He had to think. The scene could only be a robbery. Katie’s pharmacy stocked a wide variety of pain medications which he knew brought out the crazies. Thefts involving opioids had risen to an all-time high. One of the most abused prescription drug types were a serious epidemic everywhere. Even a pharmacy as small as Katie’s was a target for thieves. Maybe because of the fact her place was a small-time drug store the robbers saw the place as an easy target.
What was a vampire to do? He’d have to work fast.
Slipping effortlessly through the wall once more, J.T. raced upstairs for the coat Logan had charmed. The warlock wanted him to have a go-to plan for emergencies. Jessie’s little breaking-and-entering constituted such an emergency. With the coat on and its thick hoodie covering his head, J.T. slipped into a pair of charmed gloves before stealing out the back door.
The security company was local. J.T. knew the owner. If he could get there in time to blank the video as well as the guy’s memory, he had a chance of saving Jessie from jail.
Chapter 7
Jessie only slowed when she realized she was completely out of town. How had he found her? Gulping in air, she leaned against an oak tree. The wind whistled through the bare branches in a sinister sound resembling wicked laughter. The encounter had been too close. J.T. recognized her. With a hand on the out-of-control heart inside her chest, she sucked in a couple of deep breaths and tried to steady herself. His hands on her were like iron. His lips, chilled, yet forceful probed for answers to questions he could not voice. Demand to know the truth, she supposed. The truth of all the time passed between them. All the time without a word from her. She recalled the contact and shivered. His need burned right through her, igniting her flesh besides leaving her vulnerable. Vulnerable was an emotion she couldn’t afford.
J.T. suffered no fools. He knew she had avoided him like the black plague. Her rational had and remained to be the fact she gained superhuman strength with the amulet. Her parents had told her the amulet contained mystic powers. It was only after their disappearance that Jessie understood what they had been trying to explain. She had got mixed up with him before knowing the complete truth, the fact she could travel through time and shape shift, all because of the amulet. She sighed before slumping to the ground.
He wouldn’t understand, she decided. Grounded in logic and reality, J.T. lived in the real world. He’d been a Navy SEAL after all. Now he made a living doing private investigations, or so the sign on the door to his office read.
Better to let him believe she wanted nothing to do with him, rather than risk losing her parents. Jessie fisted her hands, punching the ground until the pain seeped past her guard. Finding her parents took priority over everything else in her life, over dance, her career, her life and yes, even J.T.
Her brain tripped over the image of the Sultan. A vile piece of shit, she mused. The memory of his hands slithering over her skin made her queasy. Somehow, she had escaped before he raped her. Unable to think about the details, she shivered again. Her parents, who weren’t so lucky, remained prisoners of the Sultan. The Sultan had kidnapped them – her family. She grimaced at the thought of them huddled together in some hole somewhere if they were still alive at all. Willing that thought from her mind was all that kept her going. She couldn’t let that happen.
The Sultan had sneered at her when she tried to reason with him, bargaining for her parents’ release. He had made his demands clear, their lives for the amulet. There lay the crux of her problem. Jessie’s parents had warned her, whatever she did, not to give the Sultan the amulet. Besides, she doubted he would return her family even if she met his demand. He was not a respectable shadow walker. The Sultan was a murderer and a thief, a black heart in spades.
Jessie flicked a pine needle as she considered her next move. Now, the Sultan stalked her day and night. Becoming Rocco had been a blessing. So far, she had managed to keep her identity as Rocco a secret. It took sheer dedication to the lie. She had to be forever vigilant because if the Sultan put two and two together, she would lose so much. Her parents would pay the price.
Jessie strode away from the tree only to return. Leaning her forearm against the bark, she rested her head and closed her eyes. The rough texture scrubbed at her arm. She did not care. Standing there, she allowed her mind to think of him. J.T.’s touch elicited such a burning inside her stomach. “Oh, J.T.” she whispered. “If only…”
“If only what, my dear?”
Jessie jerked upright. Her eyes quickly searched the area for the owner of the voice. “Who’s there?” Shifting, she kept her back against the bark. Better to face the devil head on, she decided. “You’ve got me at a disadvantage. Show yourself.”
“In good time.”
She felt the breeze kick up.
“You’re a hard woman to keep up with, my dear.” The dead leaves crackled under the pressure of someone walking.
“Are you following me?”
The laugh was mirthless. “Let’s just say, I’m watching out for you.” Another humorless chortle.
“You’re stalking me? What for, Sultan?”
“You know my name. How delightful. I assume my reputation proceeds me so I won’t bother with droll background information. You’re a resourceful young thing. I admire that in a woman.”
“What are you planning on doing?” The words held too much urgency, her anxious brain warned. Better to let him sweat over her concern rather than give him one for the win column.
“I’ve come for the amulet. Is that straightforward enough for you, my dear?”
Jessie’s chest constricted. He had tuned into her thoughts. Beneath the leather jacket she wore, the amulet warmed against her chest. The metal practically sang out a warning. Blocking his entry to her mind, she considered her options. Jessie toyed with the idea of simply speeding off into another dimension. A fete easily accomplished with the enchanted amulet. No, that would only incite his desire to have the piece. An example of its powers was not a smart move.
“Looking to acquire more souls, Sultan? Don’t you have enough blood slaves already? You’re worse than a human trafficker. What in the gods name do you do with all the souls you confiscate?” Her anger edged closer to the surface. “Or, perhaps your greed knows no bounds. Is that the case, Sultan?”
His filmy apparition appeared out of the corner of Jessie’s eye. The apparition was tall – over seven feet if she gauged correctly. He raked a lusty gaze over her.
“I have no desire to harm you, Jessie. Merely to possess what you wear around your lovely neck.”
The tone of his words made her skin crawl. “No.”
The Sultan came into view. Without saying anything, he strolled closer. His face set in grim lines, his eyes bland. “I don’t think you are in a position to deny me anything. Do you understand?”
Jessie’s hands fisted of their own accord. Though her stomach wanted to pitch, she stood perfectly still. The fear snaking up her backbone would have to wait. “You’re one to talk, Sultan. I have what you want. But it only works for me. Got to catch me if you can.” Before her last syllable left her mouth, Jessie disappeared into thin air.
The roar of anger filled her ears even miles and miles away. The air vibrated with the sound. She had no idea if what she had declared back there was the truth or not. The Sultan getting the chance to discover if the amulet worked for him or not was not in the cards. Praying she had the strength to go through with her plan, Jessie focused on the facts. The Sultan was no fool and growing bolder by the day. Time, precious time was running out. Her plan to save her parents proved no closer to completion than when she came up with the idea. She needed help.
Remembering the shock in J.T.’s eyes upon seeing her, Jessie released the breath she had not realized she was holding. Her attraction to him had not changed a wit. Nothing about another man stirred her juices like J.T. She shook her head. The idea baffled her. In all the world, she never dreamed she would be so attracted to someone like him. Men in Jessie’s
world, the world of Broadway were smooth, sophisticated weasels. Dropping to the ground, she supposed that could be the attraction. J.T. was not a weasel. “He would not think much of that recommendation,” she muttered, grinning at the idea. The breeze kicked up around her. A soft chill set in as she sat cross-legged in the grass. Through her jeans, she felt the dampness of a melting frost. If she could keep J.T. at bay long enough to save her family, she’d gladly settle the score with him even if it meant she walked away with a broken heart. What to do next battled with the fact she was running out of time.
Okay, so she would have to act fast. Her little move back there in the woods had set a fire under the diabolical shadow walker known only as the Sultan. “Don’t worry, mom. I’ll get you out of this mess.” Jessie closed her eyes over the mental picture of her mom and dad staving off hunger and disease in a hell hole of the Sultan’s making.
The tightness in her chest increased. Her parents needed her. Not being able to locate them meant she needed help. Jessie knew she needed J.T.’s help. He had friends – friends with special skills. Swallowing her fear, Jessie stood. She had to involve him even though it meant facing his reaction to her amulet. The split second it took to get moving left the leaves in a whirlwind.
***
J.T. scanned the area as he slipped out the back door of his office. He’d managed to erase the videotape as well as convince the clerk at the security company to cancel the call to the police. Sometimes, he thought the hypnosis factor was his greatest gift.
The sun had set in a cloudy sky. J.T. managed to stick to the dimness of the trees as he headed for Aubrie’s place. The coat stuck to his damp skin like a shroud. Its prickly texture aggravated his already irritated disposition. He examined his reddened hands, realizing he had forgotten the protective gloves. Shoving his sunburned extremities deep in the coat’s pockets, J.T. walked with his eyes on the ground and his mind on her.
The fact remained, he mused, Jessie was flesh and blood. What was more, Jessie resided in this time – here in Cheniere Station. How had she managed the trip? Either, she had been here all along and the woman he thought was Jessie in the Netherworld only resembled her or what?
Unable to fathom another plausible reason, he scowled at the road before him. He would bloody well get some answers out of Jessie once he found her again. Chilled anger simmered as he considered their last meeting. He had frozen up with the sight of her. The shock would do that to a man, even an undead one. If he wasn’t mistaken, she had been thoroughly surprised by him too.
She was back! That glimmer in his existence gave him a mingled sense of hope and dread.
His pace slowed. J.T.’s brow furrowed. Maybe she didn’t want to see him. She’d run away from him twice. If so, who could blame her? He’d changed so much since they had first met. How would he ever reveal his true nature to her? The tiny voice of warning forced him now with rapid energy. Reckless behavior be damned, he didn’t care about the singed skin or the burned tuffs of hair as he passed from shadows to light. He needed help. The people he called friends were the only ones who could save his sanity.
Chapter 8
“He’s here,” Aubrie announced as she dried her hands. A neat set of clean dishes rested in a drain on the side of the sink. Stepping away from the window overlooking the front pasture, she silently hoped he left her cows alone. “That was wrong,” she murmured to herself.
“You say something, Sugar?” Logan opened the door as J.T. was about to knock. “Come on in, bro.” Gesturing to the couch in the living room, he added, “What can I get you to drink? Coke? Something stronger?”
J.T. shrugged out of the oppressive heat of the coat, hanging the itchy thing on a hook near the door. “Whiskey?” J.T. asked hopefully.
Logan nodded, his mouth firming over the notion. “Whiskey it is.”
“Hello, Aubrie.” J.T. reached over, kissing her on the cheek.
Aubrie blushed.
Feeling a bit guilty, he mused. Aubrie smiled as he backed away to accept the drink. “Have a seat, J.T.” She rubbed her hands down the front of her leggings.
Nerves played a tap dance inside, he decided. The vampire still had a negative effect on Aubrie.
“Can I get you anything?” Wanting to take the words back as she said them, Aubrie glanced at Logan.
His expression remained steady.
“No thanks, I ate before coming.” J.T. smiled his mischievously wicked smile of his. “I’ll just drink.” Holding up the glass in salute, he picked a seat before settling back.
There was a knock at the door.
“That must be Katie.” Aubrie turned, leaving them sitting in relative silence.
Logan eased back, crossing one leg over the other. “Something’s bothering you. What’s up? Our resident grandpops made a visit again?”
J.T.’s eyes met Logan’s. “No, Nybbas hasn’t raided my fridge again.” He took a sip of the whiskey waiting until the burn traveled down his throat. “Nothing’s wrong. I didn’t sleep well, is all.” Turning as the ladies filled the sitting area, he grinned. “There’s my neighbor.”
Katie reached out for a hug. “Good to see you, J.T. How’s the investigative business?”
“Can’t complain. How’s the pharmacy?”
“Good. Lots of sick people.” She giggled nervously, glancing at the others. “Sorry. Occupational jokes are insensitive sometimes. Our way of blowing off steam, I guess.”
J.T. raised his glass. “I can relate. Where’s Duke?”
Aubrie carried a tray filled with a pitcher of sweet tea along with a plate of shortbread cookies. After sitting them on the coffee table, she poured tea.
“He’s on the way. Working late with a horse and had to shower.” Katie smiled.
Aubrie nodded before filling a glass. She passed it to Katie, who offered it to Logan.
J.T. grinned from the sofa. “Can’t complain about work. Although, I try.”
Companionable laughter filled the silence.
Logan cleared his throat. “Why don’t we get started? I’ll fill Duke in on anything he misses. J.T., let’s start with you briefing us on your trip to the Netherworld.”
“Okay.” Sitting forward, J.T. rested his elbows on his knees. “I found one of the slave camps.” They’re hidden in the deep undergrowth of the forest floor. There are approximately fifty grown-ups and several children. A man named Rocco is the unofficial leader. He has a foreman – Thomas. He explained the conditions to me. It’s grim. Those who are still healthy conduct smuggling runs as well as warfare training by night. During the day, the Sultan has them working the sugarcane fields. It’s an around-the-clock operation in twelve-hour shifts. They eat and then put in more grueling hours with the smuggling and warfare. None of them know much. It’s the way the Sultan likes things. They aren’t certain where the bastard has the others held. All they know is the rescue can’t come soon enough. He said they’ve quit counting the lives lost already.”
“You mentioned those that are healthy.” Katie leaned closer. “How many are sick?” Katie’s eyes held concern for anyone she might be able to help.
“Rocco said a couple of dozens are sick with various illnesses. Malnutrition, Typhoid, staph infections, you name it, they’ve seen some bad stuff. Then there are those who were sick or under doctor’s care when they arrived. Since being taken from this world, many don’t have the proper medications they need daily. Rocco said if I could help smuggle in supplies, the conditions may improve to the point more could fight.”
“This is something I can do,” Katie straightened in her chair. “Besides food and water, I can provide medicine for those in need.”
“Good. Katie, you can oversee tending the sick. That agreeable, Logan?”
“Absolutely. Katie’s perfect for the job,” he replied.
“Fine, then. Now, to plan for an attack. I’ve drawn out a map of the area I covered. Thick and dense – lots of places to hide. We need to find the other camps to determine how many we ca
n count on when the time comes.” J.T. spread out the map he’d drawn up that afternoon. Without mentioning anything about the encounter with Jessie, he pointed out Nybbas’ mansion and the fact the place was a trap. “By the way, where is Nybbas tonight?”
Katie smiled, rolling her eyes. “He wanted to stay over. He and Meagan are watching True Crime Stories on cable.”
Aubrie nodded. “That’s my Nybbas. A real crime junkie.” She cut a flickering glance at Logan. “Turned into a proper couch potato.”
Something deeper there, J.T. mused.
The front door opened. A cool draft of wind whipped through. “Hey, sorry I’m late. What did I miss?” Duke’s short blond hair, still damp from his shower, glistened in spikes atop his head.
J.T. could smell the shower gel he had used.
“Hey, bro.” Duke extended a hand for J.T. to shake.
“Hey, Duke. You didn’t miss much.” J.T. glanced at Logan.
“Why don’t we take a break? I’ll fill you in on the details while we eat.” Logan stood and stretched. “Aubrie made chili.”
“Yum. I love chili,” Duke grinned as he headed for the kitchen.
***
While the others got out bowls and boxes of crackers, Logan filled Duke in on J.T.’s briefing.
“Let me get this straight. Rocco knows about at least two more encampments. Where are they?”
“That’s it. We don’t know. Rocco and the others haven’t located them yet. The Sultan works them around the clock. Hard to get a scouting party out of men asleep on their feet. We’ll have to do some more recon.”
“I’m up for that. When do we leave?” Duke's mouth creased into his patented hundred-watt smile.
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