Finding Valor (26 page)

Excellence, Inheritance and Mercy did not.

Josh’s heart ached for Wisdom. He couldn’t imagine being in her situation. He knew that he’d do everything in his power to keep anyone from hurting Elijah, even if he’d committed the most heinous crime.
 

Vixen, a young woman that Josh guessed was in her early twenties, cleared her throat. She waited until she had everyone’s attention then crossed her legs, exposing way too much thigh. She wasn’t the only woman in camp wearing a skirt, but she was the only one in a miniskirt. Josh averted his gaze, but had to look away from her completely when she folded her arms under her breasts and leaned forward, putting her impressive cleavage on display. What the hell? She was obviously coming on to him. Didn’t she know he was married? Josh needed her vote so instead of turning away in disgust, he shifted his gaze to her face.

Vixen blinked her eyes in slow motion as she blatantly checked Josh out. “Wisdom’s too close to the situation to make an unbiased decision. She should leave.”

“I’m not going anywhere. And stop trying to seduce Valor. He’s married.”

Vixen pursed her lips in what Josh assumed was supposed to be a sexy pout. All it did was make him sad. What sort of parents named their daughter Vixen?

“Look, I don’t want to kill Prudence. But I have to protect Channie. Every second she spends with that death pledge hanging over her head is putting her life at risk.” Josh raked his fingers through his hair. He didn’t want to pull rank, but they were at an impasse. “I don’t know how you ran things before I got here, but it’s clear the Book of the Dead wants me to take charge. I have to do what I believe…what I
know
…is the right thing.”

“Josh, please. I’m begging you. Don’t do this.” Tears streamed down Wisdom’s cheeks. “Give me one more month to find a cure.”

“Channie’s pregnant. She needs prenatal care. The stress she’s living under isn’t good for her or our baby.”

Wisdom pressed her fist against her mouth and rocked back and forth. Josh cast a weak calming spell on her.

Everyone, except Wisdom, gasped.

“What?”

Wisdom sighed and wiped the tears off her face. “It’s…offensive to use magic on someone during an argument.”

“I’m sorry. I was only trying to help.”

“I know.” Wisdom smiled through her tears. “When’s the baby due?”

Josh shrugged. He was embarrassed to admit he didn’t know. “I just found out.”

“Will you give me two weeks to work on a cure?”

The thought of killing anyone, even a murderer that had already taken two lives and was hell bent on taking another, twisted Josh’s stomach. And no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t shake the idea that if he killed Prudence, Channie would never forgive him.
 

If there was a chance that Wisdom could cure her, he knew Channie would want him to take it. “The book told me to seek out my clan and the gifts they bestow. If you double the guard watching Prudence and reinforce the magic holding her; I’ll go to Kentucky and see if I can find some Veyjivik rebels to satisfy the book’s order to seek out my clan. When I come back, I’ll decide if the progress you’ve made justifies any further delays.”

Wisdom threw her arms around Josh and sobbed into his chest. “I don’t know how to thank you.”

“Take me to Prudence.”

She stiffened then dropped her arms and stepped away from Josh. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“I need to see her before I leave. It’s the only way I’ll be able to tell if she’s improved when I get back.”

~***~

Josh graciously accepted the sack of dried fruit, nuts and biscuits that Harry thrust into his hands, but gave it to Tim as soon as the old man left the tent. “Be sure this finds its way back to wherever he got it.”

Tim licked his lips and nodded. “I wish you’d let me go with you boys. Them Veyjiviks is a mean bunch. Y’all need someone to watch your backs.”

“I appreciate the offer, but I need you and Shep to keep an eye on things here at Freedom Ridge. Be sure Wisdom keeps her word and frees everyone from those death pledges. And be damn sure Prudence remains under heavy guard while I’m gone.”
 

Prudence’s cage was actually a cave with a barred gate at the entrance. Wisdom, as well as the two men guarding the cage assured Josh that there was no other way in or out of the cave. As long as the gate remained locked, Prudence wasn’t going anywhere. Josh shuddered just remembering how she’d reacted to his and Hunter’s visit.

She’d screamed, torn out fistfuls of hair and foamed at the mouth as she flung herself against the bars, trying to attack them. She cast several curses at them, but they were weak. The guards deflected them without even raising their shields. Apparently, Prudence didn’t have the patience to let her magic build to full strength. As soon as she had a little power, she’d hurl another curse.

Josh cast a calming spell on her that should have knocked her out for days. She’d sank to the ground and wept but she still managed to utter obscenities at them. Hunter claimed that alone was proof she wasn’t herself. The woman’s power-name made any sort of swearing abhorrent to her.

Tim puffed his chest out. “Yes, sir, Mr. Veyjivik. I’ll assign my best men to guard the prisoner.”

Josh would have loved to take Intimidation with them. But he knew the Book of the Dead’s warning to avoid coercion applied to his recruiting methods as well as Wisdom’s. He wanted true loyalty, not false pledges made under duress that would ‘falter and fail when put to the test.’

Besides, it was a dangerous mission into enemy territory. He didn’t want to endanger anyone else if it wasn’t absolutely necessary. Josh needed a guide, so he was taking Hunter.

“You should leave that book here.” Tim stared at the small wooden box sitting on top of the ragged backpack Vicki had given Josh. “It wouldn’t be good to let it fall into the enemies’ hands.”

“No. It wouldn’t. That’s why I’ve already cast a touch-me-and-die spell on the box.”

Tim’s eyes widened. He took a big step back, tripping over the center tent pole. “I never heard of such a spell.”

Neither had Josh. And even if he had, he’d never do something so irresponsible. The only spell he’d used was the stinging spell Hunter had showed him.
 

Hunter poked his head in through the tent’s flap. “Time’s a wasting. Let’s go.”

Josh settled his pack on his shoulders, gave Tim a friendly pat on the back then parted the tent’s flap.

The entire camp of over five hundred people were lined up along the path leading out of camp. They cheered when Josh stepped out of the tent. Gentle hands reached out to him as he walked, stuffing a variety of odd gifts into his backpack…a carrot, an onion, a well-worn straw hat, a leather-sheathed knife, a jelly jar of water?
 

Hunter nudged Josh with his elbow and grinned. “Moonshine.”

Too choked up to verbally acknowledge the generosity of these people, Josh nodded his thanks. When they reached the cleft between the cliffs, a small girl, no more than four or five years old, ran up to him. She clutched a filthy cloth doll to her chest then thrust it towards Josh. “Comfy wants you to be her daddy.”

“Comfy?”

The little girl’s lower lip trembled. It was obvious the doll meant the world to the child. “It’s short for Comfort.”
 

Josh squatted down until he was eye-level with her. “And what’s your name, sweetheart?”

“Generosity, but ever-body calls me Gen.”

Josh took the doll and held it next to his ear. “What’s that, Comfy?” He nodded. “I see. Yes, I agree. That’s a very good idea.” He kissed the doll’s tangled yarn hair then handed it back to Gen. “She wants to visit me whenever I’m in camp, but she’s not ready to leave her mommy. She still needs you. Can you take care of her for me while I’m gone?”

Gen snatched the doll out of Josh’s hands then threw her arms around his neck. “We’ll be right here, waitin’ and watchin’ for ya.”

A young woman, not more than eighteen years old, tugged Gen out of his arms. “Sorry for the bother. She’s been talking’ bout you nonstop ever since your speech at dinner yesterday, but I never suspected she’d have the gumption to run right up and start a conversation. She’s been real shy around strangers ever since her daddy passed.”

“It’s no bother.” He hoped the young woman was Gen’s sister or aunt. If she were the kid’s mother, she would’ve had to have gotten pregnant when she was barely more than a kid herself. Josh swallowed around the lump in his throat as he thought about Channie. She was only sixteen—too young to be a mother. He needed to let her know she had other options, but he already loved their unborn baby. He couldn’t bear the thought of terminating the pregnancy. Josh ran a hand over the back of Gen’s head, smoothing her tangled hair. “Take good care of Comfy for me, and come see me when I get back.”

Gen popped a thumb in her mouth and nodded.

Hunter cleared his throat. “We need to git gone.”

Josh nodded then ducked his head to hide the smile tugging on the corners of his mouth when he noticed Hunter’s glistening eyes.

Whistler’s Gulch was a long hike in the wrong direction, but it was worth it to go get Hunter’s motorcycle. “Why didn’t you just drive it to the shack?”

“The road’s too rough. I didn’t want to risk messing up my bike.”

When they stepped out of the forest and onto the blacktop road leading into Whistler’s Gulch, Hunter stopped and turned to face Josh. “Sheriff Black’s an empty, but he’s slimier than a water moccasin in a stagnant pond and more dangerous than a tracker. Let me do all the talking.”

“Whatever.” All Josh cared about was getting on the bike and off his feet. His Air Force Ones might look super cool but they weren’t designed for long-distance hiking. The skin over both his Achilles tendons was rubbed raw.
I wish it didn’t hurt so much.
The pain diminished. Josh felt like smacking himself for not thinking of it sooner. He pictured his feet, without any blisters or raw patches, and sent a burst of magic down his legs. The pain disappeared.

Sheriff Black answered the door wearing nothing but a pair of dingy briefs and a holstered gun. “I didn’t expect to ever see you again, boy.”

“I’m here to get my motorcycle.”
 

Sheriff Black scratched his crotch. “Guarding that bike of yours was a lot more trouble than I expected.”

“The three hundred dollars I gave you was for a month’s rent. I was barely gone a week.”
 

“I had to chase off all sorts of unsavory characters. If I’d a known you had a price on your head, I never would have agreed to it at all.”

“What are you talking about?”

“There was two fellas just yesterday that offered me a hundred dollars just for telling ‘em how long you been gone and which direction you was headed.”

Josh’s heart skipped a beat.
Trackers.
“What did you tell them?”

Sheriff Black jerked his head towards Josh, seemingly surprised to find him standing on his porch, even though he’d been there the whole time. He narrowed his eyes. “Who the hell are you?”

Josh glared at the man as power stirred in his gut.
You don’t want to mess with me. I’m dangerous.
 

Hunter’s eyes darted nervously between Josh and the sheriff. “Just unlock the garage and give us the bike. We don’t want no trouble.”

Sheriff Black snatched a set of keys off a small table and tossed them to Hunter then slammed the door in their faces.
 

Hunter cussed under his breath as he stomped off towards the garage. “I thought I told you to let me do the talking.”

“You were taking too long.”

“Thanks to you pissing him off, he’s probably calling some tracker right now to tell ‘em we’re here.”

“I’m willing to bet he made the call before he opened the door. We need to get out of here.”

The key ring had at least two dozen keys on it. Hunter’s hands shook as he tried key after key.
 

“Stand back.” Josh pulled his sapphire out from under his shirt and pointed it at the t-shaped handle of the garage door. The metal glowed white-hot then slid to the ground in a molten puddle—just as he’d envisioned it. Cool.

“Whoa.” Hunter’s eyes widened as a grin spread across his face. “You ain’t supposed to be able to do that.”

Josh palmed the door and pushed up, lifting it a few inches. “Give me a hand.”

Hunter squatted down and slid his fingers under the door then raised it with a groan. His eyes lit up as a slanted ray of sunlight spotlighted the bike. He ran his hands over the leather seat and bright green frame.
 

Josh was glad to see the key in the ignition. Melting a lock was one thing, hot wiring a motorcycle would require a little more finesse. “Quit making out with your bike and let’s get out of here!”

Hunter rocked it off the kickstand and rolled it outside before straddling the beast and firing it up. He pointed at a green helmet, still in the garage. “I only got one lid. I’d let you wear it, but I need the visor to keep bugs from blinding me.”

“We’ll worry about getting me a helmet once we’re sure we don’t have any trackers on our ass.” Josh swung his right leg over the bike and settled in behind Hunter.
 

“Hang on.”

Josh changed his mind about the helmet situation when Hunter goosed the throttle, lifting the front wheel off the ground. But there was no way to communicate over the roar of the bike.
 

When Josh saw the exit sign for Thayer, Missouri on Highway 142, he tapped on the back of Hunter’s helmet and pointed at the sign.
 

Hunter nodded and pulled off the highway, but left the bike running. “What’s wrong?”

“This looks like a decent sized town. Find a motorcycle dealership. I want to buy a helmet.”

Hunter dropped Josh off then went off on his own to fill up the bike and grab a couple of Big Macs.
 

Josh picked out a full-face, Arai Signet-Q since its fit was closest to what he was used to wearing for BMX racing. The Arai was heavier, but all things considered, that was a good thing. He also purchased a rider/passenger intercom system so he and Hunter could talk to each other. Josh paid cash for everything then went outside and sat on the curb to install his half of the intercom inside his helmet and wait for Hunter.