“Are you all right, Jodie?” Kate asked, as she gently lowered her to the ground and untied her wrists. “I’m sorry I couldn’t come sooner, but I had to make sure they were all too busy to notice me. I had to get them all, because if even one…” “Don’t explain and don’t apologize, Kate. You showed up in time, and that’s all that counts,” Jodie interrupted. She started to dig her fingernails into the knotted rope around her ankle, then glanced up to see Kate still kneeling at her side, staring at her anxiously. She waved her hand in a shooing motion and said, “I’m fine, Kate. Thank you for saving my life. Now I need you to go help the others. That’s an order.” “Yes sir,” Kate said, reluctantly rising to her feet, “I’ll go right now.” “And the second you make sure the girls are all right, go look in the tent. Murphy’s in there, and I think he’s in pretty bad shape. Do whatever you can for him, then report back to me,” Jodie added. After a brief struggle, Jodie was able to work the knot loose and remove the rope around her leg.
