by Maira Dawn
The squawk of a walkie, and someone's nasally voice ordering more men, caught Ian's attention even as he struggled. How long before they showed up? It couldn't be more than a few minutes, maybe even seconds.
Ian rushed past one man into the kitchen and toward the large window beside his table. He picked up a kitchen chair and beat against the glass.
A crack. A small one. One more and he'd be out. He ignored the fists pummeling his kidneys but yelled when a gun smacked against his head. Brain spinning, Ian swung the chair again.
One of the men said, "Put that gun away! You know what the boss said."
The window shattered, and Ian raced for it. Outside, three men materialized. Climbing through the window, they pushed him back toward the two attackers behind him.
Ian turned and fought with everything he had, but for every man he put on the floor, another would step in to take his place. Soon, it was clear they played with him. They were sure they would win.
Ian knew it was over long before he gave up. But he didn't stop, couldn't stop. If these men were who he thought they were, this would be his last free breath of air, his last ray of sun, his last sweet smell of the salty sea. He could only hope he would still feel Sunny, that might make whatever they had in store bearable.
Sweat and blood ran down Ian's body by the time his attackers finally drove him face down onto the floor. He gasped. His heart pounded so hard it felt like it thundered on the tile below him.
One man set a hard knee to the middle of his back, practically climbing on him as another bound his wrists so tight that in seconds, his hands were numb. Any movement earned Ian a shock from the taser, and soon it no longer took any prompting.
"You see Jack over there? Look at the mess you made of his face."
A burn ran down Ian's side, stunning him as they laughed.
"Look at Brian. He still hasn't woken up."
Another shudder of pain. Ian squeezed his eyes shut.
There was a scurry, and one of them said, "Hey, knock it off. He's coming!"
Dress shoes tapped across the tiled floor. Someone started a slow clap in mock congratulations. Ian tried to twist up to see who it was, but his reward was a punch in the face and another sharp knee in his back.
"You know you are quite the catch," the voice—a man’s floated above him. "And if I didn't know that before, I certainly do now."
The voice was irritatingly familiar to Ian. He couldn't quite place it. He tried to look again but stopped when a third man put a knee to his neck.
"Now, now, be careful with him!" the man scolded. "I don't want him harmed. Well yet, anyway, and certainly not by anyone but me."
The knee on Ian's neck eased.
The voice ordered, "Bring him up."
It took five men to haul the fighting Ian to his feet.
"There you go, now is that better?"
That voice. Ian spat the blood gathering in his mouth onto the floor and raised his head.
Shock bolted him to the floor as fingers of ice worked their way through him.
Ian had seen this man once, on the porch of Sonora's house. Blake called him son-in-law. He was Sunny's uncle.
Ian's shock caused the man to laugh. Not a small amused laugh, an uncontrolled belly laugh.
"My, my, I enjoyed that reaction. Surprised, are you?" Devon said. Ian lunged at the man, almost breaking the hold of the ones restraining him.
Devon scowled. "There will be none of that. You know what I can do. What I can do to her, anytime I want. Who would stop me? Who would even know?" His eyes narrowed as he walked toward Ian. "If you try to get away, I will go and get her. And I will put her in your place. Is that what you want?"
Ian glared at him.
Devon roared at Ian, "Is that what you want?"
"No."
Returning to his normal voice, Devon said, "Of course, you don't. She's special, isn't she? Isn't it your sworn duty to give your life for her? Stupid suckers. Well, guess what, that is what you will do. I'm an avid student of your race. I learn from you every day." The man grabbed Ian's hair pulling his head back. "Unfortunately for you, I have a lot to learn."
A stone settled in Ian's stomach as the coldness at his core grew, but he managed to growl out, "You will get caught. Your family will find out."
The man let go of Ian's hair. "You better hope not. I will kill them all. It would be so easy to do it. Nothing to it at all." Devon snapped his fingers with the words, then turned and walked back down the hallway and to the door.
"Oh, and before you start having harsh feelings. The old man doesn't know I've watched him and his family for years."
Devon waited until his men muzzled Ian like an animal. A satisfied look rolled over his face as they dragged a struggling Ian inch by inch through the front yard to a waiting dark blue van.
Bright-eyed neighbors watched. Ian tried to speak, but it was impossible. His attackers flashed fake badges at them, saying Ian was dangerous, and the neighborhood was lucky they'd found him.
The crash of the ocean waves sung to Ian until the van doors thudded shut. He slumped to the floor, wondering if he would ever hear it again.
Nineteen
Jorah
Chapter Nineteen
Sonora sat on the front porch of her house, watching the ocean roll in and out on the small beach across the road. She laid her head back against the blue Adirondack chair and twisted in her seat. She was restless, her dreams full of him. It been that way almost since he'd left.
It'd been a month since she said goodbye to Ian. When he said he wouldn't be gone long, Sonora had imagined a few days at best. But she guessed if a person was eighty-five and going to live hundreds of years, their definition of long could be a little different.
More and more, Sonora found herself along the ocean's edge, hoping to catch sight of him rising from the waves. Or trying to send out vibes that she was here, waiting for him. But no matter how many times she stood in the warm tide, he didn't come.
Blake rounded the house and smiled at Sonora. "How are you doing, honey?"
Sonora shrugged and tipped her head to the ocean. "It's been so long. Do you think they are still debating everything? Does it take this long?"
"Their discussions can be rather heated, I've heard."
"Surely, everything will be okay, Grandpa?"
"I'm sure it will. They are kind people at heart."
"Yes, you are, Grandpa."
Blake smiled. "I don't often think of myself as Atlantian anymore. It's nice you do." He climbed the stairs to pat Sonora's shoulder. "I know you're worried, he probably just needs a little more time."
Sonora glanced at her grandfather. His words sounded hollow, and she suspected he was every bit as worried as her.
As Blake wandered away, Sonora's mind turned to memories. The wedding, how handsome he'd been, his strong arms around her, and that first real connection with him as he dove into the sea. It was strange, but since he'd been gone, she'd often felt he was just around the corner. Not really the same, but it sometimes tugged at her.
Maybe Ian went home and changed his mind. Doubts flooded her. Would she be Atlantian enough for him? Would her attachment ever be as strong as his?
Sonora pushed away her uncertainty. Ian had told her how he'd felt without her. She knew how empty she felt now without him. They needed each other. She brushed at the tear sliding down her cheek.
Two weeks later, Sonora pulled in her driveway after work and saw her grandfather frantically waving at her. Sonora sighed. It was sweltering even this late at night. All she wanted was a refreshing shower and to fall sleep on her soft, cool sheets.
"Grandpa," she called out as she stepped out of the car. "Can I come over in the morning?"
"No!" he hissed. "Come over here!"
Sonora dragged her feet as she walked. "Grandpa, it’s late, and I'm way too tired to help you with your computer tonight."
When she reached his back door, Blake swung it wide and put a hand on her back
, practically shoving her inside.
"Grandpa!" Sonora scolded him as she tripped over the threshold. He didn't reply, instead looking to the right then left before he joined her inside the house and hurriedly shut the door.
"Grandpa, you are being really weird today!"
Blake's only response was to take Sonora's arm and pull her to the living room.
She was in the middle of protesting when she saw her grandfather had company. And it wasn't just any company.
Jorah sat on the living room couch, flanked by two large Atlantians. Sonora's stomach dropped, and she turned wide eyes to her grandfather.
"Come have a seat, dear," he said with a nervous quiver in his voice.
Instead, she walked to Jorah. "Tell me he is okay. I can take whatever I have to, please just tell me he is safe."
Jorah stood and put a hand on her arm. "I'm sorry, little guppy, I wish I could do so."
Sonora drew back, tears gathering in her eyes. "Tell me!"
"He left weeks ago," Jorah said, tears flooding his eyes. "We wondered why he lingered here. I sensed trouble from the minute my foot stepped on land, but I cannot find him. It has been some time since I have been above the water. I have asked Arg—Blake to be my guide. I am grateful he has accepted the mission."
Blake cleared his throat. "It is I who am honored, Jorah. As you know, Ian means a lot to me and my granddaughter. I will do everything I can to help."
The stone in Sonora's stomach grew, and she wrapped her hands around her middle. "What could have happened to him?"
"We will find out, Sunny."
"He is alive," Jorah said.
Sonora turned to him. "How do you know?"
"I am his parent. I would know if he was not. But something is wrong, I have been restless."
Sonora gasped. "Me too! I didn't know it meant anything. I thought it was just me."
Blake smoothed Sonora's hair. "We were just going to head over to his place now. Do you want to come? You may be helpful."
"His place? He has a house here?"
"He has a home for when he was..." Jorah trailed off.
"I know," Sonora said. "For when he was hunting Grandpa." Shoving down her worry, she rose and secured her purse on her shoulder. "Come on. Let's go."
Twenty
Reaching
Chapter Twenty
Ian put his hand on one of the smooth, cool steel bars and watched from his cage as Devon moved around the laboratory. It was hard to keep his eyes open. The moment those goons had gotten him in that dark-blue van, they had drugged him. It hadn't stopped since.
He narrowed his eyes as he threw another glance at Devon. The evil man would be leaving soon. His damage was done for the day. Ian looked down at the white gauze patch covering his chest just left of his sternum. He wasn't sure what had been tested today. If something came out or went in. Needles, his heart shuddering, and intense pain. That is what he knew.
He tried to settle against the thick bars boring into his back and running underneath him, but it was impossible. There was no comfort to be had in this too-small box. He took a ragged breath, letting the drug's lethargy wash over him, at least for a little while. Soon everyone would be gone, and he would have the night in peace.
It was at night that Ian reached out to Sunny, feeling her warmth cocoon him. Carefully though, he didn't want her to sense his distress. Recently, he'd felt his father and took strength from him as he whined like a lost puppy for Jorah to come and find him. It was all Ian had now. Every bit of fight was drugged and beat and tested out of him.
At least, he was still in Seaside where he could sense his loved ones. Ian had known the murderer had to be in this little town, and there were only so many places such precise destruction to a body could be done. Two facilities were contained the medical equipment needed, here and the hospital. So, while Ian was appalled Sonora's uncle was the evil man he had been tracking, he was not surprised when the van had turned into the Marine Center's back entrance on that dark night weeks ago.
Ian’s gaze jerked back to Devon when he put his last instrument away with a clatter and sighed. It was Vincent's job to feed the lab animals, but he had left early today, which meant Devon would have to do the assistant's job. It was clearly not a job Devon liked. Ian scoffed. The risk of getting dirty was too high.
He made his way down the line of cages from small to large, carefully filling the animal's dishes. Most of the animals chirped and squawked as they scurried around in their cages, stirring up dust from their fresh bedding. The sharp wood scent wafted to Ian.
Devon slid the routine water bottle and protein bar with an orange wrapper through the top slats of Ian's cage. Vincent would have added a fresh piece of fruit out of pity, but there would be none of that tonight.
Ian's stomach growled as Devon proceeded on without a word. Ian hardly paid any attention. Hunger continually stalked him now. This bar and another in the morning was all he would get for the day.
Devon had explained why Ian needed so little food on his first day here as he had smoothly slid a needle into his arm. "There that didn't hurt a bit, did it? I don't want to tear up your arm this early in the game." Devon patted Ian on the shoulder as he tried to twist away.
"This." Devon tapped an IV bag. "Is how you will get most of your nutrients from now until you die. I wish I could eliminate any food, but it is not practical. So, you will receive a small amount in the morning and at night. Cooperate, and you may receive a treat."
Ian had never received a treat, only more drugs.
He shifted again against the hard bars as he clutched the water and food. Devon stood at the door, his hand on the light switch, staring at him. Ian's heart jumped.
Devon's leather soles tapped against the tile floor as he briskly marched back to Ian's jail. Ian's hand tightened on the bottle causing it to crackle as Devon crouched to his level. As Devon examined him, his heart raced. No. No. Not more.
"Do not," Devon said. "Do not make me regret skipping an extra nighttime dose of medicine. Do you understand? If you do, I will make sure you stay the quivering mass of nothing you were when I first brought you here."
Ian tried to obey, but something inside him raged, not unlike the animals beside him. Not tonight. He would do nothing tonight. He glanced up at Devon and returned his gaze to the floor. He nodded.
"Say it."
In a rusty voice, Ian said, "I will not cause you regret."
Devon gave a sharp nod, stood, and walked out the door, snapping off the light as he did so.
It was not regret he would cause Devon when the time came. Ian flashed a defiant look at the scientist's back before he could stop himself. It would show up on the tapes, and he would pay for that weak spark tomorrow. His head dropped.
He shuddered so strongly it rattled his cage and caused the chimp next to him to screech. In the beginning, there were days Ian had no control of himself. That time was a swirl of drugs and pain.
"It is necessary to get your kind under control," Devon had told him. "The sooner you submit, the sooner it will be over. We can't start the real work until you are quiet."
In Ian's more lucid moments, he exploded. "I will never!" he screamed as he strained at the straps tying him to the bed.
But he did. No one else had survived this evil man, so how could he?
Devon's hand taking care of his every need had sickened him to the point Ian would do anything to get back some control of himself. Even if that meant losing control of something else. The end of one pain had been the beginning of another.
The experiments.
Ian wound himself into a ball, imagining Sunny stroking his hair and laying small kisses on his forehead. It was late. She would be home from work now and sleeping. It was safe to reach out to her.
Sonora sat in the backseat of her grandfather's car squished between the two large Atlantians. Something stirred, similar to an insect buzzing around her head. She swatted at it, earning strange looks from the two brawny men.
Now, one of her arms was lying awkwardly on top of one Atlantian's, while the other was smashed behind the other man's. She frowned at them.
One scowled back. Sonora's heart jumped, and she ducked her head. The men chuckled but shifted to give her as much room as possible in the small car.
"Finally," Sonora muttered as she examined them under her eyelashes, wondering if they ate as much as Ian.
"Here," Blake said, pointing to a house. "This is the address."
When the car stopped, everyone burst from the vehicle. Once the Atlantian guards got in, Sonora entered the house slowly. It felt as if she were getting another glimpse of Ian. His home in Atlantis was elegant, an old world chockfull of exciting little tidbits that offered story after story. This one was sparsely furnished, understandable since this wasn't a real home. But what he had was bright and beachy.
Sonora scanned the room. Ian was every bit as neat here as he was in Atlantis. Her examination stopped when she saw a framed picture of herself exiting the coffee shop. Oh lord, stalker picture much, Ian? She giggled. He needed a real picture for that frame.
Jorah came up beside her. He looked at the picture and smiled. "He loves you so."
Sonora returned his grin. Clearly, Jorah was where Ian had gotten his romantic side. She wondered if Jorah had any stalker pictures of Aleena.
Someone called out in Atlantian, and Sonora followed Jorah into the kitchen. Her heart froze. Chairs were overturned, a knife laid on the floor, and the window was broken.
Something caught Sonora's eye, and she reached down for it. A spent tranquilizer casing. She turned to Blake and Jorah and held out her hand. "Grandpa?"
Blake's face turned pale. "I only know of one group who wants us alive that badly."
Sonora's gaze went to her grandfather's chest. She remembered the scars below the shirt. Her knees weakened. No! Not Ian!
Blake quickly righted a chair for her as she clung to him. "We'll find him, honey."