by Aimée Thurlo
Cold flakes of snow stung her face as she ended the call. The flurries were turning into a full-fledged blizzard. Snow-flakes swarmed around her face, clinging to her hair and coat. Taking a good look at Dr. Soto for the first time, she noticed he was holding his left arm with his right, and he had a long cut down one finger that was dripping blood onto the snow.
“You’re hurt. Are you sure you should be moving?”
“I’m positive my arm is broken, but the rest of me works, and I intend to see to it that it stays that way. This car could catch on fire, and if it does, I want to be as far away from it as possible.”
They moved away from the vehicle, then Marlee wrapped Dr. Soto’s handkerchief around his finger and tied it in place, stanching most of the bleeding there. Once done, they continued walking, Marlee carrying the doctor’s bag and laptop.
Her body was sore, but she’d been lucky this time. Her mind went back to another accident, when no one had been there to ease her fears. She reached up and stroked the scar that remained on her cheek, a reminder of that lonely night on the highway.
“Here comes help now,” the doctor said as they reached the road.
Lucas was the first to arrive on the scene, with Gabriel directly behind him.
Lucas jumped out of the Blazer and ran toward them. As he drew close, his gaze ran over Marlee with a thoroughness and a gentleness that tore her breath away. Assuring himself that she was okay, he stepped toward Dr. Soto. “My temporary clinic isn’t far from here. We’ll stitch up your finger if it’s necessary, and we’re going to have to x-ray that arm.”
“It’s broken,” he said. “I’ll get the cut cleaned up and take the X ray, but I want an orthopedic surgeon to have a look at this before I have it placed in a cast.” He turned to Gabriel. “Have the helicopter sent back here to pick me up as soon as possible.”
Gabriel nodded, took out his phone and placed the call.
“It’s your decision if you want to leave, Doctor,” Lucas said. “In the meantime, I’ll be glad to set the arm and put it in a sling so you won’t damage it further en route.”
“Let’s go, then.” Dr. Soto glanced back at Marlee. “Did you recognize the madman who did this?”
Marlee shook her head, then looked at Gabriel. “Like I told Lucas. It was someone in Bill Riley’s pickup, the one with the big tires, but I doubt it was him. This was no accident. Whoever was driving was trying to kill us.”
Gabriel’s dark eyes flashed with anger. “I’ll look into it, but it couldn’t have been Riley. He’s not in town. He parked his semi and decided to snowshoe up into the mountains and camp out. His off-road truck has been parked over at Charley’s garage all week.”
Lucas had bandaged Dr. Soto’s finger and he and Marlee were helping him into the Blazer when the thump of an explosion shook the earth around them. They all jumped, and Lucas instinctively reached out and pulled Marlee pro-tectively against him.
“It’s not Lanie’s car. It’s over there.” Gabriel pointed to a spot about two miles away from where they stood, where a column of orange flames was turning into thick black smoke. “You attend to the doctor. I’ll go check it out. If you’re needed, I’ll let you know.”
Lucas drove Marlee and the doctor back to his clinic. Dr. Soto’s silence was stony, and Marlee told herself it was his ego that kept him from groaning in pain.
Once they arrived at the portable building, it didn’t take long for Lucas to x-ray and set the doctor’s arm. He was just placing it in a sling when Gabriel contacted them on the phone.
“The explosion came from Riley’s truck,” he said. “The fuel tank was torched, and it went off like a firecracker. But there was no sign of a driver, and the snow has already covered up any tracks. Riley, by the way, is up at his friend’s cabin. I got him on the radio, and he has no idea who might have stolen his truck.”
Lucas hung up and explained what he’d just heard to Marlee and the doctor.
“From what I’ve seen, whatever’s making people sick here won’t kill them,” Dr. Soto said. “Your own people will do that themselves. That’s your real threat, and I can’t help you with that.”
Marlee faced Lucas, and felt the power of feelings neither of them could acknowledge. An ineffable longing wrenched her heart. She could stand by him, assist him and even act as a sounding board when he needed it—but she didn’t dare believe him hers to love.
HOURS LATER, after the snow stopped falling and the sky had begun to clear, the doctor was airlifted back to Santa Fe. Marlee left the boardinghouse and walked to Rosa’s. Her cupboards were nearly bare. Gabriel had a crew of men with heavy equipment working to clear the road, but progress was slow. It would be some time before anyone could restock.
When Marlee arrived at the grocery store a short time later, she knocked and Rosa opened the door. “There is precious little on the shelves,” Rosa said. “You might as well come in and see what you can find.”
As Marlee walked inside, she felt the other customers staring at her. For a brief moment, she remembered how it had been for her years ago, before her face had been scarred. People had often said that she looked like the All-American girl, wholesome and pretty. Now she received-stares, never appreciative glances, and when she caught people’s eyes, they’d look away quickly, embarrassed.
As she wandered the aisles, she felt the weight of her neighbors’ suspicions. Finally, with a burst of courage, she met their gazes, one by one. “Okay, what’s the problem?”
Two women turned away quickly and pretended to look through the canned goods, but Rosa came out from behind the counter. “We heard about your latest accident. It seems you’re in the middle of a lot of trouble lately.”
“Which makes me a victim, not a perpetrator. And it wasn’t an accident, it was intentional. So why are you treating me as if I’m responsible?”
“We know the peddler paid you a visit. It’s all over town. Alex wrote an editorial about it, and what he had to say made a lot of sense.”
“I hardly ever read anything Alex writes, so you’ll have to enlighten me,” Marlee said.
“The peddler always either gives a gift to the person he meets, or sells something to them. That cursed object brings trouble, and everyone pays.”
“I’ve heard the stories,” Marlee answered.
“Yet you insist he didn’t give you anything and that doesn’t make any sense. As far as we’ve been able to tell, you’re the only one who has had any contact with him. Well, you and Lucas Blackhorse.”
“How can you be sure of that?” Marlee challenged. “The way people around here like you react, who here would tell if they did meet up with him?”
“Well, you certainly didn’t,” Rosa said with a shrug. “The problem with people who keep secrets is that they always try to divert attention from themselves, no matter what the cost to someone else. I know you, that fancy doctor and Lucas have been trying to make everyone believe that people are sick because of something in the food I’m selling.”
“That’s ridiculous. Nobody’s accused you of anything.”
“That doctor you brought here earlier took samples of my flour, of the fruits, of anything that wasn’t canned, even the soaps! How else do you explain that?”
“He was doing the job the town council brought him here to do. Ask any of them.”
Rosa glared at her. “You don’t fool me, not for one minute. You’re trying to cover for the peddler, or for yourself. But you’re not passing the blame on to me. It’s not my food. I eat from what’s here just like everyone else.”
Rosa stood by the door and held it open. “I want you to leave. I don’t want you in my store again.”
“You can’t do that,” Marlee protested. “There is no other grocery store.”
Sally, who was just entering the store, cleared her throat. “No, Rosa, she’s right. The sheriff won’t stand for it, either. She’s well connected.”
Rosa put her hands on her waist. “Then you get what you need, pay for
it in cash and get out.” She glanced at the others and, seeing them nod in approval, continued. “Your lack of honesty is endangering our town. I want no part of you.”
Marlee paid for the few staples she could find, then walked out into the street. She felt cold all over, and it had nothing to do with the weather. She thought of the little carving the peddler had given her. Had she told them about it now, more fear would have spread, and it would have been impossible to predict the damage it could have done.
As she approached the feed store, the doors were quickly shut and the Closed sign hung on the door. So this was the way it was going to be.
Lucas drove by, and slowed down as she passed the post office. “Where are you headed?” His gaze seemed to look right into her soul. His eyes narrowed and he quickly added, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Marlee said, and looked away. It made no sense to drag him into the problem. Nothing could be done about it anyway.
“Why don’t you get in? We can talk on the way back to the boardinghouse.”
She didn’t have the energy to argue, nor was she looking forward to another walk in the snow. The chill that held her already went all the way to her bones. As they got under way, she noticed Sally staring at her from the street corner.
Lucas followed her gaze. “Okay, level with me. What happened?”
She could tell from his tone that he was not going to give up. Reluctantly she told him about her encounter at Rosa’s.
“I’ll talk to her.”
“No. This is my problem.”
He exhaled slowly. “Then remind them that there are certain unwritten rules we all abide by here in Four Winds. Rosa has the only food store, and that carries certain responsibilities with it, just like being the only medic does. She’s bound by the same rules I am. I can’t refuse a patient, and she can’t refuse service to a customer.
“It’s a code that goes back to the days when Flinthawk blessed the town,” he continued. “He had been persecuted and falsely accused, but in Four Winds, he found a haven. We’ve prided ourselves on that legacy. The way they’re treating you now is the same as if they’d turned their backs on what Four Winds has always stood for.”
“People aren’t concerned with history right now. They’re only worried about themselves and their families.”
“Then they better wake up to other realities. Flinthawk was persecuted and almost lost his life because people were too quick to judge. If Four Winds adopts the lawlessness that almost claimed the life of my ancestor, it will destroy itself. The legacy that blessed Four Winds would become its curse.”
“You mean the part about the wicked never knowing peace here in Four Winds?”
“That’s exactly what I mean.” He pulled up by the boardinghouse to let her out. “I’ve got to go to the temporary clinic and check on things there. Although people know how to reach me, some will invariably just wait there until I show up.”
“Do you think Dr. Soto was right to suspect some kind of food contamination?”
“It’s possible, I suppose. Food poisoning can be either immediate or take several hours, depending on the toxin. But to have it be something that continues indefinitely like this has, even after the person stops eating…I think it’s unlikely, to be honest.” He glanced at her. “Do you have any ideas?”
“I keep thinking of a point Dr. Soto made. He kept asking me about the livestock and pets around town. If it was anything in the food or water, they would have been affected, too. I’m thinking in particular of Muzzy, Mrs. Bum-ham’s terrier. He’s always running away from her and getting into the neighbor’s trash or digging up someone’s garden. I tend to think that if a contaminant was the problem, he would have come across it by now.”
Lucas considered it. “You’re right, but come to think of it, I haven’t seen either Mrs. Burnham or Muzzy in a while. Have you?”
“No, I haven’t.”
“Let’s go pay her a visit.”
“It may be better for you to go alone. I have no idea where she stands on the issue I encountered at Rosa’s.”
“I don’t care where she stands. You’re going with me. I need your help. You’ve been documenting everything for me. You could end up spotting something vital in our conversation.”
“All right. I’ll do my best.”
“If she does give you any problems, keep at her. I need your help more than ever now. I can’t do it all. That’s the truth. I’m barely getting any sleep. With you taking over the office duties, like keeping up the charts and gathering patient information, there’s a chance I may be able to keep the work from being completely overwhelming.”
Four Winds needed her now, but most important of all, Lucas needed her, and she had no intention of letting him down. “You can count on me.”
“Thanks.” He reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.
Her heart was drumming fiercely against her sides. His hands were strong, yet so gentle, like the hands of a lover who could arouse a storm of passion, then soothe it with the magic of his touch.
She forced the thought away. Lucas needed her support now as a co-worker and a companion, but he needed nothing more than that. She brushed aside the despair that touched the edges of her mind. Someone else would win Lucas’s heart someday, and that woman would have a lifetime of love and the most loyal of friends by her side. Refusing to yield to the sadness that realization left in its wake, she looked away from him and out the window.
“You’ve had some medical training. I know that already. But it would help me to know to what extent.”
“I don’t talk about my past, but because of what’s happening, I think you should know I’m not a doctor or a nurse. I can help you only in a supporting role.”
His jaw tightened, but he said nothing. Without the need for words, she knew how much her lack of trust hurt him, but there was nothing she could do. Her past formed a barrier between them that would always be there. The death of that young woman would haunt her for the rest of her life, and she cared too much for Lucas to allow him to share that nightmare.
“Four Winds isn’t perfect,” he said, watching a new storm building on the horizon, “but it’s the kind of town where people can come to accept themselves, whatever their pasts hold. It could happen for you, too, if you gave yourself a chance.”
“You left town for a long time while you served in the military. When you came back, did you see Four Winds in that light?”
“Experiences do change a person,” he admitted. “In my case, I left Four Winds to get out of my two brothers’ shadows and find myself. By the time I came back, I knew how I could make a place for myself here. My job as medic gave me a sense of self and purpose.”
She watched him out of the corner of her eye, thinking about what his words meant. Lucas had already given his heart away—to Four Winds and to his work. Although she’d always suspected that, she’d never seen it as clearly as she did now. Many times she’d been filled with sadness, thinking of the day he’d fall in love and she’d lose him forever. This new revelation made her ache everywhere as she thought of the high cost he’d pay for his dedication to their town. She knew what it was like to go it alone. It was not what she would have wished for a vibrant man so full of life. She would have wanted far more for him, even if that meant her own heart broke in the process.
They arrived at Mrs. Burnham’s and knocked on her door, but no one answered. From the window that faced the front, they could see Muzzy running around, trying to bark without dropping the sock he held in his mouth.
“Well, at least we know he’s okay.” Lucas laughed.
“Mrs. Burnham’s car isn’t here. She must be in town somewhere.”
“Then let’s head on over to the school portable,” he said, returning to his vehicle. “You know, I just can’t get comfortable in that place. It’s either boiling hot or colder than a duck pond in winter. The heating unit is about as unreliable as the weather itself.”
“Do you ha
ve any idea how long it will be before the clinic is ready for use again? I saw men working there earlier.”
“I’m not holding out much hope that they’ll get finished any time soon. Between illness and fear, manpower is at a new low, lately, and if any materials have to come from out of town, I can forget it until the road is reopened.”
As they started down the street that led to the high school, only one truck shared the newly snow-packed road with them. “That’s Jake now—I recognize his new camper,” Lucas said as the other truck approached. “I wonder what he’s doing out in this weather. We’re in for another wave of this storm soon.”
“He’s weaving everywhere, like someone who has been drinking too much. But I’ve never known Jake to touch alcohol.”
As they drew near, Jake pulled over to the shoulder of the road and leaned hard on the horn.
Lucas slid to a stop beside the still-running truck and jumped out, medical bag in hand. Marlee was close behind him, ready to give a hand, but nothing prepared her for what she saw next. As Lucas threw open the door, she saw Jake’s shirt was covered with blood. Two bullet holes were at the center of the crimson stain, near his heart.
Jake mouthed something neither Marlee nor Lucas could make out, then he tried to climb out of the truck.
“Easy there,” Lucas said, stopping him.
“He has to know,” Jake said, more clearly now, though the effort was obviously costing him a great deal of pain.
“You can tell us later,” Lucas said firmly.
Jake started to say more, but his body went suddenly limp, and his eyes closed.
“Loss of blood,” Lucas said. “He’s going to need a hospital, and fast.”
“The road is impassable. We can’t get him there,” Mar-lee said. “And I doubt they’d fly another helicopter in here with the weather so bad.”
“We can ask. But if they can’t, Jake’s got the best four-wheel-drive truck around. Help me put him in the camper. I’ll do my best to stem the flow of blood while you telephone my brother. If he can’t get a chopper or a bulldozer to make us a quick road, then you and I are going to make our own. If any truck can make it past that rock slide, it’ll be this one.”