I paused on the edge of the tarmac. There were several cars present, but no sign of the occupants. Given the reserve was closed for the evening, they had to belong either to the rangers or to the sindicati themselves. But if it was the latter, where the h.e.l.l were they?
My gaze jumped to the ancient rock formation that loomed above the parking lot, but I couldn"t see anyone there, either. Not that I would. I mean, we were talking about vampires, and those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds were well able to conceal themselves in shadows. And even with dusk in its full glory there was still plenty of those lurking about.
I resolutely took four steps forward-and suddenly felt horribly exposed. Keeping my fingers clenched, I said, without raising my voice, "I know you"re here. Reveal yourselves."
For several minutes there was no response. Sweat began to trickle down my spine, and my heart felt ready to tear itself out of my chest. Which, no doubt, was precisely what they wanted.
Then, directly opposite me, a long stick of a man shook free of the shadows lurking under the trees and stepped into the sunset-bathed parking s.p.a.ce. He had dusty blond hair, a thick, handlebar mustache, and was dressed rather like an old-style cowboy-complete with boots and hat. The telling thing, however, was that he didn"t even flinch when the waning sunlight hit him. He was one of the old ones, and possibly had been a cowboy before he"d turned.
He was not, however, the man I"d been speaking to over the phone-the one who"d tasted me when I"d been held captive in that place of darkness. Why I was so certain I couldn"t really say, other than the fact that the same sense of menace wasn"t emanating from him.
Although that didn"t make him any less dangerous.
"You have the laptop?" His voice held the slightest hint of a drawl and none of the cool remoteness of the other vampire.
"I do, but I"m not about to risk handing it over to any old lackey. If the man I made the deal with isn"t here, then I walk away."
"Such an action would only result in the Fae"s death."
"Kill the Fae, and you kill any chance of getting the notes." A flicker of gold caught my eye. I glanced up, saw a trail of fiery red-gold plunge from the streaked skies. Tension wound through me, and it was all I could do to remain where I was, to not step back to the shelter of the trees, where I was less of a target for a marksman. But I couldn"t help adding, "Kill me, and you won"t get the laptop"s pa.s.sword."
His eyebrow raised almost imperceptibly. "That is hardly a consideration when we have more than enough resources to break whatever pa.s.sword you may have placed on the computer."
"Perhaps." My gaze swept the parking lot"s boundaries, sensing movement but not seeing it. "But if you shoot me, you risk damaging the computer itself in my fall. Isn"t it far easier for everyone involved if the man I made the deal with just stepped forward?"
"Why does it matter who you deal with?" the cowboy countered.
I smiled, but it was thin and forced. "Because my deal was made with him, not you. He gave me his word on our safety. You did not."
"A small but important distinction, I agree," a cool voice said to my left.
I jumped and half swung around as a shadow appeared out of the trees only yards from where I stood. G.o.d, I hadn"t even sensed him-how many d.a.m.n others were nearby? More than even imagination could conjure, I"d wager.
I swallowed to ease the sudden dryness in my throat and watched him walk-although to be honest, gliding seemed a more apt description of his method of movement-into the middle of the parking lot, where he turned to face me. He had what could be described only as cla.s.sic male features-a wide, angular jaw, a square chin, a prominent brow, and a strong-almost Roman-nose. Both his eyes and his hair were a steely gray, and he was rangier in build than his whip-thin compatriot.
"Now, the laptop. I wish to see it."
"And I have the same desire to see Jackson Miller. You present your offering; then I"ll present mine."
He sighed. "And still you don"t trust me. This aggrieves me greatly, I a.s.sure you."
"I"m sure you"ll survive my mistrust," I said. "After all, you are a rather high-ranking member of the sindicati. I would think mistrust comes with the territory."
"That, unfortunately, is very true." He paused, and a slight smile touched his lips. A chill ran across my skin, and I clenched my fists so hard against the surge of fire that my nails dug into my palms. "But also somewhat earned."
He raised a hand and made a quick "come here" motion with two fingers. Out of the shadows behind him, two more vampires appeared, Jackson gripped between them as they dragged him forward. His clothes were torn and his body beaten and b.l.o.o.d.y; he looked every inch as bad as he"d sounded on the phone. But his gaze, when it met mine, was filled with pain, fury, and fire.
It was the fire that caught my attention. It burned deep in those green depths, and it suggested he was more than ready to wield flames should the slightest spark arise.
Had the drug worn off?
G.o.d, I hoped so. Even if he wasn"t at full strength physically, we had more of a chance of surviving this encounter if he at least had some fire capability. I returned my attention to the cool-voiced vampire.
"Your turn," he said evenly.
I swung the backpack around and pulled out the laptop.
"Start it up. I want to check that the file has not been touched." His sudden smile held a mocking edge. "I"m afraid the lack of trust goes both ways."
"You"re welcome to check, but the laptop doesn"t leave my hands while it happens." My gaze skated across the shadows haunting the tree-lined parking lot. The sense of movement was increasing, as was the sense of danger. I rolled my shoulders, trying to ease the tension, with little success. "But no tricks. I"m a lady of fire, remember, and flesh burns just as easily as trees."
"Oh, we forget nothing." It was a warning more than a statement, and it had my gaze darting across those shadows again. I had a bad, bad feeling that the "we" he was talking about was not those I could see or sense, but those I couldn"t.
Who was out there, watching the proceedings from the shadows? That silent stranger again? Or someone else? And did they intend to do anything more than just watch?
I hoped not.
The vampires already in the parking lot and those I could sense moving around were more than enough to contend with. I didn"t need any more s.h.i.+t added to an already overloaded plate.
A vampire came out of the trees to my left and walked toward me. I booted up the laptop, typed in the pa.s.sword, then held it up as the vamp stopped in front of me. He was tall and thin, as most tended to be, with thick brown hair, an aristocratic nose, and a mouth that seemed locked in a permanent sneer. He smelled of garlic and earth-an odd combination that didn"t do a whole lot for the tremulous state of my stomach.
His fingers flew over the keyboard, his touch so light I barely felt the movement. After a moment, he stepped back and glanced at his boss.
"The file has not been touched."
"Excellent. Bring the laptop to me."
"Not so fast." I s.n.a.t.c.hed the computer away from the grasp of the vamp. "An equal exchange, please. And you"-I added, glancing at garlic breath-"can go back to the shadows, if you don"t mind."
The vamp glanced at his boss, then retreated as requested. It didn"t make me feel any safer. "Now release Jackson."
The cool-voiced vampire waved those two fingers again. The vamps holding Jackson released him and stepped back. Jackson slapped to the ground like so much bloodied meat and, for several seconds, didn"t move. Then, with a hiss of air that spoke of extreme pain, he rolled onto his back.
"I"m afraid," the cool-voiced vamp said casually, "that your friend has suffered a broken arm and leg. It is, unfortunately, a far easier way to manage captives than any regular means of restraint."
I swore under my breath. I should have guessed the b.a.s.t.a.r.ds would do something like that.
"Then you need to step back." I shoved the laptop into the backpack and swung the pack onto my shoulder. "Once I have Jackson, you can have the pack."
After that, I could only hope that they would uphold their end of the deal. But even if they didn"t, we had more of a chance against them if we could at least make a stand together.
The cool-voiced vampire raised his hands and all three stepped back to the edge of the trees. Their easy compliance only ratcheted the tension and the fire singing through me.
I studied the nearby tree line for several seconds, wis.h.i.+ng I had the ability to look beyond the shadows, wis.h.i.+ng I could see who was watching, who was waiting. But that was an ability-like the dreams-not often found in phoenixes. And I briefly wondered, if I"d dreamed that this would be the end result of saving Sam, whether I"d have actually saved him.
Yes, that insane bit of me whispered, you would have.
I took a deep, somewhat shuddery breath; then, my grip tight on one of the backpack"s straps, I walked toward Jackson.
His gaze met mine as I neared, and the fury was richer in his bright eyes. "d.a.m.n it, Em, you shouldn"t be here."
"If I were the sensible type, I wouldn"t be." I stopped beside him, swung the backpack off my shoulder, and carefully placed it on the asphalt. As I did so, I sent the flames that sparked across my fingertips onto the pack, where they s.h.i.+mmered and danced but didn"t burn. Not yet, anyway.
"Destroy that backpack," the cool-voiced vampire commented, "and you destroy any agreement we had."
"The flames won"t destroy the pack. Not unless you attack." I squatted down, keeping my gaze on the vamp as I said to Jackson, "I"m going to need your help to get us out of here. You up for that?"
"You bet your sweet a.s.s I am," he muttered. And I knew he was referring more to fighting the vamps than any toll the mere act of moving would have on him. Fae were a d.a.m.n tough lot. He added, "Haul me up on the left side. It ain"t broken."
To haul him up, I"d have to turn my back on the vampires-not something I was overly keen on doing, but it wasn"t like I had a whole lot of choice. "Tell me if one of them moves or disappears."
"I will."
I changed position, then gripped his raised hand. My gaze met his again and he nodded, briefly. With very little ceremony-but a whole lot of effort-I hauled him upright onto his good leg. He gritted his teeth and hissed, the sound long and pain filled. Sweat broke out across his brow and his skin suddenly looked ashen-not a great look on a fire Fae. I quickly shoved my shoulder under his and took most of his weight as he wobbled about. I slipped my other arm around his body. His heart was beating so hard it felt like someone was thumping my hand, and he was trembling violently. How he was even conscious, I had no idea.
"Now," I said, just as much to the vampires as to Jackson, "we get out of here."
"And the flames on the backpack?" the cool-voiced vampire inquired.
"Will retreat when we"re safe, not before."
"You have until the trees. Release it then, or we will attack."
"And what happens after I release the pack? We"re hardly safe in the trees."
He raised an eyebrow, his expression mocking. "Would it matter if I promise that neither I nor any of those I brought to this meeting will attack?"
"It probably wouldn"t, but I"d like to hear it, all the same."
"Then I so promise. We will not attack you."
The slight emphasis he placed on "we" had my gaze going to the trees again. The cool-voiced vampire and his cronies might not attack, but whoever was hiding in those shadows more than likely would.
Still, it was a risk we had no choice but to take.
I headed for the trees and tried not to jar Jackson"s broken limbs too much-an impossible task given that he was forced to hop. After several minutes of doing so, he began to swear vehemently. I stopped immediately-which only caused another round of swearing.
"d.a.m.n it," he said, between gritted teeth. "Just keep going."
I did, moving as slowly as I could, trying to keep an eye on the vamps behind us as the awareness of the threat still hiding in the trees grew. To make matters worse, the dusk was fading and darkness would soon be upon us.
And darkness was the vampires" ally, not ours.
But I couldn"t go any faster. Jackson was a big man, and it was taking everything I had to keep him upright. Sweat dribbled down my face and back, and the scent stung the sweet evening air until all I could smell was it and fear.
We inched along, slowly drawing closer to the trees. I glanced at the skies and hoped like h.e.l.l Rory was watching. That he"d be ready.
The shadows reached for us, though their grasp was anything but comforting. Those shadows held dangerous secrets, and I wasn"t looking forward to their revelation.
One problem at a time, I reminded myself fiercely. And that, right now, was the vampires at our backs.
I looked over my shoulder. The cool-voiced vampire remained in the middle of the clearing, his arms crossed and his expression sitting somewhere between amus.e.m.e.nt and contempt.
Something was very definitely about to happen-and it wasn"t us getting free.
"That is far enough, Emberly Pearson. If you do not release the backpack from its flames, we will unfortunately be forced to attack."
"Don"t do it," Jackson muttered. "They"ll attack the minute they have the laptop."
"And they"ll attack if they don"t get it," I murmured. "But never fear. I do have a trick or two up my sleeve."
"I hope they"re d.a.m.n good ones, because we"re not exactly in a great state here. Or at least, I"m not."
"You do rather look like s.h.i.+t." I came to a halt. Tension-or maybe it was pain-rippled through Jackson"s muscular frame. "But the big question is, are you s.h.i.+t that can use flame?"
His snort was one of amus.e.m.e.nt, but it quickly became a groan. "G.o.d, don"t make me do that. But yeah, I can."
"Good, because there"s something in the trees and it"s getting ready to attack." My gaze met the cool-voiced vampire"s again, and I raised my voice as I added, "Remember your promise, vampire."
And with that, I waved a hand, the gesture grander than it needed to be, but I had to be sure Rory spotted it. The flames skittered away from the backpack and quickly faded into the ether of the evening.
The cowboy stepped forward, picked up the pack, and withdrew the laptop. The pack itself was contemptuously thrown to one side and skidded underneath one of the parked cars.
"Thank you for upholding your end of our deal. And now-"
I had no idea what else he said, because his words were lost in an explosion of flame. They sprang from the earth itself, a wild and tempestuous storm that burned with all the colors of creation.
Rory, connecting with the great mother to provide a barrier around the parking lot to keep the vampires contained.
"That," Jackson said heavily, "is one h.e.l.l of a trick to have up your sleeve."
"Yeah, but it only accounts for one problem, not the other. Let"s get out of here while we still can."
We moved on as quickly as Jackson was able. The power of the flames that danced at our backs rippled across my skin, drawing answering sparks that shot into the shadows like little tiny comets. Under normal circ.u.mstances, I would have tried to control the output, if only because such a show gave away our position. But it was pointless to do so here; whoever-whatever-was out there knew exactly where we were, sparkly show or not.
Besides, between the sparks and the fire at our backs, Jackson surely had enough fire to amplify and use.
Jackson"s breathing became more labored the farther we went into the trees. He didn"t say anything, but the trembling was far worse, and his body was drenched in sweat. I couldn"t see him making it to the car. And while I could drag him, I certainly wouldn"t be able to get him up and over the fence. And Rory needed all his strength to maintain that fire barrier.
"It"s not that far now," I muttered. "You have to keep going, Jackson."
"Don"t f.u.c.king worry about me." The words were little more than short, sharp expulsions of air. "Worry about the things-"
Something hit us side-on, with such force it tore Jackson from my grasp and sent me stumbling into the trees. I crashed into the trunk of a tree and crumpled to a heap at its base, seeing stars and fighting for breath. Heat exploded across the air, accompanied by the sharp smell of eucalyptus as the trees around me burst into flame. I groaned, rolled onto my back, and forced my eyes open.
And saw, in the dancing gleam of fire, Jackson-on his back, flames shooting from both his good hand and his body as he fought to keep a snarling, writhing, red-cloaked figure away from his neck.
Red cloaks . . . Holy f.u.c.k, the red cloaks were working with the vampires.