Blood of the Rainbow (58 page)

Sara held her hands up in mock defeat, tilting her head innocently. “Me…?”

Jared looked down at her and smiled, shaking his head in disbelief. “Stay in the shade. If it moves, you move with it. I’ll be right back.”

The fires started to die down a bit. Jared added more wood and straw to the flames to keep the fires going, while they waited for Tom and Leo. Jared tied the pup tent from the cactus and his bike, making a temporary shelter from the sun. He sat on the blanket, leaning his back against his bike. Sara laid her head on his shoulder. Soon they both fell asleep.

------------

They were awakened by cold water being poured over their heads. Jared jumped up, surprised, sputtering the water from his mouth. He said something in Navajo that Sara couldn’t understand. From his tone of voice, it was self-evident that Jared wasn’t happy. Sara opened her eyes wide, trying to perceive the flash flood. Then there was laughing overhead. “Dad!” Jared grumbled as he wiped his face with his hands. “That was mean!”

“That’ll teach you not to go to sleep in the desert in the middle of the day,” Tom chuckled. Leo laughed too. “Leo, you remember my Son Jared?”

“Of course,” he said, shaking Jared’s hand.

“This is his fiancée, Sara Foster,” Tom said, smiling proudly.

Sara stood, dusted her hands on the front of her jeans, and shook Leo’s hand. “Pleased to meet you Leo.”

“Likewise,” Leo said, tipping his hat as he shook Sara’s hand. “Hey!” Leo said, looking at Sara as though he’d seen her before. “You’re not the same Sara Foster that’s been playing on our local radio station, are you?”

Sara blushed, looked at Jared, and he smiled. “Yeah, Leo, it’s her.”

Sara wasn’t aware her song had been on the radio, especially not all the way down here. She wasn’t sure how to take that.

“Wow – I didn’t expect to be seeing you out here like this. Celebrities don’t normally rub elbows with us common folk,” he said, winking at Jared.

Sara bowed her head, clearing her throat. “Leo, I’m not a celebrity.”

Leo scoffed. “Sure you’re not,” he said dubiously. “I’ll bet if you turn the radio on, it won’t be half an hour before you’ll hear it.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” Jared said and switched on his bike radio.

They stood and listened while the DJ read the news, and gave them the local forecast. Apparently it was going to be hot and dry. Then he went on to talk about the upcoming Country Convention.

“
Well, I don’t usually do this, but I’m gonna have to eat my words. I said I would never spin a country song on my show, but we’ve got so much response, both from the website and texts, that you guys are leaving me with little choice. Given the choice of hearing this little Louisiana gal strut her stuff and being staked in the desert – bring on the ketchup – I’ll eat my words,”
He laughed.

Sara has been burning up the country and western charts from Arkansas, all the way to Salt Lake City Utah, maybe further. The funny part is that the fans have been hounding me, wanting to know where they can get Sara’s music. Well, guys, all I know, for the moment anyway, is that Sara and the band still haven’t put any on the market.

The story goes, Myra Thundercloud acquired a personal copy from her brother; passed that to someone at the university where she’s attending. They passed that to a friend, and so on, until it has been spread over the entire state. I promise, as soon as Sara releases something, you’ll be the first to know, so try and be patient.

Sara Foster, native of a small town in central Louisiana, called Crooked Creek, who just recently turned eighteen and completed her high-school education this past summer, apparently just made a move to Shreveport, about a hundred or so miles north of her hometown, to live with her Aunt Lucy.

Shortly after her arrival, she met our own Jared Thundercloud of ‘Raging Storm’, and the rest is history. So, boys, if you’ve had your eyes set on Sara, I’m afraid she’s already taken, and if you don’t want to risk losing your scalp, you’ll look elsewhere.”

“Damn straight!” Jared commented, smiling at Sara.

“Anyways, Sara and ‘Raging Storm’ will be performing in the upcoming Country Convention, in Phoenix in a few weeks, so get your tickets reserved. Rumor is they’re going like wildfire this year - thanks to Sara. So, if you want to see her, along with the rest of the Thunderclouds and the other artists performing this year - get off your cans. Without further interruptions, let’s give her a listen for about the fourth time today. It’s Sara Foster with Voices
.”

Leo laughed. “See what I mean. Girl you’re already famous. You better get yourself an agent.”

Sara looked at Jared. “No thanks, I’ve already got one.”

“Well, I hate to do this,” Leo said, taking his case out of the back of the 4x4. “But, we better get down there and get this over with.” He handed Tom and Jared a pair of latex gloves, and a surgical mask. “These may not be necessary, but we’ll know soon enough.”

“Jared, grab that can of gas,” Tom said.

Jared turned to Sara. “You stay under the cover, and out of the sun!”

Sara pouted, her lower lip jutting out a little. Jared smiled, touched her face, and gently pressed his lips to hers. “I won’t be gone long, I promise,” he said, his eyes turning and giving off a warm amber glow. He noticed Sara looking at him warily. He pulled his eyebrows down, confused. Sara bit her lower lip and motioned with her hand to his eyes. “Oh – oops!” he said, embarrassed. Jared closed his eyes and looked at Sara again. “Gone?” he asked, leaning to kiss her again.

Sara put her hand up, holding him back. “Yes, but you better go before you start looking like a lighthouse.”

Jared smiled, put on his surgical mask, and ran after Leo and his father.

------------

Sara waited under her make shift tent, impatiently playing with an ant on the stem of a cactus blossom. He was desperately trying to get to the blossom, but was finding it difficult, due to Sara’s childish interventions. She would allow him to have the taste of the sweet nectar within his grasp, only to turn the stem the other way around, forcing him to go all the way to the other end of the stem before he realized he’d missed his mark again. Sara had done this so many times now, she was sure the ant must be either dizzy or down-right gave up. The ant had stopped, mid-stem and just sat there, as though he was thinking to himself, “
Stupid human. If I get a chance, I’ll show you some manners!
”

Sara finally got bored and tossed the flower. When she saw giant rolls of black smoke rising above the carcass, she reasoned the men must be just about finished with their task. A couple of minutes later, they headed back.

Sara chewed at the inside of her cheek, wondering what they had found out. Would they have burned the corpse anyway if it hadn’t been anthrax, or would they have just left it for the scavengers to finish off? Knowing it was Myra’s pride and joy, Sara doubted they would do that.

As they approached Sara, they were talking to each other, but they were still out of earshot, so she couldn’t understand what they were saying.

Chapter 26

Without a word, Jared started packing the tools and equipment in the back of his father’s 4x4, then loaded his bike. From the look on his face, Sara sensed the news was grim. Silently she took his hand and hoisted in the back seat. Jared slid in beside her, and put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close.

Tom waited until everyone was settled and buckled in before starting the engine, and heading back to the ranch. Because they had to go the long way around, it took them twice as long to get back. The sun was already starting to set. Once at the barn, Jared and Sara rode back to the house on his bike, driving unnecessarily slowly. With the engine barely above an idle, it was easy to talk, but Jared still hadn’t said anything. Sara grew concerned with his silent, dark mood.

“Are you all right?”

Jared sighed. “No, not really.”

“Can I ask?”

“Leo said it was anthrax. He and my father are testing the other horses. I should be there helping, but I just couldn’t. We’ll have to hope for the best. If any of the others tests positive….”

“Jared… I’m so sorry.”

“Yeah, me too, but more-so for Myra.”

“When will your father tell her?”

“Straight away, I would imagine. Keeping it from her is not going to change anything, or make it any easier for him or her.”

“No, I don’t suppose it would….”

When Jared pulled in the garage, Myra’s roadster was already there. A lump formed in Sara’s throat. She felt sorry for Myra and hoped Tom told her soon. Knowing what she knew, Sara didn’t know how long she could keep her grief hid. Apart from her instinctive fear of Jared, Myra was wild and carefree, nothing bothered her. From Sara’s experience, the farther someone had to fall, the more their fall hurt. Myra would have a
long
way to fall.

Tom and Leo had been friends since childhood, so it wasn’t surprising when Tom invited Leo to stay for dinner. Leo, of course, graciously accepted. Nadine was an accomplished cook, and the Thunderclouds were excellent hosts. Most people who knew them jumped at an opportunity to socialize with them. Tonight, however, Sara was sure Tom had other motives for his neighborly gesture.

Telling Myra about Satan was not going to be an easy task, not even for him. Maybe Tom needed the extra-added support of his friend, and maybe he hoped Leo’s professional detachment would lessen the impact this news was going to have on her. Maybe, despite his strong, commanding demeanor, deep down, Tom was like any other father; afraid and unwilling to hurt his daughter.

------------

Whether they planned it, while in the desert, or it happened by sheer coincidence; after dinner that night, Tom, Jared, and Leo took Myra for a walk in the back yard. When Myra ran in the house with tear dampened cheeks, Sara knew the news had been delivered. As she passed Sara, Myra gave her a strange stare, almost a look of betrayal.
Why should she feel that way? Does she in some way blame me? Is it my fault?

Nadine ran upstairs after Myra, supposedly to comfort her, but a few minutes later came back to the kitchen where Sara sat at the table. Nadine’s face was unreadable. She sat across from Sara and folded her hands on the table in front of her. For a long time, they sat in silence. Nadine spoke; her voice empty and small. She stared at her hands.

“You know, being a mother can sometimes be the hardest trial on Earth….”

Sara snorted. “So my mother says - especially when it comes to me.”

Nadine studied Sara’s eyes for a few seconds, her expression, still blank and unchanged. She suspired and then looked back at her hands. “Oh, don’t get me wrong, I
love
being a mother. I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the World. I love both my children. It’s just… hard, when you have to tell your child something you know is going to break their hearts. And… you want to take away that pain, or spare them of it altogether, and you can’t.” She looked up at Sara again, locking their gazes. “It’s part of the growing up process. It’s… a mother’s
place
to be responsible, strong and supportive. But it still doesn’t make the job any easier.”

Sara didn’t know what to say, or how to respond.

Nadine continued her reverie. “You never get used to that part – that and letting go….” Nadine paused, momentarily looking down at her hands again as she twisted them nervously. “…Watching them walk, headstrong into disaster, knowing you can’t change the direction of their path. Desperately wanting to point out the holes for them for fear that they might fall in, or wander down the wrong footpaths.” She fell silent.

Sara had never seen Nadine like this. She seemed weak and vulnerable. Not the strong Navajo mother, with her iron clad ways, and years of tradition to guide her Sara had pictured her to be. Sara pondered on the meaning behind Nadine’s words.
What prompted her to open up and confess her inner feelings to me?
Are they for her own benefit – a form of confession – proof she was human?
Were they meant for Myra?
Or does it hit closer to home – for me and Jared?
Afraid of what the answer might be, Sara didn’t ask.

------------

The awkward silence dragged on until they heard the men coming in from the patio. Nadine snapped back to reality and put on a plastic smile. Sara tried, but Nadine was better at pretending than Sara was. She didn’t know why, but Nadine’s mood and words worried Sara. Jared sat in the chair next to Sara. Leo said his goodbyes and Tom walked him to the door. Coming back into the kitchen, he laid his wide copper-toned hands on Nadine’s shoulders, gently massaging her neck. He sighed deeply. “Well, it’s done.”

Nadine reached up and patted her husband’s rough and wrinkled hands. She leaned her head back to smile at him. “So I gathered.” Tom mirrored her with a weak smile. “What do we do now?”

“Wait. Hope. Be there for her. Help her as much as she’ll let us. I don’t think trying to replace Satan would be a good idea. He was unique.”

Nadine’s face turned cold, bitter as she clenched her teeth together. “I just can’t see it. That horse fought to survive – he
had
to survive! For him to give up like that, without a fight - it just doesn’t seem right. He comes from a strong, sturdy bloodline, Tom. How did he get anthrax?
Where
did he get it?”

Tom scratched his head. “These things happen sometimes, Love. There’s not always a good explanation. Things turn out the way they do for a reason.” Tom paused looking directly at Jared. “No matter how much we try to ask the whys, sometimes, we have to accept our destiny without question.”

Sara glanced at Jared. The expression on his face was stressed. His teeth were clenched, and his jaw set like marble. His eyes were glowing deep amber and changing to pale crimson. Without asking, it was something Sara had learned to recognize. He was upset. Tom was communicating a silent message to his son, and Jared didn’t like the implications.