by L. N. Carson
“Take some deep breaths for me.”
Sam did as instructed.
“Any pain with that?”
“No, sir.”
The medic nodded. “Good. Means you don’t have any broken ribs. Now let’s see to that place on your noggin.” He grinned. “Looks like your woman has already been working on that.”
Sam decided it was easier to give the man a simple “yeah” than to go into specifics.
After removing the bandage, cleansing the wound, and applying the antibiotic cream, the medic replaced the dressing. “The bruising on your torso and limbs will be tender for a few days. I recommend applying ice as needed. Other than that, you’re good to go. We don’t do prescriptions around here, of course, so if you feel like you need something stronger than ibuprofen, you might want to go to the clinic. Also, see your regular doctor if you get to feeling worse. Well, you know the drill.” He walked over to the door. “I’ll give you time to get dressed, and I’ll be back.”
“Thank you.” Sam held up the pants before slipping them on. The denim was torn in several places, but the lining had held up well.
The medic returned to find Sam fully dressed and holding his wallet.
“What’s the charge?” Sam asked.
“None.” The older man smiled. “Part of the park’s amenities—privately funded—a tax write-off would be my guess.”
“I really appreciate it.” Sam shook the medic’s hand and opened the door. Voices reached him from down the hall. A quick glance in the direction of the reception desk revealed a police officer looking out the window. Sam guessed he was waiting while his partner talked with the volunteer.
He ducked his head back into the room. “Do you have a bathroom I could use?”
“We’re supposed to direct folks back outside to the public johns, but you being a Navy man and all…” He jerked his head to the right. “On down the hall and around the corner.”
“Thanks.” Sam hurried toward the restroom. His only hope was that there was a window in there big enough for him to fit through.
* * *
Kathleen strode to the path near the foot of the bridge where the bungee jumpers stood in line. She took her place behind a chatty young blonde woman. Kathleen wasn’t in the mood to talk, but her reluctance didn’t hinder the blonde from prattling on.
“Have you ever done this before? I haven’t. I’m so nervous. Are you nervous? It’s kind of exciting though, right? Hey, we’ll have something to brag about when we get home, won’t we? Even if we scream our heads off all the way down, we can tell whatever story paints us in the best light. Am I right?”
“Absolutely,” Kathleen murmured, hoping the line would move quickly. She stepped away from the woman to get a better look at the person currently jumping.
“I’m afraid I’ll chicken out,” the woman said. “Are you?”
“No.”
“You must be brave.”
Kathleen merely smiled. Brave. That’s me, all right. She watched the young man on the platform execute a graceful swallow dive.
Kathleen Esmerelda, you stupid, spineless, simpering idiot! If your daddy had wanted to hit you with that glass, he would have! Now, stop your crying, wipe your nose, and clean up this mess.
“Wow! That was great, wasn’t it?” The blonde giggled. “I hope I look that cool.”
Kathleen nodded.
Probably because Kathleen wasn’t indulging her in likeminded conversation—if one could call it that—the blonde turned to the couple in front of her. “Did you guys see that? Wasn’t it incredible?”
At last, it was Kathleen’s turn. The blonde had, as it so happened, chickened out of the jump.
“Please place your purse, jewelry, phone, and anything you have in your pockets into this basket,” said a muscular man with a goatee and dreadlocks. “I’ll need the rest of your payment, and then please move over to the scales.”
Once she’d paid, weighed, and signed a waiver, the man wrote her weight on the back of her hand in red ink to let the bungee instructors know how long to make the rope. She made her way down the platform to get harnessed up.
After securing her harness, the jump master wrapped her shins and ankles in a thick blue towel. Then he locked an additional harness around her ankles and attached that to the bungee cord.
“You’re about ready to go,” said the jump master. “How would you like to jump?”
“It’s my first time. What do you suggest?”
“The swallow dive. Spread your arms like you’re going to fly, keep your eyes on the horizon—don’t look down, there’ll be plenty of time for that once you’ve jumped—and leap out away from the platform. Do you want to be immersed in the water?”
“No, thanks.”
He grinned. “All right. Let’s get to it.” He helped her stand and get her toes to the edge of the platform. “You’re gonna do great.”
“My heart’s about to thump through my chest wall.”
“That’s normal. It’s the adrenaline kicking in.” He attached yet another rope to her body harness.
She felt secure but realized any number of things could go wrong. Oh, well…
“Ready for the countdown?” asked the jump master.
She nodded, keeping her eyes firmly focused on the mountains across the river from her.
“Five…”
“Four…”
The scene drifted into her mind, and she closed her eyes, willing it away.
What the hell are you doing with a gun?
“Three…”
If you pull the trigger, you better hope I die instantly…
“Two…”
Because if I don’t, I’m gonna beat you to death!
“One…”
You sorry, ungrateful girl! You—
“Bungee!”
Kathleen dove off the platform. At first, it felt as if she were flying. Then falling…the river getting closer and closer. Her stomach took a little plunge, like riding on a roller coaster. She gasped but didn’t scream. She spread her arms even wider, embracing the air.
After a few seconds, the bungee cord tightened and slowed her descent. She laughed. The blood rushed to her head as she was jerked back up into the air. And then she was falling again…closer and closer to the water. There was another tug on the bungee cord, and then she was hanging upside down about a hundred feet over the river.
She bounced a few more times, still laughing, and noticed a yellow raft heading to her rescue.
One of the two crewmen held a pole up to her. “Grab on!”
Kathleen took hold of the pole and the crewmen pulled her in and unhooked her from the bungee cord. They helped her out of her harnesses.
“Are you all right?” one asked.
She couldn’t stop smiling. “I’m fantastic.”
* * *
It had hurt like hell, but Sam had managed to squeeze through the bathroom window. Now he was on the ground assessing the situation and deciding what to do next. He had to make it to the cabin and get his pack, but he had to avoid the police to get there.
He wasn’t sure the officers were searching for him. Kathleen hadn’t had the radio on during the drive. Maybe there was a manhunt for someone else. But he doubted it.
Kathleen. Did she turn me in? Was her helpful attitude all an act?
Sam crouched beside a Dumpster to hide from two officers who were walking back in the direction of the cabins. He could hear snatches of their conversation.
“—supposed to have done anyway? I’ve never known the chief to dispatch nearly everybody on the clock to look for someone who may or may not be even be in the area.”
“Far as I could tell, the guy stole some documents from the government.” The officer chuckled. “Hope it was my mortgage and that he shredded the thing.”
“Yeah…”
So it is me they’re looking for. Had Kathleen called the cops as soon as she’d left him? Or had Amun-Ra found him some other way?
He stepped quietly fr
om behind the Dumpster, checked to make sure no policemen were around, and hurried into the woods. The dense foliage would make it easier for him to evade the officers while he worked his way around to the back of the cabins. Hopefully, by then, they’d have left to search another area, and he could grab his pack and disappear.
* * *
Hathor ground her teeth as she held her cell phone away from her ear. Amun-Ra was in a rage.
“Atum is at a national park about fifty-two miles from where he crashed,” he yelled.
“But how—”
“Never mind that. Just get there. It’s Evergreen National Park. How close to there are you now?”
“Um…pretty close. We should arrive at the park in a few minutes.” She didn’t mention that she and Montu had stopped for lunch after giving up on finding Atum today. Not that she could see what the big deal was. Khonsu could replicate the research. And after what had happened to Sekhmet and the other two victims, she was inclined to agree with Atum that the project might need some serious tweaks.
Sekhmet had been such a sweet girl…still in college, with a ready smile and gentle nature. And she loved the animals—even that snake. Who knew why it had gone rogue?
“Police are already on site. They’ll pick him up and then hold him until you guys arrive,” Amun-Ra was saying. “Tell them nothing. This is an internal matter, and we’ll deal with it ourselves.”
“Is that what you want us to tell them?”
He huffed. “What did I just say? Don’t tell them anything!”
“Of course. Yes, sir.”
Amun-Ra ended the call. Hathor put her phone back into her pocket and turned to Montu. “Atum’s in Evergreen National Park. We need to get there as quickly as possible.”
Chapter Four
Kathleen couldn’t stop smiling as she walked back down the trail toward the cabins. In fact, it was all she could do to keep from laughing. She hugged her purse to herself.
I did it! I really did it!
She gasped when someone grabbed wrist and pulled her into a thicket of trees. Before her martial arts training had time to kick in, the person covered her mouth with a hand and spun her around until they were face to face. Sam.
What is he doing? She narrowed her eyes at him. Is he out of his mind? She couldn’t read his expression.
“The police are here looking for me.” He kept his voice low. “If I take my hand away, do you promise you won’t scream?”
She nodded.
He slowly removed his hand, hovering it near her mouth. She knew he was holding it close in case she went back on her word.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
He explained what had happened while he was in the visitors’ bureau slash medical center. “I got out through the bathroom window and have been sneaking around the woods trying to get back to the cabin. I need my pack, then I can get out of here.”
“Are you sure it’s you they’re looking for?”
“I’m fairly certain. I overheard one of them say something about stealing government property.”
“Oh.” She frowned. “I guess you did kinda do that.”
“In my opinion, it’s a gray area.”
“They apparently don’t agree.” She poked her head out from behind a tree. “I don’t see them anywhere. Maybe they’ve gone. I’ll go see.”
“Wait.” He caught her arm. “We have to come up with some sort of plan. How will I know whether it’s safe to come out of the woods?”
“You said you were working your way around to the back of the cabins. If it’s safe, I’ll turn the kitchen light on.”
“It’s broad daylight.”
“Fine. I’ll hang a T-shirt out the window or something.”
“Or something?” He spread his hands. “I can’t go on some ambiguous sign that might or might not mean come out, come out, wherever you are.”
She rolled her eyes. “When it’s safe to come out, I’ll hang a blue T-shirt out the window. T-shirt? Come to the cabin. No T-shirt? Stay in hiding. Happy?”
“No, I’m not happy. I’m being hunted down like a fugitive. It’s hard to tell what these people think I did. But, yeah, I’m satisfied with the plan.”
“Good.” Once more, Kathleen started to walk away.
“Hey.”
She turned to look up at him.
“That was a fantastic jump.”
She squealed. “You saw it?”
“Shhhh!”
“Sorry,” she whispered. “You saw it?”
“Yeah, I saw it. You did great.”
She squeezed his arms and gave a quieter squeak of delight. “It was amazing, Sam. Have you ever done it?”
He shook his head.
“You’ve got to try it sometime.” She beamed up at him. “I’ll let you know as soon as it’s safe to come to the cabin. Do you still have your key on you?”
“It’s in my pocket.”
* * *
As Kathleen walked away, Sam berated himself for ever believing she could have turned him in. Of course, Amun-Ra had found some way to track him. He’d probably put GPS devices in all the emergency bags. The man was a control freak with a capital F. He wouldn’t let any of his investments get away from him. Not easily, anyway.
His right arm throbbed where Kathleen had squeezed it, but she’d been so happy. He was glad his pain hadn’t shown on his face. It was weird that she hadn’t brought anyone to share this experience with her. How many people go bungee jumping alone? Most people either have their friends or partners along for moral support if nothing else. But not Kathleen. It seemed she was a loner.
Sam was a loner too. The sooner he got his gear out of that cabin and took off, the better. He’d relied on Kathleen initially because he’d had to. She’d been there when he’d needed to make a quick escape, and she’d been instrumental in making that happen.
But even though he was convinced she hadn’t turned him into the police, he couldn’t continue to rely on her. He knew absolutely nothing about this woman, except maybe the fact that she was an adrenaline junkie. And that certainly wasn’t enough to make him trust her. Besides, if Amun-Ra caught them, he’d likely consider the woman expendable. It was best they go their separate ways.
Staying near shady copses to avoid casting a shadow, Sam crept deeper into the woods.
* * *
As Kathleen sauntered back toward the cabin, she was stopped by a uniformed officer.
“Good afternoon, ma’am.” He held up a grainy photograph of Sam. “Have you seen this man?”
She took the photo from the policeman and studied it. “Who is this guy? What did he do?”
“I’m not at liberty to say. Just need to know if you’ve seen him.”
Kathleen shook her head. “I haven’t really been paying attention to other people. I just did my first bungee jump.”
“Congratulations.” He plucked the photo from her fingers.
“It was great. Have you ever done it?” She gave a deliberate scan of the area. Without giving the officer an opportunity to answer her question, she hurried on. “Wow, there are a lot of you guys here today.” She let her voice climb. “Is this man dangerous? I mean, he must be for so many police officers to be looking for him. What did he do? Did he kill somebody? Is it safe to be here?”
“Ma’am, please lower your voice before you cause a panic.”
“Well, I’m already panicked. This is scary.”
“Please calm down.” He placed one hand on her shoulder. “As far as we know, this man isn’t dangerous. We simply need to find him.”
“I don’t care. I don’t feel safe here. I’m leaving.”
“All right. But if you see this man, please let us know and don’t approach him.”
“Don’t approach him?” she repeated. “You just said he wasn’t dangerous. Why shouldn’t I approach him if he isn’t dangerous? You people owe it to those of us in this campground to tell us the truth…to keep us safe.”
A young man w
ith a skateboard stepped closer. “Hey, what’s going on? I noticed all the police around and then here you are talking about somebody dangerous.” He nodded toward Kathleen. “She’s right. You all are supposed to protect us. If there’s a manhunt here, you need to let us get out.”
The officer sighed. “There’s not some maniac on the loose in the park. We’re merely looking for someone. A potential…witness. It’s not a big deal.”
“Yeah, right,” said the skateboarder. “If it wasn’t a big deal, one or two of you—not half a dozen—could handle it.”
Kathleen eyed the skateboarder, who didn’t seem much older than some of her students. “Hey, I took my first bungee jump today!”
“All right!” He gave her a fist bump.
“Are you a jumper?” she asked.
“Oh, yeah.”
The officer sighed, shook his head, and walked away. After hearing one of the skateboarder’s either embellished or completely fictitious accounts of bungee jumping backward off a bridge in Victoria Falls with only one leg secured, Kathleen excused herself and casually made her way to the cabin.
She kept an eye out for the officers as she walked, but she believed she’d done a sufficient job of convincing the first one she’d spoken with that she was an airhead who knew absolutely nothing. It wasn’t hard to maintain a silly expression to sustain that belief since she was still giddy from the jump.
As Kathleen mounted the two steps to the cabin door, she took the key from her purse and quickly unlocked the door. When she entered, a noise came from the bedroom, and she froze.
“Hey…babe. Is that you?” she called, not wanting to call out Sam’s name if it wasn’t him. She took a step back toward the door just in case it wasn’t Sam or a police officer.
“Um, yeah. Give me a minute. I just got out of the shower.”
“You did?”
“Is someone with you?”
“No.”
“Oh.” Sam stepped out of the bedroom. “You threw me.”
“I wasn’t sure it was you in there.” She closed the door. “What happened to waiting for my signal?”
“Changed my mind. I thought I’d be better off in here than out there with the cops. At least I can hide in here.”
“How’d you get inside?”
