by Alex Archer
"Because you've got a roving trio of gun-toting guys up in the woods who scared off Jenny's students yesterday."
David frowned. "So they were telling the truth?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Ellen, the lady who handles the calls at the station, got me on the radio late yesterday and said that a group of kids came into the station claiming they'd been run out of the woods by a bunch of psychos. Ellen didn't put much credence in what they said, and since I was out of town there wasn't much she could do about it."
Annja frowned. "I guess that answers my question about the deputies."
David shook his head. "Can't afford 'em. The town, I mean. We're a backwater place. Barely got enough funds for me and Ellen."
The truck rolled over another pothole, bouncing them in the interior of the cab. Annja knocked the top of her head against the roof. "Or enough for road work, apparently."
"Exactly," David said. "We're working on it, though. A wealthy industrialist recently moved to the outskirts of town and set up shop. His property taxes alone should be enough to at least get another part-timer on the force. That would help me out a lot."
"Who's the guy that moved in?" Annja asked.
"Made his money in mineral mining down in South America," David said. "Name's something like Bettancourt."
Annja frowned. "I've heard of him. I think he was in the news for something, a mine collapse down in Venezuela or something like that."
David nodded. "That's him. He was in a lot of hot water, but he's a nice guy. Invited me up for a chat one afternoon recently. He's really taken with the area, loves going for hikes, that sort of thing."
"Better warn him not to go out there while those nuts are stalking around."
David nodded. "We'll take care of those guys, don't worry about it."
"Well, we'll need to hurry up because there's a fourteen-year-old boy who's determined to wreak vengeance on them for killing his wolf," Annja said.
David slammed on the brakes and looked at Annja. "Joey?"
Annja nodded. "Yep."
David took a breath. "Cripes. What in the world is he thinking?"
"He's not. That's the problem."
Jenny shook her head. "They killed his wolf. It was terrible. The poor thing came to us and died."
"Cheehawk." David was quiet for a moment. "It was a beautiful creature, wasn't it?"
"Yes."
"And Joey's out there now?"
Annja nodded. "Yes."
"Well, one thing's for sure—whoever killed Cheehawk, they're going to have their hands full with Joey."
Annja raised her eyebrows. "Are you kidding?"
"What?"
"That's all you can say? Joey's just a boy. He can't handle those guys alone. They'll kill him."
"I highly doubt that."
"You doubt that?"
David held up his hand. "Hang on a second, Annja. We'll get out there, trust me. I know his grandfather very well and I promised him I'd always look out for Joey, but you should know that Joey's a pretty accomplished woodsman. His grandfather taught him a fair lot of stuff. Joey knows those woods like no one else in the area and can disappear anytime he wants."
"That's not going to help him when they shoot him dead for being a pain in the ass. What happens to your promise to his grandfather then?"
"Joey knows how to handle himself. I'm honestly not that concerned. I've seen him fight before."
"Joey?"
David nodded. "We had a guy come through here about a year or so back. Got drunk at the bar and started some crap. I was on my way there when Joey happened to stop by the bar, dropping off some stuff for Mr. Crowe, the owner. The drunk guy saw that Joey was Native American and started hassling him. According to Mr. Crowe, Joey held out as long as any reasonable man might be expected to. Then he leveled the guy. Threw him out of the bar just as I was pulling up."
"Was the man armed?" Annja asked.
"Had a knife about as long as my arm," David said. "Didn't matter to Joey. He just handled him. Never saw the guy again."
David started driving again. "I asked Crowe if he wanted to press any charges, but most folks around these parts are happy if trouble just leaves them alone. I'm inclined to agree with the sentiment. People leave us alone and we can keep on with our lives."
"What if they don't leave you alone?"
"Then we take them over to the State Police barracks about an hour from here. They lock 'em up and prosecute them, if need be. But that's only happened once, long before my time as sheriff."
Annja sighed. "I'm still worried. I met Joey's grandfather last night and, after everything he's taught Joey, I can't imagine he'd be thrilled if he knew his only male heir was out in the woods facing down three armed guys."
"You don't know his grandfather, then," David said. "He'll eat this up and ask for seconds."
Jenny glanced at Annja and then back at David. "David, maybe we should try to get out into the woods as soon as we can. I mean, I know you think Joey can handle himself and he probably can, but wouldn't it be better to make sure those guys, whoever they are, are taken care of before we look at the evidence you've got?"
David shrugged. "Sure, no problem. But we still need to go back to the station. I'll need my rifle." He glanced at Annja. "You shoot?"
Annja shrugged. "Do I have to?"
"I don't know. You saw these guys. Are they skilled?"
"From what I know about guns, they looked as if they knew what they were doing."
"Okay. I'll give you both a crash course in handling the rifles."
Jenny's eyes opened wide. "You want me to take a gun, too?"
"Any dumb ass can shoot a gun," David said. "And apparently there are three of them out in the woods right now. You'll be okay, trust me."
Annja wasn't happy about the situation. She glanced at David. Just what the hell was going on around here? He didn't seem the least bit concerned about Joey. And he wasn't too concerned about the guys in the woods, either. Why did everyone seem to think she was overreacting?
She didn't detect any real threat from David aside from a general sense of apathy, and yet she felt extremely uneasy.
Jenny seemed absolutely content.
Maybe I'm overthinking things, she thought. Maybe this is all just the product of stress. After all, I haven't had any sleep since I arrived. The lack of rest could be affecting my decision-making ability.
She remembered reading that lack of sleep could produce feelings of paranoia, hallucinations and worse. Maybe this was a textbook case of that.
Maybe.
David agreed to get them to town as quickly as possible and accelerated the truck. The road was twisting and they took several curves faster than seemed safe. Annja decided there was nothing she could do but hang on and enjoy the ride.
She closed her eyes and thought about the sword. Instantly, she could see it hovering in front of her. She was feeling calm and clearheaded. She'd go after Joey on her own if she had to.
She was completely unprepared for an explosion.
She opened her eyes as the entire body of the truck flew into the air, and then they were rolling, turning and flipping over and over again as the truck came down with a screeching gnash of metal.
Jenny screamed.
Annja felt the truck hit the ground and blackness rushed over her.
Chapter 16
Annja had the distinct impression that she was flying through the air. And she found herself experiencing the worry that eventually she would have to come back to earth, thanks to the effects of gravity.
And yet she did not crash into the ground at all.
After a moment, she felt the hardness of the ground around her body, but she had no idea how she'd gotten there. She couldn't see anything, just the same blackness that had rushed at her when her world had suddenly exploded into an intense flash and concussive roar that made her ears ring.
Slowly, her senses started to return. She could taste acrid smoke in
her mouth. It seemed to have singed the interior of her nostrils, as well. Something was burning and she hoped that it wasn't her flesh.
Aches suddenly invaded her joints and her bones. The back of her neck seemed to have seized up, and Annja found it difficult to move her head or neck at all.
Am I paralyzed? She tried to wiggle her toes, but she couldn't feel anything down there, either.
This is bad, she thought. What the hell happened?
Annja felt as if she'd been used to scrape barnacles off the hull of a tramp steamer. She tried to take an internal assessment of her injuries, but found she simply couldn't concentrate enough to draw her awareness throughout her body.
The blackness that surrounded her seemed absolute. She thought about the sword and imagined reaching her hands out for it in the otherwhere.
She took a breath and felt the stabbing of a thousand needles in her lungs. It felt as if shards of hot metal had lanced her through. Fragmentation? She couldn't be sure. She wondered if she was in some sort of catatonic limbo where she couldn't die and yet wasn't quite alive.
I need help, she thought. I've got to get some help. But how?
She tried to move her arms. Nothing.
Her legs refused to even twitch.
She took another breath, trying to draw some strength out of the air itself. If she could just get enough power, she might be able to shake off the darkness and get out of wherever she was.
It was no use. Her body simply wouldn't respond to her commands.
Her heart was solidly pumping. Annja willed herself to stay relaxed and calm. Panic would rob her of whatever little bit of energy she could manage to muster.
And she needed every ounce of it.
She kept breathing, concentrating on just counting her breaths over and over again all the way up to fifty and then starting back at one again. Breathe, relax, breathe, relax, she told herself.
The darkness lightened. Annja could see a bit of light flashing in her eyes.
"Annja?"
That voice. She'd heard it before. But where?
"Annja?"
She opened her eyes. The wrecked corpse of a truck loomed over her, twisted and gnarled almost beyond recognition. She looked down and saw part of the front end was pinning her down.
She was trapped.
No wonder I couldn't feel anything down there, she thought. Still, it didn't look good, not one bit. She might have extensive damage to her limbs.
"She's awake."
Jenny's face came into blurry view. Annja had to blink several times to clear the picture.
She smiled at Annja. "Nice to have you back with us."
"Wh-what happened?"
Jenny shook her head. Annja cold see the streaks of dirt and grease across Jenny's face. "Some sort of explosion. It tossed the truck through the air and we came down pretty hard."
"You're okay?" Annja asked as everything came flooding back to her.
Jenny nodded. "Probably got a sprain or two, but nothing too serious."
"David?"
"He's okay, thank God. He's a pretty hardy guy. Got some cuts but nothing beyond that."
Annja frowned. "Looks as if I drew the short straw this time out, huh?"
"David says he's got a jack that must have gone flying when we exploded or whatever it was that happened. He thinks he can crank this off you and we'll be able to pull you out."
"Does it look bad from your angle?"
Jenny glanced down and then back at Annja. "I can't see your legs, so I'm not going to speculate on what it looks like."
Annja frowned. "I can't feel anything down there."
Jenny shook her head. "That doesn't mean anything. You could have no circulation right now. Sort of a pins-and-needles thing, you know? Once David gets the truck off you, we'll be in a better position to see the extent of the damage."
Annja nodded.
The darkness had vanished.
She heard movement around her and opened her eyes again. David smiled at her. "Hey."
"Hey, yourself."
"Found the jack. I'm going to try to get this rig off you. Don't try to move until I tell Jenny to start pulling, okay? I want to make sure you're all…connected down there before we try to move you. Understand?"
"Yeah."
David nodded. "Good. Just stay with me while I do this and we'll have you out in no time flat."
Jenny came around and took Annja's hands in hers. "I think I'll just hold on to your hands here in case I need to tug you out fast."
Annja smiled and looked around. "We're not still on the road?"
"Partially. We're also on the dirt."
Annja frowned. "Where's he setting up the jack?"
"On the asphalt," David called out. "Don't worry. It wouldn't do you much good if I set it up on the dirt and gravel, would it?"
Annja smiled. "Guess not."
"Here we go."
Annja closed her eyes and let the gray mist envelop her. She calmed herself down and relaxed her breathing even as she heard David start cranking the jack. She wondered if there would be a sudden onslaught of pain once the truck was lifted. Would she scream out in agony?
Her heart started beating faster but she kept focusing on her breathing. I just need to stay relaxed, she told herself. And the gray mist that enveloped her seemed to soothe her.
Annja had the sensation of a sudden release of pressure.
Jenny's voice was quiet in her ear. "It's up."
David came around. Annja kept her eyes closed. She was afraid. The prospect of losing her legs was terrifying.
"Well, that's interesting," David said.
Jenny started to giggle.
Annja opened her eyes.
"If you two are through mocking my situation here…"
Jenny pointed and Annja glanced down as much as the pain in her neck let her.
She could see her legs. They were completely bare.
"Looks like you lost your pants, Annja," David said.
Annja flexed her toes. They responded. She slumped back. "Thank God they're all right."
"The truck wasn't actually on your legs. Your legs were pushed into the dirt but the angle of the rig was resting more on the asphalt." David got to his feet and went behind Annja. "You are really lucky."
"My neck hurts."
"I'm not surprised," David said. He looped his arms under Annja's armpits. "I've got to move you before the truck actually does come down. You okay with that?"
"Do it."
David tightened his grip and then pulled Annja out from under the truck. She felt a wave of pain lance through her upper back and neck. "Ow!"
David laid her down some feet away from the crumpled heap. "You okay?"
"Back's killing me."
David ran his hands under Annja's back. "I can't be sure, of course, but it doesn't feel like there's anything broken."
Annja frowned. "I could get up and walk two steps and sever my own spinal cord, though."
"That's true."
Jenny frowned. "That's not going to happen."
Annja smiled. "Optimist."
David looked around. "I'll see if I can find your pants. Kinda cold to be lying out here in your skivvies like that."
"Thanks." Annja watched him move off and then turned to Jenny, wincing as she did. "Seems like a nice enough guy."
"He is, isn't he?"
She glanced at Jenny. "It's okay. I'm fine now." She struggled to sit up.
David came back around the side of the truck holding a pair of pants. Annja could see there were burns on the fabric. He saw Annja and stopped short.
"You shouldn't be sitting."
Annja shook her head. "I'm all right."
"We should really wait to get a medical opinion on that from someone more qualified. Like maybe after you've had an X-ray?"
"No time," Annja said. "I'll take my pants, please."
David handed them over and Annja struggled into them. Her body felt sore but she was certain there was n
o real damage. That was a lucky break, she thought. If the truck had landed on her, it might have spelled the end of her adventurous ways.