by Brant, Kylie
Trey and Jaida strolled through the crowds without talking. It took all of Jaida’s resolve to keep her inner defenses lowered, when every instinct she had screamed to raise her guard against the sensory bombardment from the strangers surrounding her.
Trey’s all-assessing gaze continually swept the crowd. His powers of observation were instinctual. Yet today his behavior was subtly different. He took pains to remain close by Jaida’s side, and it was some time before the reason was apparent. Finally, when he made a sudden move in front of her and she just narrowly avoided being jostled by a squabbling family of four, his motivation became clear.
He was running interference for her. The knowledge almost stopped her dead in her tracks. She watched him for a time. When people threatened to come too near, Trey would appear in their path, cutting them off. A few times they would look up, indignant, but one glance at the tall grim-faced man had them swallowing their words and melting back into the crowd. His efforts were futile, of course. There was no way he could always protect her from the surge of the hordes. But the fact that he was trying so desperately made her heart melt.
The walls of the stone fortresses that housed some of the park’s star attractions were no less impenetrable than the one that guarded this man’s emotions. Knowing that he was protecting her in this way made it easy to dream that he cared, just a bit. And that dream sustained her for a time, even as her reserves of energy were depleted by the huge mob of people.
“We should sit down,” Trey said. The sun was directly overhead, glaring down punishingly. The attendance at the park had swelled to easily twice what it was when they’d arrived. They’d circled the entire area once and were about to commence again. Jaida had been showing considerable signs of strain. She had her purse on one shoulder and was clutching something in the bag she carried in her other with a death grip. Her face was chalk white. As he watched, she swayed a little on her feet. He quickly led her to a ledge surrounding a topiary and forced her down on it.
He looked at his watch and mentally calculated the hours since she last ate. “You wait here,” he ordered. “I’ll get you something to eat.”
She shook her head fiercely, sensations bouncing inside her mind with almost dizzying speed. They flooded her in a tidal wave of outpourings, leaving her shaking as they ebbed. “He’s here,” she managed in a raw whisper.
His face went still. “Are you sure? How can you know?”
The sensations she’d been experiencing for the past hour were not something she could put into words. “I’m sure.”
He remained unconvinced. “You reacted each time we reached a place he’d been. How can you be certain . . .”
Trey’s words tapered off as slowly she withdrew the hand she’d had buried in the bag she was holding. Her fingers clutched Benjy’s stuffed elephant. “Now?” The word was murmured like a prayer.
“The schedule.” She wet her lips and took a deep breath. “Do you have the schedule of the day’s activities and a map of the park?”
Trey quickly unfolded the schedule of events and handed it to her. Jaida tried to focus, the vision of singing and dancing characters whirling feverishly in her head. Her temples were already beginning to pound. “What time is it?” she asked.
He checked his watch. “Five after one.”
One o’clock. The words rushed up at her from the schedule. She handed it back to Trey and pointed to the show time with a shaking forefinger.
He reached for her and helped her rise. “Let’s go.”
He guided her through the park, shielding her as best he could as they dodged the throngs. The grandstand they were headed for wasn’t far away. But as Jaida glimpsed the hundreds of people bunched around it, her steps faltered.
Trey glanced down at her with a frown; then, as he looked back at the mob, a grim expression settled over his face. “Here,” he muttered, turning around and scanning the area. He gave her a gentle push. “Head over to that fence. I’ll be back for you.”
She shook her head. “No, I’m coming with you.”
“The hell you are, Jaida.” His voice was savage. “Do you think I don’t know that just the sight of this crowd is making you physically ill? I’ll handle this, but I can’t protect you from this mob. So go over by that fence and wait for me.” Not lingering to ensure she complied, he elbowed his way into the crush of people and was lost from her sight.
She took a step in the direction he’d indicated, then hesitated. Turning back, she looked over the crowd, which had already swallowed him. The sensations rushing through the horde of people were unmistakable. Benjy was hidden inside that wall of bodies somewhere. His presence was pulling her, as inexorably as metal filings to a magnet. What if Trey wasn’t able to find him before the show was over? What if the people who had his nephew simply drifted away before Trey ever neared them?
Her teeth came down hard on her bottom lip, as compassion warred inside her with an innate need for self-preservation. The wall of humanity was as frightening as a nightmare come to life. It had been years since the scene in the concert garden. The time hadn’t faded the horror. Trey would find Benjy. He had to. They couldn’t get this close, only to lose him again.
She wheeled around and walked deliberately away, toward the fence Trey had indicated. Her steps stopped after only a short distance. She turned her head, as if compelled, back to the crowd.
Benjy.
His name shrieked through her mind on a howl of desolate yearning. Her lips trembled in response; her heart raced. She stood uncertainly for a moment longer, her legs shaking with indecision. Then slowly, reluctantly, she retraced her steps and cautiously circled the crowd. She thought she caught a glimpse of Trey’s dark head once, before the sight was swallowed by the mob again.
Jaida took a deep breath, trying to fight the nausea rising at the thought of what she was about to do. And then with conscious effort, she walked into the crowd.
Trey used his superior size with ruthless efficiency. Ignoring the complaints and mumbled remarks about his rudeness, he shouldered his way into the middle of the throng. He scanned the sea of faces, looking for one small boy with a mop of dark hair and glittering green eyes. He bent down to look in each stroller, earning himself several gasps and more than a few obscene remarks. But when something finally caught his eye, it wasn’t the black-haired little boy he was seeking, but a beacon of pale hair that reflected the bright overhead sun with blinding brilliance.
“Jaida,” he muttered with frustration. “Jaida!” he shouted, starting through the crowd after her. His heart iced at the thought of what she was experiencing right now. Damn her, why hadn’t she stayed put? He pushed through the people, following glimpses of that white gold hair. The crowd seemed to be surging forward. He fought the rising swell of people, impelled by the fear of Jaida lost in their midst.
“I’m warning you, lady, let go or I’ll scream this place down. Are you crazy? Let go!”
Trey stumbled at the sound of the words, his head whipping around in the direction of the voice. Pushing aside the people in his path, he found Jaida on her knees, her hands tightly wrapped around the bar on a stroller. He faltered to a stop.
The stroller was easily recognizable. He’d pushed it himself many times through a park or a zoo. The navy blue canopy was folded down, revealing the padded white and blue striped lining.
And inside sat the most precious sight in the world.
“Benjy.” He uttered the name with the reverence of a priest in prayer. The child was oblivious to the wall of people around him. He seemed mesmerized by the glowing halo of hair surrounding his confines. As Trey watched, his nephew clutched some of the strands in his chubby hand, then smiled beatifically.
“Lady, this is your last warning. Do I have to get the police?”
Trey’s hand clamped around the speaker’s forearm like a vise. “I think that’s exactly what you’re going to have to do. As a matter of fact, I’ll help you.”
The woman jerked franticall
y, but was unable to free herself. “Help, someone help me!” she yelped.
“Get security,” Trey snapped to a couple gawking at the scene that was unfolding. Raising his voice, he ordered again, “Somebody get security over here.” The next few minutes were a jumble of events. Jaida hadn’t moved when she’d heard his voice, and he shot her a concerned look. “Honey, are you all right?” he asked, reaching down for her arm. The strange woman picked that time to shove a fist into his midsection and broke free of him. She got only a few steps before he had her arm again, and by that time several unobtrusively dressed men were surrounding them. Security had arrived.
“Let me go!” the woman screeched when one of the men took her by the elbow.
Trey released her. “Call the police,” he commanded the guards. He walked back to the stroller and Jaida. Bending down, he looked into the face of his nephew for the first time in almost a month. Even now, he couldn’t believe the search was over. He reached out with one long finger and stroked the baby-soft cheek. “Hey, big guy,” he said, his voice cracking with suppressed emotion.
Benjy looked up and his eyes widened with delight. “Tay!” He released the hold he had on Jaida’s hair and clapped his hands excitedly. “Tay—Tay—Tay!” He thrust his arms in the air demandingly. “Up, Tay, up!”
Trey reached in and took his nephew into his arms. He hugged the wiggling child fiercely, a flood of emotion filling him. Benjy was here, and he was safe. He was safe. Squeezing his eyes shut tightly, he rested his face against the small, silky head. As many times as he’d dreamed of this moment, he was unprepared for the reality of it.
He opened his eyes, needing to convince himself that the small body he held wasn’t the product of yet another dream. The boy clasped his uncle’s face in his small hands, and Trey looked down in wonder at the face that seemed a miniature of his own. Then he hugged the boy to him again and threw his head back, letting out a shout of laughter. The world had never seemed more perfect, or life more precious.
“You’re going to have to come with us, sir.”
The voice in his ear was polite, but firm. So was the grip on his arm. Trey’s head snapped around, his shoulders automatically hunching to defend his nephew. Recognizing the man as one of the security personnel who’d appeared, he relaxed slightly. The woman Jaida had found with Benjy was already being escorted away.
“I’ll take the boy,” another guard said, reaching over for Benjy. Benjy immediately set up a howl, but Trey relinquished him voluntarily. Jaida hadn’t moved during the entire scene, and he cursed himself now for forgetting everything for a few seconds except for Benjy.
He pulled away from the man who’d apprehended him, squatting down to where Jaida still knelt, her hands tightly wrapped around the stroller. “Jaida, honey, open your eyes,” he commanded in a soft voice. “Look at me, now.”
Her eyes slowly opened, but he knew she was barely conscious of his presence. Cursing under his breath, he snapped at the guard still hovering above him, “Get those people back from her!” The crowd seemed to have expanded, as attention shifted from the performance on the stage to the real-life drama taking place in its midst.
The guard hesitated, looking at the other two security personnel standing by. “I’m not coming without her. Now, do as I say and get those people away.” Trey’s voice cracked like a whip, and after a moment, two of the men obeyed the command implicit in his tone.
Trey covered Jaida’s hands with his, talking to her continuously in a soft, soothing voice. He watched awareness flicker in her eyes, their brilliant blue dulled now with pain and something else, something he couldn’t even begin to comprehend. Gently he released her fingers from their grip on the stroller. He rubbed them in his, speaking in dulcet tones. He wondered if he was doing the right thing. He didn’t want to burden senses already overloaded. He wanted to push that psychic bombardment from the crowd away for her, engrossing her only in their touch, in the chemistry between them.
Long minutes ticked by. Finally, she blinked. “Trey,” she said in a faint voice.
“That’s right, love, I’m here,” he crooned, relief rolling through him. She was starting to come back to him. Tenderly he began to lift her to her feet.
“Benjy?” Her voice was no stronger this time, but fear was lacing it.
“He’s all right,” he soothed. Triumph filled his voice. “You did it, honey. You found him.” A slight smile crossed her face, before her body crumpled and he caught her in his arms.
“Does she need a doctor?” one of the security people asked.
Trey rose with Jaida cradled against his chest. “No,” he said tersely, hoping like hell he was right. “Bring that stroller.” One of the guards did as Trey bade him, and Trey looked at the one who had been trying unsuccessfully to apprehend him for the past several minutes. “Now, take me to my nephew.”
The man obediently turned and led them away. “Mister, you’re going to have a lot of explaining to do,” he said.
“Get the police here first,” Trey said shortly, gazing down into Jaida’s pale face. “It’s a long story, and I’m only going to tell it once.”
Sergeant Mitch Garven hung up the phone and turned to the group assembled in the Kids’ Kingdom Security Office. “Well, I spoke to Detective Reynolds of the LAPD. Your story checks out, Garrison. He’s faxing us the information we need to finalize the identification, although I can’t imagine any kid resembling an adult as much and not being related.” He frowned and looked at Trey. “He does have some questions about how the heck you managed to track your nephew here, and I admit I’m curious myself.” His attention was diverted by the fax machine.
Benjy struggled down off Trey’s lap and made his way cautiously over to the noisy machine. He turned back a couple times, as if to assure himself Trey was still there, then proceeded to satisfy his inquisitive nature. Soon he was peering up at the machine, his eyes widening when he recognized the likeness of himself emerging. He ran back to Trey quickly. “It Benjy!” he announced, clambering onto his uncle’s lap.
Trey scooped him up with his free arm. He had the other wrapped around Jaida, and she was leaning heavily against him. Her eyes were closed, but he doubted she was sleeping. He needed to get her back to the motel quickly. He’d remembered the medication she carried with her, but her purse, along with Benjy’s toy, was missing. A security officer had been dispatched to find them both, but hadn’t yet returned.
It had taken an interminable time to summon the police, tell his story to the sergeant and then wait while contact was made with the LAPD to verify the story. Through it all he was aware of how much the woman at his side was suffering, while he’d been unable to do a damn thing about it.
The door pushed open then, but the guard who walked through it carried only the small bag with Benjy’s elephant inside. “Sorry, sir,” the young man said. “I even checked lost and found, but the purse you described wasn’t there. Still could show up, though.”
Sergeant Garven ripped the sheet free from the machine. He studied it for a minute, then came over to where Trey was sitting with Benjy. Squatting in front of them, he turned Benjy’s head with a gentle hand and pushed aside the silky, black curls that had grown longer over the weeks he’d been away. He found the lone freckle in back of the boy’s left earlobe and got up, satisfied.
“It’s Benjy, all right,” he said with a chuckle, reaching down to ruffle the boy’s hair.
Benjy ducked away shyly, hiding his face against his uncle’s chest.
The man turned his attention back to Trey. “I’d still like to have you come downtown later and make a statement.”
“Right now,” Trey responded evenly, “all I want to do is get back to the motel with Benjy and Jaida. I need to call my sister as soon as possible.” He didn’t want to do that here, though. Not with the curious security guards standing around listening, and certainly not before he got Jaida to a bed. “I’ll want to be kept informed about what you find out from that woman in th
ere.” He jerked his head toward the adjoining room, where the woman had been left with the head of Security and a couple of guards.
“She’s got some explaining to do,” Garven agreed. “I’m kind of eager to hear what she has to say myself.”
“She’s not working alone.” Jaida’s voice was strained and quiet. She didn’t open her eyes as she spoke.
“What’s that?” Sergeant Garven asked, startled.
“We don’t believe the woman was alone,” Trey said. “We have reason to believe that she was working with a man.”
“Did you see anyone with her today?” The man’s voice was sharp.
“No,” admitted Trey. “But it would have been easy for him to fade back into the crowd once he saw the way things were going.”
“Maybe,” the sergeant said dubiously.
He promised to call Trey as soon as he was finished questioning the woman and then Trey gave him the phone number of the motel they were staying at. “I need to get these two back there,” he said. Looking down at the boy he held in his lap, he added gruffly, “This little guy wants to call his mama.”
The sky was just beginning to turn a dull gray, signaling dawn’s approach. Mac and Trey sat on the balcony outside of Trey’s room. Inside, Lauren and Benjy slept on one of the beds. Lauren held her baby close, even in sleep. The men had crept outside hours before so as not to disturb them.
“You were able to get here in record time,” Trey observed.
“It cost us a fortune, but it was worth it. Lauren would have run here if she’d had to.” Mac nodded toward the terrace doors. “You did real good, buddy.”
“Jaida did it all,” Trey corrected. “Most of the time I felt like I was just along for the ride.” He frowned then. He had summoned a doctor to their room, who’d given Jaida a sedative. But he’d been aware even at the time that their efforts would be woefully inadequate. He’d put her to bed and piled her with extra blankets to still the trembling in her limbs. She hadn’t seemed to have moved in any of the times he’d checked on her.