Force of the Falcon

Katie’s father had never held her like that.

Fresh tears filled her eyes as Katie snuggled into her.

“Mommy, I was s-so scared,” Katie whispered. “I…thought you was gonna leabe me.” Her voice caught, and she buried her head into Sonya’s neck.

Pain shot through Sonya’s battered arm as she slid it below Katie’s back to hug her. “No, baby, Mommy would never, ever leave you.” She brushed Katie’s shoulder-length hair from her damp cheek, then rubbed small circles on Katie’s back to soothe her. “Do you hear me, sweetie? Mommy will always be here for you.”

But fatigue and blood loss had drained all the life from her, and she felt herself slipping back into the darkness again.

“Is there anyone I can call?” Brack asked, drawing her back to reality as if he, too, thought she might be fading off for good. “Your husband? Katie’s father?”

Sonya shook her head. “No, no husband…. No one.”

Worry flickered in the man’s black eyes. He was so serious, somber…maybe she wasn’t going to make it.

“Call Miss Margaret,” she choked out. “She babysits Katie while I work.”

He cuddled the blanket around Katie, wrapping them up together. “This Miss Margaret—how do I reach her?”

“The paramedics…friends of mine.” Her voice broke off, weak. “They’ll know.”

“No, Mommy.” Katie tugged at her face. “Don’t leabe me!”

“Not leaving…” Sonya whispered. “Just have to sleep.”

Katie tightened her arms around Sonya’s neck and squeezed so hard Sonya coughed for air, but she cradled her daughter tighter, unable to release her for fear she would slip away forever.

Then Katie would be all alone with no one to love her.

THE MINUTES DRAGGED by while Brack waited on the ambulance.

He didn’t like the fact that the woman had drifted into unconsciousness. No telling how much blood she had lost. What if the attack had damaged internal organs?

Twenty minutes passed. Still no ambulance.

He had to check her wounds. He coaxed her to roll over to her side, and he carefully cut away the remainder of her flannel gown, leaving the blanket secure around her legs. Then he leaned close to study her wounds. Sharp claw marks remained where something had ripped away the flesh on her hands and back. Dirt, dead skin, leaves, and mangled tissue were matted together in an ugly maze. The wounds were deep, but not to the bone, so hopefully her internal organs weren’t injured. But she needed stitches, antibiotics and pain-killers. And the area had to be cleaned.

He rushed to the bathroom, grabbed the first aid kit he kept on hand, then cleaned the worst of the dirt and debris from her back. She moaned and he winced, hating to hurt her but knowing it had to be done.

In all the years he and his brothers had been rescuing birds of prey, he had seen vicious attacks by animals. But he’d never seen anything so awful as the tender skin on the beautiful woman—desecrated, clawed at as if her attacker wanted to literally taste her blood.

If a bird had done this, it was supersized. Maybe injured. Or what if it was diseased? Was it possible that his beloved creatures had contracted some kind of strange illness that caused them to attack humans?

Finally, a siren squealed outside, and the paramedics punched the gargoyle doorbell, causing a resounding lion’s roar to moan throughout the house. Katie jerked her head up, startled.

He forced a small smile. “I’ve got a crazy doorbell, don’t I?”

She nodded, a tiny smile lifting the corner of her mouth as if they shared a secret. Then she dropped her head back down against her mother’s.

He hurried to let the rescue workers in and quickly explained what had happened. The woman’s name was Sonya Silverstein. Apparently she worked with them as a paramedic. She and Katie had just moved into the old farmhouse just a mile away from Falcon Ridge. He could see the rambling wooden structure from the top of the ridge.

Katie climbed into his lap while the paramedics checked Sonya’s vitals and started an IV, placed a temporary dressing on her wounds, moved her to a gurney and transported her to the ambulance.

“Check the little girl, too,” Brack said. Although she appeared to be okay, he didn’t know how long she’d been out in the snow or how weak her health was. “And Sonya said to call Miss Margaret.”

A big barrel-chested guy who introduced himself as Van Richards nodded, then reached for Katie. “We’ll call her on the way. Come on, peewee, you can ride in the truck with your mama.”

“But whats about Snowball?” Katie asked.

“Snowball will be happier staying at my house where it’s warm tonight,” Brack said in a low voice. “We can take him back to your house in the morning.”

She scrunched her mouth in thought, but seemed to accept his offer.

Van nudged her arm. “We need to go, Katie.”

Katie glanced up at Brack with those mesmerizing eyes, eyes full of terror. “Will you comes with us, Mister?”

“Brack,” he said softly.

Van shot him a skeptical look that bordered on distrust, as if he suspected that Brack might have attacked Sonya. “There’s not room.”

Katie wrinkled up her nose. “I can squish over.”

Brack silently cursed. All his life, he and his brothers had endured those condemning looks. They’d been dubbed murderer’s sons. And then there was their strange affinity for the wild.

It was the very reason he hated this town. He still wasn’t sure he’d stay.

To hell with these guys. He didn’t have to prove himself to them or anyone else in this godforsaken place. He’d done all he could tonight. He’d saved the woman and kid. Now he could walk away.

Katie tugged at his hand, her chin quivering. “Pwease, Mr. Bwack,” Katie pleaded.

Really, how could he refuse the poor little girl? He wanted to know more about the creature that had attacked the woman, anyway.

The younger guy, Joey Bates, climbed in the driver’s seat while Van settled Katie into the back.

“I’ll drive my SUV to the hospital and meet you there, sweetie, okay?”

She nodded, then pasted on a brave smile and huddled into the blanket beside her mother. Sonya was breathing steadily, but anxiety still tugged at Brack. He waved to Katie as the door shut behind them, then crawled into his Land Rover and cranked the engine. The wind beat at the windows, fresh snow swirling in a fog. More questions hammered through his head as he maneuvered the vehicle down the mountain toward town.

Didn’t Sonya have any family to call? Where was her husband?

If he was alive, if they were divorced, did he ever see Katie?

If so, why wouldn’t she have wanted him to call the man now? She’d need help with Katie while she healed.

They’re not your problem, he silently reminded himself. Don’t get involved.

But he had to find out exactly what had attacked Sonya. Was it one of his birds of prey or was it another kind of creature—a human one who not only killed animals but now had attacked an innocent woman?