Free Eleven Days by Donald Harstad

tell—” Something hit my left shoulder, very hard, from the rear. Pushed me forward, I lost my footing, and went down on my right side.
    Again, this time in the middle of my back and on my left arm. I tried to roll to my left, away from the blows, but was up against a frozen furrow ridge and couldn’t get over it. I tried to get to my feet. Again, on the back, and down again, this time on my hands and knees. Again, on the right side of my head, and I was out of it altogether. Aware, but unable to get arms and legs coordinated enough to get back up. Or to scratch my nose, for thatmatter. I was dimly aware of heavy breathing and then the sound of somebody running away to the left.
    I shook my head. No pain. Numb in the head and shoulder. It must have taken three or four seconds to stand, and that was a mistake. Dizzy, nausea. I knelt down, steadying myself with my right hand. Slowly blossoming lights, in pretty shades of red and blue. Okay, Carl, deep breaths. Slowly.
    A few seconds later, I stood up again. Slowly. Not so bad this time. I looked for my car, and it didn’t seem to be where I had left it. Disoriented, Carl. I reached for my mike, on my shoulder, and couldn’t find it. Okay, dummy, it fell off. Follow the cord. No cord. Right, I had been holding it up in the air. My flashlight was still in my pocket, so I shined it around for a second and saw the walkie-talkie lying a few feet from me. I picked it up, saw the pretty lights again, and reached for the mike. Almost cut my hand, as the plastic casing had been shattered. I had to fumble with the attachment, disconnect the mike, and use the side switch to talk. Finally got that done.
    “Five, three?”
    “Three, go ahead!” Loud, and with some anxiety. Good, I appreciate anxiety about me.
    “Yeah, five. Whoever it was got me with a club or something. He went west, on foot.”
    “You okay?”
    “Yeah, I think so. You see my car yet?”
    “10–4, I’ll be right there.”
    “Okay.” Dizzy again, not as good as I thought.
    Apparently five still thought I was in my car. I could see his car parked behind mine, and his voice was anxious again.
    “Three, where are you?
”
    I pointed my flashlight at him. “Over here.”
    I started moving toward the road. “Five, he went west.”
    “10–4.”
    I became aware that my car had the road blocked. Five had come in from the east. My car was locked. Good move.
    I got to the fence, and Mike helped me over.
    “Jesus Christ, what happened to you?”
    “Got blindsided. With something.”
    “Let’s stop the bleeding.”
    Bleeding?
My head. “Yeah, let’s get it stopped.”
    We went to his car, and he popped the trunk, removing his first-aid kit.
    “Five, comm?” Sally’s voice, and she sounded very worried. My first thought was that something else had happened.
    Mike answered. “I found him, comm. He’s hurt, but I think he’ll be okay.”
    “10–4, and twenty-five is almost there now.”
    Twenty-five? He couldn’t be, it was eight miles.
    “How could he get here so fast?”
    Mike put a compress on the side of my head and lifted my hand up to keep it in place. “Fast? Shit, you’ve been out of contact for five minutes, at least.”
    Five minutes. Hummmm. “Head must be softer than I thought.”
    “Yeah.”
    “Twenty-five is coming from the east, too, isn’t he?”
    “Yep.” Mike began winding some gauze around my head, freeing my right hand.
    “We better get my car moved.”
    “Too late now. Whoever hit you’s been gone for a good five minutes.”
    “Shit.”
    “Don’t worry about it.”
    “Yeah, but I think it was the suspect.”
    “If it was, you’re lucky you’re not dead.”
    “Yeah, I guess.”
    “We better get you to the hospital. Want an ambulance?”
    “No. Give me a minute, and a cigarette, and I’ll drive in.”
    Dan got there about that time. I had just lit a smoke, and he came over and looked pretty wide-eyed.
    “God, you’re a mess.”
    “Thanks.”
    “Shit, he got