In Darkness Reborn (24 page)

He realized his mistake as soon as the words left his mouth. Penn's reaction wasn't long in coming. The Paladin's fist came swinging up from the side to knock Barak's head backwards into the rock wall behind him.

“Shut the fuck up about my sister, you freak. Just tell me where you have her stashed before I gut you right here, right now.”

All the blood rushed out of Barak's head, making it difficult to breathe or even think. Someone had taken Lacey? For what purpose? She had nothing to do with the blue stones.

He shook his head to clear it. Neither of them was going to do Lacey any good until they could think things through. Penn wasn't going to listen to reason unless Barak forced him to. Ignoring Cullen's efforts to calm Penn down, Barak attacked, taking the furious Paladin straight to the rock-hard floor. The impact rattled Barak's spine, but he managed to trap Penn beneath him.

“Get off me!” Penn tried to heave Barak off to the side.

“Not until you listen.” Barak shifted his weight, getting a knee firmly planted on Penn's chest. “I did not take Lacey. I wouldn't hurt her!” Not like that anyway.

“Go to hell! I'm going to find her and then I'm going to kill you!”

“I'll let you try, if that's what it takes to make you listen to reason. I did
not
kidnap Lacey. We have to figure out who did and where she is before they kill her.” The idea that she might be hurt and frightened enraged him.

The two of them glared into each other's eyes, taking full measure of their mutual hatred and their need to protect Lacey. Some of the tension slowly ebbed from Penn's body as he fought for control.

“Who else would have taken her?” His voice was rough with pain and fear for his sister.

“If I let you up, we can think this through.” Barak waited for Penn to nod before standing up. He offered his hand to help Penn up but wasn't surprised when the offer was rejected.

Penn wiped a small trickle of blood off his lip as he glared at both Barak and Cullen. “If you're not involved in this, why are you two hanging out down here?”

Barak looked at Cullen, who shrugged, leaving it up to Barak how much to tell Penn. Now wasn't the time for secrets. Not with Lacey's life on the line.

“Someone has been telling my people that they can buy their way across the barrier with blue stones from my world. That guard who kidnapped Laurel Young was involved; so was the Regent who killed Judge Nichols with a car bomb. Devlin has been trying to trace the corruption to put a stop to it, but with only limited success.”

He paused to see if Penn was following or if Cullen wanted to add anything. When neither of them said anything, he continued, “I'm going to cross back to my world to make contact with someone who may be able to help from that side. Cullen was waiting with me until the barrier goes down.”

Penn didn't bother to hide his shock. “You're going home? Does Lacey know that?”

“No one did, as far as we knew. We hoped I could cross and get back without being missed.” Well, that's what Devlin had hoped. Barak hadn't planned on even trying.

“So why are they going after my sister? Her only connection to this is her association with you.” Penn ran his fingers through his hair as he paced a short distance away and back. “There has to be more.”

Cullen stooped down to pick up his scattered playing cards. “Devlin has had me monitoring Ben Jackson's computer activity. Could be he has something to do with it.”

Penn jerked back around. “He's been following me around lately, but I couldn't pin him down on his sudden desire to be my new best friend.”

“If Ben Jackson is involved in this mess, someone must have been crushing his nuts for information on what the Paladins know and don't know,” Cullen said.

Barak grimaced at that image. “Everyone knows how close-knit the Paladins are. Only a fool would think one of them would betray the rest.”

Penn's face went ashen. “Unless one of the Paladins was no longer able to function as a Paladin—like me, for instance. Jackson and whoever is jerking his chain might think I was vulnerable. And when I wouldn't buy into Ben's buddy-buddy crap, they went after my sister.”

Barak thought about what little he knew of Ben Jackson. “He wouldn't have done this on his own. He's greedy, but Lacey was raised around warriors. She is proud of the fighting skills Penn taught her. I am betting she would've bested Ben easily.”

Penn went back to pacing. “So he had help. But that doesn't tell us much. They could be anybody, and they could have taken her anywhere.”

A thought popped into Barak's head. “Jackson will have been careful to make sure we couldn't prove he was involved, which means he's still at work. If we go now, we can follow him.”

Just then the barrier wavered, streaks of sick colors flickering up and down its length. Barak froze. What about his mission? If he missed the appointment, he didn't know if his sister would agree to another meeting. She definitely wouldn't understand his need to choose a human female over the needs of their world.

Cullen studied him with those calm eyes, knowing his dilemma and waiting to see what he would do. But there was no choice. Penn was about to charge off to rescue his sister, and he would need help. When the barrier failed—as it was going to shortly—Devlin and the other Paladins couldn't abandon their posts.

“I've got to go with Penn.”

Barak pulled out the envelope with Devlin's message to his sister and scribbled a few lines of his own to her and handed it to Cullen. “When the barrier fails, throw this across and then do what you have to do to defend your world. Either Lusahn will listen to reason or she won't. When Lacey is safe, I'll return and try again.”

Cullen nodded. “I'll take care of it. And give D.J. a call. He'll be able to hook you up with a nifty little piece of electronics that will let you trail Jackson.”

Penn knew which car was Ben's. They attached the small device underneath the chassis, which would allow them to follow Ben from a distance. If he was behind the abduction, he was going to be jumpy enough without them making it worse by following too close. As long as he thought he was above suspicion, they stood a better chance of trailing him.

Penn's car felt cramped and uncomfortable. The seconds ticked past, each one marking that much more time that Lacey was scared and maybe hurt, perhaps even dying. No, he couldn't think that way, not and function. But what kind of low-life bastards threatened a female? Soon to be dead ones, if Barak and Penn had their way.

Penn hadn't spoken more than half a dozen words in the hour they'd been watching for their quarry to leave the building. The Paladin sat low in his seat, his angry eyes scanning the street incessantly, as if he could will Ben Jackson to magically appear. The silence between them was all sharp edges.

Barak shifted a bit, the inaction stretching his nerves to the breaking point. Keeping his hand on the pommel of his sword helped, knowing as he did that it would soon drink the blood of his enemies. The thought heated his need to fight. Penn had offered him the use of a gun, but Barak had only a nodding acquaintance with that weapon. He'd be of more use with his blade.

He closed his eyes, imagining the sweet feel of his sword slicing through the bastards' guts, spilling out their lives on the ground in wet splashes and screams. Nothing less would do to avenge his woman—even if she was his no longer.

A movement between two parked cars caught his attention. Penn slowly sat up taller, staring at the man who had just walked out of the building. Ben Jackson had finally put in an appearance. Judging by the way his head swiveled back and forth nonstop, they'd been right. He was guilty and worried, a bad combination.

“That son of a bitch is mine to kill,” Penn growled.

“Devlin might have something to say about that, because Jackson is the first solid lead we've had.” Barak turned to face Penn. “But I'll hold the bastard down while you gut him. Fair enough?”

Penn's answering grin would have made a brave man shake in his boots. “Works for me.”

Jackson edged his car out into traffic, checking his mirrors every few seconds. If the situation hadn't been so grim, it would have been funny to watch the man twitch with nerves. He
should
have been worried. And the more distracted he was, the more likely he'd make a mistake, preferably a fatal one.

Penn waited until Jackson turned the corner three blocks ahead before starting the car. Once he was out of sight, they checked the readout on their tracking device. So far, so good. They'd have a solid signal as long as they stayed within two miles of Ben's car.

Traffic on the interstate traveling south was heavy enough to give them good cover while allowing both cars to make good time toward their unknown destination. Penn had been worried that Jackson would head home, leaving them sitting outside of his apartment complex for hours and not knowing if he was really their man.

All of a sudden, Ben's car shot across two lanes to exit with no signal, no warning. Penn cursed and slowed down. Either the IT man had a sudden urge to shop at the large mall right off the highway, or he wanted to flush out anyone following him. Luckily, several cars in a row moved into the turn lane behind him, giving Penn enough cover for them to follow.

“Wily bastard almost caught me out.” Penn slipped on some sunglasses. “Check the backseat and see if there aren't a couple of ball caps on the floor.”

Barak managed to snag them. He handed one to Penn, then tucked his own hair up on top of his head before putting on his own. “Good idea. He might not notice you, but my hair is pretty distinctive.”

“There's a jacket back there, too. We should vary our appearance as much as we can. Later you can sink down low enough that it will look like I'm by myself.”

“Another good idea.” Barak pulled the jacket on and buttoned it up. “This is the route your sister takes to Mount Rainier.”

“Yeah. I'm thinking they're using one of the old tunnels near the mountain. The barrier has been stable along that area for years, so we don't patrol it much. I'll tell Bane that we should add surveillance in these remote spots.”

As traffic thinned out, Penn fell farther back, not wanting to spook Jackson.

“Think he's in contact with them?”

“I'd say yes, because he wouldn't trust anyone enough not to ride herd on them. But if they're underground near the barrier, his cell phone will be of limited use. We'll have the same problem if we need to call for reinforcements.”

A wave of energy washed over Barak, churning his stomach. He grabbed onto the front edge of his seat to keep from swaying. “The barrier is weakening. Help won't be coming.”

Penn shot him a questioning look. “How do you know that?”

Barak didn't bother to lie. “It's either my gift or my curse. I can feel it, especially when the barrier fluctuates and thins out. And right now, it's weak. It will fail soon.” He closed his eyes to control his rising nausea.

Penn muttered an obscenity. “Lacey know you can feel it? Because that's what she's been searching for all this time—a way to predict when the barrier is going to fail.”

The first wave passed. Good, the barrier would have blinked off for only a few seconds. Barak considered his answer.

“She found out.”

For the first time, Penn's laughter sounded genuine. “Bet she wanted to kick your ass two weeks from Sunday for keeping that little tidbit from her. The woman's got a temper that won't quit. Of course, that's nothing like what Bane will say when he finds out that you've been keeping that particular secret.”

“I won't use it for the Paladins.” And he meant that, even if it meant his death. “I left my home for this world, but that doesn't mean I no longer care for my own people.”

He kept his eyes firmly on the small screen tracking Ben Jackson's movements. “He changed directions again. Go about another of your miles and then watch for a left turn.”

They both sat up taller, knowing the time until they would face their enemies was growing short. Mount Rainier loomed up ahead, its snow-covered sides gleaming in the setting sun. The road stretched out before them, each mile bringing them closer to Lacey.

Barak's fingers traced the inlays on his sword as he prayed to any and all gods who would listen for the safety of his woman. Lacey deserved better than to die in the cold darkness of the tunnels under the mountain.

He closed his eyes and pictured her sunshine hair and sky blue eyes, a woman of the light who, for a short time, had warmed his dark, cold soul.

F
ear had a bitter taste that made her shiver in the dank chill. Ignoring the discomfort, Lacey concentrated on the pain in her wrists as she tried to work free of her restraints. Anything was better than worrying about how she'd ended up bruised, bound, and abandoned in the darkness.

If she lay perfectly still, she could hear the muted voices of her captors. The two of them had burst into her kitchen door when she'd been carrying in groceries. One of them was now sporting a nasty bruise from where she'd bashed him with a can of green beans. He'd gotten off lightly. The other bastard walked with a decided limp because she'd racked him but good.

She hoped she lived long enough to thank her big brother for teaching her that particular nasty little trick. She'd paid for it with a few extra bruises, but it had been worth it. What was of more concern was the fact that the two thugs hadn't bothered to hide their faces when they'd kidnaped her. She'd watched enough television to know what that meant: they were going to kill her. The only questions were when and why?

What did she have or what did she know that was worth her life? A tear burned down her face. She'd spent so much of her life focused on finding a way to save her brother's that she hadn't had much time left over for adventure. Unless she counted Barak.

Even thinking his name hurt. He'd lied to her, betraying everything she stood for, and it didn't matter. She'd loved him before she'd found out, and she loved him still. Her only regret was realizing it too late. Short of writing him a message in the blood dripping from her wrists, Barak would never know.

And that was a damn shame. Melodramatic romantic that she was, she wanted him to know that at least one person loved him. From the moment she'd met him, he'd worn his innate loneliness with dignity, as much a part of him as his silver and black hair and pale eyes. He had good reason not to trust easily, and he'd gradually let her past all of his barriers, except the one that mattered the most.

She felt, rather than heard, approaching footsteps. Her struggles with her bonds had left her laying on her side, but she didn't want to face anyone from a position of weakness. Sitting up wasn't much of an improvement, but it was the best she could do at the moment.

When the sudden glare of a flashlight blinded her, she turned away, giving her eyes time to adjust. When she looked back to snarl at her tormentor, her jaw dropped. The man who stood staring down at her was new to the party. For a millisecond she thought she'd been saved, but then she saw the gun in his other hand.

“Ben? Ben Jackson?”

She blinked a few times, sure she was imagining things. Of all people, he was the last one she could picture holding her hostage at gunpoint. She didn't know him all that well, just to nod and say hello to when she passed him in the hallway. Certainly not well enough to have done anything that warranted the hatred glittering in his beady eyes.

“I'd say I'm sorry about all of this, Lacey, but when it comes to protecting my own hide I'm afraid that your welfare comes in a poor second.” The gun didn't sit steady in his hand, making her worry he'd shoot her by accident before he had a chance to explain what was going on.

“What
is
all of this, Ben?” She thought she sounded remarkably calm considering the fact that she was talking into the end of a gun barrel.

“This was the only way I could get your brother's cooperation. I need his help.”

Sweat ran down his face despite the cold air that surrounded them. Was it fear or excitement that had him so on edge? What possible help did he need from Penn? The answers wouldn't change the situation, but as long as he was talking, maybe he wouldn't pull the trigger.

“What kind of help?”

Ben shifted the flashlight under his gun arm, freeing up his hand to delve into his pants pocket. “I need to know what Bane and the Paladins know about these.” He tossed a blue stone about the size of a large marble into her lap. “Did he ever mention anything about them to you? Or maybe that Other you've been spreading your legs for?”

He had been watching them! The idea made her sick and furious. Her temper took control of her mouth. “Jealous, Ben? I know Barak's not human, but he's all man, I can assure you.”

“Shut up, bitch!” The gun moved closer to her face.

“Make me!”

She regretted the words the second they left her mouth. With his hands full, he had to content himself with kicking at her. His foot caught the side of her knee with enough force to render her breathless with shards of pain. Despite the new addition to her collection of injuries, she took pride in immediately sitting back up, meeting him glare for glare.

She swallowed her pain and snarled, “You'll die for this, you know. You'll be lucky if Penn leaves enough of you for the coroner to mop up with a sponge. And it won't be an easy death. I'm thinking it may take hours or even days. Unless, of course, Barak finds out what you've done. Then there's not a place on Earth—or in his world—that will keep you from choking on your own blood as he whittles you to pieces. I've seen him kill. It wasn't pretty, and his victims died begging for their lives.” That was a lie. The speed of Barak's blade hadn't allowed time for conversation.

Ben's foot swung back for another kick. “And to think I ordered my two associates to leave you unharmed. Maybe I should call them back in for a little playtime before I kill you. Personally, I wouldn't want the leavings of an Other. Who knows what kind of contamination he's left behind?” He jerked his head in the direction of the other two men. “But I suspect they aren't quite so fastidious.”

Her muscles clenched in new fear. The threat of rape had been in the back of her mind since they'd manhandled her out of her kitchen and into the back of their van. But some of that fear had faded as the hours had ticked by with her captors all but ignoring her. Had they really only been waiting for Ben's approval before…

No! She wouldn't let him panic her with his threats! They might control her fate, but she controlled how she reacted to it. Jerking her chin up, she met Ben's gaze head-on. He stumbled back a step, rewarding her efforts.

She smiled. “Oh, yeah, Barak and Penn are going to have fun with you. Maybe they'll have Trahern with them, too. They say he's mellowed some lately, but I wouldn't count on it if I were you. In fact, I'd save one of those bullets to blow your own brains out before any of them get within sword range of you.”

Ben glanced back over his shoulder, as if he could already feel the Paladins breathing down his neck. Lacey hadn't known that fear had a smell, but Ben Jackson was ripe with it. She chewed on her lower lip, trying to decide what to say or do next. Baiting him might not be the smartest tactic to use, but her pride wouldn't let her cower.

“Seriously, Ben,” she said, using his name as a reminder that she wasn't just a random person but someone he knew and worked with. “There's no reason to panic. We can work something out if we try.”

He considered her offer for all of two seconds before rejecting it. “You and that jackass brother of yours wouldn't spit on me if I were on fire, but I'm holding all the cards this time. He will help me find out what I need to know or you'll die.”

Then he tilted his head to one side. “Actually you'll die anyway, but he won't know that until it's too late.” Then he walked away, leaving her alone in the dark.

“He stopped moving.” Barak studied the small screen for another minute or two before setting it aside. “His car must be a short distance ahead.”

Penn steered their car over to the shoulder of the narrow gravel road and stopped. “It would be better to go on foot from here. We can't risk him seeing the car and panicking.”

Barak nodded as he reached for the door handle. He had a bad feeling about this. Ben Jackson was a weak man, which meant he was more likely to panic and lash out. If they cornered him at the wrong moment, Lacey would die.

Penn walked around to the front of the car and waited for Barak to join him. He checked his guns and the slide of his sword in its scabbard. “Sure you don't want a gun?”

Barak shook his head. “I'm better with my blades.”

As they started up the road, keeping just inside the tree line, a rolling surge of energy sent Barak stumbling to his knees. He grabbed onto the trunk of a small fir and held on for dear life. Penn, who was oblivious to the power moving through the rocks, turned and frowned at Barak.

“Quit dicking around. We don't have time for this.”

Barak managed to regain his footing on the second try. “It's not me. It's the mountain. Same thing happened the other day when Lacey and I were out here. We've got thirty minutes, forty-five tops before things really start rocking and rolling.”

He put his hand in direct contact with a stone. With luck he might be able to draw off some of the power building up below their feet, releasing the strain before it reached critical level. If it worked, he could buy them another handful of precious minutes.

But it was too late. He could feel rock grating on rock, each pushing and shoving in opposite directions. Right now, it hadn't built up enough force to break free, but it would, and then no one would be safe.

“We need to run. There is no time for caution,” Barak told Penn.

“It's been a while since I've been up here, but if I remember correctly, there are two entrances to the tunnels. One is directly ahead. The other about a quarter of a mile that way.” Penn nodded to the east.

Barak picked up his sword and fell in beside Penn as together they loped up the road with little regard for secrecy. “Show me the front entrance and then you cover the second one. I'll give you ten minutes to get into place before I challenge them.”

Penn cursed. “Hell, Other, we have no idea how many of them are there. You're going to get yourself shot. At least I'd come back from the dead. Do you have that particular talent?”

“Doesn't matter. While I've got them occupied, you come in from behind and get Lacey out. She'll need you to show her the way out. I'd be going in blind.”

Penn slowed and moved off the road again as it bent around a corner. They eased forward, this time with more care. Ben's car was pulled off under some trees next to a van. The side door of the van was open, showing it was empty. There was a jacket hanging half in and half out, trailing onto the ground.

It was Lacey's. Worry warred with relief over the sight. It meant they'd followed the right man, but why wasn't she wearing the jacket? If she was inside the tunnels, she would need it. Barak closed his eyes and prayed to the gods that the men had been thoughtless about her welfare, not that she was dead and had no need of the jacket at all.

Penn spotted it at the same time, his mouth set in a grim line. “If she's even broken a nail, they're going to die begging for mercy.”

“She will be avenged, by their blood and by mine if necessary. This I promise you, Penn Sebastian.” Barak held out his hand to seal his pledge.

Penn didn't hesitate. “I'll get her out, but then I'm coming back. Save some of the fun for me.”

“I'll try.” Before Penn could move away, Barak latched onto his arm. “If I do not make it out, tell her that I…”

His throat choked closed before he could finish. There was so much he would tell her and no time left for the words to be said.

Penn nodded anyway. “I'll make sure she knows, Barak. And I will come back for you.”

Barak accepted that Penn meant what he said, but neither of them knew what they were walking into. Ben Jackson wasn't alone in this, and enough money would have hired him the kind of men who killed without remorse. Properly situated, it wouldn't take many defenders to hold Barak at bay.

The only hope for their meager rescue plan was that neither Ben nor the others knew of the second entrance. If Barak could keep them occupied for a short time, Penn should be able to free his sister. Even so, Barak feared they'd never make it down the mountain before the pressure reached critical mass and all hell would come raining down.

He stared at Penn's watch, counting the minutes until the Paladin would be in place. Another three to go before Barak would make his own move. Despite his distaste for guns, he'd accepted one from Penn. Even if his aim was off, it was one more weapon to use against their enemies.

Two more minutes.

He shifted his weight from side to side, trying to keep himself limber and ready to move. Thirty seconds ticked by as he checked his sword one last time. Twenty seconds. He tested the weight of Penn's pistol in his hand. Ten seconds. He stared up at the sun, enjoying its warmth on his face this one last time.

His people lived in darkness and craved the light. But for him, the sun's heat and light paled by comparison to the woman who waited inside that tunnel. Lacey's golden hair and gentle blue eyes had burned the last bit of chill from his soul.

For her, he would walk back into the darkness and fight for her life. And if the gods decreed that he should die, at least he would die for a cause he understood and accepted. He would die for the woman he loved and count himself a lucky man.