Knight Awakening

by Zanetti, Rebecca

  Brett brushed a curl off her cheek, reassuring himself that she was all right. “You’re sure you didn’t come into contact with any of the donuts?” If it was the donuts. Teams were testing the bakery, and the empty donut box from the school had been sent to the lab. So far, no news.

  “I didn’t eat anything at school,” she replied. Her lips trembled into a near grin. “I’ve been watching you get everyone organized. When you get all sheriffy and in control, your drawl deepens.”

  The smile on her face, however slight, eased the tension inside him. “Sheriffy?”

  She shrugged, her voice softening. “Yeah.”

  He couldn’t help it. As if drawn, he leaned in and kissed her, going deep. It was like coming home.

  She kissed him back, moving into him with a soft sigh. All woman. Still his.

  He broke the kiss. What was going through her head? He rested his palms just above her knees, enjoying the warmth through her jeans and trying to give her comfort. “I just heard that three of the patients have had their fever breaks and are being let loose.”

  Relief filled her pretty face. “That’s fantastic. So whatever it was—”

  Brett shrugged. “Appears to be running its course for those three, so we’re hopeful for the rest. But I do want those lab results to make sure it was an accident.” He turned as two of the patients, one male and one female, checked themselves out of the small hospital. “Looks like Doc gave them the go-ahead.”

  The male turned, his gaze immediately seeking out Sharon. Something unfolded in Brett, something he hadn’t felt in a while. Alertness. Okay. Possessiveness.

  The man, and there was no doubt he was older than the other student, loped their way. Dark spiky hair, blue eyes, handsome even in the pallor after a fever. “Sharon?” Pleasure gilded color in the man’s cheeks.

  Brett shifted to the side, just enough that the guy had to stop his advance.

  Sharon blinked and stood. “Brett Pierce, this is Tim Norton, an associate professor at the school. Tim, this is the sheriff.”

  The sheriff. Brett jerked his head in a nod. Hell, he didn’t expect her to introduce him as her ex-husband, or even as the man who’d just kissed her senseless. But something other than his job description would’ve been nice. “Tim. How are you feeling?” Yeah. His drawl came out dark that time.

  “Better. Felt like my head was going to explode.” Tim kept his gaze on Sharon, intent along his cut features.

  The female student sidled up next to him. She’d pulled long blond hair back from a classic face, and with the ensuing pallor from the infection, appeared fragile. Breakable.

  Sharon smiled at the girl, her shoulders relaxing. “Hi Louise. How are you feeling?”

  The girl shrugged, and her lips trembled. “Like I could sleep for a year, but at least my fever broke. The doc says I’ll recuperate if I take it easy.” She eyed Tim, so much longing in her expression that Brett flashed back to his years as a teenager. The girl had to be about eighteen and obviously in the throes of a serious crush.

  Tim ignored her and kept his gaze on Sharon. “I’m heading home. You want a ride?”

  “I’ve got ‘er,” Brett said smoothly. “You should take it easy until you feel better.”

  Tim turned toward him. “I’m young enough I bounce back quickly but old enough to know what’s best for me.” His voice stayed low and pleasant, but a glimmer darkened his eyes in the way of beast challenging beast. “And I believe I was asking Sharon, not you.”

  Brett showed his teeth.

  Sharon frowned, her body stiffening. She placed her hand against his arm in a not-so-subtle warning. “I’m fine, Tim. But definitely give me a call later to let me know how you’re doing.”

  Tim didn’t turn his focus from Brett. “Sounds good. I’ll call you later. Nice to meet you. Sheriff.” He turned on his heel and headed for the doorway, his gait natural and easy.

  Louise hustled to catch up with him.

  “That was seriously odd.” Sharon stared at the closed door.

  Brett looked down at her. “I don’t like him.”

  “He’s not usually like that, and you’re kind of overreacting.” She shook her head, her hair flying. “You haven’t changed a bit.”

  Brett lifted an eyebrow and waited a beat to make sure he had her full attention. “Sure I have. Ten years ago, I would’ve had that moron’s head on the carpet until he begged for mercy.” True statement, that.

  Sharon paused, thoughts flying across her face. “Well, I guess that’s true.”

  Of course, if Sharon hadn’t been there with a restraining hand on his arm, he might’ve still taken a bite out of the young professor. There was a glint in the kid’s eyes Brett didn’t like...he’d seen it before, too many times in the eyes of predators. He didn’t like it at all.

  Doc came into the room. “Four of the students just died within minutes of each other.”

  Chapter 3

  Brett finished reading the autopsies in Doc’s office at the hospital and tossed the files on the desk, frustration crawling through him. “Doc already did the notifications but has no clue of the infection still.” If there had been deliberate poisoning, Brett hadn’t figured out a motive.

  Sharon glanced up from typing at the computer. “I have another call into the CDC.”

  He opened his mouth to argue that point just as Doc shuffled in and dropped into the other guest chair. “Lab called. There wasn’t anything on the donuts, and they haven’t yet identified the bacteria. Tests show it is a bacteria, however. A deadly one.”

  Brett nodded. “Bacteria can normally be killed by antibiotics, right?”

  “Yep, but this bastard kills fast.” Doc scrubbed gnarled hands down his face.

  “So if it wasn’t the donuts?” Brett asked.

  Doc shrugged. “We’re tracing history, but the only time those kids were together all at once was in that classroom.”

  The computer dinged, and Sharon clicked a button near the screen. “Hi, Lynne.”

  “Howdy. Two calls? Girl, you’d better have news about your hottie of an ex this time,” came a chipper voice.

  Sharon flushed red.

  Brett stood to cross around the desk to view the woman in the screen. Light green eyes, brown hair, impish smile. “You must be Lynne.” Sharon had told him about her friend earlier.

  “I must be.” Lynne’s fine eyebrows arched. “Aren’t you a handsome as hell southern boy.”

  He kept the smile, not sure what to say. “We seem to have a problem.” A quick recitation of the events made Lynne lose her smile.

  She squinted. “If it wasn’t the donuts, what else could it be?”

  He shrugged. “Dunno.”

  She glanced around. “Well, let’s trace. What was going on in the classroom?”

  Sharon leaned toward the camera. “Nothing unusual. We’d found a meteorite in the desert and the kids cut into it, each taking a piece. We’ve done that several times.”

  Lynne’s gaze sharpened. “They all took a piece?”

  “Well, yeah.” Sharon glanced at Brett and then back at the screen. “But we do that all the time.”

  Lynne’s eyebrows drew down. “Didn’t I read somewhere that NASA is worried we’re sending bacteria into space with each space shuttle?”

  Sharon bit her lip. “Yes, and we’ve put bacteria in space on purpose to see how it survives.” She sat back in the chair, her gaze sharpening. “You don’t think—”

  “Maybe. Bacteria can survive in space, and isn’t it possible it could lay dormant in spores for a long time?” Lynne looked to the side and seemed to rifle through a bunch of files before turning back. “I mean, isn’t it possible?”

  Sharon frowned. “I don’t know. I mean, well, yes. It is possible. Highly improbable, but I guess, possible.”

  Lynn nodded. “Good enough. We need to bring everything here to my lab. I’ll be in touch with directions for transport.” She paused in pushing a button. “And don’t go near the meteor
ite without proper protection.” She clicked off.

  Brett scratched his chin. A meteorite? “Is that really possible?” he asked Sharon.

  She turned to the side, her face set in thoughtful lines. Finally, she nodded. “Yeah. It actually is.”

  He scrubbed both hands down his face. How the hell was he going to keep the town safe?

  The outside door opened, and Tim Norton walked in. “Sharon, I really need to talk to you.” His eyes were wide and his pupils enlarged. His skin was so pale as to be nearly translucent. “Now.”

  Warning ticked through Brett. He slowly stood. “Are you all right?” he asked.

  “No.” Tim yanked a gun from the back of his waist. “The voices have to go. They won’t’ stop. Stop them.”

  ***

  Sharon jumped to her feet. “Tim. What is going on?” she breathed, adrenaline flooding her system.

  He looked at her, his eyes wild. “I don’t know. It hurts. My head hurts. All the voices in it want out.” His hand shook around the gun.

  Brett moved toward her, partially blocking her with his big body. “Tell me about the voices. If you can explain what’s happening, then I can help you.” He inched closer to Tim, his body visibly on alert, the muscles in his arms vibrating.

  Tim shook his head. “I don’t know. Ever since the headache started, it won’t stop. God, make it stop.”

  “Okay.” Brett kicked the gun out of Tim’s hand and took him down to the ground. Easily flipping him over, he almost gently handcuffed the guy.

  Tim keened.

  Sharon rushed forward and pushed back his hair. “It’s okay. You’re going to be okay.”

  “I want to hurt somebody,” Tim moaned. “I don’t know why, but it’s all I can think about.”

  The nurse ran in and plunged a sedative into Tim’s arm.

  Brett relaxed. “Get him into a bed and secure him.”

  Two orderlies hustled around the corner and complied.

  Sharon looked at Brett. What the hell had just happened? “I don’t understand.”

  He grasped her forearms and helped her to stand. “Is it possible a bacterium can change a brain? I mean, strip it or anything? Cause insanity?”

  Her mouth opened and closed. Her mind spun. “I really don’t know. We’ll have to get some tests going and fast.” That wasn’t her field of expertise. “We’re going to have to hand this over to the CDC, you know.”

  He nodded and stepped into her. “I have a feeling, sweetheart. Something bad is coming, and this is just the beginning.” His kiss against her forehead felt like a promise.

  “Me too,” she whispered.

  He lifted her chin, and his gaze swept hers. “I need to know. Before this all gets started and we have to launch into reaction mode, are you with me?”

  She breathed in. Next to him, warmed by him, felt like home. “Yes.”

  He brushed her mouth with a kiss. “I mean with me. No matter what happens? All in?”

  She smiled against his lips. “Yeah. I’m all in.” Their time for growing up and exploring on their own was over. For the rest of this life, she wanted to be home with him. “I’ve always loved you, Brett.”

  He kissed her, going deep. Finally, he let her breath. “I’ve always loved you, too. Forever this time, Sharon.”