Desert Guardian (19 page)

Feeling
unnerved, he nudged her toward the tree then stopped her by the shoulders and
asked, "What's your name?"

"Lynette."

"Hi,
Lynette. I'm Sam."

"I
know who you are," she said sweetly, grinning up at him. "Mommy told
me all about you. You're my daddy." Then she skipped off toward the tree,
hiking up her nightgown along the way.

Sam
gaped after her in stunned silence.
Her
daddy?
How...? So surprised by the child's announcement, he was hardly
aware of standing out in the open, in full view of everyone searching for him.

When
had he fathered a child? A surge of nausea gripped his throat. He did the math,
considering Lynette's age and the one and only time he'd ever slept with Valya.
Five years ago, while his mother lay dying of arsenic poisoning, Sam had
succumbed to Valya's seduction. And as his mother died, his daughter had been conceived.
A fitting irony, but it would take some time to wrap his mind around the
possibility.

His
mood switched from bemusement to shock, which immediately morphed into anger.
How dare Valya keep such a secret from him? His daughter, his own flesh and
blood, raised by a circus of whacked-out zealots who not only believed in UFOs
but had booked a flight on one.

His
heart took a plunge as realization dawned. He'd seen the flaming tail of Anston's
comet over the horizon, which meant the entire Star Mother cult would attempt
mass suicide tomorrow. Within a few hours, tomorrow would be here, and the
comet's journey across the sky would condemn the cult's followers to death.

He
had come here to save Kelly and her brother, and now his own child's life lay
on the line. Sam was more determined than ever to bring Von and Valya down and
to set every single one of their people free.

Lynette.
He had to get her now, keep her safe—

Brisk
footsteps pounded up behind him, and before he could react, the stinging blow
of something hard and sharp slammed against the back of his skull. His knees
buckled, and his last thoughts before blacking out were of Lynette, the
beautiful dark-haired child who looked so much like his mother.

Sam
cracked open his eyelids and blinked at the bright light aimed in his eyes. He
had one hell of a headache, but his ribs hurt more. And so did his groin. The
last thing he remembered was getting conked a good one on the noggin, then
nothing.

"He's
coming around," came a throaty female voice from above him. Sam's blood
ran cold with recognition of that voice, its silken tones having cajoled him
into an act he'd regret until the end of time.

"Please
tell me this is a nightmare." Sam groaned and tried to lift his head, but
pain forced him back to the sandy mat beneath him. He turned his face away from
the light shining in his eyes. "Hey, enough with the light."

The
flashlight winked out. "No concussion. And I don't believe any ribs are
fractured, just bruised. I'd need an x-ray to be sure."

"Doc?
Is that you?" Sam squinted up at the bald black man with dark eyes set
deep within a face heavily creased with age. Doc had treated him often in his
youth. "Long time no see."

Doc
stared at him coldly then looked away to peer vacantly at the tent wall, as if
he could care less about Sam or his injuries. "I could tape his chest, but
I don't see the point."

"You
don't need a point if I tell you to do it." Valya stood tall and regal,
her glossy white-blond hair plaited in a perfect braid down her back. She hadn't
aged a day in the five years since Sam had seen her last. Glaring at Doc, her
glacial blue eyes let him know who was in charge. She sighed and waved the old
man away. "Never mind. Go back to your trailer. You have a lot of work to
do before tomorrow."

Doc
glanced at his watch. "You mean today."

Valya
squinted in irritation at the man. But Sam couldn't blame old Doc for getting
in a last dig before the curtain closed on his last performance as an MD. After
all, today was the last day of the rest of his life.

Ignoring
Valya's quiet display of temper, Doc snatched up his doctor's bag and ambled
out of the tent.

"You
don't seem to have the same impact on people that you used to," Sam told
her. "Lost your touch?"

She
swiveled her gaze at him, her pallid, waxy skin appearing alien in the hazy
lamplight. But it was an electric lamp, not gas, which told Sam they had
already repaired at least one generator, possibly both.

Valya's
brows rose when she noticed his interest in the lamp. "You never were
mechanically inclined, Sam."

His
attempt at a wry smile made him wince. He ran his tongue over his swollen upper
lip before saying, "What I lack in mechanical expertise I make up for with
my fists."

She
chuckled. "Is that so? You look awfully beat-up for someone who boasts of
being a good fighter."

He
frowned and touched his bruised ribs. Rage simmered just below the surface, and
he hoped their banter would buy him a little more time. He had no idea what she
had planned for him, but whatever it was wouldn't be healthy, at least not for
him. Offering her a narrow-eyed gaze, he said, "Yeah, well, it seems I was
sucker-punched while I was down."

Valya
crossed her arms and paced a slow circle around him. "You're lucky I
stopped him from going any further or you'd be dead right now. He said he was
settling a score."

"Uh-huh."
One of sentries he'd tricked as a kid held a grudge. Paybacks were a bitch. "I
suppose I should thank you for saving my life, but my life isn't worth much at
this point."

"Oh,
on the contrary. Your life is worth a great deal. To me."

"Despite
the fact that it's about to end."

She
shook her head. "Sam, you're as ignorant as ever. Death on this planet
means life ever after on Atria."

Sam
grunted.
Play along and don't show her
how pissed you really are.
He pretended to look bored. "You still
believe in that crap?"

Anger
flickered in her eyes. "I was
so
hoping to convince you before the final hour, but I'll take your reluctant
Essence with me to Atria anyway."

He
wasn't about to argue with a madwoman. What would be the point? Years ago, the
two of them had beaten that dead horse until it didn't look like a horse
anymore. Come to think of it, that argument had earned
him
a beating.

Each
of his hands were bound and staked out to his sides, as were his feet. He was shirtless
and stretched out like a windmill. His jacket was nowhere in sight. Thank
goodness he at least had his jeans and boots on.

"Where's
Kelly?" he asked.

"You
know very well where she is. You even paid her a visit."

For
what good that had done. Then there was Consuela's betrayal, which only added
salt to the wound of his misfortune. Worse yet, he could have prevented this
whole sorry mess if he hadn't let issues from his past get in the way of good
judgment. He had accused Kelly of being a whore to settle her debt. How stupid
was that? He should have known she'd go off half-cocked and take matters into
her own hands. It was her nature. She had risked her life to save her brother,
and it was his fault.

He
had to know if Kelly was all right. "Is she safe?"

"Of
course she's safe. I'm not a barbarian, Sam." Valya sniffed. "I have
my limits. And she's in good company."

Trying
not to sound too eager, he said, "I want to see her."

Valya
tsked. "That's not possible."

He
groaned with frustration. "The least you can do is stop drugging her. If
she has to die, let her do it with dignity." Though he'd never let them
kill her.

"I
don't like the word 'drug.' It sounds so... clinical. I prefer 'elixir' since
the combination is my own special recipe. I've improved it, you know. I added a
little something extra to enhance the experience and make it more enjoyable."

A
pang of concern sharpened the headache still pounding inside his skull. "What
kind of 'extra?'"

"Don't
worry, it's nothing lethal. Just a bit of liquid morphine to take the edge off."
Valya offered him a slow smile that made his skin crawl. "All my people
love the stuff. In fact, they can go a little crazy if they don't get their
daily dose. Kind of like Jake is now."

And
Jake was in the prison trailer with Kelly. Sam yanked at his bonds, the ropes
digging into the flesh around his wrists and ankles.

"Ah-ah-ah,"
Valya said. "Struggling won't do you any good. You'll feel more relaxed
once you have a taste of my new elixir. Doc mixed up a special batch just for you."

Sam
staved off the panic that pricked the skin at the back of his neck. If forced
to take Valya's onerous brew, it was over. He'd be unable to function. He and
Kelly, as well as Jake and Lynette, would be screwed.

As
if on cue, little Lynette toddled into the tent rubbing her fists into her
eyes. "Mommy?"

Sam
gawked at the child as he caught his breath. She was so small and sweet and
beautiful. And most amazing of all, she was his.

"Lynette,
dear," Valya said. "You should be in bed. We have a big day tomorrow."

Sam
watched the little girl yawn—his little girl—before she said, "I
have to say goodnight to Daddy first."

Valya
let out an exasperated sigh. "Daddy isn't feeling well. We should leave
him alone until he feels better."

Lynette
shuffled her pink bunny-slippered feet closer to him and knelt at his side. Her
eyes widened. "Mommy, look! Someone hurt him. He's bleeding."

Valya
tugged at the child's arm. "Come along, Lynette. Obey Mommy like a good
girl."

Lynette
stubbornly shrugged her off. "No. I want to say goodnight to Daddy."

Valya
crossed her arms, her brows knitted in dismay. Sam had the impression it was
tough for her to deny this child anything. He doubted the rest of her brood were
so lucky.

"I'll
give you five minutes, Lynette. Mommy has to check on something in the
infirmary, then I'll be right back to put you to bed."

Valya
scowled down at Sam as if warning him to keep his hands off her child, like he
could do anything while his arms and legs were staked to the ground. Then she
patted the girl lightly on the head and left the tent.

Once
her mother was gone, Lynette asked, "Daddy? Tell me a story."

Flustered
at being called
Daddy
, Sam said, "Sweetheart,
your mother will be right back. There isn't time to tell you a story."
Though he wished he could tell her the story of his life and buy time for them
both. The very thought of this sweet child's life stolen away from her... Sam
gritted his teeth against his building fury. Struggling to maintain a gentle
tone, he added, "Why don't
you
tell
me
a story."

"I
don't know any stories." Her cherubic smile suddenly brightened, and she
held out a closed fist. "Let's play a game. Guess what's in my hand?"

A
game. Not a bad idea if it helped distract him from his aching ribs. "I
have no idea."

"I'll
give you a hint." She brought her fist to her ear and pursed her lips in a
silent whistle.

Sam
frowned and said, "Is it a whistle?"

Lynette
sighed. "You're too good at this game." She opened her hand, and
there lay the slender, silver dog whistle Sam used to call Cody. "But it's
broken. I tried blowing it and no sound came out."

His
heart skipped a beat. "Where did you find it?"

"Inside
your jacket. I took it from the trash heap that my big sister Jenna burns every
morning. It's such a pretty jacket, and I didn't want it to get burned up."

"Bless
you," he said, his grin making his swollen lip sting. He looked past her
to the tent's empty doorway. "Do you know what a coyote looks like?"

She
nodded.

"Well,
I have a pet coyote, and the whistle you blew calls him to me. He's the only
one who can hear it." He swallowed, realizing that Cody was now one more
worry to add to his growing list. But he was a smart animal and knew beforehand
that Sam was entering a dangerous situation. Having accompanied him on several
cult intervention missions, Cody would be careful and stay out of sight. "Lynette,
it's important that no one else see him but you and me."

The
girl looked puzzled. "How come?"

"Because
Cody is shy and doesn't like strangers. He might bite someone." Which wasn't
entirely true. Cody was more bark than bite unless he or Sam were threatened. "He'll
be our little secret, okay?"

Lynette
tapped her chin and stared up at the ceiling, looking thoughtful and much older
than four. "Does he like treats?"

"Not
really," he said. But Cody would be attracted to anything that had Sam's
scent on it. "He'll come to you if you have something that smells like me.
Reach into my back pocket and pull out my handkerchief." He hoped the
hanky hadn't disappeared along with his shirt.

Lynette
squirmed her tiny hand into his back pocket and withdrew the folded square of
white linen.

Just
then, Valya returned. "Lynette, what are you doing?"

"Telling
Daddy a story," Lynette said, giving Sam a sly wink as she fisted the
handkerchief. She must have thought they were still playing the game. "It's
about a whistle that doesn't make any noise."

"Oh?"
Valya arched her eyebrows. "I've never heard that one. You'll have to tell
it to me later. Right now, you need to get back to bed."

"Okay,
Mommy." Lynette waved to Sam as she took her mother's hand.

Valya
glared down at him and said, "I'll have that drink I promised you in a
minute. Don't go away." She chuckled at her own joke then led
his
little girl out of the tent.

Sam
closed his eyes and said a silent prayer that Cody would manage his way into
camp without being seen. With any luck, the loaded gun in the coyote's neck
pack was all it would take to set them all free. All of them. Including his
adorably bright little daughter.

****

Kelly
listened to the galloping feet outside the trailer, hoping a pair of them
belonged to Sam. She held her breath, waiting. But no one, not even a sentry,
touched the trailer door. The shouts and running eventually stopped, leaving
her wondering what all the commotion had been about. Whatever it was, it didn't
include her rescue. Discouraged, she hung her head and felt the slowing of her
heart's anxious patter.

The
cuffs around her wrists felt suddenly tighter, and she imagined her fingers
going numb then dropping off her hands one by one. How could they just leave
her in here like this? She'd already wet herself once, but the stench of vomit
sickened her more than the smell of urine and sour sweat clinging to her skin.
Poor Jake had wallowed in his own filth since yesterday. How did he stand it?

"Jake?"
she called out to her brother. "Are you okay?"

He
didn't answer. Probably asleep. The only sound inside the trailer was the
monotonous stream of static from the radio. Now it sputtered and crackled as if
someone tried to get through. Could it be Sam trying to contact her?