Loe raamatut: «Lone Star Christmas Rescue»

ONE

Texas Ranger Drake Jackson hiked to the edge of the cliff and stared at the raw beauty stretching out before him. Not far away was the Rio Grande and Mexico. The case he’d been assigned involved a human smuggling ring that worked both ways—trafficking people both into and out of the United States. One of their corridors had recently been rumored to be along this part of the border in his territory, but every time the task force got close, someone ended up dead and the route disappeared.

If only they could catch a break.

A vision of his younger sister materialized in his mind. Smiling. Laughing at something he’d said. But that was fifteen years ago, before she vanished without a trace. At that time, he’d been a Texas highway patrol officer and had taken vacation days to work the case. But he could never find her. In his gut, and based on the evidence he’d gathered, Drake knew she’d become a victim of a human trafficking ring. Even now, he and his family lived in limbo concerning Beth.

He shook the image from his thoughts. He might not be able to bring Beth back, but he was determined to stop others from ending up like her. He knew firsthand what it was like for a family to have no resolution for a loved one’s fate.

With a sigh, he turned away from the cliff’s edge. A faint cry from below caught his attention. A wounded animal? Again, the sound drifted to him. A cat—cougar?

He lifted his binoculars and scanned Big Bend National Park’s rugged terrain below for the source of the noise. The cries grew to wails, allowing him to home in on the source. He sucked in a sharp breath. Nestled between large boulders sat a baby, tugging on the shirt of a woman sprawled on the ground. The location was an odd place for anyone to be. Quickly he checked the surrounding area. He didn’t see anyone nearby. Returning his attention to the lady, he noticed she wasn’t moving or reacting to the crying baby next to her. Something was wrong.

He shrugged off his backpack and dug into it for the rope and gear he used for rappelling. It would take two or three times longer for him to hike down to the canyon. If the woman was injured, she might need help right away. After putting in his anchors, setting up his rigging and double-checking all the equipment, Drake stepped off the cliff with his backpack. Facing the rock facade, he walked down it at a sixty-degree angle.

The baby’s continuous bawling urged him to move as fast as he could. Drake kept looking over his shoulder at the pair below. When his feet hit the bottom, he unhooked himself, then hurried the few yards to the woman and child. By the time he reached them, the little boy’s face was beet red, tears running down his cheeks. Dressed in jeans, a dirty long-sleeved white shirt and tennis shoes, the lady beside the child appeared as though she was taking a nap—no obvious signs of an injury.

Drake knelt next to the child and stroked his hand up and down the baby’s back. “Shh. I’m here to help,” he said in a soft voice and removed a water bottle to offer the little boy a few sips.

As he continued to pat the child, he turned his attention to the woman, relieved to see her chest rising and falling with each breath. When he felt for her pulse on the side of her neck, its racing beat didn’t surprise him.

The baby, probably no more than six or seven months old, calmed down and looked at Drake with big brown eyes and long black lashes. Assessing him.

“You aren’t alone.” He wished he could ask the child what had happened and get an answer.

What was wrong with the young woman? Why was she out here with a baby and no backpack—or water?

Heatstroke? He touched her smooth, soft skin, pinkish from the sun but not badly sunburned. He ran his fingertips over her forehead, her flesh sweaty but not hot enough to indicate heatstroke. He breathed a little easier—although it wouldn’t take long for her to become dehydrated, and then her body would shut down.

Drake leaned down and said in a firm voice, “Wake up, ma’am.” He gently shook her shoulder.

No response.

After another glance down the front of her body, he returned his attention to her face, with long light brown hair framing it. Still no obvious sign of why she wasn’t responding. He hated to stop soothing the baby, but he needed to find out why the lady was unconscious.

The baby whimpered the second he removed his hand so he could roll the woman over to check her back for any injuries. He locked gazes with the little boy for a few seconds, saying, “It’s okay. I’m still here,” before he shifted his focus to the unresponsive lady.

He immediately saw what was wrong. Blood matted her hair and stained the ground below her head. Had she fallen or had someone hit her? He surveyed the area. Unless someone was hiding behind the rocks, they were the only people in the canyon. He carefully examined the wound—about four inches long but hard to tell how deep.

As the baby watched him, Drake grabbed his backpack and pulled out his first aid kit. He treated the injury and wrapped gauze around her head to stem the flow of blood. From the amount of it, uncoagulated, soaking into the ground, she’d been hurt recently. He laid the woman on her back again with her face turned to the side, revealing her bandage. Her eyelids fluttered open.

“I’m a Texas Ranger. I’m here to help. What happened?” he asked, but not before she’d closed her eyes again. “Ma’am, I’m here to help you and the baby.”

Nothing.

With no cell reception, he’d have to hike out of the canyon and head for the nearest park road, which was closer than circling the cliffs and making his way to his car. He couldn’t leave her or the baby alone while he did. He’d have to carry them both to the highway. She needed medical help as soon as possible.

He put his first aid kit away, then took a bottle and drank a long sip before he held the baby and offered him more water. He drank, the liquid running down his chin and neck. After that, Drake quickly fashioned a carrier for the little boy using his backpack with most of his gear removed. After giving him another sip of water, Drake strapped him in, covered the top of the child’s head and then shrugged into the makeshift baby hauler.

The boy’s giggles brought a smile to Drake’s face. Hopefully, he thought it was a game. He glanced over his shoulders into those big dark eyes. Was the woman his mother? There weren’t too many similarities between them. “This is the way to travel. Let someone else do the walking.”

The baby babbled in response.

Drake drew in a deep breath, squatted and gently scooped the injured lady—no more than five feet three inches—into his arms and then stood. As he trudged across the canyon floor, he kept visually sweeping the terrain for any sign of someone else. Occasionally he looked at the slender-built woman or peered over his shoulder at the little boy who had fallen asleep against his back after only ten minutes.

When Drake emerged from the canyon, he knew a paved road was only about a mile away. He thought about stopping and resting, but instead he paused and used a boulder to prop the woman—heavier than he’d expected—against it so he could get the bottle out and take a gulp of water. The child slept through the maneuvering. Resuming his hike, Drake shoved away the burning sensation in his arms and shoulders and kept going. The woman might be small, but she had a muscular build.

In the distance, he spied a truck on the highway, but it was too far for him to flag down. He increased his speed. Five hundred yards away, another vehicle drove by heading west. Sweat rolled down his face as he began to jog, not wanting to miss another ride. He struggled to drag in enough oxygen to fuel his body and to keep the woman cradled against his chest safely.

One hundred yards.

Catching sight of a white car approaching from the east, he accelerated his pace as much as he could without jostling the injured lady too much. He was within twenty yards when the SUV flew by, not slowing down. Drake continued toward the road that led to the Panther Junction Visitor Center, but at a walk. His mad dash to flag down the vehicle had awakened the baby and left Drake panting, his arms burning even more from the strain.

He slanted a look at the little boy, whose mouth turned down. “Someone will come soon.”

The baby jabbered back at him, any evidence of a frown gone.

Drake guessed he liked the sound of his voice, so as he strode along the highway in the direction of the visitor center, he spoke softly about the animals he’d seen in Big Bend National Park. When he started telling the child about the mountain lion he’d seen in the spring, he looked down at the lady in his arms. Her eyes, dark like the baby’s, stared at him.

“You’re okay. I’m Drake Jackson. I’m taking you to get medical assistance. I found you passed out.”

Her forehead furrowed, and she winced. “My head—hurts.”

“You’ve been unconscious since I discovered you almost an hour ago. What’s your name?”

Pain flittered across her face. Her eyelids began to slide shut. “I—”

Staring at her closed eyes, he murmured, “Ma’am?”

A sense of urgency slithered down his spine. She needed help now, and he wished he had a fast way to get it.

The baby whined.

“She’ll be all right. We’re only a few miles away from the visitor center,” he said in a singsong voice, hoping to calm the little boy while in the heat of the desert wondering if he had the stamina to make it before it was too late. At least it was the first of December and cooler than other times in the park along the border with Mexico.

A sound drew his attention, and he zeroed in on a red sedan coming toward him. Unable to wave the driver down, Drake moved into the center of the road, praying he would stop and take them back the way the vehicle had come.

The car pulled onto the shoulder. The window slid down, and an older woman in the passenger seat asked, “Do you need help?”

“Yes.” Drake glanced down at the hiker in his arms. “She needs medical attention as quickly as possible. Can you take us to the Panther Junction Visitor Center?”

“Of course we can. Get in.” The older woman exited the vehicle. “I can hold the child.” After she unstrapped the little boy from the carrier on Drake’s back, she opened the rear door for him and then returned to the front seat with the baby.

Carefully he slipped into the back seat, adjusting the injured lady in his lap.

The driver made a U-turn and said, “I’m Clarence Moore, and this is my wife, Susan.”

“I’m Texas Ranger Drake Jackson. I found this wounded woman and the baby alone in a canyon.”

“Do you want some water?” Susan asked while the child drank from a plastic bottle.

“Yes, ma’am. I’d appreciate it.”

Susan bent forward and grabbed another water bottle, then passed it to Drake. “We came prepared with our own.”

“Thanks. That’s always a good idea in Big Bend.” He took a deep swig of the cold liquid, relishing it as it slid down his parched throat.

His gaze locked onto the injured woman’s open brown eyes. “Do you want some?”

“Yes,” she answered in a slow rasp.

Drake’s arm, tingling from numbness, held her torso up at an angle. Shifting to relieve that sensation, he assisted her in taking a drink. A flowery aroma mingling with the scents of sweat and dust wafted to him. He was thankful she was short and didn’t weigh much over 110 pounds, but he hadn’t been sure how much farther he could have carried her without taking a break.

When she finished drinking, he swallowed another gulp, the whole time watching her as she peered at him. Assessing him, much like the baby had. On closer scrutiny, she and the child looked similar, more than he’d originally thought.

“Who are you?” he asked again. Why did you have a young baby out in the middle of nowhere?

A frown marred her attractive features. “I don’t know.”

* * *

Running. Gasping for air. Clutching a baby close. Images bounced around in her mind, then suddenly vanished. Her eyes popped open to a dimly lit strange place. She lay in a bed hooked up to monitors nearby.

Panic—danger swamped her. She had to get out of here.

She sat up. The room tilted and spun. She collapsed back onto the bed, closing her eyes to stop the swirling. Her stomach roiled. All she wanted to do was surrender to the darkness lurking close, but fear held her in the here and now.

Where am I?

Who am I?

A sound penetrated through her mounting alarm. Footsteps.

She couldn’t shake the sense of danger. She opened her eyes again and frantically searched for a button to push for help.

“How are you doing, ma’am?” a deep male voice asked in a Texan drawl.

A vaguely familiar tall, large man, dressed in tan slacks and a white cowboy hat, stood only a few feet away. Her attention riveted on the silver star pinned to his long-sleeved white shirt. Police? Why was he here? Her head pounding, she grappled for the call button and pushed it while scrambling to the far side of the bed, the railing trapping her where she was. That sensation skyrocketed her distress.

“Who are you?” she asked in a quavering voice. Where had she seen him before? Confusion greeted that silent question.

He smiled, two dimples appearing on his tanned face. “I’m Texas Ranger Drake Jackson. I found you in Big Bend National Park yesterday afternoon.”

“Alone?” escaped her mouth. An image of him leaning over her flashed into her mind. The picture vanished as quickly as it had appeared. Why did she think they hadn’t been alone?

“No. Do you know your name?”

The dream that woke her up materialized in her mind. A baby in her arms? Sun beating down on them? Bright lights shining in her face? People around her? Was that real or her imagination?

“Did I have a baby with me?”

“Yes. Can you tell me your name? I’d like to contact your next of kin.”

She had a baby with her. Did she have a husband? She rubbed the place where a wedding ring should be if she was married. Nothing. “I—I don’t know my name.”

His blue eyes dimmed. “What do you remember?”

Before she could answer, an older nurse entered her room. “I’m glad to see you’re awake. I’ll contact the doctor. In the meantime, do you need anything, miss?” The nurse approached her bed on the opposite side of the Texas Ranger, checked her vitals, then shined a bright light into her eyes.

She delved into her mind, trying to recall anything that would lead to her identity and why she was in the hospital. But all she encountered was a blank slate, as though she’d never existed until now. “Where are my clothes?” Maybe they would indicate who she was.

The nurse crossed to a closet and withdrew a paper sack. “Everything you had with you is in here. Do you want to go through it?”

“Yes, please.” When she reached for the bag, her hand shook. Awareness of the large man on her other side, watching her, caused her to clutch the paper bag and quickly draw it to her chest, feeling what little was inside. Was this all she had of her past?

She bowed her head and squeezed her eyes closed, desperate for any memory of who she was. She pictured herself standing on a mountaintop, scanning the valley below. Where was she? She couldn’t tell. Was it a real place or merely her imagination?

A void held her, like an insect in amber. Caged. She felt empty, with no past to tell her who she was. The sensation of being in the middle of an ocean with only miles and miles of water surrounding her flooded her mind. Nothing for as far as she could see.

Her heartbeat raced, and her breathing shortened until she panted for each swallow of air.

“Miss, are you all right?” the nurse asked while the Texas Ranger moved closer.

His nearness surprisingly didn’t frighten her. Instead, it comforted her as she sucked in gulps of the oxygen-rich air. She couldn’t lose it. That wouldn’t help her find out what happened. “I’ll—be—okay,” she managed to say between gasps.

Another minute passed before she felt in control of her breathing. She needed to talk alone with the Texas Ranger about how he found her. Maybe that would help her remember.

And she needed to find out about the baby from her dreams. She couldn’t remember being a mother or married, but then, she couldn’t remember anything of her past.

She turned her attention to the nurse. “I’d like to talk to the doctor whenever he comes.”

“I’ll let him know.”

“Thanks.” She waited until the nurse left the room before swinging her gaze back to the intensity in Drake Jackson’s blue eyes, totally focused on her. Strangely, she didn’t feel intimidated. “How did you find me? You said I had a baby with me. Where is he?”

One eyebrow rose. “You know it’s a boy. Do you know his name?”

Why had she said he? It just came out. “No. I can’t remember anything.”

“Your fingerprints were taken and run through the system, but nothing has come up yet.”

Instead of disappointment that they couldn’t ID her, relief fluttered through her. “I should be thankful. That means I haven’t been in trouble with the law, at least.”

He chuckled. “Fingerprints are on file from other sources beside the criminal system.”

The soft sound of his laughter warmed her, making her feel less alone.

“To answer your questions about where the baby is, he’s in the hospital, too.”

She sat up straight, this time without the room swirling. “He’s hurt?”

“Dehydrated, like you. He’ll be released soon.”

“Then what?”

“That depends on you. The state will take charge if you can’t show he’s yours. We’ll run a search for Baby Doe’s identity.”

“Don’t!” she said before she could stop herself.