Free Jordan Summers - [Dead World 01] by Red (html) Page A

republic, not just Nuria. No
wonder it was the only thing noted by the Republic of Arizona.
    Red walked up to the first nurse
she encountered, a jovial woman with
short auburn hair and a round laugh-lined face, and asked to speak with the
doctor in charge.
    "What is your emergency?" she asked, eyeing
Red from shoes to nose.
    Red grinned. "I'd rather speak directly to the
doctor, if you don't mind."
    "You and all the other women in this town,"
she said, her eyes glittering with speculation.
    "What?" Red asked, confused by the woman's
statement.
    "I'll page him," the nurse said, then
pressed her ear and began to speak. Red hadn't noticed the corn-link tucked there. It was all but hidden beneath her
shaggy hair. "You can wait here. Dr. Hunter will only be a moment."
She pointed to a row of uncomfortable- looking seats.
    "Thank you."
    Thirty minutes later a dark-haired handsome man with a casual rolling gait approached. He was talking with a child whose arm was in a sling.
Tall and broad-shouldered with big hands, the man looked more suited to hard labor than to caregiving.
    Maybe his job was to cleanse this building. Red thought.
    "I better not see you back here again," he
said, mussing the boy's brown curls.
    "You won't. Doctor," the boy said, then
rushed past Red and out the front door.
    The man stopped in front of her. Red stood so he
wouldn't tower over her. It didn't help. She craned her neck to look at
him.
    "You asked for me." He smiled, giving her
clothing a cursory glance. His gaze hovered on her breasts a little longer
than needed, before moving onto her face.  "You don't look injured."
    "That's because I'm not." She stepped
forward. "You're Dr. Hunter?" Red asked, surprised that this man was a boundary town doctor. Most young medical professionals left for the cities the first chance they got. It was impossible to make a decent living
other wise. What was it about this town that made people want to stay?
    He laughed. ''Not what you expected, eh?"
    "I didn't say that."
    His smile spread. "You didn't have to. It's
written all over your pretty face."
    Red opened her mouth to contradict his assessment of
her. but he cut her off before she could utter a word.
    "Please, call me Kane."
    "I'm Gina
Santiago," she said, extending her hand.
    He shook it, lingering, his warm palm enveloping hers.
"Nice to meet you."
    Red tried to pull back, but he
didn't release her un til he was ready.
The brush of his fingertips sent a wave of awareness through her.
    Kane grinned. "What can I do for you, Ms. Santiago?"
    "I'm with the International Police Tactical Team.
I thought it best to check in."
    His smile wavered, but did not
fall, much to his credit. Most people didn't bother
to hide their distrust, but Kane did. "I'm honored to have the IPTT stop by our facility. Greta forgot to
mention that small detail." A different nurse approached Kane and asked
him to sign a
comp-chart. He did so, but his gaze remained unerringly on Red.
    His overt attention was a little disconcerting and Red fought the urge to step back. Her years of
training were the only thing that kept her in place. There prob ably
weren't many eligible females living in Nuria. That could explain the undue
attention she'd received earlier from the townspeople and now from Kane. As a single female tactical team member, Red was used
to being an oddity. Some things were the same no matter where you went.
    Red waited until the nurse left before she continued
to speak. "Actually, Dr. Hunter—"
    "Kane," he corrected.
    "Kane." Red acknowledged. "I'm here
alone—in an unofficial capacity."
    "Nuria is an odd choice, if you're trying to get
away from it all. It's not exactly a travel destination.  I mean it's quaint,
if you like deteriorated historical structures, but—" He grinned.
"—otherwise nonde script."
    "Long story." She waved her hand
dismissively. "I won't bore you with it. Suffice it to say, whenever I
travel I like to meet the local doc in case I need patching