Darkness Unknown

by Alexis Morgan

  She laughed and said, “I don’t doubt that, after last night.”

  He loved seeing her so relaxed and happy. “Okay, let me rephrase that. I’ll be your willing chauffeur. You pick the direction and I’ll drive.”

  “Sounds good. Give me a couple of minutes to change clothes, and I’ll be ready.” She put her dishes in the sink and headed upstairs.

  He quickly cleaned up the kitchen and then went out to his car to get some clean clothes.

  Gwen came downstairs just as he finished pulling on his shirt. “Oh good, I was going to offer you another one of Chase’s shirts if you wanted something fresh to put on.”

  “I spend a lot time on the road, so I’ve learned to carry extras.” He picked up his clothes. “So, have you decided where’d you’d like to go?”

  “I haven’t been to the zoo in St. Louis in years.” She gave him a hopeful look.

  He’d never been to the zoo at all. “Sure. I’ll need to make a quick call and then we can leave.”

  “Are you on call again? We don’t have to go all the way into St. Louis if you really shouldn’t go that far.” She was putting on a good front, but he could see the disappointment in her eyes.

  “Nope, I’m all yours for the day, and tonight, too.” His smile was full of promise. “I just need to let Jake know where I’ll be.” While she locked up the house and gave the dogs extra water, he dialed his friend’s number.

  Luck was with him; he got Jake’s voice mail. Jake wouldn’t have missed the fact that he’d been gone all night, and he was in no mood to answer any questions. He left a terse message, telling Jake that he’d be out of touch for the next twenty-four hours.

  He closed the phone and turned it off, feeling like he was back in high school and cutting class—except it was a lot more fun playing hooky with a beautiful woman than by himself. The thought had him smiling as they got in the car and roared up the highway.

  Gwen didn’t know which was more fun: watching all the exotic animals or watching Jarvis experience the zoo for the first time. He’d laughed at the antics in the monkey house, and had sheepishly admitted that the reptile house gave him the creeps. She’d dragged him into an alcove for a hot kiss to take his mind off the snakes and lizards.

  Now they were headed for Big Cat Country, the outdoor enclosures built for the lions and tigers. The day was bright and sunny without being too hot. Walking along together and holding hands just made the day seem that much more perfect. At the top of the incline that gave visitors a view over the enclosure, Jarvis paused to look down at the cats.

  He grew quiet as he watched the lions panting in the Missouri heat.

  “They sure are beautiful,” Gwen said. Then she saw the odd expression on Jarvis’s face. “What’s the matter?”

  He stepped back from the railing. “I hate to see predators penned up. I know they’re endangered, and the zoos help keep up the breeding stock, but they never look right living behind fences.”

  He watched in silence for a few seconds. “They’ve done a terrific job with the animals’ habitats, but I wish things were different for them.”

  She looped her arm through his, leaning in close to his shoulder. “I think we all do, but we do our best.”

  One of the tigers stood up and stretched before padding off to the edge of the shade. Before he lay down, he stared up at the sky, the afternoon sun reflecting off the orange-and-black stripes of his coat. He looked sleepy and sedate, but then he turned those eyes in Gwen’s direction. She shivered at the weight of that predatory glance. Abruptly the big animal turned away and flopped down in the grass and closed his eyes.

  Jarvis looked down at her. “Something wrong?”

  She smiled up at him. “Nothing—just my over-active imagination.” She pointed toward the tiger. “He’s so beautiful, it would be easy to forget how dangerous he really is. Such a handsome package for a stone-cold killer. Nature should mark those born to kill with some kind of warning sign.”

  “Those teeth and claws aren’t enough of a signal? Besides, I doubt anyone ever asked him if he wanted to kill for a living. He has a job to do, and he does it well.”

  Jarvis smiled as he said it, but for some reason she sensed the smile was on the surface only. She’d just been making conversation, but her words had obviously struck close to home.

  Maybe it was time to move on. “Can we check out the bird house next?”

  He gave the tiger one last long look. “Sounds good. And I don’t know about you, but I’d love a cold drink.”

  She pulled out the map they’d picked up near the entrance of the zoo. “Looks like there’s a refreshment stand right on the way.”

  They walked away, leaving the tiger to his own dreams.

  Chapter 11

  The traffic jam on the highway finally broke up, giving no indication of what had kept everyone moving at a snail’s pace for the past ten miles. One minute they were creeping along, and then suddenly the road ahead was clear of congestion. Glad to finally be moving, Jarvis pressed the accelerator.

  He’d enjoyed their day in the city, but he looked forward to leaving the crowds behind. They’d stopped at a small Italian place for dinner, laughing over pasta and wine, and holding hands between courses. It was a favorite restaurant of his, located close to his apartment. He’d considered asking Gwen if she’d like to stop by his place after dinner, but in the end he hadn’t.

  The idea had been tempting, especially the possibility of getting naked with Gwen faster. But he could tell that she was starting to fret about leaving all her animals unattended for so long.

  God, he hoped the evening chores didn’t take long! He’d spent most of the day half aroused just by being with her. Once they were alone, he wouldn’t be able to keep his hands to himself.

  “You’re looking pretty fierce there, mister. Somebody cut you off for going too slow or something?” Gwen had been dozing for the past few miles, but now was sitting up and looking around. After a glance at the speedometer, she snickered. “Guess not.”

  He immediately let up a little on the gas. “I’m fine. I figured you were probably in a hurry to get home to check on your four-footed friends.”

  “I appreciate that.” She stared out the passenger window for a few seconds, looking a bit wistful. “I love what I do for a living, but it does make it hard to take time for myself.”

  “Any regrets about how things have turned out for you and Chase?”

  “Not many.” She turned her attention back in his direction. “There’ve been some tough times, but that’s true for everyone.”

  “Think you’ll want to do something different, now that your brother’s almost grown?”

  “I can’t imagine what it would be. I like the freedom of working my own hours, and I get my creative fix with my design business. I never was one for city crowds, and that hasn’t changed.”

  He shouldn’t ask questions he didn’t want answers to, but he couldn’t seem to help himself. “Ever think about finding someone to share that farm with?”

  Her eyes narrowed as she considered her answer. “Sometimes. More when I was younger, but back then there was never enough time to think about anything but keeping the bills paid and meals on the table. Most of the guys I knew either went off to college or got married and settled down. A couple of guys were possibilities, but nothing serious ever came of it.”

  Good. Maybe he was selfish for thinking that way, but he couldn’t seem to help himself.

  “Turnabout is fair play, Jarvis. Any exes I should know about?”

  “No. Most women seemed trained to recognize a bad risk.”

  There had been one or two who might have been willing to go past that second or third date, but he’d always bolted before they got that far. It was better to disappoint them by not calling than to screw their lives up completely by sticking around.

  Gwen’s expression was hard to decipher. “Sorry, I don’t buy that. I can’t believe that every woman you’ve ever met was a fool, Ja
rvis.” Then she changed the subject before he could argue. “How long until you have to go back to wherever it is you go?”

  Or maybe it was part of the same discussion. “If I’m lucky, not until sometime tomorrow. I’ve had my cell turned off, but I’m going to have to turn it on again when we get back to the farm. After that, it’s anybody’s guess if they’ll call me in or not.”

  When she didn’t respond, he added, “That’s the way it is for me, Gwen. Always has been and always will be. I can’t change it, and wouldn’t if I could.” Sometimes honesty sucked.

  “I know.”

  “Do you want me to leave after I get you home?” He braced himself for her answer, knowing he wouldn’t blame her for trying to protect herself from hurt.

  “I probably should, but I don’t.” She held out her hand for his. “Let’s get some carryout on the way to the house and watch movies in bed.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “About watching movies? No. About spending the evening in bed with you? Most definitely.”

  The Chevelle’s engine revved as his foot pushed down on the accelerator, and Gwen laughed.

  Jarvis unfastened his seat belt even before the car was completely stopped. Gwen did the same, and they came together in the middle of the front seat with enough heat to put an Ozark summer day to shame. She went straight for the zipper on his jeans, needing to get her hands on the hard evidence that he wanted her as much as she needed him.

  Oh, yeah! He leaned back to give her free rein as she worked the button loose and then eased the zipper down as their tongues danced together. Frustrated, she broke off the kiss.

  “Give me some room to work here!” she demanded, tugging on the waist of his jeans.

  He froze briefly, his eyes widening when he realized what she had in mind. “Are you sure?”

  She kissed him softly. “It’s all I’ve been able to think about since we got in the car. Let me do this.”

  He reached over and yanked on the lever that let the back of the seat drop back, then dragged his jeans down past his hips. She heard his breath catch when she smiled and leaned down to trace the length of his erection with the tip of her tongue.

  A gentle squeeze of his sac had him moaning. She liked that and the sense of power it gave her. To show her approval she did it again, this time taking him deep into her mouth, swirling her tongue around the tip of his cock. He tugged the elastic band out off her ponytail, letting her hair cascade over his lap. Then his hands clasped either side of her head, helping her to find the exact rhythm to have him thrumming with pleasure.

  All too soon, though, he gasped, “Gwen, honey, we need to stop.”

  She paused. “You don’t like this?”

  His laugh was shaky. “I love it, but I don’t want to finish without you.”

  “Too bad. I’ll let you make it up to me when we get inside.” She stroked him again. “Okay?”

  “Oh, yeah,” he sighed as she took him in her mouth again.

  To prove he was a man of his word, he paid Gwen back for that thrill ride three times over. Once in the kitchen, once up against the wall outside of her bedroom door, and then again in her bed. She’d made her appreciation for his efforts abundantly clear.

  But just his luck, the cell phone had rung about thirty seconds after the two of them had made themselves comfortable in the big old claw-foot tub. He’d so wanted to ignore it, but duty called.

  Gwen hadn’t said a word when he grabbed a towel and stomped out into the other room to answer the phone. But when he came back in, the water was already swirling down the drain and she was dressed in her robe with a resigned look on her face.

  Ten minutes later he was peeling out of her driveway in a pissed-off spray of gravel. The sun had finally gone down, leaving him to rip down the road with his headlights cutting through the heavy darkness that fit his mood perfectly.

  Jake was waiting when Jarvis pulled through the security gates and parked. His friend had only been doing his job by calling him in, but that didn’t alleviate his need to punch something or somebody.

  “Sorry, J-man.”

  Jarvis cut off the apology. “Don’t go there. Just fill me in.”

  “One of the guys decided to go for a stroll down some of the lesser-used caverns. When he didn’t come back, I went looking for him.” Jake’s expression turned hard. “Someone else had already found him, and they’d really worked him over. Doc thinks he might recover, but it’s iffy.”

  “Son of a bitch! Who was it?”

  “Hunter Fitzsimon.” Jake opened the door and waited for Jarvis to go in first. “If he survives, he’s going to be seriously pissed at Doc.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “Hunter’s vain about his hair, and they had to shave half of it off to stitch his scalp back together. I’d like to be hiding in a corner the first time he gets that first peek at himself in the mirror.”

  “Let’s hope he gets the chance.” Jarvis’s stomach bunched up in a tight knot. “Did the barrier go down for long?”

  “That’s what’s so odd: it never went down. So if there were Others in the back tunnels, they didn’t come through the main cavern.”

  “Son of a bitch! Just what we need—another fucking mystery to solve around here.”

  He punched the elevator buttons three more times, knowing full well that wouldn’t bring it up any faster, but standing and waiting was simply beyond him right now. He was on the verge of heading for the stairs when the doors finally slid open.

  “Let’s go to the lab first and check on Hunter. Then you can show me where you found him.”

  Jake’s face got a little pale. “If it’s okay with you, I’ll get our weapons while you check in with Doc. I’ve spent enough time in the lab lately.”

  “All right.” He stared after Jake’s fast retreat.

  How bad were Hunter’s injuries if Jake couldn’t bear to see him again? Considering the horror they all lived with year in and year out, it had to be pretty damn bad.

  The lab doors were just ahead, and he braced himself. It hadn’t been all that long ago that he’d paced this very hallway waiting for Trahern to be put down permanently. Brenna Nichols had pulled off a miracle, talking him back from the wrong side of insanity. Jake was right: they’d all been spending way too much time in the lab.

  He pushed the doors open and stepped inside. One look at the patient strapped down to the surgical steel table made him want to go right back out again.

  “Dear God Almighty!”

  He thought he’d whispered the prayer, but Doc Crosby looked up from the report he was reading. As soon as he saw Jarvis, he set the chart aside and motioned him into the room. Jarvis crossed the short distance with leaden feet, struggling to breathe, much less talk.

  Hunter had had several hours of healing time, and if this was an improvement, Jarvis was damned glad to not have seen him before. There didn’t seem to be a square inch of skin that wasn’t stitched together or didn’t have a tube running out of it. The poor bastard looked more like a slab of raw beef than a man. What had they done to him? And more important, why?

  He stared at Hunter’s chest, hoping that he hadn’t only imagined seeing it move, however slightly. No wonder Jake said Hunter’s chances for revival were iffy.

  Jarvis struggled to put a lid on his rage. Dying again and again until their humanity was used up was the price they all paid in the war against the Kalith. But no one deserved to be sliced and diced like that.

  Judging by Dr. Crosby’s face, he wasn’t the only one who felt sickened. Considering the physician’s vast experience in treating fatal battle wounds, that said a lot.

  Jarvis nodded toward Hunter. “Can I do anything, Doc?”

  “Kill the bastards who did this to him.” He looked back toward the beeping machinery. “And don’t make it fast or easy.”

  “I hear you.” He put a hand on the physician’s shoulder. “Bring me up to speed on his chances.”

  “Not good.” Doc rub
bed his hand on his whiskery chin. “I had to literally patch pieces of him back together. Though you bastards have an uncanny knack for healing, there are limits. It doesn’t help that his blood type is one of the rarer ones. I can transfuse him with O neg or even regular human blood if I have to, but I’d rather give him the right type of Paladin blood.”

  Dr. Crosby rolled his shoulders to stretch out the kinks. “Of course, that’s predicated on his heart beating hard enough to pump the blood.”

  “What’s his blood type?”

  “AB neg.”

  “Then maybe Hunter’s luck is changing because so am I. I can afford to run a quart low if it will help him.”

  “Thanks; it may come to that. I should know in the next few hours.” The older man ran his fingers through his hair, looking every one of his fifty-plus years. “Are you going to be around if I need you in a hurry?”

  “Jake and I are going to do some exploring, but you can try my cell phone. If that doesn’t work, use a landline and tell the guards to hunt me down. I’ll come running.”

  “Thanks, Jarvis.”

  It was the first time Jarvis had ever seen the man look so lost. “Why don’t you get some sleep, Doc? If—when Hunter starts reviving, he’ll need you fed and rested. Have one of your techs sit with him if you don’t want him to be alone, or I can have one of his friends come up. They’d probably appreciate the chance to help out.”

  “I sent most of my crew to catch some sleep while it’s quiet. If you can spare someone, I’d appreciate the break.”

  “The barrier feels stable, so I’ll send a couple of the guys up. It will be easier on them to have someone to play cards with, rather than having nothing to do but stare at Hunter. They can take four-hour shifts and let you sleep.”

  “I’ll be in the next room, close by.”

  “You’re a good man, Doc. We might not tell you often enough, but we appreciate all you do for us.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Try to remember that the next time you’re the one on that table bitchin’ about my bedside manner.”

  Jarvis managed a small laugh for the doctor’s sake. “I’ll try.”