Heat LIghtning
Heat Lightning
An
Arizona Heat
Story
By Patricia Pellicane
Resplendence Publishing, LLC
http://www.resplendencepublishing.com
Resplendence Publishing, LLC
2665 N Atlantic Avenue, #349
Daytona Beach, Florida, 32118
Heat Lightning
Copyright © 2010, Patricia Pellicane
Edited by Michele Paulin
Cover art by Les Byerley,
www.les3photo8.com
Electronic format ISBN: 978-1-60735-212-9
Warning: All rights reserved. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
Electronic release: November 2010
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and occurrences are a product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, places or occurrences, is purely coincidental.
Chapter One
Linc Knight frowned. His dark gaze locked on the back of a tiny, trim figure as she moved by him toward the back of the otherwise empty railroad car. What the hell was a young girl doing traveling the rails by her lonesome? Linc had no sooner acknowledged the thought when the figure turned, faced him, retraced her steps and took her seat facing him, a mere three rows beyond his. As was the style of the day, she wore a form-fitted traveling dress that clung to her lush charms and miniscule waist, leaving little to the imagination. Her dark hair was swept up and twisted into curls that peeked beneath a hat and matching veil. The veil came to her chin and was tied into a bow at the back of her hat. The ends left to trail down her slim back.
The moment she sat, she shot him a dazzling white, straight-toothed smile, and Linc fought back the need to gasp aloud. Jesus, what the hell did she think she was doing? This was no girl. This was a woman and probably the most beautiful he’d ever seen. She damn near stole his breath.
The train began to move. He felt a distant, niggling sense of panic. No one came to her side. Christ, was she out of her mind?
Why was she traveling alone, and why the hell was she looking at a man and smiling like that?
Was she a loose woman? Could it be? Linc frowned again. He couldn’t fathom the possibility. He’d never seen a whore who wasn’t a half step from downright ugly. Certainly never one who looked anything like her. All right, so she wasn’t a whore. Leastways, he thought she probably wasn’t. So why was she traveling alone? Didn’t she realize she put herself at the mercy of unsavory sorts?
Maybe, he should talk to her. Maybe, he should tell her to be on guard. Maybe…
A man entered the car behind him, and Linc heard his confident step as he moved directly towards her. Linc almost breathed a sigh of relief. So she wasn’t traveling alone, after all.
The man stopped at her seat and tipped his hat. “Ma’am,” he said as he sat uninvited across from her.
Linc saw the flicker of fear in her dark eyes. It lasted less than a second before she managed a stiff smile and, ignoring the man’s presence, pulled a dime novel from her reticule. Apparently pretending to be alone, she unpinned her hat and loosened her veil. She sat the pretty concoction at her side then placed spectacles upon her small nose, picked up her book and turned the first page. Something twisted in Linc’s chest at the sight of those glasses. Damn, if she didn’t she look adorable.
“What’s your name, honey?” the man dared to ask, and Linc groaned, knowing they were not acquainted and obviously not traveling together. He was going to have to help her, whether he wanted to or not. God damn it! She could have easily avoided any such problems if she’d had someone, anyone with her.
“My name is Jim. My friends call me Big Jim.”
The lady’s gaze moved from her book and settled for an instant upon her obviously unwanted visitor. “How nice.”
Linc thought her a spunky little thing, who apparently labored under the misconception that a cold shoulder was going to show this man her disinterest and showing her disinterest would cause the man to move on. Linc knew better. He wished to hell he didn’t, but he did.
“I know a lady doesn’t talk to strangers, but I think we can forgo such pleasantries in this case. Don’t you?”
The lady looked up from her page almost thirty seconds later, gave a slow blink and asked, “Are you speaking to me?”
“Don’t see no one else hereabout, sweetheart.”
“Sir, I’m reading a book. I prefer to do it alone. In truth, I prefer to sit alone. Still, if you must sit here, would you do me the courtesy of not interrupting my train of thought?”
Linc grinned. He was positive she was a lady. There couldn’t be a doubt. Not with the way she’d just spoken to the man. She sounded exactly like a schoolmarm might, with perfect, precise English mixed with a thread of cold distain.
“You got some highfalutin fancy ways about you, missy. Maybe you need Big Jim to settle you down some.”
“What I need is for Big Jim to leave this car. Right now.”
Linc watched her gaze narrow with warning and thought she said the words with deadly enough menace even if she hadn’t a thing but her angry glare to back her up. Still, he knew it wouldn’t take more than a second or two for her unwanted guest to be all over her. He came to his feet, ready to save the day, even as he realized Big Jim’s size exactly fit his name. He towered over Linc in both height and width, and Linc hadn’t a doubt he was about to get his ass kicked.
Only Linc didn’t get a chance to move before Big Jim suddenly seemed to realize the error of his ways. He moved, quickly removing himself from her presence. Without hesitation, he retraced his steps, his face growing in color as the distance between them lengthened. He didn’t stop moving even as he shot her an angry last glance and left the car. That the man was enraged was not to be denied. Linc’s deep sigh told clear enough his displeasure. Granted, she had escaped Big Jim’s unwanted advances, for the moment, but what would happen later? What would happen when she left the train? And Linc hadn’t a doubt something would happen. He’s seen the hot sparks of anger in the man’s eyes. He knew the man would be waiting to retaliate for her insult. No, the pretty lady hadn’t seen the last of that one as of yet.
Linc frowned, wondering how she’d managed, with just a few words, to bend the man to her will. He turned from the door and watched the lady’s grin as she slipped a heretofore unnoticed derringer back into her reticule.
“Thank you,” she said, realizing what Linc had been about. “But I’m quite safe. I assure you.”
Linc knew a surprising spurt of anger. The lady was obviously not as bright as some and could not be more mistaken. Granted, this time she’d managed to escape a clearly dangerous situation with no harm done. But what about the next time? “Whatever could have possessed you to travel alone?”
The lady frowned at the impertinent question. “What business—”
Her words were cut off as the train made a sudden, sickening lurch into the air. Linc felt the motion and instantly threw himself upon the lady knocking her easily to the floor. Jesus, she weighed little more than a damn feather. Again, he knew a sense of anger that she should so easily put herself in danger.
Still, he had little time to think of the lady and her foolish actions. Without a doubt they were in the midst of a crash. Even as her scream filled his ears and everything took on a slow motion quality, vague questions filled him.
Why had the train left the tracks when they were
traveling at a speed of perhaps twenty-five miles an hour? How did that happen when they were not in the midst of any hard curve, but making a straight run?
Were they in
serious trouble? Could it be they were under attack?
His entire body tensed, awaiting the inevitable crash. And finally, as he knew it would, the train hit the ground with a stomach-turning thud. The air was instantly filled with the horrifying, grinding, endless screech of metal being crushed under its own weight, of wood splintering, of glass breaking, of distant cries of fear and pain. And through it all, the lady beneath him continued to scream.
Finally, everything stopped—everything but the woman’s infernal screams. His hand reached for her mouth stifling any further sound. His head was killing him. Something had hit him during the crash, and her constant screeching wasn’t helping his discomfort any. “Jesus, will you shut the hell up?”
He listened for further sounds. Nothing. He strained into the darkness trying to detect the scent of fire from the three kerosene lamps formerly attached to the car’s walls. Moments later, he sighed his relief for it appeared the flames were doused upon impact. He could detect nothing but the smell of dust, and broken wood, a hint of fresh air and the dirty floor upon which they lay.
A few quick twists of her head freed her from his hand. “Get off me, you maniac.”
“Lady, pay attention to what I’m sayin’. We were in a bad crash. The train left the tracks and now lays in shambles covering us with debris. There’s no tellin’ how many were hurt. I can’t get up ‘cause something heavy is layin’ over my back.”
“Why did you jump on me?”
“If I hadn’t, you’d be dead. Whatever is pressin’ on my back would have crushed you or maybe taken off your head. Now, shut up and let me think.”
“What is there to think about? Get up.”
“Didn’t I just tell you something heavy is layin’ on my back?”
“So crawl out from under it.”
“Jesus,” Linc muttered in frustration. He’d like to know how he was supposed to manage that when they were on the floor pinned between two sets of seats. It appeared the floor of the train remained pretty much intact, while the walls and ceiling had become little more than splintered wreckage.
“I’d appreciate it if you would not take the name of our Lord in vain.”
Linc grinned. And amazingly enough that grin soon turned into a chuckle and finally to a full-fledged laugh. They lay helpless in the midst of a train wreck, pinned under maybe hundreds of pounds of rubble and had escaped certain death by mere inches and all she could do was warn him not to curse?
“What are you laughing at, you imbecile?”