Kent admired Rich’s astute reasoning. If the men snuck up on her unexpectedly, it would be over before she knew what was happening. “Yes, Rich, I think that’s a good call. But how will you find her?”
“I matched an address to the phone number. The owner is a Winston Blakely—his house is in the middle of nowhere on Nhat Le Beach.”
Kent hoped they wouldn’t be too late. Bunny would have to survive the night on her own. But maybe they could trim the fat from the schedule . . . “Great—let’s go for it. Will you please contact Ray and Roberta and ask them to fly over here at first light? I think we need to get there as quick as we can.”
“Agreed. I’ll set that up right away. And I’ll keep trying Bunny just in case there’s an answer.”
“Thanks, Rich.”
* * * *
Rich slowly paced the perimeter of the camp, looking and listening for signs of movement. Little light filtered through the trees—it would be dark within the hour. He had a feeling whether it was his shift or not, he wouldn’t sleep that night.
During the war, they’d had some crazy firefights at night. It was terrifying battling in inky obscurity in the thick of the jungle, when he could barely distinguish between friend and foe. And here he was years later, fighting phantoms that could attack on the ground or from the trees.
I’ve got fifteen men here. They should be able to take down two men, whether they’re difficult targets or not. But Rich had learned from experience that getting comfortable was the worst thing to do. Rich refused to allow his sharp edge of fear dull. If you blink too long, you end up dead.
* * * *
Holding hands, Amanda and Tom walked into the adjacent chamber to look for signs of the mysterious rocks. The room had been a regular bathing spot in recent weeks, since a lake-size body of crystal-clear water filled most of it.
She directed her flashlight toward the smooth water, noticing how the beam angled slightly and then shone right through to the bottom. Stalagmites of different lengths and widths projected up from the bottom in varying shades of brown, yellow, and orange.
Kent had explained that caves were like living beings, growing and changing day by day. Water was the artist in residence, carving tunnels through the limestone and then dripping into shapes, whenever the water became sufficiently mineral-rich.
The powder they sought had a bluish tint, unlike anything she’d seen in the cave before. Most of the cave rocks were shades of white, yellow, orange, and brown. “Nothing looks like the right stuff.”
“You do.” Tom grabbed her around the waist, planting a line of kisses down the back of her neck.
Amanda laughed and feigned a struggle. As he crushed her against the broad expanse of his chest, wet heat rushed between her thighs. When he flicked his tongue inside her ear, her nipples hardened. She groaned.
“You better be quiet or someone will hear,” Tom said in a husky voice. “And I’m just getting started.” He gripped her pelvis and turned her around so she faced him.
“Thank God for that. I don’t think I can wait much longer.” Amanda leaned in to kiss him, opening her mouth to invite his tongue inside. She ached to be intimate with him again.
Their morning interlude had been like an appetizer, whetting her appetite for more. Sex consumed her mind. Even when she’d made that dangerous rappel into the cave, she’d had to pull her mind back to the task at hand, instead of letting lusty thoughts carry her away. She’d fantasized about sliding her hands over Tom’s tight-muscled abdomen, wrapping her hands around his cock, and opening her legs so he could sink his full length inside her wet and throbbing opening. Her pussy clenched with aching need. She ground her hips against his bulge.
“I can tell you’re in the mood.” Tom kissed her more urgently and slid his hands up her shirt to cup her breasts.
“You have no idea,” Amanda’s crotch dampened as his fingers massaged and teased.
“We might get caught.” Tom glanced around before turning off his flashlight. Then he refocused his attention on her nipples.
Amanda’s body was on fire. She slid down his zipper and helped his cock spring free. She fondled it between her fingers, relishing how it stiffened in her hands. “We could do a quick one without being noticed, don’t you think?”
“I think that’s a definite possibility.” He unzipped her shorts and dropped them to the floor. Continuing to kiss her, he slipped off his pants and stretched them out on a shelf of rock. “Grab onto the back of my neck.” Grasping her buttocks, he picked her up and lowered her onto the bed he’d prepared on the rock.
Amanda leaned back on the rock, opening her legs. The chill of the cave raised goose pimples on her flesh, which only heightened her excitement. She felt so vulnerable, her pussy open wide to the cold air, throbbing with need to be fucked right here where others could see.
Grabbing her around the back, he pulled her closer, maneuvered his cock toward her wet opening and then slowly slid inside. She gasped at the heady sensation of him inside of her and arched up into him to deepen the penetration.
“Oh my God, that feels good.” Tom thrust in harder, which deepened his drive.
Amanda groaned. “Oh, yeah, don’t stop.” She angled her pelvis upward to increase the stimulation of her clitoris. Every thrust of Tom’s plunging cock into her core made her toss her head and moan in hedonistic bliss. Her inner walls clenched around him as their pace approached fast and furious.
She knew he was as desperate as she to climax before someone interrupted them. The muscles in Tom’s face tightened and his mouth fell open in a groan. His arousal was enough to hurtle her over the edge. She did her best to bite back the cry as an explosion rippled from her vagina into her core. Tom thrust into her and groaned, his seed pouring inside of her.
“Who’s over there?” Andrew’s voice was much too close.
Amanda and Tom froze, still entangled in each other’s naked bodies.
“It’s nothing to worry about,” said Rebecca. “Come over here—I found something I want to show you.”
Andrew’s voice became a faint echo as he moved away. Tom helped Amanda to her feet. “That was close.”
A chill prickled her sweat-dampened skin. She nestled in and burrowed her face in Tom’s chest. “It sure was. But I loved the danger of it all.”
Tom wove his fingers through her hair. “Me, too. But you know what I love even more?”
“What’s that?” Amanda asked even though she already knew the answer. “You.” He kissed her on top of the head and rubbed his hands over her collarbone.
* * * *
Kent studied the spectrum plot generated from the X-ray bombardment of the powdered sample and frowned. “This is even weirder than I expected.”
David leaned over to review the data. “Maybe the calibration’s off.”
Kent shook his head. He had used this wavelength dispersive spectrometer regularly without mishap. “No, if that were the case, we wouldn’t see such clear K-alpha peaks for calcium and magnesium—what you’d expect to see in limestone.”
David pointed to the computer monitor. “But there are two strong peaks here that don’t match any known element on the periodic table. How can that be?”
“David, we’re dealing with a substance that enables people and everything attached to them to disappear—we’d have to expect to see something out of the ordinary. All indications suggest we’ve discovered two new elements, both whose K-alpha peaks have fairly short wavelengths. To determine anything more concrete, we’re going to need a full-scale laboratory.”
David pulled off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “What do you think is the provenance of the elements we’re seeing? Biological material? A new mineral? Little green men?”
“Hell, I don’t know.” Kent scratched his chin, considering the possibilities. Science was all about solving mysteries and the thrill of searching for puzzle pieces that fit together to make a full picture. But he felt sure assembling a coherent picture on the invisibi
lity powder would tap everyone’s intellectual capacities.
“My theory is it’s something biological,” said David. “A weird cave organism that’s interacted with the rock.”
“Anything’s possible at this point. Hopefully once Roberta gets here, she’ll have some insight on those hieroglyphics and we’ll be able to find the source of this strange substance.” Kent saved the analytical data on the computer and backed it up on an exterior drive. “What do you say we call in the troops for dinner?”
Chapter Sixteen
The brilliant orange sun spread out and then dipped below the infinite horizon of ocean, painting the sky and water pale hues of pink and orange. Worried about her friends’ safety, Bunny found it difficult to appreciate the sunset’s beauty. She sighed. “I wonder why Rich didn’t answer. I guess he could be out of range, but what if they’re all in trouble?”
Winston placed a reassuring hand on her arm. “You can try back in a few minutes. In the meantime, why don’t we go inside and I’ll start on dinner. I bought some fresh fish at the market this morning. I’ll sauté that and serve it up with asparagus.” As he rubbed his thumbs over her skin, he gazed at her, his eyes a warm, mesmerizing green.
His touch was like a match, lighting a fire that spread through her blood. The desire that sizzled in his green irises lured her in—she wanted to stare into them until her whole being tumbled inside. Desperate to fly free, she fought back memories that threatened to clip her wings. “That sounds fabulous. I’ll be your sous-chef tonight.”
Winston stood and reached for her hand, grinning, his blond curls alluringly tousled by the sea breeze. “That sounds like an offer I can’t refuse.”
The floorboards of the deck squeaked nearby. Bunny jerked her head toward the sound, but saw nothing. Just my imagination. Bunny reached for Winston’s hand and let him help her to her feet. She reached for her wine glass and followed him inside.
While Winston sliced up the filets and breaded them, Bunny washed the asparagus, sliced off the ends and slid the spears into the steamer.
Once Bunny dried her hands, Winston picked up the phone and handed it to her. “Why don’t you try calling Rich again while I finish cooking the fish?”
“Good idea.” Bunny pushed the dial tone button a few times, but heard no sound. “That’s strange.”
“What is it?” Winston flipped the filets over in the skillet and turned away as sizzling olive oil splashed in his direction. The top side had cooked to an appetite-whetting golden brown.
Bunny’s stomach growled at the sight of the sautéed fish, reminding her she hadn’t eaten anything since the fruit plate she’d ordered at the hotel. “I can’t get a dial tone.” She handed the phone to Winston and he placed the receiver against his ear and fiddled with it.
“That’s really strange.” He clenched his jaw and worry lines etched his forehead. “I’m not liking this at all.”
“Do you think it’s a temporary outage?”
Winston examined the underside of a filet. Nodding, he turned off the burner and flipped a filet onto each of their plates, putting the rest of the fish on a serving platter. “I’m not sure, but given all that’s been going on, I seriously doubt it. More than likely, someone cut the lines.”
Bunny thought of the man who had climbed on the truck and shot at her. Recalling the I-want-to-kill-you look in his eyes made the hair stand up on the back of her neck. But she’d been alone then. Now Winston was here to protect her. Bunny used the tongs to divvy up the asparagus spears on the plates. “What should we do?”
He walked to the screen door and stepped outside, peered around, then shrugged and stepped back inside, locking the door behind him. “I didn’t see anything suspicious outside—it must have been a bird or something.”
He sat down across from her. “Don’t worry—we’re safe inside this house. Let’s enjoy our nosh.”
They sat facing each other on opposite sides of the small round table. Bunny eagerly cut into the fish, placing a moist piece between her lips and chewing. The flavor of fish, fresh lemon and seasoning exploded into her mouth. She licked the oil from her lips and picked up another piece with her fork. “Winston, this fish is delicious.”
His gaze fastened on her lips. “There’s plenty more if you’re still hungry.”
Bunny had already devoured a large filet and a heap of asparagus spears, but she eagerly slid another slice of fish onto her plate. “Thanks. I guess I’m hungrier than I thought.”
“You’ve definitely got a healthy appetite.”
“Yeah, well, I hardly ate anything today. There was barely a quiet minute to grab a bite. So much happened today, it feels like a week has gone by. First we’re leaving the country, then I’m back at the old hotel, in a taxi to a different one, and then I meet you. And ever since then, people have been trying to kill us. I feel like I’m in the middle of a movie.” Bunny thought she heard the whine of a cabinet opening. It’s probably just Tas brushing up against furniture. She glanced around the room and noticed Tas asleep on an oriental rug.
“You forgot the part about stealing my car.” Winston’s broad grin showed her he’d let go of his anger.
“Yeah, well, I’d rather forget about that.” Bunny spotted movement out of the corner of her eye. Tas’ ears perked up and he slowly pushed up on his short furry legs and sniffed the air, looking around. Whatever he detected made him whine in frustration. Something’s not right.
“Did you hear something?” Winston jerked his head to one side.
“Yeah, and it sounded like it came from inside the house. And Tas is really upset.”
Winston leaped up from his chair and ran to grab his Glock from the drawer, releasing the safety latch. “That’s impossible. How could someone have gotten in here?”
“I’m not—” The room blackened. Fear gripped Bunny’s insides.
“Crikey, we’re definitely in trouble. Get up slowly and come with me.” Winston whispered in her ear, gripping her shoulders and urging her to her feet. His breath tickled her neck. “Stay right behind me.”
He waited for her to maneuver herself around behind him before he walked slowly, step by step through the dark. Bunny leaned in and whispered in Winston’s ear. She couldn’t stand the thought of him being hurt or killed. “But what about you?”
Winston squeezed her hand. Bunny’s muscles trembled. She’d always feared the dark. And now those nightmares about awful things happening to her in black obscurity were really happening. Her legs trembled, making it hard to walk.
The man who wanted to kill them was probably in this house. How, she didn’t know. But still, she could swear she heard floorboards creaking. She leaned in toward Winston’s ear. “Do you hear that? It sounds like someone’s walking toward us.”
Winston didn’t answer. Instead he continued taking slow steps across the floor. Bunny’s heart hammered away in her chest. Any second now, gunfire could erupt and this wonderful man who had protected her could be lying dead in a pool of blood. I can’t let that happen. She heard the floor creak again, this time only a few feet away.
She reached out to her left, sensing they were near the breakfast bar where Winston had left the wine bottle. She slid her hands across the granite. Please, let it be there. Tas whined again and Bunny heard the sound of a safety latch. Oh, no. All at once, her fingers collided with the bottle. She gripped it tightly and leaped out from behind Winston like an agile athlete. Adrenaline rushed through her muscles. Winston reached for her, but she dodged his grasp and swung the bottle like she was trying to hit a softball way out into the outfield. As it connected with solid flesh, a shot rang out.
Bunny wasn’t sure what had happened. But she swung at the lurking hulk again and again until blood splashed against her arm. Her rage subsided when she heard the body crash to the floor. Then she heard only silence and her heart pounding inside her chest. “Winston, are you all right?”
She heard only her blood pulsing through her brain. “Winston.” She s
tumbled back to where she’d last held him, flailing her arms through the air. Please don’t let him be dead. She wasn’t sure if she’d struck early enough to keep the assailant from taking aim.
She crouched down on her hands and knees, swiping her hands across the ground, looking for Winston’s body as tears streamed down her face. She heard the sound of toenails on the wood floor and the next thing she knew, Tas was licking her face. She patted the dog’s head and tried to push him away. “Don’t do that, Tas, my ears are ticklish.” She moved her hand across another swath of floor. All at once, her hands struck a foot.
“Bunny?”
Bunny looked up. “Winston?”
“I’m right here. Give me your hand and I’ll help you up.”
Bunny reached up into the darkness and waited for Winston’s strong hand to find hers so he could tug her to her feet. His arms enfolded her in a warm and comforting embrace. She nestled into the refuge of his arms, wanting to stay there all night. His lips brushed over the top of her head. She leaned in and kissed the muscular fortress of his chest. “Winston, I was so worried about you. Do you think it’s over?”
“I’m pretty sure you took out our attacker. We should be okay as long as there’s not another man lurking around here somewhere. I need to flip the circuit breaker to bring up the lights again. It’s in the kitchen closet.”
“Take me with you.” Bunny’s voice came out sounding like a desperate plea. She couldn’t bear the thought of standing alone in the terrifying darkness.
He kissed one of her cheeks before skimming his lips over to the other side of her face. Then he grasped her head between his hands, centering her face so he could kiss her gently on the lips. “Oh I plan to. I’m not going to let you out of my sight again.”
They strode carefully into the kitchen, feeling their way through the darkness. Bunny bumped against the wall and she heard Winston’s foot catch on a piece of furniture. After what seemed like an eternity, they reached the closet. Winston held onto Bunny’s hand while he flipped switches inside the circuit box. Seconds later, the lights came back on.
The Unseen Page 14
