Free Only in My Arms by Jo Goodman Page B

going to have a lot to answer for," he told his men. They kept on working—time was short—but they exchanged knowing glances.
    * * *
    Private Patrick Carr was the first to spot Anna Leigh. She was hatless and walking away from a grouping of boulders that would have afforded her some protection from the sun. Carr and Rivers pushed their mounts hard to get to her. They knew she had seen them when she dropped to her knees in an attitude of prayer and exhaustion.
    Carr dismounted swiftly and knelt beside her. His eyes grazed her face, her hair, and her clothing. The assessment only lasted a few moments, but it was enough for the private to draw his conclusions.
    From his saddle Rivers regarded Anna Leigh. Her hair was disheveled, matted to the crown of her head by a rivulet of blood. Dust streaked her face. The bridge of her nose and her cheeks were sunburned. Two buttons were missing from her blouse, and there was a rent in the seam of the sleeve. Even though her leather skirt was tan and meant for traveling, it was covered by a film of dust.
    Private Carr raised Anna Leigh's hands and examined them. The manicured nails were broken and bloody. Carr glanced at Rivers. "Looks like the son of a bitch has more to answer for than we thought."
    Davis Rivers said nothing. "Did he leave you here?" he asked Anna Leigh.
    Her sob was wretched, but she managed to shake her head. She let Private Carr help her to her feet and leaned heavily against him. "He's over there." Anna Leigh pointed in the distance behind her. "In those boulders. He said they would shelter us." Her pale eyes darted pitifully between her rescuers.
    "How did you get away from him?" Rivers handed her his canteen.
    "The shots... they distracted him. I hit him with a rock." She shuddered delicately, causing Carr to hold her more tightly. "I was afraid after that... My horse bolted and Ryder's mare wouldn't let me mount. I didn't know what to do. I stayed there with him until it got quiet again, then I came looking for someone."
    "Good girl," Carr said. He asked Rivers, "You want to stay with her while I check out McKay?"
    Rivers shook his head. "I'll go. Wait here. We're going to need him to show us another way down. We'll never get these horses down by the route we took."
    Anna Leigh nodded. "He told me that. He knows another route."
    Second Lieutenant Rivers kicked his mount in the flanks. His mare was high-strung from combat, but she was still game. She covered the ground quickly in the direction of the shallow cave.
    Ryder was lying on his side, knees drawn toward his chest. There was blood at the back of his head and there were scratches on his face and neck. His jacket was lying on the floor of the cave, but he still wore his shirt. It was open at the throat, and where the second lieutenant could see Ryder's skin, he saw evidence of claw marks.
    "Looks like she got some of her own back," Rivers said with certain satisfaction. He saw Ryder move slightly. Rivers grimaced, took him by the wrist, and jerked him hard to his feet. Ryder came up, staggered, and dropped to his knees like a felled tree. Rivers yanked him up again, this time by a handful of Ryder's thick hair. Half-dragging, half-lifting, the second lieutenant got Ryder McKay to his own mount.
    Ryder's vision was clearing at the edges, but his arms and legs still felt too heavy to move. He was aware of Davis Rivers, of the second lieutenant's intention to put him on his horse, but he couldn't cooperate. More importantly, he wasn't certain he should. "Where's Miss Hamilton?" he asked.
    The words were slurred, but Rivers was able to make them out. "Carr's got her. She's going to be fine, no thanks to you."
    Ryder tried to think what that meant, but he needed his concentration to help Rivers get him in the saddle. There was no time to explain about Anna Leigh and the canteens. Ryder wanted to see Lieutenant Matheson and warn him about the real danger.
    He allowed himself to be pushed unceremoniously into the