"I'll get the plants we need," Tama said. "We didn't stop for anything, we hurried to check on you." He left the house abruptly.
"I appreciate that," Rio answered. He sank into the chair beside Rachael, casually shifting her, careful of her leg beneath the blanket, settling her partially onto his thigh, arranging her leg and the blanket to his satisfaction. He waved at the others to find seats.
"What is it?" Drake asked as he rummaged through the medical bag. "What does a million dollars explain?"
"I had a visitor last night. One of ours, one I didn't recognize. A traitor, Drake. I couldn't imagine what would induce one of ours to turn traitor, but a million dollars can go to a man's head."
Rachael stayed very quiet, aware the information being passed back and forth was important to her. She hoped they forgot about her presence and would speak more openly.
"How could he have been one of ours if you didn't recognize his scent, Rio?" Drake didn't look up from where he was washing Kim's wounds.
Rachael couldn't bear to look at Kim's swollen, bruised face. He was stoic as Drake cleansed the lacerations, but as he shrugged out of his torn shirt, she saw him wince. He turned slightly and she gasped. "What did they do to you?'
Rio slipped his arm around her. "Those marks are made from caning. The bandits are known for using a cane on their victims. Tomas is notorious for it. I don't think we've brought out a single kidnap victim without evidence and tales of caning."
Rachael turned her face into Rio's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Kim, I didn't want anyone hurt. I thought if I slipped into the river, they'd think I drowned."
"They would have found another reason to cane him," Rio said, his fingers massaging the nape of her neck. "Tomas is sick. He enjoys other people's pain."
"What he says is the truth, Miss Wilson," Kim agreed.
"Rachael. Call me Rachael, please."
"She has trouble with her last name," Rio offered.
Rachael glared at him. "You're just so funny. You should be a stand-up comedian."
"I didn't even know Rio had a sense of humor," Drake said, tossing a boyish grin over his shoulder at Rio.
"I don't," Rio answered ominously.
Tama hurried in, carrying several plants and roots. "These will heal you fast, Kim, and perhaps the cat too."
"Did you send word to your father that you found Kim alive?" Rio asked.
"Right away. The wind carried the news. He will see the vision in his dreams and know Kim is well," Tama answered, busily tearing strips off one of the plants and throwing shredded green stems into a pot.
Rachael frowned as Rio nodded. "Is he saying Kim's father will dream he's alive and know it's true?"
"Their father is powerful medicine man. The real thing. I believe he knows more about the plants in the forest, poisons, and visions than any man alive. If they sent him the news, he'll pick it up in a vision, or dream, if you prefer to call it that," Rio explained.
Rio didn't sound as if he were teasing her, but she found the idea of sending news via visions a bit difficult to believe. "You don't really think they can do that, do you?"
"I know they can do it. I've seen it done. I'm not good at sending visions, but I've been on the receiving end. It's better than the mail here in the forest," Rio said.
Drake nodded in agreement. "Visions are dicey things, Rachael. You have to be adept at interpreting them."
"Rachael?" Rio arched his eyebrow at Drake in warning.
"She asked to be called Rachael," Drake pointed out, looking innocent. "I was being polite."
A strange odor rose from the pot where Tama pressed leaves, petals, stems and roots from various plants into a thick paste. It wasn't unpleasant, but smelled of mint and flowers, orange and spice. Fascinated, Rachael watched carefully, ignoring the exchange between the men. "What is that?"
Tama smiled at her. "This will prevent infection." He tilted the pot so she could see the brownish-green paste.
"Will it work on Fritz?" Rachael asked. "His wounds are draining and Rio's been worried about him."
"The leopard attacked him, nearly killed him," Rio supplied. "He knew enough about me to know I'd choose to save Fritz and try to track him later."
"So he's familiar with the way you hunt." Drake sounded worried. "Not too many people know the clouded leopards go along with you when we're pulling a victim out of the bandits' camps."
Kim looked up from where his brother was applying a thick poultice to the worst of the lacerations on his chest. "Only your unit and a couple of my people, Rio."
"No one in our unit would betray Rio," Drake said. "We've been doing this together for years. We all depend on one another. I know if I'm wounded Rio's going to pull my butt out of there. And if I'm captured, no one's going to rest until they get me free. That's the way it is, Kim."
"And we do not sell out our friends for any amount of money," Kim said quietly, with great dignity.
"No, your people would never consider money over friendship, Kim," Rio agreed. "I don't know where this traitor came from, or how he knows of me, but he is definitely one of ours, not one of yours."
"He is of the forest then," Tama said.
Drake scowled when Rio nodded. "It would be unlikely that you wouldn't recognize the scent."
"The stench is still on Fritz," Rio challenged, "see if you can tell me who it was."
"Send Franz out," Drake said. "He looks hungry."
"Be careful," Rachael warned, "he attacked me. Viciously, I might add."
Drake's scowl deepened. "He attacked you?"
Rachael nodded. "And he bit me, so just be careful around him. He has teeth like a saber-toothed tiger."
"It wasn't Franz," Rio pointed out, "it was Fritz that actually bit you."
"Does it matter?" Drake burst out. "The animal really attacked you? You're lucky to be alive."
"I want Tama to take a look at her leg after he finishes with Kim," Rio said. He peered at Rachael's face closely. "You're breaking out in a sweat. Are you getting too tired, because I'll put you back in bed. She hasn't been up at all yet and I don't want her to overdo."
"Let me see," Tama said, looking up from where he was smearing paste over his brother's bare back.
It was Rio who pulled the blanket away from Rachael's leg, revealing the swollen mass of punctures and lacerations. The two puncture wounds drained continually and it wasn't a pretty sight. Rachael was embarrassed.
Drake winced visibly. "My God, Rio, that must hurt like hell. Does she have an infection? We have to take her to a hospital."
Rachael shook her head, shrinking back into the protection of Rio's larger body. "No, I told you, Rio, I can't go to a hospital."
Kim and Tama examined her leg carefully. "She's right, Rio. If you take her to a hospital, even under a false name, one of Tomas's spies will hear of it and let him know. Some are paid, some fear him, some just want the association, but they will give her up to him. You cannot protect her in that environment."
"I don't want anyone to risk their life by trying to protect me," Rachael protested. "My leg is healing fine. I'm way better than I was a few days ago, ask Rio. As soon as I can travel, I'll be on my way. I won't have anyone risking their life for me."
Rio reached across her to lace his fingers through hers. "Rachael, no one is going to turn you over to Tomas, and you're not just going to walk into the forest alone. It doesn't work that way."
Rachael wanted to argue with him that it was exactly that way, but she wouldn't do it in front of the others. For all his relaxed appearance, Rachael felt the tension coiled tightly in Rio. She knew him, inside and out. He was a stranger, yet all too familiar. He was uncomfortable in such close proximity to the others, although she could tell he felt a camaraderie for them. Without conscious thought she moved closer to him, shifting her weight until she was nestled beneath his shoulder, fitting into his frame as if she were born there. It was a movement of protection and he felt it.
Rio looked down at the top of her curly head. So much hair. Thick and black like a raven's wing. Curls rioting in all directions. His fingers slipped into the thick mass, rubbed and caressed the curls, watched as they coiled around his thumb. The gesture was completely familiar, was something he did automatically for comfort, for a connection between them. He would never get used to being around people, not even those he called friends, but Rachael was different, was a part of him. Belonged with him.