Marked For Revenge. Valerie Hansen

aisle of painkillers and other over-the-counter remedies offered no bandages other than little sticky strips that would barely do for a skinned knee. Daniel needed more. Better. And there was only one sure way to get proper treatment. She just wasn’t sure how she was going to manage that without an attending physician reporting his gunshot wound again. That was the law. He, of all people, would balk at breaking it.

      That notion didn’t sit well on her conscience, either. In the old days she might have scoffed but no more. Turning her life around had meant a renewed dedication to God as well as the vow to become a stand-up good citizen.

      Kaitlin glanced out the front window at her parked truck, her burden weighty. That man was counting on her. She owed him. Plus, she prayed every day for the Lord to show her how to help others, how to fulfill her destiny with honor and grace. Given that heartfelt desire and corresponding prayer, how could she turn her back on anybody in need? She couldn’t. She wouldn’t.

      The problem wasn’t whether or not to help Daniel, it was how to best go about it while keeping right and wrong separate. For instance, it was wrong to tell a lie, yet if the truth meant her patient might die, what then? The Bible held lots of examples of lies ruining people’s lives but it also spoke of thwarting enemies. That was how she must view this escapade, she reasoned. It was a case of good versus evil and she was on the right side. She had to be. There was no way she’d ever believe that the kindhearted cop who had once granted her a second chance would now deserve the punishment of death.

      Paying for her purchases and adding a bag of ice for the flimsy cooler, Kaitlin lugged it all back to the truck and set it down by the passenger door. “How’re you doing?”

      “I’ll live.”

      “That’s the idea.” She handed him the sports drink. “Start with this. I have water, too, but you look like you need more.”

      “I need a cave to hibernate in.” He shivered. “And maybe a blanket.”

      “The last one I gave you, you threw away,” she quipped, hoping to lift his spirits.

      His “You made me do it” was emphasized by a mock scowl.

      “I did, didn’t I? They don’t have everything on my shopping list at this place. I figured to make one or two more stops.”

      “Before?”

      She sighed, then confessed, “Before I take you to an urgent care clinic for a prescription. You need antibiotics. Badly.”

      “I can’t show up at one of those.” Pausing to chug some of the drink, Daniel eased back against the seat, making Kaitlin wonder if he was about to pass out again.

      “We’ll figure something out,” she said. “Trust me.”

      Judging by the way his dark eyebrows lifted he found her suggestion of trust impossible. Nevertheless, he also seemed to realize he had no choice. He might not have the background in medicine that she did but the man was no fool. He knew he was sick and his fever was spiking. He also knew it was necessary to let her take the lead until he felt better. That would do. She didn’t care whether he agreed with her decisions or not. As long as he followed orders that would bring healing she’d be satisfied.

      Kaitlin got herself a bottle of water, stowed the ice chest in the bed of the truck and weighted down the lightweight lid before sliding behind the wheel and passing him a small pill bottle. “This is all they had that won’t make you bleed more. You can take more than the suggested dose as long as you don’t go over four thousand milligrams a day. I’d start with four tablets if I were you.”

      He washed them down with the remainder of the sports drink. “Thanks. I owe you one.”

      Despite the dire situation Kaitlin laughed. “Oh, you owe me a lot more than one, mister. And we’re just getting started.”

      Laying his head back with a guttural moan he closed his eyes. “No doctors. Please. I can’t chance being put into a computer system that may connect us to the hospital.”

      “Then what would you suggest? A veterinarian?”

      “Only if you know one personally,” Daniel said as she pulled out of the gas station heading north.

      “Nope. But I did go to school with a nurse practitioner who ended up working in Springfield. I’m hoping she’ll agree to see you without reporting a shooting.”

      “Fat chance.”

      “Yeah, I know. I’m going to ask, anyway. If she’ll treat you and hold off notification of the authorities we’ll be okay. All we really need is a good head start.”

      “And wings. And maybe a gun for me,” he countered.

      “The wings I can’t manage but the gun is a possibility. It can’t be a handgun like you had at your hideout because there’ll be a waiting period. How about a rifle or shotgun?”

      Daniel was scowling when he opened his eyes and turned to stare at her. “Are you serious?”

      “Always,” she teased, knowing he’d get the subtle joke.

      His “Right” was an exaggerated Southern drawl followed by a smirk that she found amusing enough to relieve some of the tension between them.

      “Hey, I’m figuring this out as we go along, okay? So far I haven’t done that badly.”

      To Kaitlin’s surprise he reached across and touched the back of her hand. Electricity shot up her arm straight to her heart. Any emotional connection she’d sensed in the past had now been proven. She was supposed to be there. Supposed to be helping him. It was as if she were on a divine mission and no way was she going to back down, no matter what.

      If, as she believed, God had put the two of them together for the second time, she was duty bound to continue, to do whatever she could, to go wherever their path took them, until Daniel was safe and healed.

      Those mental and emotional assurances buoyed her courage and renewed her strength. One way or another, her heavenly Father was going to bring them through this valley of looming danger and show them the mountaintop on the other side.

      The analogy was straight out of Christian music, Kaitlin knew. It didn’t matter to her. She was more than willing to make use of anything that would carry her along, would give her the extra courage she needed.

      “Now I really am worried,” her wounded companion said as they halted for a red light.

      “Why?”

      “Because you’re smiling,” he said cynically. “You’re scary enough when you’re driving like there’s a T. rex on our tail. Looking pleased about it is terrifying.”

      “I was never afraid to look under my bed or in the closet,” Kaitlin said. “I don’t believe in monsters.”

      “Well, you’d better start believing in human ones.” Daniel was rubbing his knee below the bandages. “I’ve met some.”

      “Yeah. So have I.” Although her smile faded, she managed to keep from frowning. “We’ll make it through this,” she assured him. “I know we will.”

      When he didn’t answer she noticed he was staring into the outside mirror. “What? Do you see something?”

      “Not sure,” Daniel said.

      Kaitlin could tell by the set of his jaw that he was uptight again. She saw the chance to make a quick right turn as the light changed and took it. To her relief, the vehicle Daniel had been watching didn’t follow. None of them did.

      Seeing him start to relax helped raise her mood. “Better?”

      “Yeah. For now.”

      “Then close your eyes and try to get some rest. I’ll stick to back roads as much as possible and work my way toward the clinic. It’s not too far from that famous sporting goods store.”

      “Springfield