Tentyrian Legacy (27 page)

A bolt of lightning streaks across the sky,
and heavy rain clouds come rolling in. This looks more like an
oncoming downpour rather than a few showers. Beau makes a whining
sound. We need to sprint home to avoid getting soaked. “Come on,
boy, come on,” I encourage Beau as he runs alongside. He slows and
whines again. Beau normally isn’t afraid of thunderstorms. Maybe
Luna is making him soft.

“Come on, boy, we’re almost home. You can do
it.” The sky is now dark gray. You wouldn’t believe the sun was
shining just minutes earlier. Looks like the weather is as volatile
as my temper. With the house now in sight, I notice the front door
is open. That’s strange. It was closed when I left, and hardly
anyone comes to visit down the road. Maybe a neighbor needed a cup
of sugar. Did Raad even have sugar?

My sneakers are now caked with mud from the
road. I kick them off and leave them outside on the front porch so
I don’t track mud in the house. The rain starts to come down in
sheets. I pad inside and take off Beau’s leash. He starts whining
again and circles around me. “It’s okay, boy, it’s okay.” I run my
hand through his fur, which is standing on end. “Let’s get you a
treat.” I’m probably the one making him fat.

“I’m home!” I yell as I make my way toward
the kitchen. “I was thinking I could make an early dinner since we
skipped lunch. You in the mood for burgers?” No answer. “Hello,
Raad, Luna? Burger time . . .”

No answer. The car was definitely still in
the driveway when I came back, so they didn’t go to run an errand.
Were they in the back? In the rain? I look through the window and
don’t see them. “Come on guys,” I yell again.

I dash up the stairs and check the attic, the
four bedrooms, and three bathrooms. Nothing. I do a sweep of the
downstairs from Raad’s study to the living room and even the
kitchen pantry. Still nothing. I check the basement and see only
garden tools. Beau is now lying on the floor whining. I run out to
the backyard in my socks. They aren’t anywhere. I call their names
again. Maybe they really went to the neighbors? It’s about two
miles down the road, though. Is there a note somewhere?

I go back inside and take my filthy socks
off. I’m dripping water everywhere and working myself into a panic
for no reason, I tell myself. I look on the kitchen countertops,
the fridge, and the front hall table for a note but see nothing. I
go back into Raad’s study; also no note. But I notice his normally
organized papers are a mess. The articles and health periodicals,
which he keeps in meticulous stacks, are toppled over. I didn’t
notice it when I first looked for Raad in the office. Upon closer
inspection, his papers look rifled through. I’m in full panic mode
now. I grab my phone. No missed calls. Raad’s home answering
machine shows a red zero. I’m going to the neighbors.

“Come on, boy, we’re going for a car ride.”
Beau whines in response. He knows something isn’t right, and his
strange behavior says it all. We run to the car and he gets in the
passenger seat. We head over to the neighbors driving fifty miles
per hour. We’re there in two minutes. I run to the front door and
bang on it like a crazy woman. I realize I have no umbrella and no
coat, socks, or shoes on.

A kind-looking woman opens the door. “My
dears, I was worried. . .” she starts to say. “Oh, I’m sorry, I
thought you were those little Girl Scouts selling cookies who came
by earlier. I was worried they were going to get caught in the
rain.” I think the woman’s name is Mrs. Lansing.

“Hi, I’m so sorry to bother you, but I’m
looking for my friend Dr. Aman Raad. Have you seen him or his dog
Luna?”

“Oh, Dr. Raad, of course—you’re Arianna,
aren’t you?”

“Yes, ma’am, I am. Have you seen them?”

“No I haven’t. Is Luna lost? I know she and
that other dog are rather rambunctious.”

“I don’t think she’s run away. But I can’t
seem to find them. You’re sure you haven’t seen them?”

“Yes, I’m sure,” she says, confused.

“Have any cars come down the road in the last
two hours?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t exactly been
watching . . .” I can tell I’m alarming Mrs. Lansing.

“Thanks very much,” I call to her as I leave
her staring after me inquisitively. I dash back to the car. Maybe
they’re back already. Maybe they went for a walk in the woods. And
here I am freaking out. Raad is just going to laugh at me and tell
me to go do some tai chi to center my unbalanced self.

Within minutes we’re back. I call again
throughout the house, but still no answer. Still a red zero on the
machine. I decide to take Beau into the woods for one last look. If
we can’t find them, I’ll call the police. I let Beau run free as I
call for Raad and whistle for Luna. The woods go straight back for
about three miles until they back into someone’s lawn. I won’t be
able to cover all the square acreage, but if they’re out here I
have a good chance of finding them. Could Raad have had a heart
attack? He is getting older . . .

Beau starts barking, and it’s not his usual,
curious bark. It’s strained and mixed in with whining. I run toward
him, barely able to see him through the sheets of rain coming down.
It’s Luna, collapsed on the forest floor. I put my ear to her
chest. It’s not moving, and I can’t hear a heartbeat. I wipe the
mud from her muzzle and cradle her head. My hand comes away with
blood. It is seeping from the left side of her skull. I can’t
believe what I’m seeing. It looks like a bullet hole.

“Oh my God. Oh my God! Raad, Raad! Are you
out here?” I scream. Beau circles around Luna’s body and me and
licks her face in an attempt to will her back to life. What does
this mean for Raad? And why would someone take him? Or kill Luna?
Was his body stashed here in the woods too? Aside from his files
being rummaged through, it didn’t look like a robbery had taken
place. I leave Luna. I can’t carry her back to the house easily,
and I need to call 911 immediately.

For a split second I consider the intruder
may still be lurking inside. But I’ve been in the house twice and
it was fine. Beau is on my heels and will sense if something is
amiss. I should have trusted him when he was whining on our run. He
sensed his friends were in trouble. But I didn’t. What did that say
about me?

I shove open the sliding glass door and run
to the phone. But before I reach it, I slip on the wood floor that
is now soaked with puddles I’ve left from traipsing in and out. My
head bangs the floor hard as I land flat on my back. The wind is
knocked out of me but my adrenaline is pumping hard. I start to get
up. I’m a bit dazed and still trying to catch my breath when behind
me I hear a growl. I turn quickly. That’s when I see him. The next
thing I know his arms are around me. Sweet– smelling fabric is
shoved in front of my face. I inadvertently inhale between screams.
Why? is my last thought before I pass out.

2010 AD, July

New York, New York / Ambrosine Island, Ionian
Sea

My head is achy, and so is my back. I pull my
duvet up closer to me; its cool folds are soothing against my
protesting muscles. Thoughts of getting the flu briefly flicker
through my mind. I pull the covers off and fumble for the bedside
lamp. I usually never feel this disoriented. I must be coming down
with something. I turn the light on but can’t find my BlackBerry,
which I use for my clock. Throwing off the sheets in a flurry, I
check the bed, behind it, and under it.

What the hell? Maybe I left it in my purse in
the front hall? That’s when I notice what I’m wearing. Running
shorts and my “No one likes a vegetarian” T-shirt. I never would
wear this to bed. I look at myself in front of the starburst mirror
above my dresser. My hair is a mess, and is that dirt smudged on my
cheek? The room around me starts spinning. I grab the dresser for
support and put my head between my legs. Deep breaths, just take
deep breaths.

Bile is rising in my throat. My forehead is
beading with sweat. But it’s not my physical condition that worries
me. It’s the memories that begin to come back. Cupcakes, the attic,
running, Luna’s blood, more running, Maximos. I have to call the
police. I throw open my bedroom door. But before I take a step
forward to get to the kitchen phone—I see two men in my living
room. They are dressed all in black with closely cropped hair. Not
to mention they are huge. With my not-so-quiet yanking of the door,
they turn toward me.

“She’s awake,” one of the military-grade men
says. “Clearly,” responds the other.

They start to walk slowly toward me. I must
look like a deer caught in the headlights. I immediately slam the
door shut and lock it. With all of my strength, I manage to push
the dresser in front of the door. I hear knocking. My pulse is
pounding so loud it’s hard to concentrate and understand the voices
on the other side.

“Ms. Parker, I know this is confusing and you
are probably scared, but we aren’t here to hurt you.” Who were they
kidding?

“I’ve already called the police!” I yell.
“They are on their way. You better get out of here now!” No
response. Did they know I was bluffing? What feels like hours tick
by . . . I can’t tell if they are leaving or not. I swallow
continuously to keep from throwing up. I silently climb on top of
the dresser and put my ear to the door. I hear shuffling
outside.

“Get Max up here now. He’ll know how to
handle this. She wasn’t supposed to wake up so soon. We should have
had another hour.”

“At least she can’t get out of there. I
checked,” I hear the other man say.

Maximos Vasilliadis. He was the one behind
this. He was the one who took me from Raad’s house. I remember
after I slipped trying to get to the phone, I had turned to find
him standing there. We briefly grappled, but he put something over
my mouth. That bastard drugged me. No wonder my mouth tastes like
bad grapefruit. But why? And why did he bring me to my own
apartment? Behind that suave façade, was he insane? And most
importantly, why hurt Luna and Raad? I have all questions and no
answers.

I need to get out of here now. But how? This
is a modern condominium building, and it’s not like there is a
convenient fire escape outside. I’m also twenty-five stories up. Of
my wall of windows in the bedroom, only the left side slides open
about half a foot wide. I’m not sure if I can even fit my body
through it. I press my face to the glass and look out the window.
If I position myself right, I may be able to fling myself down and
over to the balcony of the resident below me. If I land
successfully, I might break a few bones. If I miss, I’ll die. I
don’t know what to do . . . I hear more knocking on the door.

“Ms. Parker, please open the door. We are
trying to help you.” What is it going to be, broken bones or death?
Or should I wait until they break down the door and try to overtake
them? I know I don’t stand a chance against two well-muscled men
who are over six feet. There isn’t much of a choice after all. I
slide open the window and suck in my breath. The night air kisses
my face, and the metal window frame feels cool against my hands and
bare feet. I start to inch the left side of my body through. It’s a
tight fit. I suck in harder as the window frame scrapes against
me.

All of a sudden, vice-like hands grab my
right arm and leg and pull me inside with one swift yank. I hit the
floor hard. Fortunately, the carpet and the person who pulled me
cushion my fall. Unfortunately, it’s Maximos. And I’m lying on his
chest. I fight against him and scream. His hand clamps down on my
mouth.

“None of that,” he commands. “Otherwise we
are going to have to do some explaining to the neighbors, and we
don’t have time.” I bite down and can feel his flesh break. “Damn
it, Arianna!” yells Maximos. He pulls his hand away but flips me
over onto my back. His blood touches my tongue. But it doesn’t
taste metallic, like the times I’ve bitten the side of my mouth or
had a nosebleed. It’s different. Spicy, warm, arousing . . .
delicious. My head swims with the heady flavor of his blood.

“Arianna, listen to me.” Maximos brings his
face close to mine. He is holding my wrists down. I can see where
my fingernails have raked the side of his face. He is going to have
some serious welts. Good. “We need to leave here. I know you are
confused, but I promise I won’t hurt you. Hale and Philip are
finishing the sweep. Before we got here, someone else had already
gone through your apartment—just like they did at Raad’s house.” I
give him a vicious look.

“I did not hurt or take your friend. I
promise. I’m here to help,” he says. I close my eyes and focus on
my breathing. I need to calm myself; otherwise it won’t work.
“Arianna?” Maximos asks, unsure if I’m falling unconscious. I calm
my mind and push my energy out. His hands are on mine, which should
make it easy. But rather than feeling myself drifting into him,
it’s like hitting a wall. I push again. No luck. There is only one
other person who is able to do that. Raad. I open my eyes to find
Maximos staring down at me with a slight smile. Bastard. “I knew
it,” he says smugly. “I can feel you. Your power is still raw, but
I know a mind tap when I feel one, matia mou.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about! Get
off of me, now! The police are coming!” I scream, coming back to my
senses.

“No they aren’t. I’m only going to explain
this to you once more. You are in danger. I’m here to protect you.
I didn’t hurt your friend. If I can save him, I will. This is what
is going to happen . . .” Maximos’ deep blue eyes stare into mine,
and I see the dark orbs of his pupils dilate. “I’m going to get off
you and you are going to pack a bag— calmly . . .” I can feel his
own energy push against mine. It’s cold and tingly. He is trying to
get inside my head. I push back with all my strength. He laughs.
“Well, it was worth a try. This is your choice. You pack your bag
or I drug you again.”