Mojave Rescue. Tanya Stowe
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she thought was a traitor and hurtled over a narrow ridge, expecting to feel a bullet pierce her back at any moment.
They reached the first turbine and Norwood jerked the ATV sharply to the left. A bullet pinged the side of the turbine’s tower and bounced away. Zigzagging erratically, Norwood made it to the next tower before another bullet hit, this time striking the ground where they’d been moments ago. Drina flinched and glanced back.
The helicopter wavered up and down in the darkening sky, then adjusted so the sniper could take aim.
Where was the ever-present desert wind? Why did the gusts fade now when they needed them most? Drina heard the crack of another shot and cringed. She ducked, hunching up against Norwood, her body pressed against his. The zing whistled by, too close for comfort, and struck the metal turbine ahead of them... A direct hit.
Norwood jerked to the side, sinking down into the narrow gully below them. There were tall turbines on the ridge across and behind them. The helicopter couldn’t follow or come up on the other side. Another bullet struck the side of the hill but it was off. The marksmen in the helicopter couldn’t site them this deep in the gully.
The gulch’s bottom was too narrow for the quad’s wheelbase so Norwood was forced to zigzag up and down the sides. Their wavering path slowed their escape. Still, the sound of the helicopter came from farther and farther above them. Drina couldn’t look up. All of her concentration was focused on hanging on to Norwood’s slender waist as their path dipped and rose along the bumpy gully bottom.
Eventually it opened into a wider culvert and they entered the sandy bottom of a small stream. Their path straightened. The sound of the helicopter faded away as darkness settled over them. Norwood traveled a long time before switching on the quad’s headlights.
The beams shot across the streambed, lighting bushes and rocks as they traveled deeper and deeper into the desert. Drina had no idea where they were headed. She only knew they were traveling far away from town and any kind of help. After a while, her grip loosened.
A mile. That was the average range of a rifle. Funny how the number jumped into her mind now.
I must be beginning to relax. This time we’re safe. Really safe... At least for the time being.
At the moment she didn’t care. Only two things mattered. Her back wasn’t shivering in reflexive fear of being shot, and the man in front of her was strong, confident and sure. He might still be a traitor to their country, but he’d risked his life to save her, covering her body with his and returning for her when he could have made his own escape. Right now nothing else mattered. She pressed her face into Norwood’s back and closed her eyes.
Odd thoughts came to her. The faint scent of lemony aftershave. She’d watched Norwood dive into dirt, run up and down a rocky ravine and scramble for his life, but still he managed to smell good. It seemed a silly thing to think about, especially since he’d betrayed everything Drina tried to accomplish. But somehow, the man made her feel safe. Protected.
Right now Cal Norwood was the man of steel, larger than life, invincible...but he smelled like lemon sunshine.
Another silly detail that lodged in her mind: she could wrap her arms around his entire waist and hold tight. How could such a slender torso manhandle this jostling, shimmying vehicle?
The question faded in her mind as they hit a bump. Drina grasped him tighter and snuggled close, burying her face in his leather jacket.
Shock. It must be shock bringing all these crazy, mixed-up thoughts to her mind. Joy at being alive must have heightened her senses because Drina was definitely not the type to romanticize. But right now it didn’t matter. They were safe and Norwood was wonderful. That was all that mattered for the moment.
Drina lost track of time. They drove for what seemed like hours. The stream widened again into a dry riverbed. Above them on the bank, the headlights flashed on a black strip that looked like a paved road. After a while, Norwood slowed the quad to a stop and turned the light toward the bank. The brown crest of a small hut appeared above them. Norwood eased the quad into the V of some boulders along the riverbed and shut down the engine.
Drina’s ears and body vibrated for a moment more, adjusting to the sudden stillness. The wind had picked up and carried a biting edge. She shivered. Norwood held out his hand again.
“We need to find shelter so we can rest for a bit.”
Rest? We need to find help.
Drina wanted to speak but her teeth started to chatter and her body trembled. Overwhelmed by the sudden shaking, she took his warm, secure hand, and he pulled her up the bank. Her legs were sore from being bound and weak from the long ride on the quad. She could hardly force them to move. By the time they reached the top, she was out of breath.
The small building was a brown tollbooth in the center of a divided road.
“Wh-what is this place?” She barely got the words out between shudders.
“It’s Red Rock Canyon, a state park for ATV riders. It’s been closed for several years. Cutbacks.”
He hurried across the asphalt road and pushed on the locked door. Gripping her arms tight against her, Drina watched him jam his shoulder into the flimsy door several times.
“Wh-why don’t you just break the w-window and unlock it?”
“It wouldn’t give us much shelter from the wind then, would it? Besides, I don’t want to leave too much damage behind. It will make for an easy trail to follow.”
With that, he gave the door a sturdy kick and it bounced open. He pulled Drina inside and tucked her into a corner.
“Have a seat and I’ll see if I can’t find a water faucet outside.”
Nodding, Drina bumped up against the wall and slid to the floor. Inside, out of the cold wind, felt so much better. Slipping her backpack off, she sighed with relief, but the sigh turned into a sob...and the trembling continued. She couldn’t control the shaking and suddenly, a thought jumped into her mind.
When she’d first met Norwood, she’d mentally made fun of his strict adherence to rules and the impression he gave off that he could save the world. Well...he’d just saved Drina and everything in her world. Hot tears of shame and relief rolled down her cheeks.
* * *
Norwood returned to the shed and slipped inside, out of the cold wind. He placed a large rock against the door to hold it shut. “There are faucets outside but all the water is turned off.”
His only answer was a sob-like sound. He turned. Tears sparkled on Drina’s cheeks.
“I—I can’t stop.” She seemed barely able to get the words out.
Cal dropped to the ground beside her. It was her fault she was here. Her own disregard for security had resulted in her kidnapping. Still, her statement sounded so pathetic, he couldn’t stop himself. Reaching across the space, he put an arm around her. His gesture seemed to release a flood of emotion. She spilled into his arms so suddenly, Cal was caught off guard and his arms spread wide as she wrapped hers around his waist.
He could almost feel Drina’s pent-up emotions washing out of her. It felt awkward, uncomfortable...as if he sat chest deep in a sea of feelings he didn’t need or understand.
Then she reached up, wrapped chilly fingers around his neck and buried her cold cheeks and nose in the curve of his neck. Skin to skin. Life to life.
This he understood. This need he knew well. Basic needs. Men and women. Even her sobs reminded them both that they were alive. He enfolded her in his arms and held her close while hot tears soaked his shirt.
He’d studied this woman, knew her schedule, her goals. He knew more about her than about any other woman. But he’d never been this close, never held her in his arms. Somehow she felt right. He’d also seen the terror in her eyes as she lay on the floor of the shack. That image flashed through his mind, and a wave of tenderness he couldn’t explain washed