Wildfire: A Paranormal Mystery with Cowboys & Dragons

by Mina Khan

  “What?”

  “Your shirt. I could use it as a tourniquet to staunch your bleeding.”

  He hesitated, then complied. “Maybe you should just use it to cover yourself.”

  Lynn looked down at herself suddenly aware of her nakedness. She busied herself tearing the shirt into strips. “That wouldn’t be practical for the next part of the plan.”

  “You have a plan?”

  “Yes.” She wrapped the torn shirt around his wound and tied it as tight as she could.

  Jack grunted through gritted teeth. “Want to clue me in?”

  She sat back on her heels, wrapped her arms around herself. “Do you trust me?”

  His steady gaze met hers, remained. “Yes.”

  “Then I could turn dragon and carry you as far as I can, then you’d just have to tough it out through the rest.”

  “Carry me how?”

  Lynn glanced away at the skeleton. “I could grab you with my mouth and drag you along.”

  A strangled sound made her look back at Jack’s horrified face. Apparently trust didn’t stretch to include her mouth. “Or you could climb up on me and hold on.”

  “I think I prefer the second option.”

  She took a deep breath and called for the transformation. This time it came slower, tingling and sparking like an electric charge through her molecules. Back in dragon form, she lowered herself to the ground.

  Hissing with pain, Jack levered himself up and onto her. His arms slipped around her neck as he settled in between her wings.

  She rose up and lumbered forward making her way through the dark. Whenever they came to a tight tunnel, Lynn would transform back to human form to drag and push Jack in turns. Inch by inch they worked their way toward the opening.

  When they finally emerged back on the top of the mountain, Jack flopped on the ground, breathing shallowly and looking almost bloodless. A network of fine, bleeding scratches covered his bare skin. Lynn pulled in a deep lungful of fresh air and stood. She peered through the brush and looked down. “Oh wow.”

  “What now?”

  Lynn stared at the flashing lights around Jack’s house. “The cavalry’s arrived, so Jen and Timmy should be okay.”

  She turned to face him. “Except how do we explain Henry?”

  “I don’t think we can explain Henry.” Jack pushed himself up. “And I’d really like to keep the cave a secret.”

  “I’ll call the Dragon Council to come retrieve the body.”

  Jack blinked. “Who?”

  “I’ll tell you about them later.” She grimaced. “But that’s part of their job and believe me they are discreet.”

  He gave a slow nod. “Fine.”

  Lynn hunkered down. “Okay, we still need to think up a story to explain Henry’s absence.”

  Thinking might be a problem. “Um, right.”

  Lynn looked up to find Jack’s heated gaze on her breasts, and finally back up to her eyes. His breath came fast and shallow through slightly parted lips. Warmth washed through her at the desire she sensed burning inside him. Images of his hands and mouths on different parts of her body flashed through her mind. Her own thoughts or his? For a moment he made her feel all woman. Then common sense kicked in and she shrugged off her backpack. She pulled her spare clothes out and shoved herself into jeans, tee-shirt and sneakers. “Sorry.”

  “Nothing to be sorry about,” he winked. “I didn’t mind.”

  “Whatever,” she hurried up to him and pulled his uninjured arm around her shoulders. “Come on, we need to start down.”

  He hobbled along beside her. “But we don’t have a story yet.”

  “We’ll figure something out.”

  He squeezed her, gentle and reassuring. And we can always mindspeak.

  Cannon’s barks drew closer, and swords of light cut through the darkness as the search party worked toward them. Head down, Lynn concentrated on using the broken branch to eliminate footprints leading up to the mountain. Then leaving Jack slumped in the dirt, she ducked behind a boulder. For a moment, her limbs just sat there heavy and aching as she leaned against the solid comfort of the stone. Her body lay still, depleted from all the changes, her mind weary after having tangled with Henry and finally faced the truth. Tears leaked out of her eyes and ran down her cheeks. All she wanted was to sleep, to fade into oblivion.

  Lynn. Jack’s call made her jerk upright. They’re coming. I need you. Both woman and dragon shivered in delight, responded with eagerness, melded together. Lynn dragged herself up, and ran to join him. If Anderson commented on her footprints, she’d tell him she’d been taking a damn piss.

  Jack’s eyes lit up as she stumbled to a stop next to him, slid down to the dirt and settled in. His dirt and blood covered hand grasped hers. Ready?

  As ready as we can be.

  Cannon bounded through the shrubbery and found them, then proceeded to lick and trample Jack. Roberts and his group appeared right behind. He radioed the good news and asked the medics to hurry. “You guys okay?”

  “Banged up, but alive.” Jack managed a lopsided smile, while Lynn just nodded.

  Soon more people arrived on the scene. Medics shoved between them, moved her a small distance. Jack’s hand slipped free of hers. She stumbled, unwilling to move, tried to voice a protest. But EMTs and medical equipment swarmed between them, filled in the space, hid him from view. He needed them more than he needed her.

  Another set of medics hovered around her, asked her questions, cleaned up her cuts and scrapes. Someone thrust an opened bottle of water into her hand. The sight of it made her parched throat ache. She hadn’t even realized how thirsty she’d been in the midst of everything. She chugged it down.

  Anderson emerged from the crowd and watched her. The EMTs slid into their groove, settled into their routines and worked quietly and efficiently. Roberts stood tall surveying the chaos, with Hernandez directly behind him. Their grim faces had her heart careening. What were they thinking? What questions would they ask? Jack lay motionless on a gurney to her right, his face tilted toward her. The sight of him calmed her frayed nerves.

  She set the empty bottle down, wiped her chin with the back of her hand. “Are Jen and Timmy okay?”

  “Yeah, they are safe,” Roberts said, ambling up to her. “Need to ask you all a few quick questions, you think you can handle that?”

  “I-I think so.” Jack’s voice sounded weak and fading.

  Anderson squatted down in front of her and skewered her with his steel blue gaze. “So what exactly happened?”

  Lynn glanced at Jack. Don’t tax yourself. Let me do most of the talking.

  Fine. I’ll jump in if I can help.

  Carrying on two simultaneous conversations —one in her head and one outside— proved interesting. The most challenging part turned out to be keeping her expressions from giving away her thoughts. Lynn bit her lip, stared at the ground and had to stop and think a lot. The confused look came naturally under the circumstances.

  “Where’s my backpack?”

  Somebody passed it over. Lynn opened it and pulled out the red folder. All the people crowded around her, pushing and shoving. She flipped open to the map of the planned development that she and Jen had marked up. She pointed out the overlaps with the fire scenes. “Looks like the San Antonio developers brought in Henry to convince people to sell any way he could.”

  Then she showed them the phone records between Kate Harrington and Commissioner Ward. “I’m not sure what Kate’s motive was. I mean she seems to be well off.”

  “I can answer that,” Roberts said. “She is up to her neck in debts. Both she and her ex seem to have a gambling problem.”

  Lynn shook her head. Then she pulled out the articles on Henry and told them about her interview with Barton and about the Callaghan connection.

  “Why did you decide to go Jack’s place?” the Sheriff asked.

  “I thought Jack was in danger. I had to warn him.”

  While the law enforcem
ent officials questioned her and Lynn answered, Hernandez took notes. She said Henry’s motive included revenge for the way Grandfather Callaghan had treated his mother and jealousy and this idea of a hidden treasure.

  The sheriff gave a slow nod. “Kate Harrington said about the same thing when we arrested her. So then, y’all went off on a treasure hunt?”

  Lynn wrapped her arms around herself. “Jack tried to tell him there wasn’t any treasure, but Henry didn’t believe him.”

  “So I decided to play him and take him away from the rest of the people.” Jack spoke up. “My plan was to try and take him when it was just the two of us.”

  “Why’d he take you along for the ride?” Anderson scratched his face and turned back to her.

  Heat painted Lynn’s face. “He seemed kind of obsessed with me.”

  Jack reached out for her. People moved out of the way and Lynn found herself scooting close. His hand wrapped around hers again. “Of course, that complicated matters, but I had to go through with the plan. Not too many options at that point.”

  “Go on, what then?” Both the Sheriff and Hernandez leaned forward.

  “I took us to Fire Mountain because couldn’t think of anyplace else, kept him thinking we were heading for the treasure.” His hand tightened around hers. “First chance I got I attacked him with the axe, but he pulled the gun out and shot me.”

  “Jack dropped the axe.” Lynn spoke through a sob. “Henry went crazy, he grabbed the axe and started waving it around.”

  “He said he’d hack me to pieces for tricking him,” Jack said.

  “I-I couldn’t let him hurt Jack anymore, so I tackled him from behind,” Lynn put in. The gun shots tearing into Jack’s flesh, her kicking his still body, Henry’s screams as he burned rushed through her mind, overwhelmed her senses. Strangled sobs pushed out of her with a violence that surprised her.

  Let me take over. “Then we heard the sirens. Henry took off, and I wasn’t in any shape to give chase,” he said. “Lynn refused to leave me and I didn’t want her alone with him out and about.”

  “Where do you think he went?” Anderson’s soft voiced question crashed into the crowd.

  Lynn’s mouth dried up as if she’d swallowed a dust storm. Sweat pooled under her arms. Memory of blackened skin and the smell of burning meat had bile rising in her throat. “I-I don’t know.”

  “Kate’s property borders mine at this end, maybe he escaped there,” Jack said. A soft groan escaped his lips and he closed his eyes.

  Lynn stared wildly around. “He needs to get to the hospital.”

  The West Texas Regional Hospital chopper clattered in the air above them, raising up a storm. People rushed around getting ready for the landing. Lynn closed her eyes to the chaos and let sleep claim her.

  Lynn woke up in a hospital room. The drawn curtains created a muted glow, allowing her eyes to adjust and focus. All kinds of tubes and wires hung around her. And machines monitoring her pulse, her breath and god-knows-what-else beeped reassuringly. I’m still alive.

  The smell of food tantalized her nose, stirred the hunger inside, and she discovered a covered tray on the table attached to the hospital bed. The San Angelo Herald lay on top of the cover.

  Her gaze swooped to the headline: “Arson Snuffed Out.” Lynn smiled as she read the byline. Hernandez had listed her name first. She ran a fingertip under her name Lynn Hana Alexander. Maybe she was an ego maniac, but she felt a rush of pure delight at seeing her name in print. She didn’t think she’d ever tire of that experience.

  She read the article twice and sighed in satisfaction. Connecting the dots, doing the research, pulling information from interviewees —all of it had been hard work. She held the paper like a trophy. Hard work yes, but also solid printed proof that she’d been on the good guys’ team. She’d made a difference.

  Her eyes found the clock. 2 p.m. No wonder she was starving. Lynn inhaled her lunch of cold vegetable soup, crackers, a warm fruit cup and canned orange juice. A knock sounded and a nurse came in. “Oh you’re awake and fed!”

  “Jack?” Her question emerged as a whisper.

  “He’s got a couple of bullet wounds and he did lose quite a lot of blood, but the doctors said he’ll be okay.”

  She almost asked to see him, but swallowed her words. Why? She was a dragon and he…wasn’t enough of one. They had no future together. Time to return to Houston and her life.

  “People have been peeking in on you all day,” the nurse said, changing the IV bag and checking the monitors. She took the empty dishes away with her.

  Lynn lay back and picked up the paper again, when there was a knock at her door. Maybe Jen had come to visit. She sat up, ready for a hug. “Come in.”

  Another nurse wheeled Jack in. He carried a bouquet of sunflowers. “Hey.”

  “Hey, yourself,” Lynn said. Yet again he sported a spectacular black-eye. Her gaze lingered on his face. Dark hair curled at his collar. Stubbles spread a light shadow along the planes and angles of his face, giving him a rakish pirate look. All he needed was a gold earring and an almost unbuttoned white shirt. A ship and the wide open sea. The dragon inside her shivered. Stop being a fool.

  He cleared his throat and held out the flowers. “Thanks for saving my life.”

  “You’re welcome.” Her fingers brushed against his as she took the bouquet. Desire steamed through her. She turned to the nurse. “Could you put these in some water please?”

  The nurse took the flowers and grabbed the empty plastic pitcher on the dresser and disappeared into the tiny bathroom.

  “How are you doing?” Lynn asked. The words sounded stilted and without emotion. She hated them. Hated herself for feeling desire and awkwardness. Weaker than usual, she should have left earlier. Called Jen for help and slipped out. Avoided this meeting.

  Jack shot her a half-smile and touched the back of his head. “Been better, but could’ve been worse.”

  “You’ll recover.”

  The nurse bustled about with bright yellow flowers looking beautiful, despite the Pepto-Bismol pink pitcher. She placed them on the dresser and snuck out.

  Panic sank its claws deep inside. Alone with Jack. Shit. Lynn licked her lips. “You read the story in the paper?”

  Jack nodded. “Every word,” he said. “Heck of a story.”

  “Too bad he escaped.”

  “Yeah, the guy just had all kinds of help lined up.”

  Their eyes met. Held.

  “It’s a story,” she said. “Some of its true, some isn’t. But you know that.”

  “I have realized life isn’t black and white, there’s a lot of grays and different shades of gray at that.”

  What the hell did that mean?

  Jack smiled. “It means, there are no absolutes and life is full of surprises.”

  Lynn took a deep breath. Damn, she’d forgotten about their connection. “Specifics please?”

  Jack shifted around in his chair. “I thought I knew who I was, but there’s a whole lot more to discover.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t break it to you more gently.”

  “Sugar coating wouldn’t have helped.” He shrugged. “It took a while for the words to sink in.”

  She nodded. Silence. Awkward, bulky silence. “I’ll be returning to Houston soon.” She smiled and pushed more words out. “I’m thinking of trying to get a job at one of the local newspapers.”

  “Oh.” Jack looked down at his hands, which had curled into fists. He flexed his fingers, wiggled them about.

  “What’s wrong?”

  He raised his head. His eyes darkened, reminded her of wild jungles. She could smell the iron tinge of nerves and determination. “I have no idea what it means to be a dragon, I had hoped you might be willing to help.”

  She clutched the bed covers. “How can I help?”

  “You know more about dragons than anyone else I know.”

  Lynn recalled his horror-stricken face as he backed away from her. He thought of her as
a beast. Could she accept being his mentor and nothing more? She shook her head. “I, I am sorry.” She swallowed past the lump in her throat. “You might never be able to turn dragon.”

  “I know that.” He rubbed his lips. “I’d still like to know where I came from, what it means. My father…” He laughed. “I can’t believe I’m about to quote him.”

  “What did he say?”

  “Without roots, a tree can’t grow branches.” Jack ploughed one hand through his hair. “I spent a lifetime ignoring him, but I think I’m finally beginning to appreciate the man.”

  As he spoke of his dad, his voice grew softer, more wistful. She could see the ghost of the young boy he’d been lurking just beneath the surface. Sense the importance of his sharing. She wanted to help. Her want bit deep inside her, leaving an aching imprint. “I guess I could sort of mentor you.”

  “That’d be great.” His face lit up with hope.

  “Yeah, I could go through all of Obaa-chan’s teachings and books, and share what I think will help.” She leaned forward, caught up in her idea. “We could be like modern day penpals, except on email.”

  Penpals? Not if I can help it. “I was aiming for something more up close and personal.”

  His words sucked all moisture from her throat. She blinked at him.

  I want to explore the possibilities between us. I want to kiss you. Again.

  She opened and shut her mouth. Beast. He’d seen her as a beast. The creature and she— Lynn drew in a deep breath to rise above the turmoil inside her. “I’m still a dragon. A beast. Can you accept that?”

  He levered himself out of the chair, balanced on his good leg and leaned closer. Jack stared deep into her eyes. “Then I’m quarter-beast and, at times, a complete idiot.” His tongue traced slowly over his lip. “Can you live with that?”

  Their eyes met and held. Somewhere a clock ticked the seconds away. She managed a nod.

  His lips found hers, his tongue sought hers out. Heat fire-balled in her stomach, a deep, desperate hunger spiraled through her. She tasted him again after what seemed forever. And she wasn’t sure if there’d be a next time. So she dived into the kiss, submerged herself in it. Her hands slipped around his head and neck, fingers curled into hair. They kissed deeply for what seemed an eternity. And just when Lynn felt she’d melt and evaporate, he broke away.