Turn the Tide

by Ruggle, Katie

  Hunter: 10–4. Keep an eye out for Patty, too. Marshall’s got a screw loose. We’ll meet you there as soon as we can.

  Marco tucked the phone in its holster and turned back to the table as Sarah removed the blood pressure cuff. “You feeling a little better, Mama?” He addressed the question to her, but his glance flicked to Sarah for confirmation. She nodded, and relief flooded through him.

  He studied the map. “Walk me through it, would you?” He quickly sketched the map for Josh, making notes as she talked, trying to picture exactly where she meant. Unfortunately, instructions like “go yonder a fair piece” were hard to translate into miles.

  Marco stood and squeezed her hand. “Thanks. This will be a big help. FWC Officer Tanner is heading this way. Give this to him, all right?” More thunder shook the cottage, and rain pounded on the tin roof. Marco checked the radar on his weather app. The worst was still coming. He had to get moving.

  When he saw Sarah grab her poncho from the railing and slip it over her head, he stood. “What are you doing?”

  “What does it look like? Getting my poncho.”

  “You’re not coming with me.” No way in hell would he put her in that kind of danger.

  “Yes I am. That boy may need me before it’s over.”

  She had a point, but he ignored it. It wasn’t safe. “Mama T needs you here to keep an eye on her.”

  “Boy, I been taking care of myself since before you was even a twinkle in your mama’s eye.” Marco heard the unmistakable sound of a shotgun shell being ratcheted into the chamber. “I need you both to go get my grandbaby.”

  Sarah flashed him a triumphant grin, then instantly sobered, while Marco’s gut churned with all the possible things that could go wrong. But he didn’t have another second to waste. He turned back to Mama T. “Don’t go shooting Officer Tanner by mistake.”

  “You’re gonna need wheels. Come with me.” They followed her through the kitchen and across the flooded yard to the little outbuilding from which she ran her business. She unlocked the padlock and slid the door open and lit another hurricane lamp. Beyond the shelves of home-canned goods, she walked to the back of her shop and raised the lantern, illuminating an aging dirt bike.

  Marco grinned. “Since when do you ride a bike, Mama T?”

  She dangled the keys. “I don’t. But I took it as collateral for some sewing. Patty rides it to work some days.”

  Marco walked around it, checked it out.

  Mama T reached up and patted his cheek. “Go find my Donny.”

  He folded her in a gentle hug. “Yes, ma’am.”

  After Mama handed them an extra helmet and Marco pushed the bike out of the shed, Sarah swung her leg over and whispered, “You’re a good man, Marco Sanchez, no matter what anyone says.”

  His head snapped up and Sarah winked before she wrapped her arms around his middle and tucked her head against his back.

  Chapter 7

  Sarah held tight to Marco’s back as they raced through the mud. His calm competence and steady presence eased her worry for Donny, if not her misery. Even with the poncho, the water seemed to be everywhere, running down her neck, soaking her legs, making her shiver. She tried not to jump every time a clap of thunder sounded, but she couldn’t seem to help it. Wind whipped the trees, and more than one sapling blew down as they sped past.

  Marco stopped again to consult the ziplock bag in which he’d secured Mama T’s handwritten map. “Shouldn’t be too much farther.”

  Sarah nodded and held on, her head tucked behind his shoulder to block the driving rain, her medical bag strapped on behind her. She wouldn’t close her eyes. Every time she did, horrific images of what Freddie might be doing to Donny made her want to throw up. She had to believe he wouldn’t hurt his own son, or she wouldn’t be able to keep it together.

  Marco picked up the pace, and she wrapped her arms more securely around his middle, wrists locked together. She’d given up trying to hold on to the slippery poncho. Besides, right now, he was the only solid and true thing in the midst of Mother Nature’s fury and a world suddenly gone crazy.

  The bike started leaning to one side and she followed Marco’s lead, having learned to follow his body’s movements into the turns. They raced through a huge puddle in the dirt road, and she braced herself to be hit with another wall of water. Suddenly, the bike slammed into something below the surface. As they were thrown forward, Sarah was sure they were about to fly over the handlebars. Instead, the bike went airborne and flipped end over end and the world flew by in a dizzying whirl. She locked her arms tighter around Marco’s middle right as he shouted, “Hold on!”

  As they spun crazily, the seconds separated into what felt like super-slow motion. Sarah felt the rain in her face, Marco’s muscles tightening under her locked arms, the pounding of her heart. She braced for impact as the bike crashed into the muddy ground.

  Marco jerked them sharply to the side at the last second and kicked his legs out, trying to keep the bike from landing on them. They hit the mud with a thump and then slid across the ground before slamming into a huge tree.

  Sarah heard a pop, and then the world went black.

  Chapter 8

  Twelve-year-old Donny Thomas had never been so scared in his life. He kept his hands tight on the ATV’s grips as they raced through the Forest, his father laughing like a crazy person every time they flew over a puddle and plowed through more mud. Whenever Donny tried to move further away to keep Freddie from touching him, his father scooted closer. His breath stank, his body stank, but it was his laugh that made Donny worry he was going to pee his pants.

  This was worse than what happened nine months ago. At least then, when his father had tried to take him away, his mother had been there to try to stop him. Donny’s teeth started chattering and fury washed over him when he remembered how Freddie had gone after his mama with a knife. He’d thrown her around, too, and she still had a little bit of a limp.

  Now he was all alone with his father, and he was terrified. What was his dad planning?

  “Where are we going?” he asked.

  Freddie snapped at him. “You just drive and let me worry about the important stuff.” And then he started muttering to himself like a complete lunatic. Donny realized he really was crazy. He strained to make out the words, but with the pouring rain, it was hard to hear.

  They continued their mad dash through the Forest while Donny tried to figure out what to do. Should he try to leap off the ATV? But Freddie was behind him and had him caged between his arms.

  Then he heard Freddie say something that sounded like “She’s going to pay,” and everything inside him turned to ice. Freddie planned to hurt his mama again. No. Not if Donny could stop it.

  Without giving himself time to think, he waited until they got close to the next ditch, then he gripped the right brake as hard as he could. The ATV spun sideways and tipped over, their momentum slinging them both off into the mud.

  Donny yelled when he landed hard on the ground just past the ditch. He tried to move, to run, but he couldn’t catch his breath. Get up, go.

  He turned onto all fours, then pushed up to his feet and raced over to the ATV. Freddie was lying a few yards away, not moving. The ATV was on its side, so he quickly unscrewed the gas cap to let the fuel run out. That way Freddie couldn’t come after him. He had to warn Mama that Freddie was coming. Donny had a prepaid cell phone his mama gave him for emergencies. Their old trailer was the only place around that they could sometimes get a signal. Or at least enough to send a text.

  “Get back here, you little—” Freddie shouted as he staggered to his feet and charged after him.

  Donny didn’t stop. Just took off running as if his life depended on it.

  He had to warn Mama.

  ***

  “Sarah!” Marco crawled out from under the bike and raced to where Sarah had lande
d several feet away. He crouched beside her, thankful for the tiny bit of protection the tree offered from the still-driving rain. This storm should have moved through by now, but it was raining harder than ever. He studied her still face, heart racing, thankful the helmet hadn’t come off during the fall.

  “Sarah. Can you hear me?” He patted her cheeks, frustrated that his hands left mud on her pale skin. He tried to wipe it away. “Sarah?” Her eyelids fluttered, and his breath whooshed out in relief. He put his hand to her neck, gratified to feel her pulse jumping under his fingers, erratic but definitely there. He patted her cheeks again. “Sarah? Wake up, Princess. Let’s go.”

  “Still being insulting, Sanchez?” she whispered as her eyes opened.

  When she started to sit up, he put out a hand to stop her. “Hang on a second, and let’s make sure nothing’s broken.”

  He ran his hand down her right leg and bit back a curse when she jerked away from his touch. He checked her left leg, relieved that it seemed okay, same with her arms and neck. “No pain anywhere?”

  “Just my right knee.” She sat up and scooted backward to lean against the tree, breathing hard from the effort.

  “How bad is it?” he asked.

  She straightened the leg, then slowly bent the knee and sucked in a breath, ran her hands over and around it. “I don’t think anything’s broken, at least. Pain is mostly on the inside, so I’m thinking MCL strain, at the very least. Let me make sure I can walk on it.”

  Despite her matter-of-fact tone, her face had gone pale. Marco helped her to her feet, but the moment she tried to put weight on the leg, her knee gave out. He caught her before she fell and tucked her against him while she muttered in frustration. “Dang it. Definitely strained something. Hope that pop I heard doesn’t mean it’s torn.”

  “Do you have an Ace bandage?” he asked as he helped her sink back down against the tree.

  She nodded and pulled one out of the first aid kit still strapped over her.

  He pulled up the leg of her scrubs and quickly wrapped the bandage from below the knee all the way above it, partway up her thigh. “Better?”

  “Thank you, Marco.” She looked down at her leg. “You do good work. There should be some ibuprofen in my bag.”

  He gave her a couple, and she swallowed them dry, then said, “I’ll be okay here now. Go find Donny. We can’t leave him with Freddie.”

  “No argument, but I am not leaving you here alone. We’ll talk about Donny after we get out of this weather.” He crouched down beside her, secured her helmet again. “Put your arms around my neck so I don’t drop you in the mud.” Before she could protest, he scooped her into his arms, and his heart clenched at the hiss of pain that escaped before she bit it back. “Sorry, Princess.”

  If he remembered right—please, God—the abandoned hunting cabin should be less than a mile from here. He stood, shifted her weight slightly as he looked around, then headed in that direction.

  “You don’t have to carry me—” she started, and he silenced her with a look.

  “You planning to jog on that leg?” He raised his eyebrows. “You can be mad at me later. Right now, I need you to hold on.” Then he gentled his tone. “I know it won’t be fun. I’ll try to get us there quick.”

  “Where are we going?” she asked.

  “Old moonshiners’ hideout.” He marched steadily through the rain with Sarah tucked against him, her arms around his neck, the helmet shielding her head from the rain. He tried to keep from jostling her leg, but it wasn’t easy. Especially when his hands started sliding on her wet poncho and he had to reposition her in his arms to keep from losing his grip. Her harsh breathing tore another strip off his heart.

  Despite the pain, she didn’t complain, and his admiration for her grew with every step. The beautiful girl he’d known had turned into one tough lady.

  Time blurred as he tried to keep his focus on their destination. He couldn’t get lost, couldn’t afford to miss the cabin.

  The farther they went, the quieter she got, and he realized she was dozing. He hoped it was due to the meds, not the pain, but either way, he picked up his pace a little more, desperate to get her there sooner.

  Finally, as the muscles in his arms screamed and his steps started slowing from exhaustion, he glimpsed the cabin through the pouring rain.

  Careful not to drop her, he eased up onto the porch, hoping he didn’t fall through a rotted floorboard. “Sarah, we’re here. Wake up.”

  He watched her face as the seconds ticked by and she didn’t rouse. He firmed his tone. “Come on, Princess. No sleeping now. Wake up.”

  She sucked in a breath as her eyes opened. “Stop calling me Princess.”

  He grinned with relief. “Works, doesn’t it?” Then he sobered. “I have to put you down to get this door open, okay?”

  “It hurts, but it’s not fatal, Marco. Quit babying me. I’m fine.”

  The strain around her eyes said otherwise, but she didn’t make a sound as he lowered her to the floor. He turned her so she could lean against the wall, then used his booted foot to kick the door open.

  Chapter 9

  Sarah didn’t think she’d ever been so soggy and miserable in her life. Marco helped her down onto the floor just inside the cabin, her back to the wall. She pulled off the helmet, wringing out her waterlogged hair. She’d removed the enormous orange poncho, but now that they were out of the rain, a chill from her wet clothes was working its way down to her bones. She looked up, and her gaze collided with Marco’s. She didn’t want him to leave her alone but… “You need to go. Donny needs you.”

  The wind had picked up again, and the rain pounded so hard, it was difficult to talk over the roar of it. Lightning flashed and thunder boomed. Even if he left now, he wouldn’t get far, not until this rain band passed over. “Let’s get you squared away first.” Marco crouched in front of her, brushing a hand over her cheek. “Are you going to be okay?” He tucked her hair behind her ears, hands gentle, dark eyes unreadable.

  She nodded, unable to find words for all the emotions sloshing through her. How had she gotten here, exactly? Stranded in a little cabin in the midst of a tropical storm with none other than Marco Sanchez, the guy she’d loved with all the passion in her seventeen-year-old heart. The one she’d never been able to forget, even though he’d broken her heart. She’d never been able to completely shove him out of her mind either, as proven by her key ring, and no other man had ever come close to making her feel the way he did. The quiet protector with the chip on his shoulder who looked out for her and his younger siblings had stolen her heart and never given it back. She shivered, though she wasn’t sure it had anything to do with her wet clothes.

  He sat down beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. She sighed as the heat from his body warmed her cold skin. He glanced around the snug little cabin, and one side of his mouth kicked up in a crooked smile. “This place isn’t much bigger than that photo booth at the carnival.”

  Sarah searched for a response as a familiar flush raced over her cheeks. How could he make light of it? Whenever she thought about that long-ago kiss, she swore she could still feel the touch of his lips on hers.

  “I can’t believe you kept that photo,” he said quietly. He put his finger under her chin and tilted her face to his. “Why?”

  Because she’d always felt safe and protected within the circle of his hard arms. Because she’d loved him. She’d thought he loved her, too.

  She’d been wrong.

  She shrugged as though the kiss had meant nothing. No way would she let him see how his easy dismissal had hurt her. “It was a fun night. I guess I’m sentimental.”

  She looked over with a little smile, unsettled by his emphatic expression. When he spoke, his tone was fierce. “It was more than just fun, Princess, and we both know it.”

  Sarah looked away, un
sure. What was he trying to say?

  The silence lengthened, and finally, he drew his knees up and draped his wrists over them, the muscles in his arms tempting her to touch. “So, what have you been doing with yourself?” he asked. “I saw graduation pictures of you and Tristan. But instead of seeing wedding pictures after that, I heard you went off to college and he married someone else. Bet your daddy wasn’t happy about all that.”

  Not happy was a huge understatement, but she wouldn’t open more old wounds. Not now. “Daddy always wanted me to be happy.” But honesty forced her to add, “As long as what I wanted and what he wanted for me were the same thing. He wanted me to marry Tristan, wanted to merge our neighboring farms. When I said I was going to college to be a nurse instead, he said he wouldn’t pay a dime of my education. Between Gran and scholarships, I made it work. Mama passed while I was in college, and after I got my nursing degree, I became a travel nurse. I’ve been in San Francisco the last couple years, until Daddy had a heart attack a few weeks back. I’ve been staying in one of the cottages on the farm, keeping an eye on him.” She shrugged. “As much as he’ll let me.”

  “I’m very sorry about your mama. Are you planning to stay in Ocala?” Was that hope she saw in his face?

  “I’m not sure yet. My job is temporary right now. What about you? Where did your family go after they left Ocala?” She wanted to add: After you stood me up for the Sadie Hawkins dance and left me heartbroken, waiting for you.

  “We went back to Miami, worked another farm. Pop died of alcoholism not long after, and I stayed and took care of Mama, made sure everyone finished high school. Then I got my GED and went to college.” He shrugged as though it was no big deal, but Sarah heard the sacrifices he’d made for his family, the years he’d given up.

  “I’ve been up here with FWC for about two years now.” He met her gaze. “It’s home.”

  Her voice was quiet. “I always wondered what happened to you, why your whole family disappeared without anyone knowing.”