Love in the Shadows

by Caryn Moya Block

  “Katherine,” Raven said, causing her to pause and turn back. “Be careful, we love you, too.”

  She waved and continued on her way. These people were more than her employers and friends. They were her family. She would help get Derek out of whatever mess he was in. Bring him home and plan a big wedding. It was time to claim her life back, and part of that meant saving her man.

  Chapter Two

  Derek struggled to think clearly. There was too much light. He remembered checking out of his motel and going to the bar in town for lunch. He had planned to shadow-walk back to Isanti, Inc. Then, that French woman Colette offered to buy him a drink.

  When he started to feel bad, she offered to help him to his hotel. Derek tried to tell her he had checked out. Then everything went dark.

  Now, he was trying to come out of the haze. The emptiness in his stomach told him lunch had long passed. His vision cleared, and he saw two large lights like those in an operating room shining down on him. He lay on a table, his hands and feet manacled with large metal straps.

  Derek tugged at them, testing their strength. They were thick, and he succeeded only in cutting himself. There were no shadows for him to escape into. For a moment Derek knew real fear. What the hell was going on here?

  The door opened, and Colette walked in. “Oh good, you are awake, cheri. I am sorry for having to do this, you know. But for the betterment of humanity, sometimes someone must suffer.”

  “What are you talking about? Why am I tied to this table?”

  “You have a special healing ability. I saw your hand heal after you were cut at the bar that night you helped that old couple with the drunken fool. You were such a hero, cheri. I have taken some blood samples but have not found the evidence I need. I’m afraid some experimentation is in order.”

  Derek braced himself as she picked up a scalpel and cut into his right leg. He hissed with the sting. “Look, Colette. Why don’t we talk about this? I’ll help you with your research, and you let me off this table.” If he could find a shadow, he could escape.

  “Non, I cannot. I need to have the proof, you see. The cameras and lights will record your healing. We must have something scientific to give the world.” She sliced him across his side. Derek felt the sting and liquid on his skin as blood trickled down his body. He tugged on the restraints.

  “Look, you crazy bitch, I’m sure your government does not condone experimentation on humans. Let me up.” His mind whirled in panic. He tried to distance himself from the pain of his wounds. Derek unconsciously connected mind-to-mind with Katherine. She came flooding into his thoughts. She was scared. She could feel his pain. Colette made another cut across his arm.

  No! he thought as he pushed Katherine from his mind. He would not allow this mad woman to cause Katie pain. He reached for Raven with his telepathy and was glad to get a quick response.

  Thank goodness. I have been trying to reach you for two days, Raven sent.

  Katherine, she needs to break off. I’m not sure I can shield her from the pain.

  I’ll take care of it. Where are you?

  I can only guess I’m at that lab stashed outside of Manaus the general sent me to find. I think one of their scientists drugged me. She wants to experiment on me to figure out how I heal myself. I’ve been using Isanti’s healing potions. I don’t know how long I’m going to be coherent. You need to send help. They have me strapped to a table under extreme light. It doesn’t look like I’m going to be able to get myself out.

  He shouldn’t have stolen Quiet Thunder’s recipe for the healing potion. By drinking one potion a day, he didn’t have to worry about being injured while doing his job for the general. He never expected someone to realize he possessed an amazing ability to heal. Quiet Thunder would have his head if the secret was leaked. After drinking the potion daily for several months, when might the effects wear off?

  Roger that. I’ll have a team on the next plane. Hang in there, Derek. Katherine needs you, Raven sent to him.

  Derek felt Katherine reaching for him. She cried, feeling hurt and alone. He opened their telepathic bond enough to reach her with his thoughts, but still block her from pain.

  He tried to console her as best as he could. Fear made him tremble. Why hadn’t he told her he loved her before this? Why had he walked away the night Raven got married? Derek slammed the telepathic link shut as Collette dropped a cinderblock onto his hand. The bones cracked, and he yelled in pain.

  §

  Joe Running Bear was more than six feet tall and looked like a football linebacker. Katherine should have felt intimidated. She had known and worked with him since coming to Isanti, Inc. He was often gruff, but she quickly realized he was a teddy bear with a heart of gold. He had the build and coloring—black hair and broad shoulders—of all the tribal Shadow Walkers. Unlike Raven, who had shoulder-length hair, Joe adopted a military-style cut.

  Joe was head of security for Isanti, Inc. He always seemed to know everything. He had figured out that Derek was Katherine’s secret admirer, discovering that Derek was leaving little gifts on her desk months before she suspected it was him.

  Because none of the team members had traveled to the Amazon, they couldn’t shadow-walk to Manaus, Brazil, the nearest city to the small village in the rainforest. Hence, the need for air travel. Once they arrived, they could shadow-walk back to New Mexico.

  Leaning against the wall of the airplane hangar, Joe looked as if he didn’t have a care in the world. When he saw Katherine approach, he stood up and walked toward her. “You made good time. We’re waiting for two other Shadow Walkers. As soon as they arrive, we board,” Joe said. “Don’t worry. We’ll get Derek back for you.”

  Katherine smiled. Joe cared for her, they were friends, and he wanted to reassure her. That was what a tribe was all about.

  The other two men arrived minutes later, and they boarded a company jet. Hugh Thunder Hoof and Charlie White Owl also possessed dark coloring from their tribal roots. All the men exhibited a certain magnetism and mystic quality.

  Katherine took a seat next to a window near the door. She wanted to be able to see when they landed. They would be flying into Manaus, Brazil, and driving into the Amazon rainforest from there.

  The plane took off smoothly, and Katherine decided to try to get some sleep. She woke up as the plane banked and looked out the window. The sunrise on the Amazon River took her breath away. Thick vegetation lined the riverbanks. The city of Manaus came into view. The airport was located next to the river, and for a moment it looked as if they were going to land on the water.

  The plane landed. Katherine unbuckled her seatbelt and made her way forward. She couldn’t wait to get Derek back.

  “You’re looking fierce.” Joe opened the plane door.

  “Just thinking about what I’m going to do to the person responsible for all this,” Katherine answered.

  “Come on. We’ve still got a long drive ahead,” Joe called as he headed down the steps of the plane.

  As she got off the airplane, she felt as if she were walking into a wall of water. Moisture clung to her skin and clothes. A man drove a jeep up and handed the keys to Joe before strolling toward the terminal. Joe got behind the wheel. Katherine took the passenger seat. Hugh and Charlie climbed into the back. They didn’t bring luggage because they wouldn’t be flying home, and anything extra, like their toiletries, would have to be left behind.

  Manaus was a big city with skyscrapers and other large urban buildings, but they soon left civilization behind and headed into the rainforest.

  The road turned to gravel. As conditions worsened, Katherine started to feel rather bruised, as they bumped and swerved over the washboard-like surface. Sweat dripped down between her breasts. Her jeans and T-shirt stuck to her body.

  Luckily, it wasn’t raining, but with clouds coming in, she realized it would rain soon. Since she was now covered in dust, Katherine figured she would be covered in mud before they reached the small town outside the lab the ge
neral mentioned.

  When they arrived at the little no-name village, they checked into the only motel. Joe handed out the keys, and they all headed to their rooms. Katherine was thankful to finally be out of the heat. She immediately took a hot shower. She scrubbed herself dry with the thin towel in the room and sat on her bed. The room wasn’t much larger than her walk-in closet at home. At least, it was clean though a bit worn. The window air conditioner chugged away, trying to cool the air. She looked at her sweaty clothes and decided she couldn’t stand the idea of putting them back on. She wrapped the towel around her as best she could.

  Turning off the lights, she looked at the edges of the shadows in the room as she had been taught. Walking through Shadow could be dangerous if you didn’t stay focused on where you wanted to go. The men of the tribe didn’t know she practiced her shadow-walking and personal defense skills on a weekly basis. Ever since Cara and Raven’s foster sisters had taken her out for Cara’s bachelorette party, Katherine had wanted to perfect her technique. The women of the tribe met weekly and coached each other in shadow-walking, self-defense, and anything else they thought might be of value. Tatiana had even showed her how to throw a knife. Katherine still needed practice throwing.

  Near the bottom of the door a shadow wavered. Katherine reached her hands into the spot and slowly pulled them apart, creating an opening into the dimension next to Earth. It was too bad she hadn’t brought a change of clothes or some of the Italian leather Cara had bought her. But leather in the Amazon would be torture. She’d have to suffer the cold with nothing except her towel. Before anyone could stop her, she slipped inside, picturing her apartment in New Mexico.

  The frigid cold of the Shadow Dimension slammed into her, taking her breath. The next moment, she arrived at the apartment. Then, she closed the access portal used to enter back into the Earth dimension. She was becoming adept at shadow-walking. Cara would be proud. It felt good to be home. The light colors and floral patterns soothed her. The air was dry here in the desert. Katherine headed into the bedroom for a change of clothes.

  A short time later, she sat on her bed and had just finished tying the laces on her hiking boots, when a large hand gripped her arm. She yelped in surprise.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” Joe asked, his jaw stiff with anger. “Did I give you permission to leave the team, and who told you that you could walk through Shadow alone? I should boot you off the team. Did you even think to tell someone where you were going?”

  “Joe, I’m sorry. Please let me come back with you to the Amazon. I came home to get fresh clothes. Raven told me to bring a small bag, so I brought only my toiletries and items I knew weren’t all natural.” How did he find her?

  “I didn’t say walk through Shadow anytime you feel the urge, especially without telling me.”

  “I’ve been practicing. You and the men walk through Shadow all the time.” Katherine knew she sounded belligerent. Sometimes these Shadow Walkers needed to be brought into the correct century.

  “I’ve been trained since I turned fourteen to walk through Shadow. You’ve been doing it for only seven months.”

  “Please, Joe. The women get together and practice their shadow-walking every week. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I was leaving. I need to help Derek get out of this.”

  “Last warning, Katherine. One more slip and you are back here for good.”

  She nodded her head. Upsetting the team leader was not the way to get what she wanted.

  “Let’s get back,” Joe said. “You take the lead. I want to see you make your way through Shadow. If I think you know what you’re doing and it’s safe, I won’t say anything else about it.”

  At least, he was being fair. Katherine took his hand and walked over to the closest shadow. She’d show him.

  §

  Derek tried to distance himself from the pain. Even though the potion speeded his healing, he still felt the pain of each wound. He worried about the bones in his hand aligning correctly. He didn’t want to be crippled if it healed incorrectly.

  He slowed his breathing as he remembered one of the lessons Quiet Thunder taught him as a boy. “A warrior knows when to be still and when to jump into action.”

  Derek gathered his consciousness and sank his awareness deep into the Earth, leaving the lab and bright lights behind. Further and further his consciousness traveled until he reached the very center of the Earth and the core of crystal quartz. He wrapped his arms around the crystal sphere and held on tight. The Earth was his mother. She would comfort him and hold him close.

  Warmth and peace flooded his mind, pushing everything else aside. Here he could rest and reserve his strength until help arrived. No pain could touch him. Here he was one with the Earth. Every rock, every mineral, and every dark space held life. He felt accepted and welcomed, cradled and sheltered from everything happening on the surface. Here he could rest.

  §

  “Katherine, meet at the jeep in 15 minutes. We’re going to drive out toward the lab” Joe sent to her.

  “Roger that, in 15,” Katherine sent back telepathically. Joe had grudgingly agreed that Katherine had done okay getting them back through Shadow to the motel. He shook his head and ordered her to stay put until the team was ready to head out. She’d paced in her room, waiting for his telepathic call. Now it was finally here.

  When she got to the jeep, the men were waiting for her. Everyone had dried off and changed into clothes they had used Shadow to obtain. It wasn’t raining, but it had been, and the ground was steaming. Katherine knew temperatures were in the 90’s and the humidity would stay high. She felt wet all over, and she had just walked out of her room.

  They climbed into the jeep and headed out of town. When they got close to the lab, Joe pulled the jeep off the road behind some trees, where there were plenty of shadows. They all got out. Joe reached down next to a tree and inserted his hands, palms together, into a wavering shadow. Then, he pulled his palms apart creating an entrance into the Shadow Dimension. He took Katherine’s hand and entered into the cold of Shadow. For once, the frigid temperature almost felt good. They waited as Charlie closed the portal back to Earth. Joe kept Katherine right behind him when he took the lead. Hugh and Charlie followed.

  They could still see and hear everything on Earth around them, as if they watched through a dirty window. The small group headed for the front gate. An eight-foot-high, chain-link fence surrounded the lab. The main gate was open and armed guards blocked the road.

  No one could see them in the Shadow Dimension, so Joe’s team walked through the gate without a problem.

  Inside the perimeter, they split up. Joe motioned Katherine to stay with him, and they moved to the door, while Hugh and Charlie headed around the building.

  Because the door was motion-sensitive, Joe and Katherine waited until someone or something triggered the sensor. Finally, a couple of people headed outside, and the door opened. Being in the Shadow dimension, Joe and Katherine could not manipulate physical objects on Earth. Long ago, Katherine had learned patience in her work, but the need to get to Derek ate at her. They moved into the one-story building.

  Feeling where to go, Katherine followed her heart and led the way to Derek. Joe didn’t question her and stayed close to her back. As they passed down the main corridor, they could see people in white coats working in different labs. There were large windows and glass enclosures with lots of bright sunlight. Without shadows, Katherine and Joe couldn’t exit the Shadow Dimension.

  They continued down the hall and turned left into a different wing. Katherine felt a tug on her heart and stopped in front of an entrance with a coded lock. Through the door’s glass window, she saw several doors leading off the main hall. She felt that Derek was close and thought he was located in the room about halfway down the hall. She motioned Joe forward, and he peered through the window.

  A guard stood at the door where she believed Derek was held, and two surveillance cameras in the hall were pointed at the sam
e entrance. She also saw alarm sensors on the hinges. This was definitely a high-security wing.

  They waited to see if someone might come down the hallway and open the door for them. After fifteen minutes or so, Joe motioned her to follow him out.

  Katherine could not believe how close they were. She wanted to wait until someone came by and opened the door, even if it took all day. How could she leave when Derek was so close? Joe stopped several feet down the hall and glared at her. She bit her lip. Everything inside demanded she find a way into the wing. Finally, she wrenched away from her feelings and started to follow Joe. She sent a telepathic call through her link to Derek. Her mate would feel that she was near.

  “Derek…”

  “I feel you are close. What’s the situation?” Derek asked.

  “They have you in a high-security wing that is lit up brighter than a Christmas tree. Joe is pulling us back to the jeep. We’ve got to figure a way in.”

  “I’ll keep my eyes open. I was pretty drugged up when they first brought me here. The only time someone comes in the room is to escort me to the bathroom.”

  “It is so hard for me to leave you,” Katherine sent.

  “I know you and my old friend Joe will get me out. It’ll be all right, Katherine.”

  Katherine’s throat tightened, and her eyes burned. Derek was trapped in a room, being tortured for science, and he had tried to reassure her. She followed Joe glumly down the hall to the outside door, and they slipped outdoors as someone walked in.

  Hugh and Charlie met them at the gate, and they shadow-walked back to where the jeep was hidden. They returned to the heat of the Amazon rainforest.

  Katherine opened her mouth to ask why they were giving up. Joe raised his hand. “Save it ‘til we’re back at the hotel.”