Darkness Calls

by Caridad Piñeiro

  David, luckily, had on his holster, and a traditional wire beneath the black leather jacket he wore. She was comfortable with that and wanted her partner to stay relatively near in case her equipment failed or she couldn’t reach her weapon in time.

  He chuckled and buried his face against her short-cropped hair. Placing a hand at her waist as he spoke in low tones into the wire, David made it seem to anyone watching that they were lovers sharing an intimate moment.

  Only Diana knew better as she heard the echo in her right ear and met his blue-eyed gaze. She slowly nodded, confirming that the wire was working and that the other FBI agents and NYPD personnel in the crowd and outside in the van would be aware of what was happening.

  Faking a laugh, she ran her hand along the edge of his cheek and strolled away from him. He followed for a moment, then grabbed her hard, turning her around. She resisted, yanked her arm away and launched into the fight they had rehearsed earlier, trying to draw attention. They exchanged a few heated words and a last little tug of war as she pulled free of David’s grasp and headed for the mobbed dance floor.

  Ryder lost sight of her and backtracked along the catwalks until he located her once more. She was pulling away from a handsome blond man, her strides angry as she moved toward the dance floor. Was she intent on losing her partner and finding another?

  There was no doubt now she was the woman in his dreams. The resemblance was…eerie.

  Her hair was sleek and cropped close to her head, displaying the long, elegant column of her throat and the fine lines of her collarbones. He was too far away to see the color of her eyes, but he could tell they were almond-shaped and exotic, her most compelling feature. Her nose was straight and slim. Her mouth full, with mobile lips. A defined, stubborn chin hinted at her determination. She wasn’t classically pretty, but all the elements combined were intriguing. Possibly beautiful.

  Even in the darkness of the club, she radiated tanned healthiness. As she danced with another young man, a flush worked over her cheeks. The enticing amount of skin displayed by the small bib halter she wore glistened with her perspiration. The halter was a deep red that served her well, accenting the color of her dark brown hair and creamy skin.

  She moved fluidly, gracefully, her body lithe and full of strength—a mortal warrior. One who would age unless death claimed her before her time. His throat constricted as he thought of all the people he had lost over the length of his existence.

  He drove that fear away and returned his attention to the woman on the floor below. Her body was toned, but curvy. She moved well-shaped hips, and her unbound breasts swayed against the fabric of her shirt. Desire raced along his nerve endings. He hardened as what was left of the human in him remembered all too well the sweetness of a woman and craved her the way the demon inside hungered for blood.

  As she worked her way toward the stage, through the crush of bodies on the dance floor, he hurried along the network of catwalks, stepping over wires, jumping from one shaky walk to another so he would not lose sight of her. The flashing lights of the club made it difficult, hurting his sensitive eyes.

  Forcing himself to concentrate, he honed in on her. She seemed to be searching for someone. Maybe the blond man she had left earlier? Maybe she was realizing the folly of trying to find him in this group of misfits.

  Or maybe she was looking for someone new, excited by the prospect of danger and to what it might lead. An unfortunate end, Ryder thought, thinking of the two other girls before her and how they had misjudged someone in the crowd.

  She reached the edge of the dance floor and he was nearly straight above her, behind one of the spotlights illuminating the stage. The heat from the lamp was nearly unbearable, yet he stood there, anyway, watching from behind the safety of its light. Anyone looking up would be blinded by its intensity.

  She raised her arms and ran her hands through the short strands of her hair. A slight breeze plastered the halter top to her damp body, outlining every curve. Her scent teased his nostrils, the air from outside blowing up and across the length of the room. She had a clean scent. She wore no fragrance. He closed his eyes, breathed deeper, and the animal in him memorized the smell.

  When he looked down once more, she was on the move, heading toward the source of that fresh air—an open door by the stage entrance that led to a long deserted alley behind the club.

  While he normally didn’t get involved with the patrons in the bar, tonight would be different, for he had to follow her. And as he did so, he called himself a fool a thousand times over. He was certain she was a woman he would come to love and, like all the others in his interminable life, come to lose.

  Humans after all, were born to die.

  Logic. Reason. They were the cornerstones of her profession. Diana used them every day to solve the cases she was assigned. But sometimes there was intuition and a gut instinct that ran contrary to what logic or reason told her.

  Like the feeling she was having right now that had raised the hackles on the back of her neck. An almost preternatural sense of something not quite right. It was stronger than the feeling she’d had before, when she first entered the club. So strong that she knew someone was watching. She looked around and, seeing nothing, glanced upward.

  Above her, the catwalks and wires swayed. The movement was too great to be caused by the breeze. Someone had been there. The killer maybe? The high tangle of metal and cables provided a perfect observation deck.

  She examined the area, but the glare of the spotlights made it impossible to see much besides the barely discernible lines and curves of the infrastructure close to the ceiling. When she lowered her gaze, the brightness of the lights left spots in her eyes, making it difficult for her to pick out anyone in the crowd who might be paying a little too much interest.

  She blinked a few times, closed her eyes and experienced a kaleidoscope of color behind her eyelids. When she opened her eyes again, the sensation of being watched had passed. Still, she searched the crowd, hoping to meet a gaze or see a face that would trigger the feeling again.

  Across the way, David was scoping out the crowd. For a brief moment their gazes connected across the length of the club. She motioned to him, pointing to where she was headed, and spoke softly to confirm it, hoping the wire would pick up her voice over the noise of the band and the crowd. In her ear, she heard David acknowledge her words and saw him nod. He would make his way across eventually.

  She pressed through the bodies, shooting a glare at one young man who groped her as she inched past. Continuing onward, she finally reached the open door and the cool current of air she had savored earlier. There was a bouncer by the exit, sitting in a chair tilted far back on two spindly legs. She was surprised the metal chair could hold his weight.

  Walking to the door, she stopped and he stared up at her, his gaze sharp and questioning. “Ya leave this way, ya gotta get back in line,” he said with a growl, obviously annoyed.

  Diana shrugged. Getting back in the line wasn’t a problem. She was here to see and be seen. While the bulk and attitude of the bouncer might put off many, it might not have been enough to discourage the two victims or the killer who had followed them.

  She exited through the door into the chill of the alley. It had rained while she was inside. The dark stone walls and cobblestones glistened with wet, and water had puddled in various spots. The sky was dark with heavy clouds that obscured a half moon.

  Goose bumps erupted on her skin from the sudden change in temperature. She rubbed at her arms and glanced at the back section of the blind alley. The shadows were strong, and unlike the area leading to the street, there were no lights.

  With the lack of moonlight, it would be easy for someone to hide there, waiting. And yet, with no way out, they’d have to take the victims past the bouncer at the open door or the crowd at the far end of the alley. Unless the alley had a back way out.

  She took a step toward the darkness, keeping the wall of the building behind her so as not to be surpr
ised. She had gone deep into the alley, but had not yet reached the end when the eerie sensation from before returned. The hairs on the back of her neck tingled, as did those on her arms. As her eyes adjusted to the lack of light, a colder, deeper silhouette took shape a few feet in front of her.

  It was a man. She squinted, but it was too dark to see his face even though he stood close. Too close for her to pull out her weapon. It was a true Mexican standoff, the two of them considering each other in the dim light, neither one speaking. In her ear, the running comments of various agents crackled and she tried not to let them distract her.

  A few feet away, a small spot of moonlight appeared as the wind drove the clouds away. If the man across from her would only move that short distance, it might give her the answers she needed. “Step into the light,” she said, striving for a tone of authority despite the situation, hoping David and the others would hear.

  The seconds of silence stretched out after her command and then came his short bark of a laugh. “And why would I want to do that?” he asked, his low voice gravelly, as if it had been a long time since he had used it. There was a trace of an accent. Southern, she thought. Louisiana, she confirmed as he issued his own determined instructions.

  “Darlin’, if you have a lick of sense, you’ll turn right around and head back into the club.”

  He surprised her with his tone of concern. She couldn’t take that statement at face value as the others might have done, turning their backs on this man and then finding themselves…

  It was likely David would be here within minutes. His instructions were to keep her in sight, and he had known where she was heading. But she couldn’t wait for her partner. If this was the man, a delay might prove fatal and she had no intention of ending her life in an alley that stank of stale urine.

  “Step into the light where I can see you and I’ll go,” she said calmly, not trusting that he would listen. Preparing for what she would do if he didn’t.

  “Do you think—”

  “You’re a fool?” she finished for him.

  He expelled a harsh breath and challenged, “I’m not the fool who’s running around with a killer loose.” Despite his comment, there was resignation in his voice, as if he, too, recognized that there was little either of them could do. She wasn’t surprised therefore when he said, “On three, we both move where we can see each other.”

  “On three.” She counted down. As promised, she took the few steps to her right, mirroring his movement.

  As they both reached the safety of the light, she detected a note of surprise in his features before he carefully schooled them. He had a severe yet handsome face. His eyes were a flat, unholy black against the dark of the night. They were intense, unblinking. Soulless, she thought for a moment, but then abruptly, as her gaze finally met his, there was a moment of connection. Within her, there was a sudden strange sense of…recognition. She berated herself silently for letting her imagination get the better of her.

  “Satisfied?” he asked, his voice still husky. He stood mere feet away, a commanding presence. Tall and strong-bodied, he was dressed all in black, like most of the crowd inside. Only, on him, it was more than just a color. It was an aura of dangerous energy that made her take a step back.

  “Who are you?” she pressed, aware that they were still the only ones in the alley. She listened to the chatter on the wire. Nothing to indicate help was on the way.

  Before Diana could register his intentions, he closed the distance between them and grabbed hold of her wrist, yanking her to him.

  Years of training took over. An elbow to his face had him rocking backward and she followed with a jab that straightened him, leaving him totally vulnerable for a full-force roundhouse kick. She connected to the side of his head with a thick thud, and he tumbled to the rough cobblestones. Before she could react, he was on his feet and moving toward her once more.

  Diana struck out with a quick chopping motion. He blocked her blow forcefully and thrust her away, which sent her flying into the brick wall.

  Her head hit hard and stars danced across her vision. She fought off the dazing blow and pressed her hands against the rough surface of the wall, struggling to find purchase so she wouldn’t fall to the ground. The chatter had ceased in her ear, which meant the wire had stopped working, not that it had been doing much good up to this point.

  As her assailant neared again, David finally called out, “Hold your position or I’ll fire.”

  She closed her eyes and held her breath for a moment. When there was silence, she struggled to focus her blurry gaze on her attacker, his hands on the top of his head. David stood behind him, inches shorter, his gun pointed at the base of the man’s skull.

  David looked at her and asked, “You okay?”

  Her cheek was throbbing painfully and she realized that the man’s defensive block had caught the side of her face. She raised her hand to the back of her head. There was a lump growing there beneath her hair. Even though her head was swimming and her vision was unclear, she told herself the bumps and bruises were nothing but minor discomforts. “I’m okay,” she replied, and took a step toward the man.

  “Who are you?” she asked, getting right next to his face, her nose nearly bumping the edge of his jaw.

  He smiled tightly and was about to answer when the bouncer realized that something was going on in the alley. “Boss man, you okay? Should I call the police?” the muscular man asked her assailant.

  David kept his bead on her attacker and Diana approached the bouncer. “You know this man?”

  “That’s Ryder Latimer. He’s the owner of the club. Came out to make sure nothing funny was going on,” the bouncer explained.

  Diana sighed harshly and glanced at her partner, who lowered his weapon, holstered it and then spoke softly into the wire, calling off the imminent arrival of reinforcements.

  She walked up to the man and noted he bore an imprint below his left eye from one of the blows she had inflicted. Her satisfaction was tempered by guilt, the burning pain across her cheek and the pounding in her head. “I guess we all need to talk.”

  “I guess we do at that,” he said, and turned on his heel, barking a command to the bouncer on his way to the door of the club.

  David and Diana remained behind, staring after him in surprise. The bouncer moved his head in the direction of the door and held out his hand. “After you,” he said facetiously.

  Diana gritted her teeth to hold back her comment. A mistake. The movement sent a shaft of pain up the side of her face and into her skull. She moaned, and David reached out to steady her as she swayed.

  “You need to see a doctor,” he said as she closed her eyes and battled the swirling dizziness in her head. She reached for the wall and instead encountered a rock-hard body.

  Opening her eyes, she met the sharp-eyed gaze of her unwitting assailant, who actually seemed concerned. It was the last thing she thought as she passed out into his arms.

  Chapter 3

  She tried to open her eyes, but the glare of the light forced them closed. Reaching for her forehead, she grasped both sides of her head and cradled it gingerly.

  “It’s about time you came to,” Ryder said, and the words ricocheted around her skull, causing more pain.

  Somehow she found the grit to face him. “Haven’t you done enough?” she said, surprised that all she could muster was a whisper. Each movement of her jaw brought fresh waves of pain. She moaned, and a moment later she was rewarded with the chill of an ice pack against the throbbing side of her face and the gentle pass of his hand across her brow.

  “Lean back and try to stay still. I called for a doctor,” he said, and Diana chose not to argue with him. If she argued, the pounding punishment in her skull would outweigh any satisfaction she might get.

  A footfall alerted Diana to the entry of someone else. Diana opened her eyes to mere slits. An elegantly dressed young woman came into the room, followed by David.

  “Your friend is finally
awake,” she said, and Diana assumed this was the doctor the club owner had called. The woman’s voice was soft and cultured, colored with the accents of exclusive prep schools and money. Despite her easy tone, Diana’s pain increased.

  “Easy,” her assailant murmured, and stroked a gentling hand across Diana’s forehead once more. The tips of his fingers were rough and yet somehow comforting.

  “Ryder, you never cease to amaze me. Is this another lady you’ve charmed?” the physician teased.

  Diana wished the doctor would shut up and examine her. “Please. Let’s get this over with,” she whispered. A second later the doctor pried open one of Diana’s eyelids, flashed a light in her eye, then repeated the same with the other eye. It was a small penlight, but it had the strength of a laser, burning away what little was left of Diana’s brain cells.

  “Open those eyes and tell me how many fingers I have up?” the doctor asked.

  Diana slowly eased her eyes open, letting them adjust to the light. It took a while, and she had to force herself to focus so she could count the fingers the physician was wiggling in her face. “Three,” she growled, then closed her eyes and leaned back against the cushions of the couch.

  “She’ll live, Ryder, although she’s got a slight concussion,” the young woman proclaimed. “Next time, try to take it a little easier on the ladies. I thought you considered yourself a gentleman.” The doctor stowed the penlight in her pocket and reached into her bag. She took out a small foil packet of medicine and handed it to David.

  “Here are some meds for your partner. She should be watched overnight. If there’s no one who can—”

  “My brother can do it, David. I don’t want to go to any hospital,” she replied.

  The young woman nodded and glanced at Ryder. “See you later, Ryder?” she asked.