The Finding (49 page)

Kellen wasn’t
sure how long he’d been unconscious, but when he came to, he was
back in the chair listening to his captors talk about Sandy. Once
they realized he was awake, Aldrich had berated his foolish escape
attempt, pointing out that he was forty storeys up in a secured
building. The news had quashed his few remaining hopes. He was
trapped. He was going to die here and Sandy... Well, if Aldrich
managed to capture her, her life would be a misery and she’d be as
good as dead too.

With a sigh, he
let his head fall forward and his eyes close, the drugs Hugh had
given him taking effect.

*****

Nate Graham
wiped a shaking hand over his upper lip trying to remove the
accumulated sweat. It was fear rather than the temperature that was
problem. Last night, he’d killed a man and now... He swallowed
hard.

It hadn’t been
planned. He’d been at Dollar Niche, trying to find more files that
matched the copies of the ones Hugh had given him the night before.
Supposedly Eddie Perini was on his way to Chicago with Hugh, so
Nate had let his guard down.

When Eddie
walked in, he’d reacted instinctively, pulling his gun. A fight
ensued and he’d ended up shooting Perini. That was when he’d
panicked. He’d dragged Eddie down the stairs and dropped him in a
dumpster before running. It had been a stupid move, but it was too
late for regrets.

Damn! He’d
really hoped to impress Aldie with this job. The man was moving
steadily upward and he’d thought to secure a place within Aldie’s
organization by thoroughly investigating Dollar Niche. Now he
didn’t know what to do. Aldie didn’t like messy endings and a dead
body was messy.

Once Nate
realized this, he’d gone back thinking to remove Perini from the
dumpster and dropping the body in the middle of the desert, but the
cops were already there, the alley filled with flashing lights,
people swarming all over. How they found the body he didn’t know.
Had someone seen him dumping Eddie or heard the fight? The building
and alley had appeared deserted but you never knew. All it took was
one person peering out between the slats of a blind...

“Here’s your
drink.” The bartender set a shot of whiskey in front of him.
“Anything else?”

“No.” Nate
shoved some money at the man, keeping his head ducked down. “Keep
the change.”

“Thanks.” The
man walked away and Nate hazarded a look around. It was a small
bar; not too seedy, but not too fancy either. Just an ordinary bar
where people might stop by for a quick drink. No one was paying him
any attention and he intended to keep it that way.

Nate tried to
steady his hand as he picked up his whiskey and gulped the drink.
It burned as it slid down his throat and settled in his belly. A
little alcohol induced courage, that’s what he needed to help him
plan his next move.

When he’d seen
all the commotion outside Dollar Niche, he’d driven away,
functioning on autopilot; his only thought had been to put as much
room as possible between himself and the crime scene. As a matter
of fact he’d driven all night and was now found himself in this
little town just south of the Mexican border.

He knew he
should call Aldie and tell him what had happened, but he hesitated
not wanting to face the man’s wrath. He could almost hear the man’s
voice, so cold and raspy, even more chilling since that freak dog
attack...

‘A dead body is
a messy ending, Nate, and you know I don’t like messy endings. Nor
do like dead bodies. They tell too many tales and lead straight
back to their killers. This is not good Nate. I’m seriously
displeased...”

Oh God, what a
mess. Damn Perini for coming back early! One little slip up and
‘Nate Graham, Private Investigator’s’ whole career was down the
tubes. He pushed back his hair then held his head up with his hand,
the other clenching and unclenching around the shot of whiskey.
What was worse? The police discovering he’d committed murder or
being on Aldie’s black list? Neither choice was appealing.

He peered
around the room again. Everything was quiet. The bartender was
wiping glasses. Several locals sat around a table near the window
laughing. Outside, people walked down the sidewalks, their arms
laden with purchases. Normal life.

Perhaps he
should just stay in Mexico, get lost in the crowds. There was still
some money in his account and more due to him; Aldie was supposed
to be forwarding it and he could live on the sum for awhile.

Nate took
another gulp of whiskey and set the glass down carefully. Okay that
was his plan. He’d get his money and then disappear in Mexico. When
things calmed down, then he’d head back home...

Chapter
22

Franklin stared
out the window barely noting the scenery that flashed by. He was
too busy wondering what might be happening at Aldrich’s penthouse.
The thought of Miss Cassie in the hands of that man gave him the
chills. He knew all too well what the lawyer was capable of, having
done his research on the man over the past three years. Learning
everything you could about your enemy had always been rule number
one.

“I can’t
believe we missed them.” Meredith grumbled from her seat beside him
in the back of the taxi, her knuckles white from the tight grip she
had on the edge of the seat. The vehicle was weaving back and forth
as the driver changed lanes rapidly, having taken the instruction
to ‘step on it’ to heart.

“These things
happen,” Franklin soothed, his fingers beating a rapid pattern on
the armrest and belying his outward calm. “We just have to change
our plans a little. At least we know where Cassie was headed.”

“It was a
stroke of luck to overhear those two women in the lobby talking
about a ‘Cassie’ and a “Bryan.’ Odds on it being another couple are
pretty slim.” Meredith preened slightly, obviously pleased that
she’d been the one to find that clue.

“And the fact
that they mentioned Aldrich’s penthouse was a dead giveaway.”
Franklin added in a dry tone, suppressing a chuckle as Meredith
shot him a dirty look. Teasing her was second nature. He was the
practical one and she leaned towards flighty, always needing to be
restrained from rushing into situations. Oh well, that’s probably
why they’d been such good partners, playing off each other’s
strengths.

“We’ll
reconnoitre the area first and see if we can find any evidence that
Cassie is somewhere near the building.” Meredith stated their first
move, her whole body appearing tense and ready for action.

Franklin
nodded. “And if not, we’ll go inside and find her.”

“Will we still
use the IRS cover?”

He rubbed his
chin. “Perhaps. Or I could go in as myself. There have been a few
occasions when I’ve had cause to visit Aldrich there, though I’ve
never just dropped in. The man might be suspicious. We’ll have to
play it by ear. Assess the situation and then when we see an
opportunity, run with it.”

Meredith nodded
and settled back against the seats. Franklin only half listened as
she chatted away, knowing it was her way of relieving stress. The
familiar rise and fall of her voice soothed him as well. This was
what was missing from retirement; the adrenaline rush of working a
case, making split second decisions, living by one’s wits. He
smiled at the memories, then sighed. He was too old to go back in
the business full time, but life at the Estate was too quiet.
Perhaps once Miss Cassie was back— His thoughts were interupted by
Meredith’s elbow jabbing him in the ribs.

“Are you
listening to me, Franklin?”

“Of course.” He
lied glibly.

“Then what was
I saying?”

“Um...”

She swatted him
lightly. “I was talking about Netty’s arthritis and how much better
it is lately. As a matter of fact, once we’ve rescued Miss Cassie,
I’m considering moving back here.”

“Really?”
Franklin folded his arms and considered the possibility. Maybe he
and Meredith could start their own business... He chuckled at the
frivolous thought. They’d be lucky if they survived their upcoming
encounter with Aldrich. Time enough to think about the future once
this mission was over.

*****

Air shimmered
around her as Cassie began to teleport from the alley to the room
she’d seen in the photograph of Kellen. She’d been picturing it in
her head over and over again, nervous at the thought of travelling
so far simply using the power of thought. While her head knew she’d
be able to do it, a small bit of doubt had lingered, making her
insides quiver and her palms sweat as she waited for the right
moment to act. Sure, she’d put on a pretty good show for the
others, but the truth was, inside she was a mess. What if there was
someone in the room besides Kellen when she got there? Ryne said if
that was the case, she was to leave immediately, but would she be
able to teleport twice in such a short time? It was a physically
and mentally draining process, though she hadn’t shared that fact
with the others.

Thankfully, if
the Alphas sensed her discomfort, they hadn’t said anything. She
instinctively knew Bryan was aware of the state she was in; that
strange connection that linked them together appeared to be working
overtime lately. He was concerned for her, but at the same time
confident that she could do the job. His kiss had provided further
comfort, letting her know he cared about her.

The feel of his
lips moving over hers, his tongue stroking hers, had filled her
with warmth and desire. She loved the sensation of his hands on
her, pressing their bodies closer together. To know that someone
wanted her, all of her—including the wolf inside—was a heady thing
given the fact that she’d envisioned a life alone. When she was
with Bryan she felt secure and had a sense of belonging such as
she’d never experienced before. It had been all she could do to let
him go and not throw herself after him. Instead, she’d gathered
some self-restraint and allowed him to leave while the wolf inside
her had whined plaintively.

Knowing she had
a job to do, she pushed the encounter aside—or at least to the back
burner—and focussed on teleporting. Kane’s instructions from the
previous day, while irritating when repeated ad nauseam, were
helpful and she went through the steps he suggested until the
energy inside her began to coalesce and shift, filling her with a
strange vibrating sensation, as if every molecule of her body were
alive. A buzzing sound filled her ears and then the alley seemed to
disappear.

Now that she
was actually doing it—teleporting across a distance—a certain
thrill rushed over her followed by an enormous crashing sensation
as she seemed to thump down onto the ground as if dropped from a
height of a few feet or so.

The shock of
the sudden stop and change of venue almost had her crumpling to the
ground. Vaguely she was aware of the room around her, the fact that
she was no longer outside in the cold, but mostly she was focussed
on her rubbery knees and swimming head. Putting out her hand, she
steadied herself against the wall while waiting for the room to
right itself.

It was only a
small moment of weakness, but Cassie cursed herself for it anyway.
What if someone had been in the room? In the time she took to
recuperate, they could have grabbed her! She tightened her jaw and
resolved that, if she survived this escapade, she’d practise until
teleporting came as naturally to her as walking.

Once she felt
more stable, she started scanning her surroundings. Breathing a
sigh of relief, she noted the room was indeed empty except for a
figure slumped in a chair—Kellen! Pushing off from the wall, Cassie
made her way over to him, prepared to tell him to be quiet, however
it wasn’t necessary. His eyes were closed and his face was pale; he
seemed to be unconscious.

She crouched
beside him and covered his mouth with her hand just in case, then
gave his shoulder a gentle shake. He mumbled, his lashes fluttered,
but that was all the response she managed to induce.

Cassie bit her
lip, her heart pounding, her stomach clenching. Something was wrong
with him, but what? She scanned him visually then pulled his
sleeves up. Needle marks were evident on his arm and a slight
chemical smell permeated the room. Damn, he’d been drugged; there’d
be no help from him if things took a turn for the worse.

His face looked
slightly better than it had in the original picture she’d seen of
him, but... Gently she ran her hands over his body then his skull,
biting back a whimper of fear when she encountered a large damp
lump on the side of his head. As she withdrew her hand from his
hair, her fingers were red and sticky with blood.

Oh God. A long
ago scene flashed before her eyes; her uncle lying on the ground
with a trickle of blood easing across his forehead; Mr. Aldrich
gasping for breath as blood gushed from his throat. Cassie shook
her head and forced down the bile that rose in her throat. Kellen’s
injury might not be that serious; head wounds were notorious for
bleeding. The thought brought her little comfort when he was
slumped and unresponsive beside her though. Frantically, she looked
around the room, wishing she could just call for help, but knowing
it wasn’t an option. There was no phone in the room of course and
the only people in the penthouse were likely those responsible for
the damage to begin with.

Taking a deep
steadying breath, she wiped the blood from her hand on her pant
leg, then cupped Kellen’s face in what she hoped was a comforting
gesture. She whispered to him urgently.

“Hang on
Kellen. I’ll get help for you as soon as I can. My
pack...er...friends are waiting downstairs. As soon as they get
here, I’ll call for help.”

She waited a
moment, but Kellen made no response. Fighting off a feeling of
despair, she straightened and headed for the door, opening it a
crack and peering out. All was quiet. Mentally going over the map
of the penthouse that Daniel had provided, she slipped out of the
room, and began to move down the hallway.