Deliverance (15 page)

He shook his head. “You may have said it lightly, but it is no less true.”

Stepping closer, Leisha wrapped her arms around his neck and snuggled her torso into his. “If there is one thing I’ve learned from all that I’ve been through, it’s that there’s no point in dwelling on the past.” She kissed him softly. “We’ve gone over some pretty high hurdles to get here. May as well enjoy it now that we’re here, my love.”

He nodded once before his mouth swooped in over hers. This kiss was not soft and reserved like the others they’d shared that day. It was full of emotion and possession. Leisha’s body melted against his as their tongues invaded each other’s mouths.

Before Tafari’s hands began their usual wandering of her curves, he groaned and broke the kiss. “I suppose we should not allow ourselves to get distracted in this place.”

She knew he was right, of course, but it took a few moments of controlling her breathing before Leisha was able to focus her attention on their task instead of her handsome husband. “Right.” She cleared her throat. “Well, if these elevators aren’t functioning, there may not be much for us to see.”

Walking to that destination, she pressed the button. She wasn’t surprised when it didn’t light up.

“We are both in good shape, love.” Tafari tried to squeeze his fingers in the crack to force the doors open. “We can climb through the shaft.”

Leisha stepped up next to him and gently moved his hands. She replaced them with her own and had the doors opening in only a few seconds. Smiling over her shoulder, she said, “Working with a vampire has its benefits.”

“You do not have to look so smug about it.” Tafari’s tone was warm and light.

As she reached the ceiling of the elevator and opened the crawl hole, she muttered, “Of course I’m going to be smug about it. After all, who would think that a little thing like me could best such a fine specimen of masculinity as yourself?”

With a chuckle, Tafari swatted her bottom. “Get up there before I show you just how masculine I can be.”

Leisha feigned a squeal and jumped up. Once they were both in the shaft, they climbed up the small ladder to the next floor. Leisha pried open the doors and they got in the hallway.

There were no windows to allow a trickle of light, but Leisha could see into the shadows enough to get around. Tafari had a pen light in his pocket. It gave poor illumination, but it was better than nothing.

“This level looks like the place they take visitors to. The ones the government wouldn’t want to know what was really going on,” Leisha stated after they’d explored all the rooms. The whole place appeared to be a typical office atmosphere, with desks in each room. There were no computers or anything of interest left behind.

They proceeded to check the third and fourth floors and found each level similar to the others.

“Do you remember what level I was on?” Leisha asked as they climbed up the ladder once again.

“I believe it was on the ninth or tenth floor.”

Pursing her lips, she decided, “Let’s just skip ahead to the eighth floor and go from there.”

Once they were standing on the higher level, Leisha could feel it. The floors below had just simply been empty. The eighth floor was a few degrees cooler—which made no sense since they were in a warm climate and heat was supposed to rise. It almost sounded like whispers were echoing from the walls, but it was so faint that Leisha was sure she imagining it. Unlike the lower levels, the eighth floor held no dust. All she could think was that this floor felt . . . “Haunted,” she murmured.

Tafari stepped closer to her side. “It does hold a strange ambiance.”

Pulling in a breath, she moved forward. “If we are going to find anything, it would be in the place that feels the creepiest.”

Since there was no power, the doors to the rooms were easy enough to force open, but Leisha knew from personal experience that they would be impossible for even a vampire to open with the power operating.

Nothing of significance stood out to her in the first three rooms, though they felt more oppressive with every step. Each of them looked just as her cell had three years ago: small, with a metal slab in the center to be used as a bed, complete with restraints. Cupboards that could only be opened with correct clearance and key card. “If the walls could show us what they saw, it wouldn’t be pretty.”

At the fourth door, there was a good amount of old, dried blood coating the floor. It flaked off onto the bottom of their shoes as they moved in further to investigate. The rest of the rooms were not as messy, though most revealed some amount of blood on the floor or splattered over a wall. Besides that, there was nothing useful to them.

They completed the search through the next four floors in the same manner, finding the same things in all the rooms. By the time they clambered up to the fourteenth floor, Leisha was feeling emotionally exhausted.

What pulled her out of her despondency was the second set of doors that appeared after she’d pried open the elevator doors. Tafari climbed onto the floor with her and studied the obstruction. “This could be promising.” He kicked the doors in the center. They vibrated under the force.

Leisha put a hand on his shoulder to stop him, then repeated his action. The doors cracked inward. Tafari put his body against one of the doors and pushed it until they could squeeze through. “Just remember,” he said as he glanced back at her. “I loosened them for you.” His lips twitched as he gestured for her to go ahead of him as he held the opening.

Chuckling as she wormed through the opening, Leisha wiggled her bottom a bit since it was in plain view of her husband. He growled and tapped her playfully. Since she’d been so busy flirting, she hadn’t noticed the room until Tafari was almost beside her. Once she finally did, she whistled. The entire level was one open space. Beakers, vials, and microscopes lined tables with computers everywhere. There were other items that Leisha was not familiar with. They appeared to be high tech, and she assumed they were some kind of tools for Mason Campbell’s experiments.

She walked over to one of the computers and fiddled with some buttons and wires, trying to see if it ran on a battery system. No such luck.

“We will take all of the hard drives with us. Rinwa can look at them and see if she can find some information.” Tafari moved to a different computer and pulled out the hard drive as expertly as any computer programmer.

Nodding, Leisha watched him take another one and slowly mimicked his movements. It took more effort for her since she didn’t know what she was doing, but had four pulled out when Tafari had the other eight in his arms. He flipped his shirt up to use as a carrying sack for the drives.

Leisha admired his muscular abs for a second before leading the way down the elevator shaft and into the lobby. The sun was blinding when they exited. The ocean breeze rushed toward them and Leisha took a deep breath. The oppressiveness of the compound now behind them, she relaxed.

“Rinwa will probably hate us for bringing her more work,” Leisha commented as they walked toward the beach.

“She will complain,” Tafari agreed. He found his equipment and pulled out plastic sacks to keep the hard drives dry while they went back through the water. “But if we find anything of use on these, it will be well worth it.”

Leisha prayed that this trip would garner the results they so desperately needed.

Chapter 19

L
iam was having a difficult time filtering the thoughts that flowed through the walls and floor of their apartment. Voices from people’s minds bombarded him, each with a different pitch and level of emotion. Couples fighting, kids throwing tantrums, and a couple of teenagers trying to sneak out so they could smoke weed were just a few of the things pounding through his brain, and it felt like the thoughts that overwhelmed him were no longer contained in just their apartment building. It meant that he wasn’t getting enough rest. And the more overwhelming the thoughts got, the more draining it became.

Closing the lid of his laptop, he met Rinwa’s piercing gaze across the table. “I need to go to sleep,” he announced as he stood.

Rinwa’s bored expression turned back to her own computer. “Thanks for that profound announcement. Should I state the obvious by saying that I’m going to stay up a little longer?”

His sister’s thoughts were one of many assailing his brain, so he couldn’t decipher exactly what she was thinking. But he knew her well enough by now to know that her sarcasm was used in place of affection. Reaching out, he patted her shoulder as he passed her to head to his room.

He didn’t bother to brush his teeth or change clothes. Liam lifted the soft blanket and slid right into bed. It was difficult to relax when voices tried to besiege him. Closing his eyes, Liam breathed deeply, smelling the fabric softener of his sheets. He exhaled longer than he inhaled. His thoughts turned inward, to the gift he’d given Samantha all those weeks ago. He’d performed the ritual to the best of his knowledge, but no one trained him for something like that. He did it because he knew she needed to have a long life on this earth. After focusing on his breath for several minutes, the thoughts of hundreds of people turned into white noise and he fell asleep.

Three sharp knocks on the front door yanked Liam back to consciousness. It didn’t feel like he’d slept very long, but at least he had more control over his telepathy. It was enough to hone in on the person at their front door.

Jumping out of bed, not paying attention to his blanket fluttering into a heap on the floor, Liam rushed down the hallway. Rinwa got there first and she opened the door just as he arrived. When his sister saw the immortal standing on the threshold, the handgun whipped from behind her back to aim at the man.

“How the hell did you find us?” Rinwa asked in a hard tone, but Liam could hear her thoughts. He could sense the emotion she battled with as she faced their guest. His name was Willem, and Rinwa had been in one of those on again, off again relationships with him for a few centuries. Liam sensed that she missed his warm body and unique sandalwood scent. Her thoughts were a jumbled mess of conflicting sentences, so that was all Liam could glean.

Willem scanned Rinwa from her feet and up, his gaze barely hesitating over the weapon she held. “I didn’t bring the cavalry with me. I just want to talk.”

“He’s telling the truth.” Liam gently placed his hand over his sister’s arm to lower the gun.

Rinwa glanced at him, then back to Willem and narrowed her eyes. “You have five minutes.”

Liam and Rinwa stepped back to allow Willem room to enter. Liam could feel the immortal’s gaze boring into his back as he walked into the main room.

He must be the prophecy child. He has Leisha’s eyes. But he couldn’t be so old already, could he?

Turning, he met the older man’s eyes. “Yes, I’m the prophecy child. And my hybrid genetics help me to grow at an accelerated rate.” Willem blinked, then sat heavily on the russet colored couch. Liam continued to answer the thoughts that flowed at a projected rate from the man. “Obviously, I do read minds. Yes, including immortals and vampires. Thank you. I’ve been speaking this articulately since I was six months old in human time. And, no, you haven’t ever heard my accent before. My original language is not from this world.”

Rinwa pulled her chair from the computer and rolled it so it was facing Willem. “He’s the party trick we bring everywhere to show off,” Rinwa joked as she eased down onto the seat, the gun resting on her lap.

Willem glanced back and forth between Liam and Rinwa before he took a breath. “Look, Rinwa, can I talk to you, just the two of us?”

His sister shook her head. “If he went in the other room, he’d still hear everything, and I’m not stupid enough to let him go out in the hall, or anywhere else, alone.”

The man’s lips thinned. “I told you, I’m here by myself.”

“You also knew they were sending me on a bogus mission so you could stay behind and torture my mother. I don’t really put much stock in what you say these days.”

Liam was impressed. The inner turmoil he heard within her didn’t show on her face or body language in any way.
She’s more like Leisha than she’d ever acknowledge.

Throwing his hands up as if to prevent a tantrum, Willem searched Rinwa’s gaze. “I came because I care about you. And I want to keep you safe.”

Rinwa’s eyebrows went up. “Keep me safe from whom? The immortals?” She crossed her arms. “Are you going to kidnap me and then tell the immortals where to find Liam?”

Though Willem’s face remained impassive, Liam heard the truth. “It’s not exactly what he had planned, but it’s close enough. He wants to take me to the immortals but wants to keep you out of it so you won’t get punished.”

Rinwa didn’t take her eyes off of their guest while Liam explained. Her nostrils flared, but she didn’t say anything. She just watched Willem, as if waiting for confirmation from him.

“Look, Rinwa, we go way back. I’ve cared about you for hundreds of years.” He got up and knelt in front of her, taking her hands in his. “There’s too much between us to throw it away. I’m not going to let anything get between what we have.”
Not even your brother.

Liam forced his jaw to stay relaxed. It wasn’t the first time he’d heard someone think unflattering thoughts about him. He felt the urge to attack and get rid of this threat, but didn’t want to do anything that would make Rinwa hate him. Despite her harsh personality, or maybe because of it, he wanted to please her.

“We haven’t exactly been bosom buddies lately.” Rinwa pulled her fingers from his grip and pulled her sunglasses from her hair, placing them over her eyes. “And then there’s the problem of you keeping me in the dark so you can take sadistic pleasure in torturing my mother behind my back.”

Sitting back on his heels, Willem looked far from repentant. “Come on, Rinwa. If she’d been anyone but your mother, you’d have done the same thing. You’re the one who taught me some of the best torture techniques to use to question vamps!”

Those were good times,
Rinwa thought softly. However, out loud, she said, “But how can I trust you? You lied to me.”

Willem drew in a deep breath. “Rinwa, you know all too well about immortals that get emotionally involved. Remember Sean? You punished him yourself.”

“Because he wasn’t thinking logically anymore!” Rinwa stood and paced the small space between Liam and Willem. “You’re right; he was too emotionally involved. And that’s what got him killed when he confronted Leisha. The idiot didn’t tell any of us that he’d found her. Just went by himself to get revenge.”

Walking over and placing his hand on her shoulder, Willem spoke gently. “And can you honestly say that you’re not too involved in this? That your emotions aren’t ruling your actions right now?”

Rinwa stared at the wall over his shoulder. “No, I can’t say that. We both know the truth.”

Willem wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his embrace. Rinwa didn’t fight him.

Liam could hear in her thoughts how much she enjoyed snuggling with him, not that she’d ever admit it.

“You know what we have to do, don’t you?” Willem asked as his hands stroked her back.

Stiffening, the immortal placed her hands on his chest.
He’s going to take Liam to the immortals.

Liam could feel the tense emotions as if they were his own. Rinwa knew what she had to do to protect her brother, but it meant that she would have to kill Willem.
It’s going to kill a part of myself right along with you, Willem, but I have to do it. It’s the only way.

The boy knew that Willem thought he’d won, and had convinced Rinwa of what they had to do together. The immortal had no clue that Rinwa was trying to prepare herself to kill him.

All the conflicting thoughts and emotions overwhelmed Liam until he felt like he’d explode. Closing his eyes, he steeled himself for what he knew he had to do. He just hoped Rinwa knew that he was doing it to protect her.

His claws and fangs pierced his skin as they grew. The pain sharpened his senses, his gums stinging intensely. Using as much speed as he could, he rushed over, grabbed a fistful of the immortal’s shirt, and pulled Willem away from his sister.

The man grunted in surprise and fought for balance to keep standing. Liam jumped on his back and wrapped his legs around Willem to stay up high enough to get the right angle and plunged his fangs deep into Willem’s jugular.

Rinwa screamed and covered her mouth but did not move to stop him.

Willem gasped and raised his arms to defend himself. Being a mind reader had its benefits. Liam stabbed his claws into both of Willem’s forearms before the immortal could reach his target.

“Ah!” Willem pulled his hands away. The man’s mind became frantic with a panic that was unusual to him. The immortal tried to swing his head to the floor in order to try and dislodge Liam, but Liam dug his claws into his victim’s chest while squeezing his legs together tightly.

Breath wheezing from the constriction on his lungs, the immortal reached up to dig his thumbs into Liam’s eyes.

The boy turned his head without releasing his bite, making the skin and blood fly all over the floor.

“Ugh.” Rinwa’s soft exclamation was drowned out by the tearing of flesh and Willem’s choked moans, but Liam heard it distinctly. He glanced up and saw the horror on her face. Her mind was saying to turn away and not watch, but his sister forced herself to stand rigid and see every gory detail.

Willem’s death came quickly, and Liam was relieved to no longer hear the immortal’s incoherent thoughts. As his body fell to the floor, Liam jumped off and let his fangs and claws recede. He panted at the deliverance from pain and looked over at Rinwa.

She was on her knees, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her sunglasses had fallen to the carpet at some point and he could see that her watery gaze was glued to the corpse at his feet.

He could feel her agony . . . and her relief.

Rinwa slowly stood and looked at Liam. “Go to bed. I’ll clean this up.”
And say a proper goodbye.

“Should we be worried about the other immortals finding us?”

She shook her head. “He wouldn’t have told anyone until he was sure he could sway me to his way of thinking.”
The fool.

Liam hesitated, knowing the fragile state she was in, but also knowing that most people in this world cherished their privacy. He was coming to appreciate the luxury himself.

Rinwa picked up her sunglasses and walked into the kitchen. He could hear her pulling out several large garbage sacks.

“Go on to bed,” she said softly.

Standing, Liam walked to the hall with the intention of taking a shower. Rinwa stopped him just before he entered the bathroom, her arms filled with the plastic. “And Liam? We’re not going to tell anyone about this. Ever.”