Chapter 4
Chapter Four
All the tension went out of Marie’s body, and Isaac knew that sleep had claimed her.
They were in the middle of a field behind the makeshift hospital.
He needed to find somewhere where she could sleep.
He could take her back to his place, but there was no guarantee that it hadn’t suffered the same fate as half the town.
But he had to get her away from where they were. Out in the open. Exposed. The distant trees were dark sentinels, but he was now aware of what lurked between their shadows.
Alfredo Vargas, a well-known, and connected drug lord.
A man he’d done his best to keep away from. In another lifetime, another persona, he’d had dealings with Alfredo. Alfredo knew him as Javier Cortez, the right-hand man of former cartel boss Gomez Ramirez. Javier was presumed dead after he’d killed Gomez.
Isaac had chosen to live in San Carlion even knowing it had a connection to Alfredo. He’d observed the area for a few weeks before he’d officially become a resident and hadn’t seen the man or any sign of drugs being filtered through the town. He’d thought it was safe.
Now he knew it wasn’t.
The breeze picked up, brushing its cold fingers over them. Marie shivered in her sleep, and the decision was made.
His small stone cottage wasn’t far away, it had withstood the first quake, hopefully it had stayed strong during the aftershocks and was still standing. For the rest of the night, he would take Marie there and let her sleep.
Adjusting his hold on her so that she fit more snugly in his arms, he rose and strode toward the makeshift hospital. He saw that Ophelia was now awake checking on a patient.
She looked up when he got close, her attention narrowing in on Marie’s sleeping form. “I’m taking Marie to my place to sleep,” he informed her, the Spanish rolling off his tongue as if he was a native speaker, not someone who’d learned the language during school and for his job.
“Does she know that?” Ophelia questioned, and he couldn’t help but be impressed that she didn’t take what he’d said on face value.
“No, she fell asleep in the middle of the field.” He wasn’t about to tell her that she’d fallen asleep in his embrace after she’d had a complete emotional breakdown.
“I don’t know.” She fiddled with the stethoscope around her neck. “There’s a bed here she can rest on. I know Marie, she’d like to be close to the patients if they needed her.”
From what he’d seen of Marie in action, he believed Ophelia was right and it would be her preference.
But he’d seen the distress and despair on Marie’s face.
Heard her sobs. Witnessed the outpouring of grief for the lives she hadn’t been able to save.
For the lives lost in the hospital where they were supposed to leave healthy.
Ophelia hadn’t, so she couldn’t know that Marie needed this space.
This distance to recharge and come back in a better position to do her job properly.
“If she wakes up and wants to come back, then I’ll bring her, but for the moment I think she’d be better if she rests away from here.” Isaac was taking control of a situation when he really was in no position to do so, but deep in his gut he knew this was the right thing to do.
“How can I trust that you’re not going to kidnap her and do awful things to her.” Ophelia was standing now, her hands on her hips and her gaze not wavering from his.
All her objections were reasonable. She’d never seen him before today. He was a stranger to her. “Because I would rather die than let anything like that happen to her.”
It was a strong statement for someone he’d just met, but it was true.
He would do everything he could to keep Marie safe.
The fact she was sleeping soundly in his arms, hadn’t even fluttered an eyelid when he’d lifted her higher and started walking, meant subconsciously at least, she felt safe with him.
She’d let him support her through her breakdown, not that Ophelia would know any of this as she hadn’t seen it.
“Will you at least tell me where you live?” Ophelia conceded.
“I live on the edge of town in the faded yellow cottage.” If Ophelia had been in San Carlion for more than a few weeks, she’d know which house he was talking about.
“I know it.” She came up and rested her hand on Marie’s arm. “Take care of her. She works too hard, and today was tough on her.”
The respect Ophelia felt for her colleague was plain to see and hear. “I will and I know.”
With a nod, he strode out of the building and down the street to his house.
It was heartbreaking, and it would take a while before San Carlion got the help it needed.
Maybe he could do something about that. He may be in hiding, but he had friends he could call upon to help out.
Or to get some humanitarian aid here quicker than could normally be achieved.
It may be the middle of the night, but he knew one person who would take his call. Once he got Marie settled in his bed he stepped back.
Damn, she looks good there.
As quickly as the thought came, he banished it.
He couldn’t be thinking about her this way.
Not with the way his life was one clusterfuck after another.
Not to mention he had no idea if she lived permanently in San Carlion.
Or was on a contract. He didn’t even know where she lived in America.
And he’d known her for less than twenty-four hours, there hadn’t been much time to talk about their lives.
Not that he could tell her much about his.
The type of thoughts he was having were ridiculous.
Maybe he was caught up with seeing how fragile life was today.
How in a split-second things could change.
Although that wasn’t entirely true. He’d seen plenty of that when he’d been in the Ramirez Cartel.
Had taken lives without thought because he’d needed to.
He wasn’t good for Marie. What he needed to do was–when she woke–is take her back to the makeshift hospital, and then he’d disappear into the darkness and never see her again.
Determined to shut down his emotions when it came to the woman sleeping in his bed, Isaac spared her one last look before turning on his heel and heading to the kitchen.
He opened up one of the cupboards and reached in, loosening the thin piece of wood at the back.
He pulled out a satellite phone. His one and only connection to the outside world.
He dialed the number and waited. Blackness was all he could see beyond his kitchen window. He hadn’t bothered with a light. He didn’t need to, he knew his way around this house. Had made sure he could get to things quickly in the dark if ever the need for him to disappear at a moment’s notice.
“Isaac, is everything okay?”
He smiled at the sound of Cassandra’s sleepy voice. “Sorry to wake you, but I need some help.”
“What is it?” In a split-second Cass’s voice went from sleepy to alert.
“There’s been an earthquake where I am. We need help. Medical supplies. People who can look for victims. Materials to rebuild.” He didn’t need to tell Cass where he was, she knew. She’d known where he was the whole time he’d gone to ground after waking up from being in a coma.
“You got it. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” Isaac wandered back toward the bedroom, stopping in the doorway. Marie was still asleep, but her brow was furrowed and her legs were twitching. “I’ve got to go.”
“Okay, I’ll be in touch. You sure you’re okay?”
“I’m sure.” Even though he was decades older than Cass, she always worried about him. Considering what he’d done to her and how his actions had fucked up her life, he didn’t deserve her concern, but he wasn’t going to throw it away either.
He disconnected the call and strode over to the bed. By the time he reached it, Marie was moaning loudly, clearly in the throes of a nightmare. Considering what she’d seen and had to deal with, this response wasn’t a surprise.
Isaac sat on the edge of the bed, careful not to touch her, should she lash out like some people did while dreaming. “Marie. Wake up. You’re safe. It’s just a dream.”
There was no change, so he tried again, only this time he spoke a little louder. Her movements stilled a little, but he could see that she was still in the grips of the dream. Perhaps not as deeply as she had been when he’d walked in, but not out of it either.
Feeling confident that nothing would happen if he touched her, he placed his hand on her leg. “Marie. It’s okay. You’re safe. It’s me, Samuel. You can wake up.”
God he wished he could give her his real name. Hear Isaac fall from her lips, but it was something he couldn’t do.
Her eyelids fluttered open, and he took his hand away, resting it on the bed beside her. She blinked a few times to get her bearings. “What? Where am I? Sam?”
“Hi,” he said softly. “You feel asleep in my arms in the field. I brought you to my place so that you could sleep. You were having a dream.”
“Oh.” She flung her arm across her eyes, as if she could erase the last few hours. “I’m sorry.”
Isaac wanted to stroke her leg. To soothe her, but he kept his hand where it was.
They were strangers and he’d taken more liberties than he should’ve by bringing her to his home.
Not that he would’ve done anything differently.
He’d done what he’d thought was right at the time.
“If anyone should be sorry, it’s me. Do you need anything?
Some water? I can rustle up a snack if you need something to eat. ”
Marie sat up and pushed her hair off her face. “Thanks, but I’m okay. I need to get back.”
Isaac knew that would be her answer, but he couldn’t stop the shaft of disappointment from hitting him. “Right. Okay.”
She leaned over and placed her hand on top of his. “Thank you for everything. For holding me when I needed it.”
“Not necessary. I was happy I was there and could help you.” A grumbling sound filled the silence, and he laughed. “Sounds like you’re hungry. What if I fix you a sandwich that you can eat while we walk back to the hospital?”
Marie laughed. “There’s no point in me denying I’m hungry, so thank you. I’d appreciate it.”
She made a move to get off the bed, but he stilled her movements. “Stay here and rest. You were on your feet for at least fourteen hours straight.”
“It’s been a while since I pulled a long shift like that,” she commented lightly. “If it’s okay, I will stay here for a few more minutes.”
“Definitely okay. I won’t be long. The bathroom is across the hall if you need it.” Isaac wanted to tell her she could stay there for the rest of the night and some of the morning, but he bit his tongue and made his way to the kitchen.
It didn’t take him long to make a sandwich.
He also got her a bottle of water and carried both back to the bedroom.
He half expected her to be up and looking out the window.
Or walking around the room, but she was still in the bed, although he could see that she’d washed her face as her hair was a little damp.
“Here you go. It’s not fancy, but it’s filling. ”
He placed the plate with her turkey, lettuce, and cheese sandwich on her outstretched legs and the bottle on the table.
Isaac may have said that she could eat the sandwich on the way, but from the second Marie took the first bite he knew that wasn’t going to happen.
She washed the food down with the water in double quick time.
A small, embarrassed smile stretched her lips. “Sorry, I was hungrier than I thought.”
“Not an issue, do you want another one? This time for the road?” He winked and she laughed.
“I’m good, but I do think it’s time I got back.”
“Okay, let’s go.”
The walk back to the makeshift hospital was in silence, both lost in their own thoughts. Isaac’s was on what he was going to do next, and no doubt, Marie’s was on her patients and what she was going to find when she got there.
They reached the building to find everything was quiet. There was no one rushing around as if a patient needed immediate help.
“Thank you for everything, Sam,” Marie said as they stopped out the front.
Why did this feel like a goodbye? That when she walked away he wouldn’t see her again. They lived in the same town. He’d helped her and had planned on coming back to help again. But if she didn’t want it. If she did want this to be goodbye, then he’d give it to her.
“I didn’t do much. Just helped where I could.”
Her hand came up and cupped his cheek. “You did more than that. You gave me more than I could give you.” She went up on her tiptoe and kissed him softly on the lips. A barely there moment, but one that resonated deep in his soul.
This was a goodbye. He didn’t know how he knew it, but he did.
This was final.
“You take care, Marie.”
“You too. Bye.”
Isaac couldn’t bring himself to say goodbye. He didn’t understand why this felt so final. But it was.
He watched as she headed inside, stopping to check the pulse of a patient. As if she knew he was still watching, she looked up and gave him one last smile.
He turned and headed back to his house. In the coming days he would do what he could to help the people of San Carlion. But he wouldn’t go back to the hospital.