as the smoke-charred sky. She paused suddenly, unable to go any farther.
'Oh, no, oh, God. Uncle Joe,' she whispered, reaching out a hand.
She did not take another step. Even as she reached out, she was falling.
Her lashes fluttered over her beautiful eyes, and she began to sink
toward the ground. Instinctively, Jamie rushed forward. He caught her as
she fell, sweeping her into his arms. She was as cold as death itself,
and remained every bit as pale as he stared down at her.
There was silence all around him. His men looked on. 'Charlie, yes!
For God's sake, yes! Get a damned burial detail going, and get it going
quickly!' The men turned around, hustling into action.
And Jamie stared at the girl, wondering just what in hell he was going
to do with her. He needed to set her down, to let her lie somewhere. She
was a slight burden, weighing practically nothing, or so it seemed.
Yet she was a burden. A definite burden.
He hurried toward her wagon, maneuvered up to the floor of it and laid
her on the bed. He meant to turn around and leave her and call for the
company surgeon, but for some reason he paused and found himself
smoothing out her sun and-honey hair and brushing her cheek with his
knuckles. He felt a sensation down his back and looked up quickly.
Jon Red Feather was just below him, looking into the wagon.
'She's still out cold.'
I'll call Captain Peters. He doesn't have much hope, but he's still
checking to see if there is any breath remaining in any of the bodies.'
'Maybe she's better off being out for a while anyway,' Jamie said
softly.
'Yeah, maybe.' Jon hesitated.
'What are we going to do with her?'
'Take her back to the fort. Then someone can escort her on home.'
Jon nodded. He smiled suddenly.
'Someone, fight?'
'Yeah, that's fight. Someone.'
'She's your responsibility,' Jon said.
'Your burden-- she fell into your arms.'
'What? She's a burden I've just set down, Jon.' Jon shook his head.
'I don't think so. I don't think so at all. I think that you've taken
something upon yourself, Jamie, and I don't think that you can ever
really let it go.'
Jamie arched a brow.
'Yeah? Well, I don't believe you, Jon, and I don't believe her. This yon
Heusen may be a carpetbagging monster, but I don't believe he can be
guilty of this.'
'You're just going to have to find out, aren't you?'
'That's not my job, Jon.'
'That's not going to matter, is it?
'Cause you see, if the girl is right, then she's in danger. You're going
to have out the truth--or you'll be signing her death warrant.'
'That's ridiculous, Jon.'
'No, it's not. You really can't let her go.'
'The hell I can't.'
