Free What's in a Name? by Terry Odell

toward the door.
    “ Wait,” he called
after her. “My truck. It’s gone. But Decker must have something
nearby.”
    “ I moved your truck.
It’s behind the cabin in the trees.” She took two steps toward him,
eying him warily. “Are you sure you’re okay? If you pass out, I
can’t carry you.”
    “ I’ll make
it.”
    “ It’ll take me a while
to get everything loaded. You should rest.”
    “ Can I help? We need
to get out of here. Scumbag—Decker—will raise a ruckus.”
    “ It’s not likely
anyone would be close enough to hear him, but I took care of
it.”
    What had she done? He’d have heard a
gunshot. She must have seen his puzzled expression.
    “ I gave him some
orange juice.” She smiled for the first time since last night. “My
special recipe.”
    “ If it’s anything like
your coffee, he’s going to have one hell of a headache when he
wakes up. Not to mention an upset stomach.”
    She shrugged. “Guess so. Is that how it
affected you?”
    “ You don’t know the
half of it.” He laughed, although it was little more than a wheeze,
followed by a stabbing pain in his rib cage and another cacophony
in his head.
    Her smile faded. “Let’s get something
straight. I don’t know who you are or why you’re here. When I saw
Decker tied up in your bathroom, I remembered enough to know I owe
you. This morning, all I wanted was to get away from you. The truth
is, I still do, but I need some answers and until I get them I’m on
you like white on rice.”
    He watched her face grow more and more
confident, a look he hadn’t seen before. He nodded. “I’ll get
dressed.” He reached for his jeans. Something in his lower back
tightened and he froze, waiting for the spasm to pass. He spoke
through clenched teeth. “Back. Spasm. Aspirin?”
    By the time she got back, he’d put his
clothes on and walked the length of the bed a few times, trying to
loosen stiffened muscles. She held a bottle of water and a pill
bottle.
    “ Ibuprofen. Aspirin’s
not good if you’re bleeding.”
    “ Anything.” He
swallowed three pills and gulped the water down.
    He sat on the bed and closed his eyes,
hoping the medicine would take effect before it upset his stomach.
“How’s the packing coming? I could help, I think.”
    “ You can help by
getting yourself to the living room. Make sure you can walk.” She
went through the bathroom into her office. He saw her pass,
carrying a carton and dragging a suitcase.
    He stood. The room tunneled around him,
fading to gray at the edges. Pure masculine pride carried him to
the couch. As he sank onto it, he was aware Kelli had been
watching. He gave her a weak grin. “I’m okay.” She moved toward the
kitchen. He leaned back and closed his eyes.
    “ Windsor.” He blinked
awake. Kelli stood two feet from his chair, with another glass of
water and a vial of pills. “Phones are still dead. I need you to
trust me when I say I don’t want to involve the Park Service with
Decker until we’re far enough away. If you think you need medical
attention, I’ll risk it and drop you off at the ranger station. But
I won’t stick around.”
    He didn’t need any complications
either. Once he felt well enough, he was on the first plane to
Chicago. “I’ll be all right.”
    She held out the pill vial. “I’ve got a
muscle relaxant.”
    “ There is a God.” He
squinted at the vial, but the words swam.
    “ I don’t know the
dosage for someone your size. One wipes me out.”
    “ Give me two. Out
would be nice. Was this what you put in the coffee?”
    “ No, that was an
animal tranquilizer. I have it for bears in case one gets frisky.”
She tapped out two tablets and he downed them even before she
handed him the water.
     
    * * * * *
     
    Kelli lingered a moment, watching the
tightened muscles in his face. Listened to his labored breathing.
Afraid of shock, she got a blanket and covered him. She still had
no clue who he was, or why he was here. She asked herself why the
hell