“You knew he was hurt?”
“Yeah, we knew. It was part of the plan to get him taken to where you were being held.”
“It was too big of a risk.” Sarah gasped.
“It wasn’t. We made them think he was a healer. They wouldn’t have risked him dying.”
She didn’t say anything for long minutes.
“But Nate he almost did die.”
“You need to trust us, we knew what we were doing, Kota had a way to contact us if it became critical.”
She went quiet again, then finally nodded. He felt a shard of pain leap through her head.
“You have to stay still, Angel.”
Nate ran his fingers from her temple down her jaw to the back of her neck, and massaged the tight muscles and tendons. She pressed backwards into his fingers. Finally a whimper of relief and his muscles relaxed as well.
“S’ better.”
“I’m glad it’s helping, but we’ve got to get you out of there. I want you back in my arms for real.” He hated feeling helpless. He needed to get her out of this hellhole.
“Can’t.”
“Angel, why not?”
“Someone else here. Gotta help them.” Dammit, he didn’t need something else derailing their plans.
Another shudder went through her and he pulled her closer.
“Talk to me Sarah, what do you mean someone else?”
“They said another healer. We have to save them.” She gripped him tight and looked at him. “Please Nate.”
“Of course.” She relaxed her grip and he stroked his hand down her back. Her wet hair cold against his neck. It amazed him they could be together like this, reality wrapped in a vision. He pulled her hair away from her scalp and breathed against her nape.
“More. Please do it again.” Unable to help himself, he blew warm air, and then brush a kiss against her sensitive skin. Soon she was shivering for a whole different reason.
She stretched out from the fetal position. “I feel much better.” Nate realized he did too. “I’m really tired.”
“No Sarah, answer me.”
“It’s sleepy time.” She stretched again, but then scooched back so her butt snuggled against his crotch.
“Angel.”
“Shhh, tired. Sleep with me, Nate.” His eyes began to shut, he was tired too, but they had to talk.
“Fuck! Sarah, don’t go to sleep.”
“Hey, easy there big guy. Let go of Sierra.” Nate looked at Sierra, he was hugging her against him, and she was giving him the stink eye. He looked up and saw Cyrus talking to him. They were still in the truck, but when he breathed in it no longer smelled like puke which was a Godsend.
“How long was I out?” he asked. Sierra patted his shoulder on her way back into the driver’s seat.
“About two hours,” Cyrus answered. “Is Sarah okay?”
“She is now, but we have to get her out of there.”
“Kota hasn’t given us the signal,” Sierra said from the front of the truck.
“Fuck that, I want them out of there now.”
“Chief, slow down you’re just waking up. Don’t you want to stick to the plan?” The plan? Nate took a deep breath. His mind was still on Sarah, it took a few moments to reorient himself and remember there was a plan. Hell, it was his plan.
“How many men are waiting to take down the clinic?”
“We have eight from Fallon.” Good, that was good. Fallon Navy Air Station in Nevada, he’d arranged it before leaving Washington State. Cyrus was looking at him with a steady stare. He was giving him time to think things through and he appreciated it.
“Have we heard from Kota again? Do you think he is still wearing his watch?” Nate asked.
Cyrus answered this time. “We haven’t gotten another transmission since the one when he was being driven to the facility from the plane.” Nate hated that transmission. It lasted less than a minute, they had heard Kota groaning in pain and two men’s muffled voices. Kota pressed the transmitter in the watch to assure them he was still alive. He’d also given two short bursts after that to say he didn’t want them to come and get him. Three short bursts meant he wanted an evacuation.
Despite the fact Nate wanted to go rescue his man, he stuck to the plan, and listened to Kota. They followed him the additional fifteen miles until they reached the facility and he’d been carried inside. Sierra followed them at a distance without headlights, a skill she perfected in the deserts of Afghanistan.
“Chief, are we sticking to the plan? Do you think Kota’s all right? Do you think we can let him find Sarah and try to do some reconnaissance?”
“I’ve been in contact with Sarah, and I’ve already found out some things.”
“Are you saying besides the healing connection you can talk to my sister, you can psychically talk to one another?”
“Yeah,” Nate said wearily.
“Oh fuck, you’re going to end up being my brother-in-law aren’t you?”
“I’m going to do my damndest. But we have a problem.”
“What?” Cyrus demanded impatiently.
“Sarah said there is another healer.”
“We know that, Kota,” Cyrus reminded him.
“No, she meant someone else.”
“Do you think she meant someone who is found?”
“Who else could it be?” Nate couldn’t help the sarcasm.
Cyrus digested the information. “We’re fucked.”
“That was my assessment.” He thought back to having Sarah in his psychic arms, and he hit the side of the truck. He was sick of this shit, he wanted her out of there. He wanted her beside him, he didn’t want this operation prolonged.
“Nate, did you hear me?” Sierra asked from the driver’s seat.
“Huh?”
“We need to meet up with the squad, Chief.” Nate knew what she was doing, she was reminding him that he was in charge of the op by calling him by his rank.
“Okay, where did they set up?”
“Fort Mojave. It’s not far from Needles.”
“Why the hell have we been driving through the Mojave Desert if we’re just going between those two towns, it doesn’t make sense?”
“We haven’t been, we’ve just been following the coordinates laid out by the others. We wanted to make sure we can disappear if we want to do a low key retrieval,” Sierra explained.
“How soon before we get there?”
Sierra stopped the truck. “We’re here.”
****
Sarah didn’t move, she didn’t make a sound. She needed to think. Elephants obviously stomped on her body. Was she now having hallucinations to go along with the amnesia? She didn’t think so. She raised her eyelids just a fraction. The light hit her eyes like a laser beam, but she was careful not to wince. She confirmed she was in a different room than before.
Oh God, Kota. He’d almost died. They’d filmed it the heartless bastards. She replayed every instant of the healing. She was pretty sure she hadn’t done anything to make them think she knew Kota. She replayed the events again, then again. Her head began to ache.
It was during the third time she remembered them mentioning another healer. Who could that possibly be? She’d done a lot of investigation of healing after she had come into her abilities. She truly believed there were some people here on Earth with gifts like her own. Maybe not to her level, but definitely with some ability to soothe and heal. It was like other types of gifts, where people had the ability to sense other people’s emotions and catch another person’s thoughts. These weren’t capabilities limited to the found, however she did think these were more strongly manifested in the found. But she’d gotten the feeling the healer they were referring to was found. She needed to help them whoever they were.
She breathed in deeply and thought of Nate.
He’d come to her. She seriously worried she might have an aneurysm with all of the convulsions, and when she felt him trying to connect with her, she tried to block him. Bu
t he wouldn’t be denied. He’d held her, he was her rock once again, coming to her when she most needed him. She mouthed the word Angel, and it brought her peace inside this room that was her prison.
“I saw that.”
Sarah opened her eyes and saw a man standing beside her bed.
“I thought you’ve been playing possum.” She stared at him.
“Okay then let me talk. My name is Lee Stovers. I’m sorry I haven’t been in to introduce myself before. I’ve been particularly interested in your care, but I’ve been away on business.” He picked up her uninjured hand and turned it over, stroking her palm. She snatched it back.
“A reaction at last. You have remarkable hands, Sarah. Too bad they bring you such pain.” What did this man want? The question must have shown on her face, because he answered it.
“I never dreamed you were so amazing. The other woman we tested, she didn’t have near your ability. Obviously we won’t be needing her anymore.” This time he just stared at her hands she had gripped together on top of her chest.
“Okay, now you know I can heal, now what?” Just how honest was this jackass going to be she wondered.
“Now we determine how you can do this. We learn how to harness this ability.”
“So you want to figure out to harness my ability, that’s all? You don’t want to replicate it? Breed it?” She drew out the last two words.
“So, you are remembering things. I suspected the drugs wouldn’t work as well as they’d hoped. We’ll have to up the next dosage. You have remarkable abilities. Your DNA looks the same as anyone else so it didn’t make any sense trying to replicate that way, it would seem taking your ovum makes the most sense.” It was chilling the way he talked about it like it was an everyday procedure.
“Now who’s been playing possum. It’s nice you’re finally being honest, you bastard.”
“There is no need for name calling. We went about this in the most humane way possible. We tried to keep you calm and happy.”
She watched as he turned and walked out the door.
Sarah struggled to get up, but it was no use, she was still too weak to even sit up in bed. Finally giving up she fell back on the thin pillow, but instead of crying she raged silently. She closed her eyes tightly and made a vain attempt to contact Nate.
Nate? Can you hear me?
Nate?
Please Nate. I’m in trouble.
Nothing, it was no use. She knew she wasn’t sick from having healed someone. It was the only time they ever connected. But having tried to reach out to him, calmed her. It gave her strength. The door opened.
“Sarah, it’s time for another shot,” the night nurse said. Tom, his name was Tom.
“Please don’t do this, Tom. I know what’s going on. Why are you part of this?”
“Oh hun, you’re just working yourself up over nothing,” his grip was gentle but unbreakable as he grasped her upper arm. She tried to jerk away, but it was impossible and it did nothing but hurt. She swung her other arm and he grabbed her injured wrist before she could connect with his face. This time his grip was hard and hurtful causing her to cry out in pain. He caught both of her hands in one of his and slammed them above her head, and then administered the shot.
“Tell me what you gave me,” she growled.
“Just something to help you sleep.”
“And something to mess with my memories. You might as well administer the Follicle Stimulating Hormone now, I know that’s what you’ve been doing while I’m asleep.”
“Oh hun, you know that can be a little painful. Why don’t we wait until you’re asleep?” He actually looked concerned.
“Why would you care?” she laughed incredulously.
“I don’t want to cause you more pain then I have to.”
The shot began to take effect. The room began to spin.
“I hate you.”
“You won’t when you wake up. This will all be forgotten.” Sarah prayed it wouldn’t be. Maybe her Mama would be doing a prayer circle and she would gain strength. She grabbed hold of her memories of the other world. Praying it would help her retain her memories again. Please let it help her.
****
“Sarah, you need to wake up.” She was so far underwater it should be impossible to wake up. “Sarah, I know you’ve been drugged, but I need you to wake up.” Would he just go away? Would he quit shoving her?
“Stop it’s seepy time.” She couldn’t open her eyes and her words were coming out slurred.
“Sarah. Open your eyes now.” Even though he was whispering, it was a commanding voice, and she tried.
“Kotas you?”
“I don’t have much time, before I have to get back to my room.”
“Cameras.”
“Lights were out, I was careful. I disabled the camera in this room momentarily. Trust me, this isn’t my first rodeo. I’m going to be back. We’re going to get out of here. In the meantime, gather as much information as possible.” With every word he said, she felt herself becoming more alert.
“Kota, are you okay?” Sarah did her best to fight off the drug and pushed herself up so she could look him in the eye.
“I’m fine, you healed me. It just itches like the last time you healed me back in Atlanta,” he winked at her. It made her smile.
Thank God, she remembered what he was talking about, the drugs hadn’t worked. “How much longer before we’re out of here? I don’t know how much longer before they take my eggs. I want out,” Sarah was shocked when her voice cracked and tears started.
“Then I’ll call the guys, and we get out tonight. I just needed to find you. I wanted to make sure I knew where you were, before I called in the Calvary.” She watched as he lifted up his watch. “Did you get that Nate?”
“Wait,” she whispered frantically, grabbing at his hand. “Can we talk to them? Is that a radio?”
“Just a transmitter.” Kota softly touched gripped her arm that had reached for his hand and traced the ugly bruise. “What happened Sarah? How were you hurt?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“It matters,” he sounded just like Nate.
“I fought with the night nurse, when he was trying to shoot me up with more drugs. I lost. Oh wait, then there was the time I fought with the orderly. I guess I haven’t been the best patient.” Sarah smiled with satisfaction.
“Those sons of a bitches.”
“Kota listen to me. What matters is the other healer. We have to find them.”
“What other healer?”
“The one they mentioned while I was healing you. Then another man named Lee Stovers told me about her too. He said she didn’t have my level of ability. I’m worried about her.”
“Why?”
“He said they wouldn’t be needing her anymore now they had me.” She clutched Kota’s arm, wanting to make sure he understood how important it was they help the woman.
“Look, I have to get back to my room now. I need you to stay strong. I’ll do another sweep of this place later tonight, to see if I can find this other healer before we call in Nate and the team. We’ll find her before they do anything to you, I promise.” He gripped her uninjured hand and held it to his chest and smiled.
He went up to her TV and fiddled with the back of it then headed to the door. She watched as he opened the door to see if the coast was clear, then he slipped out. Sarah was exhausted and she tried desperately to stay awake, but finally sleep won out.
Chapter Ten
Cyrus, Sierra and Nate turned away from the transmission each needing a moment. It was Sierra who finally broke the silence.
“I don’t understand why we have to wait. We go in full force knock down the doors, find the healer, and stop them from operating on Sarah. Done deal.” Sierra was in full kick-ass warrior woman mode. Again Sierra suggested exactly what Nate wanted to do, but it wasn’t feasible.
“Sierra, this is a civilian lab an arm of Rixitron Pharmaceuticals. This is going to have to be a cov
ert operation. Therefore the more inside information we have, the better off we are. You know this.”
“I don’t fucking care.” This came from Cyrus.
Nate didn’t respond.
“I don’t. This is my baby sister. She’s been in their hands too fucking long. I saw how it was for you when you were connected with her. She almost died healing Kota, didn’t she Nate?” Nate stared at him.
“What about the fucking bruise Kota found? Now they’re roughing her up? They’re going to be cutting her open? We’re going in tonight.” Sierra demanded.
Again, he didn’t say anything. He knew Cyrus. Hell they were a lot alike. The man needed to rant and rave. However, when Cyrus got up from the table and crossed the room to the door housing the Navy men from Fallon, Nate was there, with his hand slamming the door closed.
“Cyrus, stop it.”
“I’m done. We’re going in.”
“We can’t. Not yet. Give Kota another day. He didn’t give the signal.”
“Fuck the signal.”
“We have to find the other healer. That was Sarah’s decision. We have to give it one more day.” His stomach almost revolted saying those words but it was his job as the leader to do what was right regardless of his personal wants and needs. And God knew he needed Sarah in his arms.
“Nate, you can’t really love her, if you’re willing to…”
“Don’t finish that statement Cyrus.” Sierra was at the door in Cyrus’s face. “You’ve lead teams in Atlanta. You know the drill. If this wasn’t Sarah, you’d be making the same call. You need to dial it back and do what’s right.” Cyrus finally relented and nodded his head.
“You’re right. I’m sorry Nate. This is making me crazy.” Nate clasped Cyrus’s shoulder. “I know man, me too. Me too. Now let’s pull in the Fallon team leader and go over the floorplans of the building.” He turned to Sierra. “I don’t know how you managed to find this shit, but thank God for it.” He watched her actually blush.
“Nate, I also think this other healer is found. I bet they got her from their computer program before Max shut it down.”
Healed (The Found Book 3) Page 11