Chasing the Shadows (Nikki & Michael 3)

"You have to stay with me,” she pleaded. “I'm here alone, and you're too heavy to lift."

"Why?” His voice came out little more than a hoarse whisper, and even the effort of that one word had his head swimming.

Her laugh had a brittle sound to it. “Always questioning my decisions, even at a time like this." It wasn't his intention to question her actions. He'd just wanted to know where Jake was. He couldn't force his eyes open, but he reached out, running his fingers down her cheek. It was as wet as his. She leaned into his touch for a second, then her lips pressed into his palm. “No time for details,” she continued softly. Power surged, and the chains rattled as they dropped from his wrists. “We have to get you somewhere safe. You ready to move?"

He wouldn't be ready to move for at least several hours. But he couldn't stay here, either. Farmer would find him all too easily.

Might even be searching for him now. He would have felt the fledglings die.

"Not ... hotel,” he said. It was the second place Farmer would come looking for him.

"No.” She shifted, her arm slipping under his. “Ready?" He nodded. There was little else he could do. She counted to three then thrust upwards. He helped the best he could, but the pain became a wall of agony that rushed through his body. His breath left in a hiss of air, and sweat rolled down his spine and legs. More drips ran past his fingers. Or maybe that was blood. The fledglings had torn into his battered flesh, so anything was possible.

"The limo isn't far away. You think you can walk?"

What other choice did he have? She couldn't carry him kinetically—it would drain her energy to a point where she'd be defenseless should Farmer attack. She shifted her grip, her shoulder sliding under his good arm. Together, they stumbled forward.

But her version of not very far away and his seemed to be vastly different. They'd barely moved ten feet, and the night was little more than a dizzy blur. His breath was a desperate gasp of air and his muscles were liquid heat, barely able to support his weight. If it wasn't for Nikki, he would have fallen. Her breathing was as sharp as his, and the smell of her sweat and fear stung the night air. He wanted to comfort her, to tell her he'd be all right after an hour or so of sleep. But the words stuck in his mouth, refusing to pass his battered lips. Footsteps hurriedly approached, then another set of hands grabbed him, carefully easing him into the car.

"You'll have to take him to the hospital, Miss."

The voice was male, one he didn't recognize.

"No. It's not safe there for him at the moment."

"But his arm will need attention, and he's lost a lot of blood—"

"I'm a nurse.” Her voice held a steely determination, indicating she was barely controlling her anger. “I can take care of him. Please, just get us to the boat as quickly as you can." The driver's grunt wasn't exactly a sound of agreement. A door slammed shut, then Nikki's scent surround him. He breathed deeply the sweet smell and allowed himself to relax a little. The need to sleep was almost overwhelming, but he refused to give in to it just yet. A moist cloth touched his face, gently wiping the muck and blood away. He forced open his good eye.

Her amber eyes were bright with tears. “You're a goddamn mess." He would have smiled if it didn't hurt so much. “Yeah.” Even that one word hurt, but he couldn't leave it there when there were questions that had to be answered. “Jake?" Tears washed her amber eyes, trickled down her cheeks. He raised a hand, thumbing them gently away. Something bad had obviously happened in his absence—though surely not to Jake. She'd be in a worse state than this if it was.

She dunked the cloth into water and gently wiped his mouth. “Mary's dead.” Her voice was flat, but the drugs blocking his psychic abilities had to be fading because her pain was a tide of agony that overwhelmed anything he was feeling.

He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. She buried her face against his chest, her tears searing his skin. He held her while she sobbed, offering her no words of comfort simply because there were none that could ever erase such pain. Only time could dim it. After a few minutes, he croaked, “How?"

She sniffed and pulled away from his touch. “He snatched her from the airport. I guess we have to be thankful it was relatively quick. He cut out her tongue so she couldn't scream, then he drank her dry.”

She hesitated, swallowing heavily. “Jake's with the police at the moment. He'll meet us at the boat when he can."

"Why ... boat?"

She shrugged. “It belongs to a friend of Jake's. And we knew we couldn't risk leaving either of you at the hotel."

He nodded. If Farmer hadn't already discovered his escape, he soon would. And the hotel was the first place he'd look. Unless, of course, he'd reached out to Nikki. He might even now be tracking their movements. “The charm?"

"Arrived earlier this evening.” She shoved up her sleeve, revealing the coin-entwined rope charm. “When I'm wearing it, Farmer has no sense of me."

He frowned. “How do you know?"

She hesitated, her gaze suddenly evasive. “Long story. I'll tell you when you regain some strength."

"Nikki—"

She placed a gentle finger against his bruised lips. “Now is not the time for arguments or lectures. Besides, we're here."

Masts rose beyond the tinted window. The car stopped, and a few seconds later the door opened. The smell of the ocean swept in, followed by the gentle sound of lapping waves. The driver stuck his head in. “I'll give you a hand to the yacht, Miss, then I have to go pick up Mister Morgan."

"Thanks, Henry."