Seeking Shelter

by Angel Smits

  Rick had already gone into the mine once, and come out empty-handed. As he ducked back in, Amy took a deep breath. “Why is Rick the one going in?” she asked.

  “He knows these old mines.” Caryn’s voice was distant, and she hardly took her eyes off the opening once he’d stepped inside.

  “How?”

  “He and Ryan—remember him from high school? They used to hang out in them all the time. If anyone knows these old tunnels, Rick does.”

  Amy sat down beside Caryn and they leaned on each other, as they had a million times over the years. Only this time with much more at stake.

  * * *

  “CAREFUL,” JACE RASPED. “Her leg’s broken.”

  “Hey, Katie girl,” Rick whispered as he bent down beside where they’d landed after he’d pulled them over the cliff’s edge.

  “Hi, Mr. Rick.”

  Rick shone the flashlight over the rim, which didn’t help. Great, now Jace would have a whole new set of nightmares to deal with.

  “You really climbed all the way up that? In the dark? It has to be thirty feet.”

  “He did,” Katie confirmed, a note of pride in her voice.

  Jace wasn’t up to hero worship or congratulations. He just wanted out of this damned hole before the walls fell in on them. Rick seemed to understand, and started untying the shirt holding Katie to Jace’s back. As her weight shifted, pain shot through Jace’s side. When he’d carried Katie, she’d actually helped hold his ribs in place.

  “You okay, man?”

  Rick took the little girl as Jace tried to catch his breath. He leaned over, his hands on his knees. “I don’t know.” After a minute he slowly straightened. “Let’s get her out of here.”

  Rick started walking toward the opening, but Katie struggled. “I want Jace.”

  “I don’t think he can carry you,” Rick explained. “He’s hurt.”

  “Jace?”

  Jace heard the panic in her voice. It hurt more than his ribs. “I’m fine.” He bit back the groan as he settled her in his arms. The splint on her leg dug into his side and for an instant he saw stars. “Let’s go.”

  His breath moved like a saw in and out of his lungs. But he’d be damned if he’d let her know. She was scared enough.

  They made short work of the distance to the entrance. Almost at the opening, Jace could see the strobes painting alternating red and blue over the desert. He blinked rapidly as his eyes adjusted to the brightness, and he put a hand over Katie’s eyes. She buried her face against his neck, holding on tight, causing the fabric of his T-shirt to pull against his throat. He didn’t care. He was getting her out of here. Safe. And reasonably in one piece. Her trust was an added bonus.

  “Almost there, baby girl,” he said softly.

  “Thanks, Jace.” Katie’s arms tightened more.

  At the mouth of the tunnel, he stopped, leaning against the rough rock wall. His reserves were fading fast and the last thing he wanted to do was fall and drop Katie.

  But his head was pounding. He was fairly sure the gash on his scalp would need to be stitched. He looked around, trying to focus his eyes, to find Amy. She had to be here somewhere, but where?

  Shaking his head, Jace tried to clear his vision. The flashing lights were coming from a white van. An ambulance? A police van? He’d prefer an EMT or two to take care of them. A bumpy ride across the desert and through the hills to an emergency room didn’t thrill him. He cursed and stepped out of the mine.

  He’d forgotten the ground sloped, and he nearly fell. Rick reached out and steadied him.

  “I see them!” A woman’s voice cut through the night and lights. Not Amy’s. Caryn.

  Footsteps crunched in the dirt behind him. “Katie!” Amy’s voice finally came from out of the milling crowd.

  Jace spun around and the world spun with him. And then he saw her, just inches away. Her hair was a mess. Grime and tears made tracks across her face. God, she’s beautiful.

  Too bad she was fading into the darkness.

  * * *

  “MAMA!” KATIE SCREAMED. It was the most terrifyingly beautiful sound Amy had ever heard.

  Jace held Katie in his strong arms. They both looked beaten, but she didn’t think they’d ever looked better. She ran to them, her own arms outstretched. Katie leaned forward and Amy caught her. Katie landed hard against her chest and Amy gasped when she saw the splint on her daughter’s leg.

  “What happened?”

  “I’m sorry, Mama,” Katie sobbed. “I didn’t mean to run—”

  “Let’s get that little girl over to the ambulance,” Gavin interrupted, wrapping his big arms around their shoulders.

  “Oww.” Katie cried harder.

  Jace lunged forward. “Careful. She’s hurt.”

  For a big man, Gavin moved quickly, pushing them toward the waiting ambulance. “We’ll take it from here, Holmes,” the sheriff said dismissively.

  “Jace!” Katie cried, leaning over Amy’s shoulder. “Mama. What happened to Jace?”

  Amy looked back and saw him sink to his knees. What the heck? He pitched forward into the dirt. A female EMT rushed to him, then glared up at Gavin. “Help me turn him over, you idiot.”

  The sheriff just stood there, frowning. Katie’s cry split the night and Amy’s heart.

  “He’s not my responsibility. He’s not under arrest,” Gavin grumbled. “Yet.”

  Rick stepped up to help. “Yeah, and he’s unconscious, with his face planted in the ground. He dies, he dies on your watch. Now move it.”

  Amy whirled on Gavin. What was wrong with him? He hadn’t liked Jace from the beginning, but then he didn’t like anyone new. Gavin cursed, but it was Rick who helped the EMT roll Jace over, and she set to work examining him.

  Before Amy could react, another EMT reached for Katie. He tried to take her from Amy, but Katie started to cry all over again. Amy helped settle her daughter on the waiting stretcher. “It’s okay, sweetie. They’re going to take care of you.” The IV in the man’s hand obviously frightened her. “It’ll make you feel better.”

  She’d known they were going to have to give Katie something to calm her and to help with dehydration. When they’d explained that, Amy hadn’t thought about how it would feel when it actually happened. It hurt to see her baby’s arm punctured by the needle.

  “I’m here. It’s okay.” She heard the tears in her own voice as she stroked Katie’s hair.

  “Jace!” Katie cried again. “Where’s Jace?”

  Her eyes appeared to be growing heavy, and Amy had never felt more torn. Her baby needed her, and the man she loved....

  Amy glanced back to where Jace was being treated. He’d been through so much in his life, all without her. Without anyone, really, except his friend Mac, the father she’d never known. Katie whimpered, and Amy turned to her daughter. She knew she’d always have to choose Katie over him. It tore her heart in two to do it now, but better now than a hundred different times in the future.

  Amy’s guilt grew as she watched her daughter doze off. How long had she been down there? Why had she gone into the mine? Amy thought of Jace again and looked back at him as they loaded Katie into the ambulance. He still struggled with nightmares. Would Katie have them, too? What had she really been through? They’d have so much to deal with later.

  For now, all Amy wanted to do was get her to the hospital, then home, where she’d lock her up and never let her go. Yes, she had to focus on Katie.

  She couldn’t afford the distractions of Jace Holmes.

  The EMT pulled a walkie-talkie off his belt and barked orders into it. The ambulance doors slammed closed, blocking her view of Jace. Katie had fallen asleep, and Amy finally let herself cry.

  * * *

  JACE WAS DREAMING, he was sure of it. The last
thing he remembered was Amy appearing out of the desert, and the ground coming up to meet him. Now he felt clean sheets beneath him and a pillow under his head. Katie was out of the mine and safe. Except for the fact that his entire body ached, he’d say things were pretty good.

  He opened his eyes, then closed them again when fluorescent lights cut into them. Lord, what time was it?

  “You’re awake.” A woman’s voice came from his right, and he tried to turn his head to look at her. It wasn’t Amy, so what did it matter?

  The nurse came over to the bed and took his wrist. She was older, in her forties. When she let go of his arm, he asked, “Am I going to live?” He smiled.

  She didn’t smile back. “Probably. Though that sheriff outside the door would like to think otherwise.”

  Jace frowned. “Sheriff?”

  “Yeah. He wants to talk to you when you’re awake. Guess that’d be now.”

  Frowning hurt, but there wasn’t much help for it. The nurse wrote on the chart at the end of the bed, then left without another word.

  It wasn’t long before Gavin stepped into the room, glaring at Jace as if he were the devil’s spawn. “So, you decided not to die on us, huh?” he growled.

  “I wouldn’t want to make your job too easy.”

  Two men, also in police uniforms, came through the door right behind him.

  “Are you Jace Holmes?” the taller man asked.

  “I am.”

  “I’m Officer Cameron Wade, with the state police. This is my partner, Officer Bryce. We’d like to ask you a few questions.”

  “Sure. What can I tell you?”

  While Wade moved closer to the bed, a notepad in hand, the other officer scooted back, leaning on the windowsill.

  The questioning began. How long had Jace been in Rattlesnake Bend? What brought him here? All the questions the townsfolk had asked, all the answers he’d given a dozen times before. Only those times had been in polite conversation. This was far from a mere conversation, though there was a definite professional courtesy to it all.

  “You were in the DuBose Mine earlier? A little girl was in there?” Wade asked.

  “I didn’t know that was the name, but yeah, Katie Grey had fallen into a crevasse. I went in to get her.”

  “You get that cut, those sore ribs from helping her?”

  “Yeah.”

  “You ever been in that mine before?”

  “No.” He didn’t volunteer that he didn’t go into any mine if he could help it.

  “You see anyone else? Equipment?”

  Gavin moved restlessly around the room. “There’s nothing important in that old mine,” he pointed out. “This is the guy I called in about. You need to focus on that.” He waved at Jace.

  “Why would you call them, Gavin?” Jace looked over at him.

  Wade sighed and glanced at his partner. “Sheriff Pratchett called in an Amber Alert regarding Katie Grey.”

  Jace knew he wasn’t going to like this. Did this idiot really think someone had abducted Katie, or was this more of the crap Gavin had been dishing out since Jace had come to town? He braced himself.

  “The sheriff’s report states you may have taken the girl,” Wade informed him, his eyes watchful.

  “What?”

  “But we’re still investigating.”

  Why was Wade looking at Gavin instead of him? Something was very strange here, but Jace’s head pounded and he couldn’t think clearly.

  Wade put the notepad back into his pocket and turned toward the door. “That’s enough for the moment.”

  “Aren’t you going to take him into custody?” Gavin asked.

  “Not right now.” The state police officers shared a glance and a frown, watching both Gavin and Jace.

  “We’ll be in touch, Mr. Holmes. We’ll be talking to the little girl as soon as—”

  “I’ll take care of that.” Gavin puffed out his chest.

  “Actually, you won’t. We’ll be handling the case from now on,” Wade informed him. Jace almost thought watching Gavin squirm was worth all the trouble. Almost.

  “But—”

  “You called in this Amber Alert, Sheriff. Let us do our jobs. We’ll handle it.”

  “We appreciate your diligence, Sheriff. But it’s our case now,” Officer Bryce added.

  Gavin sputtered, then seemed to calm, as if he knew he was outranked. “Fine.” He sounded like a little kid rather than an officer of the law. “I suppose you’ll want to use my jail.” He glared at the officers. “Unless you brought your own.”

  Wade fought a grin, and Jace couldn’t help wonder what the hell was going on between these guys. All he knew was he was stuck in the middle and was probably going to come out on the worst end of the deal.

  “No. We’ll use yours, if we need it. Thank you, Sheriff.” And with that, Gavin was dismissed.

  “Take care of yourself,” Wade said from the doorway as they left, leaving Jace alone with Gavin.

  “You know what you did.” The sheriff stepped forward, a swagger in his step. “But I’ll fill you in, just in case that knock on the head scrambled your brain. You took Katie and hid her out in the desert. God only knows what you’d have done to her if we hadn’t found you.”

  “Who told you that crap?” Jace growled.

  “No one had to tell me. Katie’s too upset to talk to them right now—she’s been sedated since she came in. Once she recovers, I’m sure we’ll be hearing all about you. We’ll find evidence that will prove you’re guilty of something. I’m not letting you get away before those big shots figure it out.”

  Gavin stepped right up to the edge of the bed. Before Jace could think or react, he’d clapped a handcuff on his wrist and attached it to the bed rail.

  “What the— Gavin, unless you’re arresting me, take this damn thing off.” Jace knew better than to jerk his arm, though the gut reaction was there. Where did this guy learn to be a sheriff? Weren’t there requirements for the job?

  Maybe it was a good thing he was cuffed to the bed. The urge to kill Gavin was strong right now.

  “That’ll keep you here until I get back.” Gavin left and pulled the door shut behind him.

  Alone, Jace stared at the door, mentally using the vocabulary he’d polished years ago. He let his head fall back to the pillow and closed his eyes. What the hell was he supposed to do? Where had this idiot gotten the idea that he’d done anything to Katie?

  Gavin had judged him the moment he’d ridden his bike into town, deciding Jace was something he wasn’t without even knowing him.

  And where was Amy? Or Rick? Or Hank...okay, maybe not Hank. What was going through their minds right now? Did they really think he could have done this?

  Was Katie okay? What if her injuries were worse than he’d thought? What if she couldn’t tell them what really happened?

  He’d believed there was something different between him and Amy. She’d let him make love to her.... His mind ached with the memories of that night.

  And of the whole trip to the Grand Canyon. He realized that night had done more for him than he wanted to admit. He’d started to heal. Had even slept inside without nightmares. He’d begun to believe he’d found a place to belong.

  But this? He’d been treated better on the streets. Finally the anger hit, and he wasted several minutes abusing his arm as he yanked at the handcuff.

  He’d get out of here, out of this backwoods world. He’d been stupid to think that a street rat like him could belong here. No, he had a place. He had the streets. He was going back to L.A. Back to the place he knew.

  As soon as he figured out how to get loose and out of here.

  An hour later, when the nurse came back to give him a toilet break, he took his chance. He felt only a mild twinge of guilt as he
locked her in the bathroom and disconnected the call light. She wasn’t hurt, but she wasn’t going to sound the alarm anytime soon.

  Now all he had to do was get over to the B and B and to his bike. It was late. Most of the townspeople were in bed by now. He’d crept out of worse places than this small town.

  The harder part was going to be escaping the memories of this community, of these people, which he knew were going to follow him no matter where he went.

  * * *

  EXHAUSTED AND RELIEVED, Amy walked into the small waiting room and stopped. It was after midnight and every chair was taken. Hank, Caryn, Rick, Lynne...they all stood and came over, questions flying. “Is she okay? What’s going on?”

  Amy answered them, reporting that the tests had come back fine. Just the broken leg, bumps and bruises. Nothing serious. Katie would be able to go home once they were sure the dehydration had been treated.

  Amy couldn’t help but smile. These people were her friends—her family. It felt good to know they were here. Even Hank. Looking at him now, she realized he’d done things in life she didn’t agree with or approve of. But what was done was done, and she couldn’t erase it.

  He looked at her, his eyes sad. “I’m sorry, Amy,” he murmured.

  She walked over to him and gave him a hug. “Thank you,” she whispered. “For being there when I needed you.” She couldn’t absolve him of his sins, but she could start rebuilding their relationship.

  “Oh, now there I go again.” Amy wiped her eyes. This time she didn’t mind; these tears didn’t hurt. She glanced around. “Where’s Jace?”

  Suddenly everyone looked everywhere but at her. “What happened? Is he okay?” What if he’d been seriously hurt? Her heart started pounding again. “Where’s Jace?” she repeated.

  Now that Katie was out of danger, panic and adrenaline no longer clouded her mind. She could see things more clearly. She remembered seeing him fall. Though she didn’t yet know the details, she knew he’d taken a big risk going in to get Katie.

  Caryn stepped forward, and Amy frowned, seeing the relief that flashed on the rest of their faces.

  “Uh, Amy. Gavin called an Amber Alert. He reported that Jace took Katie.”