“Rose and Maggie, my name is Conlan, and that’s Finn. Let’s get you inside his transport and out of this heat. I’m betting he’s got some bottled water in there.”
Then he dropped his voice to a loud whisper. “I also know where he hides his candy.”
His assistant instantly protested. “Hey, girls, you’re welcome to help yourselves, but smack Conlan’s hands for me if he tries to snitch any of my chocolate. He never shares his with me.”
Rose looked at Finn and then at Conlan, her eyes still solemn, but Maggie knew they were being teased and giggled. Finn winked at the two of them before turning his attention back to their aunt, peeking underneath the bloody shirt Conlan had used to cover Kat’s wound. His smile quickly faded, and he immediately pulled out his phone and started to punch in a number, no doubt about to the call doctor for advice.
Before hitting the send button, he paused to ask, “Conlan, were you able to get her name so the doc can pull up her records?”
Okay, that was a problem. “Hold off for a second, Finn.”
He quickly settled the girls in the transport. They didn’t need to hear this. “Let me talk to Seamus first.”
Finn looked puzzled but nodded and held out the phone. “I need to get an IV started anyway. You can relay his instructions for me.”
Conlan took a deep breath before speaking. “Seamus, I don’t know what’s going on here, but somebody really wants this woman dead. On top of that, if you put her name in the system, the Coalition will be after her, too. Can you buy me enough time to figure out what the hell is going on? She has two little girls with her, and I don’t want anything to happen to them.”
If anyone would understand the need for caution, it would be Seamus Fitzhugh. It had only been a few months ago that his new wife had arrived at Rafferty’s on the run from a murderous ex-boyfriend who’d been poisoning her. If Seamus hadn’t happened to be there when she literally fell through the gate into Conlan’s arms, she would’ve died for sure.
There was a heavy silence on the other end of the line. Finally, Seamus said, “I can’t hide this from Rafferty, mostly because he’s standing right here. But oddly enough, I was about to tell him that I never seem to have enough time to do paperwork. I’m embarrassed to admit that sometimes days and even weeks go by before I get around to updating Coalition patient files.”
Perfect. “Thanks, I owe you. Finn says to tell you that once he’s got an IV started we’ll be on our way in. Get the O.R. ready. She’s going to need it.”
Conlan easily lifted Kat’s dead weight onto the stretcher while Finn held it steady. Despite Conlan’s mixed feelings about the situation, it worried him that she didn’t even whimper. Definitely not a good sign. Her skin already had a gray tinge to it, but with luck the fluids Finn was busy pumping into her would stabilize her long enough to reach Seamus’s infirmary.
Once they had her loaded in the back of the transport, he called another of his men over. “Check the area for any evidence you can find. Treat it like a crime scene. They were up there, there and there,” he said, pointing toward the specific spots the shooters had been.
“I left one dead up there on the far side of that ridge. They may or may not have retrieved the body. I want to know who these guys were and who was paying them. But if there’s any sign they’re in the vicinity, don’t engage. Just get your asses back to the estate.”
Then he jerked his head toward Kat’s bullet-riddled transport. “When you’re done, see if that thing is drivable. If it isn’t, tow it back to headquarters. After that, retrieve their personal stuff and bring it all to the infirmary. That’s where I’ll be.”
“Yes, sir. Will do.”
Satisfied his men could handle it from there, Conlan jogged over to Finn’s transport and climbed in. With luck, Seamus would be able to pull off another of his miracles and drag Kat back from the edge. Conlan hoped so. He’d been waiting three years for his chance for a little payback. Besides, he wanted answers to a few questions.
Starting with where Kat Karr had been hiding while he lost two years of his life taking her place in hell.
Chapter 2
“Sorry, sir, but when our men realized they’d drawn the attention of the security forces from the O’Day estate, they took out the target and withdrew. When we flew over, she was lying facedown in the dirt in a pool of blood.”
Cyrus Eddington clenched his fist and fought to rein in his temper. “At least tell me that you know for sure that she’s dead.”
The silence on the other end of the phone was telling. Rather than listen to a litany of excuses, Cyrus considered the options. He paced the length of his living room and back again as he contemplated options. Finally, rather than wear out the rug his wife had imported for an outrageous amount of money, he sat down.
“Damn it, Richie, considering what those mercs are costing me, they are supposed to be the best. Instead, if I’m understanding you correctly, they may have killed the target, but then again, maybe not. You also lost two of our own men, so I’ll be paying death bonuses. Not to mention that all of this happened right on the doorstep of one of the most powerful vampires in the Coalition.” He exhaled sharply. “Does that pretty much sum up the situation?”
“Yes, sir.”
Cyrus studied a small scuff on the toe of his shoe and wondered how it had gotten there. Too bad it hadn’t been from kicking a few mercenary asses for screwing up what should’ve been a simple job. He went on with his litany.
“And now the O’Days have the target’s two nieces tucked away someplace on their estate?”
“Yes, sir. We could’ve killed them, too, but we thought the fallout from such an action would be a PR nightmare for the organization.”
True enough. Some men would’ve shied away from endangering small children, but that hadn’t seemed to bother the mercs at all. It must have been his lackey’s squeamishness that had left the girls unharmed. As far as Cyrus himself was concerned, they were chancellor mongrels and therefore disposable. All they represented to him was a means of leveraging their aunt into doing his bidding. Too late now. Well, unless he could somehow force Rafferty into turning them over to him. “So what it all comes down to is that this has the potential of being a major disaster.”
Another long silence, but then his assistant finally answered. “That’s correct, sir. But in my defense, you didn’t send us the intel that Kat Karr had been located until the last minute. Another twenty minutes, and she would’ve already gone to ground inside the O’Day compound.”
That much was true, but Cyrus didn’t have to like it. He’d been hunting that bitch for three years. To have her slip through his fingers again was beyond frustrating. Unfortunately, whining over the screwups wouldn’t change a thing. All he could do was pick up the pieces and move on.
“Okay, here’s the bottom line—I want that woman in custody in the next seventy-two hours or I want her dead. No excuses, no failures. Do whatever it takes. Have I made myself clear?”
“Yes, sir, you have. However, I want your assurance that I’ll be protected from any retribution from Rafferty O’Day and his men if this all goes to shit. I didn’t sign on to tangle with him or that cutthroat bunch of chancellors he’s hired to protect his estate.”
What a damn coward. “What about the mercs? Aren’t you worried about what will happen to them if they cross that vampire?”
“They get paid to take that kind of risk. I don’t.”
Good, maybe they were on the same page. Sacrifice the peons for the cause. Of course, his assistant wouldn’t appreciate knowing he’d be one of the first thrown on the trash heap if things turned ugly. Still, no need to share that little bit of information. Not yet anyway.
“Fine, then at least we understand each other. Let me know if you need me to smooth the path for you.”
Not that he was eager to reveal his interest in Kat to either Rafferty or the government. Even though he served on the Coalition committee that ruled over the three dif
ferent groups that made up the population of the North American Coalition, he had to tread carefully. He was one of the human representatives, but the others would take a dim view of him making a move against a vampire clan or even those freak half-blood chancellors.
His assistant cleared his throat. “An official-looking piece of paper might open the gates for us, or perhaps a phone call from you would convince Rafferty to cooperate.”
“I’ll think about it. Meanwhile, listen for any chatter from Ambrose O’Brien’s office. The Coalition has a warrant with Karr’s name on it. It will be interesting to see if Rafferty will contact O’Brien, even if it’s only to report her death.”
After a brief silence, Richie said, “Buying off one of O’Brien’s chancellors to get inside information will be pretty expensive, if it can even be done. Those bastards take their jobs pretty damn seriously.”
Could this guy possibly come up with any more excuses? Although, he had a point. No one knew why chancellors were practically born with an overdeveloped sense of right and wrong, but they were. That’s why they were the enforcers for the Coalition and also filled the ranks of the police force and military, as well.
Offering a bribe was worth a shot anyway. “Everybody has their price. You just need to find the right leverage. Now get busy and find that woman.”
Cyrus hung up, tired of the tedious conversation. He’d already lost too much time and too much sleep when Kat Karr had disappeared from sight three years ago. She had what he’d bought and paid for, and this time he was going to get it.
* * *
Kat hurt. Pain was a hundred pounds of red-hot rocks perched right on her chest, making it hard to breathe and even harder to think. She fought the temptation to sink back down into the darkness. Oblivion beat agony hands down any day, but still she clawed her way back toward clarity.
Something depended on it. No, not something. Someone. Her nieces—Rose and Maggie. Their pictures formed in her head. Yes, them. They were in danger. Killers, guns, running, always running. Terror tasted bitter on her tongue.
Her arms wouldn’t move and neither would her legs. She was tied down! Why? Was this a nightmare? No, dreams didn’t hurt this much. Panic took over, leaving her straining against the restraints, fighting for her freedom with tears burning down her face even though she couldn’t open her eyes.
“She’s starting to surface.”
A man’s voice. Not one she recognized, or at least she didn’t think so. He kept talking, but now directing his comments to her. She latched onto his words like a lifesaver.
“Miss Karr, I’m Dr. Seamus Fitzhugh. Right now you’re a patient in my infirmary on Rafferty O’Day’s estate. You were brought here after being shot. I performed emergency surgery on your shoulder to stop the bleeding and repair the damage. I’ve also given you a boost to your immune system that will speed up the healing. You should feel much better within a couple of days.”
He paused briefly as he pressed what felt like a stethoscope to her chest. “You’re safe. So are Rose and Maggie. They’re waiting right outside with my wife and daughter. Once you’re awake and calm, I’ll let your nieces in for a brief visit, so you can reassure each other that everything is all right.”
For now anyway.
Did he really say those last three words, or was it her imagination? No way to know. For the moment, though, her panic ebbed away, allowing her body to relax.
“Good, that’s better.”
A cool hand came down on her forehead. “No fever so far.” Then his fingers rested on her wrist. “Your pulse is much stronger, too. It’s lucky they got you to me as fast as they did.”
Who was he talking about? Who had gotten her there? The last thing she remembered was hiding under the transport with the girls and praying someone would come to their rescue before she ran out of ammunition.
Memories were coming more quickly now. Just when she was thinking about surrendering and bargaining for her nieces’ lives, it was as if her wish had been granted. A man had charged down the hillside, his gun blazing away, driving back her attackers. The helicopter had done one last strafing run before disappearing over the surrounding hills. That’s when she’d taken a hit.
Her hero. Who was he? It didn’t matter. She owed the man her life. She’d thank him as soon as she learned his name and remembered how to talk.
“Squeeze my hand if you understand me, Miss Karr.”
She wasn’t sure if her hand moved, but the doctor seemed satisfied. “Good. Now let’s see if you can open your eyes.”
That took more concentrated effort, but after several attempts she managed to get them to cooperate. She squinted up at the man standing over her, trying to make sense of the details: rumpled hair, intelligent blue eyes, a flash of fangs. Not human. Vampire. Good. She wasn’t sure why, but it was very important that she not fall into human hands right now.
He smiled down at her. “Welcome back. I want to reassure you that these restraints were only there for your safety. You’ve been thrashing around quite a bit ever since the anesthesia started wearing off. If you promise to remain calm, I’ll take them off your wrists before your nieces come in.”
Kat nodded. As he undid the straps, the doctor glanced at someone standing somewhere behind her.
“Tell the girls they can visit her, but only for a minute. Miss Karr needs to rest, and she won’t be able to put up a brave front for long.”
The doctor was right about that. At the moment, she wouldn’t be able to take on her own shadow and win. As she waited for Rose and Maggie, a jagged shard of fear ripped through her. The doctor had called her by her real last name, one she hadn’t used for three years. How had he found out who she was? The girls would be the obvious answer, even though it had been drilled into them over and over again to never use her real name.
Not that it mattered now. The only question was, how long did she have before the Coalition caught wind of her location? If the doctor had accessed her records, they were most likely already on their way. If so, despite the doctor’s optimism regarding Kat’s recovery, her life expectancy would be measured in days or even hours.
Damn, damn, double damn. She’d known all along that either the Coalition or her enemies would catch up with her eventually. That’s why she’d rolled the dice and headed for Rafferty O’Day’s estate. Despite all her precautions, the bastards had found her anyway. She clutched the cool cotton sheet hard enough to make her hands ache. This wasn’t the time to give in to fear, not with the girls on their way in to see her. After everything they’d already been through today, they had to be terrified.
At the sound of the door opening, she watched the girls walk in. Someone had braided their hair for them, but their eyes were still shadowed with fear. Yesterday had been a lot for an eight-year-old and a five-year-old to process. For her, too.
Kat managed a small smile as Rose sidled up to her bed. “Aunt Kat, are you okay?”
Kat nodded. “I am now. Dr. Fitzhugh did a great job patching me up.”
“That’s what he told us.” Then Rose whispered, “Maggie didn’t mean to call you Aunt Kat in front of that man, but neither of us told them your last name. I don’t know how they found out.”
It was a question Kat meant to ask when she was feeling stronger. “Don’t worry about it, honey. We’re safe here.”
She hoped that was true, at least for the girls. No place was safe for her, not for long.
Maggie slid past Rose to lay her face on Kat’s arm. As soon as she settled in, she popped her thumb out of her mouth. “We’re going to help the doctor take care of his little girl tonight. He says we’ll be a big help ’cause his wife is going to have another baby.”
“Dr. Fitzhugh’s wife let me hold Phoebe by myself.” For the first time the worry faded from Rose’s pretty blue eyes. “I even got to help feed her. She got it all over her face, but that wasn’t my fault. Babies just do that.”
Kat didn’t much like being beholden to strangers, but she was g
rateful to the doctor and his wife for distracting the girls. It had been far too long since they’d done something fun.
“Did you thank Mrs. Fitzhugh for letting you play with the baby?”
Both girls nodded as Rose answered for them both. “And when Mrs. Fitzhugh fed us, we thanked her for that, too, even if she cut our sandwiches in the wrong direction.”
Kat frowned. “You didn’t tell her she did it wrong, did you?”
Rose rolled her eyes. “No, Aunt Kat. You know we have manners.”
No thanks to Kat. It had been Meg, Kat’s older sister, who’d drilled the rules into her daughters. Her death had left a gaping hole in all three of their lives. The fact that Meg had died because of Kat’s mistakes was a guilt she’d carry to her own grave.
She let the girls babble on a little more about what had happened since they’d arrived on the Rafferty estate. Their voices faded in and out between waves of pain. Thank goodness Dr. Fitzhugh reappeared.
“Okay, girls, time to go. Your aunt needs to rest if she’s going to get better. Say goodbye for now. If she’s up to another visit, I’ll bring you back before your bedtime.”
Kat accepted her nieces’ kisses, trying not to wince when Maggie got a little too exuberant with her hugs. After they were gone, she let out a slow breath, trying not to give in to the urge to cry. Was it cowardly to wish that she’d pass out just so she didn’t have to think for a while?
As if he’d read her mind, the doctor came right back. “Miss Karr, I’m going to give you something for the pain. It will help you sleep, which is what you need most right now. Someone will be here with you all the time.”
She watched as he drew up a syringe full of some clear liquid and injected it into the tubing attached to her arm. Hopefully the stuff would be fast-acting. Oblivion sounded good about now.
Savage Redemption Page 2
