by Rita Herron
Where was he now? Did he know she had come looking for their son? Was he out there somewhere, searching for them?
Sky whimpered, and she traced a finger over his hand, cuddling him in the blanket. “Hey, little guy. Did you miss me? I’m your Mommy, remember?”
He cooed and clasped her hand with his fingers.
“Are you all right? That doctor didn’t hurt you, did he?”
The short, stocky woman pressed her thin lips together into a tight line. “Of course Dr. Grace didn’t hurt him. And I love babies. I take good care of him.”
Although the woman’s icy green eyes held no hint of friendliness, Holly forced herself to thank her. “I’m glad. I’ve been so worried about him.”
“Dr. Grace means him no harm. But he needs the boy for his research.”
Holly frowned. “What research?”
“It’s not my job to tell.” She set about tidying the nursery at a brisk pace.
The nurse obviously didn’t intend to talk further, so Holly focused on enjoying the time with her baby. She examined his feet, his hands, his face, cooing and talking to him, telling him how much she missed him and loved him. “We’ll never be apart again,” she whispered, earning another evil look from Mary.
Finally, when Sky yawned and his eyes began to drift closed with fatigue, she sang the lullaby she’d sung to him when she’d brought him home from the hospital. Did he remember her or had he begun to think of the old woman as his mother? He was seven months old now, had he started to babble? Had he called the nurse Mama?
As if to answer her and quiet her worries, Schyler snuggled to her, sucking on his thumb, and drifted back to sleep. But other questions bombarded her, all the things she should know about her own child but had lost. Was he eating baby food now? Did he like peas or fruit? Bananas or pears? Had he started to teethe?
Mary walked over and reached for Schyler.
“Please let me stay and tend to him,” Holly said, tightening her grip. “And will you get the bunny in my bag for him—it was his favorite toy.” Sky startled and began to fuss. Holly rocked him back and forth, but Mary ignored Holly’s plea, and snapped her fingers. Bertram suddenly appeared.
“He must sleep,” Mary said. “And you must go now.”
“But—” Holly’s protests died on her lips as Mary removed the baby. “Please give him his toy bunny.” She reached for him again, but Bertram snatched her arm, then pushed her outside into the corridor. Holly wanted to cry out for her son, but she didn’t want to frighten him. Still, as Bertram dragged her along the maze of corridors and her son grew farther away, panic seized her.
“When can I s again?”
Bertram ignored her, his fingers biting into her already bruised skin.
“Tell me, damn it. Why can’t I stay with my son?”
He shook her as if she were a rag doll. “Be quiet.”
“You have no right to do this.” Anger mushroomed. What if they didn’t let her see her son again? “Let me go! I want to stay with my baby!”
He gripped her chin so tightly she gasped in pain, unlocking the door with his free hand. “Get inside, Miss Langworthy.”
Holly kicked Bertram’s shin and tried to run, but he jerked her arm behind her back and twisted it so hard she yelped with pain. “If you want a chance to visit your baby again, then cooperate.”
Pain sliced through her shoulder. She felt as if he was tearing her arm out of the socket. Then he shoved her inside the room, and locked it behind him. She fell on the concrete, cradling her arm to soothe the pain.
Tears clouded her vision. She crawled back to the door and beat on the metal until she was so exhausted and hoarse, she trembled with fatigue. Frustrated and already aching for her son again, she finally crawled onto the cot, then rolled into a fetal position, giving in to despair and letting the tears fall. She had no idea where this madman had brought her and her baby.
How would Night or the other detectives ever find them?
NIGHT STOOD in the shadows of the cave on the opposite side and watched the scene, his gut tightening. At least Holly was still alive. If he had entertained the idea that she had helped stage the kidnapping, he was certain that idea was false. He’d heard the anguish in her sobs as she’d been tossed into the room alone.
Thank God she was a fighter. They both would have to stay strong to rescue his son.
He searched the darkness in case the big man returned, waiting several minutes before he picked the lock and snuck inside the room.
Holly lay on the dirty cot, curled into a ball, sobs wrenching from her. At the sight of her anguish, the fury he’d felt at Holly for denying him knowledge of his son dissipated slightly. He padded toward her, his footsteps so silent that she didn’t hear him until he slid down on the bed beside her. She startled then, cried out, and rolled over to fight him. He covered her mouth with his hand and captured her hands above her head, pinning her to the bed. She struggled and tried to knee him in the groin, but he forced her to look up at him.
“Shh, look at me, Holly. Quiet now.”
Her green eyes widened, the orbs sparkling with tears. Then recognition dawned, and she nodded, her relief palpable in the way she relaxed. Still, the depth of the sadness in her expression was so strong that Night couldn’t help himself—he pulled her into his arms and cradled her against him.
HOLLY HAD NEVER been so grateful to see anyone in her entire life. She sank into Night’s arms, memories of the last time he had held her stirring, along with the feelings sced at bay the last time they had spoken. She knew Night hated her, would never forgive her for keeping Sky’s birth a secret, that he blamed her for not protecting their child, but at least he had come. He would rescue their son.
She tried to stem the tears and calm herself, but the last few hours drove the nightmare of their situation home. Night stroked her back, the soft purr of his breath against her hair a reminder that she wasn’t alone anymore. Night was here, he would save them.
She trusted him with every fiber of her being, had trusted him the first time they had met.
His big hands slowed, moved to her face, then he gently eased her tangled hair from her cheek and tilted her head back to look at her. “Are you all right? Did he hurt you?”
His words were a mere whisper in the cave of a room.
“I’m okay…I saw our baby.”
He froze, his hands tightening around her face. “Is he all right?”
“Yes…” her voice broke. “He’s beautiful, even more beautiful than I remembered.”
A ghost of a smile greeted her, sending a dozen sensations rippling through her. Sensations she had no business feeling for a man who had walked away from her when she had needed him most. Sensations she couldn’t act upon now, not when their lives and their baby’s life depended on quick action.
As if he suddenly realized the compromising position they were in, that defenses had fled and that he was still holding her, that she desperately wanted the comfort of his kiss, he suddenly pulled away.
Footsteps echoed outside the hall. Night pressed a finger to her lips, then slid soundlessly to the floor and flattened himself against the wall behind the door.
Tension rippled through the room as they waited.
Chapter Four
Night pressed himself against the wall, preparing to battle whoever stepped through the doorway, but the footsteps clicked past and continued down the hall, the voices fading. He remained in hiding for several more seconds until he sensed they were in the clear, then returned to the cot beside Holly. Her green eyes were red-rimmed and swollen, her face pale, but she was still beautiful. The realization that he had almost kissed her earlier rocked him to the core.
Apparently, she still possessed the power to rob him of rational thought.
But they didn’t have time to explore those feelings. They had to escape and rescue their baby.
“How did you find me?” Holly asked.
“It’s a long story,” Night whispered, rem
embering that her father hadn’t shared the details of the case with her. “The trace evidence left in Sky’s nursery was linked to a Merino sheep ranch partially owned by Senator Franklin Gettys. Your cousin, Conrad Burke, connected the senator to mobster Helio DeMarco. DeMarco and Dr. Grace also have a connection.”
Holly shivered. “I met Teddy Grace earlier. He’s just as crazy as Mom said.”
Night nodded.
“But I don’t understand why he wants me or Sky. Is he trying to punish my mother and father because Mom divorced him and married Dad?”
“Revenge almost definitely played into his game plan,” Night said. “But he has a bigger agenda. Do you remember the flu that struck Silver Rapids a few months ago?”
“Yes. I was sick then myself. It was while I was pregnant.”
“Right.” He imagined her round with his child and his heart squeezed. He wished he could have seen her.
“Grace orchestrated your trip to Silver Rapids. Helio convinced his nephew, Tony, to trick Marilyn into getting you there so that you would be exposed to the germ.”
“Oh, my God. Did Marilyn know?”
“No, and she was horrified when she learned she’d had a part in it.” He studied her for a moment, wondering if she was strong enough to hear the rest. But, he had no choice. He saw the wheels spinning in her head and knew she was putting it all together.
“Does that mean that I passed on this germ to Sky?”
She looked so frail he reached out to rub her arms. “Yes, but no one knows the effect it might have. We suspect that’s Grace’s motive for kidnapping Sky. He wants to keep him here for testing.”
Holly’s face turned ashen. “That’s the reason he drew blood from me.”
Night’s lips pressed into a flat line. “Apparently Grace infected your cousin Con with a germ when he was little. Con was sick at the time, so the germ worked in reverse to boost his immune system.” He forced a smile, although he knew it was stiff. “Con says he hasn’t been sick a day since.”
Panic darkened her eyes. “But Sky is healthy. Does that mean he’ll get sick from the virus?”
“We don’t know yet, but if he were going to be ill, chances are he probably would have contracted something by now.”
Holly nodded, although her lower lip trembled as she looked up at him. He wanted to offer more but he couldn’t. Not until they had some answers.
She reached out and took his hand, played with his fingers. “Night, I’m…so sorry about not telling you about Sky. I…I wanted to.”
He inhaled sharply, struggling not to let her admission affect him, but the sincerity lacing her voice hacked away at his anger, chipping away the top layer. He wished he could tell her it was all right, but it wasn’t. They would have to work out their personal issues later.
He pulled away and stood, ignoring the wince on her face at his withdrawal. Instead, he focused on his plan. “We need to find Sky and get out of here. Are you ready?”
HOLLY CUT her gaze around the cold dank room and nodded. There was so much more she wanted to say, but she would have to wait. At least they were working together to save their son.
“Can you take me to the room where they’re holding Sky?”
Holly shrugged. “I’m not sure. We wound through a lot of hallways.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll find him.” He squeezed her hand. “I can get us back to the side door where I came in. I heard you in the hallway with your guard when I entered, so I can probably sense the direction from there.”
“That’s Bertram.” She shivered. Holly knew Night was trying to reassure her, and appreciated his calm demeanor. She breathed easier as he opened the door a crack and paused to search the darkened interior of the corridor. She noticed the gun tucked into the waistband of his jeans. As they moved out, his footsteps were so quiet they were nonexistent while hers seemed to echo in the hollow hallway. She latched onto his hand and followed. Mildew and must permeated the air. Water trickled somewhere in the distance. A skittering sound, like mice, made her pause.
He pointed to the left at the first corner. Again, she remembered the aura of mystery that had drawn her to Night before, and admired his ability to home in on his instincts.
They crept along the concrete floor, twisting and turning and weaving through the maze until frustration pulled at Holly. She tried to remember the series of turns Bertram had taken her on, but she had been dizzy with fear and hadn’t acclimated to the darkness. Night held up his finger, signaling her to stop, and Holly recognized the trickle of water running down the inside of the cave. “That way,” he mouthed.
She nodded, faintly remembering hearing the sound before, too. They passed several locked doorways that appeared to be labs. Night slowly eased by them, peering through the small square window at the top of the doorway, each time shaking his head to indicate he saw no one inside.
A strange screeching sound echoed from down the hallway, and Night motioned that he wanted to check it out. “If we find the details of Grace’s research, maybe we’ll know what we’re up against with the germ tests that he gave you and Schyler,” he whispered.
Holly nodded, deciding the sounds were animals. What in the world was Dr. Grace doing to them?
Night opened the door and they crept inside. The counter was filled with standard lab equipment, microscopes, test tubes, quick-freeze dryers, centrifuges and eggs.
“Another lab,” Night whispered. “I’m going to look around.” Holly stood guard at the door while he explored the laboratory counters and scrounged through some of the files on the desk. “He was working on recombinant and gene therapy techniques,” Night explained as he scanned the files. “He’s been infecting bacteria with viruses to change the bacterial DNA and make new strains of bacteria.”
“But why?” Holly asked.
“He wants to transfer this technique to infect other living things with viruses that help boost the immune system instead of destroying it. This sounds like the method he used on Con. But to earn money, he also created and sold germs and bacteria to Helio, the mobster I told you about. Helio used them on his enemies.”
“So, the weird growths in those petri dishes could potentially be v dangerous?” Holly asked.
“Exactly.” The screeching animal sounds grew louder, reverberating in the lab through a connecting back room door. Night went to check it out. Seconds later, he motioned for Holly to come and see for herself.
Holly froze in the doorway, covering her mouth with her hand to stifle a gasp. Rows and rows of cages lined the room, filled with mice, birds, chimpanzees. “Is he testing his viruses on all those animals?”
“Some.” Night scanned the charts attached to a few of the cage fronts. “He’s also doing cloning experiments. Trying to use animal stem cells to compare to human embryonic ones. Our theory is that, through Helio DeMarco, he was culturing bacteria for bio warfare, then testing the germs on the unsuspecting public.”
Night headed back to the front laboratory room, grabbed a chair and began tapping into the computer. Holly followed, leaning over his shoulder to study the information as it spilled onto the screen.
“Here are notes on the Silver Rapids flu,” Night said. “Grace is definitely responsible for the Q fever. Apparently it was the Q fever microbe that caused the people to get sick, not the virus.”
“I don’t understand all this,” Holly said.
“It’s pretty technical, but the gist is that he’s playing with fire, and people’s lives,” Night said. “There are files on other cases, too. Apparently he’s been testing his germs in other parts of the country as well.”
“He’s a monster,” Holly said. “And doing it to innocent people.”
Night’s gaze met hers, their thoughts obviously in synch. Grace had no conscience. He was even experimenting on children, like their son.
From the back room, the birds squawked louder and the other animals screeched wildly. Night pressed his finger to her lip, then pointed to the connecting room, i
ndicating a door which opened to the hallway. Someone was unlocking it to check on the animals. He pulled Holly down beside the desk. They crawled along the edges, hiding behind the other desks and equipment until they reached the front lab door.
But just as they stood to escape, Dr. Grace strode through the doorway with a pistol in his hand, aimed at them.
NIGHT COAXED Holly behind him, trying to protect her with his body as they stood and faced the man he presumed was Teddy Grace.
“Well, well. I’ve been expecting you, Walker.” Grace gestured toward the gun at Night’s waistband. “Drop the gun on the floor and kick it over here.”
Damn it. Night hated to relinquish his weapon, but he had no choice. He couldn’t take a chance on getting Holly killed. He slowly slid his hand to his pants, removed the Glock and dropped it on the linoleum. He gave it a gentle kick, not quite close enough for Grace to reach without having to move. When Grace bent to retrieve it, Night would attack.
But Grace was smarter than he’d hoped. He motioned for Bertram, who’d entered the connecting back lab room where the animals were kept, to pick it up. Bertram did so quicklyed his boss.
A bold sneer twisted Grace’s face. “So, what do you think of my lab?”
“That the government would be interested in your work,” Night said. Holly tensed behind him, and he forced his voice to remain steady.
“I’ve tried that route before,” Grace said in a cynical tone. “The government didn’t appreciate my efforts the way they should have.”
“No, even the government has some scruples about unleashing dangerous germs on innocent people.”
Grace shrugged. “A few must be sacrificed for the good of mankind.”
“What you’re doing isn’t good, it’s evil,” Holly said.
Harsh laughter echoed across the room. “I beg to differ. Some of my germ tests may prove that bio engineering can offer immunity to disease. I might save the world from HIV or cancer.”