British special forces man doing in the backwaters of Arizona tracking a pair of runaway teenagers?'
Josh could feel his own anger starting to build. The chisel was getting worse, slamming into the side of his skull, and his neck wound was playing up, sending tiny jabs of pain running down from his neck into his spine. 'I don't bloody know, do I?' shouted Josh. 'I've lost my fucking memory.'
'What are you, boy?' snapped Marshall. 'What the hell are you?'
Kate stood up. 'Easy, Dad -- he's not well.'
Josh held his hand against his brow. 'I can't handle this any more,' he said. 'I'm going into that police station tonight to find out who I am, and what the hell I've done.'
'You're not going, man!' shouted Marshall.
Josh stood up straight. 'Nobody gives me orders,' he snapped. He brushed past Marshall, heading towards the door,
'You're going to walk the whole way,' shouted Marshall. 'It's ten miles.'
Josh and Kate had been watching crap TV for hours.
Marshall had gone to bed. Josh looked at Kate. 'I need a
smoke,' he said. 'You got any cigarettes?'
Kate shook her head. 'I'm a doctor, remember?'
Josh stood up. 'I'm bloody gagging for one now. Maybe
I could borrow the car and drive into town to get some.
There should be a gas station open, even at this time of
night.'
Kate turned to look at him. 'You've been okay without
them until now.'
82
'Well, now I need one.'
'Good time to give up,' said Kate. 'If you made it through three days, you're over the worst. Take some advice. Quit.'
Josh grinned. He reached down into his pocket. The car keys he'd picked up from the table earlier were right there. Doesn't matter what she says, he told himself. I need to get into town.
'I'm going,' he said.
Turning around, Josh walked swiftly from the kitchen and out into the back yard. The night was quiet and still. He walked across to where the Avalanche pick-up truck was parked, pressed the key button, and watched the doors unlock. He sat himself down in the driver's seat, glancing around for the ignition, and checking out where the other controls were. He fired up the engine. Suddenly, the door burst open. Kate was staring at him, her eyes burning with anger. 'Where the hell are you going?'
'I told you, I need a smoke.'
'Then I'm coming with you.'
Kate sat down* in the Avalanche's passenger seat, slamming the door behind her. Josh pulled the car out onto the road, heading in the direction of the small town. 'Just on your way in,' said Kate coldly, 'there's a Texaco gas station. You'll get some cigarettes there. Since you seem to need them so badly.'
Christ, thought Josh. With this woman on my case, I really will need to start smoking.
They both remained silent for the twenty minutes that it took to drive into town. When he saw the Texaco sign, Josh pulled up. 'I'll be just two minutes,' he said.
'Don't be any longer,' said Kate. 'And you can't smoke in the car. Marshall doesn't like it.'
Josh walked towards the counter. He had no intention of buying any cigarettes. So far as he knew he didn't smoke, and he certainly didn't plan to start now. It was just an
83
excuse to get away from Kate. He stopped at the counter, picked up two packets of gum, and looked up at the boy behind the desk. 'Where's the gents'?' he said as he handed over a dollar bill.
The boy nodded towards a back door. Josh walked up to it and went through. There was one door that led to the toilets, and another that led outside. He stepped quickly through it. The gas station backed onto some scrubland, leading down to the town. Despite the aching in his leg, Josh started running into the darkness.
By the time Kate realised he'd slipped out of sight, it would be too late.
The rocks provided some cover. Josh hobbled between the boulders, leaning against one, then another to support himself as he moved forward. Keep going, he told himself.
High above him, the moon was casting a silvery light down on the plain. The town of Boisdale had a population often
Josh could feel his own anger starting to build. The chisel was getting worse, slamming into the side of his skull, and his neck wound was playing up, sending tiny jabs of pain running down from his neck into his spine. 'I don't bloody know, do I?' shouted Josh. 'I've lost my fucking memory.'
'What are you, boy?' snapped Marshall. 'What the hell are you?'
Kate stood up. 'Easy, Dad -- he's not well.'
Josh held his hand against his brow. 'I can't handle this any more,' he said. 'I'm going into that police station tonight to find out who I am, and what the hell I've done.'
'You're not going, man!' shouted Marshall.
Josh stood up straight. 'Nobody gives me orders,' he snapped. He brushed past Marshall, heading towards the door,
'You're going to walk the whole way,' shouted Marshall. 'It's ten miles.'
Josh and Kate had been watching crap TV for hours.
Marshall had gone to bed. Josh looked at Kate. 'I need a
smoke,' he said. 'You got any cigarettes?'
Kate shook her head. 'I'm a doctor, remember?'
Josh stood up. 'I'm bloody gagging for one now. Maybe
I could borrow the car and drive into town to get some.
There should be a gas station open, even at this time of
night.'
Kate turned to look at him. 'You've been okay without
them until now.'
82
'Well, now I need one.'
'Good time to give up,' said Kate. 'If you made it through three days, you're over the worst. Take some advice. Quit.'
Josh grinned. He reached down into his pocket. The car keys he'd picked up from the table earlier were right there. Doesn't matter what she says, he told himself. I need to get into town.
'I'm going,' he said.
Turning around, Josh walked swiftly from the kitchen and out into the back yard. The night was quiet and still. He walked across to where the Avalanche pick-up truck was parked, pressed the key button, and watched the doors unlock. He sat himself down in the driver's seat, glancing around for the ignition, and checking out where the other controls were. He fired up the engine. Suddenly, the door burst open. Kate was staring at him, her eyes burning with anger. 'Where the hell are you going?'
'I told you, I need a smoke.'
'Then I'm coming with you.'
Kate sat down* in the Avalanche's passenger seat, slamming the door behind her. Josh pulled the car out onto the road, heading in the direction of the small town. 'Just on your way in,' said Kate coldly, 'there's a Texaco gas station. You'll get some cigarettes there. Since you seem to need them so badly.'
Christ, thought Josh. With this woman on my case, I really will need to start smoking.
They both remained silent for the twenty minutes that it took to drive into town. When he saw the Texaco sign, Josh pulled up. 'I'll be just two minutes,' he said.
'Don't be any longer,' said Kate. 'And you can't smoke in the car. Marshall doesn't like it.'
Josh walked towards the counter. He had no intention of buying any cigarettes. So far as he knew he didn't smoke, and he certainly didn't plan to start now. It was just an
83
excuse to get away from Kate. He stopped at the counter, picked up two packets of gum, and looked up at the boy behind the desk. 'Where's the gents'?' he said as he handed over a dollar bill.
The boy nodded towards a back door. Josh walked up to it and went through. There was one door that led to the toilets, and another that led outside. He stepped quickly through it. The gas station backed onto some scrubland, leading down to the town. Despite the aching in his leg, Josh started running into the darkness.
By the time Kate realised he'd slipped out of sight, it would be too late.
The rocks provided some cover. Josh hobbled between the boulders, leaning against one, then another to support himself as he moved forward. Keep going, he told himself.
High above him, the moon was casting a silvery light down on the plain. The town of Boisdale had a population often
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