Skin Walkers Conn (2 page)

Coming to a large fallen tree that covered her path, she placed one hand on the tree as her legs
scissored
over the top and vaulted her over the object.  She
’d
run
the path frequently
, alternating her daily jog on her various routes of escape.  She’d even timed herself.  If she kept up at this pace, she’d be at the hidden jeep in less than ten minutes. 

Her lungs sawed in air as her adrenaline raced.  Then a beam of light cut through the night and her
slippered
feet slid to a halt as she
dove
for the nearest tree and dropped down
on
her haunches. 

Fuck!
  She
plastered herself against the tree at her back and
opened her mouth wider to quiet her harsh breathing
while she
watched as the first beam of light was joined by another. 
Shit,
there are
two of them.
  When a third beam joined the light cutting through the night and bouncing off trees Aries nearly whimpered aloud in
defeat. 
How did they know I’d come this way?  Fuck, fuck, fuck! 

The mercenaries on her trail were
silent;
no words were spoken, which was odd.  Why use flashlights if you don’t want your prey to know your numbers.  It was tactical.  They were trying to terrify her into fucking up. 
It won’t work
assholes!

Aries raised her pistol at her side and pushed from the tree.  She kept low as she dashed from tree to tr
ee.  They were on her trail
but not close enough that the light from the
flashlights could reach her, n
or would her bullets reach them. 

She licked her parched lips as she contemplated hunkering down and finally having it out with the would-be assassins.  In the
end,
she vied for the more logical resolution. 
Do what’s kept you alive
girl
,
she chastised herself as s
he sucked in a deep breath
and
rose
swiftly
from her crouch.  She’d run and she wouldn’t stop until she reached the jeep or she took a bullet in the back.
  They were too
close and just too damn many. 
Damn
, she hated running.

She took off at a
fast
sprint
and got thirty yards before her feet skidded to a halt, her pistol rose quickly, centered on the chest of the man that stood shrouded in darkness cutting of
f
her path
of escape
.  She couldn’t shoot; the so
und would draw the others. 
Four
men
!
  A
fter me
?  Why?

“Aries.”
T
he man
acknowledged her
, his voice
a
deep timbre
.  Her name was
spoken quietly
;
he wasn’t trying to draw the others
…y
et.

Aries kept her pistol trained on
the man
, her f
inger itching on the trigger.  She
quickly darted he
r eyes to the left then the right.  She couldn’t afford
to
be caught in an ambush now.  She didn’t say a word as she chanced a step backward.  When the man
advanced,
she caught only the briefest glimpse of steel gray eyes focused with intent and set in a viscously handsome face that was marred by one stark white scar that slashed across the sharp features. 

The instant his eyes locked with hers, his frown transitioned to shock then was just as quickly replaced by horror as the man dropped to his knees and groaned in agony.
 
There was the briefest flash of light from something around his throat and she thought she heard a high-pitched whine. 

Aries stood transfixed. 
What in the hell just happened?
  Her eyes scanned the jungle, but there was no sign of the other mercenaries.  Her eyes flicked backed to the man who was struggling to get to his feet even as one hand clutched his abdomen
and the other lifted to the strange necklace clamped around his throat
. 

Has he been shot?
  She hadn’t heard a gunshot. 
Silencer?
 
Again,
she scanned their surroundings.  Nothing.  Aries
took
another ste
p backward, and when no retribu
tion
came,
she chanced
a third
then a fourth
before
she turned and scanned the area.

The words that followed her were issued on a
pain-ridden
growl that heightened the threat,
“
Don’t
make me chase you
!
”

Suddenly she felt a shiver race up her spine and she lunged to the side just as something whizzed past her body and hit the tree in front of her.  Light flooded the area as the other mercenaries descended on her location.  The beam of one
flash
light flickered over the object still lodged in the tree and before Aries fired a shot in the general direction of the mercenary in front of her she swore she heard him mutter ‘shit’,
and then
she was gone. 

A tranquilizer dart!
  The realization hit her as she crashed through the jungle.  She’d broken off from her pre-planned route and was now just as
lost in
her surroundings as the men chasing her. 
Her mind was processing the information she’d taken in even as her feet beat a hasty retreat down a muddy ravine
as she raced blindly through the jungle
. 

The fact that they were shooting
at
her with tranquilizer darts told her one thing.  They wanted her alive.  Regardless of the information they wanted or
thought
she had, she would never allow them to take her alive.
 
How the fuck do they know my name?
 

She heard th
e men behind her.  “Conn’s down!  He’s been hit!  Get the fucking woman!
”

If it was possible for her heart to accelerate more, it just did. 
Fuck, they think I shot
him!
 

She heard an angry almost animalistic growl
from somewhere behind her.
“I’m not hit. 
Just
bring me the
woman!”

The beams of light chasing her through the jungle were impossibly fast and panic set in as she noticed the beams had spread out.  The mercenaries were using their numbers to their advantage. 

A
n overwhelming
surge of
terror
shot through her and with it that familiar tingling sensation that swept over her body and left her feeling chilled a
nd feverish simultaneously.  It happened often, usually when she was being chased
or in distress
.  It was the feeling that she should be …
could
be doing more.  Whatever that something was,
it certainly was of no aid
to her now
. 

Instead, she turned and fired a shot over her shoulder, hoping to slow the men on her tail.
  If they thought she’d hunkered down to pick them off, they’d surely slow to take cover. 
Wouldn’t they?
 

Instead, the four beams of light that had been steadily catching up to her all went dark
at
the same time
. 

Fuck!
  Now she didn’t know their location, just that they were close.  She didn’t dare stop running, not even to listen.  For the span of a
moment,
she actually considered taking cover
and
trying to wait it out
in the thick foliage the jungle provided, but
the
idea was just as quickly discarded
.  She was never one to sit and wait when she would much rather run
or
fight. 

Without the flashlights streaking their bright beams into t
he jungle, it was now impossibly
dark.  The moon was full, but the trees were too tall and too many and blocked out most of the
moon
light.  Several time
s, Aries had brushed too close
or
banged her shoulder off
the
massive
tree
trun
ks
that stretched up from the jungle floor.
  She wondered if she’d be able to move her arms tomorrow
if
she survived the night.
  Neither the question or the pain kept her from bolting across the tropical terrain.
 

Her lungs ached and her legs were burning, and when she though
t
she heard the deep growl of some forest beast, her pace slowed until she finally came to a stop. 

She held the pistol out in front of her as she spun in a tight circle. 
I can’t see shit!
  She clenched her teeth in frustration, then her head snapped to the side as she felt something pinch her shoulder. 
At first she thought she’d been bitten by one of the many snakes that called the trees home, but when she lifted her hand to rub the ache, a long cold object
greeted her fingers.  The object
was lodged
solidly
in her arm.

“Fuck!” She jerked the tranquilizer dart out quickly, knowing without seeing the object what it was.  She licked her dry lips and turned to fire a shot in the direction from which she
was certain the dart had been fired
.  Panic flared to life with
the
effect the drugs were
already
having on her.  Her vision was beginning to blur and the realization only made her heart beat faster, which pumped more of the drug through her system.  She was fucked and she knew it. 

“What’d you do to Conn?” 

Conn?  The man with the scar! 

The demand was barked from somewhere too close
and Aries realized s
he needed to run, but she couldn’t get her legs to cooperate. 
Her free hand found the nearest tree
and her nails curled into the bark for support.  Her head was beginning to swim, her muscles heating to liquid warmth that meant they were soon to be of no use.  She heard the footsteps now, but couldn’t see her enemies. 

“I warned you not to make me chase you.”
 

She recognized the velvety timbre of the voice and crazy as it was she decided it would be a sexy voice if it didn’t belong to someone who was trying to kill her. 
It was him…Conn
. 

Aries’
breath was coming in ragged pants now as she tried to lift her pistol.  Her arms were too weak, and the weapon simply trembled in her barely raised arm as she fell back against the tree and
slid down its rough face
.  She couldn’t hold back the whimper that accompanied the knowledge of her defeat.  “What the fuck do you want?”  The pistol slid from her limp fingers just as
a
man stepped up in front of her.
  She was struggling now to keep her eyes open even as her hand fought to re-claim the pistol in her lap.

Conn
stopped feet from her
, one large hand still clutching his abdomen.

One of his men queried, “You alright boss?”

The reply came out on a snarl
. 
“Fine.”

Aries dropped her eyes to his hand where it
clutched his belly
, but s
he saw no
blood.

“
Your brother wants to see you
.” 
Conn
stepped closer,
his large intimidating form
blocked out the faint light cast by the moon
.

She wanted to say something condescending, challenging, even rude, but it was an effort now just to breathe.
  She sawed in a harsh breath before slurring
the truth
, “I don’t have a brother.”

A voice off to her side spoke. 
“Those tranquilizers old Shane?”

The reply came from her opposite side.  “No.  She’s just fighting it.”

There was silence a moment before Shane queried, “Should I shoot her again?”

“
Patience gentlemen.
” 
Conn
stepped closer and squatted down to stare at her.