Desert Wake ✔

Ch. 13, pt. 1: The Marooned

They took our guns of course. They ain't that stupid. And they found where we was shelterein' Nessie fer the night so she's gone too. But they did leave us our food and water and some of our other supplies, so I guess there's that.

I thought fer sure they'd take Ro back through the pass, but no. Vern, who hides in the shadows and watches 'em while the rest of us is fixin' up our wounds, says they headed north. Probably plannin' to skirt the desert's edge up to a more northern pass, and then bring their prisoner back to the capital on the northwest coast.

Skirtin' the desert—this makes me smile, cuz it plays into my plans, but Tegan, she ain't so pleased.

"Don't they know there's a dust storm brewin'? We ain't gotta be dealin' with them lawfolk and a storm, plus we'll lose time travelin' north. We need to git you to that boat by the end of the month."

Maybe the blow she took to her head done her more harm than I thought cuz she ain't exactly makin' sense. "Ain't no point in goin' to that ship if Ro ain't with us, is there?"

Tegan frowns at me. "It's a terrible loss, and you know I'm fond of Ro, but his message cain be carried on without him. You cain do it, May. You cain qualify to be a New Pioneer and you cain keep turnin' out copies of Ro's book from that island. They may hang Ro, and again, that's more awful than words cain express, but you cain send a message to 'em. Ain't nothin' that cain stop the truth, not even death."

"Cain you hear what yer sayin', Tegan?" I gotta grasp onto my wrists so I don't punch her. "They're gonna try him and execute him in front of the whole godsdamn planet. I ain't goin' to no boat till I git him back and if I have to go north by myself and pursue 'em by myself and kill Callen and his men by myself than I surely will. Cuz believe me, I'm livin' in hope—hope that I cain git Ro back. Hope that I cain keep him alive. Now, I though that's what yer plan was too, or am I wrong?"

Tegan looks down, her face set real hard. "I just don't want you goin' on a suicide mission."

"That ain't what this is, Tegan." I shake my head. I cain't expect her to understand what I know to be certain, that if I pursue my rescue of Ro, I'll be doin' what's right no matter the outcome. So, all I say is, "I gotta do this, cuz it's what's gotta be done."

"I'll go with you." Vern hops up from his seat on the counter and stands nearby, lookin' set in his decision. I feel a lump of courage well up in me, thanks to him. Vern's got more years on him than the rest of us, even more than Tegan, but he's brave and good hearted.

Gina's just about finished wrappin' up her leg. She got grazed instead of shot straight through, which makes her a lucky woman if ever there was one. "I recon I'll be able to keep up too." She gives a nod to me and Vern and I smile at her.

"Well here I thought I was in charge." Tegan's hands are on her hips but I cain tell she's partly proud of her crew of brave-hearted smugglers.

"Ro and I let you think you was in command only cuz it seemed like yer ego could use the boost."

Tegan lets out a throaty laugh and when that's done she sighs. "Curlicue, looks like Ro picked the right desert dweller to give his heart to. If you got a plan fer survivin' the storm, goin' weaponless against a bunch of well-armed lawfolk, and gittin' Ro back, I'd sure love to hear it."

#

It's like they want us to track 'em. That's what I think as we follow their footprints across the dusty plains. They ain't made no attempt to disguise their tracks, and even with the wind, their trail's still visible, like Callen purposely stomped along so the grooves in his boot soles would be a permanent fixture on the landscape. Either they don't believe we'll have the balls to follow 'em, or Callen is bettin' on us doin' just that.