“You doubt me?”
“I think you’re lying to yourself. This isn’t about helping mankind anymore. It’s about you.”
“That’s not true!”
“Isn’t it?” Alex asked contemptuously. “What kind of man keeps another chained to a bed while he steals his blood?”
“But you’re not a man,” Barrett retorted with a smirk. “You’re an alien who’s about to do mankind a tremendous favor.”
“And if you get rich in the bargain, so much the better.”
Barrett shrugged. “I’ll be most generous with the vaccine once the formula is established and I’ve made the medical journals,” he said. He smiled as he imagined the accolades he would garner from his colleagues, the speaking engagements, the papers he would publish. In due time, when interest in the vaccine was flagging, he would donate the vaccine to some needy child, thereby reawakening interest in his work.
“You’re no better than a vampire, Barrett, living off the blood of others, sucking my blood to keep your dream alive.”
“Shut your mouth!”
“Why? Can’t stand to hear the truth?”
A sharp rap on the door cut off Barrett’s reply. A moment later, Hamblin stepped into the room. “Franklin’s on the phone, Doc. He says you were supposed to meet him thirty minutes ago.”
Barrett swore under his breath. “I forgot all about it. Keep an eye on him,” Barrett snapped, jerking his chin in Alex’s direction. “I’ll be back late.”
With a last baleful glance at Alex, Barrett stalked out of the room, muttering under his breath.
“My offer still stands,” Alex said. “A hundred thousand to let me go.”
Mitch stared at Alex, his expression thoughtful as he straddled the chair located across from the cot. He’d opened a savings account with the first check. It gave him a sense of security, knowing he had a tidy sum to fall back on if Barrett’s get-rich quick scheme fell through. And now he had a chance to get another hundred thousand. . . .
He shook his head. “I can’t. Barrett would—”
“I’ll take care of Barrett.”
“And Jarvis?”
“If I have to. Just turn me loose. Then take the cover off the skylight, prop it open, and get out of here.”
“I don’t know . . .”
“You seem like a pretty decent kid. How’d you get mixed up with Barrett?”
“None of your business.”
“You planning to take Kelsey’s place? Do Barrett’s killing for him?”
“No. He’s paying me to be his bodyguard, that’s all.”
“That’s all?”
“That’s all.”
“What about Jarvis?”
“He’s a killer,” Mitch admitted reluctantly.
“And if things go wrong, if Barrett thinks his scheme is going to fall apart, what do you think your odds of survival are?”
“What do you mean?”
“Think about it. Barrett was going to kill Kara because she knew too much. What do you think will happen to you?”
“He wouldn’t do anything like that!” Mitch exclaimed.
“Are you willing to bet your life on it?”
“But he’s a doctor.”
“Yeah.” Alex glanced pointedly at the heavy shackles that bound his wrists. “He’s a real credit to his profession.”
Rising to his feet, Mitch began to pace the floor, his hands flexing nervously. “Well, I admit he hasn’t treated you very well, but you’re . . . I mean . . .”
“You mean I’m an alien, so it doesn’t matter.”
A bright red flush crept up Hamblin’s neck.
“I don’t care what you think of me,” Alex said curtly. “I just want to get the hell out of here.”
Hamblin came to an abrupt halt near the foot of the bed. “How do I know you’ll pay me?”
“I guess you’ll just have to trust me.”
“Trust you!” Hamblin ran a hand through his hair, drummed his fingertips on the bed frame.
“The last check was good, wasn’t it? Come on, we’re wasting time.”
“All right, all right, I’ll do it. How will I get my money?”
“You know where Eagle Flats is?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll meet you at the bank as soon as I can get there.”
“And how will I know when that will be?”
“You just be there every night at ten until I show up.”
“And what if you never show up?”
“I guess that’s a risk you’ll have to take.”
“I want a hundred and fifty grand.”
Alex nodded. He could sell the house in Moulton Bay for twice that much.
“I’ll go open the skylight,” Mitch said. “It might take me a while to get the key to those shackles out of Barrett’s office. I’ll have to pick the lock on his desk.”
“Who else is in the building?”
“No one’s inside. I think Jarvis is keeping watch out front.”
“Hurry.” Resting his head against the wall, Alex closed his eyes. For the first time in days, he felt a surge of hope.
A few minutes later, he felt a familiar coolness shimmer across his face. Opening his eyes, he gazed up at the moon. It was full and bright. Relief washed through him as he drew the silvery light deep within himself. He lay there for several minutes, taking deep breaths, feeling the lethargy drain out of his body, feeling his strength begin to return.
He closed his eyes again, letting the light penetrate into every cell, every fiber. It would take more than one night to restore his full strength, yet he already felt stronger, better, more like himself.
He estimated thirty-five minutes had passed before Hamblin returned.
Whistling softly, Mitch entered the room and closed the door behind him. He came to an abrupt halt when he saw Alex. “You’re looking a lot better,” he remarked, glancing up at the skylight. “How come?”
“I don’t have time to explain it to you now. Did you find the key?”
Mitch nodded.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m not sure this is a good idea.”
Alex swore softly. “We had a deal.”
“How do I know I can trust you? How do I know you won’t try to take my gun?”
“I just want out of here,” Alex said. “I don’t want to hurt you, or anyone else. I just want my freedom. Can you understand that?”
“Sure, but . . .”
“Dammit, kid, if I don’t get out of here, I’m gonna be no better than an animal in a zoo!”
“Hey, calm down, man.”
“I am calm. I’m also in a hurry, and . . .” Alex paused, his head lifting, his nostrils testing the air. Kara. She was there. “Mitch, turn me loose. Now, before it’s too late.”
“Your word. I want your word you won’t try anything.”
“I won’t hurt you, Mitch. I swear it on Kara’s life.” Mitch hesitated a moment more; then, reaching into his pocket, he withdrew a key and quickly unlocked the cuffs that bound Alex’s hands.
Alex stood up, massaging his wrists. “Thanks, kid. I’ll meet you in Eagle Flats as soon as I can. Take care of yourself.”
Mitch nodded, a grin hovering over his lips as he watched Alex run, bare-ass naked, down the corridor toward the back door.
“How do you know he’s in there?” Gail asked, peering around Kara. She stared at the dark building that was surrounded by a high fence. “Even if he’s in there, how will we get in? How will we get him out?”
“Gail, hush!” Kara said.
“You don’t know, do you?”
“No. I just know Alex is in there, and we have to get him out.”
“I think we should call the police.”
“No.”
“There’s no law against being an alien.”
“Gail, for goodness sakes, you of all people should know what will happen to Alex if people find out what he is.”
“Oh, yeah, I didn’t think of t
hat. Well, what are we gonna do?”
“I wish I knew. I . . . what’s that?”
“What?”
“There?”
“Looks like a naked man,” Gail said. She stepped around Kara to get a better look. “It is a naked man!”
“It’s Alex,” Kara said. Here. She called to him with her mind. I’m here.
Kara?
Yes. Hurry.
Can you distract the guard?
Yes. “Gail, I want you to go up to the fence and call the guard. Tell him you’re lost. Ask if you can use the phone.”
“Really? All right!” Hardly able to contain her excitement, Gail ran toward the fence. “Hey, in there!” she called. “Hey, mister, can you help me?”
Alex stood in the shadows, watching as the guard left his shack and ambled toward the gate in the fence.
“What are you doing out here at this time of night, girl?” the guard asked.
“I’m lost. Can I use your phone?”
“Where’s your parents?”
“If I knew that, I wouldn’t be lost. Please, mister, I’m scared. Can I use your phone?”
Gail clenched her hands together, her heart pounding as she saw Alex creeping up behind the guard. “Can I?” She’d never seen a naked man before and it took every ounce of concentration to keep from staring, to keep her voice even.
“Sure, kid,” the guard said. He removed a ring of keys from his belt and unlocked the gate. “Come on . . .”
The air whooshed out of the guard’s lungs as Alex struck the man over the head with a beer bottle he’d found lying beside the shack.
“Hi, Gail,” Alex said.
“Hi. What happened to your clothes?”
“I lost them.”
“You’ll be lucky if you’re not arrested for indecent exposure,” Kara remarked, and then she hurled herself into his arms.
Alex hugged her hard. “We’d better get out of here.”
Kara nodded. She wanted to hold him, to run her hands over him, to assure herself that he was all right, but it would have to wait. “Let’s go.”
“Here,” Gail said. She handed Alex an overcoat. “I found it in the shack.”
“Thanks.” He slipped it on, then grabbed Kara’s hand. “Let’s get out of here.”
“Stop!”
Alex glanced over his shoulder to see Barrett running toward them brandishing a pistol. Dammit! What was he doing back so early?
“Stop, damn you! Stop, or I’ll shoot!”
Alex swore as a gunshot ripped through the night. “Run, Kara!” He shoved Gail toward the gate. “Hurry, both of you!”
“Alex—”
“I’m right behind you.”
The sound of gunfire followed them as they ran out the gate and down the street.
“Where’s your car?” Alex shouted to be heard above the staccato bark of gunfire coming from behind them.
“Around the corner.”
They were going to make it, he thought. And then he saw Kara falter, heard her gasp of pain, and knew she’d been hit.
Without breaking stride, he scooped her up in one arm, grabbed Gail by the hand, and turned the corner.
There was only one car parked at the curb. “Kara, where are your keys?”
“Coat pocket,” she rasped. “Door’s . . . not locked.”
Flinging the door open, he placed Kara on the seat, shoved Gail in beside her, then went around and slid behind the wheel.
He rammed the key into the ignition, gunned the motor and pulled away from the curb just as Barrett rounded the corner.
Chapter Twenty-eight
“She’s bleeding!” Gail cried. “Kara’s bleeding!”
“Where’s she hit?”
“In the side. Do something!”
“Your scarf, Gail. Fold it into a square and press it over the wound. Kara?” He glanced over at her. “Kara!”
“I don’t think she can hear you,” Gail said, a distinct quaver in her voice. “She’s not dead, is she?”
“No.”
Alex glanced repeatedly in the rearview mirror, but as far as he could tell, they weren’t being followed.
“What are we going to do?”
“I’m going home and grab some clothes,” Alex replied. “We’ll look after Kara’s wound, and then we’re going up to Eagle Flats.”
“I think we should take Kara to the hospital.”
“Not now.”
Kara was unconscious by the time they reached the house. Alex carried her inside, switched on the hall light, and told Gail to wait in the den.
Carrying Kara up the stairs to the bedroom, Alex kicked the door closed with his heel, then lowered Kara onto the bed. Lifting her sweater, he removed Gail’s blood-soaked scarf and examined the wound. It wasn’t deep and didn’t look serious, unless it became infected, but she had lost a lot of blood and that worried him.
He washed the wound with soap and water, then swore under his breath as he ripped a clean white sheet into strips and bandaged her side. He didn’t have so much as an aspirin to give her for the pain. But that couldn’t be helped now.
He dressed quickly in a pair of black Levi’s and a black sweater, pulled on a pair of black cowboy boots, then went to the small desk beside the bed. Opening the top drawer, he removed the cash he kept on hand for emergencies and shoved it into his pants pocket; then, unlocking the bottom drawer, he withdrew a two-inch .38 Special which he tucked under his shirt at the small of his back. Then, lifting Kara into his arms, he carried her downstairs and went into the den to get Gail.
“Is she all right?”
“She’ll be fine. Hand me my checkbook there on the desk, will you? Thanks.” He slipped it into his back pocket. “Ready, Gail? Then let’s go.”
He stopped at an all-night drugstore. Leaving Gail in the car with Kara, he went into the store, gathering all the first-aid supplies he thought he might need. He asked the clerk where the alcohol was, and when the young man went to get it for him, Alex grabbed a couple of syringes from behind the counter and stuck them inside his jacket.
It was near dawn when Alex pulled into a motel. He went in alone to register, requesting a room toward the back.
Kara was awake when he returned to the car.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
“Horrible. Where are we?”
“A motel about forty miles from Eagle Flats. We’ll stay here today.”
“Do you think it’s safe?”
“No one’s following us as near as I can tell.”
“I’m hungry,” Gail said.
“We’ll send out for something as soon as I look after your sister.” Opening the door, he lifted Kara into his arms.
“I can walk.”
“Do you want to?”
“No.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and closed her eyes. So many times, she’d been afraid she’d never see him again and now he was here, holding her, his dark eyes filled with love and concern.
“Do you guys want to be alone?”
Alex glanced at Gail, grinning when he saw the look on her face. “What do you think?”
“I think you should have got two rooms.”
Alex shook his head. “We can’t take a chance on leaving you alone. Here.” He tossed her the room key. “How about opening the door?”
“And then get our bags,” Kara added.
Gail grimaced. “Now I know why you brought me along,” she muttered. “Gail, open the door. Gail, get the bags.”
Alex laughed softly as he handed her the car keys. “I’d do it myself, but my hands are full.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Gail said irritably, but she was smiling as she walked toward the car.
Inside the room, Alex placed Kara on the bed. “Let’s get you out of those bloody things,” he said.
“Let’s kiss instead.”
“Kara . . .”
“Please, Alex, just one kiss?”
How could he refuse? Cupping her face in his hands, he kis
sed her gently. Sensations swamped him. Warm, soft lips, the scent of her skin and hair, the touch of her hands sliding up and down his back, massaging the sensitive skin of his spine. He remembered all the nights he had ached for her touch, yearned for the sound of her voice, the comfort of her smile . . .
Abruptly, he drew back, his gaze searching hers. “Kara . . .” He swallowed hard as he placed one hand over her abdomen. “Kara?”
“It’s true,” she said quietly. “I’m pregnant.”
His first reaction was one of joy. She saw it dance in the depths of his eyes, in the smile that lit his face. And then, as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone.
“I’m happy, Alex, happy about the baby. I want you to be happy, too.”
“How can I be?” He dropped to his knees beside the bed and buried his face in her lap. She was pregnant. The thing he had feared most had come to pass. He closed his eyes against the pain that slashed through his heart. What if she died? How could he live with the knowledge that loving him had killed her?
“Alex, please.”
He lifted his head, his black eyes dull with pain. “We’ll find a doctor.”
“A doctor? For what?”
“There’s still time.”
She stared down at him. “You’re talking about an abortion, aren’t you?”
“It’s the only way . . .”
“No!”
“Kara . . .”
“No, Alex. I won’t even consider it.”
A soft sound at the doorway drew Alexander’s attention. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Gail standing there, an overnight bag in each hand, her cheeks wet with tears.
Rising to his feet, Alex crossed the room and took the bags from her hands. “Why don’t you order us some dinner?”
Gail went to sit beside her sister. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. Call the restaurant and order something to eat.” She forced a smile as she placed her hand over her stomach. “I’m eating for two now, you know?”
Mouth set in a grim line, Alex removed Kara’s sweater and set about cleaning and disinfecting the wound. When that was done, Kara went into the bathroom to wash up and change into her nightgown.
Gail sat on the edge of the other twin bed, fidgeting with a corner of the bedspread. “Why do you want Kara to get an abortion?”
“What’d you order for dinner?”
“Is it because you’re from outer space?”
Amanda Ashley Page 26