Читать книгу Escape from the Badlands - Dana Mentink - Страница 12

FOUR

Kelly could not make a sound. Terror pricked her skin and froze her vocal cords. She ran to the bed and flung the covers off, checking underneath and in the small closets.

No Charlie.

She slammed into the small bathroom and checked every cupboard and cranny.

He was gone. Charlie was gone.

Body moving in spite of her fear, she ran out the front of the trailer, the door banging into the metal siding. Chenko and Devin were in the golf cart, headed back toward their cabins.

“Help!” she screamed, but they were too far away. She whirled in a circle, looking for some sign of the little boy. A light rain fell in icy needles, but she did not feel it.

“Charlie!” she yelled over the pattering drizzle.

Then Shane was there, turning her in his arms. “What is it?”

“Charlie’s gone. He’s not in the trailer.” She looked helplessly around until her eyes went toward the riverbed beyond the campground.

A strange look crossed Shane’s face as he followed her gaze, a mix of disbelief and horror. Without a word, he turned and ran toward the water. She was about to follow, when a flicker of movement caught her eye. Several yards away, illuminated by a porch light fixed to the side of the lodge, she saw a woman holding something.

Kelly moved closer until she could make out that the bundle in the woman’s arms was a boy.

Charlie.

She ran, yelling his name, and the woman looked up. It was Gwen, her face eerie in the dim light, a faraway look on her face amid the swirl of hair.

“Charlie,” Kelly said, tears on her face. Gwen held him out and she pulled him into her arms. “What happened?”

Gwen blinked. “He was walking around looking for you. I was going to bring him back to your trailer.”

“Walking around?” She looked at Charlie, who seemed dazed. He had been known to sleepwalk when he was disturbed about something, and the day had been traumatic, to say the least. Had he awakened and been disoriented? She kissed his forehead and tucked him under her chin, gently squeezing the comforting weight of him to reassure herself that he was really there, safe, unhurt.

Forcing in a calming breath, she looked at Gwen. “Thank you for finding him.”

Gwen’s eyes were fixed on Charlie. “He’s so sweet.”

“Yes, he is.”

Droplets of water collected on her hair. “You’re lucky to have him.”

Something in the way she said it, the longing in her voice, made Kelly draw back a pace. “Definitely. Thank you again, Gwen.”

She nodded and shoved her hands in her pockets before she walked into the rain.

Kelly hunched her shoulders to keep the cold wind off Charlie as she headed back to the trailer. Shane ran up, face wild and desperate until he saw her holding the boy. The emotion shimmered on his face, intensified perhaps by the watery moonlight, and it confused Kelly. The raw anguish she saw there disappeared under an easy smile.

“He’s okay, Kell?”

“Gwen found him sleepwalking.”

Shane opened the door for her as she eased Charlie up the steps. She unwrapped him from the wet blanket, and he blinked at her.

“Charlie, honey, did you go outside?”

He mumbled something and allowed Kelly to ease him under the covers.

Shane gave her a questioning look as they tiptoed into the kitchen area.

“He sleepwalks sometimes when he’s upset.”

Shane nodded. “The flood?”

“Probably.”

He cocked his head, water droplets plunking softly to the floor. “Why do you look worried?”

She stiffened and turned away to drape the blanket over a chair. “It’s nothing.”

He put his hand out and gently caressed her shoulder. “Nope. I can tell when nothing is something. You used to call me a mind reader, remember?”

She felt the flicker of familiar comfort from his touch, hands that had held and reassured her, thrilled and strengthened her. Pulling away, she turned to face him. “Maybe you can’t read me so well anymore, Shane.”

“And maybe I can.” He fixed her with eyes so intense, she could not look away. “You think something isn’t right.”

She folded her arms. “Not really. It’s just that Gwen is…” She struggled to find the words.

“Hiding something? I’m not surprised. Gwen turns up with Charlie, and Gleeson seems to know more about me than he should. Good reasons to pack up and go.”

“But you’re staying.”

“I have to. My brother is out of options.” He reached out to her, but she did not let him touch her.

“Go, Kelly. Take off while you can.”

“I’m not going.”

He sighed, a defeated look coming over his face. “We’ll leave it for now. We can talk more in the morning. Lock up, okay?”

She turned the bolt as soon as Shane left, stifling her instinct to peek out the window and watch him leave. Slipping off her damp clothes and pulling on an oversized T-shirt, she crawled under the covers next to Charlie and listened to the reassuring ebb and flow of his breathing. Paddy Paws joined them.

Kelly whispered a prayer of profound gratitude and turned off the light. Closing her eyes, she remembered Shane’s expression as he came up from the river. She had never seen Shane Mason afraid of anything, but the anguish written on his face spoke of something from the past, something dark and terrifying imprinted on his soul.

Shivering, she pulled the blankets tighter and fell into an uneasy sleep.

Shane awoke to Gleeson pounding on his door the next morning. His body complained from the rough treatment the previous night as he greeted Gleeson.

“Good news,” Gleeson bellowed as he clapped Shane on the shoulder. “After your idiot stunt on the ropes yesterday, Chenko approved you to race. We’re good to go for a one o’clock prelim to familiarize everyone with the course. Then we start tomorrow.”

Shane blinked. “One o’clock. Got it.”

Gleeson looked around the trailer. “Heard you thought someone broke in.”

“How’d you hear that?”

“Ackerman told me this morning. Said you’re crazy to think someone here would rifle through your stuff.”

“That’s me. Crazy Shane.”

Gleeson’s smile vanished. “Not making too many friends, Matthews. Folks don’t like being accused.”

“I haven’t accused anyone. Yet.”

Gleeson’s eyes narrowed. After a moment he smiled. “Whatever. All I care about is the prelim at 1:00. Have your bike ready, and we’ll hope this rain doesn’t delay things.”

“Where’s Ackerman?”

Gleeson looked surprised. “In the lodge eating breakfast, along with everyone else. Why?”

“Just wanted to check in on a few things.”

“What things?”

Shane gave him a grin. “Nothing that concerns you, Mother Gleeson.”

“Why did I ever take you on as a partner? You’re gonna make trouble before this thing is over.”

You have no idea. Shane followed him out. The morning was cool, water still dripping from the juniper trees that clustered around the campground. The sun had not yet fully risen, the weak light illuminating veils of clouds.

The lodge was crowded with racers clutching coffee cups and crowded around long tables. A breakfast of fruit, granola, scrambled eggs and juices was set up buffet-style in the corner. He scanned the room immediately for Kelly and Charlie, but he didn’t spot them. Shane noticed Ackerman talking to Betsy, who laughed and toyed with her braid. Ackerman was sandwiched between chatting racers, and Shane couldn’t get close so he poured himself some coffee and took a spot near the door. Chenko appeared at his elbow, looking tired. He lifted his cup in salute.

“Thank goodness for coffee,” he said.

Shane nodded, taking in the shadows under the race producer’s eyes. “Bad night?”

Chenko sighed. “It’s the weather. You can circumvent nearly any race obstacle that arises, but not the weather. That annoys me.”

“Have you cancelled races before?”

“Almost. Last year the weather was unpredictable, too. There was an accident on the riding leg of the race. Had to borrow horses from a local.”

Shane stiffened. The locals, he knew, were his brother, Todd, and Olivia. A shadow crossed Chenko’s face. “Nice folks helped us out. I was really sorry the gal was killed.” Chenko shook his head. “You’d think that kinda thing wouldn’t happen out here in God’s country.”

Shane imagined what his brother would say. It’s all God’s country, but anywhere there are people, bad things can happen. He wondered how his brother was doing, locked in a cage, the threads of his faith loosening like a flag fraying in a vicious wind. “Did you have the same team working for you then?”

Chenko raised an eyebrow. “Team?” He laughed. “By team, I suppose you mean Devin. Yeah, been with me for a couple years now. He’s great with people, but he could use some schooling in business. It’s all about connections and keeping your eye on the goal. He’s got his sights on something else most of the time. As my daddy used to tell me, if you don’t keep your eyes on the prize, someone else will take it.” Chenko noticed a newcomer to the group, a mustached man with a bald head toting some serious camera power. “Speaking of which, if you’ll excuse me, I smell publicity in the air.”

Kelly arrived with a bright-eyed Charlie in her arms. Shane opened his mouth to call to her but closed it abruptly when Devin gestured her over. He whispered something to Betsy, who frowned for a moment before leaving the table.

Kelly sat next to Devin with Charlie on her lap. She looked rested, in spite of the harrowing night, slim and strong in the pair of jeans she must have popped in the camp dryer and a race T-shirt. He watched the three of them chatting, laughing, and his heart sank. Man, woman and child. A family. Though Kelly had echoed his desire to not have children, she seemed to have fallen into the mother role so naturally, so willingly.

And Charlie, the little boy with the wide brown eyes, put his hand up and rested it on her cheek.

The gesture knifed through him. Charlie needed Kelly, depended completely on her protection and care. Relied on her to keep him safe.

The terror he’d felt when he’d run down to the river flooded back into his gut.

Please…please don’t let me see him there, face down in that water. Please…

He’d offered the plea automatically, like an ignorant child.

No one up there, Shane. No one for you.

He downed another slug of coffee, relieved when Kelly led Charlie away to prepare plates of food. Devin rose and hopped onto the tiny platform at one end of the lodge, tapping a cordless microphone.

“Good morning, racers. Today is your last day to back out before the official torture begins in the morning.”

The racers responded with laughter and good-natured heckling. Devin turned on a small laptop computer and pulled down a screen. “The race is divided into three legs.” He grinned. “You cowboy types were no doubt disappointed that we’ve eliminated the horseback part of the trip.”

Shane stiffened, fighting the urge to stand up and ask Devin to explain in front of everyone about the mishap and the ensuing visit to his brother’s ranch the year before. He stayed put, though, and Devin’s presentation flowed smoothly on, covering the particulars of the equipment and route. Someone settled into a chair next to him, and he was surprised to find Kelly and Charlie there.

Kelly’s cheeks pinked. “Sorry. This was the only spot with two chairs, and Charlie does better when he’s not sitting on my lap for breakfast.”

Shane managed a smile. “Sure.”

Kelly brushed some hair out of Charlie’s face. “Charlie, this is Mr….Shane. He’s a…” She flicked a quick look at him and then back to Charlie. “He’s a racer, like the others.”

And that’s all he was to her. Just like the others. Like the mom who let her down and the other nameless faces that went in and out of her life. He forced a cheerful tone. “Hello, Charlie. Good to meet you. Do you like to ride bikes?”

Charlie nodded. “I gotta trike for Christmas.”

“That’s great.” He watched Charlie tuck into his scrambled eggs, the fork seeming too large in his small fingers.

Kelly eyed Shane over the top of her coffee cup. She lowered her voice to a near whisper. “Shane…” Her words trailed off for a moment. “I was thinking about the reason you came here. It seems like a long shot to find a way to crack Ackerman’s alibi.”

Shane winced, wishing he hadn’t been forced to tell her about the plan. “It’s the only thing I can do to help my brother.”

“My uncle Bill is back with the Tribal Rangers. Maybe he can help you.”

Shane shook his head, surprised at the offer and fairly certain he would not get much help at all from Kelly’s uncle after what had happened between him and Kelly. “I appreciate that,” he said, looking around to be sure no one had overheard. The group was hanging on Ackerman’s every word. “There’s nothing he can do that the cops haven’t already done.”

“Don’t be too sure. He’s very persistent.”

He couldn’t hold back a smile. “Really?”

She returned the smile for a moment before the humor was replaced by a cool expression. “Anyway, it was just a thought. But you’re not giving up—I can tell.”

“Must be a family trait.”

“I wouldn’t have thought so.”

The words stung. He looked away. She busied herself wiping Charlie’s hands and face, looking around, he imagined, to find another spot to sit. She’d just finished her cleanup when Ackerman announced from the microphone, “Let’s introduce you to our new race medic, Kelly Cloudman. Come on up here, Kelly.”

Kelly flushed and walked to the platform. Charlie watched her. “That’s my mama. I’ve got two. Mama Rose is on a trip.”

Shane found himself unable to answer.

Charlie waved and knocked over his orange juice in the process. Instinctively, Shane threw the nearby napkins down on the spill and said in his best John Wayne voice, “No worries, Cowboy Charlie. We got the flood under control, partner.”

Charlie laughed. “You’re funny.”

Funny. A memory of his little brother’s laughter rolled through him.

Funny Shane. The goofy big brother who could always get a laugh.

Lonnie, whose laughter was swallowed up by Shane’s carelessness in a moment that would change everything.

One horrible moment.

His reverie was broken at the sound of applause for Kelly. She waved, and Ackerman hugged her around the shoulder. Just a friendly gesture, a warm greeting that nonetheless made Shane want to launch himself at the platform and knock Ackerman away from her.