by V. E. Lemp
“Mark’s here?” Karen swung her legs off the bed, determined to stand. She cried out and fell back against the mattress.
Alex turned to her. “What are you doing? Sit still. Your husband will be here soon enough.” He frowned. “You’re going to start bleeding again if you’re not careful.”
Karen slumped into the pillows. She heard footsteps on the porch as Alex slowly opened the door. Mark stood just outside, flanked by two men wearing dark suits.
“Alex, good to see you alive and well. Where’s Karen?” Mark peered into the shadowed interior of the cabin.
“She’s safe,” Alex said. “But she did sustain a slight injury…”
Mark pushed past Alex and strode into the cabin. His eyes fell on Karen, and he crossed swiftly to the bed. “Are you all right, sweetheart?”
“I’m fine,” she said, as Mark sat next to her and took her in his arms. All her muscles relaxed as she leaned into him. “Better now.”
“What happened?” He examined her carefully and touched the rough bandage on her leg.
“Fell through the porch. You saw the broken boards?”
“I did.” Mark glanced up at Alex. “Is it bad?”
Alex shook his head. “She probably needs stitches, but it isn’t terrible. Painful, and she’s lost a lot of blood, but nothing life-threatening.”
“Alex took good care of me.” Karen pressed her head against Mark’s shoulder. Being in his arms seemed to take some of the pain away. Almost as well as Alex’s mental tricks.
“I should hope so.” Mark caressed her knee above the bandage. “Where’s Jasper James?”
“Dead.” Alex walked toward them. “Shot by the men who trapped us here. I suppose they made off with his body when they left. But all is not lost.” He reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out the flash drive. “We still have Jasper’s information.”
Mark eyed the drive. “He gave you his files, then? Pity he was killed. Why would they bother?”
“Because he was willing to appear on Myron’s video, I imagine.” Alex tapped the drive against his palm. “Do you want this, or should I keep it?”
“You keep it. I don’t want to place Karen in any more danger.”
Alex raised his eyebrows. “And I’m expendable? Never mind, I agree. If someone gets wind of the existence of this, they might try to retrieve it, by any means necessary.”
Karen sat up straighter. “But then you’ll be in danger, Alex.” She turned to Mark. “Tell him to give it to your associates.”
“No.” Mark was staring at Alex with an expression Karen read as begrudging admiration. “Alex can take care of himself. Better, I think, than we know. I doubt anyone will be able to take him by surprise.”
“They did today. But not in the future. Not now that I know how far they’re willing to go.” Alex slipped the flash drive back into his pocket. “It’ll be a bit exhausting, always being on guard, but I can manage.”
Mark rose to his feet. “We need to get Karen to a hospital. Help me carry her out to the car.”
The two men made a chair of their arms and lifted Karen off the bed. She grimaced at the pain caused by the swinging movement of her leg and bit her lip to prevent crying out.
“You needn’t try to be quiet,” Mark said, as he and Alex navigated the battered porch and stairs. “No one cares if you cry or scream.”
“I care,” she said between clenched teeth.
Alex exchanged a look with Mark over her head. “Always so stubborn.”
“I’d call it brave,” Mark said. “But stubbornness is certainly in the mix.”
Karen glared at them as they maneuvered her into the back seat of Mark’s car.
Mark leaned in and kissed her firmly on the mouth. “You can berate me later, sweetheart. For now, try to relax. Alex, sit in back with her. I’m going to drive.”
“Oh God.” Karen caught Mark’s grin as he walked around the car. He spoke briefly with one of the dark-suited men before climbing into the driver’s seat.
“My men will stay and see if they can gather any evidence. They can call for new tires and some assistance and drive Jasper’s car back.”
“They don’t have keys,” Karen muttered as Alex sat next to her. He gently lifted her legs and rested them across his knees.
Mark glanced back at her. His expression told her keys were not necessary. “We’ll come back for your car later,” he said, turning around. The engine roared to life, and a blast of music filled the car.
“Sorry, I’ll turn that down.” Mark fiddled with the radio. “I do like some jazz while I drive. Keeps me focused.”
“Buckle up,” Karen told Alex, as she strapped herself in.
“Already did.” Alex stroked Karen’s bare leg for a moment, then pressed his hand against the makeshift bandage.
The pain in her lower leg receded slightly. Karen glanced at him from beneath lowered lashes. “More alien magic?”
“Something like that,” he said, keeping his voice low enough that Mark wouldn’t hear them over the music. When he looked down at her she was astonished by the pain in his eyes. “I must confess something. I wandered through your thoughts while you were asleep. Yes, it was invasive of me. But I did learn quite a bit.” He motioned his head toward the front of the car. “Your true feelings for Mark, for one thing. It was … enlightening.”
Karen met his gaze and held it. “And now that you know?”
Alex sighed. “I must rearrange a few things in my mind. It will take some time, so please bear with me.”
“I can do that,” she said softly. When she spoke again, she raised her voice to cut through the music. “Darling, must you drive like we’re being pursued by devils?’
Mark’s smile was visible in the rearview mirror. “We might be. These days one never knows.”
“Well, let’s just arrive at the hospital without any more injuries, okay?” Karen turned and met Alex’s steady stare. “I don’t want to lose either one of you.”
“No chance of that,” Mark said. “I haven’t lost a passenger yet.”
“Only their lunches?” Alex asked.
Karen laughed and glanced up at the rearview mirror, wrinkling her nose at Mark. “Gotcha.”
“You’re rather cheeky for an invalid,” Mark said. “Alex, have you worked some magic to take the pain away?”
“Something like that.”
Mark shot a swift glance back at them. “Well, keep it up. The pain’s likely to get worse before it’s over, so she might as well enjoy the respite.”
Alex was staring at the back of Mark’s head. “Why him?” he asked, under his breath. “Why were you so certain? What made you sure?”
Karen laid her hand over Alex’s restless fingers, halting their caressing of her leg. “No one thing,” she said quietly. “Just everything.”
After a few minutes of silence, Mark initiated a conversation concerning Myron’s progress on the video.
“I just talked to him yesterday evening,” Mark said. “He’s almost done, but I’m sure he’ll want to incorporate Jasper’s information, so that will delay deployment. He’s got Elena editing now—she’s apparently a quick study. And Max McCormick is working on the voice-overs.”
“Is he? That’s good.”
Their voices were going in and out, as if Karen were on the verge of sleep. The effect of Alex’s mental manipulations, no doubt.
“By the way, Alex,” Mark said, “I wanted to thank you for the warning. I suppose you arranged that through Alice?”
“Yes. Who did she send?”
“Someone named Sarah. It was the middle of the night, so I was hardly expecting a young woman on my doorstep. But I was glad for the warning.”
Alex shifted, jostling Karen’s legs. “Alice sent Sarah?”
“Who’s Sarah?” Karen murmured, surprised by the astonishment she heard in Alex’s voice.
“Is that significant?” Mark asked.
Alex nodded. “She’s Alice’s… not sure w
hat to say. Daughter, I suppose. Alice is extremely protective of her. I’m amazed she sent her on such an errand.”
“Well, that does make me feel special,” Mark said, with another smile Karen spied in the mirror.
“And it should.” Alex readjusted Karen’s legs across his knees and resumed the pressure of his hand against her injury.
Karen glanced up at his face and noted his pensive expression before she drifted into a light sleep. She didn’t wake until they reached the hospital, where Alex told Karen goodbye as Mark guided an emergency-room attendant with a wheelchair to the car.
“Mark has arranged a ride to take me home,” Alex said. “I think I’ll take that offer. I’m dead on my feet. Not as young as I once was.”
“None of us are.” Since Alex was no longer blocking some of the pain, fire blossomed in Karen’s leg. She flinched as the attendant placed her in the wheelchair.
Mark shook Alex’s hand. “Thanks for keeping her safe.”
“Always.” Alex leaned down and kissed Karen on the forehead. “I’ll stop by once you get home to see how you’re doing. I’ll have to pick up my car someday soon anyway.” He strode off down the sidewalk to a waiting black van.
“Can’t help but admire his tenacity,” Mark said, as he watched Alex leave. “Futile as it may be.”
Karen managed a weak smile. “I think he’s beginning to see the light.”
Mark’s eyebrows rose above the top of his glasses. “Really? Not sure about that.”
After several hours, Karen was finally moved into a small room. “Just for observation tonight,” the nurse told them. “We have to make sure there’s no concussion, what with that nasty blow to the head.”
Karen lay back against the incline of the mattress. “This brings back some unpleasant memories.”
Mark sat on the edge of the bed. “From the explosion when you were younger?”
She nodded. “I haven’t been in a hospital since that time. I mean, not as a penitent … No, I mean, patient. Oh, wow, I think the drugs are kicking in.” She wiggled the arm hooked to an IV drip. “I thought they were just giving me fluids.”
“Well, the medicine’s in liquid form.” Mark brushed hair from her forehead. “At least this time you don’t have to mourn Alex while you recover.” Mark laid his hand against her cheek. “Sometimes I think it must be difficult to resist.”
“What do you mean?” Karen stared at the ceiling, mesmerized by the haloes forming about the lights.
Mark took her chin in his hand and turned her face to meet his gaze. “Having someone so handsome, brilliant, and fiercely devoted asking for nothing but your love.”
“Who says I plan to rest … damn, resist?” Karen clumsily took hold of the front of his shirt and pulled him close enough to kiss.
“I didn’t mean me,” Mark said when she released him. Humor lit up his brown eyes.
“But I did.” Karen lifted her hands, wiggling her fingers.
“Hmm…” Mark shook his head. “Not sure about the handsome part.”
“Now who’s the artist in this family?” Karen patted absently at his chest. “I think I’m better qualified to judge such things, my dear.”
“If you say so.” Mark took her in his arms. “I suppose I’d better not argue with an invalid.”
“Very wise.” Karen leaned into him. “Although I’m not feeling so incapacitated… incapacitated as all that, you know.”
“Now, now. You’ll have to behave for a while. Much as it pains me.”
“Nonsense.” Karen swung out one hand, trailing IV tubing. “I thought you were the inventive type, husband of mine. Surely you can think of something.”
Mark grinned and caught her flailing fingers, pressing them to his chest. “I think we’d better save that activity for another time. I’ll just sit here with you while you get some rest.”
“Party pooter—uh, no, that’s not it. What’s that word…”
“The word you’re looking for is sleep. Trust me, my love, I’ll be happy to oblige your request sometime soon. But right now you should rest.”
“Told him,” Karen muttered, clutching Mark’s hand. “Told him you were my tree.”
“What was that?” Mark smoothed her hair back from her face with his free hand.
“Alex. Told him. He knows.” Karen closed her eyes. “My tree. I love my tree.”
Mark lips brushed her forehead. “Go to sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up.”
“I know,” Karen said, allowing her body to drift into the darkness. “I know.”
SEVENTEEN
Karen hatched shadows into her sketch. She sat on the back porch drawing a landscape she’d rendered many times. Sighing, she leaned back against the webbing of the lawn chair, twirling the charcoal pencil between her fingers.
“Problem?” Mark stepped up behind her, his footfalls resonating against the wooden planking, and kissed the back of her neck.
“I want to paint. I have work to finish. This sketching isn’t fulfilling commissions.”
Mark placed his hands on her shoulders. “You know what the doctors said. No exposure to chemicals right now. Too much of that sort of thing in the studio.”
“I’ve been working in studios for years.”
“Yes. That was before.” Mark’s fingers tightened on her shoulders. “Time for a break, anyway. I just heard a car. Must be Myron and Ariel.”
“Already? Guess I lost track of time.” Karen leaned back until she could look up into Mark’s face. “Remember your promise.”
“No talking to anyone yet. Yes, I know.” He kissed her on the forehead. “Now, come along. Let’s greet our guests.”
Karen rose slowly to her feet. She met Mark’s concerned gaze and shook her head. “I feel fine. Don’t worry.”
Mark took hold of her arm. “Remember who you’re talking to.”
They walked in through the kitchen and reached the living room just as the doorbell chimed. “Perfect timing.” Mark opened the front door.
Ariel bounced into Karen’s arms and gave her a swift hug. “Finally here. I told Dad to drive faster, but he refused.”
Karen cast a sidelong smile at her husband. “Unlike Mark. He drives like a maniac.”
“But safely.” Mark stepped back to allow Ariel and Myron to enter the house. “Always safely.”
“Opinions differ,” Karen said. “Hello, Myron. How are you?”
“Very well. Busy. Excited about the project.” He took one of the chairs indicated by Mark.
Ariel stayed on her feet, wandering about the room. “Your house is cool. It’s pretty old, isn’t it? And those are your paintings, aren’t they, Karen?”
“Yes, some of them. I have a few pieces from other painters I admire. I bet you can tell which is which, if you try.” Karen sat on the sofa as Ariel examined the paintings in the room.
“So, Alex gave you the flash drive?” Mark asked, sitting next to Karen. “He told me he was planning to visit you a few weeks ago.”
“Yes, I got it.” Myron relaxed into the oversized armchair. “Sorry it was obtained under such difficult circumstances.” He looked over at Karen. “I hope you’re feeling better.”
Karen stretched out her leg. The stitches had been removed a few days before, leaving nothing but pink scars. “The leg’s fine. No real harm done.” She glanced at Mark, who kept his gaze fixed on Myron.
“But that drive is definitely valuable,” Myron said. “I only wish James was still around to corroborate the information.”
Karen sighed. “Yes, poor Jasper.”
Mark placed his arm around Karen’s shoulders. “At least they couldn’t silence him completely. His words live on. They may help bring Vance and company to justice.”
“I certainly hope so.”
“That one and that one are yours.” Ariel pointed to two of the paintings that hung on the opposite wall. “But not this one.” She touched the frame next to her shoulder.
“Correct. Now, come and sit with
us. Mark can scoot over to make room.”
“I hope you don’t mind taking Ariel to see Amy,” Myron said. “She’s been looking forward to this visit for quite some time.”
“No, not at all,” Karen assured him.
Mark slid closer to Karen as Ariel flopped onto the sofa next to him. “But Karen will be driving her alone, I’m afraid. I was hoping to get off work to accompany them, but no such luck. Apparently I’m indispensable.”
Myron smiled. “I don’t doubt that. Anyway, as I said on the phone, I’ve lined up a speaking engagement in Atlanta. Have to catch a flight out tonight, as a matter of fact. So I appreciate your willingness to chauffeur Ariel.”
Karen leaned into Mark. “Amy would’ve been devastated if the visit was cancelled. She’s planned her entire fall break around showing Ariel the sights.”
“I can’t wait,” Ariel said, and Karen was happy to spy childish delight in the girl’s gray eyes. She often seemed too old for her years.
Myron shook his head. “Two young ladies on the town. I just hope Claire’s prepared to deal with all the squeals and giggles.”
“Oh, Claire’s immune to such things,” Mark said. “She teaches middle school.”
“Ah yes, I remember.” Myron’s expression grew grave. “Ariel, why don’t you grab your suitcase from the car? We forgot to bring it in.”
Ariel bounded off the sofa and headed for the door. “You want to talk adult stuff,” she called over her shoulder. “I can tell, you know.”
“Of course you can,” Myron said. But he waited until Ariel had left the house before he spoke again. “I’ve received some threats. Anonymous, of course. Strange phone calls and emails. Apparently I’ll be placing myself in danger if I persist in releasing the video.”
“I’m not surprised.” Mark rose to his feet. “Has Elena been able to trace anything?”
“Not yet, but she’s working on it.”
“Are they threatening Ariel as well?” Karen asked.
“Yes. Which is one reason I wanted her away from the house for a while.” Myron frowned. “Though I certainly don’t want to place your family in any danger.”
“Well, hopefully this little jag in the journey will throw off our watchers.” Mark paced the floor for a moment before leaning against the mantle. “And I suspect they’re more interested in your work than in tracking Ariel. Is anyone staying at your house, by the way? I doubt you want to leave your work unattended.”
