You within reach? Telepathy was only as good as the distance they could maintain it, which, sadly, as a rule, wasn’t that far. The Ghost-Walker teams carried small radios just in case that bridge between them failed. He had a strong connection with Shylah and hoped it was still available to them.
Yes.
That single word seemed to fill the places in him that were so lonely. He was getting used to her being with him. He liked that. Liked that at the end of his life, he wasn’t alone. He was determined to save her, but knowing he was dying now that he’d met her was both a glimpse of heaven and hell—and he wasn’t a fanciful man.
You want these needles back?
He didn’t realize how much affection he had for her, and it was growing fast. He’d just met her, yet it seemed as if they’d known each other years. A part of him felt she would always have been a mystery to him, elusive and enigmatic, but at the same time, she was comfortable as if they had been together for years.
Yes, please, they’re difficult to make.
He’d bet his last dollar she made them herself. He removed the needles, wiped the blood off carefully on the victims’ clothing and took a moment to examine them. They were lightweight yet had balance to them. He wrapped them up and slid them into his pocket. He closed it with the Velcro to ensure they wouldn’t fall out in his hurry to catch up with her.
He was able to move a little faster than she could because each time he came upon members of the MSS, they were already dead. He removed eight more of the needles from four more victims. Her accuracy was amazing.
How often do you practice? He couldn’t keep the admiration from his voice. Or the excitement. She was everything a woman he would want was. Mystifying. Deadly. Soft-spoken. Humorous. She looked like an angel and kissed like sin.
Stop. We’re connected. There was laughter in her voice. You can’t think things like that.
Why? It’s the truth. You might as well know. It isn’t like we have all the time in the world. This headache is very persistent. You know that’s the first sign. His temperature indicated he was infected as well, but he refrained from acknowledging that.
Stop being a baby. You hit your head very hard. There’s still a big lump there. Quit thinking in terms of saving me and think about saving us.
He was definitely catching up to her. Two more bodies. Her count was going to rival his if he didn’t look out. The MSS was going to have to start recruiting again.
I have a hard head. No concussion.
You don’t know that. What are you? A doctor?
Laughter spilled into his mind. It wasn’t nearly as funny as she thought it was, but he couldn’t help laughing because she really felt like sunshine spilling into his mind and she made him happy. He’d forgotten happiness.
Have you run out of your needles yet?
I don’t run out. Those little things have saved my life on multiple occasions. They’re easy to conceal and a breeze to use.
You sound like a salesman and not a very good one. They aren’t a breeze to use unless you practice day and night. I throw knives. I’m nowhere near as good as a couple of others because I don’t spend every waking minute practicing.
Give me a sec.
He increased his speed as he hurried through the trees toward her. She’d come upon a couple of the terrorists. He could feel the difference in her. Laughter faded away and she was all purpose, all determination. A professional. He didn’t want to distract her, so he stayed very still in her mind, curious to know how she dealt with the taking of lives.
Shylah was filled with compassion and kindness. He felt it each time she entered his mind, or he poured himself into hers. She wasn’t the type of woman to hunt and kill, yet she was extremely efficient at it. Looking into her mind, he realized she didn’t see a man with a family, someone’s son, husband or father. She viewed them as killers. She held the peaceful people from Lupa Suku in her mind. He felt the blow, almost as physical, the one she felt when she surveyed those men, women and children. She exterminated those who participated in killing as these men had done. She thought of them as rats, deadly, hate-ridden rats. Rats willing to do anything for money. She kept remembering the way the villagers’ bodies had looked, bloody and exposed, swollen in the heat, as if they’d exploded.
He detested that for her. She mourned for those lost people. Taking out those responsible for their deaths was her way of honoring them. She didn’t flinch from the kill, not even for a second. Coming up on the next pair of soldiers, she hit the first one, and before he could do more than slap his hand up to his neck, she’d hit his partner. A second needle entered right after the first one to ensure she’d made the kill.
Two more down. I’ll retrieve these needles and then wait for you.
Shylah, don’t. Stay put. All at once he had a bad feeling, something he never ignored.
The forest had gone quiet. Something hostile moved toward her. She didn’t argue, and he was grateful.
Tell me what you see.
Not good. Not good. There was excitement more than fear in her voice. It’s their tiger, Draden. Lupa Suku protected a tiger here. They traded with poachers to keep them from killing him. He’s gorgeous. Truly regal. There’s only about four hundred left in the entire world and I’m looking right at one of them.
Stay away from him, Draden was compelled to caution. She sounded too excited. He had the feeling she might jump down any second and introduce herself. Did you know that their feet are slightly webbed to enable them to catch their prey in the water better?
He’s smaller than most tigers but looks powerful. Heavier black stripes defining the orange. He looks to be about three hundred pounds.
Draden increased his speed. He wanted to catch a glimpse of the rare animal, but more importantly, he wanted to make certain his woman didn’t decide she was best friends with a tiger.
Again, laughter poured into his mind, this t
ime like warm honey. He’s looking up at me. Draden. She breathed his name, reverence in her tone. You have to see him. There’s intelligence there.
Tension slipped in. A wave of darkness spread through him and he feared he knew what it was. He had a visceral reaction to her observation. Primal. The male cat in him provided him with all kinds of gifts, from his radar to his jumping abilities, the ferocity when needed, but it had negative consequences as well. He recognized jealousy and the need to claim her as his.
It’s the epitome of idiocy to be jealous of a tiger, but I am. He might as well admit the truth when she could read his ridiculous emotions through their connection.
Her soft laughter slid into his mind. It wasn’t laughter at him, rather an invitation to join in, to laugh at the two of them in the impossible predicament they found themselves in.
If he was female, no doubt I’d want to run her off, Shylah admitted, that warm laughter heating his blood. She immediately created more intimacy between them by putting them both together, admitting she would share those same emotions.
Draden found himself smiling. Somehow, she created a burst of sunlight to spear through the darkness that had suddenly grown in him. Just with a few words and that soft laughter, she had dispersed jealousy and given him back his dignity.
You were dignified even when you were jealous.
That made him laugh. She was bringing out things in him he hadn’t known were there. I don’t think anyone is dignified if they’re displaying jealous traits. Just so you know, that’s a new one for me. I’ve never been jealous before and it kind of sucks that it was over a tiger.
More laughter spilled into his mind, a burst of radiant joy. He’d stuffed the mask and gloves in his pocket and knew she’d done the same. With the mask on, one was far too aware of the predicament they were in to think about laughing. I nearly fell out of the tree. Uh-oh. He’s looking up at me again. He walked over to the bodies and he sniffed them and now he’s looking at me. I’m trying to look like I’ve never been hungry in my life and have no intention of eating his roadkill.