The Fight for the Black Gold

Chapter Six

"Excuse me," Blake snapped as she stared at him. "I'm not a useless American! I'll show you what this useless American can do. Floor it!"

"I already am!"

"You're going 70, you wimp! I said floor it," Blake turned off the truck lights. With a slight yelp, Jay focused on the tree landscape before him. He could hardly see anything. "You'll sense the trees, just move with it."

"Are you seriously giving me racing pointers right now?"

"Yes! Turn," Blake pointed to the near pitch black scenery. "NOW!"

Jay jerked to the left and kept going until Blake told him to whip around, shutting off the entire truck. Blake held out her hand towards him with her eyes shut.

"They passed us," Blake smirked. "They have no idea where they are going."

"Blake... get out of the truck...slowly," Jay breathed.

"What?"

"Your sense of trees worked but you can't sense cliffs... now get off," Jay pointed. Blake normally exited the truck before looking at the cliff before them. She pulled her lips into a thin line, resting her hands on her waist. "You're one great driver. In your dreams is what."

"No, I saw the cliff," Blake narrowed her eyes. "I saw it from the bar, I just miscalculated."

"Actually," Jay smirked. "This might work."

"What? What are you doing," Blake watched him push the truck slightly backwards. "Mind giving me a hand?"

"Not until you explain," Blake stayed put. Jay rolled his eyes at her when she stood there like a child. "Jay!"

"They'll think we are dead," Jay informed. "We'd be a step ahead."

"The idea didn't seem horrible at the idea," Jay tucked his hands deep into his pockets. The bone shattering cold just seemed to worsen with every step they took. With the snow hitting them, it made the air cooler. "Do you see that?"

"I can't see anything Jay," Blake shielded her eyes.

"It's lights! I can barely see it but it looks like a cabin of some sort," he grabbed her hand, attempting to lead her though the bare landscape. Tugging on her backpack, Blake trailed behind Jay as they crossed what seemed to be some sort of meadow. "We are almost there!"

"Oh thank god... I can see it," Blake laughed. The slight crack under her foot, froze her in her spot. She scanned her surroundings again wondering why the trees seem to be so far away from them, except for the house in front of them. "Jay.... stop."

"What's wrong? Keep moving," Jay encouraged her.

"Jay, I'm serious," her scared voice was the only reason why he did stop. "We aren't walking on ground."

"What are you talking about?"

"I lived in Wyoming... we have our share of frozen over lakes... we are standing on a lake."

Jay saw the severity of the problem now. The house was still several hundred feet away and if either one of them fell in, it would be a long way to carry the other to the safety of the cabin. The only thing coming to his mind at the moment was weight. Blake was carrying the most weight since she carried the backpack.

"Give me your backpack," Jay extended his hand out as she slowly handed it to him, hearing the cracks sound louder. "Get in front of me and go slow."

"Okay," she whispered as she listened to him. Blake didn't realize that Jay wasn't right behind her anymore, he walked about 25 feet away from her. They were nearing the cabin when Jay heard the loudest crack come from under his feet.
"Jay! We are ther- Jay?"

"I kinda got myself in a jam," he laughed nervously. "I feel the ice giving away from under my feet."

"Okay," Blake held her hands out. The wind seemed to pick up, howling in their faces. "Loose the backpack and get on all fours. Just stay calm. You need to even the weight."

Nodding, Jay was about to take the backpack off when he disappeared.

"JAY," Blake bellowed as she sprinted back for the hole. "No! No! The current!"

She ran across the ice trying to spot his red jacket from under the water but she couldn't see anything. Screaming at the ice, Blake desperately searched for him and there he was. She followed Jay but knew that if she wanted to catch him, she needed to get ahead of him. When she was a couple feet away, Blake began hitting the ice with her pocket knife. The knife hardly did anything but when she gave it one good hit, it went right though. Using her fists now, Blake banged the ice around it, opening the hole open up even more. She could see his red jacket coming for her so she proceeded to stick her arm into the bitter cold water.

"Got you," Blake exclaimed as she lifted Jay's head out from over the water. "Come on.. oh god you're heavier than I thought...Jay, you need to help me."

"I-," he could barely speak. He kept his eyes shut the entire time that Blake managed to roll him out of the hole. "Bl-Blake."

"I'm right here," she anxiously tried to get the backpack off. She didn't have time for that. If she could get him to the cabin, they'd be safe. "Okay... I got this, come on Jay, lean your weight on me okay? We are almost there."

"Oh- okay," he sputtered as his two feet felt more like dead weight than any sort of help for Blake. Carrying a man's weight was worse than her lifetime hauling bales. It seemed to have been a good practice, on the bright side.

"HELP ME," Blake had no other alternative but to hope that the people could come out to help them. The wind was dying their cries for help. Crying to herself, Blake looked at the man she was holding up. "You gotta keep speaking to me Jay. Come on, how are you doing?"

"Its-it's cold," He whispered into her ear. Blake dragged him to the cabin.

"I know.. I know," Blake pulled him to the front door of the cabin. She didn't even bother to knock but rather pushing the door, she tried to get in. The door was locked, of course. "HELP!"

The door opened in one full swing to see a man staring at both of them.

"Help him please," Blake begged. "Please."