Darkness Unknown (8 page)

Chase looked from Jake back to Jarvis, weighing their statements. “You two work together?”

Jarvis nodded. “Have for years. I taught him all he knows.”

His friend snickered. “Not hardly. You've gotten your fair share of bruises from me.”

That caught Chase's attention. “Does he heal like I…like you…?” He looked to Jarvis for an answer.

“Yeah, he does. That's one reason I asked him along today. I wanted you to know that there are more than just you and me with that ability.”

The boy mulled that one over for a few seconds. “You really couldn't call?”

“I wouldn't lie to you about that, Chase. And you can count on it happening again with no warning. I can't help that, but I do promise to call you beforehand if I can. If that isn't possible, I'll call you as soon as things let up.” He caught Jake's eye. “And if for some reason, I have to discontinue your lessons, even temporarily, Jake will take over.”

The boy clearly wanted to give in, but still had some anger he needed to get out. “You're just blowing me off.”

He started for the house, but Jarvis caught his arm. “Okay, hard-ass, what's with you? You've never screwed up?”

Chase jerked his arm free. “Yeah, I have. You think just saying you're sorry is enough, but when I do something, I get put on probation!”

“Are you talking juvie?” Surely Gwen would have mentioned it if Chase had gotten arrested.

Chase blanched. “Hell, no. Nothing that bad. I threw my helmet at football practice, and the coach called me on it in front of everybody. One more screwup and I'm off the team.” He pinned his gaze on the ground, refusing to meet Jarvis's eyes. “That sucks.”

Damn, he felt for the boy. Paladin tempers were a bitch to live with. “Yeah, it does suck—and that's all the more reason for you to start working out with Jake and me. I guarantee you'll gain more control from it. Once you've got some moves down, I'll take you to a gym to practice with some other guys. They all know different disciplines, so you'll learn from some of the best.”

“We're always looking for fresh meat.” Jake's grin was wicked, coaxing a tentative smile from Chase. “If you work hard, you'll be able to hold your own in no time. And if you lose it with us, at least we'll understand.”

“Sounds good.” Chase shuffled his feet a bit. “I've got to do something about my temper. Gwen worries too much as it is.”

She'd worry even more once they brought Chase into the organization—and hate Jarvis for doing it. He wasn't the one who threw the dice that cast Chase's lot in with the Paladins, but that wouldn't matter to her. All he could do was make the transi
tion from civilian to Paladin go as smoothly as possible for the boy.

“Do you think your sister will object if we use the barn for a dojo?”

“Half of it is her workshop, but we should be able to use the other side. When can we start?” There was a note of excitement in his voice. Both dogs picked up on it and were dancing around his feet, tails wagging.

“Now, if you'd like. Jake and I brought some workout clothes. We'll change in the barn.”

Just that quickly, the shadows haunting Chase's eyes faded. “I'll go change and be right back.” He took off toward the house with both dogs at his heels.

Jarvis watched him go. “That went better than I'd hoped.”

“You're doing the right thing for him.” Jake moved up to stand beside him. “You know that, don't you?”

“For him, yeah. And for the organization, because we're stretched so damn thin everywhere.” He stared at the kitchen window, where he could see Gwen talking to her brother. “But try telling that to her.”

 

The muffled sounds of male bonding fueled with heavy doses of testosterone seeped through the
wall separating her workroom from the makeshift gym that the two men had helped Chase set up. They'd carried his weight set down from his room and hung up a heavy punching bag from the rafters. Jarvis had assured her that it was an old one that the gym he normally worked out in was getting rid of. It had some sizable patches of duct tape on it, so maybe he was telling the truth.

But it didn't matter. She was prepared to turn a blind eye to a little charity if it helped Chase. From the occasional burst of laughter next door, whatever they were doing was working. Every so often, the connecting wall rattled and shook, but she did her best to ignore the noise.

She finished packing up the orders she needed to take to the shipping office the next time she went into town. After setting the boxes by the door, she cast around for something else to do—something that would keep her wayward mind from thinking too much about the glimpse she'd gotten of Jarvis when they'd been carrying things into the barn.

Seeing him without his shirt on, his sleek muscles shiny with sweat! Jake wasn't half bad either, but there was no comparison.

Another thud against the wall startled her.

“Sorry, Gwen! Didn't mean to shake the rafters that hard!”

It was at least the sixth apology the three guys had called out. She smiled as she approached the
wall, well aware that it was Jarvis standing so close to the thin wall. “That's okay. Just give me some warning if you think the barn's going to collapse.”

“You okay in there?” His voice had dropped, making the question sound more intimate than he probably realized.

“I'm fine.” She put her hand on the wall, as if she could feel his warmth through the wood and drywall. “How's it going?”

Silence. Then Chase's boom box began spewing out music loud enough to scare the bejeezus out of the alpacas.

After a second or two, she made herself walk away, intent on getting back to business. Then the door to her workshop opened and Jarvis stood in the doorway, asking without words if he was welcome in her private sanctuary.

“Come on in and look around.”

As he closed the door, she began straightening the bins of yarn that were already in perfect order. Anything to keep her mind off the gorgeous hunk of manhood behind her. She fumbled for a topic of conversation and pounced on the obvious. “How is Chase doing?”

“Great. He's a natural, just as I expected him to be.” Jarvis's voice came from right behind her, his breath sending a chill dancing down her spine.

She closed her eyes, trying to string together a coherent thought. “That's, um, real good. Nice.”

He laughed. “Am I making you nervous, Gwen?”

He was now close enough that she could feel his body heat all along her back. Would that make any woman with a pulse nervous? Heck, yeah.

“What makes you think that?”

“Because it makes me nervous. I'd hate to think I'm the only one wondering if we're ever going to kiss again.” His big hands slid up and down her arms, sending more shivers through her.

She ought to step away, out of his reach. But when she moved, it was to face him. His smile was crooked, his dark eyes warm.

“That dress is driving me crazy. Ever since that first morning when you were sleeping in the chair, I've been dying to see all the rest of your freckles.” He fingered the edge of the fabric at her shoulder. “The way this is cut just makes it worse, because it teases with hints and glimpses as you move.”

She'd always hated her tendency to freckle, and he was making them sound like a gift from above. “They get worse in the summer.”

His face lit up. “Really? Tell me, do you have them…everywhere?”

She nodded. He groaned and closed his eyes.

He leaned in close and whispered, “I would give anything to get the chance to count them all. I can't sleep nights, for thinking about it.”

Lord have mercy, the images that flowed
through her mind: the two of them in her bed, his big body sliding over hers, in hers…Her hand came up to rest on his chest, unable to resist touching all that warm strength.

“Kiss me.”

She skimmed her hands up the expanse of his shoulders to the back of his neck, enjoying the journey. Then she raised up on her toes to close the distance between them and pressed her lips against his.

She tasted every bit as good as he remembered. Gwen filled his arms perfectly, matching her feminine curves against him. His loose gym shorts did nothing to disguise the effect she was having on him, but she didn't seem to mind. On the contrary, when he splayed his hands on the sweet curve of her backside and pulled her up against the evidence, she made a sexy little noise in the back of her throat as if asking for more.

He yearned to take her someplace private and get her naked
now.
It was damn hard to be noble with her in his arms.

Her hands stroked his back, her nails scraping lightly over his skin. He wanted to purr or roar, warning everyone to stay the hell away from them. He pushed the soft cotton fabric of her dress to the side, wanting to taste a few of those freckles he'd noticed on her shoulders. He flicked his tongue over her damp skin, loving the rich flavor that belonged solely to her.

She arched her neck to the side, giving him better access, and he growled his approval as he nibbled along her collarbone. At the same time, he reached down to catch the hem of her dress, sliding it up as he enjoyed the satin feel of her thigh. When his hand reached the leg of her panties, he hesitated. How far did they dare go?

Gwen wasn't trying to stop him, but…this wasn't the time or the place. She must have sensed his reluctance because she froze. Silence hung between them except for their ragged breathing and the staccato beat of his pulse.

At least she wasn't running for the door or shoving him back on his ass. He wanted to yank her right back into his arms.

“Whew, those freckles ought to come with warning labels—they've got some serious mojo going!” He kissed the tip of her nose, right on the freckles. “We could get company any minute, so I figured we'd better slow it down a bit.”

Her gaze immediately went to the door. When she realized they were still alone, she slumped slightly and laid her head against his shoulder.

“It could have gotten a bit awkward if Chase came charging in here to show you his moves.”

She giggled. “He might be more interested in the ones you've been showing
me.
Especially where your hand is right now.”

It took him a moment to realize that, contrary
to his direct orders to stop, his fingers had slipped past the flimsy barrier of Gwen's panties and were busy caressing the treasures within. Even now, he could barely muster the strength to stop.

“I'd say I'm sorry, but that would be a lie.” He slowly withdrew his hand and tugged her skirt down where it belonged, although it damn near killed him.

Gwen didn't look upset. “I'd have some of my own explaining to do.” Then she patted his backside—from within his gym shorts.

A chuckle bubbled up from deep inside him and turned into a full-blown belly laugh. He leaned against the wall while he struggled for control. Gwen's own sense of the ridiculous caught up with her, and the two of them laughed until their sides hurt.

“Must have been one heck of a joke.” Jake came in, with Chase right behind him. “I don't suppose you want to share it.”

“No, you had to be there. Or better yet, not.”

Jarvis's answer set Gwen off again, and the other two rolled their eyes in disgust. When he was laughed out, Jarvis looked at Jake and Chase. “How did the rest of the lesson go?”

“Great!” Chase answered. “I tossed him on his”—his eyes flickered over to his sister and back before he continued—“uh, butt. That was fun.”

Jake punched the boy in the arm. “Everybody
gets lucky once in a while, so don't let it go to your head. Don't they, Jarvis?”

Jake always did see too much. “How about we get cleaned up, pile in the Chevelle, and head into town for a pizza fest?”

“I call shotgun!” Chase yelled.

No way.
The only Mosely he wanted sitting next to him was the cute redhead. As the four of them filed out of the barn, Jarvis held out his hand to Gwen and smiled when she took it.

T
he car purred down the road out of town, carrying them all back to the farm. They had only a few more miles to go before she and Chase would climb out of the Chevelle and the two men would head off to wherever they lived. Another puzzle she had yet to solve. She glanced over at Jarvis, whose profile was highlighted by the dash lights. There was so much strength in his face, but so few answers.

As if feeling her gaze, he reached over and squeezed her hand. She squeezed back before withdrawing her hand from his. The stereo was playing classic southern rock, filling the easy silence that had settled over the four of them after a long evening together.

Dinner had been fun. The three guys had carried most of the conversation. It had been such a relief to see Chase so relaxed and happy that she
had been content to sit quietly and let him argue sports with Jarvis and his friend. They all had differing, usually very vocal, opinions on this year's pennant races, but it had all been done in good fun.

In between, Jarvis shot hot looks her way whenever he thought Chase wouldn't notice. When they first arrived, he slid in next to her in the booth, taking up far more than his fair share of the seat. For her brother's sake she'd tried to leave enough room between her and Jarvis to make it clear that the two men were there for him, not her.

The trouble was, Jarvis wasn't letting her get by with it. He'd moved over until his thigh was right next to hers. And after a while, he'd ever so casually draped his right arm across the back of the seat behind her. Soon his hand was lightly resting on her shoulder. Every so often he'd mumble a few numbers and touch her skin as if he were really counting her freckles. How was she supposed to ignore something like that?

But she couldn't seem to resist him on any level. There were so many things she should be asking him. They still didn't know how he'd come to be so cut up and bloody in her woods. Then there was the whole question of what he really did for a living. Now that she'd met Jake, it was easy to see that Jarvis was used to being the one making the important decisions. Jake was no weakling himself,
but when there was a question, he often looked to Jarvis before answering.

If they were in the military, much of what she'd observed about the pair of them made sense—especially if their assignment was top secret. Still, something about that scenario didn't feel right. What kind of mission could he have been on in the Ozark woods that would have ended up with him getting cut to pieces without others of his unit looking for him? Her mind raced with possibilities: undercover cop, FBI, ATF, CIA—the whole alphabet soup.

Chase's welfare was first and foremost in her life, and she was trusting these two almost-strangers to help him. Maybe she was sticking her head in the sand, but her instincts were telling her that Jarvis was a man of his word. If he said he could help Chase, she believed him.

Their driveway was just ahead on the right. “Why don't you let us out up here?”

Jarvis slowed the car and eased down the driveway. “Nope, but thanks for worrying about my car. She appreciates it.”

He pulled up in front of the barn and turned off the engine, then he twisted around to look at Jake. “Why don't you grab us a couple of sodas for the road.”

“I'm not thirsty,” Jake said.

“I am.” Jarvis met his friend's gaze in the rearview mirror. “And since you've got to get out of
the car anyway, you can go inside with Chase and get me a drink.”

Gwen started to open her door to get out but Jarvis's hand shot out to stop her. “Not yet. I need to talk to you.” He gave her another one of those looks that melted her bones. “Privately.”

Then he climbed out of the car so that Chase and Jake could get out of the backseat. Her brother shot Gwen a questioning look over his shoulder as he followed Jake inside. Meanwhile, Jarvis had walked around her side of the car and opened her door.

“I needed to give you something that I didn't want Chase to see yet.” He held out a large brown envelope.

She opened it, her hands fumbling a bit. Something in his expression warned her that whatever the envelope contained was important. She drew out a single piece of paper, a photocopied picture of a man. One look at the face and she didn't need to ask who it was. The blue eyes and black hair and something about that stubborn-looking chin looked awfully familiar.

“This is Chase's father, isn't it?” She studied Harvey Fletcher's face in the yellow glow of the security lights over the barn door.

“Yes. Jake looked it up for me, but I didn't want to give it to Chase without letting you decide if he was ready. Neither of us will say anything until you give it to him.”

“This will mean a great deal to Chase. It's been hard on him never to know even his father's name.” She traced Harvey's jaw with her finger. “He was handsome. I can see why Mom was attracted to him.”

“By all reports, he was well respected, too. There might be a chance I can track down someone who actually knew Harvey. Chase might like to talk to somebody with firsthand knowledge.”

“I'll leave that up to my brother, but this was awfully nice of you and Jake to do.” She put the picture back in the envelope. “I think I'll give this to him later. He's had enough excitement for one day.”

“And how about you, Gwen? Got time for a little more excitement?” Jarvis sidled in close. “The picture wasn't the only reason I wanted a little private time with you.”

The other reason was there in the dark gleam in his eyes and the way his smile had suddenly turned predatory. Before she could respond, he kissed her hard and fast. He tasted of pepperoni and hot male, suddenly her favorite flavor for kisses.

The squeak of the screen door registered dimly in the back of her mind. Pinned against the door of the car, she pushed at Jarvis's chest. Reluctantly, he pulled back. At least this time their hands hadn't gone exploring. Much.

Jake hovered near the porch, not wanting to interrupt them.

“I know you're there, Jake.” Jarvis didn't even glance toward the house. “And yes, I know we need to be going.”

He dropped his voice. “I forgot to mark my place when I was counting those freckles. I'm going to have to start all over. I like to be accurate…and thorough.”

Heat flashed through her, shorting out her ability to think or even walk. The no-good rascal knew exactly what he'd done, too. He wrapped his arm around her and walked her to the door.

“I've told Chase that I'm busy tomorrow, but I'll be back on Saturday. I'll work with him in the afternoon, but I'd like to take you out for dinner after that. Just the two of us.”

What could she say to that? “I'll look forward to it. And thank you and Jake for today. It was great.”

“You're welcome.” He brushed the pad of his thumb over her lips. “And thank you, too.”

Then he walked off.

 

Jarvis paused to wipe the sweat off his forehead. It was only a little before ten o'clock in the morning, but the day was well on its way to being a scorcher. So far they'd had no luck finding his sword. As he stuffed his handkerchief in his hip pocket, he spotted something that made his blood run cold. “Son of a bitch! Will you look at that!”

Jarvis knelt down to study the tracks along the riverbank. Jake joined him, squatting down at his side. One glance at the ground and his friend let out a low whistle.

“These look old enough to be from that night.” He traced the outline of a couple with his fingers.

Jarvis shook his head as he studied the surrounding terrain. “There's no way to know if they all came through here at once or over several days. Either way, there's been a damned parade of Others walking along this stretch of the river.”

That was a scary thought. If the Others had found a new way to escape their home, how the hell could the Paladins protect the barrier and prowl the countryside at the same time?

Jake stood up, his hand sliding inside his jacket to grip his gun. “You'd think if they'd been using this route for a while, there'd be something in the news about unexplained violent deaths.”

“Yeah, you'd think.” Jarvis looked around, trying to gauge how far he was from where Gwen's dogs had found him. Not nearly far enough for his comfort. He didn't like knowing how close a bunch of crazies had come to her small farm.

“Let's see how far we can trace these.” He drew his automatic and attached its silencer. The woods were quiet except for the usual background noises. Cicadas droned away as a few birds flitted in the tree branches overhead. If someone else was mov
ing around in the woods, their ability to move silently beat anything he'd ever encountered.

About a quarter of a mile downriver the ground grew rockier, making it harder to follow the tracks, until they disappeared altogether. Where were the bastards heading?

He told Jake, “I'm going to cross over to see if I can pick up anything. Why don't you climb higher up and see if they left the river?”

Jake snapped the strap over his gun to keep it from falling out while he was climbing. “Other than tracks, should I be watching for anything else?”

“Maybe broken saplings. I remember sliding down toward the river, chasing the Other I'd been tracking. But I have no idea where all of his buddies came from, so watch your back.”

Jake sighed. “If you manage to get me killed again this soon, Doc is not going to be happy.” He started working his way uphill, cutting across the slope at an angle.

“Meet you back here in twenty.” Jarvis checked his watch. “That's about ten-thirty.”

“Will do.” Jake was already sweating with the strain.

Hopping from rock to rock, Jarvis succeeded in crossing the narrow bend in the river without getting his shoes wet. He backtracked upstream, looking for any evidence that the Others had changed directions. No such luck.

He returned, walking about ten feet up from the riverbank, sweeping his gaze from left to right. His efforts paid off about fifty yards farther downstream. The grass was trampled, and there were splashes of dried blood on the grass. He could collect samples, but there was no need, since a lot of it was probably his. There were a couple of clear imprints of his own tracks.

The only question was how he had started off here, fighting against impossible odds, only to be found half dead in the river downstream. Why hadn't the Others finished the job? He circled the area, studying the ground for some hint of what had happened.

There. He bent down to brush a few leaves out of his way.

“I'll be damned.”

“Probably.” Jake came splashing back across the river. “What'd you find?”

“I've been wondering why I survived the other night, when it was obvious that I shouldn't have.” He pointed to the ground. “Paw prints. I guess I owe Chase's furry friends some sirloin. Gotta wonder if the Others have ever seen anything like Dozer and Larry before.”

Jake laughed. “I doubt it. A couple of good-sized dogs in full temper could put the fear of God in anyone.”

“At least until they figured out that those two
would be more likely to lick somebody to death.” Jarvis stood up, brushing his hands on his pants. “If my sword is anywhere to be found, it should be near here.”

The two of them fanned out, walking in ever widening circles. Though he wanted to find his lost weapon, the real mission was to find out where the Others had gone to ground. Even if the dogs had driven them off, the pale-eyed crazies had had enough presence of mind to stick to the rockiest ground. It was as if they'd disappeared into thin air.

At least they hadn't gone on a bloody rampage, killing everyone who'd cross their path. If they had, the story would have been splashed across all the regional newspapers and networks.

“Hey, Jarvis! Come here!”

Jake stood at the edge of the river, staring down at the water. When Jarvis reached his side, Jake pointed at something shiny glinting in the deep side of the river.

“Crap, that water has to be at least eight or nine feet deep.” Jarvis glanced at Jake. “I don't suppose you…”

“You suppose right. Ain't no way I'm going diving for your sword. I have no desire to ride all the way back to headquarters in wet jeans. The good news is that there's no one here but you and me. If you want to go skinny-dipping, I won't tell.”

The sparkle in his eyes told the real truth. Ten
minutes after they got back, it would be all over headquarters. Jarvis would be lucky if Jake didn't use his phone to take pictures of Jarvis's bare ass to post online for their friends' enjoyment. He'd have done the same to Jake—what's the use of having close friends if you couldn't heap abuse on their heads once in a while?

“Fine. But remember, my friend, payback can be a bitch.” He peeled off his shirt and then his jeans. His socks and shoes joined the pile on the ground. At least the day was hot enough to keep anything important from shriveling.

The river, however, was another matter. He braced himself for the jolt and waded in. Going slow would only prolong the misery, so as soon as the rocky riverbed dropped off sharply, he pushed off and swam the short distance to the other side.

The cool water actually felt good. He stroked the length of the deep pool several times before stopping to tread water.

“You should try it, Jake. It feels great.”

“Maybe next time.” Jake sat on a boulder, his gun out and his eyes scanning the area for intruders.

Time to get down to business. Jarvis took a deep breath, then dove straight down to where his sword rested on the bottom.

He missed it the first time, but managed to latch on to the pommel on his second dive. It was firmly stuck. He swam back up to take another breath.
After half a dozen hard yanks and some mental cursing, he finally freed the sword from where the current had wedged it under a log. He broke for the surface, dragging the heavy weapon behind him, and swam to where he could stand up.