Kat nodded dumbly, her mind still on the kiss. He rubbed her cheek one more time with his thumb, then dropped his hands. She could still feel their imprint along her face.
Stephen stood. “Would you like me to walk you back to your tent?”
Kat tried to talk, but her mouth wouldn’t move. Her mind had come to a grinding halt. She shook her head. She needed to breathe first and collect her thoughts.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes,” she said breathlessly. “I just need some time alone.”
He nodded. “Good night, Kat.” Almost reluctantly, he turned and walked out.
Kat watched him leave, her body still pounding. A jumble of half-baked thoughts whizzed around inside her head.
Stephen had just kissed her. She touched her lips, remembering the feel. But . . . that wasn’t supposed to happen! She pressed her fingers to her temple. They weren’t even courting!
Then again, when had their relationship ever been normal?
And what did it mean? Did he love her?
Kat blinked, her mind finally moving like rusty cogs in an old watch. What do I do now? Do I do anything? What happens next? Can anything even happen if there’s a chance I will die?
She sighed and dropped her hand. Do you wish he had never done it?
She knew her answer. No.
Kat stood and walked toward the tent opening. Light from the gas lamps reflected off the pools of water between the tents. No one else was about. She turned right and headed for the tents where the female nurses stayed, taking care to stay out of the puddles.
She didn’t know how much Stephen meant by the kiss, but it did mean something. He wouldn’t have done it otherwise. If there was one thing she knew about Stephen, it was that he would not trifle with a woman’s affections. Especially not hers.
Did this change her decision?
No. In fact, it reinforced it. If there was any chance she could be cured and lead a normal life, she had to take it.
As minutes passed by, the euphoria slowly vanished, leaving behind an empty feeling in her gut. Puzzled by the strange reaction, Kat finally stopped and placed a hand on her midsection. She recalled Stephen’s face again . . . and felt nothing.
A slight shiver ran down her spine. Was that supposed to happen? Did people feel something intense when it came to love, only to have it fade away when the one they loved left? That didn’t seem right.
What if . . . what if her feelings for Stephen were being sucked into this numbing vortex inside of her?
Would she eventually stop loving him?
Kat pulled her hand away and stared at her palm as if it held the answer. Her mind flew back over the last few weeks.
This wasn’t the first time.
She shook her head and took a step back, but the truth of that revelation blazed across her mind. She had barely felt anything when that sailor fell from the airship. And she’d almost walked away from Dr. Emmett as he lay dying on the ground.
Her hand began to shake and her breath came in fast spurts. The change inside her had grown without her even realizing it. There was no choice now. Even if she lived, what good would that life be if she could not feel love or joy or peace? She would simply be an organic automaton.
She closed her hand into a fist and breathed through her nose to calm herself. They had a plan. It had its share of danger, but it was a plan. Kat straightened her shoulders and looked up.
She would follow through with it. No matter what.
Chapter
26
Jake walked up to the security tent that led into the Ironguard base. After three bases, this had to be the one where Miss Bloodmayne was located. It was the only one left besides the smaller units, and he doubted the military would allow a woman civilian along the front lines.
Steam rose from the mud-covered ground as the summer sun dried out the rain-drenched landscape. A gentle wind blew from the south.
“Halt!” A man in olive green uniform stepped out from the tent. From the corner of his eye, Jake saw at least three rifles trained on him and his comrades, probably more out of sight. “What business do you have here?”
Jake held out the documents the city council had given him.
The man looked suspicious as he walked over and took the papers. He studied the documents, the frown on his face deepening. “You’re looking for a woman fugitive?” he said finally, looking up. “On a military base?”
“We have reason to believe she came here on one of the blockade runner airships.”
The soldier slowly shook his head. “The only women here on the base are nurses—wait.” He tapped the sheaf of papers against his hand. “There is one woman who came in on a supply convoy. I don’t know much about her or what she is doing here.” He folded up the documents and handed them back to Jake. “You’ll have to check in with Commander Powell before you can search the base.”
“I understand.” Jake took the papers and placed them in his front pocket. “Please take me to your commander.”
“Follow me.” The man turned and started for the opening that led into the base.
Piers and Rodger joined Jake as he followed the young man. The base looked like it had seen better days. A hint of smoke filled the air and many of the tents showed evidence of fire, with charred sides and broken poles.
“Was there some kind of attack recently?”
The soldier looked back. “Yes.”
“Casualties?”
The soldier never answered, just kept walking through the base.
Piers came up to Jake’s side, his monocle fog-covered from the moisture in the air. “If Miss Bloodmayne is here, hopefully she was not one of the causalities.”
“Agreed,” Jake said, his shoulders tightening at the thought. That would make their mission a bit difficult since the bounty required the woman alive.
The soldier led them between the canvas tents toward a large one near the middle of the base. He ducked inside, and the three men followed.
The soldier stopped just inside the flaps. “Commander Powell.”
A large man stood beside a table that took up most of the tent. His gray hair was parted to the side and he sported a thick mustache beneath a bulbous nose. Two other men stood beside him, all three dressed in olive green uniforms.
“Yes, corporal?”
“There are some men here from World City. They have documents from the city council concerning a woman.”
“A woman?” Commander Powell straightened, his gaze landing on Jake, then Piers and Rodger. His gaze narrowed. “Let me see those documents.”
Jake pulled them out and handed them over. He waited quietly as the commander perused the creased papers.
“I don’t understand.” Commander Powell placed the papers on the table and looked at the three bounty hunters. “Another bounty hunter came here over a week ago with the woman, seeking Dr. Latimer. Are you saying the city council wants this woman? On what charges?”
“Murder,” Jake replied, hands behind his back.
“Murder? Her? It can’t be possible. Have you met the woman?”
The three bounty hunters glanced at each other. Jake would never forget the way Miss Bloodmayne had thrown him against the wall with an invisible force, and the way she had laughed afterward. “She is more dangerous than you realize.”
Commander Powell laughed in disbelief.
“In any case, you are to hand her over to us. Our orders supersede any others you have received concerning the woman, including Stephen Grey’s request.”
Commander Powell looked up. “I didn’t say the woman was with Stephen Grey.”
“We know who she came with. Now, about the woman . . .”
Commander Powell ran a hand through his thinning hair while his two officers looked on. He finally sighed and picked up the papers again. “I don’t understand what’s going on, but I recognize the seal on these documents. Are you sure Miss Bloodmayne is the right woman? I know her name is on this warrant, but still
. . .”
“We are positive. And we sincerely hope you will comply with the World City Council’s demands.”
Commander Powell’s face darkened. “There is no need for threats, gentlemen. I understand the chain of command better than most. The woman you’re looking for is with the medical unit. The corporal here will escort you. Take her quietly. I don’t want a ruckus on my base.”
“Thank you, Commander.”
“And no shooting.”
Jake nodded and turned, although he wasn’t going to promise anything. If Stephen tried to stop them, they would stop him first. “Where do we find the medical tents?” he asked the corporal.
“Follow me.”
Jake glanced at the other two bounty hunters. “Let’s go, men.”
Piers nodded and Rodger answered with a grunt, his cannon-arm ready, though not yet armed.
Outside, the three bounty hunters followed the corporal around the command tent and north toward the tents marked with the blue circle and white star of the medical corps. Sunlight poured down on them. Jake readjusted his collar and wiped the sweat from his face.
A few soldiers glanced their direction, their eyes lingering longer than Jake felt comfortable with. He, Piers, and Rodger stood out amongst the sea of olive-colored uniforms. The faster they retrieved Miss Bloodmayne, the better.
The corporal stopped just beyond the first medical tent. “Wait here while I find Miss Bloodmayne.” He left before Jake had a chance to answer.
Jake scowled at the corporal’s back. Like blazes he was going to wait! Not when there was a chance she would run or perform that black magic on them again like last time. They need to catch her and sedate her before she knew anything was happening.
He looked around. As far as he could see, the area was empty, at least outside. “All right.” He eyed Piers and Rodger. “Here’s the plan. We’re not going to wait for the corporal to bring Miss Bloodmayne to us. We need to catch her off guard, and that means finding her ourselves. Silently search the tents and try not to be seen. Once you locate Miss Bloodmayne, meet back here and we will retrieve her together.”
“And what if the corporal finds her first and brings her here?” Piers asked, adjusting his monocle.
“Then have Dr. Bloodmayne’s injection ready. We won’t have much time to react and we don’t need her going off again.”
Piers patted the small satchel at his side and nodded, his face almost as pale as his white suit. Apparently they were both remembering their last encounter with Miss Bloodmayne. Rodger, however, seemed untroubled.
“Now go.”
Rodger went to the left and Piers to the right. Jake walked behind the tents, peeking inside each one, lingering only long enough to glance inside and move on.
At the third tent, he found her.
Miss Bloodmayne stood behind a table, her back to him, mixing an assortment of liquids from small glass vials into one large one. The rest of the tent was filled with crates. His heart gave a long, hard beat at the sight of her. Petite and pretty, but he knew better. That woman was a monster, and the sooner they took her back to World City, the better. The trick was getting to her before she could turn her magic on them.
Jake headed back to the rendezvous point.
“I found her,” he said quietly once Piers and Rodger arrived. He pointed down the row. “That way, three tents down. Piers, do you have the needle ready?”
Piers pulled a glass syringe from his satchel and checked it. “I hope this does what Dr. Bloodmayne says it does.”
“Don’t we all?” Jake mopped more sweat from his forehead. “Rodger and I will grab her. You’ll administer the liquid. All right?” He peered at both men. They nodded back. “Good. Let’s go, before the corporal shows up.”
The three men made their way to the tent. The closer they drew, the faster Jake’s heart beat. They needed to grab her fast and insert the needle. If they didn’t . . .
His stomach twisted and he breathed in quietly. He was confident that whatever the reason the Tower—and the city council—wanted her, it had to do with what she did to them that morning in Covenshire. Was the Tower creating humans with some kind of magical power? Was Piers right? Should they even be helping the Tower?
Just focus on the bounty. He took another deep breath. It wasn’t his problem. Soon he would have the cash in hand, and he would be gone from World City.
They stopped outside the tent. Jake motioned toward himself and Rodger, then mouthed, “Ready?”
Rodger nodded, his face grim like usual.
Jake held up a fist, then lifted a finger with each number. One. Two. Three.
The men rushed into the tent.
Miss Bloodmayne turned. Her eyes went wide and her mouth opened. The glass vial she had been holding fell to the ground and spilled out. “What are you— How did you find . . . ?”
Faster than Jake could blink, she spun and went for the other side of the tent. Blazes! He tore across the ground, caught the back of her corset, and yanked. Before she could yell, he wrapped his other arm around her neck and choked out her fledgling scream.
“Now, Piers!
Piers was already at his side, thrusting the needle into the side of her neck.
She shook her head and fought his hold.
“Come on,” Jake breathed as her face began to change. Her lips curled into a snarl and a fire lit inside her eyes. “Work!”
She went stiff. Her eyes returned to their normal color and rolled up into her head. Jake caught her as she began to fall. “There we go.” He looked around. That was a close one. “Now let’s get her out of here.”
“I don’t think so,” said a cold, hard voice.
Jake grit his teeth and turned. Of all the people he didn’t want to run into.
Stephen Grey.
Chapter
27
Stephen’s hand shook as he pointed one revolver at Jake and the other one at Piers. Rodger already had his cannon arm trained on him. His heart thudded madly inside his chest. How the blazes had Jake and the others found Kat so quickly without him knowing? If he had been a couple minutes later . . .
He licked his lips and forced his mind to concentrate. If he shot now, Rodger would pulverize him with that cannon-arm of his. On the other hand . . . “I won’t let you take her.”
Jake eyed the revolver pointed at his head. Both men knew Stephen was the better shot and wouldn’t miss at this distance. “You don’t have a choice, Stephen,” Jake said in a calm voice, but the pallor of his face said otherwise. “We’ve already presented the city council’s papers to the base commander. He knows we are here and why.” He adjusted his hold on Kat. Just seeing her unconscious body sag against Jake made Stephen want to forget any self-restraint and shoot.
“What did you do to her?” Stephen steadied his hands as sweat trickled down the side of his face. “Why is she like that?”
“We knocked her out.”
“How?”
“Something Dr. Bloodmayne gave us. You know what she can do. You saw it in Covenshire. There was no way we were going to take a chance this time.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Stephen caught Piers pressing down on a button near the top of his cane. There was a whirr of clicks, and seconds later, the additional sniper mechanisms emerged from the sides of the cane. “Don’t think about it, Piers.”
“Just being proactive, Grey. I don’t want to be the only one without a gun if this turns into a party.”
“There won’t be a party if you just leave the lady here.”
“Why are you protecting her, Stephen?” Jake asked, his own hand creeping toward the revolver at his side.
Stephen snorted. He knew this was just a delaying tactic on Jake’s part. Still, perhaps he should let the three bounty hunters in on the Tower’s dirty little secret. “She needs help. She’s sick, and there’s a doctor here who might be able to cure her. Trust me, if you take her back to World City, Doctor Bloodmayne and the city council have no plans to cure
her. They just want to take what she can do and multiply it.”
Jake shrugged and held up his own gun. “Not our problem. We just want the money. And you know you can’t stop us.”
“Maybe not all of you. But I’d rather try than let you take her back to those monsters.”
“What in the blazes are you doing?” a man yelled behind him.
Stephen glanced back to find an officer standing in the tent opening.
The officer pointed at Jake. “The commander said no shooting!”
Jake glared back at the man. “Does it look like I’m shooting? I’m just holding my gun.”
“You were supposed to wait for me!”
“We found the woman and took her. Now, corporal, if you would escort us from the base . . .” Jake swung Kat up over his shoulder like a sack of flour and started for the entrance, his gun still trained on Stephen.
Stephen’s fingers itched to pull the trigger, but he kept them out of the trigger guards. God, what do I do? How do I save Kat? If he shot, there was no going back. He couldn’t just disable Jake and Piers—too risky. He would have to go for a kill shot each. Rodger would fire back, and if he actually lived through Rodger’s cannon blast, he would be arrested for shooting on the base.
But he couldn’t let them take Kat, could he?
His mind raced through different scenarios, dismissing each one as fast as it came. He had no jurisdiction here. Jake had signed papers from the World City Council demanding Kat’s capture. Even the commander would not stop them. And if he shot them, he would be arrested. It was a no-win situation.
Jake was right. He had no choice.
With his heart in his throat, Stephen lowered his revolvers.
“Good choice, Grey,” Rodger said with a grunt as he followed the others outside the tent.
Stephen’s shoulders slumped. Hope shattered inside him. He listened as their footsteps faded away from the tent. No matter what he did, he couldn’t save Kat. Even with his guns in hand, he had been unable to stop Jake and the others.
Awakened Page 16
