Darkness

by Laurann Dohner

  Slade captured his son and hoisted him high, putting him within reach of the handholds on the wall. “Go for it.”

  His son laughed and started climbing again. Salvation didn’t have to be told. He ran at the wall and jumped, that time managing to catch two handholds at once. He quickly reached Forest but stayed next to the other young one.

  It confused Darkness. “Salvation is taller and stronger. Why doesn’t he climb above Forest?”

  Fury answered his question. “They are a team. If Forest slips, Sal will help him.” He shot Darkness a pointed look. “They are like brothers. They will always be there for each other.”

  The words were meant to sting and they hit their mark. Darkness felt guilt. “I need to go. I’m late for my shift.” He quickly left.

  Chapter Ten

  Kat smiled and glanced around the main room in Security. The banks of monitors were impressive. It was a top-of-the-line system. She felt honored to get a tour.

  “What do you think?”

  “It’s great.” She pointed to one wall. “Those are all exterior monitors there?”

  Jinx nodded. “Yes. They cover the wall sections. To your left is the interior of Homeland in general areas. The right is the exterior shots of Homeland, beyond the gates.”

  She peered right. Protestors paced the sidewalks and cars drove by on the street. On another screen was the view of a nearly deserted street. The monitor under it showed a park. She glanced at each screen, realizing they had views of everything within about a block of their walls.

  “Do you get a lot of people who try to breach the walls at various points?”

  “Not often. We have officers on the wall and the humans see them. It dissuades most from attempting it.”

  “What about by air?” She knew the answer already but a crime lab technician wouldn’t.

  “We have a mile radius no-fly zone around all NSO lands. We closely monitor air traffic. Anything incoming needs prior approval.”

  “What if someone does breach the air space?”

  “We have the means to take them down.”

  She pondered that, questions forming.

  “I can’t discuss it further,” Jinx murmured. “Sorry. Some precautions are classified.”

  Kat let it go. “No problem.” She knew the military had worked with the NSO and their task force to protect their land. Her attention drifted left and she watched the monitors covering the front gates. At least thirty people were working to repair the damage, repaving the scarred ground and putting up new gates. A redhead caught her attention. There was something about him that seemed familiar.

  “Can you zoom with these cameras? Do they move?”

  “Sure.”

  She walked forward, hoping it didn’t seem suspicious. “Can you show me? Like, zoom in on this guy here?” She pointed to the construction worker smoothing freshly poured concrete over the scarred area where the van had exploded.

  “Do it,” Jinx ordered.

  The image was sent to a larger monitor at the front of the room and the operator of the security system brought the man into sharp focus for close inspection. The face of the construction worker filled the screen and he glanced around, lifting his chin just enough for her to get a really good look at him. Her anger simmered.

  “Show her the mobility of the cameras,” Jinx ordered the woman at the controls.

  The camera angle moved, panning across the other construction workers. The man behind the wheel of the concrete truck came into view and Kat clenched her teeth. She studied each face on the monitor.

  “Very cool.” She tried to make her voice sound ordinary.

  “Would you like a tour of our interrogation rooms?”

  “I’ve seen one of them already. I’ll pass.”

  Jinx winced. “Sorry. I forgot about that.”

  “Speaking of, is there any way I can talk to Darkness? I had a question for him and want to make sure he’s still not irritated with us.”

  “Ask me.” Jinx inched closer.

  “It can wait.” She forced a smile. “I’m ready to leave now. Thank you so much for the tour.”

  “Do you have any suggestions?”

  “I do better when I think about things for a bit. We’ll discuss it tomorrow. Is that okay?” She wanted to get out of there before she lost her temper. It was burning hotter by the second and she had to hide it.

  “I’ll take you out to your escort, who will drive you back to your guest cottage.”

  “Thank you.”

  He led her out of Security and she was happy to see Sunshine waiting behind the wheel of a Jeep. She waved to Jinx, thanked him again, and climbed into the passenger seat. The woman grinned at her.

  “Did we meet your expectations?”

  “What?”

  “Our security measures?”

  “They are great.”

  “I’ll take you home unless there’s somewhere else you’d like to see. I’m on duty for a few more hours but they told me to take you wherever you want to go.”

  Kat hesitated. “Do you have Darkness’ number? I really need to ask him a question.”

  “Sure.” The woman reached inside her shirt pocket and withdrew her cell phone. She tapped the screen a few times and handed it over.

  Kat took it and slid out of the seat. “Give me a minute.” Her heart began to pound as she listened to the phone ring twice. It was stupid and she knew she should just keep her mouth shut. She was putting her ass on the line if she actually spoke to him. His deep voice answered.

  “Darkness here. What do you need, Sunshine?”

  “It’s Kat.”

  “Why do you have the female’s phone?” He didn’t seem happy.

  “I borrowed it with her permission. She’s about ten feet away, staring at me.”

  “What do you need?”

  She hesitated.

  “Kat? Is something wrong?”

  Just say no and hang up. You can’t do this. Just keep your damn mouth shut.

  “Kat?” His voice deepened. “What is it?”

  Fuck it. “Is there any way you can get near the front gate?”

  “I’m actually very near there. I just came on duty.”

  She closed her eyes. The sick feeling in her stomach increased. She had to make a decision and it was a tough one.

  “Kat?” He softened his tone in a way that reminded her of the night before. “What is it? Are you well?”

  Shit! She opened her eyes and focused. “You know how you expect me to trust you but you don’t trust me?”

  “You want to discuss this now? I said I’d see you later.” Irritation sounded in his tone.

  “I’m trusting you because this could get me in some serious shit. Do you understand?”

  He was silent for long seconds. “What is it?”

  “See the redheaded guy getting a sunburn and smoothing out concrete? Look at the driver of the truck that’s working nearby? Also, the woman with black hair who is helping install that new gate, on the right side facing the main street? Watch them closely, okay?”

  Darkness growled. “Why?”

  She bit her lip and then decided she’d already crossed a line. “We work for the same dickhead. I’m putting my ass on the line. That’s all I can say.”

  “Are they a danger to the NSO?”

  “I don’t know why they are here. That’s the truth. There could be more of them but those are the ones I recognized. They might have come to get a look inside your gates to see how much damage was done. I just don’t know.”

  “How did you know they were here in the first place if you don’t know why they came?” He sounded angry.

  “I just toured Security. I spotted them on the monitors. Just…watch them, okay?”

  “We’re going to talk more about this later.”

  “I imagine so.”

  “Would you be in trouble if they were to suspect you pointed them out?”

  “Big time.” Her stomach roiled, just considering Maso
n’s reaction.

  “I’ll handle it. Are you still at Security?”

  “Outside. Sunshine is about to return me to the cottage.”

  “Go and stay there. I’ll see you soon.” He disconnected.

  It sounded like a threat. She uttered a silent curse and returned to the Jeep. She passed the phone over and climbed back into the passenger seat. “Thanks.”

  “Is everything okay? You look a little pale.”

  “It’s fine. I’m just tired.”

  “I’ll take you home.”

  “Thanks.”

  Kat wasn’t sure if she should regret what she’d just done or not. Why would Robert Mason send other agents into NSO, undercover? Their access would be limited to the area where they were pretending to be construction workers. Did they plan to sneak away to search for Jerry Boris? She really needed to discover what his connection to her boss was. Why was the guy so important that Mason would risk sending in a group of agents? It bothered her.

  Sunshine pulled up in front of her cottage. “Are you well? You really don’t look so good.”

  “I think I have a headache coming on.” It wasn’t far from the truth. Her boss was a pain. “Thanks for the ride home.”

  “Any time. I’ll see you tomorrow for your class.”

  Kat forced another smile. “I look forward to it.”

  Kat escaped inside the house and leaned against the closed door. She didn’t bother locking it. Darkness would come and she had a feeling it would be soon. He’d want answers she really couldn’t give. She’d already said too much.

  “Damn! I should have just kept my mouth shut.”

  Did they really have Jerry Boris? If so, she believed it had to be for a good reason. Why? It would be so much simpler to just ask Darkness but that would mean laying all her cards on the table.

  “What do I do?” The silent house didn’t hold an answer for her. She pushed away from the door and walked to the master bedroom. She changed out of her clothes into a comfortable oversized T-shirt that doubled as a nightgown. Her mind was abuzz with unanswered questions. What a dilemma. Mason’s orders went against the grain in every way. “It’s still my duty,” she muttered. “But does it count when the boss is out of line?”

  She entered the kitchen and yanked open the fridge. It had been stocked with sodas, milk, juice and even wine. She didn’t drink alcohol much but it was tempting to grab the bottle. She bypassed it for a soda. The last thing she needed was to get rip-roaring drunk. It was unprofessional to drink on the job but she had gone off the rails already when she’d had sex with Darkness.

  The front door banged open when he walked in. It slammed closed behind him with enough force to shake the house. She regarded him over the kitchen/living room divider as he approached. He was in uniform but had left the helmet somewhere. The only skin that showed was from the neck up. His expression would have frozen ice.

  “What the hell is going on?”

  She cringed at his snarled words. “I don’t know.”

  He rounded the corner and halted a few feet away. He looked at her bare legs then jerked his dark gaze upward. He growled again. “You thought to distract me by showing skin?”

  “No. I wanted out of my bra and to be comfortable.”

  “Who do you work for? I want a name.”

  She turned to face him and leaned back against the counter, taking a sip of the soda. She placed it down a few feet away. “We’re dressed.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Remember your rules? I do. I work for the Bakersfield crime lab.”

  He lunged forward and she tensed, closing her eyes. He didn’t touch her. She braved peeking at him and he stood inches away, glaring down at her. She relaxed. They stared at each other for a good minute.

  “Why warn me about those humans if you won’t tell me more?”

  “I don’t know.” She looked at the white lettering on his vest. “I didn’t think about it. I risked a lot though. Doesn’t that earn me any points?” She lifted her gaze, studying his beautiful eyes. He was still furious. “I take it you’re having them watched since you’re here?”

  “Yes.”

  “Did you tell anyone why?”

  He shook his head. “I just said they were acting suspicious and I had a bad feeling. We doubled our teams out there to keep an eye on the workers. They won’t be able to do anything without it being noticed. The larger presence of officers should dissuade them from attempting any activities they might have had planned.”

  That made her feel a little better. “Thank you for keeping my name out of it.”

  He cupped her cheek. The feel of leather against her skin was odd but kind of sexy. “What can you tell me, Kat?”

  “Not much.”

  “Do you know why they would come here?”

  “I haven’t been in contact with anyone since I arrived at Homeland. It was a surprise, seeing them.”

  “Do they plan on doing us harm?”

  “I really don’t know why they are here.” Frustration rose. “I hate this dance, don’t you?”

  “So stop. Just talk to me.”

  “I already risked too much when I called you. I shouldn’t have done it.”

  “Then why did you?”

  She chose her words wisely. “I don’t think they should be here.”

  “Do you think you should be here?”

  “No.”

  He backed up and dropped his hand to his side, no longer touching her. “So why do you stay?”

  “I’m supposed to.”

  “Do you always follow orders?”

  “Not quite to the letter, in this case. I came to teach classes. That’s it.”

  “Were you supposed to do something else?”

  She bit her lip, staring at him.

  “Yes or no?”

  She said nothing.

  “Damn it.” He gripped her waist, his hold gentle, and pulled her away from the counter. “I’m done.”

  She gasped when he bent and his shoulder hit her hips. He lifted her and carried her over his shoulder into the master bedroom. She didn’t struggle or protest until he dumped her on the bed.

  “What are you doing?”

  He walked over to the shelves and tore off his vest, shoving it onto one of them. He bent, tearing at his boots. “Strip.”

  She sat up, astonished. “You want to have sex now?”

  “Rules,” he hissed. “No clothes, no lies. Take off that shirt before I shred it.”

  “I still can’t tell you what you want to know.”

  “Strip,” he snarled.

  She got to her knees and pulled the shirt over her head. Then shoved down her panties and tossed them on the floor. Darkness shed his pants, briefs and shirt. He breathed heavily when he stood naked before her, still looking furious. He took off the gloves last.

  “Lie flat and grip the headboard.”

  “No.” She sat on her legs, peering at him. “I can’t tell you what you want to know. Did you hear me? I have no idea why they were sent. All I can think of is that they might have wanted to see the damage firsthand.”

  “Did they cause it? Was that van sent in by them?”

  “NO!” Her own temper flared again. “I already told you I had no association with those assholes. It wasn’t some plot to gain your trust. I’m not an assassin either. Isn’t that what you called me? Totally not true.”

  He stepped closer. “Look at me.”

  She studied him from head to toe. He was semi-aroused and a sight to see when he was naked and breathing heavily, even if it was because he fought his temper. She could read his emotions by the tense lines of his body and the way his lip curled up just enough to flash a little fang.

  “Do I look as if I want to play games?”

  “I’m not playing. I made the call, didn’t I? I risked my ass by doing that. It could get me in deep shit but I still did it.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I’m stupid. Obviously. Look where
it’s gotten me. You’re ready to lunge at me again.”

  “Tell me something then.”

  She swallowed and took a deep breath. “It’s possible they might be looking for someone.”

  “She’s not here.”

  That caused Kat to frown. “She?”

  “The female they seek.”

  Why does he think they’re after a woman? “It would be a man.”

  He looked surprised. “A male? Species?”

  Kat hesitated. “Can you keep this just between us?”

  “No.”

  “You won’t tell anyone we’re getting it on but you have a problem keeping this secret?”

  “Don’t play head games, damn it. Are they after a Species?”

  “No.”

  He regarded her with suspicion.

  “Naked, remember?” She waved her hands at her body. “I promised never to lie to you when we were this way. It’s not a New Species they might be looking for.”

  “A task force member?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

  “You don’t think?”

  “I don’t know much about this guy, okay?”

  “Give me a name.”

  The line was there—she could mentally see it between her job and Darkness. “I can’t. That’s asking too much.”

  He put his knee on the bed and glared down at her. “Tell me a name.”

  “I can’t.” She felt frustration more than fear. “I’m guessing and I’ve already said way too much, Darkness. Give me a break, okay?”

  His hand snaked out and gripped her shoulder. He pushed and knocked her over onto her back. She gasped but then he grabbed her legs, yanked her flat. He came down on top of her, pinning her under his weight. They were nose to nose.

  “Give me a name.”

  “I can’t.”

  “Do you know it?”

  She nodded.

  “Then tell me.”

  “I can’t.”

  He snarled, flashing those sharp teeth.

  “Go ahead and bite me.” She didn’t fight him. He was too strong and she knew it would be pointless. “I still can’t do that without losing my job and getting into a shitload of trouble. Hell, I’m already in it if that phone call ever comes to light.”