With his eyes closed and his imagination working very hard, he was sure he smelled the soft scent of summer.
"I can hardly see him," Tori cried out. "You must dig out the tunnel. He needs air."
Morray's laughter sent chills down his spine. "Ah, the problems of love. Sweetheart, I don't intend for him to live. Why would I go to all the trouble of digging out the tunnel? Now I've let you look at him, that is enough."
"Bastard!"
"He followed you and you will be the cause of his death. See there, he must have collapsed again. He hasn't moved since we turned the camera on."
She cried out, and it was all Cameron could do to keep from tearing down the corridor and ripping through the seals on the secret door. But he had to calm himself. The confirmation of his own prayers were now in his grasp, yet he longed to hear more of what they said. His trust had not been misplaced.
Cameron thought then that it would not have mattered if she had betrayed him, he would never let her go.
But his options were limited, and time was running out. To save her, he must find a different route from the tunnel.
"You're stalling, Victoria. It's time now to show me how much you want him to live. You might be able to convince me to pump oxygen in here."
"And then again you are a consummate liar," she shot back.
"But you'll never know unless you become...cooperative."
"You're a fool!" Victoria cried out.
Morray was hurting her. Through the telemonitors, Cameron could hear the terror and the pain in her voice. "Revenge will be sweet, Morray!" he whispered. "Pray you don't live long enough to find out what I intend to do to you." Yet he could not go to her, nor leap to her defense, could only listen.
"I will murder you in your sleep if you touch me!"
Morray's laughter filled the corridor. "You'll not have the chance."
"You'd best pray you grow eyes in the back of your head."
"I'll not need them. Come," he commanded arrogantly, "it's time you proved yourself in bed."
"I'd rather die first!"
He could hear the sounds of her struggles and the muttered curses of Morray. She cried out and he hoped she'd stop battling him. Her life was far too precious to him. He wanted her alive, and he feared for her now more than ever. Despite her promise to him, she would, he thought, fight him to her death.
Tori screamed.
And the scream tore at Cameron's heart
Cameron followed the trail of fresh air and the rippling sound of water. Desperate to reach Victoria before Morray hurt her, he clung to the hope that in the explosion another passage had been opened.
When his thoughts returned to Victoria and Morray and the treachery of the evil man, an awful cold settled around him. Morray was in her bedchamber, his chamber, and he would rape her. He knew that because of Tori's tenacious courage and the stubborn streak he had learned to cherish, she would never give herself to Morray.
With renewed determination, he groped along the corridor, reaching, searching for light. There was little to see here. It was night, but he if could catch a glimpse of the moon glow or the light from a star, he would know he'd found a way out.
As if his prayers had been answered, a gaping hole suddenly opened up in front of him. Light reflected dimly against a rough earthen wall, but he saw no one. Pressing himself against the smooth hard rock, he waited, watching the light flicker against the rocks. For several seconds he stopped breathing while he listened. It was faint at first, but as time moved forward, he could make out voices, women's voices. They were distant and muted, but he could tell they were coming this way and he wondered then if they were friend or foe.
The light grew brighter then suddenly it was doused and the whispers ceased. He flattened himself once more against the rock, waiting tensely, every muscle ready to spring into action.
Still he waited.
"Cameron?"
"Merciful heavens, it's dark in here."
The soft whisper came from Tori's twin sister, he was certain. Nessa. But there was someone else with her.
"Hush, now. You know full well there are cameras and monitors in there. We must somehow let him know we've come for him and there is a way out."
It was Aisling. What were they doing here?
Nervous energy exploded inside him as he warily stepped forward. He heard Nessa gasp in surprise, saw the stiffening of Aisling's spine as she looked him over, could almost see her grinning.
"Hush, now. It's only me."
The old lady cackled softly. "Only me could be the demon that's captured the tower."
"We must get out of here. It won't be long before Morray's henchmen find our escape route."
Cameron stepped forward, reaching for one of the candles Nessa held then lighting it. With the soft candle glow surrounding him, he looked over the tunnel. It seemed that this had once been a passageway. The walls were smooth and it appeared the opening's seal had been man-made. "I must get back into the tower."
"The way you came the first time? Can you do it again?"
"The ladder was not removed above the window of the tower. Find my glider. Have it waiting and fueled for me at the woods skirting the City then go. Seek safety for yourself. There is nothing here for any of you, at least not for awhile."
"You're wasting time," Aisling said urgently.
Cameron kissed the old woman's cheek. "Can you see anything now? Tonight? What awaits us?"
Aisling nodded her head sorrowfully, her eyes sad and full of pain. "I've seen only death and fire, brilliant lights that light up the sky. I've smelled sulfurous smoke and the stench of decay. It is all shadowed by blinding liquid heat and flames stretching skyward. I'm so sorry. War will follow. It has already begun. I knew you would be betrayed, but I could not see clearly, knew only that it was a woman."
"We must go--now," Nessa said.
"No! You must go. I'm taking the fastest route and that's straight up the tunnel to Tori's room."
Nessa nodded. "God be with you."
"Go!" Cameron insisted. "This will be Morray's last night alive."
Victoria
Victoria's promise lay heavy on her heart, a promise to protect herself at all cost. But she understood a different meaning than her husband. Submitting to Morray was not protecting herself.
She'd seen Cameron sitting on the floor of the tunnel. He was alive, she knew it, and perhaps he'd come for her. Yet she could not count on that happening. Morray meant to leave Cameron there. He meant to let him die.
They were in the main room in the tower. Her bedroom was too close, and the computer terminal was in front of her.
Her head was spinning, cold waves of despair slicing through her heart with a vengeance.
"You can't mean to do this with everyone watching?" Her words, barely whispered, stopped Morray for only a moment.
He laughed again. "Such modesty becomes you."
"How dare you." She wrenched from the hold he had on her wrists. "Bastard!" she cried out again then came at him, arms pummeling furiously against his chest.
"Wild cat," he laughed. Struggling to hold her, he pulled her tightly against him. Her back lay flush against his chest and still she fought. She felt his arousal hard against her and his arms tightening around her chest. The sweet, cloying scent of him made her stomach turn. She battled and he laughed, enjoying the encounter.
"Enough, Victoria."
She was beyond all rational thought. A wild, fierce panic gnawed at her, leaving her no control. She shook and as she fought, his arms wound around her in a death grip cutting off her air. The world spun, turned gray then slowly became black.
It's over, she thought. She'd miss Cameron but at the very least she'd spared herself Morray's touch.
She felt the sting against her cheek just as she was settling into a wonderful dream. Pain came again and then she was yanked hard against Morray.
"Open your eyes, bitch!"
He hit her again and she screamed. God, but she w
anted to go back, go back to that blissful reverie he'd just shocked her from. But he wasn't going to let her. Morray was tearing at her clothes, and suddenly she was wide-awake, battling again.
Now that her eyes were open she saw that he'd placed her on the bed. He straddled her, his eyes cold with fury and hatred. He hated her. She knew that now. He pinned her to the bed, and even as she tried to push him away, he was stripping off his shirt with one hand.
She felt his eyes, felt them undressing her inch by inch. Her skin crawled at the thought, her blood turning cold.
"Bitch!" he screamed at her suddenly. "You could have had it all. I'd have given you everything I possess for a kind word in return. You betrayed me."
"You tried to kill my father that day in the woods. I've never forgiven you for that. You're evil...the devil himself has never done the vile and inhuman things that you have," she told him coolly, suddenly in complete control of her senses.
"The devil? You flatter me."
"I hate you. Inside you are ugly and treacherous."
He ripped the bodice of her tunic, buttons flying, bouncing with a strange clatter when they hit the wood floor. "Then you will sleep with the devil himself tonight and I will make sure you cry out my name. And Savage, your perfect Dr. Savage, will watch.
"He'll kill you."
"He'll die in the corridor right after he watches you betray him again. But then if you'd surrender willingly, I might prolong his life a day or two longer.
"Willingly?" God if he only meant it, she thought suddenly. But then she saw into his heart, read his mind, and she knew it was another ploy. "Never!" She spit at him.
His hand lashed out and he struck her. Tears welled in her eyes, and she pushed them back, hating herself for allowing Morray to see her pain. She twisted and writhed against him, and she had a small measure of freedom. Her face turned into the pillow, and she started suddenly, smelling the soft, elusive scent of the fragile white flower she'd spent so much time tending.
A single petal from the white lavendil lay there, blending into the stark whiteness of the sheets. And she knew...
Courage blossomed in her heart even as she felt the heavy weight of Morray descending to press her into the bed.
Morray turned her on to her back. He held her hands above her head, watching her. She felt his knees pressing against her thighs, felt horrible fear rip through her. "This could have been pleasant."
"Never!"
"I'll have you tonight!" He laughed again.
She hissed, suddenly lashing out with a vengeance, clawing his face with her nails.
He ripped the rest of her clothing from her body, leaving her naked to his horrible scrutiny. "Bitch! Have it your way then but have it you will," Morray raged, his hand flying to his face at the long deep gouges she had made on him.
He slapped her again, pushing her back against the bed with such fury she cried out.
She heard the whisper of the wind, smelled the white petal as it lay so close to her.
Yet even as she saw the hatred in his eyes turn to lust, and even as a scream rose deep inside her, he was suddenly and fiercely yanked away.
His lust was swept completely from his eyes, replaced by fear.
Cameron stood there, hands at his sides, preparing for Morray's attack. When Morray lunged, Cameron feinted to the left, not even glancing at her as she leaped to her feet. His attention was focused on Quentin Morray.
Morray pulled a knife. "I should have killed you!" he snarled, shifting his weight from foot to foot, balancing.
"You're a dead man, Morray."
"Not this night!" Morray said. "Griffin!" he called out.
Cameron was not armed, yet he looked as if the tempest that broiled inside him was such that he could have strangled Morray with his bare hands. But if Morray had help, if his man came with a gun...
Tori leaped from the bed, searching the room for a weapon, heedless of the danger and the rage that blazed between the two men. Frantically yanking at the small drawer to her dresser, she prayed Nessa had somehow found her father's gun. The gun she'd used that night. She prayed Nessa had put it back. Her fingers fumbling with the catch, she pulled harder. It gave way and stumbling backwards, she saw the cold steel nestled against the silken liner. Closing her hand around the gun, she pulled it from the drawer. But Morray must have seen the movement because he was there, by her side. His hand came down hard on the wrist, the gun exploding suddenly, the bullet burying itself in the wall. Tori gritted her teeth against the pain, hanging on to the gun and turning swiftly with the intention of shooting Morray. Griffin and another man burst into the room.
"Cameron!" she cried. He watched her, nodding quickly. The gun was in the air, hurtling towards him. He caught it, and the men stopped, their own guns still holstered.
"Hands in the air!" Cameron ordered before tossing her a cotton shirt that lay nearby. He held the men at bay while she dressed. "Tori--get their guns."
Tori stepped forward, quickly taking the gun from each man.
"Cowards all of you." Morray suddenly hurtled himself forward, knocking Tori over, and the guns slid across the floor. Morray scrambled on all fours, lunging desperately for one of the weapons. Cameron shot and the gun exploded from Morray's hand, but Morray had been able to grab the second gun with his left hand. He was waving it wildly now, shooting.
"No!" Cameron roared, rushing forward, sending Morray's gun arm high into the air, bullets still shattering around them.
She could hear men rushing up the stairs, setting the alarms off at each level. "Go...go to the window. It's the only way out."
"We can't. The ladder is gone."
"Go up, Tori. Climb to the very top. There should be a rope there and then..." As men barged against the outer doors, his words trailed away. "Hurry."
She cringed, fear taking hold of all her senses, making her knees tremble and the world spin crazily. Clenching her fists together, she raced to the window. Do not look down, she told herself. Do not look down. But she couldn't help herself. She did look. And what greeted her sent new fear sweeping through her.
"Cameron!"
"Up, Tori. I'm right behind you. Trust me."
She started out the window. Wind caught at her shirt and tore at her hair. She heard Cameron curse as he pulled himself onto the ledge then began to ascend the ladder. Gunfire rent the air, and still she moved upward. Searing pain lanced her arm then it was numb. She touched her flesh, and when her fingers came away from the wound, they were stained with blood. Her heart caught in her throat and she swayed backwards, her hold loosening.
"Tori, go!" The voice was harsh but it brought her back to her senses and somehow she kept moving. She forgot about her arm, forgot about the deathly drop to the ground below. Suddenly she was on top of the roof, peering out over the city. And she was surprised to see that few lights glimmered there, astonished that the sound of gliders and laughter could not be heard. There was something terribly wrong, she thought, but she had no more time to contemplate the mysteries of the night.
She found herself swept into Cameron's arms then positioned on his back, her legs wrapped around his waist and her arms encircling his shoulders. He was clinging to the rope.
"Hold on tight!" he whispered and they were airborne. The descent was rapid and it nearly took her breath away. Trust me. She did trust him.
The earth rose to meet them but Cameron assumed the brunt of the landing. It was not perfect. They tumbled on the grass and Cameron rolled so he would hit first. She lay on his chest, eyes closed tightly, but when she did look down upon him, he was smiling.
"Ah, Victoria--I like it like this. It's too bad we can't linger."
She gasped softly then pushed away from him, knowing that even in this horribly dire situation he'd managed to embarrass her again. "Cameron."
A bullet whizzed by her head. Cursing, he turned and lifted her from the ground. They ran then, ran through the woods, stumbling through the briars. Her foot came down on a rock and
she cried out. He swept her into his arms, cradling her tenderly even as he ran on.
"Can't you ever learn to wear shoes?" he whispered.
"Can't you ever learn to use a door?" A voice suddenly came through the night--a comforting voice. Tori and Cameron both peered into the woods, looking for the source.
Jonathan was there. The gliders were there.
She was swearing then. "I'm going to get another ride, aren't I?"
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