Under the Midnight Cloak

by S. Y. Thompson

  She hadn't gone more than two miles when the glint of wet metal near the trees caught her eye and Jamison slammed on the brakes. The Chevy went into a sideways skid and she fought the wheel as the vehicle hydroplaned over the slick roadway before it came to a stop near the shoulder of the oncoming lane. Heart beating wildly, she drove the truck the rest of the way off the road and bailed out to investigate what she had seen. It could be that an innocent traveler had lost control of their car and gone off the road, but her intuition insisted that it was somehow related to Lee's disappearance.

  Soaked to the skin, Jamison ignored the cold and jogged through the thigh-high weeds. Her night vision gave her the ability to see inside the car from a distance and she could tell it wasn't occupied, but she ran faster when she recognized it as belonging to Dalton. It occurred to her that Andrews Farm was nothing more than a ruse. After verifying that there was no sign of Lee, Jamison reached for her cell. The weather made reception spotty, but the call to Dinah went through without difficulty. The phone rang several times and then went to voicemail.

  "Damn it!" She punched in another number and waited impatiently for someone to answer.

  "Hello?"

  "Mom! It's me, Jami. Did you hear from Dinah?"

  "Yes, she explained what you said about Dalton, but Jami I think you're making a mistake. I know you two don't get along, but this is hardly the way to resolve your differences. Now, I'm sorry if you're upset because I sent him to get the photographs, but I would have thought that was all settled since we already have them."

  "You sent him?"

  Jamison was surprised how much that information hurt. She understood the Council would want their precious pictures, but hadn't expected her own mother to send another Panthera to obtain them. Why hadn't she said anything? Pushing the disappointment away, she tried to focus on more important issues.

  "I'm not trying to get even with him. Dalton has Lee Grayson. The call Dinah got was probably him trying to fool us into searching the wrong area. I just found his car at mile marker sixty-two off Blue Mountain Road. If he isn't in on this, why would his car be hidden here in the trees?"

  "Maybe he went off the road. This storm is pretty bad and he could be hurt."

  "Will you listen to me?" Jamison asked, becoming frantic in her worry. The longer they argued, the more danger Lee was in. If they hadn't already killed her. The idea made it hard to breathe and she pushed it away, refusing to accept the possibility. "I need the hunters here, but Dinah isn't picking up her phone. Can you get hold of her and have the others head this way. I'm going ahead. With any luck, I'll be able to pick up their trail."

  "All right, but I still think your wrong. Aaron Dalton isn't one of my favorite people, but I find it hard to believe he's teamed up with a killer. Can you at least wait until someone else gets there? I don't like the idea of you going after that predator on your own."

  Jamison was slightly mollified by Darlene's concern, but she couldn't sit on her hands not knowing what was happening to Lee. There wasn't any time to waste. "I can't, but I'll try to leave a clear path so the others can follow me."

  "Promise me you'll be careful."

  "Yes, ma'am," she said, stepping into the darkness of the forest. "Just make sure they get here in time."

  Jamison clicked off the phone and the ringer. Sneaking up on a shape changer was difficult enough without the cell ringing at the most inopportune moment. One thing she did have going for her was the storm. If she couldn't detect their trail then Dalton and his partner wouldn't be able to track her.

  Wet vegetation absorbed the sound of her passage as she stepped farther into the woods. She tried to avoid the scrub as best she could, but it pressed close on all sides scratching her hands and the side of her neck. The wind had picked up, and rain lashed at her from all sides. Eventually she stumbled onto a well-used game trail and turned toward the east. There was more than an even chance she was traveling in the wrong direction, but logic told her the trio would be moving away from the manor. She hadn't gone more than a hundred yards when she heard the distinct click of a gun's hammer being drawn back.

  "You do have a hard head, Kessler. I'll give you that. You should have been out until morning."

  Jamison didn't turn around. "Dalton. Now what in the world would you be doing out on such a miserable night?"

  "I am part of the hunting teams," he said conversationally.

  "You don't expect me to buy that, do you?"

  "No, but it doesn't matter. The Council will."

  She swallowed hard, knowing that he was right. No one wanted to believe that another Panthera, one of their own, could be hip-deep in all this. Such an individual was a threat against the entire community and their way of life.

  "Get moving," Dalton said, breaking into her thoughts.

  Jamison started walking, keeping her hands where the bastard could see them. She was fast and it would take only a second to shift and attack, but a bullet was faster still. Jamison couldn't outrun that.

  "Tell me one thing. Were you in on this from the start?"

  "What, you mean that damned predator? Don't be stupid."

  Confused, she asked, "Then why did you kidnap Lee? I assume you were smart enough to find out who killed Hank, so why not just take the credit and help apprehend him?"

  "Oh, I'll still take the credit. It'll just be unfortunate that he murdered you and your little girlfriend before I could shoot him."

  Jamison snorted. "So this is revenge? How pathetically small-minded of you."

  "Shut up. I'm not about to let you antagonize me into losing control. Bruce is going to tear you apart and I'm going to have a ringside seat."

  "What's your buddy Xander going to think when he finds out about that?"

  She couldn't resist trying to get more information out of him. Dalton was too calm about planning her death, but she had no intention of becoming his latest victim. When they did get away, she was going to have enough incriminating evidence for the Council to put him away for life. If Xander Chiesel knew about his schemes, it would create a rift between the Panthera and the Felidae, but it couldn't go unanswered.

  Dalton actually laughed. "That idiot actually thinks I'm trying to

  help find his brother and return him to the family in one piece. I don't give a damn about that monster. You should see him. He's so far gone he can't even assume human form anymore. Once this is over, he'll be as dead as you and your pathetic girlfriend."

  WHEN THE ROPES fell away, Lee cracked her eyes open and checked to see if Bruce was watching. He appeared to be sleeping. She could hear his rhythmic breathing across the short distance between them but that didn't guarantee anything. She waited a few more minutes, worried that she didn't have the time to spare before Dalton's return, but she was reluctant to move too soon. Finally, it was concern for Jamison that prompted her to take action. She knew Jamison would be frantic with worry.

  She stood up slowly, keeping the beast Bruce had become in sight the entire time. Lee backed toward the exit Dalton had taken, stepping lightly. Her captor never moved and in moments she slipped out of the cave and away from the lantern's glow. Unaccountably, she had no problems seeing and easily followed the footprints left in the soft dirt, picking up speed the farther she went. Lee could smell the storm before she ran out into it.

  She took a deep breath, feeling cleansed from the stench of rot that seemed to hover around Bruce. Then she looked around and was surprised, but thrilled to see that she recognized where she stood.

  The men had knocked her unconscious for the trip to the cave system, but she was familiar with the terrain since she ran by here when she went out for her daily jogs. Lee turned in the direction of Mafdet Manor, but didn't go very far. There was no point in returning to the house except to check on Jamison and she had a feeling she wouldn't be there. By now she would be out searching for her and besides, Dalton had been ordered to go to the house to retrieve the book. There was too great a chance of running into him. Lee t
urned and headed into the woods. She hoped to make it to Blue Mountain Road and flag down a passing car. Sheriff Macke could get hold of Jamison for her and she would lead them back to where the refugee was hiding.

  Recognizing a trail she traversed every day and maneuvering through the woods at night were two very different things and Lee was concerned she would lose her way. She concentrated on keeping as straight a path as she could, convinced that eventually she would make it to the roadway.

  Pick a tree, she thought. Make it to that one and then choose another. Keep your eyes on it and don't look away.

  Her night vision had been thrown off by the Coleman lantern inside the caves and she had to allow her eyes to adjust on the fly. The trees were great, hulking silhouettes with limbs that resembled living creatures reaching for her in the darkness. Any second she expected Dalton to pop out and prevent her getaway. If he turned into a jaguar she wouldn't have a chance. Quite likely he would just rip her apart right here and he could make up any story he wanted. Bruce would believe she had run away and he would never get his cure. Dalton could say he never saw her and there would be no one to dispute him.

  Thinking about such things did little to slow the pounding of adrenaline through her veins, but Lee doggedly stayed on course, or thought she did. Her watch told her that half an hour had passed since she left the cave, but she still hadn't made it to the road.

  I'm running around in circles.

  Panic paid her a visit, tightening her chest and making it hard to breathe. She froze in her tracks and tried to see the sky through the treetops, but there was little to clarify which way she should go. Slowly, Lee turned in a circle convinced she had passed this way more than once.

  Okay, relax. If you lose it you'll never find your way out. What would Jamison do?

  Lee scoffed at her own question. Jamison was a Panthera and could probably sense which direction to travel. She would never get lost in the woods. Lee couldn't hope to accomplish the same daring feats of navigation. Or could she? Lee was supposedly one of them, or at least half. Being able to tap into that part of her heritage might be the only chance she had to get out of these woods.

  She closed her eyes and tried to relax, taking long, deep breaths in an attempt to center herself. She had never studied yoga or meditation, but she understood the concepts of trying to empty her mind of everything and focus on her surroundings. After what felt like an eternity, she turned to the left and traveled ever deeper into the thickening undergrowth. This was definitely a different route, the scrub that tore at her clothing told her that much.

  When she stumbled out onto the blacktop twenty minutes later she was as surprised as the driver behind the wheel of the car coming right at her. The vehicle swerved at the last moment and slid toward the ditch, coming to an abrupt halt when it hit the gravel on the shoulder. Lee ran toward them, waving her arms in an effort to gain their attention.

  "Help! I need to get to Harmon and talk to Sheriff Macke!"

  The car door opened and a distinguished older woman with silver-streaked hair stepped out. She made no effort to evade the rain as familiar deep green eyes met Lee's.

  "Lee Grayson, I presume."

  Bafflement encouraged her to stop and reassess this stranger, but Lee knew they had never met. "How do you know my name?"

  "Come out of the road before you get hit."

  Lee cast an automatic glance down the blacktop. No other cars were in sight, but she did as she was asked, moving toward the woman she sensed wasn't a threat.

  "I'm Darlene Kessler, Jamison's mom."

  "Jamison! Is she all right? She was with me when they broke into the house, but I didn't see what happened to her."

  Darlene held up a hand in reassurance. "She's fine. She called about forty minutes ago to ask for some help in searching for you. I have to say, you are a little worse for wear. Do you need a doctor?"

  Lee was confused for a second and then felt her jaw where Dalton had struck. It was a minor injury and not worth the time spent discussing it.

  "Did Jami say where she was? I don't think she could know where to start and if something happens to her out here I'll never forgive myself."

  Jamison's mother smiled at the sentiment. "Jami is more resilient than I think you give her credit for. She said she found Aaron Dalton's car at mile marker sixty-two and that's where she went into the woods. It's only another mile or so up the road--"

  "Dalton, he's the one who did this. I don't know where he is now, but Bruce wanted him to go back to Mafdet and get the medicine book so I could cure him. I played along, but I don't have that kind of ability. I don't think anyone does."

  "You do realize you're not making a lot of sense, right?" Darlene frowned trying to take everything in. "Are you sure Aaron wasn't trying to save you?"

  "Not unless threatening to kill me and Jamison is his crazy way of saying he's working undercover," Lee said sarcastically. "The only reason he left was because Bruce made him."

  "Who's this Bruce you keep talking about?"

  Lee shook her head. "I've only seen him once before, and he looked like some kind of transient. Now he's different, he looks like some mutated monster from hell with silver, glowing eyes and tusks that would make a warthog proud. He can't even talk anymore."

  "Then how do you know he wants you to cure him? Did Aaron tell you?"

  "No, I heard him...in my mind. Look, we're wasting time and I'll be happy to answer all of your questions later, but we need to find Jami."

  Darlene pulled the cell phone off her hip and tapped in a series of numbers. She listened intently, her obvious concern growing as she waited for an answer that never came.

  "She's not picking up."

  "Something's wrong. We have to go find her."

  Darlene nodded. "Get in."

  Lee obeyed without question, happy to be inside the heated car if only for a few minutes. Darlene drove quickly and efficiently and it wasn't long before they pulled off the road beside Jamison's pickup. A quick check confirmed that no one was in either vehicle. The rain tapered off as they stood by the shoulder, deciding what the next move should be.

  "The...searchers will be here soon. We should wait until they get here."

  "You mean the hunting teams?" Lee asked. "Jami told me all about what's going on and you can wait here if you want, but I can feel that she's in trouble."

  Lee was terrified at the thought of heading back into the ancient forest, but Jamison needed her and that eclipsed any fear she harbored. She wanted Darlene to come with her, convinced her instincts would be keen enough to prevent them from becoming lost, but she would do it on her own if she had to. Already, she was thinking about how to navigate the shadows and find her way back to the cave systems.

  Darlene appeared to mull it over for a second, looking Lee up and down in assessment before she made her decision. "You win. Let's go."

  "I thought you wanted to wait for the others."

  "I'll phone them on the way, but that's my daughter, and if you say she's in danger that's good enough for me."

  "I'm relieved that you agree."

  Lee stepped into the woods without a second thought, her concern for the woman she loved leading the way.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  "WHAT'S WITH THE gun? Are you afraid you can't handle me on your own?"

  "You talk big for someone I left bleeding in the forest."

  "And what's that on the side of your head, a birthmark?"

  Dalton touched his torn ear with one hand, keeping the weapon trained steadily on Jamison. The growing anger showed in his face, but not enough for him to grow incautious. "Shut the fuck up and keep going, Kessler. You have an appointment with the devil and I'd hate for you to miss it."

  At least the rain had stopped and Dalton would lead her right to Lee. Things hadn't gone exactly according to plan, but all in all Jamison wasn't unhappy. Once she was sure Lee was all right, they would find a way to get out of this and she didn't mean to leave either of their en
emies unconscious or even minimally wounded.

  Dalton crossed the line when he helped kidnap her mate. Her jaguar demanded retribution and when she looked at him all she could see was blood. It would be spattered all over the ground along with the miserable, murdering bastard he'd teamed up with. There was no question about that; the only point in dispute was the method of delivery.

  Jamison walked down the trail Dalton had indicated. On the surface she appeared calm, but inside her anger boiled, her cat at the surface and ready to pounce. On top of that, she hated being wet and she'd been soaked to the skin for over an hour. Desperate to alleviate the need to tear him apart for touching Lee, she needed a distraction and since she didn't plan for him to live this would be the only chance to get any information.

  "Why are you doing this, Dalton? I mean, I always knew you were a piece of crap but I never thought you'd help slaughter your own kind."

  "You mean my own kind like you?" he asked, his lips twisted with distaste. "You think you're so perfect. You're just the whelp of a cunt that shouldn't even be an elder. She's weak, just like you. You think all this time that I've resisted your so-called leadership because I was jealous? Get serious. I'm the only one who's seen you for what you are. And after my friend Bruce gets rid of you and the little girlfriend, the rest of your family is next."

  Fury rose like a tide, but ebbed in a steady flow. Jamison forced her jaguar back behind the cage, preventing her from leaping forward and dismantling him. A growl rumbled in her chest with the effort to hold back. He really believed what he said, she had no doubt of that, but the actual words meant nothing. What he told her might be the key to their escape. His hatred and bigotry knew no bounds.

  "Here, turn left."