“But if he wasn’t a relative, why did the courts award him custody?”
“I doubt the court was ever involved. A man like that has a way of making things happen, legally or otherwise. Mostly, he just takes what he wants.”
She shivered as a chilly breeze swept down from the mountains. “What happened after he took you in?”
“For a long time, we lived with him in his home somewhere in the mountains. It was very secluded and we were never allowed to leave without our ‘handlers.’ Most of the time we were left alone, and when we got bored, we’d sometimes sneak into the tutor’s room and watch his videos. He had a collection of old television shows, but they were new to us and pretty much our only connection to the outside world.”
“How long did you live there?”
“Until we were in our teens. As we matured, certain traits began to develop. For me, precognition. For my brother, telepathy. I suppose traces of those abilities were always present, which is why he was interested in us. And why he got rid of our parents.”
“He killed them?” She put her hand over his. “My God.”
He looked away as an image drifted back to him. A woman and man were laughing and singing as two little dark-haired boys leaned across the picnic table to blow out the candles on a birthday cake.
Don’t forget to make a wish, Jackie, the woman said in his ear as she tickled his ribs. He could smell her perfume. It was a happy scent, like flowers and sunshine.
And then the image faded, replaced by another memory. Your mother’s dead, son, and so is your dad. But don’t you worry. I intend to take real good care of you and your brother. You’ll be like my own sons. There’s nothing to worry about. Nothing at all.
“I’m so sorry, Jack.”
“It was all a long time ago.”
“But it’s just now coming back. So for you, those memories are fresh and they’re bound to be painful. It’s okay to be sad,” she said softly. “It’s best just to let it out.”
Her hand was still on his. He waited a moment, then slipped his away. Not because he didn’t want her comfort, but because he wasn’t sure he could afford it. There was still too much to do and danger was all around them.
She sat quietly, watching him. “Why did you get taken to the Facility?”
“I’d started having visions of what he had in store for us so Jared and I escaped. We were gone for nearly a week before one of his goons found us. A man we called Red.”
Claudia gasped. “As in…”
Their gazes met and he nodded. “I think so.”
She shuddered. “What did he do when he found you?”
No need to go into all that, Jack decided. He wasn’t sure his memories were all that accurate anyway. He wanted to believe some of the images flashing through his head were still part of a lingering nightmare.
“He took us back to Uncle Ken and we were eventually sent to the Facility. I never knew exactly where the place was located. We were drugged and blindfolded, and the next thing I remember was waking up in a tiny cell-like space.”
“A cage.”
“That’s what we called them, yeah.”
“Was your brother there, too?”
“Yes, but I didn’t know it at the time. We were kept isolated, then eventually moved into an area with other subjects, some older, some younger. That’s when the serious experiments started.”
She flinched and her hand on the rock inched toward his, but she didn’t touch him. “How long did this go on?”
“I don’t know. Years. There wasn’t much contact with the outside world. Mostly our only interaction was with the staff, and they made a point of not getting emotionally involved. Then one day I was taken to another part of the Facility. I was placed alone in a room with a small black box and instructed to concentrate on my visions.”
“So what you said told me last night is true.” There was a breathless quality to her voice that made her seem very young. “You were the pre-cog sending me those messages.”
“Somehow I was able to tap into your subconscious, I think. At first, I just wanted you to know I was there. I can’t explain how much it meant to me to have contact with someone on the outside…” He trailed off for a moment. “And then I began to pick up on something around you. Negative forces. I tried to warn you. After a few days, the vision, the connection…everything just went black. I didn’t know what had happened to you, if you were alive or dead.”
“That must be when I ran,” Claudia said. “Once I was no longer working with the REGs, our connection was severed.”
He nodded. “A few weeks ago, I started having the visions again, only they were stronger this time, clearer. You were in danger. Those negative forces were closing in on you again and there was no one to stop them. No way to save you unless I could somehow get to you first. So Jared and I found a way to get out.”
“How?”
“It was during one of the experiments.” He gazed down at his hands, saw blood dripping from his fingers and closed his eyes. He wouldn’t give her the details. And there was very little he could remember of the aftermath until he’d found himself standing in the middle of the road, facing down her car.
He had no idea what had happened to Jared. At some point, they must have gotten separated, and now the only thing that gave him hope of his brother’s safety was the faint communication from the day before.
“Jack?”
He turned.
Her eyes were dark and luminous. Beautiful. So beautiful.
“Thank you for telling me,” she said. “Thank you for trusting me.”
She slipped her hand over his and this time Jack didn’t pull away. Instead, he entwined his fingers with hers and they sat for a very long time, looking out over the valley as their frosty breaths mingled on the cold, clean air.
THAT NIGHT THEY ATE dinner in front of the fire, then toasted marshmallows over the flames the way Claudia’s father had once taught her. She had purposefully set out to lighten the mood because the rest of the day had been mostly doom and gloom. She and Jack both had been in a bit of funk after their walk, and the silence had stretched on for hours.
Finally, desperate for a little levity, she’d fixed a quick bite to eat, opened another bottle of wine and broke out the chocolate and marshmallows. Now with her favorite band playing in the background and a nice little buzz from the wine, Claudia began to have some not so nice thoughts about Jack.
Was he or wasn’t he?
Had he or hadn’t he?
She nibbled on a warm, gooey marshmallow, relishing the chocolate coating, as she watched him. As always the play of light and shadow over his features enthralled her. He had such a wonderful face. Handsome, but not too pretty. Interesting, but not too rugged. Boyish, but not too young.
Innocent, but with an overt sex appeal that could knock a woman’s socks off. Her socks, if she’d been wearing any. She held one bare foot up to the flames until her skin tingled from the heat.
Jack skewered a marshmallow and held it over the flame. He put as much effort and concentration into the simple task as he did everything else.
A man of details, Claudia thought with a little shiver.
“You have a little chocolate on your mouth,” she murmured.
He licked his bottom lip and Claudia almost groaned aloud. “Here let me.” She lifted a napkin, but at the last moment, changed her mind and moved in to whip her tongue over the speck of chocolate at the corner of his mouth. “Hmmm.”
She lingered, eyes closed, savoring.
When her lids fluttered open, she found Jack watching her intently. There was something in his gaze, an erotic gleam that set her heart to racing.
“Here,” she murmured. “Let’s try that again.”
She picked up the skewer and caressed his mouth with the melted chocolate, leaving a sweet, delectable trail. He never moved a muscle. Not even when she leaned in and ran her tongue over his bottom lip, then tugged gently with her teeth.
He didn’t outwardly move, but she could sense his tension. He was like a tightly coiled spring.
She handed him the spear. “My turn.”
He hesitated, his eyes going dark, and then he lifted the marshmallow and ran it back and forth across her lips. Claudia had never experienced anything quite so sensual. The sticky sweetness of the marshmallow. The lusciousness of the chocolate. The erotic texture of Jack’s tongue as he worked it slowly across her mouth.
“Like that?”
“Exactly like that,” she breathed. She cupped the back of his neck with her hands and pressed her lips to his, dipping her tongue inside his mouth, probing, exploring, searching. It took him only a very brief moment before he responded in kind.
“Either you’re a very fast learner,” she murmured, “Or you’ve been holding out on me.”
He pulled far enough away to stare down at her. He didn’t appear at all unsure of himself, nor overly shy or awkwardly eager. He was a man very much in control of his emotions, and that patience, Claudia found, was very exciting.
“Kiss me again,” she whispered.
He did. Very, very thoroughly. He traced the outline of her lips with his tongue, as if lapping up the last of the chocolate, and then explored the deepest recesses of her mouth, as if he couldn’t get enough of her.
Easing herself onto her back, Claudia pulled him down with her. The weight of his body on hers made her tremble. This is good. So good.
She suddenly realized that Jack had stopped kissing her. She opened her eyes and gazed up at him. “What’s wrong?”
“Shouldn’t we…get undressed?”
“Excellent idea.” She sat up and grabbed the bottom of her sweater, yanking it over her head and then tossing it aside. She smiled seductively as she reached around and unfastened her bra. Soon it met the same fate as her sweater.
Jack’s gaze devoured her in the firelight.
“Your turn,” she murmured and helped him out of his T-shirt. “I find it easier if we just…take off our own jeans,” she said, struggling out of the snug denim.
Jack did likewise and Claudia tried not to stare. His nude body was nothing she hadn’t seen before, but there were some subtle—and not so subtle—differences tonight. For one thing, he no longer seemed like a stranger to her, and for another, he was in a state of full arousal.
Yowza.
How had she not noticed that before?
Well, to be honest, she had noticed. She’d just tried not to dwell on his, uh, formidable assets.
“You’re beautiful,” he said.
“You are.” And she meant it. He was a glorious specimen of manliness. All sinewy and sleek.
She picked up the skewer and touched the still soft chocolate to the tip of her breast. “Shall we try a little here?” she whispered. “And here…” She trailed the chocolate down her stomach, lower and lower…
And then she lay on her back and watched as Jack moved over her. He leaned in and kissed her deeply, then flicked his tongue over the chocolate peak of her breast, skimmed it down her stomach, lower and lower…
He was a very quick study. Or a man with no small amount of instinct.
Claudia shivered and moaned and then rising to her knees, she pushed him back to the floor. “Now you.”
She didn’t bother with the marshmallow but went straight in for the kill. When she was finished, when he seemed on the verge of a powerful explosion, she slid upward, fitting her body to his.
They began to move. Slowly at first and then more frenzied as the buildup became unbearable. Claudia took his hands and placed them on her hips. He grasped her to him, and as their bodies ground together, she tossed her head back and gave herself up to the release.
His came a second later, and she collapsed on top of him, still a-tingle from her climax.
Neither of them spoke for the longest time, and then Jack said in awe, “That was…”
Yeah, Claudia thought. It so was.
THEY FELL ASLEEP in front of the fire. Or rather, Claudia slept. Jack dozed fitfully. He couldn’t shut off the stream of memories that poured through his head. Not even in his nightmares could he get away from them. His parents…his brother…the man who claimed to be their uncle. The scientists, the guards, his fellow inmates. On and on, they paraded through his dreams.
After a while, he gave up on sleep, eased himself away from Claudia and rose. He went into the bathroom, showered and dressed, then let himself out the front door. Hurrying down the porch steps, he strode out into the yard and stood gazing up at the sky. He tried to empty his mind, but the memories wouldn’t be banished.
And then, slipping through all that chaos, came a gentle probe.
Jack?
The voice was weak this time. Barely there.
He clutched his temples, pressing down tightly with the heels of his hands. I’m here. I’m safe.
Jack? Where are you? Where are you?
I’m here, Jared. I’m with the woman.
But the voice was already starting to fade.
He tried to call it back. Don’t go!
..danger…
Jared!
…they’re coming…
A cold wind blew through the trees as Jack stood there listening to the night. The leaves rustled, the chimes on Claudia’s porch tinkled and in the distance, a night creature howled at the moon.
But inside his head, all was silent.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Claudia? Wake up.”
She threw an arm over her eyes as she struggled up through the cobwebs of sleep.
“You need to wake up,” Jack said urgently. “The sun is out. We have to get to the monument.”
“Hmmm. Okay.” She started to snuggle down under the blanket, but Jack’s voice finally penetrated, and she bolted upright, her sleep-filled eyes finding his. “What?” Her gaze shot to the window where the soft bloom of winter sunlight slanted through the glass.
She was already fully awake by this time and processing what needed to be done first. Dressed. She had to get dressed.
“Give me just a minute,” she said as she scrambled to her feet and dashed toward the bedroom. It was cold in her room, but she barely noticed as she plucked jeans and a sweater from the closet. Then she pulled on wool socks, boots and grabbed her parka. By the time she came out, Jack had already gone outside. Tucking the revolver into her coat pocket, she hurried to join him.
“You don’t think we’re too late, do you?” she asked anxiously as she backed the SUV down the drive and wheeled onto the road.
“We’re not too late. But we should hurry.”
As they sped along the road, Claudia contemplated what they might be rushing into. She wished they had back up, but she wasn’t naive enough to think that a call to the police would send reinforcements rushing to the monument. Not unless she could come up with a more plausible story than the truth.
She glanced at Jack. He sat slightly forward, staring out the windshield, game face on. And suddenly, Claudia’s anxiety spun away, leaving her with a reel of erotic images on repeat inside her head. Jack’s hand on her thigh, his mouth on her breast, the whisper of his breath against her lips…
Maybe you shouldn’t be thinking such thoughts at a time like this.
Maybe not, but she couldn’t help herself. Last night had been fierce, and besides, she was doing everything she could to get them to the monument in record time. She had her foot on the gas, her eyes on the road and a loaded weapon tucked away in her pocket. Her preoccupation with their lovemaking was hardly the worst thing that could happen—
A deer sprinted onto the road, stopped dead, and Claudia had to hit the brakes. She swerved onto the shoulder, missing the animal by inches, and for a breathless moment, she fought the wheel as the tires spun on loose gravel. Then she propelled the car back onto the road, and a glance in the rearview mirror assured her that the deer was unharmed. With two graceful leaps, the animal disappeared into the woods.
Claudia let out a sha
ky breath. Okay, maybe daydreaming about the previous night’s events wasn’t such a good idea. Evidently, she couldn’t obsess over Jack and drive at the same time.
She slanted him a look from the corner of her eye. He remained completely unruffled, so lost in thought she had to wonder if he was even aware of the near miss.
THE MONUMENT WAS CROWDED with tourists. A mild, sunny day had brought them out in droves. As Claudia and Jack emerged from the Hall of Flags onto the viewing terrace, her gaze immediately connected to the massive sculpture. The scope and precision were breathtaking, and she could hear the excited murmur of the tourists as they lined up at the wall to snap photographs that would never do the faces justice.
Trying to tamp down her nerves, Claudia glanced around the terrace. She spotted several school-age children among the crowd, but not a single one in a blue coat and red cap. Nor, thank goodness, had she seen anyone who didn’t look as though they belonged. No one stood out, which could be good or bad, she supposed.
She glanced up at Jack. He’d hardly uttered a word since they left the cabin, and now she couldn’t help wondering what was going through his head. Maybe, just maybe, they should have spent a little more time planning this thing. They were hardly prepared to take on an army of bad guys. Maybe not even one or two, since neither of them were armed. She’d had to leave her weapon behind because ever since 9/11, security at most of the national monuments had tightened. The last thing she needed was to be taken into custody for carrying a concealed weapon.
But without her revolver, she felt naked and useless. How were they supposed to stop a kidnapping without weapons? At least Jack could use his precognition to balance the odds, but Claudia had zip.
As if reading her mind, Jack said seriously, “I shouldn’t have brought you here.”
She quirked a brow. “I’m the one who brought you here, remember? And anyway, we’re in this together, right? You said yourself it was up to us to stop the kidnappers and save the boy. So let’s do this.” Big talk, Claudia thought, but her words rang a little hollow. She was starting to have a few regrets herself. Not because she wouldn’t do anything to save that child, but because she really wasn’t all that brave. Sure, she’d been running from a brutal killer for the past two years, but the key word there was running. And hiding. Barreling headlong into what might very well turn out to be an ambush was a different matter altogether.
Magnum Force Man Page 13
