Page 16 of Training Rain
A slow smile tugged at his full mouth. “When you know me better, you’ll learn that it’s never bullshit.”
“But I have no offensive skills.”
He pointed to the weapon she’d dropped on the ground. “You just have no attacking psychic skills, at least none that are obvious at this point. Besides, it’s more important to defend yourself and your team.”
“I don’t think I’d be much good as an assassin.” The idea turned her stomach, but he didn’t need to know that.
All expression drained from his face. It was as if the lively man she’d spent the past week with did not exist and a robot had been left in his place. “Is that what you think we do?”
“I know it’s part of what you do.”
“A very small part and those types of assignments are generally handled by specialists.”
“But you have killed people.”
There was a long hesitation. “Yes, I have killed people.”
She wanted to ask him more questions, but the set of his jaw warned her, the question would not be appreciated. She didn’t need to be telepathic to figure that out. “I’m freezing. We should go find a place to make camp.”
She got no argument, but his demeanor didn’t improve. There was no resemblance to the man who had just held her and talked her out of her panic attack. This Jess McMean was a Psi Agent and nothing more. Rain blamed the cold for the goose flesh prickling her skin, but his attitude was the more likely cause.
“Come on, Yas. It’s going to be a long afternoon.” Giving the dog one more scratch behind his ears, she got up and followed Jess toward the forest.
There was a mile-wide stretch of flat land between them and the cover of the woods. The wind had picked up and snow blew across the wide plane. The pack on her back weighed her down after an entire day of the torturous training. All she really wanted was a hot bath and a place to lie down. Not that she would get that anytime soon. No. It was going to be a long time before creature comforts were coming her way.
Jess bounded ahead. He wasn’t running, but his long legs pulled farther away from her. The comfortable rapport they had built was destroyed with one unwanted comment from her. Rain reminded herself that they were not friends. It had started to seem as if they were, but she could see now she was just an assignment for him.
She pushed away the sweet memory of his voice cooing to her and being in the cradle of his arms.
Rifle fire rang through the air.
Jess turned toward her. “I guess that was a hunter’s camp you saw.”
Yas barked and jumped up and down as if he might bite. His jaw snapped and he growled, but never gripping anything.
“What is it, boy?”
“What the hell is wrong with him?”
The ground shook and a rumble followed. For half a second she thought she was shaking. Earthquakes were rare in Yellowstone and this didn’t quite feel like that anyway.
“What the…” Jess didn’t finish his thought. His arms were stretched out on either side of him and as the sound grew louder he turned to the right.
“Stampede.” Rain had heard the sound before. She hoped she was wrong, but soon enough the dark mass came over the crest of the field and an enormous herd of buffalo headed straight for them.
“Run!” Jess started in the opposite direction.
“No. Stop. You can’t outrun them.” She ran toward him, used her mind to command Yas to stay close at her side.
Jess did as she said but his eyes were wide. “Just stay close to me and don’t move.”
“We’ll be trampled, Rain. We have to run.”
She held her ground. The noise of a thousand hooves on the ground filled the air. Nothing else sounded like tons of animal flesh charging. Their breath and the smell of them invaded her senses. She had to yell to be heard above the noise. “We won’t be fast enough. Just trust me.”
Rain stood in between Jess and the onslaught of American bison.
Yas didn’t move from between her legs.
