was the guy who had swept me in his arms just an hour ago? What had changed between then and now? "Not all of us have Jolly Green Giant legs," I said sarcastically, sweeping ahead of him.

He caught up to me in seconds and resumed the leadership position. He slowed his pace slightly so I didn't have to work so hard to keep up. The forest quickly closed in around us the higher we climbed, and the path began to narrow to the point that we were forced to walk single file.

"Do you think she would have picked this trail to take?" I finally asked as the silence began to wear on me.

He stopped abruptly and I mentally prepared myself for a sarcastic rebuttal, but he surprised me. "Nah, not really, and neither did Rick, but we didn't want to risk it in case we were wrong. It would have been tough for her to cover this much terrain with her short legs. Plus, I'm not seeing any signs of her on the trail."

"You can do that?" I asked impressed, even though I didn't want to be.

"I know this trail well and I'm the only one who takes the groups this way, so I would notice if something was different."

"Must be nice to be in such good shape," I puffed out as we continued our hike.

He laughed. "You're not doing half bad for this being you're first time. I'm surprised you've kept up so well," he added, still chuckling.

His words slowly sank in. "You jerk, have you been deliberately making me run after you?" I demanded as anger rose up in me.

"I had to see what you're made of, beach bu

"What the hell is your problem? One minute you hate me, the next you're kissing me and the next you're acting like an asshole again. Your mood swings are making me motion sick. Are you threatened because you're afraid I'm going to take your precious foster father from you?" I demanded, placing my hands on my hips so I could catch my breath after my tirade.

He looked at me incredulously for a moment with rain dripping down his face before he let out another bark of laughter.

I looked around for anything I could use to hit him in his cocky face.

Sensing my anger, he finally became serious. "I told you earlier, I don't hate you. When I first heard about you, I was afraid you would hurt Rick like your mom had. That night he found out about you, he cried. Did you know that? I came into his office and he was still clutching the phone with tears streaming down his face. I sat up with him all night as he ranted about the injustice of the situation. He cursed your mom for being so selfish and wound up breaking several things in his office that night, but by the time morning rolled around, he said he didn't care about her betrayal, he just wanted to know you."

His words were heartbreaking. I had been so wrapped up in what my mom had done to me, I only considered my own feelings. I hadn't thought of what it must have felt like for Rick.

"I was afraid you'd get here and decide this lifestyle wasn't to your taste and you'd leave before Rick could get to know you. That's why I taunted you. I figured if you were going to leave anyway, it would be better if it was sooner than later, but each of my taunts only spurred you on further," he admitted.

"It did," I admitted. "I was bound and determined to show you I could fit in here."

"I know and believe it or not, I admired you for it. I watched how you struggled to learn everything you could during the training. And then, what do you know, you actually began to excel at it. You’re a tough chick."

"If that's true, then why have you still been riding me so hard?" I asked.

His eyebrows arched at my words and I blushed when I caught the i