Читать книгу Forgotten Son - Linda Warren, Linda Warren - Страница 8

AT THE FENCE, Eli caught her around the waist and lifted her in the air. “Reach for the wire and start to climb. Even if the barbs cut you, keep going.”

Her bare feet brushed against him. “Dammit. Where are your shoes?”

“Back there,” she replied, grasping a wire.

There was nothing he could do about that now. He climbed behind her, acting like a shield as he boosted her up. He’d forcefully shoved her to the top when, out of the corner of his eye, he caught movement as the dogs charged toward the fence.

Caroline was over. “Run, run, run!” Eli shouted.

He made to swing over the top, but one of the dogs leaped into the air and clamped its teeth on his right arm, banging him against the fence. Suspended in air, the canine fiercely held on to his prey. Eli struggled to dislodge it, but the dog’s jaws were strong.

Caroline turned and saw Eli struggling with one of the dogs. She ran back. The Dobermans saw her and switched their attention to her, lunging against the fence. This broke the other dog’s concentration and it fell to the ground, freeing Eli, who also tumbled to the ground—but on the right side of the fence. He quickly jumped to his feet and grabbed her hand. They hurried into the woods as the first clan member reached the fence, yelling unchristian words at them.

Eli kept running, pulling Caroline behind him. On and on they raced through the thicket. Eli’s arm burned, but he didn’t pay any attention. He had one goal—to get them to the country road and safety before the clan caught up with them.

They passed through thicket after thicket, then into a valley lined with tall grasses, and into dense woods again. Eli kept a firm grip on Caroline. She was holding up well and he admired her spirit. His own legs grew tired and his chest was tight with exhaustion, but he never wavered or stopped. He wasn’t sure if Buford and his men would follow, so he wanted to get them far, far away.

Finally, Eli tripped, and they tumbled in a heap on the spring grasses. Neither moved—they were too exhausted. Caroline lay on top of him for a moment, then moved to his side to lie on her back.

He sucked air into his starving lungs. “You okay?” he gasped.

“Yes,” she breathed, panting, then pointed to the sky.

“Look, Eli, look.”

He glanced up and saw the sun peeking above the treetops, heralding a new day. He took joy in that. He’d found her and they were out. Buford would not control or ruin her life. Eli took joy in that, too.

“That’s the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen,” she said, her eyes shining as the morning sun chased away the night, the darkness.

He looked at her and saw her clearly for the first time. Her blond hair was dirty, as was her skin and clothes, but her green eyes were bright with wonder.

“Isn’t it, Eli?”

He lost the gist of the conversation, but quickly recovered. “Yes,” he answered, his eyes never leaving her face.

She brushed back her hair and he caught sight of her hands.

He sat up and reached for them. “Oh, my God.” Both palms were scratched and bleeding, the blood caking with the dirt on her skin.

“They’re okay,” she said, pulling her hands away and sitting up.

His eyes traveled to her bare feet, then he lifted a foot to stare at the bottom. He closed his eyes briefly. The sole was one bloody mess, and he knew she had to be in a lot of pain. Dammit. He should have carried her when he realized she didn’t have any shoes on. But after the encounter with the dogs, he’d just wanted to get her to safety. He unlaced his sneakers.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“You need something on your feet.”

“Your shoes are too big for me.”

“I know,” he said. Pulling off his socks, he gently slipped them on her feet. “That’s not much, but it should help.”

“Thank you.” She touched his arm. “You’re hurt, too.”

His right sleeve was torn and bloody. “It’s just a scratch.” He put his sneakers back on and got to his feet.

“We’d better make it to the road.”

He bent to pick her up, but she pushed his arms away. “No, you’re not carrying me.”

“You can’t walk on those feet.”

She stood. “Watch me.”

He grunted. “God, you don’t take orders very well.”

“No. Now let’s go.” Her eyes held his. This woman was a fighter, a survivor. Buford and his clan would never have been able to brainwash her. She would have died in that dark hole of a grave. Eli wondered about the “others” that Ruth and Amos had mentioned. How many women had died in that makeshift tomb?

Eli shook his head and started walking. Caroline followed. Even though he was perturbed at her stubbornness, he admired her courage. That courage would help her in the days ahead.

After another long walk, the road at last came into view. They sat in the bushes, out of sight in case Buford was looking for them.

“We’ll wait until a vehicle comes along so we can get help.”

“Okay.” Caroline was glad to rest, and she stared down the blacktop road toward a bend in the distance. She hoped someone would come soon, but as long as Eli was with her she could wait. Her hands and feet burned and her clothes were torn and filthy, but freedom was an exhilarating feeling.

Eli had saved her life. Her sanity.

She was out of the darkness, and her thoughts weren’t so disoriented or confused now. Fresh oxygen had cleared away the cobwebs, the near insanity, and she knew this was real. The man beside her was real.

She glanced at him and took in this extraordinary person. He was tall, his features prominent and sharp, as if they’d been carved from stone. He had an aura of strength that would deter anyone from daring to change anything about him. She didn’t know him, but she instinctively knew that Elijah Coltrane did not take well to change.

“How are your hands?” he asked, watching the road.

“They’re burning a little, but they’ll be fine.”

He turned his head caught his left sleeve with his teeth and jerked. The fabric tore at the seam. With his right hand Eli unbuttoned the cuff and gathered the cloth, which he continued to rip into strips with his teeth. She watched in awe.

Without a word, he took her hand and wrapped some strips around it. He did that to the other one, and she knew better than to tell him it wasn’t necessary.

When finished, he asked, “How’s that?”

“Better,” she had to admit. “The burning isn’t so bad.”

“You couldn’t have done all this on the fence.”

She swallowed. “When I was scared, I’d beat on the wall of that room with the palm of my hand, then my fist, hoping someone would hear me. I just wanted out of there.”

“You’re out now and you’ll soon get medical attention.” She couldn’t see his eyes, but she knew he was upset.

“My hands feel much better now,” she said again, to reassure him.

“Good.” He turned his attention to the road.

Caroline watched his unyielding face. He hadn’t removed his shirt, because he didn’t want her to see his right arm. She had a feeling it was bad. Maybe he didn’t want to see it either—not yet.

They sat in silence. A squirrel ran across the road and a crow landed in a tree with a frantic squawk. Everything was peaceful—another spring day in the Texas Hill Country.

But it was so much more to Caroline.

“Did you volunteer for this job?” she asked.

“The FBI asked for my help, since I know the area.”

“Why didn’t an agent volunteer?”

“The agents went in with a warrant and searched the place, but found nothing.”

Goose bumps popped up on her skin as she remembered the prophet’s chilling words and the devastating effect it had had on her.

“How did you know where to find me?”

“A woman in the group gave me a clue. They call her Jezebel, but she’s not one of them. Buford said they found her wandering the streets and they gave her a home. They treat her like a slave.”

“You have to get her out of there, too.”

“I plan to, but right now you’re my top priority.”

The words had a soft, sincere ring to them. She just wanted to keep hearing his voice.

“So the Texas Rangers help the FBI?”

“When they ask. The FBI was getting a lot of flak from Washington and they needed something done quickly. The sheriff knew I had investigated Buford before, so the FBI called me.”

“And you agreed to go undercover?”

“Yes.”

“Why would you do that? You don’t even know me.”

“Usually it’s my job to investigate, but I have personal reasons for wanting to get Amos Buford.”

“Does he know you?”

“No, I’d never met him until two days ago.”

“Then…”

“He killed someone I cared about.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It happened a long time ago.”

She licked her cracked lips. “Was it a woman?”

“Yes. My fiancée.”

“Oh.”

“His men grabbed her from the street because the bastard chose her to be his next wife.” Eli glanced at Caroline. “She wasn’t strong like you. She lasted two days in the room, then agreed to marry him. After a month, she managed to escape.”

He took a long breath, hardly able to believe he was telling her this. But he couldn’t seem to stop. “Then I got the call. She was missing, and I found her not far from our ranch, in a ditch, strangled to death.”

“Oh. I’m so sorry.” Caroline touched his arm. “Why isn’t Buford in jail?”

“The police couldn’t prove anything. It was her word against theirs, and there was no evidence Ginny was ever in the compound. They never found a secret room like Ginny said there was.”

“Ginny was her name?”

He swallowed, struggling with his emotions. “Yes.”

“Since Buford is free, I’m assuming they couldn’t prove he killed her, either.”

“No. There wasn’t one shred of evidence, but the FBI were able to close down his camp. He just moved on to these hills, terrorizing other women.”

“I don’t understand how that could happen,” Caroline said. “Why hasn’t the law done something?”

“They will this time. Buford screwed up by kidnapping a congressman’s daughter.”

“I’ve hated that title most of my life. Today it feels good.” Her gaze swung to the road. “My parents are probably very worried.”

“Yes. Your father has posted a big reward for any information leading to your whereabouts.”

“How is Colin, my fiancé, taking this?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t heard anything about him.”

She bit her lip. “We were having problems. He wanted to get married right away and I didn’t. Now I can’t remember exactly why I was against it. At thirty, a woman should be ready to get married.” She paused. “Are you married?”

“No.”

“I’ll be glad to see Colin.” She glanced at Eli. “Thanks to you, I will.”

“I’m just doing my job, ma’am.”

Blood trickled down the side of his face into his beard. She reached out with her bandaged hand to touch it.

“You’ve scraped your face.”

He wished she wouldn’t keep doing that—touching him. He had to keep this on a professional level, and when she touched his skin, he found that difficult. All he had to do, though, was close his eyes and see Ginny’s face, and everything was fine.

“It’s nothing,” he murmured, trying not to pull away.

She let it drop and he was glad. His arm was on fire, but he couldn’t let her see he was in pain.

“It’s early, but the FBI is patrolling this road, so someone should be by soon.”

She studied her bandaged hands. “I probably won’t see you again after they arrive.”

“Probably not.”

“I want to thank you again for getting me out of that place.”

He shifted uncomfortably. “As I said, it’s my job.”

“But you did it for Ginny, didn’t you?”

“Yeah,” he admitted. “That bastard deserves to be put away for what he did to her and probably many other girls.”

Caroline put both arms around his neck and hugged him. “Thank you, Eli.”

Dammit. Did she have to keep doing that? He closed his eyes, but he couldn’t see Ginny. That scared him. It was the first time that had happened. He was just exhausted physically and mentally, he told himself. He had to hold on to Ginny, but all he could see and feel was Caroline Whitten.

A hum in the distance was a welcome relief. He pulled away. “A car is coming. Stay put and I’ll check it out. Don’t stand on your feet.”

He stood and walked to the edge of the road, recognizing the car immediately. It was Tuck. What the hell was he doing here? He had his own job to do. Then again, Eli was glad to see him.

Tuck pulled over and jumped out.

“Call the FBI and an ambulance,” Eli shouted.

Tuck dashed into his car and was back in a minute. He stopped short when he took in Eli’s appearance, especially his bloody arm. “What happened to you?”

“It’s a long story and I don’t have time to get into it.”

“You found Ms. Whitten?”

“Yes. She’s over here.” They walked toward the bushes.

“What are you doing here?”

“Surly as ever—still the same old Eli. For a moment there I wasn’t sure. But to answer your question, I offered my help. The lieutenant and captain agreed that the FBI could use all the help they could get.”

“What happened to one riot, one ranger?”

“Well, it took one ranger to get her out of there, and Congressman Whitten will want answers as to why the FBI didn’t find her days ago.”

That would certainly come up in the investigation that was to follow, but right now, Eli’s main concern was still Caroline.

They walked up to her. “Caroline, this is Jeremiah Tucker, and Tuck, this is Caroline Whitten.”

“Howdy, ma’am.” Tuck tipped his hat, staring at her bandaged hands.

A string of cars came roaring down the road, and Eli reached down and lifted Caroline into his arms.

“Put me down, Eli,” she ordered. “You can’t carry me with your arm like that.”

He didn’t oblige, but just kept walking.

“Eli,” Tuck called after them.

Eli didn’t pay any attention to him, either. He seemed to stroll effortlessly toward the road, but she knew he had to be in a lot of pain.

Tom and Bill ran up to them.

“We need an ambulance,” Eli said.

“It’s on the way,” Bill replied, his eyes on Caroline. “Are you okay, Ms. Whitten?”

“I am now.”

“Where did he have her hidden?” Tom asked.

“In the cellar.”

“We checked there.”

“One of the walls moves in slightly, just enough for a person to squeeze by, and it’s very hard to detect.”

An ambulance pulled up, followed by a black car. Paramedics jumped out with a gurney and rolled it up to Caroline. Eli gently laid his burden on it. Before the paramedics could take her away, she grabbed Eli’s left arm.

“No,” she cried. “Eli has to come, too. He’s hurt and he needs attention.”

“Caroline, just go and get taken care of. I have things to do.”

“No,” she said again, and held on tight even though her hand was hurting like hell.

Bill was looking at Eli’s blood-soaked sleeve. “That arm does look bad. We’re going in to make the arrest, and you’re not any help to us in that condition. Go to the hospital and take care of your arm. We’ll check in later and get a full report. Your job here is done.”

Eli gritted his teeth. He wanted to go back and arrest Buford himself, but knew that wasn’t going to be possible. “The dark-haired woman isn’t one of them, so go easy on her. She helped me find Caroline.”

“Okay,” Bill said. “We’ll make sure she gets special attention. I’m just hoping this goes peacefully. Did you notice any weapons?”

Eli shook his head. “No. I searched a lot of places and never saw any type of weapon, but they’re good at hiding things so be careful.”

“You take care of that arm,” Tom interjected. “Great job—now relax and let us handle the rest.”

Stephen Whitten got out of the black car, ran to his daughter and embraced her. Still Caroline did not let go of Eli’s arm.

“Oh, Caroline,” the congressman said, his voice cracking. “What have they done to you?” His gaze swept over her. “You need medical attention.”

“I’m fine, Dad,” she said. “And, yes, we’re on the way to the hospital.”

“We need to get going,” a paramedic said to no one in particular.

“Go to the hospital,” Tuck whispered, and Eli wanted to punch him like when they were kids. But he didn’t have any strength left and knew it was time to give in. It wasn’t easy.

“You can let go of my arm,” he said to Caroline. “I’m going.”

She complied and the paramedics pushed the gurney into the ambulance. Eli took a seat on the side. Stephen stood at the doors, talking on a cell phone.

“Where’s Colin, Dad?”

Stephen clicked off. “I’m not sure, Caroline. The press will be at the hospital. Don’t say a word to anyone about what happened. Your mother, Grace and I will meet you there.”

Why wasn’t he going in the ambulance with her? Eli wondered. And why in hell was he worried about the press? Caroline needed her family, but Congressman Whitten went back to his car and his bodyguards. Eli saw the hurt look on Caroline’s face and suspected it had less to do with the congressman than with the fiancé. Where was he?

In the ambulance, a paramedic was taking her vital signs and another was taking his. “I need to remove your shirt, sir,” the man said. “Or what’s left of it.”

Eli unbuttoned his shirt and removed it, trying not to flinch as he pulled the bloody fabric from his arm.

The man glanced at the wound. “What happened?”

“A dog, a Doberman to be exact, tried to keep me from going over a fence, and almost succeeded.”

“Then this was done by a dog?”

“Yep.”

The paramedic moved and Caroline saw Eli’s arm. “Oh, my God. Can’t you do something?” she cried to the paramedic.

“We’re almost at the hospital, where a doctor will take care of it. I’ll wrap it in the meantime.”

Eli hadn’t looked at his arm and he knew he had to. Big, fearless Elijah Coltrane was afraid. But fear never had much of a hold on him for long. He turned his head and forced himself to look down at where the dog’s teeth had sunk into him, pulling flesh and muscle from the bone. He wasn’t sure how he was still using his hand.

He’d never been sick a day in his life. The cold and flu bugs always got Tuck, but never him. Pa used to say Eli was tough—even germs were afraid to live in him. But what if his arm was permanently injured now? And it was his right arm….

No. His arm was fine. It would heal in no time.

The paramedic bandaged him and he shifted his thoughts elsewhere. The other technician was attending to Caroline.

“How are her feet and hands?” he asked.

“Scraped, bruised and cut. No deep lacerations, so they should heal without a problem.”

That’s what he wanted to hear. She would be fine.

“Eli,” she said in a soft voice. “Are you upset with me?”

He knew what she was talking about—her refusal to let go of his arm. “No, Caroline. I just wasn’t thinking too clearly. I’ve waited a long time to put handcuffs on Amos Buford. I didn’t want to miss that, but I’m in no condition to put handcuffs on anyone.”

“They’ll get him.”

“I just hope the arrest goes smoothly.”

There was silence for a moment and he heard a whimpering sound.

He frowned. “Are you crying?”

“No. Yes,” she sniffled. “And I don’t know why. I’m out of that place and I should be happy but…”

“It’s an emotional reaction,” he said, the sound twisting his gut. “You’ve been through a lot. Soon we’ll be at the hospital and you’ll see your fiancé, your family, and you’ll feel better.”

“I don’t think so,” she mumbled. “I feel as if I’m never going to be the same again. Somehow I’m different.”

“Give it time.” But he felt the same way. For years he’d held on to Ginny’s love, her memory. That was enough.

Until now. Now…

He closed his eyes, forcing the feeling away, striving, struggling to see Ginny’s face. No matter how hard he tried it wasn’t there. Caroline’s was. That frightened him more than the damage to his arm. Caroline was seeping into his system and he didn’t like that. He didn’t want it. He barely knew her, but he was powerless to change whatever was happening.

He didn’t like that, either.