got two Jeeps coming up behind you. At least two occupants in each one, but the tops are up so I can’t get a good look or see if there’s any more people in them.”
“How close?” Katie raised her head to look up at the crest where she’d spent the night, afraid she would see the front end of a vehicle nosing over and starting down the fire road toward where she was stuck.
“They’re making the climb you made before you stopped for the night. That has slowed them a little, but if they keep coming you’ve got maybe twenty minutes before they can see you.”
“Shit! OK, stay on the phone. I’m going to see what I can do with the jack.”
Katie tossed the phone on the front seat and reached for the jack, pausing when she realized she needed to plug the handset into the charger so it didn’t die while she was working. The last thing she wanted was to be completely alone out here.
Satellite phone batteries charging, she yanked the jack out of the clips holding it in place and dashed to the narrow space between the rear tire and the edge of the wash. Shoving the heavy tool through ahead of her, she crawled through on her belly, looking at the truck’s suspension. Settling for the left side bracket where the shocks were bolted on, she squirmed the jack around on the ground until she felt it was stable.
Unfolding the crank she turned it, the threaded rod pulling half the scissor towards her, which pushed the top closer to the bottom of the bracket. Cranking as fast as she could, the handle stopped moving when the top of the jack met the resistance of the weight of the truck. Cursing, Katie shifted herself around so she could exert more force. The crank began turning again, but slower than she would have liked.
The foot of the jack began to compress into the dirt, but only sank in a couple of inches before the truck began to move. Suppressing a cry of excitement, Katie turned the rod as hard as she could, willing the mechanism to move faster. Not watching the rod, she was surprised when it suddenly came to a stop, her hand slipping off. She had reached the limit of the jack.
Looking at what she’d accomplished, Katie cursed. The jack had been designed to lift a truck sitting on pavement just high enough to change a flat tire. A tire much shorter than the big off-road tires John had put on the Ford. She had succeeded in lifting the left rear side of the truck no more than four inches, and as far as she could tell the bumper was still firmly embedded in the ground.
Scrabbling backwards, she stood up and grabbed the phone. “I’ve raised it as far as it will go, but the bumper didn’t move,” she said into the phone. “Where are the Jeeps?”
“Five minutes from the crest on the far side,” he said.
“Goddamn it, what do I do?” She asked, not really expecting an answer so much as voicing her frustration.
“Do you have a tool kit?”
“What? Why?”
“A tool kit? Do you have one?” He asked again.
“Hold on,” Katie pulled the charging cord out of the phone so she could stay connected with Steve as she went to the back of the truck.
Climbing up the side of the wash she then stepped up onto the tailgate and frantically threw supplies out of her way. John was someone who was rarely caught unprepared, especially if he’d had an opportunity to plan for something. Two heavy canvas bags were stashed at the front of the bed, and the first one she unzipped was full of greasy tools.
“Yes, there are tools. Why?” She couldn’t help looking up at the crest to make sure she hadn’t already been spotted.
“Get back under the truck. The bumper shouldn’t have more than four bolts holding it to the frame. If you can undo them, you’re free!” Steve was excited and speaking fast. “Just be careful. There’s going to be a lot of pressure on the bumper and you don’t know which way it will go when you release it.”
Katie was already moving, shoving the phone into her pocket and lifting the bag with both hands, dropping it over the side of the truck. Jumping down she crawled back under the truck, dragging the bag with her. It only took a moment for her to find the bolts Steve was talking