by Dale Mayer
He stared around at his open living room where the sun shone so innocently in through the myriad of stained glass panes and had to wonder.
Nothing lost, nothing gained.
Except your soul, snapped a testy voice – a testy astral voice.
Stefan glanced over. Lissa. Of course it would be her. Stefan had many ghosts in his life, but none as persistent or as caring as this one. She was the deceased sister of another good friend and since a terribly nasty case he’d helped resolve, she'd been a regular in his life. She claimed it was because he needed someone to watch over him.
And you do.
He laughed. Young and full of life, Lissa was the antithesis of most ghosts. What could you possibly do if something does go wrong? he asked her.
Marshal the troops, Lissa said with a laugh. She'd started calling his group of friends a team or a troop, as if they were psychic crime fighters.
That was a joke.
No joke. You can't defy fate. If it's going to happen...
So not.
She laughed. Look at what you're trying to do now.
Tabitha needs help.
There is always someone in your world that needs help. There always will be.
He frowned. Even though he knew that, he liked to maintain the fantasy that he had a choice in this regard.
You made that choice a long time ago.
He glared at his wispy visitor. And I can change it too.
You can try! She laughed and started to fade away.
Wait, Stefan called out. Do you have any idea how to find this tiger?
Tiger? She brightened. There's a tiger involved? Awesome.
Her response reminded him that she was still a teenager. There could be all kinds of animals involved.
Then why not use another animal to track it?
As quickly as she appeared, she disappeared.
Stefan stared after her in shock. 'Out of the mouth of babes…'
So simple.
When hunting humans, they used humans.
When hunting animals, maybe they should use animals?
He wasn't much of an animal lover, he knew many who were, such as Kali, another psychic friend, and her search and rescue dog. Or Shay and her ghost cat Morris. Stefan still didn't understand how that worked.
Maybe Tango could go after the tiger. Stefan had been considering that, but it wasn't something he could do easily.
And if he couldn't – who could?
***
Keeper walked over, a worried frown on his face. Fez shook his head and said in exasperation, "Now what?"
"The tiger is acting funny."
Fez hunched his shoulders. No, not again. He said ominously, "What do you mean by funny?"
"I mean she's acting funny…" He shrugged. "Weird like."
Fez rolled his eyes. "Is she eating? Drinking? Is she hurting herself in any way?"
"No. She's lying down relaxed and calm. Almost asleep. If I didn't know better, I'd have said she'd been tranq'd with a different kind of drug. She seems almost content. Happy. But we didn't give her anything."
"That's supposed to be a good thing – right?" At the other man's shrug, Fez added, "Keep an eye on her. Just in case."
The other man sauntered back to the cages. Fez didn't know what to think about the tiger's condition. Maybe the tiger had finally calmed down enough, after she'd had several good meals and water. Maybe she'd finally decided that everything was going to be okay.
Then he remembered the look in the big cat’s eye. He tugged at his collar again and swallowed hard.
Yeah, that wasn't likely.
The last time he'd looked into her eyes, he'd seen into the heart of her. She might look relaxed and calm, but there was no way he'd trust that look. She'd had a look in her eyes that he'd never forget.
She had murder on her mind.
And he was the prime candidate.
Chapter 12
Sunday mid afternoon
Tabitha studied Ronin as he worked. How long had he been sitting there? Shoulders back and sitting straight in his chair, his fingers clicking away on the keyboard. Every once in awhile he'd frown, then shift and carry on. A man on a mission.
How, when she could only communicate via cats, could she communicate with Ronin?
She could use Stefan, and that worked – somewhat. It didn't stop this gnawing need to be held in his arms and be told it would all be okay. There was only so much she'd share through Stefan.
She glanced over at her body and shuddered. So close and yet so far. Then she frowned. But was it?
If she could communicate through Tango, why couldn't she get back into her body the same way? With all the times she'd traveled into his space and home, she'd damn near created an energy highway.
Why the hell hadn't she thought of that? She'd been so focused on reaching Tango, she'd forgotten to use him to extend her travels. Excited, she closed her eyes and thought her way back into Tango.
He slept heavily, as if he hadn't had a good sleep in forever. And he probably hadn't – at least for several nights.
With a slight release of her nonexistent breath, she sank back into his mind. And smiled. He was racing across open fields in joy. Not chasing anything, just stretching out and using his muscles like they used to work when he was younger. He'd gotten old on her.
Very old.
She'd done all she could but had yet to find a way to stop death from taking those she loved. And she'd tried.
With a wiggle, she realigned her energies with his, gave him a mental hug as she always did, and then traveled back the way she'd always gone before – when her life had been normal. Only always before her actions had been instinctive. There'd been no doubts. No questioning of how. She'd taken one road in and the same road out. Without thinking about it.
Only now she couldn't do that.
Energy wasn't a highway, in that it had no definite directions of travel. Energy floated all around and crossed dimensions and time. To find the same pathway back would be almost impossible. She should be able to close her eyes and think herself back home, but having tried that, she knew it wasn't working. Something was stopping her.
Most likely the connections to the tigers.
Maybe they were keeping her contained? Could she use them to get home instead? She was at the origin. Tango. So what if she could get Tango to find her? She could travel with him back into her body.
God, how bizarre.
Was it even possible? It was because she'd experienced Tango in her space already, but how could she get Tango to actually do the traveling? Prodding a sleeping tiger was never a good idea.
She almost laughed.
Then sighed. He was sleeping so soundly.
She grinned. How about directing his dreams? She whispered gently into his mind, Tango, come to me. Tango, please come. I need you.
Tango's paws jerked, but outside of a slight shimmer, his energy remained still and quiet. She didn't want to scare him or have him thinking she was desperately in trouble. That could backfire in a big way.
She smoothed his energy as she planted images of how she'd seen her body the last time in the hospital. Then she placed overlaid images of the two of them playing, of walking through his acres of space. Together.
You'd like that again, wouldn't you, boy?
His feet jerked and his legs shifted as if he were already running. Just go and get me. Tell me it's time to get out and play our game. She kept murmuring the same suggestions over and over again. Tango slept on, completely oblivious. Damn it, Tango. Why won't you come to me?
She sat back, and if she'd had arms and knees she'd have crossed them over each other. Instead she sat in a whirly ball of energy. Unsure of how and where to go.
As she pondered her quandary, she almost missed seeing the solution. Some of Tango's beautiful dark blue energy lifted and drifted lazily away. Other strands had been doing the same thing with every thought and every action he took in his dreams. But this strand of
energy seemed to have purpose and was thick enough to be out there and do something useful.
It shimmered as all healthy energy did, but... She studied it. What was different about it?
Then she got it. There was another energy intermingled with Tango’s. A warm chocolate mixed and twisted in a caring way. It was Tripod's energy. Surprised and charmed, she watched as Tango's energy went out in search of Tripod sleeping soundly on the other side of his caged enclosure.
It dipped over Tripod, stroked along his back, and appeared to nuzzle up against the side of his head.
She'd never seen this before. If she'd ever wondered about the relationship between the two of them, this blew her earlier understanding away. They were that close.
As she watched the gently caring energy smooth over Tango's canine brother, she realized that she knew so very little about animal energy work. She'd never been in a situation where she'd have even looked for something like this. And usually not looking, in energy work, meant not seeing. The mind would be completely overwhelmed if ninety percent of the energy activity wasn't filtered out.
Tripod never moved except for a huge, gusting breath coming from his chest. He seemed to sink deeper into sleep. Happy and content.
"Tango, how lovely to see you checking up on him."
Then the energy picked up and skirted the huge dog's body and headed out into the hallway. Curious, not letting him know she was riding there because then he might change his actions, she followed just behind him. As they'd been so close for so long, her energy would also appear as his energy. That was the nature of loving energy.
The energy slipped out into the hallway and down the long corridor to her bedroom.
She smiled with delight when she realized Tango was coming to check up on her.
Tango's energy swirl lifted to cover the top of the bed. It settled down on top.
She waited. And waited.
Damn it. She'd hoped he would realize that she wasn't really there.
After a few moments, the energy became restless and slunk over the surface of the bed and around to the other side. It paused, lifted, then hesitated in the air for a moment before circling around up above, almost creating a tornado. She could see the energy spread until the ceiling was completely covered. She had no idea what Tango was doing, unless he was still looking for her.
Then it hit her. Tango had found her as she was right now – hiding behind him.
Clever boy, she whispered. There's no fooling you, is there. Tango's energy seemed to nuzzle up against hers. She kept her field of energy tight and thin. Unwelcoming. She didn't want him to receive the same comfort he'd expect if he actually found her. She wanted him to run to her body looking for the same thing.
Just like that, the energy zipped off.
Pulling her with it.
Tango had no hesitation in his direction. Guided by instinct, he was searching the ethers for her, following the instinctive need to find her. His energy raced forward.
Then he came to a stop. At her bedside.
Tango's energy nuzzled her body in a warm loving way. Blending with her energy, sinking into it just as he'd so many times before.
Smiling, she closed her spiritual eyes, cried out a happy welcome, and sank into Tango as he sank into her space.
She was home.
***
Ronin looked up from his laptop. He'd only been here for a half hour. He'd been running around all morning. Had ended up in some of the seediest areas in town looking for smuggled animals, checking out names and locations Jacob had sent him, feeling like a fool because he didn't even know if the tiger was here in the U.S.
But he had to do something. And of course there was always his job. He had cases stacked up. Not the least were the break-ins at Exotic Landscape. But he hadn't been able to resist checking on her again.
He walked over to the bed. She looked...better? He bent over. Yes, her cheeks were rosy and she was breathing easier.
How and when and why hadn't someone contacted him? He spun around, wanting to race out and yell at the overworked staff...but at the same time he didn't want to leave her side.
As he turned back, she opened her eyes and stared straight at him. Her lips twitched in a tiny smile. "Hey."
"Hey." He grinned, his heart pounding inside his chest. "There you are. It is damn good to see you."
"Same," she whispered. Her eyes drifted closed. "I still feel a little rough."
"Nothing like going for a trip on the wild side."
She winced. "Now that was bad."
"Then again, when you crashed, as you did, after our lovemaking session… That was bad too. At least for me." He tried to make it humorous, but as her gaze widened in shock he realized he'd failed.
"It had nothing to do with you," she gasped. "You did not do this."
"I know that much." He picked her hand up and brought it to his lips. "But maybe if we hadn't been so passionate, you'd have gotten more rest. Been less susceptible. Stronger."
He hadn't allowed himself to focus on the possibility, but it had eaten away at him. Just below the surface.
"No." She shifted her head from one side of the pillow to the other. "Besides, I'm fine. And while I've been in the ethers I might have figured this out. But I'm not sure."
"I hope so." He gripped her hand. "This has been incredibly difficult."
"Ya think?"
He laughed, mostly out of relief. "What did you figure out? See anyone?"
"Yes," she said in surprise. "I heard them. They speak English. I saw a couple of faces, but no, I didn't recognize anyone. And honestly, I didn't get a clear view." She explained what little she'd heard about the buyer and about the tiger's pregnancy and her overall health, ending with the fact that they were afraid the deal would go south. Tabitha wrinkled up her face. "I guess that doesn't help much, does it?"
"Everything helps, but descriptions would be better..." He raised a brow in question then he leaned over and kissed her. Hard.
"Definitely, but I might know a faster way." She smiled. "Stef—" And then she cried out, her back arching high up on the bed.
He reached out. "Tabitha, honey...what's wrong?"
"It's happening aga—"
Her body went rigid, her face froze.
"Jesus. Don't fight it. Do what you did last time and come back."
"Help me," she gasped painfully. "Better yet – help her."
She twisted from one side to the other, tugging at the sheets and covers. Her face scrunched up in a horrible rictus and she collapsed backwards on the bed.
Then her face went slack. Her mouth fell open.
Someone came running in behind him.
"What's going on—oh Jesus. Move. Move!"
Ronin stepped back out of the way as the team checked her over.
He knew what had happened, but how could he tell the medical staff?
He had to find that damn tiger. Maybe then Stefan could find a way to separate Tabitha from her – and fast .
Chapter 13
Sunday late afternoon
Pain ripped through Tabitha's mind as if she'd been stabbed. She understood what was happening, but not why. Psychic pain was amplified by one's lack of understanding. But once that awareness was there, the pain should have been almost eliminated, instead it was almost worse. Of course…
She immediately shut off her mind. It was her consciousness that was struggling. As she stopped trying to control it, the pain eased and the journey sped up until she was there.
Back inside the tiger.
Screaming in rage.
Tabitha adjusted more quickly this time and her eyes were open. The tiger had been so calm before. So what the hell happened to change that?
As if in slow motion, she watched two men struggle to subdue the tiger.
"You should have gotten here earlier, Timothy." One of the men puffed with effort. "She's been sleeping comfortably all morning."
"Until we approached," the stranger said. "The tranq s
hould have taken effect already. At least I'm looking for a better reaction than this. She should be calmer. I just need to make sure she doesn't have an infection and that the wound is clean."
Tabitha could feel the tiger's pain. A collar had somehow been placed on her neck while Tabitha had been gone, and she'd been tethered down. A type of muzzle stopped her jaws from opening. She heaved up on her back legs.