Another Dawn (7 page)

      
"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I'm ready now."

      
Grunting in acknowledgment, he started up the mountain, then paused to take her hand. His shaved head glistened fiery red in the filtered sunlight.

      
How had he been sunburned so badly? And who was she, and why had she been way up here in the mountains with a priest in the first place? And why didn't he know her name if he knew she was a doctor? None of this made sense.

      
And what had caused the explosion she barely remembered? In fact, that was the very last thing she remembered before Father Salazar had saved her from certain death. She owed him her life.

      
Regret slithered through her as she struggled against her clinging wet jeans to keep pace with the priest. She should never have distrusted him, or given his physical reaction to her a second thought. How ridiculous.
 

      
Enough of this
. It was time for her to concentrate on survival and recovery. Someone somewhere would know who she was. Wouldn't they? She hoped so, because a thorough search of her pockets had netted nothing but a couple of dissolved aspirin. No identification at all.
 

      
"Here we are."
 
Father Salazar's voice broke through Sofie's thoughts. "It's not much of a town, but it's better than nothing."

      
Sofie mopped perspiration from her brow with her damp sleeve and nodded. Soon this nightmare would be over, and someone would tell her who she was.

      
"Let's go find you a doctor or hospital."

      
A few wood-framed buildings skirted the edge of town, as well as a couple of log cabins. They emerged from the trees and onto a dirt road that led to the town. Sofie looked down the mountain, where the road twisted and turned, then vanished into the trees.

      
"Civilization, such as it is," Father Salazar muttered, and started toward town.
 

      
Sofie took two steps for every one of his to keep pace, but she was as eager as he to end their adventure. A crude wooden sign at the edge of town read,
"Redemption, Colorado, Population 247."

      
He chuckled, but she didn't ask why. Nothing mattered now except finding help. She hadn't realized how frightened she'd been of dying in the wilderness until now. A tear trickled down her cheek unheeded.

      
"Stop right there," a gruff voice said as two men emerged from the nearest cabin.

      
"Oh, God, no."
 
Father Salazar squeezed her hand hard, then released it. He took a backward step as the two men aimed their long rifles.

      
And cocked the triggers.

Chapter 3

      
Terror seized Luke. Panic spread from his gut and into his chest. It flowered through his veins like molten lava from an erupting volcano.

      
He stared at the rifle barrels aimed at his chest. His blood turned icy, as memories of the electric chair's merciless,
 
blazing pain returned to torment and torture him.

      
The mountains seemed to close in as he scanned the area for a means of escape. He took two backward steps. The men advanced on him, their rifles unwavering.

      
Again, he tried to swallow, but his throat felt as if he'd been drinking battery acid. His eyes burned and his vision blurred and cleared repeatedly as his tear ducts tried to replenish the moisture two thousand volts had zapped from them. Despite all the rain, his body was parched inside and out.

      
The men took another step.
 

      
They won't take me back alive. Never.

      
But even as he made his vow, a slight movement at his side reminded him he wasn't alone. What about Sofie? He had to make sure she'd be all right here before he escaped–assuming he could escape.
But why do I have to
? He'd already lost most of the day trying to get her to safety.

      
He shot her a sideways glance.
Damn
. She looked terrified. Why shouldn't she be? She'd lost her memory, been stranded in the wilderness with the likes of him, and now she faced a pair of armed bullies who could have just stepped off the set of
Deliverance.

      
Even so, he should run. Let the bastards shoot him in the back and end this nightmare. Anything was better than facing that chair again.

      
Yes, he
should
run...but he didn't. Why?

      
Think
. These guys didn't look like prison guards, or any other branch of law enforcement, for that matter. Dressed in dirty jeans with many-colored patches, they looked like good ol' boys or ranchers with hunting rifles.

      
Drawing a deep breath, Luke forced himself to meet the taller man's gaze. The man's expression left no doubt he meant business, but he appeared almost apologetic, as if he didn't approve of his own actions.
 

      
"What do you want?" Luke asked finally, his tongue sticking to the roof of his mouth. He was so thirsty he could barely talk, but all he wanted was to be free...and to leave Sofie somewhere safe. Nothing more. He didn't even want food or water, if they'd just let him walk–run–away. "I don't have much money."

      
His gaze unwavering, the taller man spat tobacco juice on the ground near Luke's stolen shoes. "Nah, you got it all wrong,
Padre
. We're here to protect you."

      
"Yeah, sure. See, I'm not used to having guns pointed at me for my own protection."
 
Luke made a feeble attempt at a smile, but the corner of his lip cracked in protest, and he felt blood trickle down his chin.

      
Sofie moved closer to Luke and took his hand again. He didn't want to be responsible for her. Hadn't he suffered enough already, without having this woman's safety on his conscience, too?
 

      
"Protect us from what?" Sofie asked, her voice surprisingly steady, and her gaze riveted on the rifles. "I really don't like guns."

      
The short, bald man lowered his rifle, allowing the barrel to point harmlessly toward the ground. "She's right, Zeke. We don't need no guns for these two, but we sure in tarnation could use us a priest."

      
Luke wanted to tell them he was no priest, but that would be counterproductive. Stupid. After all, if his disguise was going to save his ass, he had to play the role. "What's going on here? Why do you need a priest? And...and guns?"

      
Zeke lowered his rifle, too. "Reckon we don't need the rifles at that. Beg pardon."
 
He drew a deep breath, then exhaled slowly, obviously prone to dramatics. "We're here to keep folks outta Redemption. Got us a epidemic."

      
Epidemic? Luke had to put some serious distance between himself and the law, but that obviously wasn't an option. Of course, options were luxuries condemned men didn't have. When was the last time he'd had any at all?

      
How do you plead
? Yeah, right, some option.

      
Silence stretched between them, making him realize how quiet the town was. Deathly quiet. Maybe they really did have an epidemic. Looking beyond the armed men, he saw a wide dirt street. A deserted dirt street. The place looked like a frigging ghost town.

      
He quickly noted the lack of cars and power lines. Of course, they could have underground utilities, but at this altitude that was very unlikely. And judging from the modest architecture–mostly logs and native stone–he doubted the town could afford utilities at all.

      
Then he remembered Sofie's profession. Maybe the men would be more willing to help her if they realized she could offer medical assistance in return.
 

      
And, even more importantly, he could leave without her welfare on his conscience.
 

      
"Epidemic?" Luke asked, trying to remain calm.

      
"Yeah, an epidemic. Doc Wilson says nobody gets in or out of town who ain't already ee–what was that word?" He ran his hand through his greasy hair. "Eemmune. That's it."

      
"What
kind
of epidemic?" Getting information out of this guy was like pulling teeth. Luke aimed his thumb at Sofie, determined to end this nightmare. Fast. "You know, she's a doctor."

      
"No, I–"

      
Luke squeezed Sofie's hand tightly and she fell silent. Still, he felt the heat of her angry gaze as she gouged his palm with her fingernails.

      
The men exchanged surprised expressions. "Well, I'll be. Maybe that's why she's wearin' britches," the short one said. "I heard tell of a lady sawbones once, but I ain't never met one myself."

      
She gouged Luke's hand again, but he didn't even flinch. This was for her own good and his survival. Besides, she really was a doctor, even if she didn't remember. Her medical degree wasn't his doing, nor was it his fault the only town they'd come across looked like a prototype for something out of a Zane Grey novel.

 
      
"What kind of epidemic?" Luke asked again, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. It would be dark within a few hours. He
had
to get the hell out of here. Soon.

      
"Pox."
 
The shorter man scratched his bald head, his expression haggard. Exhaustion etched every crevice on his craggy face, and seemed to tug downward at the corners of his rheumy eyes. "It started with the miners over to the Last Chance Mine, but now the whole blamed town's been exposed."
 
He heaved a tired sigh.

      
"Pox?" Luke shot them a questioning glance, though every minute's delay ticked through his head like a sledge hammer on a bass drum. "I had the chicken pox when I was four. That's a disease for kids. Why are you quarantined for something like that?"

      
"Ain't chicken pox. Got us smallpox,
Padre
."
 
Zeke slowly shook his head. "My missus come down with it, but I had it nigh on thirteen years ago. Ab here's had 'em, too. We was both a lot luckier than most. Got only a few scars left between us. But my missus..."
 
He looked down at the ground.

      
"But there's no such thing as smallpox anymore," Luke finally said. "They don't even require immunization now, so whatever the people here have can't be smallpox."

      
Zeke scowled. "I don't know who they be, but we definitely got us smallpox here. More'n twenty cases as of this mornin'."
 
He waved the barrel of his gun toward the woods. "Why don't you two just skedaddle if'n you ain't gonna help?"

      
Damn
. Luke had to leave Sofie here. He had no choice. He'd lost too much precious time already, and all because of her. "Show them your arm, Sofie," he said quietly, hoping his desperation didn't reveal itself in his voice.