Adam (7 page)

Adam stared out the copilot’s side window of the G6 jet. The bright glare of the morning sun at 35,000 feet forced him to squint. Oh, hell, he could put a pair of sunglasses over his eye patch, but he’d be damned if he was going to add insult to injury. Literally.

“We may have a problem landing, Doc.”

Adam’s head whipped to the left. Jason King, his pilot, and one massive, mean son-of-a- bitch, hit several buttons on the weather system screen.

“The storm is moving in faster than forecasted. Blizzard conditions already in Denver. If I push it, we can make it into Rapid City. That small airport doesn’t have C3C.”

At Adam’s questioning expression, Jason elaborated, “Instrumentation only landing. And I won’t even try landing at the ranch. No one from Guardian has been at the training facility for days. The runway won’t be cleared.”

Adam noticed his leg was bouncing and consciously stopped the annoying movement. “Push it, then. I’ve got to get back to her, Jason. For two years, she’s thought I… Man, I fucked up so bad. I have to make this right.”

Jason glanced towards him and nodded. After a couple minutes, he reached out and put his huge hand on Adam’s thigh for a second, stopping the leg’s repetitious movement.

“Don’t need a hole in the floor of my jet.”

“Sorry man, I do appreciate you flying me back to the ranch.”

“No problem. It was an excuse to leave the wedding and impromptu family reunion. It was just getting around to the ‘inevitable questions’ phase. Now that Jacob and Joseph are married the pressure is on. Let Jared and Justin field the ‘When are you going to settle down?’ questions from Mom.”

Doc gave a distracted nod and once again started bouncing his leg.

Jason took a deep breath and slowly exhaled before he spoke. “Dude, I can’t pretend to understand what you’ve been through. Lord knows I’m not good with this personal crap, but I’m here if you want to talk about it. We have nothing but time.”

Adam rubbed his palms against his face and held his head in his hands. “Keelee and I didn’t see eye to eye on something. I wish I could tell you I was trying to protect her from a life tied to a transient Guardian. No offense.”

“None taken.”

“Of course, my past with women hasn’t exactly prepared me for someone honest. I didn’t believe her when she… oh, man I fucked up. I tried to do what was best for her.”

“Doc, haven’t you learned not to think for women? It’s too fucking dangerous.” Jason shook his head before he continued. “Women don’t think like we do, man. Their wires have no schematics. There is no straight path from ‘a’ to ‘b’ for them. What possessed you?”

“Fuck if I know, man. Fuck if I know. I remember going to the ranch now—the first time, I mean. We were helping out with a cattle drive. Jacob’s wife, Tori… hell, I guess she was his girlfriend then, wasn’t she… anyway, they took the herd down the mountain to meet up with the girl’s dad. I stayed up at the line shack to take care of Keelee. She was sicker than a dog. Pneumonia.”

Doc peered out of the cockpit, and for what seemed like the millionth time since his fractured memories had returned, he worked to piece the events together. He closed his eye and blocked out the bright sunshine and billowing clouds. God, he could see her on the bed in that line shack
.

“How long did it take to get her back down to the ranch?”

“Ahh… five days. She slept the first three.”

“So what happened? I mean, if she was out of it, what could you possibly have done to screw things up?”

Jason held up a hand as Doc started to reply. He listened to incoming directions from Atlanta’s regional air traffic controller. “Guardian four-three-eight-four, confirm turning to two niner three and dropping to twenty-seven thousand.” Jason glanced at him and shrugged. “Sorry, go ahead.”

“I don’t know, man. Things were going good. I mean, she was recovering.” Adam shook his head and once again peered out at the clouds as if they would provide solutions to the things he’d done. He told Jason what he’d said to Keelee.

“Oh, hell no! You did not do that to her?” Jason’s stare held the same disbelief he had seen in Keelee’s eyes that morning.

“Fuck man, I told you I screwed up! I mean, I explained it to her—we fool around, she’d get pregnant. It didn’t faze her. So what was I supposed to think? You know what happened with Bianca.”

But Keelee wasn’t anything like his psychotic ex. There was no denying Guardian’s people were well paid and had a definite status in D.C. In recent years, the number of women seeking to cash in on the type of men Guardian cultivated had escalated. Doc had learned that lesson the hard way. He had been burned severely by that vicious, gold-digging bitch. Once burned, twice shy. In his case, it was once burned, suspicious forever. Damn.

“Yeah, but Bianca was an evil fucking pariah. You said yourself that Keelee’s an innocent. Not like that world-class bitch. Besides man, ever hear of oral, or maybe a handjob?”

Doc dropped his head back against the seat repeatedly. “Yeah. Once I pulled my head out of my ass, I tried to talk to Keelee, to explain why I reacted like I did. She shut me out. She refused to acknowledge I even existed after that. Fuck man, she avoided me like the plague and I can’t blame her.”

“Ah dude, you fucked up. Bad, epic… biblical proportions even.”

Adam winced at the truth. “Don’t I know it. The kicker? I compounded the problem by avoiding her after I came back to the ranch. Joseph, told me when I was out of my head in that cave in Afghanistan… well, I guess I told him that I loved her. Fuck, even after he told me what I said, I didn’t remember it. I’d seen her on the ranch a time or two, but I had no idea I knew her from before. I mean, hell yeah. I was clinically depressed, not dead. I noticed her. Anyway, I talked with her. She seemed nice and damned if she wasn’t hotter than all the fires of hell. But I ended up telling her I wanted to be her friend. I’ve treated her like a little sister since then.”

“So which is it, dude? Are you going back to say you’re sorry to your friend or are you going back to claim your woman?” The largest of the King Brothers glanced at Adam and rolled his hand, gesturing for him to continue.

Adam drew a huge breath and released it slowly. “Even when I tried to treat her as a friend I felt like I wanted more with her. I just figured she wouldn’t want to be saddled with half a man.”

“Oh, what-the-fuck-ever, dude. Whine much? FYI? You sound like a girl. Just how far up your ass did you say your head was buried?”

Adam actually laughed. “Too damn far—for too damn long. I’m going to apologize to my friend and hopefully make love to my woman. I just pray I’m not too late. She’s got that fucking cowboy sniffing after her.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah, and to top that off with a shot of ‘Oh, why-the-hell-not?’ I’ve been encouraging her towards a relationship with him.”

“Dude, come hell or high water, I’m getting you on the ground. You have a shit-ton of damage control.”

Doc closed his eye and answered the only way he could. “Roger that, Captain.”

“Major.”

“What-the-fuck-ever, dude. Get me on the ground.”

“Roger that.”

“You can’t be serious! Young lady, there is a blizzard barreling this way and you’re going up into the hills? What on earth are you thinking? Or are you thinking?” Aunt Betty’s disapproving rant was just another notch in Keelee’s freaking abysmal day.
Day? Crap, try month or year, or three
.

Keelee straightened from the supply packs she was working on and drew a deep breath, trying to calm her frayed nerves. “Clint said there was a family staying in the old homestead west of the line shack. I… I can’t sit here nice and warm knowing that anyone, especially children, may be in trouble. I’ll take a snowmobile out and be back before it’s time to feed.” Keelee turned away from her aunt before the older woman could notice the tears that misted in her eyes.

“Honey, if there is a family up there, they’re hiding from something or somebody. Do you think they’re going to take kindly to you just showing up? They’re squatters, for heaven’s sake! For all you know, they’ll shoot you rather than talk to you. And going up there in this weather?” Betty threw her hands out to her sides to signify her incredulity with the situation.

The older woman’s exasperation and Keelee’s determination collided tangibly as she worked to tighten the clasp on a pack.

Her aunt’s tenacious tirade relented a little. She must have realized Keelee wasn’t going to stop. “Well, dang it all to hell and back! Sweetheart, at least make Clint go with you! What I’d like to know is why didn’t he do something for them when he saw them yesterday? What kind of man drops a bomb like that on a lady’s lap and then heads off to his own home warm and snug?”

Raking her hand through her hair, Keelee shook her head. “I don’t know, Aunt Betty… I’m sure he had his reasons for not helping them out when he saw them.”

Her response froze the older woman in her tracks. “Well, did he tell you why? I mean it’s December. It’s freezing. He should’ve done something yesterday. I question his rationale for getting you involved. If you weren’t dating him, I’d say wash your hands of him and good riddance.”

Keelee pulled on her down-filled floor-length duster and grabbed at the wool hat, scarf and gloves next to the kitchen door. She wasn’t beautiful. She knew exactly what the men saw when they saw her. At six feet, she was too tall. Work had hardened her muscles. She wasn’t soft or feminine. She wore her dirty blonde hair long because she couldn’t be bothered to take time to get it cut or styled, and her blue eyes were way too big for her face.

Keelee turned and threw the loaded packs onto her shoulder before she met her aunt’s gaze. “Sorry, Aunt Betty, I’m a big girl. I’ll see who I want, when I want. I don’t plan on washing my hands of Clint. Why would I? He’s nice enough.”

“Nice enough? That’s not a ringing endorsement. Why don’t you go after someone who sets your blood on fire? Someone like…”

“Stop it now, Aunt Betty. I know you have a crush on Dr. Cassidy, but you can’t expect me to chase after every man Guardian ships through here. I’ll stick with Clint. He’s what I’m used to.”

“Child, don’t settle.”

“Settle? Guess that’s impossible since no one has talked about a commitment.”

Keelee grabbed her equipment and slammed the door shut before her aunt could respond. She headed toward the barn while glancing at the gray morning sky. The low clouds hung pregnant with snow. Dark pillowed swells threatened to let loose the storm that had been forecast.
Well, bring it on.
I’m in the mood for a fight.

Keelee entered the barn and stalked through the long building. “I’ll be damned if I’m going to let a child go hungry or cold.” Several horses blew huffs of air, startled at her spoken comment. The outside dogs that sheltered the winter in the barn barreled out of the thick straw where they lazed and surrounded her, jumping with reckless energy. Her gelding extended his head past his stall’s half-door. She slowed to give the animals attention and scritches. Lifting away from the dogs, she walked to her pride and joy. Comanche’s dark chestnut head pushed into her chest and she embraced the not so gentle nudge he deemed her worthy to receive. For a mean old cuss, the horse loved her as much as she loved him.

“You’re not going with me today, buddy. I’ve got to get up there and back quickly.” The horse nipped her fur-lined glove and tugged her hand. The playful antic pulled the corner of her mouth up in a halfhearted smile. “I can’t stay. I’ll be back in time to feed you guys tonight. Maybe give you a good scratch with the curry comb. Because you’re a spoiled old grouch, aren’t you?” She stroked the side of his strong, muscled neck, ruffling his thick winter coat. She once again avoided his halfhearted attempt to nip at her shoulder before she headed out the back of the barn.

The snowmobiles sat just past the barn in a small metal Quonset hut. Keelee ensured the fuel tank was full and strapped two ten-gallon containers of gas, plus the supplies she had packed, on the back of the machine. From the toes of her work-worn winter boots to the peak of her sub-zero rated, down-filled, hooded coat, she was cloaked in absolute warmth. Her belly was full. She considered herself blessed beyond measure.

Her heart broke for any man, woman or child trying to exist in that decrepit, abandoned shell of a house. She’d take them to the line shack. They could winter there if they wouldn’t come down and stay at the ranch. Keelee knew her dad would give them space in the bunkhouse. It was the way of things out here. People took care of each other.

Keelee shook her head, clearing her swirling thoughts. Clint should have offered to go with her. He was the one who told her about the family. His cavalier attitude about the desperate situation the family would be facing shocked her, no matter what she said to Aunt Betty. God, she’d give her right arm to talk with Ember right now, but her friend was in Aruba following Joseph’s last wishes. He’d died while trying to protect Ember. Her best friend’s focus was where it needed to be, finding closure. There is no way in hell she’d bother the woman with her trivial angst.

Well, whatever.
The family up there was the only thing that mattered. If she couldn’t get them to come down, she would take up more supplies. The line shack was easier to access by snowmobile. The extra gas she carried would keep the generator going if there wasn’t enough firewood. There should be wood stacked at the back of the building, but she wasn’t positive. It had been over two years since she’d been to the line shack. Longer than that actually, since she and Adam had…

“Stop it! Damn it. That’s done with! He doesn’t remember and if he did he’d just… reject you again.” Her scathing self-reprimand hung suspended, almost frozen, in the oppressive cold.
Well, that was rather melodramatic, wasn’t it? Do you feel better?
No. The slap of bitter truth stung more than the brace of the whipping Arctic wind.

Giving the barn and Quonset hut one last inspection to ensure she had shut the doors, she flipped the switches and hit the start button firing the engine to life.
Lord, please let me get to that family before the storm hits.

*

Keelee’s snowmobile crested the top of a small ridge just east of the abandoned homestead. The forecasted blizzard had hit with all fury the local weatherman had called for and then some. Falling snowflakes did a fantastic job of impersonating ice pellets. The snow pounded exposed skin around her eyes and the bridge of her nose. She was barely able to see through the torrents of wind-driven snow and the last half mile to the shack eked by at a slow crawl. At a stack of old lumber that had once been the barn, she stopped the machine and turned off the engine. After almost two hours of being subjected to the loud growl of the powerful motor, the absolute silence of the abandoned homestead assaulted her senses with its fierce suddenness.

Keelee stood on the foot rails of the snowmobile straddling the seat. The old house stood about fifty yards from what used to be the barn. The wind exposed an old barbed wire fence protruding from a snow drift. The ancient barrier prevented her from taking the machine closer to the house. Keelee removed her scarf from around her mouth. The unfiltered cold air bit into her lungs, forcing a small cough.

“Hello!” The gusting wind and buffeting snow of the storm deadened her call. She filled her lungs, cupped her mouth again and shouted, “Is anyone here? I’ve come to help!” A distant sound pulled her attention toward the front of the house. Had something moved at the window? Maybe? The wind and blowing snow made everything seem… muddled.

Her hands complained when she stretched them out. Curled forever around the machine’s handlebars, her fingers felt clumsy when she pulled the two emergency packs of food and clothing from the seat and draped them on her shoulders. Thigh-deep snow plus the weight of the supplies made walking a challenge. The thin, hard crust atop the snow broke under her weight, sinking her legs deep into the drifts. Within ten feet, she was awash with sweat. The exertion of fighting her way through the heavy drifts coupled with the thermal inner clothing and arctic outer-gear worked in concert to trap her body’s natural heat. Although she was used to the hardships and rigors of ranch life, her routine didn’t compensate for the extreme effort caused by the physical strain of moving through the banked snow. She needed to stop and rest.

Keelee admitted defeat on top of a mound of snow and halted to catch her breath. The house appeared deserted. But it would, wouldn’t it? There was no power out here. But no fire? There was an old, dead tree claim behind the house. Plenty of firewood. There should be smoke coming from the chimney. Quickly she scanned the area for tire tracks, footprints or signs of life. There were none.

A loud groan and snap reverberated beneath her feet, the floor caved in and she dropped. Keelee lurched, twisted violently and grabbed out in front of her, desperate to gain purchase. She wrenched forward, straining to circumvent the fall. Her legs fell dangling into a void. Her body weight pulled her down. She fought gravity and reached out trying to garner a bracing hold with her elbows. The heavy packs suspended on her shoulders pulled her down, propelling her deeper into the gaping hole. The momentum of the swinging bundles suspended on her shoulders yanked her backward.

As if in slow motion, the fall registered in infinite clarity. She felt the heavy pull from the bags on her shoulders; the slide of her arms off the snow-covered ledge; the feel of her gloved fingertips clawing the snow and dirt for any hold. A thud of a muffled plopping sound hit her ears as large quantities of snow and earth landed below her. When she finally hit ground, she registered a sharp blow and flashing pain in her back and leg. She stared at the faraway gray sky and flittering white flakes that blew sideways across the opening above her. All of it registered and then blurred. Keelee lay panting on the piles of snow and dirt that had preceded her into the hole. She tried to move, to sit up. Her attempt sent a stab of pain through her back, leg, and foot.

Oh shit. Not good.
Carefully, she shifted her limbs. Her left ankle throbbed, but she could move it. Her arms and neck didn’t flare with pain when she moved them. The pain in her back was probably from the emergency pack she’d landed on.
Damn, next time pack softer things
. A hysterical laugh bubbled up.

A pull of pain grabbed her back and ribs as she lifted herself into a vision-spinning seated position. Once the tumultuous lurching settled, she took in her surroundings. A root cellar. Old plank shelves that must have once lined the walls had crumbled and remnants of mason jars scattered along the base of the shelving. All but the top and bottommost risers and platform of the cellar steps were missing. Not getting out that way. A large wooden bin that probably once held potatoes or winter squash seemed semi-solid. Perhaps she could use that wood to build a way out.

Turning slowly to protect her tender back, she inventoried the rest the damage to the cellar. One large ceiling beam had broken in half and rested against the far wall. Probably why she had fallen through the top. Her weight and the packs’ weight coupled with pounds of snow had been enough to cave in the upper part of the small but incredibly deep storage bunker.
Damn.

Okay girl. Aunt Betty will sound the alarm when you don’t make it back to feed.
Keelee shook her head slowly. With everyone scattered to the four winds and her sending the Koehler’s home… Clint would be the only one Betty would be able to call.
Might as well get comfortable girl. You have food, extra clothing, and enough firewood to keep you alive for a day or two.