“Yeah, well, Kilter doesn’t listen very well, so where are you? Which building?”
“I was drugged. I don’t know where the hell I am,” Ryker said.
“When they took you out of the vehicle, which way did you go?”
She waited. Silence. Was he thinking? Had he fallen back asleep? Passed out?
“Right,” Ryker replied and Danielle breathed a sigh of relief. “Then straight, then we stopped. A six-digit code was punched in and then we entered a building. Then . . . I fought them and they injected me with more drugs.”
Danielle relayed the information to Kilter.
“The amulet. It’s in the other room behind the nightstand in the wall. Get it,” Kilter demanded.
“Kilter, sundown is in two hours. There’s not enough time for you to get out before the sensors are put on again.”
“I don’t intend to get out today. Get the amulet. I need you close. I’m not sure how far away the amulet will work. Go to the cliff on the east side of the compound. Keir knows where it is.”
“But what am I supposed to do with the amulet?”
“When I tell you, uncover it, put it around your neck, and hold it between your palms. Think of Ryker and Hannah.”
“But what does it—”
Kilter’s voice was harsh. “Typical fuckin’ woman. Don’t question. Just do it.”
Fine. Did she have a choice? “Kilter . . . be careful.” No clue why she said that. She hated the overbearing control freak.
She felt him leave her mind and fell back against the pillows. Balen was up and pacing the worn-out orange carpet, his expression grim.
“What the hell does he think he’s doing?” Balen said. She had no answer and Balen didn’t expect one. “How on earth does he expect to get him out on his own?”
“The amulet,” Danielle said. “He says it will protect Ryker somehow.” She revealed the conversation and by the end, Balen was fuming.
“I don’t want you anywhere near the compound.” His voice rose just as Delara, Jedrik and Keir came through the adjoining door.
Jedrik’s blond curls were in complete disarray. “What’s all the commotion about?”
“Kilter has taken it upon himself to get Ryker out himself,” Balen said.
Jedrik shrugged. “Could’ve guessed he’d do something stupid like that. He works alone.”
“He’s a fool,” Keir said. “And he may have just screwed it up for all of us.”
Balen repeated the conversation Danielle had with Kilter.
Delara was uneasy. “The cliff is the only hiding place, but if they discover her, she’ll be toast.”
“If he manages to get out quietly, we won’t have to worry about it,” Jedrik said. “But I highly doubt that’ll happen. Kilter’s a cowboy.”
Balen thought about it. Having Danielle anywhere near the compound was a risk, one he would choose not to take. Shit, he hated to be the one to sit and wait. He’d expected to go in with Jedrik, Keir, Kilter and Delara, get Ryker out, plant the explosives and extract. Simple. Kilter fucked up the plan because he had to do things his way. Didn’t trust them, or whatever was going through that stubborn head of his.
Kilter might be right about the security during the day. No one would expect them to attack in daylight. If Kilter could get Ryker out of the building, then they could be waiting with tactical diversions.
Balen looked at Keir. “We don’t have much choice,” Keir said. He pulled out his cell. “I’ll contact Galen. If he’s managed to hack into their computer system, he could set up a good distraction.”
“So what’s the deal?” Jedrik asked.
“Delara, attempt to track Kilter’s movements and keep us posted on what he’s up to. Jedrik, use your sight to get us as much data as you can around the perimeter. We have one day to get a lock on this place.” He noticed Keir get off the phone. “We’ll regroup . . . eleven tonight.”
“Galen needs more time to get into their system. We can’t rely on his assistance,” Keir said. He slammed his fist into the wall, leaving a crack of plaster. “Damn Kilter.”
“I’ll watch the gate, if there is any suspicion of us, I’ll smell it a mile away,” Balen said.
“I’ll go with you,” Danielle said.
Balen scowled. “No argument. You will remain where it’s safe. Period.” “I can’t risk you getting hurt. This is what we do, Danielle. Understand that we have trained since children to fight. To conceal ourselves, to use our senses. If you are surrounded by all those people in the compound, their thoughts will be overwhelming.”
“Fine,” Danielle said aloud. “But I don’t have to like it.”
Chapter 14
Kilter grabbed her from behind just as she finished punching in the code. His arm came around her waist and he pulled her up against his chest with a harsh jolt. “Keep your mouth shut,” he said, as he pushed his knife to her throat.
“Open the door,” Kilter growled in her ear.
Her back stiffened, but she obeyed without question. He kept her locked against his chest as he went inside, his eyes searching the long white corridor. A camera hung up in the far corner. It slowly turned in their direction and he shoved her against the wall, keeping their bodies out of sight of its range.
He perused the ceiling and then along the length of the wall. There it was. Vent. The camera swiveled in their direction; he reacted, shoving her forward with his knife still on her jugular. She had yet to try to scream. Actually, she didn’t fight him at all.
He kept them close to the right side of the sterile white hallway. He guessed he had seven seconds. He reached the vent and pushed her to the floor. “Scream and I’ll snap your neck.” He pushed his knee into her back. “Don’t move,” he growled. He concentrated on the screws on the vent, using his telekinesis, and slowly one by one they began to move. He heard her slight gasp and he nudged her in the back.
Kilter yanked the cover from the wall. “In. Now.”
“If I’m missing, he will—”
He grabbed her arm and shoved her frail body into the gap in the wall. She climbed inside and he grunted at the echoing sound she made moving down the polyurethane hose. He jumped in after her and then put the cover back in place. He focused on the screws and each one hovered in the air and then inserted back in place.
His body moved soundlessly along the air duct as he followed after her until he reached where it divided into two directions. The woman sat waiting. Obedient, wasn’t he lucky.
“Don’t speak. And don’t make any bloody noise.” He sat with his back against the side of the spiral duct, legs bent and one elbow resting on a knee. He glanced over at the woman, who had her arms locked around her knees and her head resting on them. Her face was gaunt, pale with dark circles under her eyes. Pretty pathetic looking, he thought.
The jeans she wore clung to her nonexistent body. No breasts, ass or thighs. God, he could snap her in half.
The next words that came out of him were a surprise. “What’s your deal? You sick?”
Her head raised and he stared into blank void brown eyes. Even her lips were thin.
“Answer me,” Kilter said. He was used to others doing exactly what he requested—okay, demanded.
“No,” she replied.
He kept his expression cold and words abrupt. “Why do you look like a skeleton that got the living shit kicked out of it?”
She opened her mouth to speak and then shut it again. He could be patient when need be and they did have all night. He watched her, the slight movement of her fingers as they clasped together, her eyes staring at the silver duct.
When she finally spoke her voice was really quiet. If he hadn’t had enhanced hearing there was no chance in hell he could have heard her. “I don’t know.”
Okay, she was fucked up. She was a machine, emotionless, no fight, no passion. A dead fuck. Not that he’d even consider such a thing with a carcass. He liked woman with curves, thighs that could wrap around him and an ass he could
grab.
He heard of woman starving themselves. Restricting food intake because they thought they were fat. He had no clue where something so demented could stem from. Shit, he didn’t give a damn either.
He found himself saying, “Have you considered eating?”
She ignored his question.
“It’s really very simple. Open fridge, see food, take food out of fridge and place in mouth. Chew. Swallow.”
Her eyes looked directly at him and didn’t even flinch at his cold stare. Then she laid her head back on her knees.
Well at least she wouldn’t be complaining about being hungry for the next twelve hours that they’d have to remain here. A lock of hair fell down in front of her face and his hand reached out instinctively to push it back. He stopped himself inches before he touched her. What the hell was he thinking? She was going to be dead by his own hand in mere hours.
“Lie down and sleep,” he said.
When she stayed as she was, he grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to lie down. Unfortunately, her head was inches from his thigh. Her scent wafted into him and he tensed. He shifted away and then leaned his head back against the tunnel.
It took ten minutes before he heard men running down the corridor. Doors were slamming and men were shouting in panicked voices. So, they were looking for her? He wondered if she was a scientist. They wouldn’t be so frantic if she was the janitor. Who the hell had he caught?
He glanced over at the woman lying quiet beside him. If she gained thirty pounds, she might be considered beautiful. A few freckles graced the bridge of her small button nose and her long eyelashes were black as his heart.
She was feigning sleep, but he saw her flinch every time she heard footsteps out in the corridor. No doubt praying that they’d stop right outside the vent and discover them. Although he was surprised she had kept her trap shut. One small scream would instantly give them away.
Maybe she wanted to live. There was no question he’d kill her if she opened her mouth. Intelligent, he’d give her that.
His senses went on high alert. He knew that smell and it reeked of CWO. What the hell were they doing here? He instantly shut his mind off from Danielle. The CWOs could pick up on telepathy and their use of powers. One wrong move and they’d be tearing this duct apart.
He was surprised to find them here, and he wasn’t often taken by surprise. He’d staked out this place for days and not once had he picked up on them. How the hell had that happened? He had used his vision to scan every guard he’d seen and not one had the aura of a CWO. Where had they come from?
The biggest question was how the hell was he going to get Ryker out of this place with psychotic, power-hungry Others on his ass? Patience, he told himself. They had no idea he was here; all they were doing was looking for the woman. The search had to end at some point and then he’d have his chance.
****
It was hours later when he heard her moving back and forth. She clutched her arms around her breasts and her body rocked. He shook her shoulder, attempting to wake her, but she reacted to his touch and became irrational, fighting him, her arms pushing at him. He easily controlled her movements like holding a fuckin’ toothpick. He grabbed her by both shoulders, pulling her up against the wall and then gripped her jaw with his fingers and forced her head still.
“Blast it, woman. Keep still or I’ll slit your throat.”
She instantly stopped struggling. Her eyes flew open and looked directly into his bottomless depths. “Do it,” she replied.
Kilter stiffened, eyes narrowing. Her heartbeat raced faster than a cheetah running at full speed. “You want to die?”
“Yes.”
His fingers tightened on her chin, but she refused to waver under his direct gaze. He was rather impressed, if that was at all possible. He gave pain with ease. She took it well.
“How long have you been here?” Kilter asked. When she refused to answer he put his knife to her throat. “One warning, I never repeat myself.”
Her thoughts plowed into him for one brief second—and how many times have you told people that?
He didn’t take well to ridicule either. Nor did he take it easy on any who decided they’d take that chance. Kill her, he said to himself.
“Seventeen years, three months and two days,” she replied.
Odd how she’d remember that, or was she just being a smartass? “What’s your specialty? Torturing innocent people or do you just like to watch?”
Her eyes flashed fire for a split second, coming alive for the first time. If he ever smiled, he would’ve at that moment, but it took too much effort and he had no inclination to waste it.
“I watch,” she said.
He dropped his hand from her jaw with disgust. She was probably one of the ones who were doing experiments on Ryker.
He should just get her to tell him where Ryker was and kill her now. Except sitting in an air duct the rest of the night with a dead body was an unappealing thought. Besides, the smell might give him away.
He ignored her as she gradually shifted further away from him. She stopped at three feet and he allowed it. It wasn’t as if she could escape.
“So you enjoy experimenting on innocents,” Kilter said. He should keep his mouth shut. But he wanted to hear her explanation why she allowed others to suffer.
“You know what they do here?” When he failed to answer she continued, “I don’t enjoy being—”
“Yeah, because you’re a coldhearted bitch.”
She jerked her eyes to him, and he saw that flash of anger again. But as fast as it came, it was smothered. She shrugged like it didn’t matter what he called her.
It would matter if she laid her frail hands on Ryker in any way. Or maybe it didn’t. She was right. He’d kill her whether she did or not. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back. A few more hours and he’d be gone, she’d be dead and Ryker would be safe.
****
The water crashed against the rocks below like a constant drum. It was at least ten stories down from the top of the cliff, and there was no forgiveness in its vertical angle. He disliked that one mistake and you’d become a bunch of broken puzzle pieces.
The location was perilous for anyone who had no climbing experience and that included Danielle.
“I don’t like it,” Balen said frowning.
“We have to be close enough to the compound for the amulet to work when Kilter gets Ryker outside. This is the place with the best cover,” Keir pointed out.
“Yeah, well, I’d feel a hell of a lot better if she stayed back at the hotel.” Balen looked over the edge for the tenth time, and a few pebbles crumbled beneath his feet and fell into the black depths below. “There is no escape here. If she’s discovered, the only way out is down, and that is out of the question.”
Danielle’s hand touched his arm. “I want to do this. I have good balance and, unlike the small-spaces issue, I have no fear of heights. I can do this, Balen.”
He looked at her intent eyes and his insides swirled like a whirlpool. Shit, she had more confidence than he did in the plan. But he had enough experience to know that anything could go wrong. All it took was one guard glancing over the edge of the cliff and she’d be spotted.
If all hell broke loose—and it was a high probability, considering Kilter would raise hell—the guards would swarm the immediate area. He’d been over this a zillion times, and this was the closest he could hide her to the compound unless she came with them, and that was doubly out of the question. Fuck, Kilter was an asshole for putting her in this position. But she had to be the one with the amulet in order to communicate with Ryker. Christ, Balen thought, kicking a stone off the edge of the cliff.
“Delara and Jedrik will lead them away from here if it comes to that,” Keir pointed out. “Which I suspect it will, knowing Kilter. Being subtle is not his style.”
“Yeah,” Balen muttered. “And if we can’t get back here?” She’d be all alone and literally hanging on for d
ear life.
“We don’t have a choice,” Keir said. “We’re out in the open, no cover anywhere except down there. At least, she’s out of any possible crossfire.”
Danielle took a step closer to the edge and peered over. Balen grabbed her arm and hauled her back. “Careful,” he ground out.
She laughed and raised her hand to stroke his jaw. He loved the feel of her fingers on his skin. They weren’t soft like butter, instead had a slight roughness to them that made his heart do a double beat. “Stop being so overprotective. Keir’s right, I’ll be safe and I have full confidence that you won’t leave me behind.”
He checked his watch for the tenth time—just before eleven. “Let’s go. We have five hours and Danielle needs to rest.”
From the corner of his eye, he saw her roll her eyes and wanted to laugh, but he was too tense to do anything but frown. If he had his choice, he’d have her back in Toronto at her apartment and in bed. Preferably, with him beneath her succulent body. Not happening. Maybe never happening. The most he could hope for was that their plan worked and he’d be able to take her home before he was spirited off to the Wraiths’ realm of imaginary hell.
****
He leaned up against the wall of the dingy hotel room, arms crossed as he watched Danielle sitting on the bed, relaxed and at ease as if she were going on a camping trip with a group of friends. Delara and Jedrik were talking quietly with her, and he let the corner of his lips curve upwards when he heard her soft laughter at something Jedrik said.
Her unruly strands were consistently in disarray, she avoided makeup like it was a disfiguring adhesive, and paint on her clothes was a customary occurrence. God, he adored her. And loved her. Just the thought of waking up in the morning to her in his arms awakened his loins. He loved everything about her—her candid nature, liberal words and most of all her smile. It made her eyes light up like diamonds, sparkling so bright and filled with warmth that it was infectious. She was quick to anger, her nose scrunching up button-like, eyes flashing with intensity; just as quick it could disappear. No grudges. Forgiveness; she had that in spades.
JUMP (The Senses) Page 26