We pulled onto a tarmac reserved for private jets. Once the plane stopped, I saw a large Suburban pulling up to our door. “Is that ours?”
“Yes ma’am. I was busy while you were asleep.”
“I guess so! What else did you do while I was sleeping? Cure cancer? Solve global warming?”
“I only wish I could be that talented ma’am.”
The sincerity in his voice told me that he meant what he said. He was so genuine and sweet. I’d never run across someone so incredibly honest. Talon grabbed our bags, and the pilot escorted me down the stairs of the jet. I thanked him for the smooth ride as Talon placed our bags in the back of the Suburban. The porter tossed him the keys as I was shaking the pilots hand good bye.
“Ya ready, Lexie? This baby’s all gassed up and ready to roll.”
I slipped into the passenger side, letting my tactical tracker take control of the wheel. The Suburban was stocked full of camping provisions. There were sleeping bags, pillows, two cases of bottled water, sacks and sacks of non perishables, and most importantly two crossbows complete with arrows.
“You were a busy little beaver while I was sleeping weren’t you?”
He grinned and patted himself on the back. “I just had a few local connections to help me out.”
The Suburban roared onto I-65 headed south. Traffic was light as we bounded through the rolling hills of southern Indiana. Talons eyes looked glassy from a lack of sleep, and I noticed that he kept yawning.
“Talon, would you like me to drive for awhile. You could get a little rest.”
“I’m alright, Lexie. We’ll be there in a couple of hours. I can crash then.”
“So you know where we’re going then?”
“Not exactly, but I have a grid mapped out of where we can look. There are not a lot of cave-ridden posh estates in southern Kentucky, so we won’t have too many places to look.”
“May I see your grid?”
“I’ll show you when we get there. It’s on my laptop packed away in the back.”
“Hmm. OK. The pilot let you keep his laptop?”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “Naw, it actually belongs to the plane. I’ll return it to my buddy when I get back.”
In no time at all we came upon the glittering lights of Louisville. There was a paddle wheel boat full of gamblers crossing under the bridge on the river as we crossed into town. My mind wandered back to the casino in Lake Tahoe where the Bronx Brothers were making headway with a cute Polish blackjack dealer. I smiled at the thought of my family, and my heart ached to see them again. Talons inquiry broke me from my thoughts.
“Lexie, what are you going to do when you get there? What’s your plan?”
“I don’t know yet Talon. I need to see what I’m dealing with first.”
He yawned again as the bright lights of Louisville faded behind us.
“Do you mind if I turn on the radio.” He yawned again as he asked.
“I’ll get it. You keep your eyes on the road.”
I scanned through country station after country station intent on finding something upbeat to keep Talon going.
“Don’t these people believe in pop music at all?”
I was pouting, but Talon chuckled devilishly. “You’re in the south now Miss Lexie. It’s all country,” he exclaimed in a charming southern drawl. I shook my head and continued to hunt for a good station. I settled on one that was playing top 40 country music. At least I might be able to hear a little Faith Hill or Carrie Underwood. As we traversed the beautiful Kentucky mountains in relative silence, storms kept popping up. At times it rained so hard, even I had a hard time seeing the road. I kept check on Talon to make sure he was handling his exhaustion. He finally relented about sixty miles north of Bowling Green. We pulled off the expressway and into a gas station.
“I’m gonna stretch my legs and get a cup of coffee. Ya need anything, Lexie?
“No, I’m good. Thanks though.”
I watched him protectively as he entered the store. The bright lights of the service station actually hurt my eyes. We’d been driving in total darkness for over an hour. For the moment, the storms had subsided, so I decided to get out of the car and stretch my tired limbs. Talon walked into the restroom, and I took this as an opportunity to peek at his laptop. I rushed to the trunk, and slid the sleek notebook from its protective case. I didn’t mean to invade his privacy like this, but it was going to keep him safe in the long run. The battery didn’t have much of a charge on it, but it dimly sprung to life anyways. I kept watching for him to come out of the restroom. It seemed like it took forever for everything to finally load. I began with his documents, changing them into order by date. There it was, a file simply titled GRID. I opened the file, and did my best to memorize the map. There were three areas circled just south of Cave City. I committed the roads to memory and closed the laptop just seconds before he emerged from the restroom. I watched as he poured a cup of coffee, adding a touch of cream and sugar. By the time he paid the cashier, I was already snuggly back in the passenger seat. I could see his hair was wet as he made his way to the truck.
“Fall in?” I asked with a grin as he slid into the driver’s seat.
“Naw, I just splashed my face with a lot of cold water. You sure you don’t want anything to eat or drink? We haven’t had anything since breakfast.”
“I’m good.” I protested. “I just want to get you somewhere that you can get a little shut eye. Where are we going anyways?”
“It’s not too much further. There’s a small campground about forty-five minutes from here. I figure we can stay there for the night, and start our search around sunup.”
Talon placed his coffee in the cup holder. It smelled divine. I never drank the stuff, but I did love the smell. We made our way back onto I-65 south. We were literally the only car on the road. Talon sipped his coffee in silence, as I watched another storm roll in. As promised, we exited the interstate forty-five minutes later. Talon drove slowly for a few miles before slowly turning into a small campground. We were met at a gate by a pleasant elderly gentleman wearing a bright yellow rain parka. He assigned us to slip seven. Talon drove the Tahoe slowly over the muddy gravely pathway until he found our slot. I could tell the trip had really taken a toll on him. He was going to be asleep before his head hit the pillow. He expertly backed the truck under a large tree that provided us a bit of shelter from the rain.
“We’ll be alright as long as lightning doesn’t hit the tree,” he mused jokingly.
We exited the truck, protecting our heads from the giant raindrops now falling. “I don’t think we’re going to get the tent up in this weather.” He was yelling over the wind and rain. I nodded in agreement as we both bolted back to the front seats of the truck. “You take the back Lexie. I’ll be fine up here.”
“Nonsense!” I was adamant. “You’ll sleep back there. There’s plenty of room for you to spread out and get the rest you need. I slept on the plane, so I am fine!”
Talon hopped over the front seat. He lowered the rear seat and began passing our bags up to me. I piled them tidily in the driver’s seat. We placed the crossbows, food, and water on the floor board behind the front seat, giving him lots of room to stretch. He unfurled one of the sleeping bags, placing it precisely in the center of the trunk. He tossed one of the pillows on top of his makeshift bed before tossing me a sleeping bag and pillow as well. I set both neatly on floor next to my feet. As I suspected, Talon was asleep before the next bolt of lightning illuminated the sky. I quietly slid his laptop from its case on the floor next to me. I pulled up Word and began to quietly type.
Dearest Talon,
Thank you for everything you’ve done for me. It will be safer if I continue this journey alone. I will never be able to repay your kindness, but someday in the future, I will find you and do my best to try. Please don’t waste your time trying to track me. The safest thing for you to do is to turn around and fly back to Tahoe, knowing that I’ll be fine.
I titled the document LoveLexie.docx and saved it to his desktop where he would be sure to find it as soon as he booted up the computer to check his maps. This was the right thing to do. I couldn’t put him in any further jeopardy. The world needed more Talon Wilkinsons, and I wasn’t about to put the only one in the world in danger of extinction. I stared quietly out the windshield listening as his breathing became rhythmic and calm. I was still for the next hour watching as one storm passed, and another approached. When I was sure he wouldn’t be awakened by a sudden crack of thunder, I quietly opened my door and disappeared into the night.
Chapter 26
Emotions
Evie
I was still sitting in front of the window watching the sun begin its ascent over the rolling hills when Thane politely knocked on the open door to my room before entering.
“Good morning Evie. How are you feeling?”
“I’m well Dr. Ganyon. You?” I arose from my perch and turned to face him. Thane kicked the door shut behind him. He held a large cup of coffee in his right hand and a small overnight bag in his left. He looked every bit the doctor this morning in his smoky grey turtle neck, black slacks, and white lab coat, complete with stethoscope dangling loosely from his very thick neck.
“For you.” He gestured for me to take the coffee and bag from his hands.
I took the coffee and placed it onto the night stand next to my bed. He placed the duffel bag at the foot of my bed. “What’s in the bag doctor?”
“Just a few things you may need to clean up before Link arrives. I’m also hoping they make you feel more comfortable while you’re here.”
I gave him an appreciative glance. “Thank you, Dr. Ganyon. Right now this is better than all the gold in the world. May I?” I began heading to the bathroom for a nice hot shower, but Thane gently grabbed my arm.
“Let me check you over first, get that I.V. out of your arm, and remove a few stitches before you get under the water, OK?”
I nodded in agreement. Thane led me to the side of the bed. He unhooked the I.V. tubing from my arm and gently wrapped the clear thin tubes around the top of the I.V. pole. It felt good to be untethered from that machine. With a quick flick of his wrist, the intravenous port was removed from my hand. He began untying my hospital gown. I tensed nervously.
“Evie, I need to remove your gown in order to extract the stitches from your left side where I had to place a small tube to remove the blood that had accumulated around your lung. The stitches extend from here to here.” His fingers traced a path from the middle of my left side to the leading edge of my left breast. It tickled, and I let out a nervous giggle.
“I guess it’s not like you haven’t already seen it, so go ahead.” The gown dropped around my waist. The chill in the room caused me to shiver. Thane gently worked out the stitches one by one as he leaned onto the bed behind me. The only sound in the room was his slow rhythmic breathing.
“You’ve healed well Evie. There should hardly be a scar.” His voice lingered in a serious tone as he worked intently. “So, I hear there was a bit of a ruckus last night after I left.”
“Can you describe the ruckus doctor?”
The good doctor chortled at my Breakfast Club reference, a sound I’d never heard from the normally serious Thane Ganyon. “I was downstairs with your comrades when we began to hear a small tapping noise. As I understand it though, you were sleeping silently in bed when my men came to check on you.”
“Yes Dr. Ganyon, I was resting as you ordered, and they woke me from a sound sleep.” It was hard to keep a straight face, as I knew this was all an act for the cameras.
“They will be dealt with, Evie. I apologize for the disturbance.”
“Was the source of the noise ever discovered, Doctor?”
“My men believe it was just the trees outside hitting a pipe.”
“Aah, then perhaps they should be more mindful before causing such a ruckus.”
“Of course, Evie. Once again I apologize for the boorish behavior of my men.”
He pulled out the last of the stitches. “You are all set.”
I could hear the pride in his voice. He handed me a tube of antibiotic ointment to rub on the wound when I finished showering.
“I’ll assist you in applying a bandage, so don’t dress right away. Press the call button when you are ready for me. I’ll be at the end of the hall.”
“Thank you, Dr. Ganyon.”
I kept my back to him as he left my room and shut the door behind him. After a quick sip of coffee, I let the nasty drab gown fall to my feet, and I fluttered to the bathroom. I let the warm water work its way over my stiff muscles, washing away the days’ worth of filth and dried blood. I lathered my hair and soaped up my tiny, sore body. I took my time rinsing off the soap, enjoying the scent of the steam. Unfortunately, the shower had to end. Begrudgingly, I turned off the water, stepped out of the generous shower, and attempted to towel off. The room was packed full of heavy, thick, steam making it impossible to dry. I couldn’t find the switch for the overhead fan to clear the room, so I opened the door, allowing the steam to billow out of my small inclusion into the larger bedroom. Blinded by the thick white fogginess, I didn’t notice him standing there studying my form. I jumped back and threw a towel awkwardly in front of my body.
“Oh God, Evie! I’m so sorry. I should have made my presence known.” His voice cracked as he shifted his weight nervously. I was breathless from embarrassment.
“Could you hand me my robe please?”
Ganyon rushed with lightning speed to retrieve my thick, blue robe from the closet. The steam swirled around him as he rushed back to my side and placed the robe gently on my shoulders. He lowered his head so his lips were mere millimeters from my ear. “Just so you know, you’re more spectacular than any specimen I’ve ever seen before.”
With that faint whisper into my ear, he rushed from my room slamming the door behind him. I couldn’t fight back the smile that was forming at the corner of my lips. I felt like a giddy schoolgirl as I pushed my arms through my robe and tied it tightly around the waist. Still smiling, I gave my teeth a power brushing, replenishing the toothbrush with toothpaste three times. When I was certain all the grime was brushed from my teeth, I emerged from the bathroom. My room was half-breed free so I began rummaging through the overnight bag for a comb to run through my hair. I was astonished to see the belongings in the bag were from my condo in Nashville. Link’s men had once again invaded my personal space. I pushed away the rage that was trying to bubble up to the surface, and continued my search. I found my hairbrush, make-up, and styling products tucked neatly into a plastic bag under my sweaters. The least they could have done was grab my hair dryer and curling iron. Bastards! I reentered the bathroom and vigorously towel dried my hair before brushing out the knots left by the days of lying in bed. I chose to style my hair into a French braid, knotting it off into a chignon at the nape of my neck. I applied a small amount of brown eye shadow and black mascara to my eyes in an attempt to hide my fatigue. I appraised myself in the mirror and decided that was as good as it was going to get. I returned to the room and pushed the call button to alert Thane that I was ready for my bandage. He did not come as promised. Instead an attractive young female nurse in navy scrubs walked through my door holding packages of sterile gauze. She introduced herself as Jen. She explained that Dr. Ganyon was called away unexpectedly, but would meet me outside for breakfast after I was all patched up. She applied a liberal amount of the antibiotic ointment before expertly placing gauze over my scar. Jen left quietly as I pulled my robe back around my shoulders. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I began rifling through the overnight bag searching for something appropriate to wear. For the first time ever, my entire being was a conflict of emotions. I was dreading the thought of seeing Jacks again, yet I wanted to make a good impression. I had no idea what to make of my earlier encounter with Thane, but I was truly enthralled at the thought o
f seeing him again. My heart spilled with joy at the notion of seeing Grizz, Cam, and Lenny again, yet my heart ached with sorrow over the loss of Diablo. I needed a good hurricane hunt to get my head in check. I decided casual elegance was best suited for my crazy feelings. I tossed on a pair of form fitting grey slacks with lavender pin stripes. I threw on a black satin chemise and a lavender cashmere V-neck sweater. Link’s goons had neglected to pack any appropriate shoes, so I was forced to slip on my black knee-high boots. What imbeciles! When I emerged from my room, Nurse Jen was sitting at the desk adjacent to the elevators. She instructed me to take the elevator to floor two. There would be a set of glass doors leading to a terrace. Dr. Ganyon would meet me there. I thanked her for her expert patchwork before entering the elevator. I found the terrace easily enough, but I was the first to arrive. It overlooked the sprawling horse pasture. The beautiful creatures were busy chomping on the dewy morning grass. The ornately decorated black iron table had been set to accommodate five people. I poured a glass of apple juice before choosing my seat facing the horses. I watched in amazement as the majestic beings trotted playfully, enjoying the cool morning. Thane was first to emerge onto the terrace as I sipped on my juice.
“Eveliene, I have some friends who are anxious to see you.”
Cam walked through the door, Lenny just a few steps behind. All control was lost as I squealed and leapt at them with my arms wide open, nearly knocking both of them back through the plate glass door with my gigantic hug. “I’m so glad you guys are here! I was so worried.”
Lenny just shook his head in disbelief at me. “You were worried? Hell, Evie, we watched you get dragged off and practically squeezed to death. I’ve never felt so helpless in my life.”
“We thought for sure you were dead,” Cam chimed in.
“I probably would have been if Dr. Ganyon hadn’t been nearby.” I was doing my best to keep the enamored school girl feelings I was having at bay. I looked towards Thane, but he was staring at nothing in particular off in the distance.
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