Blood Shadows (27 page)

He could have been that way for minutes or hours, but it had happened. It had finally happened. She should have felt elated. Instead she felt an ache in her chest at what she knew she had to do.

As she gazed at him, she knew more than ever that she needed to get out of there. She was already feeling an intensity she’d never thought possible. As strong as her feelings had been for Rob, she’d never felt like this. Even on the day he’d left her, she hadn’t felt that gut-wrenching pang like she did right then.

There was something about Kane. Something inexplicable. Something that had burrowed deep from the first time she’d seen him. Even as he’d pinned her up against the wall in that corridor, she’d felt she’d known him. But now, in his bed, as up close and personal as she could get, even after what they’d done, she knew she was feeling something more.

Something he was never going to feel back. He was never going to feel anything for the neurotic, detached, awkward, sexually inept VCU agent who had once got the better of him. To him it was all a game. A game he was a master at – getting people to fall for him, beguiling them into getting his own way. And he had been right. She was no match for him and the longer she stayed, the less of a match she would be.

And he knew it or he would never have slept without cuffing her. Lying next to her as if she were a compliant lover. He had chosen to lie with her. More than likely because he wanted her where he could feel her. But it was no doubt equally to encourage the sense of familiarity and safety he sensed she needed for him to progress.

And now more than ever she had to remember who he was. Who she was. Why she was there. She had to get a grip. This was about survival. This was about getting back to the VCU, to Xavier, and hauling him in. That was what she worked for. That was why she was there.

She had the evidence for Xavier. She had a name for herself. And, armed with the latter, she would go it alone. Something she was more than used to.

She looked at where the cuff hung loose above him. It would secure him long enough in case he woke, and give her a head start. But she knew her reflexes weren’t quick enough. If he woke, he’d have her in a second. If she even intimated what she was doing, she’d be strapped to that bed again.

Still Kane slept soundly, the absence of breathing broken only every few minutes disconcerting her, not allowing her to be sure just how deep asleep he was. Caitlin held her breath as she eased away from him, sliding slowly, dispersing the weight carefully so the mattress didn’t sag, waiting to see if he woke, if he stirred.

If he did, she could claim she was going to the bathroom. But then he’d be awake and she would have lost.

She counted through the seconds before sliding closer to the edge of the bed. Her foot touched floorboard, then the other alongside it as she slid to the floor onto her knees.

She stood up carefully, padding slowly and silently around the foot of the bed, praying nothing creaked. She made her way quickly into the bathroom, rummaged around in her bag for some knickers and slipped them on. She stepped back into the living area.

He was still asleep.

She kept her full attention on him as she backed up silently and slowly towards the door.

Reaching the threshold to the recess, she tucked her hand into the soft leather of his jacket. She dipped her hand into the inside pockets, searching for the one where he had placed his keys. As her fingertips touched metal, she grasped hold of them, using her fingers to keep the metal segregated so as not to cause a clink as she gently withdrew her hand.

She backed up into the dark recess of the doorway and slipped the key in the lock, glancing over her shoulder in dread.

He still slept soundly.

She held her breath as she turned the key. The first didn’t move. She tucked it in her palm as she thumbed through to find the next. On second failure, she glanced over her shoulder again, her heart pounding to the point she was sure it was going to wake him up. She thumbed for the third, placed it in the lock. This time she felt it turn, heard the subtle click.

She flinched and looked over her shoulder.

Just one more lock. One more and she was out of there.

She tried the fourth key first but it wouldn’t fit, so went back to the first she had tried on the other. Hands trembling, a sheen of perspiration consuming her palms, she finally heaved a sign of relief as the key turned.

She reached for the handle and slowly pulled open the door, grateful it didn’t creak or the game would have been over.

She glanced over her shoulder once more to check Kane was still sleeping soundly on the bed.

She felt a pang. Of what, she wasn’t sure. But it made her uncomfortable and teary and panicked.

Reaching back for his jacket, she lowered it off the hook and crept outside. Closing the door carefully behind her, she locked it again and slid the bolts across.

She rested her head against the wood for a moment, sagging with relief. But she knew she had no time to waste. Turning around she looked at his car. It was a much safer option for getting through Blackthorn territory, but there were no car keys on the fob.

She ran across the stone floor, cold and rough beneath her bare feet, and reached the car. She tugged the car handle in the vain hope it might be unlocked. It didn’t give. With the right tools she knew she could break in and hotwire it but she had no doubt Kane had his own security on the car. There was no saying what that might incur.

She stepped back over to the toolbox and quietly opened it up. She took out one of the screwdrivers and hurried over to the corrugated door. Searching through the bunch of keys, she found the most likely and slotted it in the padlock. She unlocked and pulled open the door and stepped out into the winter breeze.

It took her eyes a moment to adjust to the moonlight. More so, to adjust to her freedom. Feeling an unnerving sense of sickness, she leaned back against the garage door. And as she breathed in fresh night air, despite knowing she should have felt liberated, she felt lost. And never more alone.

What was she running to? A life back in the VCU? Max? Rob who she already knew she no longer felt the same about? But the only other option was to turn back. To go back to Kane and his plans. Kane who had no intention of helping her, and even less now he was assuming he was close to getting what he wanted.

No, she had to sort this by herself. And she had no time to waste. In just over a day it was coming for her and now she knew there was a way to kill it, she had to find out how. She had to run because it was the only way she was going to save herself and prevent him from getting what he wanted. She had a responsibility to run. If he got what he wanted, if he somehow persuaded Xavier and killed those lycans, the uprising would be beyond their control. And she was the only one who could do anything about it.

She looked left and right along the desolate, unlit street. Wherever she was, it was industrial as opposed to residential. The expansive four- and five-storey buildings loomed down on her ominously, their faded signs and broken windows emphasising their neglect. The silence was eerie, exacerbating the whistle of the bitter wind that rang in her ears like tinnitus.

She turned around and backed away from the garage door to examine her prison. Aside from the garage door being painted grey, there was little to distinguish the building. Holding her hair back from her face, she turned to look at the building opposite. Above the doors, a faded blue sign with the name Sable on it was still distinguishable. It would be clue enough.

Pulling on Kane’s coat, she looked up at the night sky. The clouds dispersed across the pending full moon, igniting the street enough for her to see a safe distance in front and behind.

Nothing looked familiar and she knew every nook and cranny of vampire territory. But she also knew she was disoriented. At some point she’d recognise something to tell her which direction to take. She zipped up Kane’s coat that swamped her to mid thigh, the sleeves consuming her hands – a grateful cover for the screwdriver she clenched in one, and the keys, tucked through the gaps in her fingers as a makeshift knuckleduster, in the other.

She turned left and marched ahead, the winter breeze whipping around her legs. She needed to find a payphone, preferably one on the street. Failing that, she needed to find one in a store, a bar or a restaurant. But that would be a last resort. She needed to stay as far out of sight and away from attention as she could. There were plenty in Blackthorn who would recognise her. She could ask for help, but there was no telling whom she was talking to. There were plenty of the third species who willingly supported the agents’ work but there were plenty of others who held Kane’s view. She had to keep watch for someone who was human enough not to pick up on the vampire scent and who would willingly respond to her call for help without fear of retribution.

She quickened her pace, her feet numbing against the chilly, dank pavement as she nimbly tried to avoid the ice-cold puddles. She glanced warily over her shoulder as Kane’s building became consumed by the darkness, but no shadows or footsteps indicated she was being followed.

After several minutes, she took her first turning, taking a left onto what looked like a residential street. The streetlights paved the way ahead, going someway to ignite street corners left and right.

The sign said Borough Street. Not even that sounded familiar. She tightened her grip on her makeshift weapons and hurried on ahead. She took another left and crossed the street to take a right. Soon she heard the distant sound of voices, the hum of a community. A couple of stragglers appeared from around the corner ahead, but didn’t seem to notice her as they staggered across to the other side of the street before disappearing around the corner opposite.

She felt helpless without her gun. Blackthorn never worried her when she was kitted-up and psyched-up, but she felt drained, fuelled only by adrenaline and the need to get away. They were never good defence mechanisms when you needed to be on full alert, and right then she needed everything firing.

If she got to a phone, Xavier would find her. He’d have the whole place on lockdown within the hour if he had to.

She took a right and hesitated at the corner. There were a few stragglers, mainly twos and threes. And there was a large group congregating around what looked like a bar, its bright red sign illuminating the littered pavement around them. But between her and them, on the opposite side of the street, was a phone booth gleaming under the streetlight.

Her instinct told her to turn away and look for a phone booth somewhere else, but sense told her it was potentially her only opportunity to get to one. She knew she was cornering herself by entering the booth. She knew from her training, from common sense, to avoid such situations, but there was no saying where the next one would be. For all she knew, Kane had already realised she had escaped and was hunting her down. Even in that vast district, it wouldn’t take him long to find her.

She glanced anxiously over her shoulder into the darkness behind, then back down the street ahead. Everyone was engrossed. No one was going to take any notice of her. No one had any reason to take any notice of her. The sign to the right of her said Orkney Street. Again, she’d never heard of it but it would give them something to go on. Clenching her weapons, keeping her head low, she padded down towards the booth.

She tucked the keys in her pocket and yanked open the heavy door, stepping inside. She glanced up at the lit ceiling mottled with the shadows of dead flies and moths as she tried to tentatively avoid the sticky, unpleasant patches on the floor. Sending a wary glance over each shoulder, she noticed she had already caught the attention of a group across the street. Keeping the screwdriver tight in her hand, she lifted the phone off the cradle. The absence of tone made her curse in frustration. She dropped the phone back in place and took a moment to calm her nerves before turning back around to see two males were already only a few feet away.

She reminded herself not to panic. To take a steadying breath. Her pulse raced, her adrenaline kicking in as it always did when she was faced with combat. But she controlled it adeptly, keeping her body lax, her eyes downturned as she yanked the door open.

Instead of moving aside, they locked shoulders.

Caitlin took a wary step back and first assessed the one who’d pressed forward to lean against the doorway. His grey almond eyes raked her rapaciously as an irritating smirk spread across on his stubbly, chiselled face. The other one held the door open as he leaned back against it. His eyes were blue and colder despite his gentler, boyish face. They weren’t vampires. They were human. And if they were residents in Blackthorn that meant even the penal prison system in Lowtown was too good for them. Grey-eyes was around six-foot, lean but not sturdy looking. Blue-eyes was a few inches shorter and didn’t have the body of someone adept at running or combat. She could take both of them if she had to.

‘Hello, sweetness,’ grey-eyes said. ‘You look a long way from home.’

She met his gaze, but suppressed her aggression. ‘Why, where am I?’

Grey-eyes looked at blue-eyes, who smirked back at him.

Grey-eyes grinned. ‘You are lost.’ He folded his arms. ‘Would you like some assistance?’

‘Seriously, where am I? North, east, south?’

‘North. As far north as it gets.’