Mojave Mud Caves by Essig Robert

Author:Essig, Robert
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-08-12T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

Sammy’s body had become completely slackened and unresponsive from the wasp sting. Gretch tended to him as best she could, first as a sheriff, and then more as a nurturer, as was her nature. Seeing the young man in distress reminded Gretch of her own son, Brandon, though he was only twelve years old. He would be Sammy’s age in no time, and probably venturing with his friends to lakes and caves and deserts and canyons for innocent fun. At least Gretch liked to think her son would lead a good life and enjoy innocent pleasures, but she was no fool, and she had seen enough young people and their proclivities to know that they pretty much all did something that would make their parents cringe. Some were worse than others, that’s all. She herself had done some stupid things when she was young, bullet proof, and ten feet tall.

Gretch felt for Sammy. She didn’t know him from Judas, but he had done nothing on the drive out to rouse suspicion, and now, watching his eyes open and glassy and terrified, his body unable to move, she wanted to do whatever she could to help.

“Sammy, can you hear me?”

He just stared ahead, unblinking, unmoving, but Gretch could see something in those eyes. Recognition?

“Do you understand what I’m saying? Can you blink your eyes?”

Nothing. And yet . . .

Yes, he could hear, she could see recognition, fear in those eyes.

“You can understand me, I’m sure of it. I want you to know that I will do everything in my power to get us out of this, okay?” She nodded, maybe to give herself a sense of recognition.

One of Sammy’s legs was twisted beneath the other in what had to be an uncomfortable position, but, with no way to maneuver himself or speak of his discomfort, there was no way to tell if he was in pain. Gretch grabbed his leg. It was like grabbing a huge salami. She pulled the leg from beneath its counterpart, maneuvering him into what looked like a more comfortable position. Gretch wanted to believe that she could see in his eyes that he was relieved, but really it was hard to tell. Those eyes were frightened, catatonic even.

“There, that’s better,” she said.

Outside of the cave the sounds of wasps had diminished in a rising desert wind. The space within the rocks was cramped, but Gretch was afraid that mere bullets weren’t enough to protect her from the things she had seen out there. She had gotten into law enforcement to be on the right side of the law. She figured that if she was the one with the gun and the badge, she would develop a level of confidence that she lacked as a pedestrian, and she had been right about that. After training she felt empowered. Now, with giant human-like wasps in the air, the badge didn’t mean shit, and the gun wasn’t going to keep a nest of those things at bay.

From her utility belt Gretch drew a small fold-up binoculars.

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