Lily laughed aloud, the sound playing along his body like the touch of caressing fingers. “You probably confessed all and didn’t even know you were doing it.”
“Probably. She had a real thing about education. I didn’t dare slack off in school. I could get away with the messy room occasionally and forgetting to do my chores to play sports with my friends, but I didn’t ever miss a single homework assignment. She checked every one and insisted I read books every evening with her.”
“What kind of books?”
“We read all the classics. She had a voice that brought the story alive. I loved to listen to her read. It was better than television any day. Of course, I didn’t let on, I groused a lot so she’d think I was doing her favors by reading with her.” There was a shadow of regret in his voice.
“She knew,” Lily said firmly.
“Yeah, I guess she did. She always knew.”
Lily blinked back tears. “What happened to her?”
There was a small silence. “I surprised her with a visit and she decided she had to make me one of her famous dinners. We drove to the grocery store. A drunk driver ran a red light and hit us. I survived but she didn’t.”
“I’m so sorry, Ryland. She sounds like she must have been extraordinary. I would love to have met her.”
“I miss her. She always had a way of saying the right thing at exactly the moment it needed to be said.” Like Lily. He was beginning to think Lily shared that same trait.
“Do you think she was a natural adept?”
“A psychic? Maybe. She knew things. But mostly she was just a wonderful mother. She told me she took classes and read books to find out how to raise a kid.” Amusement tinged his voice. “Apparently I didn’t react like the kids in the books.”
“I’ll bet you didn’t.” Lily wanted to hold and comfort him. She could feel his aching loneliness and it ate at her. She smothered a groan. It didn’t seem to matter how reasonable her arguments were, the attraction to Ryland only grew in his company. The need to see him happy and healthy was fast becoming essential to her own happiness.
“I gave her a lot of trouble,” he admitted. “I was always fighting.”
“Why does that not surprise me?” She lifted an eyebrow at him, but it was the small smile hovering along the curve of her mouth that caught his attention.
He sat on the edge of his bed, raked both hands through his hair. “Living where we did, we were fair game for comments. Both Mom and me. I was kid enough to think I had to defend us, to take care of us.”
“You still are like that,” she pointed out. “It’s a rather charming trait.” She sighed with regret, knowing time was slipping away from her. She enjoyed his company, enjoyed talking with him. “I have to go, Ryland. I have so much work to do on other things. I’ll be back before I leave for the night to check on you.”
“No, Lily, just take off.” His gray gaze was steady on hers. He stood up, fatigue in every muscle of his body. He walked over to the bars, even though each step seemed to drive spikes through his head.
She sucked in her breath audibly. “Maybe you should wait.”
“I can’t afford to take the chance, Lily. Clear out and stay clear.”
She nodded, a small frown touching her mouth. Her profile was to him, she was deep in thought, and Ryland took the opportunity to allow himself the luxury of drinking in her voluptuous figure. There were no hard angles on Lily, she was all feminine curves. Her white coat was thrown over her clothes carelessly, moving when she moved, giving intriguing glances of generous breasts. When she walked, the material of her slacks stretched across her round bottom, drawing his attention. Her body was a blatant temptation he couldn’t think about too much, without going up in flames. He would have her. She would walk beside him, lie beneath him, come alive, come apart in his arms. She was his match in every way, she just hadn’t accepted it yet.
“You’re doing it again, Captain,” she reminded, a gentle reprimand, the color flaring under her pale skin.
His hands curled around the bars of his cage, his palms itching to see if her skin was as soft as it looked. “Not yet, I’m not, Lily.” He said the words beneath his breath, uncaring if she heard or not.
She stood there looking helpless for a moment, completely out of character. “Don’t let anything happen to you,” she whispered before she turned and left him there alone with his pain and his guilt and the cage holding him prisoner.
SEVEN
THE night was unexpectedly cold. Lily shivered as she looked up at the thin crescent shape of the moon. Dark clouds swirled across the sky, dulling the sparkling stars scattered above her. The wind tugged at her clothes and whipped strands of hair into her face and eyes. Threads of white fog whirled in small eddies, curling through the heavy wire of the fences, reaching toward her like ragged claws. She could smell the storm coming in off the sea.
“Dr. Whitney! I thought you’d gone home for the night.” A tall guard emerged out of the shadows. He was one of the older, much more experienced men. Looking at him closely, she wondered if he were military.
She feigned fright, jumping as if startled. “You scared me, I didn’t hear you.”
“What are you doing out here?” There was a trace of worry in his voice. She wasn’t wearing a jacket.
Lily shivered in the icy wind. “Breathing,” she answered simply. “Wondering whether to go home and get some sleep or go back and work so I don’t have to face my father not being there.” She raked her fingers through her thick hair.
“It’s cold out here, Dr. Whitney. I’ll walk you to your car.” The note of concern caused tears to burn behind her eyes, to clog her throat. Grief welled up, sharp and clear and strong. She had shoved sorrow and the knowledge of her father’s death aside all day, held it at bay with work, all the while meticulously planning the aftermath of the escape. Guilt fed her stormy emotions. If anyone should be harmed in the escape it would fall directly on her shoulders. Peter Whitney had told her what he wanted, what his last wishes were, but ultimately, it was her responsibility.
There had already been enough mistakes made by the Whitneys, and she was uncertain whether she was doing more harm than good. What if the men couldn’t survive outside the conditions of the laboratory? Their escape would give Higgens the excuse needed to carry out any plan he had to terminate any who opposed him. It would brand any in the military as a deserter.
“Dr. Whitney?” The guard took her arm.
“I’m sorry, I’m all right, thank you.” Lily was uncertain whether she would ever be all right again. “My car is in the parking lot over by the first guard tower. You don’t have to walk me, I’m fine, really.”
“I was heading that way myself,” he told her, urging her in the direction she’d indicated, his larger body between her and the wind.
As they walked, something inside of her went very still. Knowledge blossomed, flared into full life. She felt the movements, the presence of the others in the night. Chameleons—GhostWalkers, they called themselves—phantoms moving, blending with any terrain, at home in the dark, in the water, in the jungle and trees. They were shadows within the shadows, able to control their heart and lungs, able to walk among the enemy unseen. Lily felt them, the vibration of power they wielded, as they moved through the high-security compound, keeping the guards looking the other way with the sheer force of their minds.
The plan had been for Lily to be far away from the area, her alibi indisputable, but she had lingered, drawn by guilt and fear. It was difficult to break into the facility, but much easier to break out. Ryland Miller and each of his men had psychic abilities to varying degrees. She knew Ryland had planned to lure Colonel Higgens to his cell so suspicion would fall directly on the colonel as the last man to be with him just before Ryland was able to escape. Ryland would free the others. The men would find safety in numbers at first, allowing their various skills to benefit everyone, but once out of the compound, it was far safer to scatter, going in twos or singly to
their ultimate destination—her home.
She allowed her gaze to slide casually along the deeper edges of the buildings, the towers and equipment in the compound. Her chest was unexpectedly tight. She couldn’t spot them, but she felt them. They were moving through the high-security compound like the phantoms they called themselves. A dog barked somewhere to her left, set her heart pounding. The animal stopped abruptly as if silenced by a command. Her guard tightened his hold on her arm, suddenly uneasy.
He swung his head in the direction of the dog. Lily stumbled, distracting him. “I’m sorry,” she sounded more breathless than she intended as he caught her, preventing her from falling. “It’s dark out tonight. The storm is coming in faster than anticipated.”
“It’s supposed to be a bad one. You should get home before it hits,” he advised. “The gusts could reach a hundred miles an hour and your car is small.”
She had purposely refused the limousine, knowing every car would eventually come under suspicion and a limousine could easily transport several escapees outside the compound.
The guard’s concern was nearly her undoing. She was wound much tighter than she realized, grief for her father swirling close to the surface, threatening to spill over. Distress for the knowledge she had been part of her father’s scientific experiments. Guilt for the escape battering her conscience. Fear that someone would be hurt or killed gnawed at her until she was afraid she might scream. Tears shimmered in her eyes, blurred her vision. Were the lives of the men going to be any better on the outside where no one protected them? She had to tell herself at least they were safe from deliberate harm.
“You’re shaking, Dr. Whitney,” the guard observed. “Maybe you should go back inside and spend the night here.” He stopped in the middle of the yard, bringing her to a halt beside him.
Lily forced a bright note into her voice. “I’m fine, just a little shaken up. I’ve had weeks to get used to my father’s disappearance, but the thought of facing an empty house in the middle of a storm is daunting. We always talked together. Now there’s just silence.”
Without warning, lightning burst across the sky. The flare instantly lit the compound and surrounding area with a white-hot spotlight. To Lily’s horror, the flash illuminated the dark shape of a man only feet away from them. His eyes were fixed on them. Focused. Steady. The eyes of a predator. His hand moved and she caught the glint of a knife. Kaden. She recognized him instantly. He was one of the stronger talents.
Lily threw her body between the phantom and the guard, knocking into the guard so that they both went down in a tangle of arms and legs. The flash of light was gone, leaving them trapped and vulnerable in the darkness. They both hit the ground hard, Lily bumping her head hard enough that a soft cry escaped. The guard swore, rolling to his feet, reaching to bring her up with him just as thunder clapped loudly, splitting the sky apart so that rain poured down in long drenching sheets.
“You shouldn’t even be contemplating driving a car if you’re this afraid of lightning,” the guard warned, his hands holding her still for his inspection.
She realized he had been looking in the opposite direction. He hadn’t seen the nearly invisible threat so close to them. For all she knew they could be surrounded by the phantoms. The idea sent a surge of adrenaline racing through her bloodstream. The rain ran down her face and soaked her clothes. Would it be better to go back to the building or go to her car? Where would the guard be the safest?
Lightning veined in the clouds, sizzling and crackling, zigzagged from ground to sky, shaking the earth beneath their feet and once again illuminating the compound. Kaden had melted into the night, but in the flash, she saw another face. A pair of merciless silver eyes raked her face, fixed on the guard still holding her arms. Ryland was close, so close she could almost reach out and touch him over the guard’s shoulder. The brief flare was gone in the clap of thunder, leaving inevitable darkness behind.
Lily sagged against the guard, terrified by the striped, menacing mask on Ryland’s face. He was highly skilled in hand-to-hand combat, in martial arts. He carried death in his large hands. She didn’t know what to do, whom to protect. Whether to keep the guard’s attention centered on her, or whether to warn him of the very real danger.
Relax, sweetheart. The voice drawled lazily in her head, played over her senses like a velvet glove. I’m not going to hurt your hero. And get out of the damned rain before you catch pneumonia.
Relief rushed through her. She raised her rain-wet face to the sky and smiled for no reason at all. You can’t catch pneumonia from rain.
“We need to get out of this right now,” the guard said, tugging at her arm to get her moving. “I’m taking you back to the building. It’s dangerous out here.”
“I agree,” she answered wholeheartedly.
I have two more men who haven’t made it out. Keep him away from the labs.
“But I can’t face going to the labs again tonight. Let’s head for the general cafeteria,” she improvised swiftly.
The guard flung his arm around Lily in an attempt to keep the rain from her and together they sprinted across the long expanse of pavement toward the largest row of buildings. Lily was looking at the ground, her eyes straining to see where she was going, when the next bolt of lightning hit. This was much closer and it rattled windows and shook the towers, causing one of the guards to yelp in fear.
“Those men should get off of there,” she yelled, just as the thunder exploded. The noise was astonishing, so loud it nearly knocked them down. Her ears hurt from the impact.
“The towers have lightning rods, they’ll be okay,” the guard assured her. But he sped up, dragging her with him.
On the heel of his words was a loud explosion as the tower took a direct hit. Sparks rained down, fire in the sky, bursting like gems in the air. Lily was looking around her frantically, shielding her face, wanting one last glimpse, one last look, but the shadow figures were gone and she was left alone in the raging storm.
She felt bereft. The emotion drained her as nothing else could.
The guard’s arm propelled her into the main building just as the alarm sounded. “It’s probably nothing,” he said. “The siren’s been going off regularly with no explanation—a glitch, or maybe it’s the storm, but I have to go. You stay here out of the rain.” He patted her arm in reassurance and took off.
Lily stared out the window, oblivious to her rain-drenched body and soaked clothes, praying she had done the right thing. Ryland was gone, slipping away with his men. It was up to her to find a way to help them live in the world again. She had no idea how she was going to do such a thing. She had no idea if the water on her face was rain or tears.
She leaned her forehead onto the glass pane, staring sightlessly. How would the men survive in a world filled with raw emotion, with violence and pain? The overload of stimuli could send them into madness. It was insanity to think they would all make it to her estate without mishap. How would Ryland Miller survive without her to shield him from the rest of the world, even for a short period of time? It would be so easy for him to be separated from the others. He would send the weaker men with Kaden and protect their backs. She knew that, accepted it. Ryland would guard the others before he would think of his own safety. It was that trait in him that appealed so strongly to her.
If she’d left them in the laboratory the men would have no hope of finding peace. They would be used, observed, treated eventually as lab rats, not humans—she had already noticed the guards and techs were depersonalizing them. Colonel Higgens obviously wanted them dead, and she believed he was arranging “accidents” for them during testing. At least she could provide money enough to find a place to live in freedom, in seclusion maybe, but still living. They would be safe. And both Peter Whitney and Ryland Miller had thought the risk was worth it. She had to be content with that.
When the ferocity of the storm had eased, she headed for her car. The compound was in an uproar, guards scrambling in all directions,
lights shockingly bright in the night as they swept continually along the shadows of buildings, seeking prey. The drizzle of rain couldn’t mute the shocked shouts and blaring noises as the word spread that the GhostWalkers had escaped. The cages were empty and the tigers were out. Fear spread like a disease. Lily could feel waves of it shimmering off the guards as they scurried around her. The post was on lockdown and there was no way for her to leave.
The emotions running so high were overwhelming. She could only hope Ryland and his men were safely away. As it was, her own barriers were flimsy, battered by the high levels of fear and adrenaline broadcast by the guards and technicians. She waited it out in her office, her hands over her ears to muffle the sound of the screaming sirens. She was glad when, after a time, the noise stopped abruptly. The sudden silence was a mercy to her throbbing head. Lily took a long shower in her private bathroom and put on a change of clothes she kept for the many nights she spent working.
She was not surprised when two guards asked her to accompany them to the office of the president to meet with a military liaison and the executives of Donovans. With a small sigh conveying her reluctance, she complied. She was drained physically and emotionally and was desperate to hide from the world.
Thomas Matherson, aide to Phillip Thornton, was waiting to fill her in. “General Ronald McEntire happened to be here tonight visiting the compound. He called General Ranier, Colonel Higgens’s direct commander, and insisted on being brought on board.” The aide opened the door for her and gestured for her to precede him.
Lily couldn’t believe her good fortune. A general who had no knowledge of the experiment. If she could find a way to talk to him alone, she could tell him her suspicions about Colonel Higgens. The terrible knots in her stomach began to ease.
Shadow Game (GhostWalkers) Page 13