Hunting the Shadows (22 page)

“Okay. I’m coming back in a bit.”
J.C. shifted his attention away from Amy, back to Mackenzie. “You know this is making it worse for him, right? If he’s as innocent as you claim, then you’ve sealed his guilt by helping him escape.”

Mackenzie’s eyes went hard. “I’m not afraid to die. Take your double standards, J.C., and shove them.”

J.C. frowned. He never said anything about her. “You’re not doing Stefan any favors.”

Her chin inched up a notch. “I’m giving us the best chance we have.”

Us. Not
him
. She wasn’t going to give Stefan up. Not now. Maybe she would after the Council got involved but by that point, it would be too late.

* * *

“No!” Amy gave a frustrated cry, fisting her hands at her temples.

Her outrage gave J.C. pause. He lowered the coffee mug that had been on its way to his mouth and rose from his seat, going to her side. “You need to calm down, Amy. You’re pushing yourself too hard.”

Angry eyes the color of blue flame jerked to his. He felt a nervous need to chuckle, but repressed the urge.

“I should
know
,” she bit out. “I should be able to find her.”

“You’re stressed. You need to take a deep breath.” Forcing her wasn’t the answer. He could see the strain in the tension of her body. As much as he wanted to, if he pushed her harder she was going to snap. That wasn’t an option.

“Don’t tell me to breathe, Jaegar-Caleb. I can’t shut it off. He’s out there and I can’t do a damn thing about it. Don’t tell me I’m
stressed
.”

J.C. caught her wrists to find the pressure point along the inside of her arms and rubbed in an attempt to relieve some of her tension. “Sweetheart, you can’t let this tear you apart.”

When she moved to sit on the bed, J.C. followed, careful to monitor her for signs that she was overtaxing herself. She was barely resting, continuously trying to feel out Stefan and Ajay’s whereabouts.

“I had her,” she whispered, so low he could barely hear. Her body rocked forward, face lifted toward his. Her eyes darkened, fixating on his and he felt oddly unnerved. “She was there for a moment but the thread unraveled. I need to get it back.”

“Amy, what’s this going to do to you?”

“I’m well aware of the risks.” Her breathing hitched.

He lifted his hand to trace small blue veins at her temples that had appeared within the last few hours. “I know you are.”

“I think I can get her back. After that, I’ll stop for a bit. Okay?”

“Yeah, once more.”

She nodded and stared down at her hands. He reached out, covering them with his own and her hands turned palm up, her fingers linking with his. He knew the moment she grabbed hold of Ajay’s mind, watching as her brow creased as she concentrated on maintaining the link.

“J.C.?” Her voice sounded far off.

“I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.” He tightened his fingers around hers.

“I want to try bringing you into Ajay’s mind. Okay?”

He eased out a breath, releasing it. If she succeeded, they would have a better chance at finding Ajay. “Sure. Let’s try this again.”

At first, nothing happened. But then a whisper of a voice and the feel of cold air brushed along the hairs on his arms. The room spun, throwing his equilibrium off balance. He closed his eyes, dizziness stealing his breath. He wasn’t sure what Amy did but when he opened his eyes, his vision was distorted as though he were seeing through two different screens. The first was his room. The second was set in a small, dark space.

“Are you okay? Do you need a breather?”

J.C. barely heard her questions. He was still trying to get his bearings. Nausea churned restlessly in his gut. His hands fell from her wrists to curl into tight fists. She pulled out of his mind.

“Show me what you see, Amy. We’re going to figure this out together.”

Together. He’d never had to depend on another before, not in this way. He depended on his team to watch his back, but not like this. There was no name for whatever this was. This thing, this partnership between Amy and him was growing at a rate that scattered common sense.

“I want you to be sure. This isn’t like watching television. It’s intense but I’ll try and shield you as much as possible.”

When she tightened her fingers around his, he felt a pull within him, a heat that curled around the edges of his heart. She shifted her body closer between his thighs so that her legs were around his waist.

“It’s time you show me more of your world. Maybe then I’ll be able to help you better,” he murmured and lowered his forehead to hers, preparing himself for the disorienting state he was about to be thrown into once again.

“Close your eyes. It’ll help.”

Because she knew what she was talking about, J.C. followed her instructions. Closing his eyes didn’t take the symptoms away but it took the edge off, allowing him to remember to breathe.

He was acutely aware of his surroundings—the bed under him, Amy’s fingers intertwined with his, the ticking of a clock. They all registered in the back of his mind, his brain processing the information.

It was so cold in the shadows. A woman whimpered, rope binding tight around her wrists and ankles.

Images layered over images, making it difficult to focus, to filter the layers until he was looking out of Ajay’s eyes.

He came back. She shivered at his touch, at the feel of his hands on her skin. She couldn’t talk, the gag in her mouth preventing her from making noise but she cried out nevertheless, trying to shift away from his body.

Why couldn’t she see?

He slapped her, an open palm hit that turned her head viciously to the side against something hard and rough. Cement? Where had he taken her?

“I’m going to give you something to drink, but if you scream, I swear I’ll knock your teeth out. Understood?”

J.C. wasn’t sure if he pulled free or if Amy had ended the dream-like world. Either way, he came back gasping for breath, his heart pounding so fast he wondered if the experience was going to push him into a heart attack.

“You’re fine. Deep breaths, J.C.”

He opened his eyes to find her watching him intently. She didn’t pull away, simply stayed there.

“We need to go back in.” He shuddered as though ice speared down his spine.

“This was a mistake. I won’t have you getting so entrenched that you become lost in his mind.” He glanced down as she began to rub his palm and fingers. “It’s not a party. Take that from someone who knows first-hand. I’ll go back alone.”

“Amy, I know you’re taking precautions with me, but don’t. We can’t afford to.”

Ajay was still alive. Barely. They needed to go back. Now.

“And we can’t afford for you to lose your life or worse, your mind,” she countered. “Don’t be a hypocrite. If the positions were reversed, you’d do the same. I’ll go in by myself.”

He took perverse pleasure from the fact that she refused to take shit from him, even when she should know better. If she followed his orders blindly, she wouldn’t survive long in the world created by the Council. But that didn’t mean her defiance wasn’t going to get her into trouble one of these days.

“Take me back,” he ordered.

She nodded, a short jerk of her head, although it was clear she was far from happy about it. This time when he went under, he was prepared. Or as prepared as he could be given the circumstances. He closed his eyes and gave in.

Warm, stale water slid down her throat.

She didn’t scream. She was tempted to bite down on his fingers as he’d first removed the rag or whatever it was he’d used, but she’d resisted. If she did, it would only make matters worse.

“No one’s looking for you. Did you know that? They couldn’t care that you’re missing.”

Fingers brushed her cheek and she shivered, turning her face away from the touch, only to have him grip her chin and jerk her face toward him. “You’re lying,” she whispered. He had to be. Someone had to be out there, looking for her.

A sob threatened to break from her throat and she swallowed it back.

“Keep telling yourself that.”

She backed away as he leaned close, but she had no where to go. He settled his hand against her chest and she felt the burn, a sharp sting that caused her body to jerk. She gasped and the curtain in her head fell again, fogging her mind over.

The connection snapped and the moment J.C. found himself free, he jerked away from Amy and stumbled to get off the bed before he was sick. He had to get away. It was instinctual. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t see, the entire room blurring as he forced himself into the washroom and purged the lingering sensation of having been deep in another’s mind. Hanging onto the perilous edge of sanity as emotions slammed him hard, he gripped the sink, pulling himself up onto his feet.

Reaching for the toothbrush, he brushed his teeth. Mint chased away the taste of the material used as a gag on Ajay. The thought of how scared she was made him sick.

His reflection stared back at him in the mirror—skin pale, eyes so dark. His hands shook as he reached for the taps, turning the cold water on and filling his palms to splash his face.

He didn’t have to look to know that Amy had stepped behind him. He glanced up, gaze locking on hers in the mirror. Her forehead creased with concern as she bit at her bottom lip. He didn’t want or need it. “Go for it. Say that you told me so.”

“And what would the point be in that? Sit down.”

He did, more because his legs felt like rubber than because she told him to. What he needed, more than anything, was a stiff drink. “In the desk drawer there’s a bottle of whiskey. Get it for me?”

She returned seconds later with the bottle, frowning at the label. “Alcohol isn’t going to help. Your system has gone through a shock.” She set the whiskey on the sink, then kneeled in front of him, her hands on his knees.

“Is it always like that?”

“For the most part. With some people, like you, it’s stronger, clearer. Ajay’s mind is so frayed that it’s hard to grab on to anything.”

But she was alive. And the bastard was making her believe that no one cared for her.

“I have to—” J.C. swallowed hard as bile rose from his stomach. He chased it back with a shot of the whiskey and made a face as the mint from the toothpaste combined with the alcohol in a gross combination. He shoved the bottle back with a curse.

“Breathe for a bit.”

They didn’t have the time for that. The bastard was feeding on Ajay. She was inside and she was somewhere dark and cold. It fit the description of way too many places at the Centre.

Taking her face between his hands, J.C. leaned close and tugged her mouth hard onto his. He focused on her and the feel of her lips. Her hands were smooth as they settled on his shoulders. He needed this, the taste of her hitting his system hard as he rubbed his lips against hers.

When he drew back, her mouth was red and swollen. “Thank you for sharing that,” he whispered then went back for another quick kiss. “Please try to get some sleep. I need to go find her. I don’t think she’ll be alive for much longer if we don’t do something.”

“Be careful?”

He nodded and rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip. “Always. I’m going to leave two guards posted outside the door. If you have any concerns, let them know. I’ll be a mind link away. Call if you need me.”

One last kiss and he left, his system now settled. Never had he thought he’d go into the mind of another. Somehow, with Amy, she’d accomplished that and if that wasn’t a scary show of ability, he wasn’t sure what was. One thing was for certain, it was an ability no one else could know about. Definitely not Broderick.

Ever.

Chapter Twenty-One

Rain spilled from dark clouds, pelting the earth and loosening the dirt at his feet as he ran. Thunder clapped over his head, lightening shooting through the dark sky, but he didn’t slow down.

Killer. Murderer.

The words should have struck some kind of an emotion within him but they didn’t. He knew what the others thought of him. Knew what Amy thought of him. The bitch. She’d die. He would make a point of it. Fucking traitors didn’t deserve to live.

He pushed himself harder, breaking into a faster run through the empty land all around him. His foot caught on a root but he pushed on, forcing his way through tangled brush, the arch of heavy branches blocking out most of the moon’s light.

His body shook, more from the hunger than the strain of the run. Having Ajay so close was too tempting. He couldn’t wait much longer.

It was time.

He slowed as he approached the Centre, slipping in through a cellar door and moving down the halls into the basement. He moved with tense anticipation, her cell the only lit room on the entire dark floor.

Body curled tightly, wrists and ankles bound, Ajay slumped forward on the ground, unconscious. A bruise darkened her jaw, another over her cheek beneath her eye. She’d fought him but he was stronger. She should have never allowed him near her.

The others were out there, searching. He’d wasted too much time.

He knelt beside her prone form and ran his finger along her cheek. “Wake up. I’ve waited long enough for you.”

Her violet eyes opened, unfocused. He saw the fear in them and smiled because she knew…there was no escape. “What did you do to me? Why can’t I—”

Feel. See. Use her abilities. “I don’t want you to.”

She flinched. “They’re going to get you. You may succeed in killing me, but you aren’t going to get away with this. They’ll know the truth.”

Goddamn women, always thinking they could control a man. She should know better. She shied back from him but really, where could she go?

Leaning in, he curled his hand in her hair, pulling her head back. She struggled with her bonds and he watched desperation brighten her eyes. “No one will find you.”

* * *

There was no relief in dreams. Amy slept fitfully, her mind in turmoil as she rolled over. The killer’s mind ensnared, held and she shuddered as she crawled back to consciousness, jerking out of the nightmare.

The images flashed through her mind, a slideshow of blurred movement and sights. Nausea burned up the back of her throat. Forcing herself into a sitting position, Amy searched through the darkness, expecting him to be there in the shadows of the room, watching her. But she was alone.

“J.C., he has her somewhere in the Crypt and she doesn’t have a lot of time.”
She was already shoving blankets away so that she could reach for her clothes. When her mind came up against a block, she frowned.
“J.C.?”

She began to chew on her nails before she caught herself. Knowing J.C. kept a second gun under the bed, Amy dropped to her knees. The box was still there, long white strips of plastic locking it in place against the bottom of the mattress. Skimming her hand up along the box, she quickly worked in the code. The gun was a strange weight. She’d never held one before.

Awareness rippled through her and goosebumps exploded over her skin.

Dropping the gun onto the pillow, she scribbled a quick note to J.C. in case he came back to his room before she saw him. He’d been gone all night and she had no idea where he was. She needed to find him. Now.

“Damn it, J.C., I know where he is. He’s in the Crypt, in the cell where I found the locket.”

Nothing but static. Frustration curdled in her stomach as she rose from the floor, pushing up on her hands and knees. Pain shuddered up her thigh and she curled her hands in the blanket to stop from falling.

“He can’t hear you.”
It wasn’t J.C.’s voice.

She jerked her head up, desperate as she raked her gaze through the thick shadows. The voice spilled into her brain and she grabbed the gun, waving it around as she spun in a circle.
“What’d you do to him?”

“Nothing.”
The voice trailed off.
“It’s what I’m going to do to you that you should be more worried about.”

If the killer could neutralize her abilities, then he was close.

She didn’t think about moving silently or being cautious when she threw open the bedroom door, stumbling over the two guards that’d been assigned to watch her. Dead.

She wasn’t the same person she’d been when she was first locked up. But the terror, that was the same, the nausea all too familiar.

The lights in the corridor were harsh to her eyes. She blinked and found herself staring at Stefan and the gun he held.

“You can’t run, Amy.”

Her fingers tightened around her own gun, squeezing off a shot. It went wild, the recoil knocking her back in surprise. She hit the wall, crashing against the dead body of one of the guards. With a yelp of surprise she scrambled away before Stefan could get to her, even when he called after her.

She bolted down the metal stairs, tasting hysteria with each breath she drew.

Overhead the lights flickered and she flinched at the thought of being trapped in the dark when he was so close behind her.

“Leave me alone. J.C. knows, Stefan. I told him where Ajay is.”

It was a lie. A well placed one, but a lie nevertheless and all she could hope was that he didn’t see through her bluff.

Her pulse pounded in her ears. She didn’t have time to adjust to the darkness when the lights blinked out. The only thing to do was pitch forward down the steps and into a narrow corridor. On either side of the hall, two doors led into another level.

Amy tried the door on the left first and then the second but both were locked. Movement came from somewhere behind her and she turned, her eyes searching.

She knew he was there. Watching.

“You’re too late, Amy.”

She glanced up, into the eyes of Rick Gurvitch. Pain exploded in her head as he hit her and she collapsed at his feet.

* * *

It irritated J.C. that he couldn’t connect with Amy. He never expected to be annoyed that the nosey woman wasn’t in his head. She had no problems going into his head during normal circumstances, but now that there was a killer out there, she’d disappeared. She was completely incommunicado.

Worry tightened his gut and made his heart race. She’d pushed herself too hard and it was taking a toll on her. The on-call doctor had prescribed a cocktail of seizure preventing drugs and something to thin out her blood, but she refused to give her system a break. One that lasted more than a few hours.

He wanted to check in on her, to make sure she was resting, but damn it, Cameron hadn’t returned to relieve him of duty. He’d been in charge of organizing the search crews and like before, they’d come up empty handed. The only piece of evidence they had was the dead body of the woman he and Amy had found.

Erin.

According to the lab results, she’d been murdered approximately a day after Stefan had been captured.

Results were inconclusive on whether it had been a copycat or not, thanks to the fact that an animal had torn into her throat and face.

J.C. sighed as thunder rumbled outside, rubbing his hand over his tired face. The afternoon heat had turned into another storm. It was the bad thing about the mountains, the storms were always so focused. The first drops began to fall.

The lights flickered overhead. They’d been doing that all day.

Restless, he walked into the brainstorming room. A map of the grounds had been set up over the conference table.

J.C. kneaded the back of his neck. His eyes felt gritty, but staring at the damn map wasn’t going to get him any answers. Not when he’d been over it for what seemed like a hundred times. He began to turn toward the coffeepot then decided against it, figuring his blood was already ninety percent caffeine. What he needed was to close his eyes for a bit. He was running on black coffee and military ready-to-eat meals. They didn’t exactly settle comfortably in a man’s stomach.

A gun clicked at his ear.

His instincts were slow. Lack of sleep dulled his reaction time. He should have heard something. He should have known someone had entered the room.

“I’d think carefully if I were you. By the time you attack, a bullet will be in your brain.”

He smiled and slowly inched his hands up as he turned to face Stefan. “We’ve been searching for you.”

“I know but we don’t have time to talk about how I got away or what I plan to do now. You have more pressing matters.”

J.C. snarled and for a moment, violence blanketed his mind. “Tell me where Ajay is, Stefan. Tell me that she’s alive.”

“I didn’t do anything to Ajay.”

He didn’t care that the gun was so close to his face. Didn’t care that the man standing in front of him was dangerous enough to kill ten, possibly eleven, highly trained agents. Adrenaline cleared his mind of exhaustion, detaching him from having a gun focused on him. A part of him knew the truth of Stefan’s words, but it was too late to matter.

J.C. gathered his energy, keeping it close against his chest. When he reacted, he moved both physically and psychically. His power slapped out and as he leaped for the gun, Stefan pulled the trigger. He’d focused on it, blocking the control. The gun jammed. He took that chance and moved in, striking Stefan in the throat with the palm of his hand, hard enough to knock the man to the ground.

“Not me.” Stefan lifted his head, face red as he pulled in a gasping breath. He stared straight ahead and seemed almost dazed. But he made no other move, simply sat on the ground. “Rick. Rick killed the others and he has Amy. You don’t have time to kill me.”

“Nice ploy.” Amy was safe in his room. He’d left her there, asleep, with two guards outside the door. He stared hard at Stefan. “Do you really expect me to believe that your
brother
is the killer? How stupid do you think I am?”

“You don’t have to believe me, J.C., but she’ll die if you don’t.”

“And I repeat, how stupid do you think I am?” Leaning down, J.C. palmed the gun Stefan had dropped. Placing it lightly to the table, he eyed the fallen man before he set it aside and reached for his pager, signaling the team. He refused to leave while he waited for them to arrive. He wouldn’t admit it, but Stefan’s words made his palms break out into a light sweat.

“When she turns up dead, you’re going to be sorry. You offered Amy protection, J.C., like you did Leila and look what happened to her. Are you going to let the same thing happen to Amy?”

Leaning forward on one knee, he curled his hand in Stefan’s shirt. This game, he wasn’t interested in playing. It was another way to get into his mind. Amy was safe where he’d left her. If anything had happened to her, he would have known. “Stop with the bullshit. Where’s Ajay?”

“Ajay will be dead by now. If you go now, you may still have time to get to Amy.” Stefan’s voice shook, a hint of desperation tinting his words.

J.C.’s blood froze.

“Start talking, Gurvitch.”