Final Hours

by Cate Dean

  She kept running, ignored the blood that slid down her arm, the hot ache that jolted her with every step. If Guy left, he couldn’t come back. But it meant he would be out there, somewhere in the past, ready to wreak havoc again. They had to stop him here.

  She had to stop him here. Without Kane.

  She pushed open the door, and the wind slapped her as soon as she stepped outside. Her lungs fought for air after her mad sprint up the steep tunnel. She forced herself to slow, to check for more blood.

  There were drops on the concrete, just outside the door, more on the path leading away from the cliff, toward the main part of the castle grounds. She followed them until she stood on the edge of another steep path, heading to Admiralty Outlook, and open ground. He could escape before she reached him—

  A burst of adrenaline pushed her forward. She cradled her throbbing arm and ran up the hill.

  ~ ~ ~

  Bridget kept Kane occupied, and he found himself enjoying her company, her wicked sense of humor, her view of the world.

  He tried not to fidget, or stand up to pace. The tender spot on the back of his head was a throbbing reminder of the low ceiling.

  When the electric hum of the portal brushed over his skin, he rose, kept himself hunched, and stood in front of Bridget.

  “Is this what you’ve been expecting?”

  He glanced over his shoulder. “Was I so obvious?”

  She smiled at him and folded her hands in her lap. Kane marveled at her calm, but after what she had endured, this was most likely just another challenge to overcome.

  A black square shimmered in the middle of the attic. It was supposed to be round. Everything associated with the portal had always been—

  Lighting burst across the center of the opening. Kane grabbed Bridget, hauled her up.

  “Under the bed! Something is wrong—”

  Before he could finish his warning a transport flew out of the portal, followed by a smoking rectangle. They bounced once, landed at his feet. The black square shuddered, and crumpled, like a giant hand was crushing it, until it winked out of existence.

  As soon as the portal entrance disappeared, the transport screen shimmered, highlighting a long, narrow crack across the front. Paper crunched under his fingers when he picked it up. A note had been skewered to the prong of the buckle.

  Kane sat, and unfolded it. Mac’s illegible scrawl filled the page.

  I corrupted your DNA. Don’t ask me how—ever. It’s only good for one trip, and only with this transport. It’ll probably kill you, but I know that won’t stop you from trying. A friendly warning: I put in both Elizabeth’s and Guy’s transport codes, to give you a better chance of actually getting there. I can’t guarantee which one it will latch on to. Or if it will at all.

  Take care of Elizabeth. You’re good for each other, so don’t screw it up. Hope to see you again, my friend.

  Mac

  P.S.—the attached notebook is Elizabeth’s—if it makes the trip through, give it to her for me. And take a look inside before you do.

  And in small, almost illegible script, Mac added a message to the very bottom of the paper.

  SIS has control.

  “What the—” He felt the blood drain out of his face as he understood the cryptic message.

  SIS. MI-6.

  Kane closed his eyes. Guy never stood a chance. Staring at the message, he wondered what the bastard Harper had on his friend. Enough to force him to kill, to betray.

  Because he knew, like Mac knew, that Harper was neck deep.

  There was nothing he could do about it now. But later, when he was home—he would do one bloody hell of a lot about it.

  He shoved his temper away, and picked up the scorched notebook. The sturdy piece of electrical wire that had attached it to the transport was burned down to nothing, the bare wire so brittle it snapped off the notebook when he touched it.

  “Did you get everything you were waiting for, Jackson?”

  He glanced over at Bridget. “And a bit more.” The screen flared into life, a countdown flashing across it. Hell.

  He had two minutes.

  “Time for you to go, my dear boy.” Bridget stood, leaned down for a kiss. “Say hello to Elizabeth for me. Take care of each other, now. You are stronger together.”

  She backed away, watching him as he stood, and strapped the transport to his wrist. The backplate hummed against his skin, hot enough to make him flinch. This was not going to be a pleasant journey. He picked up the notebook, remembered Mac’s postscript as he moved to the center of the attic. Finally able to stand upright, he opened a random page—and nearly dropped it when he saw his face.

  Sketched in pencil, with so much detail it looked like a photo, he recognized the moment she captured; when he stood with Mac, watching the timeline screen in the lab. Elizabeth had left the background soft, just a suggestion of his surroundings, which made him the focal point.

  “So this was her scribbling.” She had some confessing to do. He tucked the notebook in his back pocket, and gave Bridget a jaunty salute. “Thank you for the hospitality, madam.”

  Her smile was shaky. She obviously had the same thought that he did—pushing the button might be the last action he ever took.

  “Bloody hell.” He swallowed, braced himself for pain, and pushed the button.

  ~ ~ ~

  Kane flew out at the other end, doubled over—and slammed into a body.

  They tumbled over damp grass. The deep grunt told him he had found Guy.

  Because he could hardly breathe for the pain, Guy recovered first, and punched Kane’s half-healed shoulder. He clutched the ground as pain roared through him. Guy’s voice filtered through, low and angry.

  “I will have to find the time to ask that Texan how he managed to send you back to the same place twice.” Guy never called Mac by name; he considered him an uneducated lout. It used to be the only thing they fought over—Guy’s snobbery. A harsh cry escaped Kane when Guy turned him over. “Did you come to save the mighty Admiral Ramsay, or your precious Elizabeth? Either way, you’re too late, old friend.” Leaning in, he whispered against Kane’s ear. “I killed them both.”

  “Liar.” He had to be lying. Kane would not accept the alternative—he refused to accept that Elizabeth was gone, before he—

  “She did manage to take a nip out of me, before I shot her.” Guy leaned back. Blood spread over the left side of his shirt. A great deal of blood. It had to be sapping his energy, especially since he had done nothing, that Kane could see, to bind the wound. “I need you to forfeit the game, old friend. So I am going to cripple your side of the board.”

  Before Kane could move, Guy yanked a knife off his belt and plunged it into Kane’s right shoulder.

  ~ ~ ~

  Elizabeth heard the hoarse scream, just above the whoosh of the wind battering her.

  No one else. She forced herself to move faster, caught her hair in her left hand as the wind grabbed at it. Please don’t let him hurt anyone else.

  The field at the top of the hill came into view—and she jerked to a halt.

  Guy had his knee braced on a writhing figure, an already bloody knife in his hand, raised to stab again. She didn’t think—she just moved.

  Her left shoulder rammed into Guy’s back. They flew over his victim, hitting the grass so hard her bones protested. She struggled to her feet, just before Guy let out a furious roar and threw himself at her. She danced backward, and tripped over his victim’s legs, landing on her back with a painful jolt.

  She pushed herself up, her shoulder throbbing, and froze when she saw the victim’s hand, fingers curled around a tuft of grass. A strong, familiar hand.

  “Kane?” Her gaze shot up, found the aristocratic profile. “Oh, God—Kane—” Movement jerked her attention away from him. She yanked the pistol out of her pocket and hit the charge button, firing blindly. The furious curse told her she hit something.

  Torn between protecting Kane and stopping Guy, she took
Kane first, and checked for a pulse as she swept her gaze around them. It beat under her shaking fingers, slow but steady. Relief flooded her, and disappeared just as fast when she couldn’t find Guy. She shoved wind tangled hair out of her face—and froze when a pistol pressed between her shoulder blades.

  “Up.” She obeyed, her own weapon tucked against her side as she stood. The ploy didn’t work. “Drop it, or I’ll kill him right here.” She let the pistol fall to the grass. “Now turn around, hands out where I can see them.” She did, moving away from Kane. “That is far enough. I knew you were a smart one, darling girl. You did go after the wealthiest man in the vicinity, after all.”

  “What?” She stared at him. “What are you—”

  His raw laugh cut her off. “Kane didn’t tell you, did he?” He winced, his free hand pressed against his left side. Hair blew around his face as a strong gust of wind battered them. He stumbled, and jerked the pistol up before she could take advantage. “Typical Kane. Always terrified the women are after his title. Your beloved protector is a count. He inherited the title, the lands, and the millions from his guardian, who adopted him on the sly.”

  “Kane is…”

  “Looks like your innocent misfit plan worked. The sot is in love with you.”

  “I—what?” She was still so shocked by the news she couldn’t gather her thoughts.

  “You may have fooled him,” Guy stalked forward and grabbed her right arm. She bit back a scream. “But I know your type. He’s best off without you. So I am going to give you a choice, my darling girl. You can come with me, or you can watch Kane die before you join him.”

  Elizabeth swallowed. He meant every word.

  “I’ll go with you,” she whispered. “But—can I say goodbye? He’s unconscious, but I will feel like I—severed the bond between us if I do.”

  “Touch the pistol and I’ll kill him.”

  It took all the control she had not to flinch. “I understand.”

  Guy let her go, and she knelt on the grass, taking Kane’s outstretched hand. Her lips pressed to his warm skin, as her mind searched for something, anything she could do to stall—

  His fingers tightened around hers. She snapped her head up and searched his face; his eyes looked closed, but she saw the glint, telling her he had them slit open, enough to see her. His hand lowered hers until she touched her left hip. To Guy, it would look like she lowered it on her own. She hyped the performance and hunched over his hand with a low sob, her hair blowing around them.

  Her fingers brushed a hard, narrow bulge in her pocket.

  Mac’s knife. She had completely forgotten about it.

  She squeezed Kane’s hand, to let him know she understood, and eased it back to the ground, hugging her waist to cover her hand as it slipped into her pocket.

  Obviously tired of the performance, Guy hauled her up and led her away from Kane, toward the edge of the cliff.

  “Touching, Elizabeth. Shame he wasn’t awake to witness it.”

  She faked a stumbled and dropped to one knee, flipping the blade open. She froze when Guy’s pistol slipped under her chin.

  “Guy—”

  “Whatever you are scheming, let it go. You can’t stop what is meant to happen. And it will happen, as soon as I finish dealing with you. Now stand up.” The pistol followed her as she obeyed, meeting his eyes. He studied her, let out a short laugh. “I told him, didn’t I? Felt remorse after the fact, and blathered to my oldest friend. For the life of me, I could not figure out how you knew, exactly, when to show up.”

  “The portal.”

  “Oops. They forgot about that, did they?”

  “Who, Guy? Is Harper forcing you—”

  The pistol dug into her throat.

  “Shut up.”

  His vicious anger shook her, and Elizabeth knew her time had about run out. Bracing herself, she used every ounce of strength she had left and shoved the short blade into his wounded side.

  He stumbled back, clutching the hilt.

  “You bitch—” He raised his pistol and fired.

  Elizabeth twisted away from the laser blast. She screamed when it burned into her right thigh. Her leg gave out and she hit the ground. She pushed herself up and kept sliding away from Guy, knowing she couldn’t escape—and caught sight of her pistol, just out of reach.

  “Elizabeth.” She lifted her head. Guy stood less than a foot away. Blood soaked his trouser leg now, his left hand clutching her knife. His other held the pistol, aimed at her chest. “Move again, and you will die by inches.”

  She believed every word. That pistol was her only chance.

  She did a quick calculation and let herself fall, her left arm stretched out. Another laser blast burned across her forearm.

  She threw herself at the pistol and closed her right hand over it. In a move that sent pain through every muscle she swung her arm up and fired.

  The pistol jerked at her wrist, like each blast weakened whatever stabilized it. She tightened her grip, her fingers shaking. Guy stared at her, then down at his chest. With a ragged cry he raised his pistol. Elizabeth shot him again, the jolt numbing her wrist.

  Guy stumbled backward, and screamed as he fell off the edge of the cliff.

  “God…” She let the pistol go. Pain seared her leg as she dragged herself to the edge. She held on with both hands before she peered over the side.

  Guy lay on the rocky beach below. From here she could see blood swirling in the water that flowed around him. With a silent prayer, she eased back, and pushed up to her hands and knees. Crawling across the grass toward Kane left her breathless, and gasping with every movement. When she finally reached him, she eased down on her left side, and touched his cheek. He opened his eyes.

  “Beth,” he whispered.

  “How?”

  “Mac—” Harsh coughs cut him off. Elizabeth searched for the wound, and found fresh blood on his right shoulder. Damn Guy to Hell.

  “Hey,” she pulled her jacket off, hissing when it brushed the raw burns, and pressed it against his shoulder. He recoiled, and she followed him, keeping pressure on the wound. “I need you to hold still for me. Breathe, Kane. Slow and easy.”

  “Skipping to—step three?”

  “Yes.” She forced a smile. “Just keep breathing for me.”

  “Bridget—says hello.”

  “She watched you leave?”

  “Without batting an eye. Bloody hell, that hurts.” He closed his eyes.

  “Kane!” She pushed down on the makeshift bandage. It terrified her that he didn’t try to fight her this time. “Stay with me, Kane.”

  He swallowed. “Here.”

  “I’m going for help. I need you to keep pressure on the wound.” She moved his left hand up, slid it under hers. “Push. Now.”

  The muscles in his arm corded with the effort. “Go,” he whispered. “I’ll wait here.”

  She let out a breathless laugh. “You do that. Kane.” He opened his eyes. “Thank you, for coming after me.”

  “Couldn’t—stop myself.” His eyes slid closed.

  “Kane—”

  “Love you, Beth.”

  His left hand slid off his shoulder.

  “No—Kane—” She pushed down on his wound. “Don’t you dare, do you hear me? Stay with me, Kane—please stay with me.”

  She laid her head on his chest, every inch straining to find a heartbeat. Finally, she heard it, past her panicked breathing. Too slow, too faint.

  “Kane! Don’t you die on me—don’t you dare—”

  “Elizabeth!” Gryffyth charged over the top of the hill, running full tilt. He skidded to a halt, his face white.

  “Gryffyth—”

  “Sweet God above.” He dropped to his knees beside her, did a cursory exam of them both. “I’ve help coming. As soon as I heard you scream I sent for them and headed this way.”

  “You followed me.”

  “Absolutely. Sorry, beautiful—I didn’t trust you, not yet. Hold still for me.” H
e pulled a scarf from around his neck and eased her leg up. Elizabeth almost passed out. He caught her, leaned her against him before he tied off the scarf. “How are you still conscious?”

  “Necessity.”

  A smile flashed across his face, renewed some of the color. “Let me see that arm.”

  “It’s fine—ouch—ow, ow—”

  She tried not to whimper when he wrapped a second scarf, this one silk, around her forearm. He moved her hair aside and carefully opened her shirt to get a better look at her shoulder. It burned like crazy. “The lookout saw a body fall from the cliff. I thought it was you, until I got a better look at the body.” He glanced down at Kane. “Where did he come from?”

  “He’s with me.”

  Gryffyth nodded, and to her relief, didn’t ask any more questions. He moved to Kane’s other side and did a more thorough examination, with the efficiency of long practice. This young soldier continued to surprise her.

  The pounding of feet brought her head up. Half a dozen soldiers ran toward them, two of them carrying a stretcher.

  “Let’s get you back down the hill.” Elizabeth let out a hoarse gasp when Gryffyth picked her up.

  “Please—I want to stay with him.”

  “I’ll make certain you do, beautiful, once we get you to hospital. But you’re looking after you first. We’ve talented doctors to take care of him. Am I clear?”

  She nodded, relaxed in his arms as he waited for Kane to be transferred to the stretcher. It was over. Whatever happened next, Ramsay was safe, and Guy had been stopped.

  She planned to have a long sit-down with Kane about what he said to her, about what Guy told her, before he—

  Her mind flinched away from what she’d done. That was another thing she would have to deal with, when she summoned the courage. For now, she was thankful that they had survived, that Kane was here.

  She could face down the rest later.

  Fifteen