"Excuse me?" She pushed her back stiffly against the camper wall. "I already told you I'm not going anywhere without my brother."
She and this brother of hers must be pretty tight, a foreign concept to Sam. He had no brothers, no cousins, no aunts or uncles, no family at all. And he didn't need any. "I'll come back for Jake later." As much as he'd like to free every follower in this demented cult, he wasn't a superhero. A fresh wave of guilt flooded his chest. He couldn't save everyone. He couldn't even save his own mother. "Get your things and let's go."
They glared at each other. A brief look of fear swam in the depths of Kelly's eyes before her gaze turned steely again. The abrupt shift was like having a door shut in his face.
He didn't have time for this. Holding back a sigh of exasperation, he reached out to touch her arm. "Come on."
"Like hell," she said, and bolted down the narrow hallway toward the bathroom.
Sam lunged after her.
By the time she reached the door, he was on top of her. He grabbed her arms and clasped her hands behind her back. She heaved in a breath as if preparing to scream, so he covered her mouth with his hand again.
"Damn it!" he said through clenched teeth. "Don't scream. I'm here to help you, for Pete's sake." He shouldn't have grabbed her this way, but what other choice did he have? Now that he knew the cult planned to make good on its death wish, there wasn't time to wait for Kelly's cooperation. She would leave here now whether she liked it or not. Besides, if the entire squadron of sentries came after them, they wouldn't stand a chance of getting away. And Sam was painfully aware of the persuasive tactics the cult used to make people behave. Kelly might not survive with her sanity intact.
He dragged her down the short hallway, her powerful legs kicking as she squirmed in his arms, her feminine scent making his head swim. Damn, she was strong. Lucky for him he out-weighed her by a good hundred pounds. He was a foot taller as well, though she wasn't petite by any means.
He tugged her with him to the trapdoor and prayed he could count on his decoy, Sheriff Longbottoms, to help him pull this off.
"Listen to me," he said, one hand firmly clamped over her mouth as his other held both her wrists. This won him a hard kick to the shins, and he almost lost his grip. "Damn it, you've gotta trust me! I know what these people are capable of, and it's not something you want to find out for yourself."
She struggled and forced out a muffled scream.
"I'll make a deal with you," he said, desperate to get out of the trailer and back on the road. "I'll let you help me get your brother out."
Kelly grew calm.
"You'll cooperate?"
She nodded then kicked his shin again, and he let her go.
Her face red with exertion, she glowered up into his eyes. Her lovely chest that stretched the too-small T-shirt rose and fell with a couple of deep breaths before she opened her mouth to let out an ear-popping scream.
"That's it!" Sam grabbed her around the waist and hoisted her over his shoulder. He spotted her backpack on the floor and seized it as well.
"Bastard!" she yelled, pounding her fists against his back. "You've seen way too many old pirate movies. I'm a grown woman! Put me down. I'll sue you for sexual harassment. My uncle is an attorney, and he'll have you thrown in jail! You're going to regret ever coming here to get me—"
"I already do!" So much for a calm and quiet exit. He'd have to settle for fast.
****
"Lady Valya," the sentry said, sounding out of breath as he bowed before the cult's leader.
Shadows cast by hanging kerosene lamps flickered across the black canvas walls of the tent. Valya glided over a vast oriental rug that covered the sandy floor from wall to wall. She stopped at the open flap that served as a door and stared expectantly at her personal bodyguard.
"You've wakened me from a sound sleep. This better be good."
His head still bent in supplication, the man said, "Kelly Bancroft has been abducted by The Arrow."
"No!" She peered out the tent's doorway to see Sam carrying Kelly like a sack of potatoes while jogging down the rock-strewn hill just beyond the camp. Valya yanked her long braid of white-gold hair over her shoulder, and her angry fingers quickly unlaced the thick strands. "That's all I need. Who's with him?"
"The sheriff. He's waiting for them in the Jeep. But The Arrow's devil-dog stands guard and won't let anyone come within ten feet."
"No one is to attack while the sheriff watches." She heaved a frustrated sigh and struggled for composure. "I'd rather not stir up trouble with the law. We've been lucky to avoid every accusation launched against us so far, but luck can only last so long. It's a critical time for us, and we can't afford any slip-ups."
Valya knew the starship was coming, and there was no way she'd miss her chance for a ride home. It would be another hundred years before the ship returned. She had dreamed about the ship last night, had seen the gleaming silver of its hull and the many colored lights that covered its instrument console. Just a few more days and they would finally be off this horrible rock of a planet for good.
"What about the Bancroft woman?" the sentry asked. "Her brother is with us. They share the same blood and should journey to Atria together."
Valya nodded. Blood ties were a powerful bond highly valued by Star Mother, especially for the reincarnated starship crewmembers who had arrived on this planet two thousand years ago. She was convinced Jake had been one of the crew in a previous life, so there was no question his sister shared the same honor. Her destiny was here with her Star Mother family. "Follow them. Take another sentry with you, and take Jake along as well. Watch where they go and what they do, then report back to me. I'll let you know when it's time to bring her back." Which would be when Sam Reed wasn't around to stop them.
The sentry joined her in watching Sam grapple with a struggling Kelly Bancroft. Valya had to admire the young woman's spunk. She also had to admit being jealous of seeing her in Sam's arms because it was a wonderful place to be. Her own time with Sam had been brief, and though it had happened five years ago, it had been an exquisite experience she would not soon forget.
****
"I hate you," Kelly screamed. She continued pummeling Sam's back with her fists, but not as forcefully as before. With the upper half of her body hanging upside down, her pendant swung precariously below her nose, and she grabbed it before the chain could slip off and the necklace disappear in the sand. She was getting tired and all the blood rushing to her head had given her a headache. "Put me down!"
The man calling himself The Arrow—a totally ridiculous name if you asked her—wasn't listening. His arm wrapped around her thighs was like a band of iron, and the rough hairs covering his skin rubbed intimately against her flesh. His physical power was strangely intoxicating as he effortlessly carried her across the hard-packed desert, his footsteps sure and fast. Though the view of his taut behind from this angle was lovely to look at, she'd seen enough. He better set her down soon or her head would burst like an overfilled water balloon.
She heard an animal growl. It sounded like a dog, but there was something too feral about it to be domestic. She lifted her head and came eye to eye with a coyote.
She pushed up from Sam's shoulder and twisted wildly to escape his arms. She could deal with brawny cult intervention specialists and bizarre cultists, but when it came to bugs and wild animals, all bets were off. When she’d been a child, her father would punish her by locking her in a basement closet filled with rats and spiders. Daddy knew how to start a phobia and make it last.
She and Sam were about to be attacked by a desert coyote, and no way would she submit to becoming its dinner. "Don't you see it? A coyote is about to attack us—"
Sam abruptly swung her from his shoulder and steadied her on her feet. "Stop it. He won't attack."
Though she had struggled to get away from him seconds ago, she clung to Sam now, using his body as a shield between her and the canine. The swell of his backside pressed aga
inst her hip made her slightly dizzy. Glancing at the coyote, she could have sworn it smiled at her.
"He's not a threat," Sam said. "He's my friend."
She frowned. "You have a coyote for a friend?"
He glanced back at a growing crowd of red-sashed sentries. Strangely enough, they kept their distance. "We're lucky they're not carrying guns."
"Why would they?" she asked, remembering the blissful couple of days she'd just spent at the camp. No one here could be dangerous. She'd found them to be the most caring, generous people she'd ever met. "The people here claim to embrace harmony and unconditional love. They may be deluded, but at least they're peaceful."
He looked down at her, an expression of pity on his face.
"What?"
"No time to explain. Come on." When she didn't move fast enough, he bent down as if to grab her again, and she jumped back.
"Fine. I'm coming with you, but only because you promised I could go along when you return for Jake."
"Then let's go." He turned away and stalked toward the road. His arrogance was irritating as hell. She should be outraged, but she had to admit his machismo was something of a turn-on. She usually hated that sort of thing.
He called over his shoulder, "Move it, okay?"
She caught up to him, and they walked side by side toward the Jeep, where she saw a uniformed man sitting behind the wheel. "Hey!" she yelled, and started toward him, but Sam grabbed her arm to hold her back. "This man kidnapped me, officer. I want him arrested."
Sam reached the driver's side ahead of her. He threw her backpack inside and growled, "Jump in. Now!"
Who the hell did he think he was? "I'm not taking orders from you."
Ignoring her, he grabbed the lawman's shoulders and hoisted him off the seat.
Kelly gasped. "What the hell—?"
When Sam tossed the sheriff carelessly into the back, his head popped off and bounced onto the sand by her feet.
He retrieved the dummy's head by its hair. "Sheriff Longbottoms is my decoy. He's a big help in cases like this. Now get in."
"Look," someone yelled. "The sheriff's a fake."
Furious shouts came from the gathering crowd at the camp's perimeter, and no one stood aside any longer. About fifty screaming people in white robes rushed toward them, waving their arms and yelling, "Deceiver! Kidnapper!" among a few other choice words that Kelly was surprised to hear from a religious group.
The coyote leapt onto the backseat beside the headless Sheriff Longbottoms. The image was like something out of a really bad horror movie.
As the Jeep jumped forward, her head snapped back. They quickly accelerated to a speed that was sure to get them killed.
"Where are we going?" she asked, determined not to let up on him. She was in no need of saving, and he had totally ruined her plans for freeing Jake. "And when are we coming back for my brother?"
"I'm taking you to your father's hotel in Big Bear. It's not far, a couple of hours at most. As for your brother..."
She glowered at him. "Go on."
He gave her a piercing look before returning his attention to the road. "Just talking to him won't save him, Kelly. He's in too deep. And if you're not careful, you will be, too."
Chapter Two
"What do you mean?" Kelly asked, still stunned by the events of the last fifteen minutes. Her brother would be back with those people by tomorrow, and she was determined to get him out. "You said you'd help Jake. We're still going back for him, right?"
Sam stared straight ahead and his jaw muscle twitched. He didn't answer.
She unbuckled her seat belt. "Stop the Jeep."
"What are you doing?"
Anger flooded her cheeks with heat. He'd made a promise, and like most men, her father in particular, Sam was backing out. "I should have known better. If I want something done, I have to do it myself. Just stop and let me the hell out."
"No."
As tempting as it was to leap from the speeding Jeep, she'd be no good to Jake dead. She had to think, come up with a plan.
Sam stared at her briefly before refocusing on the narrow two-lane highway. "What, no arguments?"
Her arms folded stiffly across her middle, Kelly gazed at the dark landscape in front of her, miles of sand and desert rock fanning out in all directions. Such a lonely, desolate place, but also beautiful. A great place to think, which was what she needed to do right now. If only she could talk to Jake, to reason with him. She'd like a chance to talk with the group's leaders, too. How hard could it be convincing them to just let Jake go?
Sam checked the rearview and sideview mirrors before slowing the Jeep to a less lethal speed. "I told you I'm going back for your brother, and I am. But to be honest, your father only paid me for one night's work. There are expenses involved in what I do. I don't perform interventions for free."
She twisted to give him a shocked look then blinked and settled back in her seat. Fine. Rather than ask her penny-pinching father for help, she'd foot the bill herself. That she was now indebted to her father for her own rescue was ludicrous, especially since she hadn't needed rescuing in the first place. Men. Always had to be the tough guys, always had to have the upper hand. Well, not with her, thank you very much.
"If I were to hire you myself, how would you convince my brother to leave his cult and go with you?"
"I'd need to tell him something that would compel him to choose freedom over Star Mother."
"Like what?"
He shrugged. "I know your father and brother had a falling-out, so I'll tell him his father is sorry for what happened and wants him to come home. I hope that will be enough. Sometimes it is."
She rolled her eyes. "You have no idea how wrong you are."
"Oh?" He slid her a sideways glance. "You have a better idea?"
On the tail end of a sigh, she said, "All it would take is a few words from me and Jake would follow me like a puppy."
He nodded, his expression unreadable. "I wouldn't be so sure, but the idea has merit. We'll talk about it. To come up with a concrete plan, I'll need to know more about your brother, your relationship with him, and his relationship with his father."
Not so fast, she thought, and reached up to flip on the dome light. She had some interrogating of her own to do first.
"What?"
"I want a better look at you," she said, studying his profile. "I'm not so sure I should hire you. You could be an axe murderer for all I know."
He arched an eyebrow. "What does an axe murderer look like?"
"Give me a minute and I'll tell you." This was the first chance she'd had to study him up close. When they’d first met, she'd been so surprised by his sudden appearance that she hadn't paid much attention to how he looked except to notice he was big and intimidating, which had immediately put her on the defensive. While he’d used the caveman approach to carry her off, she could tell he was all muscle and sinew, a good six feet and a few inches of it. Now that she saw his face in the light, he no longer looked so scary. His thick brows were dark and expressive, accenting the deep gray of his eyes. He had prominent cheekbones and a small bump on the bridge of his nose that told her it had been broken once.
As she watched him, Sam's full lips tilted up in a sly grin. She felt herself blush.
"Do I pass inspection?"
She gave him an unladylike snort. "The jury's still out. I'll let you know."
He switched off the dome light. "I hope you understand the seriousness of your brother's situation." His voice had lost its conversational tone, and the new chilly undercurrents made her tense, reminding her he was still a stranger. "Let me emphasize that involvement with a cult is not an easy life. And cults aren't always religious. They can start from almost anything, any belief, any event. Look at terrorists. That's a great example of how far a cult can go."
She'd never thought of it like that. "How many cults are there?"
"Hundreds. Possibly thousands when you consider the spin-off groups, the multilevel marketing gr
oups, the therapy groups, and the self-help gurus who can make you thinner, happier, sexier, wealthier, and anything else you can dream up. Cults are all about power and control." His lip curled in disgust. "Even Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris have a cult following. There are kids all over the country who admire the killers for having stood up for themselves. They aspire to follow in their heroes' footsteps."
Columbine. Why anyone would ever want to repeat that tragedy was beyond her.
She had never considered Star Mother a power-based sort of group. The people at the camp were so docile, not pushy at all. "Are you sure Star Mother's followers are as bad as you make them out to be?"
"Don't underestimate these people," he said, his baritone voice taking on the gruffness of a drill sergeant. "I know a fair amount about Star Mother, and they're not a peaceful group working to create a united world of love and understanding."
She searched his face to see if he was kidding. He tossed her a sardonic look before adding, "I know because I used to be one of them."
She couldn't help but gasp at this interesting piece of news. An ex-cultist who kidnapped cultists. Who'd have thought.
"Hard to believe, huh?" He chuckled. "My association with those freaks wasn't by choice, believe me. When my father died, my mother was depressed and easy prey for the cult's leaders, who eagerly accepted my father's life insurance payout in exchange for taking us in."
Kelly was a glutton for gossip, and he'd found the perfect ploy to distract her from her single-minded goal of rescuing Jake. "How old were you when this happened?"
"Ten."
"So when did you get out?"
"When I turned sixteen." His voice had lowered an octave, grown even huskier. This was obviously painful territory for him.
"Did someone rescue you, like you'll do for Jake?" She was determined not to let him forget his promise.
Sam peered at her sideways, the corner of his mouth lifted in a cynical half-grin. "I left on my own. My mother was the one smitten by the cult's belief in a utopian planet that's supposedly their true home. I guess I believed in it when I was a kid, but that changed after I got to know them better."
Desert Guardian Page 2
