She did her best to keep the pace up, traveling the dark woods by memory. The farther away from the river they went, the thicker the big cedar and pine trees grew together. The dry sound of crunching leaves disappeared into the soft swish of old pine needles underfoot.
What she wouldn't give to be able to fall back behind them and cover their tracks, but the added luggage and added weight made it impossible. Their best hope was to get as far as possible before Jimbo had the chance to wake up and alert his brothers. Even if Miss Kay was somehow ignorant of his doings, Bob always followed Jimbo’s lead.
They finally made it to the ravine that was spanned by an old rope bridge. Sparrow had made the crossing many times, but she’d always been alone. Now she had two full-grown men on her tail and a heavy duffle bag to weigh her down.
“You've got to cut the rope.” Sparrow said. They’d never make it if all three of them went across together.
“Not a chance.”
“This here ravine is nearly a hundred feet deep. That bridge was built when Squirrel was a little boy. You really think it can support all our weight at once?”
“You better pray it does. Cause I'm not cutting the rope.”
Sparrow stepped closer to the edge and peered down into the deep dark hole. Moonlight was filtering through the trees in a speckled pattern, but she could just barely make out the bottom. Dread weighed heavy in her stomach. If they fell, they would all be dead.
“You're not making any sense. We're doing this to save your brother. If we all go across together, we will all die.”
“And if you hadn't done this to my brother, none of us would be here in the first place.”
A shiver worked down her body and it had nothing to do with the rickety bridge of death.
She weighed her options. There was a slim possibility of getting to her knife and cutting through the lead rope before Jared could stop her. His brother would slow him down, and if luck was on her side, she might make it across the bridge and escape. But she’d seen the speed with which Jared had moved against Jimbo.
“You’re being stubborn.” Sparrow eased one toe out onto the first wood plank and slowly leaned forward, carefully distributing her weight. Then she stepped fully onto the plank, tensing as she waited for the whole thing to collapse. Nothing. The bridge held.
But it had always held her. Her heartbeat sped to triple time. She only had a couple feet before Jared would be on the bridge too. And his brother. Sparrow glanced back and nearly screamed. He was standing right behind her. “What are you doing? Back up!”
Maybe if they stayed spaced out far enough…
“No way. For all I know, this is another one of your set ups.”
“Set up, my ass. You're going to kill us.”
“As long as you die too, I'll be happy.”
God, she had to get away from him. Without picking up her foot, Sparrow slid forward onto the next plank. And then the next, repeating the process until she was about five or six planks out and the lead rope was pulled tight. The bridge shifted and she knew without looking that Jared had stepped onto it.
Sparrow sent up a prayer and grabbed the rails. She was shaking now, whether from the cold or fear, she didn't know. Probably it was both.
“Are you going to move or just stand here all night?”
Sparrow jumped and then chastised herself. The last thing this old bridge needed was her leaping around on it like a bunny. But Jared’s voice had been so close she swore she felt his hot breath on the back of her neck.
Too scared to turn back and look, she began inching her way forward once more, barely lifting her foot enough to slide it onto the next plank. And the next. And the next.
The bridge screeched, long and loud, protesting the weight. Fear snaked up her legs. They were straight over the middle of the deepest part of the ravine.
Keep moving. Keep moving. Keep moving. Sparrow chanted the mantra over and over in her mind as she continued forward. Over halfway there. They were still in the air. Closer now. Just a couple of feet left.
Then she heard it. A loud crack followed by a whoosh and the sound of rope snapping.
“Move!” Jared shouted and Sparrow took off, gaining momentum even as she felt the ground dropping out from under her. With a last burst of adrenaline, she landed on the other side, panting and scrambling for secure footing.
She heard a grunt and then turned to see Jared perched on the edge of the drop off, his heels hanging over air, his toes on solid ground. Sparrow sucked in a breath and pulled with all her might, yanking him toward her.
* * *
Jared kept his expression carefully blank and glanced over his shoulder into the dark and seemingly bottomless ravine. That had been close. Too close.
He was letting his emotions control his actions—something he'd never done. And something that would result in their death if he didn't get his head on straight. But he sure as hell wasn't going to admit his mistake to Sparrow. “See, told you we'd make it.”
Aggravation twisted her lovely features. “We almost died.”
“Almost doesn't count.”
She let out a frustrated little shriek and stomped her foot. And for some reason, Jared found that movement incredibly amusing and sexy. When she stomped her foot, her breasts bounced up and down, bare beneath the white shirt. Suddenly the memory of her taste assaulted his senses.
“You're crazy. We could've died.”
“It's all part of the plan, sweetheart. Now Miss Kay’s boys won't be able to follow us so easy, will they?” That had totally not even crossed his mind, but again, he liked to play his cards close.
Even closer after she’d saved his life. If Jared had been on the other end of that rope, he’d have cut it in a split second. But she’d saved him…again. Confusion painted his mind and filled his blood. Why couldn’t she just be evil? She would be so much easier to hate, but with every passing hour he found more and more reasons to doubt his hasty judgment of guilt.
“If our bodies were at the bottom of that gorge, no one would find us either.”
Jared shrugged, unable to combat that truth. Regardless, they had made it. Now they had to find shelter for the night. His arms were fast giving out and even though her chin was tilted at a defiant angle, the wariness etched into Sparrow’s features was undeniable.
The fastest option would be to hug the river and set up somewhere closer to their extraction point. But Hoyt needed protection from the elements. His skin was hot to the touch and Jared's arms were drenched in sweat. He needed antibiotics and his wounds cleaned before he caught an infection. An infection that could kill him. “Head back to the river and look for shelter.”
Sparrow dropped the bag and glared at him. “No. Not until you promise you won't do anything so foolish again.”
Jared took an intimidating step, “Did you forget our little deal? You obey me without question.”
The girl didn't even falter. “Yeah, I know. But it's awfully hard to obey you when you're acting like an idiot.”
“An idiot, am I?” She couldn't be much more than five feet tall and about a buck ten soaking wet, and yet she continuously proved that she wasn't really scared of him.
“What’s your suggestion?”
“I know of a small cave not far from here. It's close to the river, well hidden. And I know for a fact Miss Kay’s boys don't know about it.”
“And how do you know that?”
Sparrow looked away. “Because it's where I used to hide from them.”
Jared swallowed the sharp spike of sympathy. She might've had a rough upbringing, but that didn’t change the fact that she’d nearly killed his brother. Hadn’t she? “Show me.”
She nodded and headed straight south, away from the ravine. The mountain sloped steeply upward, and Jared’s calf muscles burned and screamed in protest. He forced himself to ignore the pain and continue. It wasn't his life that was at stake—it was his brother’s.
The ground leveled out slightly and Sparro
w hung a right, curving around the side of the mountain.
“This is it.” Sparrow stopped by a group of tall bushes and Jared looked around.
“I thought you said there was a cave.”
Sparrow grinned, “I did. It's right here.” Then she turned sideways and sliced her hand into the bushes, pulling them back to reveal a small cave, about as tall as Jared’s chest.
“All kinds of critters like to hide out in here, mostly raccoons, squirrels, rabbits, no big deal. It's too small for the bear to get in here, but we can fit just fine.”
This was perfect, but was it too perfect? “And who else knows about this cave?”
“No one. Not even Squirrel. This is my own place.”
The cave was situated three quarters of the way up the mountain, well hidden, its small opening perfect for defense against intruders. He couldn't have picked a better spot himself. “I guess it will have to do for tonight.”
Her expression of pride fell, but he ruthlessly ignored her and turned into the cave, clutching his brother, careful not to squeeze too tight as he bent at the waist and entered the cave. The pull on the lead rope gave Sparrow no choice but to follow him.
The cave narrowed, then widened out, the ceiling opening up enough so that he could stand fully. The small cavern made about a ten by ten room and stood just over six feet tall. There was no back exit. Yes, it was a good spot.
As gently as possible, he knelt on the ground and laid Hoyt on his stomach, carefully turning his head to the side so the cut on his cheek faced up. Hoyt moaned, and the sound sent an immediate rush of helpless anger through Jared.
“We can build a fire, give you some light to get him warmed up.” Sparrow offered. Jared glanced up but couldn't make out her features in the darkness.
“No fire. Bring me the bag.”
She shuffled over to him and place the bag to his right. Jared opened it and searched inside for his chem lights and headlamp. When he found the chem lights, he shook them until they lit up, filling the cave with a warm green glow. Next he snapped the head light on and shined it inside his bag, pulling out his medical kit and a blanket.
He stretched the blanket out on the ground and shifted his brother onto it. The sight of Hoyt’s hollowed out cheeks, scruffy beard, and sweat-drenched hair made his heart hurt. Jared checked his pulse to find it racing.
He was malnourished and abused. Could Sparrow really have been responsible for these horrible injuries? A mass of conflicting emotions swirled out of control in his mind, making it impossible for him to focus. Jared peeled Hoyt’s shirt back with shaking hands, revealing the mangled mess of his brother’s back inch by inch, the urge to roar with fury growing each second. Pieces of Jared’s skin had stuck to the shirt and he had to peel each one off individually. By the time he was through, Jared was a shaking mass of wrath.
“Can I help?” Sparrow knelt at his side, her voice gentle.
Jared stared at her, unable to determine what to say or do. Snap the fuck out of it.
“Stay away from him.” Jared rolled Hoyt to his side, his alarm growing when he spied the hundreds of small cuts crisscrossing his torso and abdomen. They weren’t as deep as the wounds on his back, but half of them oozed pus and blood. Rage like he’d never known overwhelmed him.
It was her. Her brother said it was…and she brought me right to that cabin. And now she had the audacity to gasp like she was horrified at the sight. But that didn’t matter now. Jared didn’t matter. Sparrow didn't matter. All that mattered was Hoyt.
Jared clenched his hands into fists, knowing that if he spoke he would lose control.
Surveying the cave, he found a large vertical rock jutting up out of the floor, maybe three feet away. The body of it was almost rectangular and nearly straight up and down. He needed to put as much distance between him and Sparrow as possible right now. Jared dug into his duffel and pulled out a small coil of rappelling rope. Then he stood and yanked her over to the rock.
“What are you doing?”
“Need to make sure you don't run away while I try to repair the damage you've done.”
“I won't run away. Let me help you.”
The fury hit him again, and before he knew what he was doing, his hand was around her throat. From somewhere in a distance, he realized what he was doing and knew he should stop. Now. But his brother, the one person in the entire world that he loved, had been tortured unto the brink of death.
“You think I'd let you touch him? Look at him. Look what you've done.”
Sparrow made a choking sound.
“No, you’re not going anywhere.”
Jared forced his fingers loose and Sparrow dropped to her knees, gasping and grabbing at her throat. Uncaring of the pain he’d caused her, Jared yanked her up from the floor and pressed her to the rock, quickly winding rope around her entire body pinning her arms to the side. When he finished, rope banded from her chest to her waist, effectively locking her in place.
The red marks on her neck gave him a tinge of remorse, which only pissed him off more. How could he feel sympathy for her?
Because I want to believe she really didn’t do it.
“Can you keep quiet or do I have to gag you again?”
His question was met with silence.
Jared dropped to his knees beside his brother and ripped the field medical kit from his bag and laid it out beside him, surveying his brother’s face, chest, and abdomen. He decided to clean the deepest cuts first. One large one gaped open on his right pectoral and another down lower, close to his hip. The rest looked relatively shallow and had even started scabbing in places.
Jared grabbed the disinfectant and poured a little into the first wound. His brother jerked away, landing on his back, and then bowed up off the floor, screaming in agony. “Stop.”
“Hoyt, it’s me, Jared. I’m trying to help you.” A cold sweat broke across his brow, and his hands shook uncontrollably. He’d caused Hoyt pain, and he wasn’t through yet.
Hoyt moaned and made a pitiful attempt to ward Jared away. “Please, no more.” His voice was a moan, filled with desperation. Did Hoyt think Jared was his tormentor?
Grief such as Jared never imagined swept through him. All the long buried emotions rushed to the surface, bending him over under their weight. “I’ll make the pain stop. It will all be over soon.”
Jared opened the small box of morphine syringes and plucked one out. He leaned down, ready to plunge the needle into his brother’s thigh. Just as Jared pulled his hand back, Hoyt opened his good eye, locking Jared in place. He didn’t speak. He didn’t move. And what Jared saw in his brother’s gaze scared him more than any of the cuts on his body. Hoyt’s gaze was empty.
Blank. Jared had seen that look before in shell-shocked soldiers on the battlefield. Some of them checked out and never checked back in, the experience of battle too much for their minds to bear.
“Hoyt?”
His brother gave no acknowledgment. Jared tried again. “Brother?”
Hoyt was an empty canvas. Jared reached for him, wanting to touch his shoulder, his arm, anything to make human contact and pull his brother back from the void. As soon as Jared’s hand made contact with Hoyt’s skin, he screamed and threw his hands out. The needle flew from Jared’s grip. Hoyt rolled onto his stomach, then got up onto his knees. The violent action sent fresh waves of blood pouring down his back.
“Stop, you’re going to hurt yourself.” Jared was on his feet, crouched and ready to dive to catch Hoyt when he fell.
“Just kill me!” Hoyt’s anguished roar boomed through the cave and ripped a hole in Jared’s chest. Hoyt staggered to his feet, wavering like a willow in a hurricane.
He was out of control and would do more harm if he didn’t settle. The needle was a few feet from Jared, and he lunged for it. Hoyt sensed his movements and dove, landing a weak blow to Jared’s jaw before hitting the ground.
“Stop moving!” Jared shouted in desperation.
Hoyt rolled to his side,
groaning in pain. “Please, I’m begging you. Just finish it. No more. No more.”
Those anguished words ripped Jared’s soul apart, sending wave after wave of sharp pain through his chest. Still, he gripped the needle and approached his brother, regret making his feet drag. “I’ll make it stop, little brother.” Jared dropped to a knee and plunged the syringe in Hoyt’s flesh. Hoyt jerked and twitched, his movements like a fish out of water. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there to protect you.”
Regret tinged with acid boiled in Jared’s blood. He would never forgive himself. Hoyt stopped jerking, the morphine working its magic. When Hoyt’s head slumped to the floor, Jared picked him up and carried him back to the blanket, wondering all the while if Sparrow had been telling the truth. Had Hoyt’s blame at the cabin been from delirium?
He picked up the disinfectant and gently dabbed at his brother’s wounds, but his body felt like an empty shell, filled with nothing but despair. He watched himself work, cleaning and patching Hoyt’s chest. He watched the fresh blood slowly seep from his brother’s wounds.
Jared had never broken a vow in his entire life—he’d always prided himself on his word. But today he’d not only broken the promise he’d made to protect his brother, he’d shattered it to pieces.
Chapter 14
Sparrow watched silently, holding in the urge to weep for the two brothers. She’d prayed Hoyt would stay unconscious through the cleaning, but he’d awoken and reopened his wounds. His pain was obvious.
But even worse was the agony on Jared’s face. Silent tears trailed from his midnight eyes, and she didn’t think he even realized he was crying. Her heart cried with him.
Jared tended to the smaller cuts first, then bandaged the two worst ones on his chest. After that, he carefully cleaned the slice on Hoyt’s face. At least Jimbo had cut that one clean, using a good blade. It should heal without too bad a scar. But when Jared rolled Hoyt over to tend to his back, the sight was brutal enough to wrest a grunt from her.
Jared whipped his head around and she prayed he would ignore her. She didn’t breathe again until he turned his attention back to Hoyt.
Men of Mercy: The Complete Story Page 62