Sarah McCarty (33 page)
16
THEY
were picked up by a convoy of heavily armored vehicles. No one spoke, which was fine with her. She was exhausted, shell-shocked. She’d killed two men—things. Almost lost Slade, and had a few home truths shoved down her throat by the events of the day. If she were an ostrich, she’d be standing with her head in the sand. Instead she was riding on the floor in the back of one of the vehicles, holding Slade’s hand, pretending she didn’t feel the censure of the others. She wasn’t alone in her assessment that she’d failed Slade.
were picked up by a convoy of heavily armored vehicles. No one spoke, which was fine with her. She was exhausted, shell-shocked. She’d killed two men—things. Almost lost Slade, and had a few home truths shoved down her throat by the events of the day. If she were an ostrich, she’d be standing with her head in the sand. Instead she was riding on the floor in the back of one of the vehicles, holding Slade’s hand, pretending she didn’t feel the censure of the others. She wasn’t alone in her assessment that she’d failed Slade.
By the time they were halfway back to the compound, Jane realized everybody was also looking at her strangely. She didn’t care. She was too worried about Slade. He lay across the backseat too quiet. Too pale. His energy a mere echo of the force she was used to. She brought the back of his hand to her lips.
Live, damn you.
Tobias turned around from where he sat in the front. “You know a Johnson is too damned stubborn to die from a flesh wound like that.”
“Two attempts at consolation in one day? Be careful, Tobias, or I might start thinking you’re a good guy.”
“We wouldn’t want that.”
She threaded her fingers through Slade’s unresponsive ones. “What was he doing out there alone so far from everyone else?”
Leather creaked as Tobias shifted position. “He was pretending to be you.”
“Please.”
Tobias ran his hand through his hair. “Your mate is a very intelligent man, capable of many things. And what he’s not capable of physically, he finds a way to do mechanically.”
“In other words,” Jace said from the far back, “he was able to project your presence.”
“How would something like that work? I mean, as soon as somebody got close enough to ...”
“See,” Tobias finished for her. “Yes, but we didn’t need them to believe it forever.”
“If they thought we were sneaking you out, it would bring them all to one place,” Jace explained.
“And give you the advantage you lost by being outnumbered,” she finished.
“As I said, your mate is a very intelligent man.”
And devoted to those he loved to the point he’d sacrifice his life without batting an eye. Stroking the backs of her fingertips across his forehead, she whispered, “He’s a scientist. He shouldn’t have been out there at all.”
As soon as she said it, she knew it was wrong.
I’m the badass vampire who can kick Sanctuary’s butt.
Tobias snorted. “He’s a Johnson. They’re more outlaw than anything else.”
Outlaw.
Such an old-fashioned term. But then again Slade had been born one hundred and fifty years ago, and the majority of a person’s personality was formed in their first years of life. Slade’s had been formed in the Wild West where survival depended on a person’s ability to adapt. Slade was a master of adaptation.
Such an old-fashioned term. But then again Slade had been born one hundred and fifty years ago, and the majority of a person’s personality was formed in their first years of life. Slade’s had been formed in the Wild West where survival depended on a person’s ability to adapt. Slade was a master of adaptation.
“I don’t really know him, do I?
“You know what you need to.”
“Which according to you is that he’s my mate.” She waved her hand in the air. “This mythical concept that disregards reality, circumstances, and events.”
“Comforting, isn’t it?”
She shook her head. “Not if you don’t believe in mates.”
“A month ago you didn’t believe in vampires,” Jace offered quietly.
“Has anyone ever told you that being logical during an emotional moment is irritating?”
“Not recently.”
“Well it is, and I can’t make a decision when I don’t agree with the concepts.”
“I thought your decision was already made.”
The SUV hit a bump. She jumped right along with it. Even though she was surrounded by Renegade soldiers, she still couldn’t shake the feeling that Sanctuary would be on them at any minute. With a trembling hand, she smoothed back the lock of hair that fell over Slade’s forehead.
“I can’t do this, Tobias.”
“Do what?”
Again, she made a wave of her hand. The car hit another bump. She felt the touch of Slade’s energy. Stroking her fingers down his cheek, she debated turning off the energy masker that was still in her pocket.
“They’re never going to stop coming after me, are they?”
“And we won’t stop stopping them.”
War. Never-ending war and always at the end of it the potential for destruction of an entire species. Because of her.
What could she say except, “Thank you.”
CALEB
was waiting for them as they came into the yard. The look he gave her as he opened her door wasn’t strange, it was flat-out angry. It made for a refreshing change. Jane could deal with hostility.
was waiting for them as they came into the yard. The look he gave her as he opened her door wasn’t strange, it was flat-out angry. It made for a refreshing change. Jane could deal with hostility.
“What is it?”
He held out his hand. She put hers in it. He half hauled, half helped her out of the SUV Then he reached for Slade. A muscle in his jaw bunched as he worked his hands under his brother and then slid him across the seat. Standing, he cradled Slade in his arms, his love for his brother etched in the anguish on his face. It was such a human moment, one that had been captured on camera time after time by war correspondents. And here it was playing over again. With vampires. More proof love wasn’t species specific. A horse in the paddock whinnied uncertainly.
With a sharp nod of his head, Caleb turned on his heel and carried his brother toward his house. When Jane would have followed, Jace caught her arm.
“Joseph is worse.”
Out of the corner of her eye she could see Caleb reach Slade’s porch. In a minute she’d hear the squeak of the screen door.
“How do you know?”
“Allie just sent it over the system.”
Clenching her fists against the need to bolt after Slade, she snapped, “I want one of those transceivers.”
“You’ll have to ask Slade.”
She couldn’t ask Slade anything. The screen door squeaked. They’d taken him away. “How bad is Joseph?”
“Bad.”
She stood there torn. Her heart said she needed to be with Slade. Her conscience pushed her toward Joseph.
Jace’s tone softened. “Caleb will take care of Slade. He just needs time to heal.”
“Maybe.”
“Joseph needs you now.”
Triage. She understood the concept of treating the most severe cases first. She was just having a hard time accepting it.
“Joseph is dying.”
The anguish in that statement brought her head up. Looking into Jace’s hazel eyes, she was struck by the realization that there was more than the warrior to the man. He was also an uncle. “You love him.”
His head jerked back with surprise. Looking down his straight nose, he informed her, “Of course. He’s my nephew.”
It was easy to see Slade in that gesture. “I’m sorry.” Running her fingers through her hair, she massaged the tension in her neck. “I’m just more used to seeing you as a soldier.”
“Soldiers have families, too.”
Yes, they did. And Jace and Joseph were Slade’s family. She really didn’t have a choice.
“Take me to Joseph.”
With a jerk of his chin, Jace indicated she should follow him up the path to the main house. She did, feeling that sense of déjà vu as a horse whickered a greeting from the corral. Her sneakers made little noise crossing the big porch. By the door, a board squeaked. Opening the front door, Jace waved her in.
As the door closed behind him, Jace said, “Joseph is in the nursery.”
The nursery was the third door on the right at the top of the curved stairway. She knew that from her previous visit. Stopping just inside the high-ceilinged foyer, Jane stood motionless and absorbed the energy of the house, mentally preparing herself for what was to come. “I just need a minute.”
“I’m not sure Joseph has it to spare.”
She forced a smile. “Then let’s get going.”
Jace caught her arm. “Do me a favor.”
“What?”
“Don’t smile like that in front of Caleb and Allie.”
“Not coming off confident?”
“Not at all.”
She nodded. “Then maybe we should nix the smiles.”
“I would.” He led the way up the stairs. Caleb’s comfortable house. A house built for laughter. Joseph’s room was no different. Painted in pale yellow with accents of white and blue and a gingham crib set, it was a room reflecting the hopes of proud parents. But there was no laughter here. Just sadness. It echoed in the walls and from the rocker by the big windows. Allie sat in the rocker with Joseph, her cheek resting on his head. Looking completely normal in blue jeans and a pale blue tank. On the table beside the chair was an untouched bottle. Not looking up, Allie whispered, “He’s dying.”
Yes, he was. Jane could feel it in the uneven fluctuation of his energy. “I’m sorry.”
“Can’t you do something?”
Controlling the anger at the pointlessness of this life leaving too soon, and the fear that she wouldn’t be able to stop it, Jane crossed to Allie’s side. Kneeling beside Allie, she pulled the blanket back from the baby’s face. His parents loved him so much, were going through so much to keep him alive, and he was over here in his own corner of the world fighting his own private battle. And he was losing.
The old anger came back. She’d seen too many babies die, seen too many mothers look at her as Allie was right now in that warring combination of fear and hope. She’d felt this anger too many times. She didn’t know what to say. She touched Joseph’s cold little cheek. So pale and sunken, as if death felt the need to advertise its imminent arrival. Jane stood. Allie looked at her, the hope she couldn’t relinquish filling her gaze. No mother could give up that hope. Vampire or human, it didn’t matter. Jane couldn’t find the words Allie needed to hear. Turning on her heel, she left the room.
“What the hell are you doing?” Jace demanded as she passed him at the door.
“I’m going to the lab.”
His fingers sank into her arm. With a jerk, he spun her around. “You leave the room without a word to Allie? You are one coldhearted bitch.”
Yes, her heart was very cold. “What do you want me to tell her? She already knows her son is dying.”
“I want you to tell her you can do something about it.”
Jane shook her head, brushing her hair off her face. She’d thought earlier when she’d put together the mental formula for the potential cure that it was going to be so easy. A series of tests narrowing the options, a few experiments, some educated guesswork when it came to dosage, and voila! A cure. But that all required time that she didn’t have. Now, she had one shot to get it all right. One impossibly long shot.
“And give her false hope?”
“You need to give her something.”
With the odds being what they were, she didn’t have any right to give Allie any hope. And Jace had no right to take her to task for it.
“Let me go.”
Jace dropped her arm with a look of disgust. She pushed past him. When she got to the lab, she closed the door behind her and keyed in the code. The locks slid shut with a satisfying clank. Walking over to the desk, she set her backpack on it. Her hand shook so hard she could barely open the pack. After three tries she got it open and set the laptop on the desk. Pushing the power button, she waited for the gong. The glow of the screen welcomed her into its embrace. Clicking on the folder holding her data, she concentrated on the numbers and notes. A little of her tension eased.
She took another steadying breath. The familiar scent of the pristine lab soothed her nerves a bit more. This was her world. There was no life and death here. No chaos. There were just abstract problems to be solved. She let the sterility of the environment wrap around her. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t erase the feel of little Joseph’s cheek from her fingertips. She’d touched death twice today. Now, she had to figure out how to defeat it.
FOUR
hours later, Jane had her formula. Whether it would work or not was a whole other question. The only way to know was to try it. Rolling the chair back from the desk, she rubbed the tension from the back of her neck. She had no idea where Caleb was, but she needed him in the lab ASAP. Picking up the phone, she hit the whole compound intercom.
hours later, Jane had her formula. Whether it would work or not was a whole other question. The only way to know was to try it. Rolling the chair back from the desk, she rubbed the tension from the back of her neck. She had no idea where Caleb was, but she needed him in the lab ASAP. Picking up the phone, she hit the whole compound intercom.
“Caleb, I need you in the lab now.”
Five minutes later there was a knock. Punching in the combination, she unlocked the door. Almost immediately, the heavy door swung in. She took a step back. Caleb stood in the entry, his expression stony. Jace and Jared flanked him like guard dogs.
She motioned him in. “I need your blood.”
He ripped open his sleeve, and then, with one of his talons, sliced through the exposed flesh of his wrist with the same efficiency. “Take however much you need.”
When she looked into his eyes, she saw the same desperation she’d seen in Allie’s. Father, brother, leader, warrior. Like Slade, Caleb wore many roles.
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