A bearded man behind the wheel had slumped to the right and forward, motionless. The left side of his white t-shirt was drenched in blood and his face was pale. It definitely didn’t look good for him. The smell of bourbon filled the cab.
I dropped off the step, opened his door, and reached over to pull him toward me. Above his elbow, blood squirted through my fingers.
He’d sliced an artery. Life was gushing out of him. Although I’d thought I was ready to kill any sorcerer I found, I couldn’t let this unconscious asshole bleed out.
I pinched his arm above the cut to slow the flow, and it slowed considerably. Although I couldn’t see behind me much, I hoped the accident would’ve caught somebody’s attention. I yelled for help, but no response.
When I tried to reposition my hand so I could take off my belt to use as a tourniquet, the bleeding worsened. So I stopped.
In the distance, I heard a siren, and it seemed to be getting closer. Then, somewhere nearby, people were speaking, but I couldn’t see anyone. My hand slipped, and the artery gushed—had to stay focused. Somehow, I pinched the flow off again.
“Hey, buddy!” someone yelled right behind me. “Do you need help? Why don’t you climb down?”
I looked over my shoulder. This time, a Boulder County sheriff’s deputy was standing there with a frown.
I said over my shoulder, “Somebody’s badly hurt. I’ve stopped his bleeding, can’t let go.”
The deputy said, “Okay. What happened to this other guy?”
“Seemed drunk out of his mind. Fell face-first.”
“An ambulance just pulled up,” the cop said. “Here comes an EMT.”
I explained to him about the cut, and he crawled into the cab from the other side.
“Let go. I’ve got him now.”
I stepped back and stumbled. Have to get to the Eldo.
If I didn’t lean against it, I’d probably keel over.
Several cops roamed the scene. That usually meant trouble. They might’ve already figured out that I was a fugitive from Oklahoma, but I still had Francis’s driver’s license.
After the EMTs had pulled the driver out of the truck, I asked the one closest to me, “Is he going to make it?”
“You helped him?”
I nodded.
“He lost a helluva lot of blood, but you probably saved his life.”
That felt good, even if he was a goddamned sorcerer.
The deputy I’d seen first approached me. “What’s the deal on this other guy? Looks like too much damage for just falling over.”
The sorcerer who had tried to attack me was groggy but awake. I wasn’t sure what to say, so I kept it general. “He staggered out of the truck and collapsed. I was focused on saving the first guy.”
The sorcerer said, “Yes, that’s what happened. So sorry.”
The cop shrugged. “We’ll play it your way. But I have to take you both to the emergency room for a checkup.”
I was afraid of that. I didn’t have medical insurance, and this whole situation was rapidly spiraling out of control. “I’m okay. I just need a cab to get me back to the folks I’m staying with.”
“Sorry,” the cop said. “Standard procedure. All injured parties have to get checked out. You can refuse treatment if you want. Sorry about the car. It’s a mess.”
The right rear quarter had been crushed inward by the much bigger truck.
The deputy transported me to a hospital in Boulder, and the EMTs took both sorcerers. Along the way, I tried to call Laura on my cell. She must’ve had her phone turned off, because I got her answering machine. I left a message, and then I tried to figure out how to get hold of someone else at the ranch. I remembered the name, but Google had never heard of Brigid’s Community Ranch. It had heard of Diana Murray, though, the Boulder mayor’s chief of staff. I reached her work phone and left a message there that I’d gotten into a wee bit of trouble.
At the hospital, an ER doc examined me, and I thanked him but refused any treatment, including an x-ray of my hip. The hospital finally let me go, but not before giving me a bill for twelve hundred dollars that I’d told them up front I couldn’t pay. I walked into the ER waiting room wondering how to get back to the ranch.
But Diana, Tess, Laura, and Katie were sitting together in the waiting room. Problem solved, but none of them looked happy to see me.
We huddled in a corner. I sat down on one of those plastic chairs designed to make you uncomfortable, and that definitely didn’t help my hip, but I couldn’t stand for much longer.
Diana whispered from the chair next to mine, “What the fuck have you been doing?”
She obviously wasn’t used to comforting the afflicted.
“I was minding my own business when this truck filled with sorcerers slammed into me. Almost knocked me into Boulder Creek and killed me. One of the assholes attacked me, so I punched him out. I thought that was what I was supposed to do: fight the bastards. The other one was gushing blood, so he was no threat. I kept him alive, against my better judgment.”
“First thing,” Diana said. “Why the hell did you take off without telling anybody?”
“I tried to let you guys know, but everybody was busy. Nobody told me I was your prisoner. I just wanted to see a few sights. I stayed away from people and didn’t go to town. What’s wrong with any of that, Your Majesty?”
“The sheriff’s deputies figured out right away that you’d won a magical fight. They didn’t arrest you because it looked like you were the victim, not the attacker. The sheriff personally called me to complain about the disturbance of the public peace.”
“Good. At least your cops aren’t idiots, or monsters. I was acting peacefully when they attacked me.”
Laura patted my arm. “You’ve already won a fight. I’ve never beat anybody. Great job!”
“We’ll consider that whole subject later,” Diana said. “For now, the big problem is that a detective insists on interviewing you. They tend to stay out of magical fights, but this one included a highway accident. So, you will simply explain this as a terrible crash.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Laura touched my hip. “I’m sorry about that. I’ll bet it really hurts.”
“For damn sure,” I replied. “Can you do anything about it?”
She sat in a chair next to me and uttered a few incantations. My hip soon felt as good as new, and then she patched up my arm. It felt better than before. Best of all, she soothed my mind.
Tess stood over me with her hands on her hips. “You can’t conjure fighting spells, but you won anyway? Beginner’s dumb luck. Don’t count on that again.”
She was no doubt right. “I get all squishy inside when you shower me with compliments.”
Katie burst out laughing. “I’m so relieved that you’re okay. My daughter can get a little big for her britches sometimes, but we were all justifiably worried when we realized you’d gone rogue.”
As a peace offering, I offered Tess my hand, and she shook it. The sorcerers obviously knew I was here, so I needed her help more than ever.
Chapter 9
A MIDDLE-AGED HISPANIC man wearing a suit walked toward our group.
“I’m Detective Hernandez with the Boulder County Sheriff’s Department.” He stared at me. “Are you Ian O’Rourke? I need to ask you a few questions.”
I glanced at Diana, and she nodded slightly. “Sure,” I said.
“Privately,” he added.
“I’d feel a lot better talking with my friends around.”
He shrugged. “Sorry to bother you, but the nurses tell me your injuries are not severe and you refused treatment. We’d like to keep another drunk driver off the road, but we need your help. The crime scene is confusing.”
I recalled the stink of bourbon in the truck. “I’d be happy to tell you what I can.”
Hernandez glanced at Diana as though he was hoping she’d leave, but I knew her well enough al
ready to know that that wouldn’t happen.
The detective pulled a chair up close to me. “To begin with, describe in detail what you personally saw and did.”
I retold the story of the crash, including as much detail as I could to give myself more time to figure out how to avoid talking about magic.
When I got to the part about peering into the truck’s cab, Hernandez raised his hand. “Before we get to that, were you unconscious at any time?”
“I don’t think so, but how can I know for sure? I didn’t fall over.”
The detective nodded. “You approached the truck’s driver? What happened after that?”
I shivered as I described seeing the driver out cold. “For a second, I couldn’t figure out how to stop the blood.”
“Was he alone?”
“No. Somebody was riding with him, but when he got out of the truck, he staggered for a bit and then fell over, face forward.”
The detective’s face pinched. “Did you see his face clearly?”
I particularly remembered how he had looked when his eyes had rolled back and he’d passed out. “Yes.”
Hernandez showed me a sheet of paper with six mugshots on it.
I pointed at the truck’s driver. “He’s the guy I helped.” Then I pointed at the bald-headed guy’s photo. “He’s the one who staggered and fell.”
The detective frowned. “Did either of these guys threaten you?”
Diana slightly shook her head.
“No, just a terrible accident.”
The cop stared at me.
I started to bite my lip but then caught myself. Lying to cops was a crime. I knew that much. But Diana must’ve had a good reason for wanting me to lie.
“What did you do to the truck’s passenger?” Hernandez asked.
“Nothing.”
Hernandez groaned. “Mr. O’Rourke, the man’s face was pulverized, and your knuckles are cut. He didn’t simply fall to the ground.”
“He probably hit his face on the truck’s dash, or he got into a fight earlier.”
The detective shook his head. “None of his blood is in the vehicle.”
The more I talked, the more trouble I was getting myself into. “I can’t explain it. Everything happened so fast, and I was pretty shook up.”
The cop snorted. “One reason we brought them here was to get a quick blood-alcohol test on both. The driver had been drinking, but he wasn’t drunk. The other guy was. All we can charge them with is an open container violation. We should be able to charge both the driver and the bearded guy with assault and battery.”
I nodded, understanding what he wanted to prove. “I doubt they rammed me on purpose.”
After pausing for a minute, Hernandez said, “Let’s go back to the beginning.”
I went through my story once more, but Hernandez didn’t seem any happier. Finally, in an exasperated voice, he said, “We know about the warrant out of Oklahoma. Colorado has no anti-magic laws, and that’s the only charge anymore. We have no interest in arresting you. We mainly want to eliminate two menaces who tried to kill you.”
Diana spoke for the first time. “If it’s any comfort, I think we can assure you that those men now know better than to drink and drive.”
The cop rose and blew out a breath. “How can I reach you again?”
“Through me.” Diana gave him her cellphone number.
“I’ll be in touch.” He nodded at everyone and left.
-o-o-o-
AFTER HE HAD DISAPPEARED and I’d gotten something to drink, Diana said, “We need to deal with your two slaves to make sure they don’t do anything stupider than they already have.”
“Tell me what to do,” I said.
“Those bastards deserve to be punished for trying to kill you. The perfect punishment is taking care of our elderly and children. They’ll hate those jobs.”
The other women agreed, so they obviously weren’t worried about allowing these two monsters to have direct contact with the most vulnerable parts of our community. I didn’t embarrass myself by asking the obvious question. Are you sure that’s wise?
Diana took me by the elbow and led me to one of the nurses’ stations, where she asked a gray-haired male nurse, “Can you tell us where the two men are who were injured in the truck accident?”
He said, “Rooms three fourteen and three twenty-one, but only two people are allowed to see them at a time.”
Diana nodded. “When will they be discharged?”
“Not clear yet,” the nurse said. “Not today.”
The four of us took the elevator up to the third floor, and while we rode, Diana said, “Laura and Ian will go in.” Then our high priestess turned to me. “You tell them four things. First, you want all their power, so you say to each, ‘I claim the spoils of victory.’ Second, tell them not to talk to any other sorcerers. Third, tell them that if the police question them, they should exercise their right to remain silent. And fourth, tell them to contact me as soon as they’re discharged from the hospital.”
Most of that I understood, but I asked, “Why don’t you want them to talk to the cops?”
“Because they’ll probably end up in jail if they do. We’ll make their lives more miserable than Boulder County. They have no rights in our world, and Laura can heal them so that they can start work tomorrow. No pay, no holidays, and no excuses accepted.”
Laura and I did exactly what Diana had said. In each case, the only reply got I got back from them was, “Yes, Master.”
A strong feeling of heat rushed into me each time I took their power.
Then she healed their injuries.
“What’s with the hot flashes?” I asked her.
“All the power each of you had at the beginning of the fight goes to the winner. For a second you glow like a light bulb. Pretty freaky, huh?”
It was, and when we finished with both dirtbags, we left.
On the way back to the ranch, I sat in the back of Diana’s big SUV with Katie, who asked, “By any chance, Ian, are there any O’Dells in your part of Oklahoma?”
Tess groaned. I glanced at her with a grin. “None that come to mind, Katie. I hear you had family in Tulsa at one time.”
“You betcha.”
She peppered me with questions about my family, and she told me about growing up on her dad’s farm. She even claimed to like fried okra. Yuck.
Several times, Tess tried to change the conversation, but it was no use. Once Katie and I got to talking about the old days, there was no stopping us.
As Diana drove through the entrance to the ranch, Katie said, “Oh, I need to tell you about something. When one of our champions beats a sorcerer, we always celebrate. People will be thrilled, particularly after what happened to Jackie. And because you’re a man, your magic is particularly powerful now. As part of the festivities, any woman you sleep with tonight—”
“That’s enough,” Diana interrupted. “I’ll go over that with him later.”
I fought back a response. No way was I going to bed with anybody as part of some kind of ceremony.
“Of course,” Katie said. “It’s party time!”
“I’m not feeling that well,” I whispered to her, which happened to be true.
“Are you sweet on someone in particular already?” Katie whispered in my year. “It’s certainly understandable that you’d want to be with her.”
I shook my head. Laura and I barely knew each other.
Diana parked in the covered garage next to the commons. When we entered the commons, she pulled me into her office.
The walls were lined with dark walnut bookcases and cupboards. Her mahogany desk was at least eight feet wide.
“Tomorrow,” she said, “remind me to find out from your new slaves how the sorcerers here learned about you so quickly. They went to a lot of trouble to kill you today, which surprises me. You might have a bounty on your head.”
More bad news.
“Okay. But why would they do that?”
“Probably not a local decision,” she replied. “The slayer for the Rocky Mountain region may have offered a bounty because your story made the national news and embarrassed them. He might want to make an example of you. Whatever the reason, no more gallivanting around.”
Given how badly my last frolic had turned out, I had to agree. “Got it.”
She stared quizzically at me for a moment, as though she was gauging my sincerity. “Don’t you think you can pull the wool over my eyes, either.”
I couldn’t understand why she was so suspicious. “I don’t want to make any more trouble, particularly after you’ve offered me a safe refuge.”
She took me by the elbow and led me back to the others, who were waiting in the hallway. “I’m happy to see that we understand each other. Now, look thrilled.”
She linked her arm though mine, and we walked into the lounge area.
The place exploded with cheers. Party balloons were hanging over each table, and the Queen song, We Are the Champions, was blasting from loudspeakers. It seemed like everyone in the community, including all the kids, had shown up to welcome us back.
Diana put on a huge smile. “I bring you tidings of great joy. The newest member of our community has already proven his extraordinary worth. Please join me in celebrating his twin victories against sorcerer scum.”
She clapped her hands loudly, and so did everyone else. It was a great feeling, being appreciated, but I’d barely fought. And, based on my first training lesson with Tess, I wasn’t likely to become much of a warrior.
Tess asked me, “What would you like to drink, my lord?”
I ignored the sarcasm in her voice. “Beer is fine. Or whatever’s handy.”
She walked toward a row of tables covered with drinks and desserts.
One by one, people came up to me, introduced themselves, and congratulated me on my over-hyped victory. When I tried to set someone straight about the ridiculous fight, Laura squeezed my arm and whispered, “They needed a victory after what happened to Jackie. Don’t take it from them.”
Lone Survivor: The Sorcerers' Scourge Series: Book One Page 9