Prometheus and the Dragon (Atlas and the Winds Book 2) (55 page)

“Hello?” a voice called the moment he was clear of the tent. “Are you ok?”

Joe froze for several seconds. Edging behind the bulk of Max and hoping the horse was going to stay put, he thought about the last time they’d run into anyone alive and realized it might be likely he was going to be looking for better cover.

“It’s ok,” another voice said, this time female. “You’re safe. We’re not here to hurt you. We just saw you out here and wanted to see if you need any help?” The lights had quit moving. They had stopped walking.

“We’ve heard that one before,” Joe hollered back.

“I’m a doctor,” the woman said. One of the lights started forward again. Slowly. “I want to come up and see if I can help. You all look pretty road worn.”

“We’re alright,” he said, trying to sound more convincing than he felt.

“Sure, if you say so,” she said. “I am walking up alone ok? I really am a doctor and I’m unarmed.” The woman’s voice sounded like she was trying to dispense Valium with her tone. She kept walking toward him, and he could see her shape against the light on the snow. She was careful not to shine it at him, but he pulled the rifle off his shoulder and laid it across the back of the horse, not quite pointing at her.

At twenty feet she stopped and held the beam so that it shined into her own face, then she swept it down her body so he could see she was unarmed. She had to be freezing to death since she was only wearing a thin one-piece coverall and a hood, but she didn’t seem to notice the snow or the biting wind.

“Here’s the deal,” she said, standing still and lowering the flashlight so it pointed down again. “We are not going to hurt you. Honestly it’s been a long time since we’ve seen anybody alive out here and we’d like to offer you a meal, and a few days rest, if you are interested.”

“Been a while for us too,” Joe said starting to wonder why Max was not freaking out. He’d always been high strung, but since the world went to hell, the horse had never let anyone within a hundred feet without going ape shit. “So what do you want in exchange?”

“Information,” she said, walking toward him again.

He snagged the rifle off the horse and stepped around its haunches, giving it space enough for a tantrum if it ever woke up.
Wonder if he froze to death out here
, he thought glancing at the animal as he leveled the rifle from his hip.

“Easy,” she said, stopping and holding her hands out in front of her. “Your wife’s in bad shape and I’m really here to help her.”

“How’d you know that?” he asked, glancing at the tent in spite of not wanting to look away from the woman.

She reached up and tapped the side of her hood, and a set of odd-looking goggles dropped down over her eyes. “Medical Infrared, and Remote ChromoScope,” she said. “Diagnostic glasses. I really am a doctor.”

“She needs food,” he admitted looking at the horse and then back at the woman.

She needs more than that,” she said, stepping up to him and gently pushing the rifle barrel down. “She’s loosing body heat too fast. She’s dying. While we’ve been talking she’s lost three degrees, and if we don’t get her into a thermal tank she won’t make it.”

“You’ve got one of those? Out here?” he said, emotion and fear mingling enough to choke his breath.

“Yeah,” she said, stepping past him toward the tent flap. “Do you have any clue where you are?”

“Arizona ... maybe?” he said, following her inside.

“Better than that,” she said, ducking into the tent and snapping the flashlight on. “Welcome to Stormhaven.”