Scars of the Heart (12 page)

“Are they dead?” someone asked.

“No, but they’re beat all to hell.”

Buckets forgotten, the faces of Destiny turned to the cowboy, some questioning, some accusing. They stared in silence with only the roar of the fire interrupting the still of the summer night. Then a tall, lanky fellow stepped forward, pushing his torch toward the stranger. He squinted his eyes and tilted his head to the side.

“Kade Roberts? It is. It’s Kade Roberts! He’s wanted for murder in Texas! There’s a price on his head!”

A murmur went up from the crowd. They started toward Kade. He backed away. Painful memories flashed through his mind. Angry faces. Hateful words. Friends turned foe.

“Well, don’t just stand there. Get him!”

Kade bolted for his horse. Several men pushed their way through the throng of stunned onlookers. After grabbing Carl, he tossed her on the stallion’s bare back and leaped up behind her. Ruby handed him the halter’s lead end. With a quick nod of thanks, he wheeled his mount and spurred him to a swift gallop.

“He’s getting away. Get your horses! Hurry!”

Leaning low over his companion, Kade urged the stallion on. Carl entangled her fists in the long, black mane. He felt her tremble beneath him and wished he could comfort her somehow. He knew she must be in shock, experiencing one horror after another all night. Yet Kade couldn’t help but feel she’d brought it on herself.

A thundering of hooves echoed behind them. Kade left the main road. The land was barren with little rock cover and less foliage. Scanning the horizon, he noted a ridge in the distance.

As if by the hand of the gods, smoke from the fire drifted across the moon, smothering the silvery light. Kade urged the black toward the rocks.

“We’re going to die. We are, aren’t we?”

Carl spoke just loud enough to be heard above the pounding of the hooves. Her voice sounded remarkably calm, but her body trembled violently.

Kade checked back over his shoulder. He could just make out the group of riders in the distance—four, maybe five of them. As he turned to reassure the girl, the moon peeked through the smoke. Before Kade could answer, the crack of a rifle split the still night.

Kade’s words were but a strangled choke as his body slammed into hers. Bullets whizzed past. Carly swallowed a scream. The stallion raised his head in panic, and she could see the white of an eye and foam flying from his mouth.

The cowboy prodded the animal with his heels. Whether propelled by fear or loyalty, Carly couldn’t guess, the black lowered his head and increased his speed. He churned at the earth with devil-driven madness. She closed her eyes and buried her face against the horse’s neck.

The sounds of approaching riders echoed in her ears. Hooves pounded like thunder. Rifle fire cracked like lightning. Bullets whistled like the wind. Carly held her breath until her lungs burned and ached, yet she couldn’t force herself to breathe. Finally the sounds seemed farther away; the thunder was a dull rumble and the lightning was no more.

They started a rocky ascent. Carly opened her eyes and peered back, under her companion’s arm. She couldn’t see anything in the gloom of night.

“We’ve lost them, haven’t we? Don’t you think we’ve lost them? I do. I think we’ve lost them.”

Kade didn’t answer. He continued maneuvering the stallion across the perilous terrain. The animal’s heavy breathing caused their thighs to rise and fall as it sucked in waves of welcomed air. Carly looked backward again. Her heart refused to beat a normal rhythm, but her breathing began to slow. She sat up straighter and smoothed the hair from her face.

Heavy, wet material clung to her right shoulder. She felt the area with her other hand. In the pale light of the moon, she could see a dark stain on her fingers. She immediately probed her shoulder for the wound.

It took several seconds for Carly to realize she wasn’t hurt, and then several more for the truth to dawn. She twisted in the saddle to stare at Kade. The front of his shirt was soaked, and a tattered hole stared back at her.

“Dear Lord, you’ve been shot!”

“Did you use your fancy schoolin’ to figure that out?”

She ignored his grumble. “We’ve got to get you to a doctor.” She scanned the area, forgetting for a moment they weren’t strolling down Main Street.

Kade’s laugh was caustic.

“And where would you suggest we find one? Beyond that tree? Behind that rock?”

“You don’t have to make fun of me. I’m just concerned—that’s all. And I’m not the one who shot you. It’s not my fault.” But as she uttered the words, she knew it was.

It was her fault that he wasn’t in Texas now, taking care of whatever business awaited him. It was her fault he had to come to her rescue tonight, saving her from yet another deplorable situation. And it was her fault he’d been shot, forced to flee with nothing but the clothes on his back.

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled, feeling the sting of tears in her eyes. She wiped at them angrily, refusing to crumble like a child before him. “What are we going to do? Where will we go?”

Kade hesitated so long in answering, Carly began to wonder if he would.

“We head north. They won’t follow us far. We should be able to find shelter for the night.”

His reference to the posse drew her gaze behind them once again. Still she could see nothing, but she felt they were out there, felt it as surely as Kade must have.

“Why won’t they follow us north?” She looked up at his strong jaw and stone-like expression.

“It’s Indian territory.”

Carly’s fingers tightened in the long, black mane. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end, sending a shiver through her body. She tried to speak, but her throat closed. Carly glanced to the rear again, then helplessly peered at the vast horizon that lay before them. Her mind raced frantically around one looming question. Which was the lesser of two evils?

The moon hovered in the western sky when at last they stopped to rest. Carly guessed it was mere hours before dawn illuminated the dark canopy above them. Kade had allowed only one stop—they let the stallion rest while they drank from a stream. She wanted to check his wound, but he refused, assuring her that he was fine and their haste was vital.

A cave, big enough for the three of them, opened in the rock wall like a wide yawn. The cowboy slid from the horse’s back and began to lead them inside. Carly blinked and squinted, struggling to see into the black fathom of the mountain’s belly. She could scarcely distinguish the animal’s ears before her, let alone Kade as he led them.

“Can you tell where we’re going? I can’t see a thing. What if you step off into a hole or something?” She whispered, though she wasn’t sure why. When the man answered her, it was with his usual deep, baritone voice.

“I know this cave. You worry too much.” He guided them deeper into the blackness, then warned, “Duck.”

“What?”

“Duck!”

“Why?”

The crown of Carly’s head connected soundly with the smooth stone above her. She reeled backward from the blow, almost losing her grip on the horse’s mane. The thud seemed to roll slowly into the cavern’s depths.

Kade stopped and audibly exhaled. “The ceiling is low about here.”

She rubbed her sore forehead and carefully leaned forward, hugging the animal’s neck. Though she was glad she couldn’t see Kade’s expression right now, she visualized the annoyance on his face. As they started forward again, she opened her eyes wider to catch some glimpse of a vague shape or form. Nothing. Only colorless expanse like a night with no moon or stars.

Halting the horse, Kade told her to get down but stay put. She heard him fumbling around off to her left. She turned her head toward the noise.

“Kade?”

“Just a minute.”

A chinking sound came from the direction of his voice. Carly thought she saw something flash, like a lightning bug at the forest’s edge. Another chink, another flash. And once more, but this time the flash turned to a tiny flame.

Carly saw Kade’s profile lean close and blow until the blaze grew into a small fire nestled in a pile of dry grass. He added twigs and bark. Moments later, the fire burned brightly within a ring of rocks, and he added larger pieces of wood from a stack near the cave’s wall.

Moving forward to be embraced by the dancing circle of light, Carly inspected their new lodging. The golden glow did not reach the far corners, but she could see the cave was fairly large. The side they occupied offered plenty of headroom, then sloped sharply downward to disappear in darkness. Behind Kade the walls narrowed, and she decided she didn’t want to know where they went or what lurked within them.

“Are we in Indian territory now?” Carly tried to keep the tremble from her voice.

The cowboy glanced up at her with eyes as black as their surroundings. He didn’t answer but leaned back against the smooth rock wall. A bundle of sorts lay on the ground beside him. Carly watched as he put two rocks back within the folds. He produced a small, supple pouch she sized up as a kind of canteen. Her throat ached at the thought of a cool drink, but the bag was obviously empty. Next Kade withdrew some jerky, dried apple rings, and a bottle of whiskey. He lay the food on the soft hide wrap and turned his attention to the liquor.

“Where did those supplies come from?”

His fingers curled around the neck of the bottle, but he sat motionless, his eyes closed, his breathing labored. “My people use this cave. We’ll restock what we use.”

Blood still oozed from the hole in his right shoulder. He lifted the vessel with his left hand, pulled the cork with his teeth, and drank nonstop until one-third was gone. Wiping his sleeve across his mouth, Kade turned his expressionless gaze on Carly.

“Want some?”

“I don’t drink.” She squatted down by the fire and stirred the white-tinged wood with a stick.

“Neither do I.” He took another long pull.

“Really? You don’t give that impression.”

“Perhaps it’s the company I’m keeping lately.” He watched her for a moment, then continued, softer. “We have no water, and I’m in no shape to get some just now. I need to rest a bit.”

He offered the bottle again, and Carly took it after a moment’s hesitation. She placed the rim to her lips and tilted it skyward. Liquid fire poured into her mouth and throat. She gasped and sputtered, sending a fine spray of whiskey across the distance separating her and Kade.

“Good God, woman. Just sip it.”

Struggling for air, Carly caught the apple ring he tossed her and quickly took a bite. It helped ease the burning in her throat, so she took another and looked at him.

He’d called her
woman
. So he knew. Of course he knew. Kade had seen what those men in the barn were doing to her.

Tearing her gaze from his, Carly glanced down her chest. Her shirt lay open about two inches, ragged with strings where buttons once were. She clutched the fabric together and looked back at the cowboy through her lashes. A heavy silence filled the still air.

Carly cleared her throat. “I guess I owe you a word of thanks.”

The man sat quietly for some time. When he spoke, his voice was low. “So,
Carl
, what made you think you could run off on your own and not get in trouble?”

“Carly. My name is really Carly.” She reached for another piece of dried fruit, then toyed with it as she spoke. “I—I guess it was stupid of me. But I . . . I mean, it’s just that—”

“I suggest you get some sleep, Carly. We should be safe enough in here, but I aim to move on at first light.”

She watched as his eyes closed, his head lolled back, and his breathing grew deep and even. She recorked the bottle, took a piece of jerky, and curled up in the dirt near the fire. Through the flames, she could see his face. The red-orange glow dusted his features with cinnamon and added bluish highlights to his long hair.

That man back in Destiny had said Kade was wanted for murder. Carly didn’t know much about him, but he didn’t seem like a criminal. She thought back to the men who had tracked them that first day. They weren’t after her. It was Kade they sought.

A shiver pimpled her skin, and she wiggled closer to the blaze. Carly studied her companion quietly until the black fog of sleep crept about her.

Strange sounds stole into her dreams. They distorted her pleasant Virginia garden party so that Carly soon found herself trapped in a cold, dark place with leering men coming at her.

She bolted upright and peered about fearfully. In bits and pieces, the events of last night came back to her, and she recognized the cave where they’d sought refuge. Morning light poured through the entrance, and she blinked against its brightness. The sounds continued though she now sat fully awake. Carly turned to where Kade still leaned against the wall.

His head tossed from side to side. Perspiration beaded on his face and forearms. He moaned and mumbled words she couldn’t understand. She scrambled over to him.

“Kade? Wake up, Kade. It’s morning.” She placed a hand gently on his good shoulder to shake him, then jerked it away. He burned like the coals in the fire. Sweat soaked his shirt and pants, making them cling to his body like another layer of skin. She noticed the tattered hole in his shirt and wondered again at what lay beneath. Blood stained more than halfway down that side of his body. Carly knew she had to do something. But what?

“C’mon, Kade. Wake up. I don’t know what to do. Wake up, and tell me how to help you!” He continued with his fitful sleep.

The black stood near the cave’s entrance. His head hung low. His coat was matted with dry sweat from their urgent flight last night. He regarded Carly with a tired, helpless look.

She stood and paced.
Think, girl, think. What would Kade do?
The empty water bag lay near him on the dirt floor. Carly picked it up, gathered the stallion’s halter lead, and went in search of a spring.

During their travels, Kade had pointed out what should have been obvious—where there’s foliage, there’s water. Especially in this part of the country. She let her eyes adjust to the bright morning sun. She scanned the terrain and noticed a stand of trees and brush not very far away. Her gaze roamed the area again, checking for any sign of danger. Unconvinced yet determined, she set out with the black in tow.