Bedeviled Angel

by Annette Miller

  He carried her down the hallway and kicked the bedroom door shut.

  ****

  The late afternoon sun shone in through the window as Taylor cradled Misty in his arms. She draped a leg over his, sighing as she moved closer.

  “I could stay like this forever,” she murmured, holding him.

  He closed his eyes. “Good things never last.”

  Misty sat up and frowned. “What do you mean? You’re always saying things like that and never explain why.” She laid her hand on his chest. “Tell me what’s going on. Trust me.”

  He pulled her back down and held her close. “I can’t.”

  She lay there quietly, remembering her conversation with Amy. “Tell me about your wife.”

  He said nothing for a moment. “Why?”

  “I just feel that most of your pain goes back to her death.” She stroked his chest. “You must’ve loved her very much.”

  “Yes, I did.” She heard the grief in his voice, making it tremble as he spoke and it echoed through his body, his muscles tensing. “A lot of our friends said we were obsessed with each other.” He gave a small laugh. “I guess we were.”

  Misty silently noted his words were the same as Amy’s. Listening to him talk, she knew there was no way he could’ve murdered her in cold blood. There was too much pain in him, too much sadness.

  “She must’ve been something,” she said softly.

  He nodded. “She was. She could play the roughest sport and beat everyone. Then we’d go to her sister’s, and she’d care for the new baby. I thought she could do anything.”

  Misty rested her hand on his hip. “Did you have any children?”

  “No. We hadn’t been married very long, and we decided to wait. I wish, though...,” he faltered.

  “That you had someone who was still part of her,” Misty said, finishing his unspoken phrase.

  Misty had never seen so much misery in one person. When her parents were killed, it’d hurt more deeply than anything she’d ever been through. It didn’t even come fractionally close to what the man in her arms had suffered. She’d had her friends to help her through the long days, the lonely nights. He’d had no one to share his pain with, no one to help him.

  “Look at me,” she said, turning his face to hers. “You’ve let the pain and grief build up for so long, it’s beginning to destroy you. Let it go. I learned that when my parents were killed. You’ve got to grieve to ease the pain of your loss.”

  “I asked the so-called heroes for their help, and they turned their backs on me.” Misty cringed as his voice turned hard and cold. “I guess I wasn’t good enough for their time.”

  She shook her head. As an accused traitor and murderer, the paranormal teams would’ve done little. He must’ve seen that as the ultimate betrayal. She decided to tell him what she knew and to let him know about Captain Starblast’s continuing investigation. Her own powers and hero status she’d keep to herself for now.

  She closed her eyes, praying she was making the right choice. “We need to talk.”

  “About what?” he asked, his finger stroking her cheek.

  “There are things, important things, I need to tell you. Things I think you should know.” She threw back the covers and reached for her clothes.

  He stayed where he was, watching her. “You’re so beautiful, Misty.”

  She smiled and continued getting dressed. She brushed her hair back, catching it up in a ponytail as she watched him pull on his jeans, tucking the now familiar gun into the waistband. He crossed the room and stood in front of her.

  She gazed at his face, wanting to see him as he was before bitterness and grief etched themselves into the lines around his eyes. She tried to see him as Amy described him, but decided that incarnation belonged to another place, another time. She wanted him the way he was; a man of no peace, no money, running from agents of ULTRA.

  His right eye was so blue and clear, reflecting the inner turbulence of emotions roiling through him. The left, just the opposite, solid white, completely emotionless, the scar passing through it faded with time.

  Dropping her gaze to his chest, she traced the scar there. He trembled slightly under her fingers, but remained silent and unmoving. She ran her hands through his hair, the softness of it in complete contrast to the hardness of his body and spirit.

  “Are you finished?” he asked in a husky whisper.

  “I don’t want to lose you. Please, believe me...” She stopped, wanting to say more, but not knowing how.

  He put his arm around her shoulders, leading her to the living room. “Come on, sweetheart. We’ll talk.”

  They sat on the couch, and Misty drew her legs up, trying to decide where to begin. These next few moments were crucial and saying the wrong thing would bring his guard up.

  Taylor waited a few moments in the awkward silence, then said, “Where do we start?”

  Gathering her courage, Misty said, “Tell me why ULTRA’s after you.”

  He looked away. “I can’t,” he mumbled.

  She laid her hand on his arm. “Would it make it easier if I told you I can help?”

  “How?” he demanded. “You don’t know the resources these people have, the amount of firepower they can get their hands on.” His voice rose on every word. “They wouldn’t think twice about killing you if it could help them get their hands on me.”

  She knelt in front of him, laying her hands on his knees. “I’ve found some things out, and I think, after hearing what I’ve got to say, you’ll be able to tell me.”

  He leaned forward, folding his hands and resting his elbows on his thighs. “Go on.”

  “I met with...”

  A knock on the door interrupted her. In the few seconds it took to get to her feet, the knocking had become an insistent pounding. “All right,” she shouted, reaching for the knob.

  The door crashed open, banging against the wall as it passed through her hand as she instinctively became intangible. She shot a glance at Taylor, but he wasn’t looking at her. He’d dropped to one knee, his gun leveled at the door.

  Cyber-X filled the doorway, his rifle held tightly as he stared at Taylor. “ULTRA’s coming,” was all he said and her blood ran cold.

  Taylor stood, tucking his gun in the back of his jeans. “How soon?”

  “Right now. You’ll have to go out another way.” He jerked his head toward the front door. “All the downstairs exits are covered.”

  Taylor strode back to the bedroom. “The tracker.” He shook his head. “I’m getting too bloody careless,” he muttered.

  Misty trotted in behind, ignoring Cyber-X’s heavy thumps bringing up the rear. She sat next to him as he pulled on his shirt and boots, laying her hand on his arm. “What are you going to do?” Her eyes widened in horror as he gestured at the window. “That’s crazy! You’re at least forty feet from the top of the building and a hell of a lot more than that from the ground. There’s nothing out there!”

  He grinned, winking at her. “Then I’m crazy.”

  Misty tightened her grip, trying to keep him from actually going out the window. “Don’t do this,” she begged. “I lo...”

  He put a finger on her lips, stopping her words. “Don’t say it. Save it for someone who truly deserves it and you.” He dropped his hand and walked to the window. “This is twice I’ve put you in a confrontation with ULTRA. They’re bound to get suspicious if you keep turning up where they track me.” He kissed her lightly. “Goodbye, Misty. I don’t think you’ll be seeing me again.”

  Misty watched him push the window open and stick his head out.

  Cyber-X came up behind him. “What’s it look like?”

  Taylor glanced over his shoulder at the mercenary. “It’ll be a rough climb, but not impossible.”

  “Get going. I’ll be right behind you.”

  Taylor grinned. “Hoping I’ll reimburse your contract money?”

  “Something like that.” Cyber-X gave him a small push. “Now, move.”
<
br />   He pulled himself out the window, willing his body to blend with the building. Being seen would be messy. Falling would be worse. Scrabbling sounded behind him, the tell-tale sign of Cyber-X following.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Misty watched Taylor and Cyber-X climb the building until they pulled themselves over the edge of the rooftop. She slid the window shut as hot tears rolled down her cheeks.

  “It can’t end like this,” she whispered. “Not like this.” She pulled the curtains together and jumped as a furious pounding started on her front door.

  Wiping her eyes, she stomped to the living room, her temper rising with every step. She was angry at ULTRA for always intruding, angry at Taylor for not owning up to who he was and trusting her, and angry at herself for not telling him immediately that she knew everything.

  She threw open the door. “What?”

  Three ULTRA agents in full battle gear flanked a man with short sandy hair in a business suit. A girl in her late teens with long, black hair, shifted from foot to foot and tried to stay far away from him.

  The sandy-haired man whipped out a badge, handing it to Misty. “I’m Special Agent Donald Harrington. This agent,” he said, gesturing toward the girl, making her shy away, “has tracked a wanted felon to this apartment. We need to search the premises.”

  Misty laughed. “Get a warrant.”

  Harrington turned to the girl. “Is she hiding him, Mindspell?”

  “No,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “He’s gone.”

  “Where?” he barked, making her cringe.

  “The roof.”

  The three agents ran for the elevator, Harrington right behind them.

  Mindspell watched them go then turned to Misty, grabbing her hand in a tight grip. “I can’t delay them, but don’t worry. He’s on the verge of escaping.” She took two steps away. “I’m so sorry about all of this. I’ve tried to help Field Commander McClennan as much as I can, but they’re getting suspicious. I don’t know how much more I can do for him.”

  Misty shook as the despair in Mindspell’s voice sent shivers up her spine. “What can I do?”

  “Mindspell, get down here!” Harrington shouted, his voice ringing in the empty hallway.

  “Tell him Harrington is still working with Fenmore. Don’t forget!” Mindspell fled to the elevator.

  Misty slowly closed the door. Mindspell had called him Field Commander McClennan. That put any doubt she had left to rest about his true identity. If only he knew how many people were on his side. Help was coming from so many unexpected sources. She sighed, wishing he were still here so he’d know he wasn’t alone. None of his team was. She leaned her head against the door.

  “Damn.”

  She picked up the phone and dialed Rena. “I need a lot of help,” she muttered while the phone rang.

  ****

  Jack sat for a moment to catch his breath after they made it over the top. “Bloody hell. I haven’t felt this bad since yesterday,” he mumbled.

  Cyber-X eyed the roof door, holding his rifle ready. “You getting old, field commander?”

  “If I was sure you were wrong, I’d beat the hell out of you.” He looked up at him with a slight smile. “Right now, I just hurt too much.”

  Cyber-X reached down, hauling him to his feet. “If you want to live to recover, we’ve got to go.”

  “If I paid you every time you were right, you wouldn’t be a mercenary anymore.” He walked to the edge, eyeing the gap between the buildings. “We can make that easy. Can’t be more than twenty feet max.”

  Cyber-X looked at him. “I can, but are your augmentations up to it? You’ve recently sustained a lot of damage.”

  Jack grimaced, not needing the reminder of what he’d been through. “They’ve got to be if I expect to save my sorry ass.”

  Cyber-X gave him a mock bow. “After you, fearless leader.”

  “I’m not fearless,” Jack said, shaking his head. “And I don’t lead anyone. Not anymore.” He gauged the distance again. “See you next door.” He ran toward the edge mentally cueing his cybernetics to greater power and leapt for the neighboring roof, making it with inches to spare.

  When he landed, he heard something snap in his right leg. He cried out, dropping to the roof, clutching it. “Just great,” he muttered. “Here I am in the midst of another miraculous escape and this happens.” The only piece of him that never seemed to break was the artificial feedback circuit. Damn thing worked perfectly every time. “Bloody hell!”

  Cyber-X followed seconds after, rolling to his feet near Jack. “What?”

  “Something broke in my right leg.” He shook his head. “And to think I just got done recovering. I don’t think I can walk. Go ahead and take off. I can manage.”

  The cyborg hauled Jack to his feet. “Don’t worry, I’ll save you. Again.” He pulled Jack’s arm over his shoulder. “How’d you make it this far in life without me?”

  Jack winked. “Just lucky I guess.” They reached the door to the roof stairs just as the ULTRA men burst through on the other building. “I need to get back to my place, and I didn’t bring my van. It has autopilot.”

  “I already said I’d help you, didn’t I?”

  Jack narrowed his eyes. “You will keep the location confidential, right?”

  “I know how to keep my mouth shut.” Cyber-X shook his head. “You really don’t trust anyone, do you?”

  “No,” Jack said in a low voice. “I don’t. I can’t afford to.”

  ****

  Harrington narrowed his eyes as he watched the fugitives slip through the door on the other building. One he didn’t recognize, but he knew that mop of red hair anywhere. So, Jack had escaped again, but just barely this time. Harrington blamed the slight figure at his side. He was sure the cringing little telepath was in sympathy with Jack, allowing the renegade to escape, time and time again.

  He glared at the teen, then grabbed her arm and slapped her hard enough to snap her head back. He watched her crumple to the rooftop.

  She rubbed her cheek. “I’m sorry. I’m trying, I really am, but I’m not used to this kind of work.”

  “Shut up!” he shouted. “It’s your fault he keeps getting away. If I hadn’t promised not to mark you, I’d shoot you right here, right now.” He stepped closer to her, yanking her to her feet. “One more slip up and I might anyway. Do you understand?”

  She nodded and winced as his grip tightened.

  He shook her hard enough to rattle her teeth. “I said, do you understand?”

  “Yes,” she cried out, her eyes wide. “I understand.”

  Telepaths were an unpredictable lot, and he hated every time he had to work with one. As long as she feared him, he knew she wouldn’t turn on him. He looked at the agents waiting for instructions. “You two take Mindspell back to ULTRA and secure her.” He turned to the other agent. “Come with me.”

  Harrington marched toward Misty’s apartment. She had to be the one Mindspell had picked up before. It was time to find out exactly how much she knew.

  ****

  “Oh, Misty, I’m here,” Rena called out as she walked in. “Where you hiding, girl?”

  “The bedroom.”

  Rena walked to the bedroom and shook her head at the mess on Misty’s bed. She’d pulled every bit of information they had and spread it around her. A writing tablet was balanced on her knee as she made notes.

  “Are you investigating or do you need my help cleaning up?” Rena asked as she continued to look around.

  Misty looked up and frowned. “Oh ha, ha. Like you’ve never made a mess.”

  “Point taken.” Rena pushed some papers back and sat on the edge of the bed. “So, why do you need my help?”

  Misty stretched, knocking a pile a papers askew. “Now that we know that Taylor Tremain is really Jack McClennan, we can get on with helping him.”

  “Helping him,” Rena repeated. She stared at Misty and shook her head. “Have you totally lost your mind? Y
ou know who he is. Call ULTRA.”

  “Technically, I did,” Misty said slowly. She grinned when Rena just stared at her. “Well, we’re both ULTRA liaisons, right? So, ULTRA has been notified, in a matter of speaking.”

  Rena threw her hands in the air. “You’re nuts. Sure, he was framed first go round, but what about now? What about the other things he’s done?”

  Misty crawled across the bed, grabbing another article. “Are you going to help me with this or not?” She nodded when Rena rolled her eyes. “I knew you’d see it my way.” A knock on the door interrupted her. “Again? Now what?”

  Misty headed for the door as Rena grabbed her shoulder. “Don’t answer it”, she said telepathically. “It’s some guy named Donald Harrington and an ULTRA agent. They’re here to see how you’re connected to Jack.”

  “You got a plan?”

  Rena winked. “Don’t I always? Get scarce. I’ll handle these guys.”

  As Misty gathered up the evidence and used her power to fade into the background, Rena pulled off her T-shirt and grabbed one of Misty’s tank tops. She shook her hair out and kicked off her shoes. She rolled the legs of her capris up a little higher and went to answer the insistent pounding on the door. Time for a little acting.

  Rena opened the door, grinning at the looks on their faces. “Can I help you?” she asked, leaning against the door, her pose inviting them to look.

  Harrington had flipped his badge open, then stopped, his gaze raking over her. Her low cut shirt was stretched tightly across her breasts, her pants low on her hips. “ULTRA Special Agent Donald Harrington. I’m looking for the woman who lives here. Is she in?”

  “She had to step out for a few minutes. I clean her house a couple of times a week.” She opened the door a little wider. “Do you want to come in?”

  Harrington turned to the other agent. “Go back to ULTRA. I’ll be along directly.” He brushed Rena as he passed her. He sat on the couch, patting the cushion next to him. “I only have a few questions.”

  Rena sat close to him as she did a quick, undetectable scan of his mind. She felt his rage and hate and forced herself to keep smiling at him. “What do you want to know?”

  He pulled a picture of Jack from an inside pocket. “Does she know this man?”