Love in the Shadows (7 page)

Katherine went in the building, then
followed the hallway down to the end and turned left. She couldn’t
believe her luck when a blond woman opened the door to the left
wing.

Katherine ran into the wing as the
entrance closed. She walked down the hall to Derek’s door. The
guard she had seen before was gone. There were several rooms next
to Derek’s, including a break room with the door open.

Katherine went in and looked around.
With the lights off, this room would work to open a portal and
access the building. Even with the lights on, there were shadows
under the tables and behind the vending machines. Joe had been
right to warn her. She was very tempted. All she wanted to do was
get Derek out of his room and back here to take him
home.

“What are you tempted to
do, love? I feel you close by,”
Derek
asked through their link.

“Why, to spring you, of
course. Ten minutes, and we could be out of here,”
Katherine sent in frustration.

“They have cameras on me
at all times. It is better to wait until night when the people are
gone. You know that. I can see the plan Joe has in place in your
mind,”
Derek sent to her.
“Wait for Joe.”

Walking away from Derek now would be
the hardest thing she had ever done. There were the data and the
safety of the Shadow Walker tribe, of which she was now a member.
She needed to wait.

“Expect us after seven
tonight,”
Katherine sent
telepathically.

§

Colette Pelletier was furious. She’d
been told by her superiors that she was a disgrace to humanity.
Her. For some reason, she couldn’t fathom, they rejected the idea
of her experimenting on a human, even after her first round of
tests showed conclusive evidence that this man possessed a healing
agent in his system. Did they not understand how important this
find was?

If she could figure out what exactly
made him different from other people, she could save the world. She
didn’t care that he was an American citizen. Surely, the sacrifice
of one citizen for so many could be understood.

She needed to move the subject and
finish her tests. But where? She would show these men who thought
they were her supervisors. She needed a little time and she could
change the world. Colette walked into her office. They expected her
to be cleaning out her desk and preparing to leave on the six
o’clock bus. She would come up with a plan.

§

Staying in shadow, Katherine sat under
one of the tables. Eddies and swirls of mist lightly caressed her
body causing her to shiver. Shadow was so cold. She could exit the
Shadow Dimension when required but right now she needed to stay
hidden.

She kept looking at the clock on the
wall, squinting to make out the time through the darkness of
Shadow. It was almost six o’clock, and the bus would be leaving
soon. Katherine hoped everyone got on it. Seven o’clock couldn’t
come fast enough. In a few minutes the wing would be empty, and she
could free Derek. Even without the fire alarm to open the door, she
could pick the lock.

Katherine felt Joe’s mind
touch. “
The bus just left. It looked full.
Check out your wing and let me know if anyone is left.”

“Roger,
that,
” Katherine sent back. She stayed in
shadow and made a circuit of the wing. All the rooms were empty,
the lights out in several. She couldn’t check the doors to see if
they were locked until she came out of shadow. She went back in the
break room to report.

“This wing is
clear,
” she reported.

“Go ahead and get Derek
out if you can get into his room,”
Joe
sent.
“Shadow-walk directly to the
hospital. Derek will need to be checked out. Don’t let anyone see
you. I still need to retrieve that data.”

“Thanks,
Joe,
” Katherine sent.

Katherine stepped out of Shadow and
into the break room. She looked out the door and down the hall.
Still, no one was around. She crept into the hall and over to
Derek’s door. She reached for him through their telepathic
bond.

“Hey, beautiful, aren’t
you early
?” he asked

“I’ve got Joe’s okay, if
that’s what you’re asking,”
Katherine
sent. “
I’ve got to get this lock picked,
and we can get out of here.”
Picking locks
was another skill taught her by the women of the tribe. Heaven help
them if the men ever figured out what those girls’ nights
entailed.

“Who taught you to pick
locks?”
Derek asked
telepathically.

“Ah, Gwen. Why?”
Would he be mad?

“Good, I taught her. She’s
the best of my sisters at picking locks
.
Remember to ease into
it.”

Katherine pulled the sterling-silver
lock pick that was part of her kit out of her pocket. She eased it
into the door lock and felt for the release. She moved slowly and
methodically and was rewarded with a click. The door
opened.

Katherine rushed over to Derek. She
removed the pins from the restraints, first his hands, then his
feet. When she came back to his side to help him up, he grabbed her
face and kissed her fiercely.

“Do you know how long I’ve wanted to
taste your mouth?” Derek whispered.

“As long as I’ve wanted to taste
yours?” she asked. “Now, sit up slowly. I want to get you out of
here.”

Derek sat up and tried to stand. He
wobbled, a look of surprise on his face. Katherine caught
him.

“Dr. Rick said you’d probably be weak
from blood loss and lack of food,” Katherine explained. “Come on.
Lean on me. We need some shadows to walk into.”

Katherine lifted her arm and slipped it
under Derek’s shoulder and helped him move to the door. They had
almost reached the hallway when a blond woman holding a gun walked
into the room.

“Going somewhere,
cheri
?” Colette asked.
“I’m afraid that I cannot allow it. Oh, I recognize you. You are
the woman whose picture is in Derek’s wallet. His daughter
perhaps?”

“Try his fiancée,” Katherine
said.

Katherine moved slowly forward. If she
could get close enough, she could kick the gun from the woman’s
hand.

“That is far
enough,
cheri
. I
see that you were right about becoming weak. I will not make the
same mistake next time.”

“There isn’t going to be a next time,
Colette,” Derek said.

“Oh,
oui
, there is. I’m sorry you must
suffer,
cheri
,
but the good of mankind is at stake. Surely, you can understand
that.”

“I understand that you are a crazy
bitch.”

“Well, enough talk. You will get into
the wheelchair in the hall, and then you will allow me to give you
a shot. Don’t worry. It is only a sedative. Then we are going to
make our escape. I have a car out back, and I have already moved
all my data to the car. I was just coming back for you.” Colette
waved her gun at them and backed out of the room.

Katherine reached for Joe
with her telepathy. “
There is a car at the
back door. All the data is in the car. You need to move it and
quickly. I’ve got a crazy woman with a gun in
here
.”

“Roger that. Thought I
told you not to be seen? Hugh and Charlie have taken care of the
guards. I’ll get there as soon as I can,”
Joe said.

“She caught us unaware.
She came for Derek.”
Would Joe get here in
time to help?

Katherine and Derek moved into the
hallway. A wheelchair sat by the door. Colette stood just out of
reach with the gun trained on them. Katherine tried to think of
something she could do to distract Colette. She needed to be able
to move, but holding Derek wasn’t going to work. Then, she had an
idea. She reached for Derek with her thoughts.

“I have any number of
weapons on my belt. When I sit you in the wheelchair, I need you to
try and get one into your hands. When I move back, you’ll have a
couple of seconds to use it.”

“Roger
that,
” Derek sent.

§

Derek could not believe how weak he had
become. Now with Katherine in danger, he needed to be at full
strength. Derek pulled on their telepathic bond and could feel some
strength returning to him. He pulled a little more, as he reached
his hand around Katherine’s waist. He unhooked the knife and hid it
behind Katherine’s back.

“Not too much more, or I
won’t be able to hold you,
” Katherine
sent.

They moved over to the wheelchair, and
Katherine settled Derek gently, standing in front of him so Colette
couldn’t see the knife in Derek’s hand.

“Very nice. Now I think it
is time for his shot, no? Perhaps, I should have your fiancée give
it to you,
cheri
.
Move away from him now.”

Katherine looked at Derek, and he gave
her a nod. She swung around quickly to the left. Colette,
surprised, followed Katherine with the gun. Colette never saw the
knife until it was buried in her chest. She looked down, then
lifted the gun. Katherine was in danger of being shot. Derek threw
himself in front of her. The gun went off as Colette slumped to the
floor.

Derek landed hard. He lay there, trying
to catch his breath. Pain radiated from his chest. Katherine leaned
down, a look of panic on her face. He reached up and kissed her
gently on the mouth. “I love you, Katherine, and I always
will.”

“Put him down here,” Dr. Rick told
Katherine back at the Isanti hospital. She had shadow-walked in
from the lab only moments before. How she managed to move Derek’s
weight, she wasn’t sure. Luckily, Dr. Rick was waiting when she
walked into the hospital and helped support Derek.

“Yes, I see the point of entry. He
needs to be prepped for surgery. Katherine get out of those clothes
and into scrubs. Step in there, please.”

Katherine took the hospital scrubs and
went into the bathroom to change. She still shook from expending so
much energy.

“How is he, Rick?” Raven asked as he
walked into the room. Katherine reached for the door to swing it
closed, then waited to hear Rick’s answer.

“It’s bad. He is very weak, and the
bullet is up near his heart. I’m not sure of the internal damage.
On top of that, if we lose Derek, we could lose Katherine. They are
linked telepathically.”

“Then, you can’t lose them, Rick,”
Raven said.

Katherine changed quickly and returned
to the room as a nurse entered from another door.

“Nurse, prepare this patient for
surgery. Raven call for additional help. I’m scrubbing
up.”

When Dr. Rick walked into the surgery
room, everything had been prepared as he asked. Katherine sat in a
chair next to Derek. He lay on a gurney and looked very pale, his
dark eyelashes lying on his cheeks. Katherine’s heart stuttered.
She couldn’t lose him now.

“Katherine, take Derek’s hand and use
the mate-bond to hold him here. Don’t let his spirit slip away.
Give the patient anesthesia, please. Keep the blood transfusion
going. You may feel this as well, Katherine. Don’t fight it. Just
go with it. Good. All right, I’m going to begin,
scalpel….”

Dr. Rick’s voice faded
into the background as Katherine reached for Derek and wrapped her
spirit around his. He was there. She could almost touch him, but he
was very weak. Katherine held on with all her might.
“
Come back to me, love. Don’t leave me. I
need you so much. Derek, come to me. I won’t live without you, I
need you. Derek, please come to me.”
Katherine didn’t know how long she called to him before she
felt a weak reply.

“Katherine?”
Derek whispered in her mind.

“Yes, love. Come to me,
Derek. You need to fight, fight for your life, fight for our life
together.”

“I love you,
Kate,
” Derek sent to her.

“I know you do. You must
come to me, Derek. Hold on to me. I need you so much, baby. Please
stay with me, Derek. You promised to never leave me alone. Derek,
please hold me,”
Katherine continued. If
she could hold onto his spirit, then the doctor could save
him.

“So tired,
Kate,
” Derek sent to her.

“I know you are, honey. I
need you. I’m hurting without you. You said you would never hurt
me. Please hold me, Derek. I need you.”

“I am trying. I love
you,
” Derek sent a little
stronger.

“Yes, love. Come and hold
me, Derek. I need you to hold me
.”

“Hold you. I want to hold
you, always,
” Derek sent even
stronger.