"Ouch!" I squealed as the thug pulled me up by my arms. Then the wind was knocked out of me as he threw me over his shoulder, carried me across the hangar and dumped me on the office floor with a thud. My tailbone screamed from the assault. "Not very nice," I said, trying to catch my breath.
He shook his head and moved out of the way as the other two thugs dropped Zach's still unconscious body beside me, shutting the door on their way out. Well, at least they didn't shoot us. Yet.
"Zach," I whispered, wriggling over and nudging him with my shoulder. "Zach, please wake up!" My mind raced. I glanced frantically around. One door, one window. No way I could open either with my hands and feet bound.
Suddenly, I heard the low rumbling sound of the doors rolling open again. Were they leaving? Oh, please let them be leaving.
One of the thugs burst back into the room and shoved a rag into my mouth, tying it roughly with a piece of nylon rope. "Be quiet," he hissed. He did the same to Zach and then quickly exited the room.
Voices were right outside the door but I couldn't make out any words. Claustrophobia began to set in. I could only suck in the stale air through my nose. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to calm my labored breathing, reaching out with my mind to the water. As my mind and body calmed, my eyes flew open.
Mallory.I sensed Mallory! She went out with Sammy tonight. He must have brought her here.
No!
I tried to scream, but the rag was doing its job. I nudged Zach harder. No response. I looked around wildly. Okay. I had to calm down and think. I worked on taking deep breaths. In. Out. In. Out.
I closed my eyes and immediately sensed water in a close proximity. Someone had brought water with them into the hangar.
Moving into the space in my consciousness that was able to connect to the water, I concentrated, losing all sense of time, willing the water to move.
I opened my eyes as the voices escalated. I was spent, my energy depleted from the effort. How much time had passed? And had it worked?
There was shouting. A scream and then silence.
Precious seconds ticked by. What's happening? Mallory! And then the door opened and my baby sister was there. Eyes wild, hands and feet bound, being dumped on the floor next to me.
"Darwin!" She cried, fear and tears stinging her eyes. "What's going on?" The thug shoved a rag in her mouth, too.
I felt so helpless at that moment. So terrified. It welled up inside me like a tidal wave with nowhere to go. The pressure in my skull was almost unbearable. By moving the water in the water bottle, I had just meant to alert Mallory I was there, so she could get help. I should have known she would react immediately, without thinking it through. Now she was in danger, too.
Sammy pushed the thug out of the doorway and stared at Mallory, running a hand through his hair, his face pale. "Mallory, I'm so sorry," he said finally. "I didn't know they would be here." He turned from the room and shouting ensued. Sammy and Bernard barked at each other, their voices escalating. I scooted next to Mallory and tried to comfort her, pressing my shoulder against hers.
"I'm getting her out of here!" Sammy yelled.
He tried to come back into the office, but Scarface pulled his gun and leveled it at him. Sammy stopped dead. His eyes moved helplessly to Mallory before the thug backed him out of the doorway and slammed the door.
Mallory and I stared at each other, both of our chests rising and falling rapidly. I knew they weren't going to let us go. We knew too much.
Zach moaned and stirred.
Zach! I scooted back across the floor and nudged him with my knees. I screamed through the cloth and then decided it wasn't worth the expended energy. Twisting so I could use my feet to try and wake him, I pushed at his body, rocking him back and forth. His head rolled to the side and he coughed into the rag.
My heart knocked against my chest as the door opened.
There stood Bernard, holding one of the wooden boxes. Scarface entered behind him.
Then it hit me. Of course, he wouldn't shoot us. Guns weren't his weapon of choice. My heart raced. Time was up. We had no plan. No one knew we were here. Was this really it? Was he really going to get away with murder again?
Strolling over to the desk, he sat the box down and looked us over, a new cigar held in his teeth. There was a thump and thud against the box walls. I felt Mallory go still beside me.
Bernard removed the cigar and smiled down at us. "Want to hear my favorite proverb, ladies?" He continued as if we did. “Unless a serpent devours a serpent it will not become a dragon. Which, translated means unless one power absorbs another, it will not become great.” His eyes cooled to blue ice. "People fear snakes. But they have a very useful job in the food chain. They eradicate pests."
As he turned away from us, a flash of fire burst in his hand. He jumped and then cursing, stomped hard on his cigar, grinding it into the cement floor.
I glanced at Mallory. Her eyes were glowing green with fury. I was impressed with how much she had grown in her magick. She'd never been able to control it while she was angry before.
Bernard whirled back, eying us, and then nodded at Scarface, who stood with his arms crossed against the wall. "Release the Jararaca."
Oh, heavens!Jararaca? The pit viper that killed Alba? I pushed myself against the wall and pulled my knees up against my body. Scarface gave the box a mean shake, smiling at us. Then he opened the box and, not one, but two grayish-brown snakes reared their heads. I heard Mallory whimper. She scooted slowly over to press her body against mine. She was trembling. Scarface left the office with a salute, closing the door definitively behind him.
I blinked back the tears and blinding panic. Think, Darwin. I kept my body still, non-threatening, hoping Mallory would do the same. It was hard to think through the sound of the blood pounding in my own ears. I could still sense the water out in the hangar. I could kick myself for not practicing. Maybe if I could calm down and concentrate, I could still use it somehow.
The box tipped over as the thick, muscular bodies slid out onto the desk. A ripple moved through their entire length as they flicked their tongues toward us. The longer one slid off the desk and landed with a soft thud on the concrete floor.
I felt Mallory's fear. Dark waves washed over me. The snakes were visibly agitated. The smaller one slithered under the desk. Great. Not knowing where it was seemed worse.
Zach shifted beside me. Oh heavens. Be still, Zach!
Zach moaned. I ripped my gaze from the snake to him. His eyes fluttered open and he blinked, staring at me. I could see the confusion. I shook my head and moved my gaze back to the snake, hoping he would look there, also.
Unfortunately, he slid his bound feet over to see what I was looking at. The pit viper jerked at the movement. His head lifted higher into the air. Agitated and nervous. Not a good state.
Zach slowly sat up, his eyes trained on the snake. I could hear the long, slow breathes he was taking through his nose.
I caught movement to my right. The second snake peered out from beneath the desk. Its tongue flicked the air in front of us. It inched its way out, sliding toward us.
Zach slowly looked at me. I stared back into the depths of his dark eyes. He glanced purposefully at Mallory and then back at me. He was trying to tell me something. My eyes narrowed. What? What are you planning?
One single nod. And then he kicked at the snake, lashing out at it with his feet, simultaneously lunging sideways to throw his body as a human shield over us both.
The wind was knocked out of me. I heard Mallory's muffled scream beside me.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
The Jararacas struck simultaneously. Quick as a whip, they sunk their fangs into Zach and then disappeared beneath the desk. I looked down in horror at the blood beginning to seep from two holes in his leg and two holes in his neck.
He needed medical attention immediately. I couldn't sit here and watch him suffer the same fate as his mother and Alba. We had to get out of here and get him to a hos
pital, but how? Obviously, Bernard's plan was to let us die. How long would he leave us in here? All night? Until we had all succumbed to bites? Anger was now replacing panic.
I looked down at Zach. His eyes were focused on Mallory. He kept darting his eyes from her to the bite wound on his leg and back.
Suddenly, I saw Mallory's eyes widen in surprise. She leaned across me, studying the blood running down Zach's neck. Her head jerked back. Then she nodded at him.
Struggling, he lifted himself off of us as carefully as he could. I winced as his weight pinned my legs to the ground briefly. Then felt relief as he succeeded in sitting up.
I glanced from Zach to Mallory. Something was going on. I knew the venom inside him was a ticking time bomb, probably already clotting his blood. His mother had a heart attack from one bite from a poisonous snake. I hoped to heaven his heart was healthy.
Mallory closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the wall. I felt her emotions level, her fear subside. Heard her breathing calm. She was concentrating. It was almost as if...
Wait. What in the world? I stared at the wound in Zach's neck. His blood glowed a fluorescent red. It flowed from the holes like hot lava. What kind of blood glows? My eyes jerked up to his face. He was staring at the door.
Suddenly, I watched in awe as four perfect drops of his blood lifted from his skin. I leaned away as they circled and merged into a single ball in the air. My own skin tingled. The hair stood up on my arms.
I glanced at Mallory. Her eyes were squeezed closed in concentration and suddenly I understood—not the how, but the why of—what was happening. She had found a source of fire in Zach's blood. How was that even possible?
What in heaven's name was he?
I shook off the question. It could wait until we got out of here. If we got out of here.
Zach and I both watched as the ball of his blood pulsed and expanded. The feeling of being close to an energy source intensified. A high buzzing noise filled the room. Tiny roots of white light formed within the center of the ball, expanding it further.
It reached the size of a basketball and then shot forward, splintering the door. A few seconds ticked by. Then BOOM!
An explosion rocked the steel hangar. I felt it vibrate in my bones. I pressed closer to Mallory to shield her. After a few more long seconds, smoke began to seep in through the hole in the door.
I sensed water. A lot of it. The hangar had a sprinkler system! I realized I was shaking. It stopped as my whole being felt quenched.
I rolled my head toward Mallory. The smattering of freckles stood out on her pale skin. Her lashes were wet. I had never been more proud of her. Mallory had saved our lives. I leaned forward and touched my forehead to my little sister's, letting the tears of relief fall.
Sirens grew in the distance, coming closer. I lifted my head and looked at Zach. He turned to meet my stare. He didn't seem to be in any pain. Again, the question surfaced. What was he?
Within moments, the sirens were right outside the hangar. I wondered if Bernard had gotten hurt in the explosion or if he had gotten away. I was angry he was still going to get away with murdering Rose and Alba. But at least I could tell the police about his illegal diamond business. He would answer for something.
A figure appeared behind the smoke in the doorway, peering into the office.
"What the... Darwin!"
Will burst through the damaged door. Two uniformed officers followed right behind him. He surveyed the scene as he knelt down and gently removed the gag from my mouth. The two officers did the same for Mallory and Zach.
"Darwin. Jesus..." His hands stroked my hair and he lifted my face. "Are you hurt?"
I smiled up into his sky blue eyes, feeling his emotions wash over me. They were so intense, I felt giddy. My smile widened. "No. But, Will?"
"Yes?"
"There are two pit vipers loose under the desk."
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
I stood by the back of the ambulance, a blanket wrapped around my shoulders. Mallory lay on the stretcher inside. A paramedic was taking her blood pressure. I knew she'd be fine. She was just exhausted from expending so much energy. She needed rest and sunlight.
Red lights swirled on the buildings around us. Fire trucks and squad cars crowded the space around the hangar. Smoke still hung in the night air.
I watched Will rub his forehead as two officers spoke to him. He looked around and we made eye contact. Another officer approached him and, after a brief conversation, he nodded and made his way over to me.
"Hi," he said, standing in front of me in his slacks and tie, a badge clipped to his belt. The worry pinching his face made me melt. "They didn't hurt you?"
"No." I tilted my chin to look up at him. He was so close. I wanted to just fall against his chest. I wanted his arms around me. But, we weren't there anymore. I wasn't sure where we were. "I'm not hurt." Not on the outside, anyway. "What about Bernard and Sammy? Was anyone hurt in the explosion?" I knew Mallory wasn't trying to hurt anyone and she would be horrified if she had.
"Grayson and the others have been taken to the hospital with second degree burns. They'll live. The sprinkler system did its job quickly." Pulling out a notebook he said, "I'm going to need you to tell me everything that happened here tonight."
"Everything? Are you sure?" I looked up into his eyes. "I think it will be more than you want to know."
He turned and stared at the plane still smoking in the hangar. Then he looked back at me and took a deep breath. He gazed into my eyes, questions rising and then subsiding. Suddenly looking tired, he shook his head. "Okay, just tell me the events I can put in my report."
I pulled the blanket tighter around me, realizing I had a question for him first. "Wait, how did you get here so fast, anyway?"
He shrugged. "We were already on our way here when we saw the explosion." He stopped. "I shouldn't tell you..." then he blew out a deep breath."Oh, why the hell not? After the undercover agent was killed, a woman came forward and alerted us to Grayson's illegal diamond business. She's a vet and Grayson had been blackmailing her into removing the condoms full of diamonds from the snakes once he brought them to the states. He threatened her kids. Told her he could get to them at any time. She's a single mother and was terrified of him. But after the agent turned up dead, she knew she had to do something."
"Dr. Brown?" I asked.
"Yes." Will nodded.
Well, that explained why her demeanor changed when I asked her about a sick snake. I remembered the two cute little girls in her photos. Poor woman, I couldn't blame her for wanting to protect them. I'm glad she did the right thing in the end though.
"So, we were on our way to arrest him." Relief softened his mouth as he smiled at me. "Luckily for you three. I had no idea you were in there." He must have seen my disappointment. "What's wrong?"
My heart sank and the frustration returned. "Well, if you already knew about the illegal diamond business, then we didn't find out anything to help you. Bernard confessed to me that he killed Rose and Alba using the poisonous snakes, but we still have no proof of that. So, he gets away with murder anyway."
"No. He doesn't." Zach walked up to us.
I glanced at his neck. No swelling. No redness. No evidence of the bite at all. He had completely healed.
He held out his cell phone between us. My voice came out of it when he clicked play.
"Then you killed Alba because you found out she was an undercover agent?"
Bernard's voice answered. "Yes. That one. She broke my heart. I bought a six carat diamond just for her. I was going to propose. Stupid mistake." A brief pause and then, "No more loose ends. Take them to the office."
He clicked it off and handed it to Will. Will took it, blinking in disbelief.
"You recorded our conversation? But h... how?" I stammered, trying to think back to when he could have done it. "You were knocked out cold."
"I started the recording before I was hit. You said we needed a taped confession. I
was counting on the fact that you like to ask questions."
My mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. I wasn't sure whether to be insulted or flattered.
Will was still staring at Zach. "A recorded murder confession from Bernard Grayson?" He made a choking sound. "I don't know what to say."
Zach smiled, though his eyes were hard black marbles. "You're welcome." He glanced at me, still addressing Will. "Take care of her." He walked away, leaving us standing there.
Will's face suddenly broke out in a grin and then he stared at the ground, hands resting loosely on his hips. I watched as a myriad of emotions rolled over him. Finally, he looked back up at me. "I don't like the fact that you put yourself in danger... again, but this is..." He couldn't find the word. He cleared his throat. "We have a lot to talk about, Darwin."
I nodded, feeling sad and tired suddenly. Talking to me would be a good start. Believing me would be even better.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
I tucked a blanket around Mallory and brought her some tea. It was late, almost midnight, by the time we got home. Neither one of us wanted to be alone so we were camped out in the living room. I pulled my feet up underneath me on the loveseat, my hair still damp from the shower, and stared at my little sister. What would I have done if she hadn't been there? If Father hadn't visited her and told her I would need her? Or if she had been shunning her gift like I had? The thought was too unbearable to hold in my mind for long.
My eyes were beginning to feel like lead when Lucky suddenly raised her head from behind Mallory's knees. I watched curiously as she craned her neck and focused her stare on the patio doors. I scanned the floor for the usual suspect—some kind of bug. Nothing. Lucky hopped up onto Mallory's hip, a pink hair tie clenched in her small jaws. She perched there, her ears twitching madly.
"What is it, girl?" I whispered. Did she see something out on the patio? It was so dark out there but cats did have better night vision than us. Oh heavens, let it not be a snake!
2 Lady Luck Runs Out Page 16