by Ben Brown
Even at the time, this one topic toward the end of the meeting had piqued his interest. The talk had turned to making the Rangers more like other military units, and allowing them more freedoms. Rangers were not celibate—they were allowed sex—but they were forbidden wives and families. Rangers were not allowed the distractions of worrying about what might be happening back at home. Rangers had to be totally focused on the task of ridding the country of the vast numbers of wandering undead. This meant life as a married man, or father, was out of the question.
The bigwigs had discussed lifting this ban as the Ranger’s role became less hazardous and more like that of an ordinary soldier. It was true that none of the men at the meeting saw this happening any time soon, but it did offer him at least a glimmer of hope. He was not trying to fool himself. He knew Izzy would most likely never take a second look at someone like him, but that did not mean that one day a wife and child would not be a part of his life.
A groan from Callum brought La Roux back to his reality. He was surprised to see it was almost dawn, and that the hunter’s shack was now only a mile or so away. By daybreak he would be back with the women, and Izzy.
Chapter 23
Izzy felt tired, but the rays of the rising sun on her face felt magnificent. She looked out over the mist covered mountains, and for the first time in a long time, she felt safe and at peace. The explosion she heard many hours earlier had at first unsettled her. Now she saw it as a signal of a new beginning. If—as she believed—the explosion marked the end of her father’s camp, then soon she and her kin could start their lives anew.
But what if the explosion signaled something else? What if it marked the end of La Roux and Callum? She shook her head and washed away the images of the two Rangers dead at her father’s hand. Her pa did not have anything that could have caused such a violent explosion. It had to be Pierre and his dynamite that caused the sky filling roar the night before. No, the Rangers were alive, she just had to wait for them to return.
“Over there!”
Izzy looked toward Mary perched on a rock high above the cabin. She was pointing toward the path that curved down to the shack. “What do ya see?”
Mary looked down at her cousin and smiled. “I see a massive man on a horse, and he’s leading two others behind him. He’s still a ways away, but it looks like La Roux.”
Izzy’s heart pounded with excitement and relief. “Is Callum with him?”
“I can’t tell, but there’s something laid across the saddle of the second horse. It could be a man, but it could be something else. I guess we’ll know soon enough.”
“Go tell the others to be ready to move at a moment’s notice,” Izzy shouted as she started to run toward the path.
A huge sense of relief permeated every cell of her body. She tried to convince herself that the relief was purely due to the fact they had someone to guard and watch over them, but in truth, she knew the relief stemmed from a more self-centered place. Pierre had forced a large hole in her heart, and knowing he was still alive filled her with joy.
Almost out of breath from her sprint up the steep path, Izzy finally saw La Roux. On seeing her, his face lit into a smile, and she saw nothing else but him. He wasn’t handsome—not in a traditional sense—but to her, he looked like a man who could be trusted, loved, and treasured.
“Thank God yer alright,” she panted as she drew to a stop just in front of his horse.
“I’m fine, but Callum is close to death.”
It was then she spotted the figure strewn across the second horse’s saddle. She dashed to the unconscious Ranger and gently undid the leather wrapping covering his injured wrist. The smell that assailed her nose confirmed her worse fears. The moist conditions of his leather wrist covering, made the ideal environment for gangrene to take hold. If something wasn’t done soon, then Callum would not make it through the next twenty-fore hours.
She leaped up onto the rear horse and yelled, “Hurry, Pierre, we need to get him inside the cabin.”
La Roux spurred his horse into action, and he led the small procession back down to the hunter’s shack as fast as he dared go.
As they came into the small clearing surrounding the cabin, Izzy jumped from the still moving horse and ran toward Mary.
“Callum’s wrist is gangrenous, he’ll die if we don’t do something. That dead deer we saw on the way here, run to it and gather as many maggots from it as ya can. Now hurry!”
Mary wasted no time asking questions, instead she bolted into the woods in search of the deer carcass.
Izzy then turned to the small group of women gathered outside the cabin’s door. “Jess, you and Josie grab some buckets and head down to the spring. The water is like ice there, and we can bathe him in it to bring down his fever. The rest of ya, keep clear so we can get him inside.”
The group parted and Izzy’s two young cousins ran off toward the spring, each with a bucket in hand. Izzy then turn back to La Roux. He had already lifted his friend from the horse and was heading for the shack.
“Lay him on the bed,” she said as she moved into step beside him. “And strip off all his clothes. He’s burning up, and unless we can get his fever down, he’ll die.”
* * *
With Callum laid naked on the old bed, the smell from his wound became overpowering in the confined space of the small shack. Without hesitation, Izzy ordered all but those needed to tend to the fallen Ranger to leave. In truth, no such order was needed, as the stench from his wrist was enough to drive everyone else out. With their eyes locked on the all but dead man in the bed, the remaining women still inside the cabin began to leave. Izzy knelt by his side, and carefully washed his wrist with water boiled on the nearby stove. She then turned to La Roux and saw how worried he looked.
“Pierre, make yourself useful. Put out that stove and open the shutters and door. I want as much fresh air in here as we can get.”
La Roux did as she asked and then moved back to her side.
“I should leave soon,” he said as he felt his young friend’s brow.
Izzy shot a bewildered glance in his direction. “Why?”
“Callum needs a doctor, and I need to get some men up here to start hunting down survivors of your pa’s men.”
For the first time since La Roux’s return, her mind turned to her family. “Is pa … dead?”
La Roux nodded and then moved to the door.
To her surprise, the news of her father’s death meant very little to her at that moment. What mattered more was keeping La Roux close at hand. “Don’t go, we need ya here.”
La Roux looked back at her. “Callum needs me more. He’ll die if I don’t find a doctor.”
Izzy rose to her feet and moved to the Cajun’s side. “What if pa’s remaining men come after us? Who will protect us?”
“I don’t reckon the rest of your pa’s men will pose much of a threat anymore—you’ll be fine.”
He went to go, and she grabbed his arm. “Pierre … I need you here.” He looked down at her hand on his arm, and she quickly released her grip. “I’ll send Mary and Josie to get a doctor. Both a good horse women, and they’ll ride every bit as fast as you can. One of them can return with the doctor, while the other heads off to the Ranger fort. What’s it called?”
La Roux looked back to his sick friend and mumbled, “Miles … Fort Miles.”
“Yes,” she said eagerly as she grabbed his arm again. “Yes, Fort Miles. One can bring the doctor here from Fountainhead, the other can head to Fort Miles. It’ll be quicker than you going, because one can head in each direction. You’d have to get the doctor, then bring him back here before ya headed out again.”
La Roux nodded. “Makes sense … alright, I’ll stay.”
Izzy rapped her arms around him, and he almost, but not quite, returned her embrace.
“How long will it take to get the doctor back here?”
Izzy released him and thought for a moment. “If he’s in town and not out on his
rounds, then by nightfall.”
“Who will go where?” La Roux asked as he moved back to Callum’s side.
Izzy followed. “I think Mary is a stronger rider, so she should head for the fort. Josie’s been to Fountainhead before, so she’ll fetch the doctor.”
At that moment, Mary entered the shack with the skirts of her dress cradled in her hands. Izzy waved her over.
“Pierre, there’s some freshly boiled sheets on the line. Run and bring me one.”
La Roux returned a minute later with a sheet gray from age. “What do ya want with this?” he asked.
“Rip it into strips about a foot square.”
He instantly followed her instruction, and passed her the first of the makeshift dressings. It was then he saw a bowl semi filled with maggots. “What are ya going to do with those?”
Izzy placed Callum’s rotten wrist on the handkerchief sized piece of old sheet, and then scooped up a handful of the maggots and placed them on and around Callum’s septic wound. She then covered the wrist with the rest of the rag and bound it loosely with a length of yarn. The improvised bandage moved and pulsed as the maggots began eating away at Callum’s necrotic flesh.
“The maggots will only eat the dead and rotten part of his wrist, and they’ll leave the uninfected parts untouched. They’ll slow the spread of the infection,” Izzy said as she got to her feet. “As soon as the other two get back with the water, we’ll start bathing him to bring down his fever. We’ll dress and apply more maggots every couple of hours, but that’ll be about all we can do ‘til the doctor gets here.”
La Roux let out a tired groan and said, “I guess he’s in God’s hands now.” He ran his hands over his face and then looked at the pile of blankets piled in the corner of the room. “I’m going to grab a little shut eye. Wake me if I’m needed.”
Izzy patted his arm as she passed him. “Will do.”
He stripped off his heavy, protective leather coat and threw it down by the pile of blankets. He then removed all his weaponry, followed by his hat. Soon, he stood there in only his boots, pants and shirt. He looked in Izzy’s direction, and caught her studying the broad and muscular expanse of his chest. For a moment, their eyes met and both knew what the other felt. Embarrassed, she looked away and turned her attention to what had to be done.
After checking on Callum once more, she moved outside with Mary at her side. She explained to her cousin about the need for her to ride to Fort Miles. Mary nodded stoically, grabbed a canteen of water, and then mounted a horse and galloped off. Izzy watched as her cousin disappeared from view, and then she returned to Callum’s side in the shack.
Five minutes after Mary’s departure—and after returning with the ice cold water from the spring—Josie took the two remaining horses and headed out for Fountainhead. In the meantime, Izzy and Jess took it in turns to bathe Callum with the water. It would be a long and worry filled day, but Izzy resolved herself to face it head on. Her gaze turned to the snoring giant in the corner of the room, and a little of her resolve melted. She wanted him, but did he want her?
Chapter 24
La Roux woke with a gasp, and for a moment, he could not place where he was. However, as the sound of voices around him grew clearer, his recollections of the past few days returned. He looked toward the open window, and saw that night was about to fall. Feeling old, sore and battered, he struggled to his feet.
“How long have I been asleep?”
Izzy stood by a man La Roux did not recognize. She turned and greeted his question with a smile. “All day. Anyway, ya woke just in time. Josie just got here with the doctor,” she said as she gestured to the young, dark haired man at her side. “This is Dr. Harvey Malone from Fountainhead.”
The doctor nodded curtly in La Roux’s direction, but made no further efforts toward greetings. Instead, he headed straight to his patient, Callum.
La Roux moved to the young doctor’s side and watched as he began tending to his friend. First, the young physician unwrapped Callum’s hand and examined Izzy’s handy work. Even La Roux could see the maggots had done a good job at stemming the spread of the infection. The smell from the young Ranger’s injury was far less repellant than when Izzy had first tended the wound.
“Whose idea were the maggots?” Malone asked as he pressed his ear to Callum’s chest.
All the women, including Izzy, seemed unwilling to answer. Maybe they still feared being questioned by men.
“They were Izzy’s idea,” La Roux replied proudly. “She’s a smart one.”
The doctor looked up at the Cajun and nodded. “She is indeed. If not for these putrid larvae, he would most likely be dead. She saved his life, but he isn’t out of the woods yet.”
La Roux looked at Izzy and offered her a reassuring smile. She returned the smile, but still looked a little wary.
“As you may know, gangrene is more often than not fatal, but of late, there have been some remarkable advances in combating the infection.” He reached into his bag and pulled out a large syringe, which he quickly filled with clear liquid. He then began injecting the solution directly into Callum’s tattered wrist. “This is a bromide solution, which we will inject into the infected area for the next five hours. After that, we will use the solution to wash the wound. Don’t be worried if the solution sends the skin yellow, that’s normal. We will also keep the wound packed with maggots until the washing of the wound begins.”
“Will he make it?” La Roux asked weakly.
The doctor finished with the last of his injections and then looked up at the big Ranger. “I have no idea. He’s young, strong, and a Ranger; all these things are in his favor, but the infection is well advanced. Only time will tell.
“However, if the infection does abate, then I will reopen his wound and stitch it. The cauterizing stopped the bleeding, but it is far from a satisfactory seal. That is a long way down the track though. First, we make sure he’ll live. Everything else is secondary.”
La Roux nodded solemnly. “I know you’ll do all ya can.”
Malone smiled, got to his feet, and placed a hand on La Roux’s muscular arm. “On the way here Josie told me all that you and this young man have done for the women from the Maxwell camp. Everyone around these parts knew about that place, but they were too scared and ill armed to do anything about it. I give you my word, I will do everything in my power to save one of the men who saved these women. I’ll stay here ‘til I know for sure which way he’s going.”
La Roux felt tears filling his eyes. He had never before been so affected by a mission. Ranger’s died, people died, but he always managed to remain detached. This time, things were different. Sure, he had feelings for Izzy, but why did he care so much about what happened to Callum?
He looked down at the pale, young Ranger and cuffed his eyes. He then knew why he wanted Callum to live so much. Callum had known he was sick, but he did his duty anyway. Loyalty and strength like that deserved a reward. He deserved to fight another day, and La Roux would proudly fight at his side.
“Thanks, doc,” he said as he turned to leave the cabin.
At that moment, Josie entered. She looked at La Roux’s tear reddened eyes, and then at Callum. “Was I too late getting the doctor here?” she asked as she eyed La Roux nervously.
He patted her shoulder as he passed her. “No, ya did good, real good.”
* * *
La Roux sat on a rock some thirty yards from the cabin. He heard movement behind him, and he turned in time to see Izzy approaching. His feelings toward her were strong, and having her close only made things harder.
“What’s wrong, Pierre?” she asked as she settled beside him. La Roux stood and took several steps toward the dark tree line.
“Have I done something to upset you?” she asked. “If I have, then I’m sorry.”
La Roux’s head sunk and he let out a sigh. “No, Izzy, ya ain’t done nothing wrong. It’s me whose doing wrong.”
She got to her feet and moved close to
him. He could feel the heat of her body through the thin, worn material of his shirt, which only made resisting her all the harder. He had to distance himself from her—both physically and emotionally—otherwise no good would come of what might happen next.
“What do ya mean?”
“I allowed myself to get too close to those who I was supposed to protect. Because of my uncontrolled feelings, I’ve compromised my decision making. I’m sorry, Izzy, but I can’t be alone with ya.”
“Why … why can’t ya?” She placed a hand on his chest and looked up into his world weary face. “I’m a grown woman, and I know ya want me.”
He stepped back and away from her touch. “What I want doesn’t matter. I’m a Ranger, and we have rules of conduct and I….”
“Rules of conduct?” Izzy interrupted as she looked up at him. “You and Callum have been gentlemen and honorable. Ya haven’t done anything wrong.”
The bright moonlight lit her face, making her look even more beautiful. He wanted her more than anything, but if he gave into his urge for physical intimacy, then all would be lost. While he was permitted sex, relationships were out of the question, and he knew the taste of her lips would undo him. If he made love to her, then he would have to leave the Corps. Not because of the act, but because he would not be able to control his love for her. No, he had to make sure things went no further.
“Izzy, Rangers ain’t allowed certain things, one of which is a wife. We live a dangerous life, and most of us wind up dead. Having someone back home ya love … well, it gets in the way of doing our job.