Chasing the Tumbleweed (3 page)

“Yeah...that.” Laurie took a deep breath. Brent would have told her she’d deserved to be raped for being so stupid. She looked at Jeff and expected to see the same judgment in his eyes.

Only concern looked back.

“Did he touch you?”

“Not really.”

Jeff pursed his lips.  “We need to get you back to ‘civilization’ as you call it, so you can talk to someone. There’s a woman in Austin I can take you to.”

“Austin, Texas?”

He laughed. “No, Nevada.”  He put his hands on his hips and studied her. “We’ll need to go overland to Grantsville first. You up for a two-mile hike tomorrow?”

She rolled her eyes. “What are we doing for the night?”

“You got any camping supplies in that car of yours?”

She shook her head. “I stay in motels.”

“Then we need to find some bushes. Fortunately, it’s warm and there aren’t too many vicious critters up this way. C’mon.”

“Wait a minute. What does ‘not too many’ mean?”

“A few snakes, and they’re mostly harmless. Nothing to worry about.”

Great. Saved from a madman only to die from snakebite.

Jeff led the way up the hill on the main road. They passed the turnoff to her car before he made a left off the trail.   After she’d followed him a little way off the road, he said, “Stay here.”  He broke a branch off a nearby pine and used it to sweep away their footprints. “Old technique, but it works.”

“Run from madmen often?” Laurie didn’t know why she was so relaxed with this man, especially since her last two experiences with the male species had been pretty bad.

“I try to avoid it.” Jeff cracked a smile. “Let’s walk a little farther and then see if we can get a little rest. It’s got to be close to midnight.”

The starlight was bright enough for Laurie to see her hand in front of her face so she had no trouble following the ranger. It was odd to be walking through the Nevada range with no streetlamps to guide her.

And yet, she was less afraid than she’d been in some sections of Salt Lake City.

“What happened to the backup you were expecting?” she called out to him.

He turned, a frown on his handsome face. Handsome? Had she really thought that at a time like this?

“Keep your voice down,” he said. “We don’t know where Crenshaw is. And I don’t know where that backup is, either. Now, c’mon.”

Shoulders slumped, she focused on the ground and trudged behind him. A tear slipped from one eye and she dashed it away. What else did she think she would get? No one expected her to amount to much and she was good at meeting expectations.

Except I want to live, dammit!

About a half hour later Jeff said, “We should be far enough away from the road.  Let’s camp here.”

She looked at the barren ground in dismay. At least her tote could serve as a pillow.

Jeff went to a scrub pine and cut a lower branch with his knife.  “A few of these will give us a cushion from the ground.” He gestured to a nearby boulder.  “Feel free to take care of business while I do this.”

Her cheeks flamed. He was so matter-of-fact. 
I guess it comes from living in the middle of nowhere.

Lugging her bag with her, she went where he’d indicated and began her nightly rituals as best she could surrounded by miles of emptiness. Clean teeth revived her spirits, as did a few quick swipes with her disinfectant wipes. She grabbed some tissues, took a few steps farther into the wilderness to “take care of business,” and buried the tissues in the forest duff.

After she’d wiped her hands once more, she returned to the clearing.

Jeff finished arranging the bower and stood.  “Your bed, milady,” he said with a grin.

How odd. A sense of humor.

She smiled back and looked into his eyes.

Something stirred in her heart.

Quickly looking away, she moved to the far side of the branch bed. “Where are you going to sleep?”

“Um...next to you, I’m afraid. We need each other’s body heat. Don’t worry—I’m not going to try anything. I realize after what you’ve been through that doesn’t mean much, so here.” He held out the hilt of his utility knife to her.

She shook her head. “I’ve had enough of knives, thanks.” She smiled again. “I do have karate training, so you’d better be good. A-n-d…” She raised her eyebrows. “I do know how to kick you where it hurts.”

He laughed. It was a great big belly laugh.

“What happened to being quiet?” she asked.

He stopped laughing, but the smile remained.  “Sorry. I guess I sounded a little harsh back there. And we do need to be quiet. It was just the idea of you...” He indicated her small stature. “…attempting to overpower me...” He straightened and then immediately slumped back with laughter, quieter this time, but just as intense.

How can he laugh at a time like this?

But then the bug caught her and she doubled over, the stress of the past day transforming into gut-cleansing laughter. Soon they were both on the forest floor, gasping for breath.

When she finally began to recover, she said, “I guess I needed that.”

He nodded.  “We should get some rest, though.”

She eyed the bower.
Not high on the comfort scale, but it’ll have to do.

Gingerly, she lay down and felt the stir of the branches as Jeff settled in next to her. 

The heat from his body was intimate in a way warmth had never been with Brent.

“Aren’t the stars amazing?” He stared up at the sky.

She looked up. “Yes.” She wondered about the man lying next to her. “Why did you decide to become a forest ranger? Doesn’t it get lonely?”

“No, it’s not lonely. Lonely is when you’re in a crowded place and no one knows who you really are.”

“Forest ranger philosopher, then?”

“Hard not to be when there’s this entire expanse around  me. Instead of feeling all puffed up by sycophants, I became aware of how insignificant I really am. I became a forest ranger so I could help protect places like this so more people could experience it.”

“But what about love? A family? Who’d want to live out here in the middle of nowhere?”

He shrugged. “People do. Families happen. But I’m not interested. Love is too much like chasing a tumbleweed. The wind blows it about and when you do finally catch it, you’re covered in thorns.”

“You don’t really believe that, do you?”

“’Fraid so.” He was silent for a while. “Let’s get some sleep.” He rolled over and turned away from her.

The next morning a rustle woke Laurie and she opened her eyes. A few feet away a small doe nibbled at some brush. The wonder of the sight increased her contentment at being snuggled in Brent’s arms.

Brent? In the woods?

Shit!

She registered the olive green shirt, pushed herself out from under Jeff’s protective arm and looked at him.

His eyes were wide open and a smile wreathed his face. “I wondered when you  would wake up.”

Double shit!
She jumped up and brushed the pine needles from her clothes. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to get that close.”

“No problem. I slept just fine.” He rolled over, stood up and began to scatter their bower.

The deer had long since disappeared.

Her stomach rumbled and her mouth was dry.
I probably have the worst morning breath.

“Don’t suppose there’s a coffee shop nearby where we could get some breakfast,” she said, grabbing her tote and walking toward her boulder bathroom.

“Only if you want to walk to Austin.”

“We may have to if your backup doesn’t show up.”

He grunted.

Once she’d finished her morning toilet, she returned to the clearing. A few seconds later Jeff appeared from behind another boulder, tucking his shirt into his pants.

She offered him a disinfectant wipe.

His lips twitched, but he took it from her.  Once he was done with it, he folded it carefully and stuck it in a back pocket.  “No littering.” He grinned. “I
am
the local law enforcement, you know.”

“Maybe we can get some food in Grantsville,” she said as an  image of a fat bun oozing with cinnamon  appeared in her mind.

“Hardly,” he said and started walking. “It’s a ghost town.”

“Then why the hell are we going there?” She followed.

“It’s a state park and there might be people visiting....people with cars.”

“And food.”

He chuckled. “And maybe food.”

She followed him up the hill. “How come you’re so down on love?”

“Experience.”

“I know about being dumped, but they say you recover.”

He snorted. “Whoever
they
are.”

“But how long ago were you dumped? You
were
dumped weren’t you?”
Oops
. She’d probably crossed a line. They were total strangers and here she was asking intimate questions.

“Eight years.”

“Wow.” She took a few more steps. “Don’t you think you should try again?”

He stopped, turned and glared at her. “I
think
you should mind your own business.”

An hour later all she could think about was the emptiness in her stomach and her aching feet. They had followed the line of the hill to a ravine where Jeff hoped to find water, but the Nevada summer had evaporated the stream into a briny, fly-infested soup.

They started their assent up the next ridge toward Grantville.

“How much farther?” She forced the words out of her parched throat.

“’Bout two hours;  less if we’re lucky.” He turned to look at her. “I don’t normally come this way.” He smiled. “How are you doing?”

Terrible.
“I’m okay.”

“Yeah, I can see that. I wish I could make it easier...but...”

“I know. I’ll go back to dreaming about scrambled eggs, bacon and a huge glass of water.”

“Once we get to Austin, I’ll make sure you get those. I know the perfect place...as long as you like mango in your pancakes.” He chuckled ruefully.

Laurie put her mind back on autopilot and trudged after him.

Less than the promised two hours later, she saw the first of the town’s ramshackle buildings, the remains of an old brick home.

Now if there were only people here.

Their pace picked up as Jeff led the way to the parking lot.

They were approaching the most intact house she’d seen so far, when a shot rang out.

“Go!” Jeff shouted and unholstered his gun .

Laurie summoned the last of her energy and ran toward the building.  Another shot reverberated.

“Damn!” Jeff said and shoved her into the building.”Down!” He pulled her below the level of the broken out windows. 

The sleeve on his upper left arm was torn and an ugly, bloody gash peeked through the hole.

“You’re bleeding,” she said.

He glanced down. “Only a scratch.” He cautiously raised himself from a crouch and peered around a splintered doorframe.

A roaring shot sent him back to her side.  “He must be in the old mine building.”

“Now what?” Her stomach growled again. It appeared not even danger could stop her hunger. She glanced around the small space.

Was that what she thought it was?

Keeping down, she crawled to the far corner of the building and grabbed the candy bar someone had left in the corner. She tossed the bar to him and crept back.

“Still sealed,” he said. “Nice find.” He handed it to her.

“You have to be hungry, too.” She broke it in two and then held up both sides to allow him to make his choice.

He took the slightly smaller half with a smile. “To answer your question, I’m not sure what to do yet.  He has us pinned down here.”

“What happened to your backup? Why don’t you have a cell phone?”

“Cell phone was in the Jeep, charging. And I don’t know where the backup is. Something must have delayed them.”

“Give me the girl and you can leave.” Eli’s voice boomed outside.

Jeff looked at her, but didn’t say anything.

She opened her mouth to yell, but he put his index finger to his lips and shook his head. Instead, he cocked his pistol and held it ready.

“I can wait you out,” Eli yelled again. “How long can you last with no food or water?”

They stayed silent. Laurie strained to hear footsteps outside the building, but they didn’t come.

“Have it your way.”

Over the next few hours, Laurie mentally cataloged every stone in the small house. The building, in fact the whole ghost town, was exactly what she’d hoped to work on when she’d graduated. Maybe she’d looked in the wrong place for a job.

Night edged its way into the remote area. She tried to keep her eyes open as the light faded, but lost the struggle and her head collapsed on Jeff’s shoulder. This time she didn’t care if her closeness bothered him.

Serves him right for being such a grouch about love.

Chapter Four

The rifle barrel chilled Jeff’s temple.

“Get up,” Crenshaw growled.

Damn.
  He must have drifted off after Laurie fell asleep on his shoulder.

“Now.” Crenshaw nudged the gun.

“Okay. Okay. Laurie, wake up.”

“Do I have to?” she whined.

“’Fraid so.”

“Yeah, it’s time to leave your lover-boy.” Crenshaw took a step back and Jeff helped Laurie to her feet.

Her face paled when she saw Crenshaw. She turned to Jeff. “You fell asleep!”

“Guilty.” There wasn’t much else to say.

He didn’t see the blow coming, but saw the horror on Laurie’s face right before something crashed into his skull and blackness overran his world.

# # #

Lights and yelling roused him.
How much time had passed? Who was making all that racket?

He pushed himself up to a sitting position and swallowed back the nausea that threatened.

A familiar voice penetrated the fog in his mind.

“Over here!” His voice sounded feeble.

The ranger must have heard him. She stuck her head in the door, scanned the area with her flashlight and then shouted over her shoulder. “He’s in here!”