by Lara Nance
He nodded and lifted her, his strong arm banding her shoulders. Dusty followed. Bless him, Rolf said all the right things and, after promising to come to police headquarters if any further information was needed, they were allowed to leave. He escorted her to his car and, a few seconds later, she lost consciousness.
###
“Cara?” Anxiety squeezed Rolf’s chest as he looked down at Cara in the bed of his spare bedroom. The pressure was unlike any he had experienced, except what he’d felt for Sakhet. Fear Cara had been seriously hurt by the Taker ate at his insides with bitter echoes of the past. He would find the bastards and rip out their black hearts.
“Cara?” He reached out and touched her cheek, reveling in the velvety texture beneath his fingers. Gods, he wanted to take her in his arms.
She blinked several times until her eyes focused and found him. Dusty lay beside her on the bed and crawled up to lick her face when she moved. She rested her fingers in his fur.
“How are you?” Rolf asked, voice constricted.
“I’m not sure.” She held out a hand. “Help me up.”
He put an arm under her shoulders and lifted as she struggled to rise to a sitting position.
“Aww,” she moaned.
Rolf sat on the side of the bed with one arm around her shoulders to support her. She pressed her fingers to her temple and touched bandages at different places all over her face. She groaned as her finger traced the contours of her cheeks and forehead.
“I think you should lie down.” Rolf eased her to the pillow.
“You’re right. I feel horrible.” She closed her eyes. “And a little nauseated.”
“I really should take you to the hospital, but I’m afraid the Takers might find you. You have to tell me if you think it's necessary. I can only do so much for you.”
“No, you’re right. I don’t want to go to the hospital. I’ll be fine. Just let me stay here a while. Could I get an ice-pack for my head and, um, some Ginger Ale?”
“Of course, but I want to help you. Will you give me your permission?” He waited for her to nod, then put his fingers on the back of her neck. A gentle flow of Light filtered through his fingertips and the crease on her brow eased. “Better?” His hand lingered, luxuriating in the softness of her skin.
“I think I’ll live now.” She gave him a half-smile and sank deeper into the bed. “Oh, please call Amber. Tor will have heard about the clinic on the radio. They’ll be frantic.”
“I will. Just relax.” He left the room and went downstairs to find Sean so he could get her some ice and the soda, but his man must still be out at the Taker’s house.
Cara’s condition alarmed Rolf. She’d taken quite a beating before he arrived. It was astonishing the Takers would make such a bold move to attack her so openly. They must be concerned she had witnessed the attack on Nicki and survived. But why?
He called Amber to assure her Cara was going to be okay and would stay with him tonight. He promised to have her call first thing in the morning.
He rambled through the refrigerator and found a two-liter bottle of ginger ale and poured some in a glass. Next, he opened several drawers and located the zip-lock bags. He filled one with ice and carried both glass and bag down the hall.
Sean came in the front door as Rolf crossed the foyer.
“Sean, I’m glad you’re back. How did it go?”
“Sir, we successfully hacked into the Broadband cable and I downloaded everything on the four computers there.” Sean took the bag from his shoulder. “Your friend did a good job keeping the cops away. We had no interference.”
“Four computers?”
“Yes, whoever is working with Desmond is very techno-savvy. Something big is going on.”
“Will they be able to detect your interference?”
“No, sir.” Sean gave him a confident grin. “I’m even more techno-savvy.”
“Very well,” Rolf said. “Get on it immediately. I’ll meet you in the control room in five minutes.”
Sean hurried away. Rolf climbed the sweeping stairs to the second floor and entered Cara’s room.
“Here you go.” He handed the pack to her. She placed it on her face, then took the glass and drank.
“Thanks, I’m pretty sure ginger ale is the nectar of the gods. Just what I needed. Your Light helped a lot, by the way.”
“Cara, listen, my man Sean just came back.” He sat on the side of the bed. She motioned with one hand for him to go ahead. “Will you be all right while I see what’s been uncovered?”
She nodded and put the pack on her face, her voice muffled beneath it. “I’m okay. Let me know what he found.”
“I will.” Rolf pulled the covers up to her chest. Despite the bruises and bandages, he still wanted to gather her in his arms. But he had to resist, the news Sean uncovered couldn’t wait.
Sean was busy in the control room, typing and focused on the screen before him. Rolf glanced at the video monitors viewing the perimeter of his house.
“We hit the jackpot, sir. I’ve got the entire hard drive files along with most of the temporary files as well.”
“That’s good.” A swell of relief coursed through Rolf. They would soon know Desmond’s plans.
Sean’s fingers flew over the keyboard. “Yes, and it wasn’t easy hacking through all the security measures.”
“How soon until you know what’s on them?”
“Give me twenty-four hours. I didn’t know they were encrypted until I opened up the files. I’ll need time to break it.”
“Very well. We need to know what they hope to accomplish as soon as possible.”
“I’m on it.” Sean swiveled his chair back to the computer screen.
Rolf stood and strode out of the room, thoughts zooming in a hundred directions.
He climbed the stairs, trying to put himself in Desmond’s position. If he had that much power and organizations in multiple cities, what would he be planning?
Rolf entered Cara’s room and stopped beside the bed to gaze at her.
“What's going on?” Cara turned on her side facing him, the icepack now placed on the back of her head.
He pulled a chair close to the bed. “We won’t know until morning. The files are encrypted.”
Cara groaned. “Good God. What can they be up to?”
“There's nothing we can do tonight. Get some sleep. Tomorrow we'll regroup, and, with the evidence Sean found, we can come up with a plan.”
“Rolf?”
“Yes?”
“You saved my life. Again.” She gave him a lopsided grin. “Thanks.”
He had to smile, too. “You're a lot of trouble. Do you know that?”
“I'm sorry. I’ll try to not let it happen again.”
“That would be good.”
“Oh, and Rolf?”
“Yes, Cara?”
“Can you please find me a bacon cheeseburger somewhere?”
Chapter Sixteen
“You say there was a man dressed all in black with black hair?” Desmond glared at his henchman. The fool had attacked another woman then let her escape. After hearing what had occurred, Carlton had dragged this idiot into Desmond’s study.
The man trembled and held out his hands to Desmond. “Master, I wanted to please you. I was sure I could find the bitch and kill her. It would have worked if that asshole hadn’t shown up.”
Cuts and bruises marred the man's face and body. Carlton crossed his arms and let out a huff. A sliver of anger sliced into Desmond, but he stifled his desire to obliterate the imbecile. He wanted information before he let rage consume him.
“The woman must have called him. He got there only a few minutes after I entered the clinic. He was powerful,” the man said. “Who is he?”
Desmond wheeled away to pace to the window. Rolf! The mysterious man in black could be no one else. An icy fury swept through him. How he ached to pursue his old enemy and destroy him. But he had to stay focused on his mission. If he was successful,
Rolf would be unable to stop him this time, and Desmond would torture him until he begged for death. The fact Rolf remained so close was excellent actually. Once he controlled Norfolk and Virginia Beach, he would spread a net of law enforcement that Rolf could not escape. A dark fate waited for the man who had once damned him to centuries of isolation and torture. He would make sure of that.
A rush of pleasure from this image coaxed a laugh from his throat. The Taker in front of him relaxed, his lips quivering into a smile. The dolt thought he would get off easy, but this was one too many mistakes. Desmond’s hand snaked out in a flash and connected with the man’s chest. Desmond drew from the power of the stone, which sat in its golden statue across the room, and the man’s Light was gone in a second. He collapsed to the floor, wide eyes frozen, his mouth open in a silent scream.
Carlton’s eyes narrowed. “What about the woman?”
“Forget her. That was a mistake. An unfortunate diversion. I don’t want any more mishaps. We need to focus on our plan. Once we create the Net, the insertion of our people can begin. After that, all those areas will be under our control.” Desmond faced Carlton. “We need to move up our date of implementation to this month’s waning moon. We can't wait for next month and risk any interference.”
Carlton frowned. “That’s in two days. Do you really think the others are ready?”
“They’ll have to be.” He stepped close to Carlton and cupped his face in one hand. “No more mistakes, Carlton.”
Carlton nodded and retreated, eyes sliding to the man on the floor as he rushed away.
###
Cara rose the next morning, muscles aching, but her head didn't hurt so much. Rolf’s infusion of Light had worked miracles. She eased out of bed, with a hand to her head as dizziness swept through her. Why did the Takers always have to whack her in the head? Dusty greeted her, bounding back and forth across the room, wanting to play. Too exhausted for his antics, she put a hand over her aching eyes and shook a finger at him. “No! Down!”
He finally subsided and contented himself with pressing against her legs, which nearly knocked her over. She stepped around him to open the antique armoire. Clothes from her house had been brought here and placed inside. She found other clothes in the dresser. More signs of Rolf’s efficiency. She pulled on jeans and a blue sweater then walked to the bathroom adjoining her room.
Peering into the mirror over the sink, she let out a long, slow breath. “Holy crap.” A patchwork of bandages, some of them spotted with blood, covered her face, and were interspersed with splotched areas of blue and black. Her right eye puffed out around the outer edge, while a bright pattern of mustard and violet decorated her neck. Just lovely.
Carefully peeling away the bandages, she patted her face with cold water. None of the wounds freely bled. Thank God. She opened the small cabinet on the wall. Antibiotic ointment and Band-Aids stocked the small shelves along with a variety of toiletries. After addressing the worst areas, she thought she appeared a little better than her first horrified look in the mirror.
“All right, you monster, let’s go find Rolf.” She patted her thigh and Dusty bounded toward her. Anxiety welled in her chest. But she couldn’t wait to hear what Sean had found.
Rolf emerged from a room off the hall and met her at the foot of the steps. “Cara, you look better this morning.” Dusty pranced toward him and Rolf ruffled his fur.
She smiled, then winced at the pain in her face. “Thanks, I think. What’s going on?”
“Sean is getting ready to show me what he found on the files. You want to listen in?”
“Yes, but first I need to call my office to let them know I won’t be in today.”
Rolf cleared his throat, opened his mouth, then closed it.
“What?” she asked.
“Cara, you can’t go back there. Ever,” he said, an apologetic light in his eyes.
“What do you mean? I have to go back. It’s my job. Those people depend on me to give them good medical care. I can’t desert them.” The air left her chest in a rush. The enormity of the situation dawned on her. Dear God, he was right. Everyone at the clinic could have been injured. Killed. All because of her. She covered her mouth with her hand. Maybe it was true. She might not ever be able to set foot in the clinic again.
“Call them and tell them you need a leave of absence after what happened yesterday. Anyone would be traumatized mentally, not to mention the physical abuse you received. It will give us time to try and stop the Light Takers. Then maybe you can go back.” Rolf came close and placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Liar,” she whispered, her mind reeling. “What am I going to do?”
“Go ahead and call them. We’ll take one day at a time. But we have to deal with this threat first.”
One day at a time. Okay, she could handle that. He guided her by the shoulder into the living room and the desk where the phone sat.
“I’ll go get you coffee and something to eat,” he said, softly. “And Dusty here needs a walk.”
She took a deep, calming breath and closed her eyes. He was right. In the context of what they faced, her job amounted to nothing. If the Takers weren’t stopped, her work would be irrelevant. She picked up the phone and called the director of the free clinics.
“How did it go?” Rolf returned a few minutes later, carrying a tray of coffee and toasted bagels with sausages and bacon. Her stomach rumbled at the delicious aroma of fried meat and toasted bread. Dusty ran up to her, panting, his eyes straying to the food. Rolf set the tray on the table in front of the fireplace and beckoned her to a chair beside it.
“Better than I thought. I must have looked pretty bad yesterday because she spent most of the conversation apologizing to me for being so severely hurt at work.” Cara sat and poured coffee into a delicate china cup with a rose pattern. “She said to take as much time as I need and just call her when I’m ready to come back. I also have the option to use a counselor at the expense of the city.” She glanced at him. “Think they’ll believe the story of evil Light-dealers trying to take over the world?”
He sank into the chair opposite her. One side of his lips curled upward. “No doubt.”
Sean strode into the room holding several folders, his face set in grim lines. “Sir, I’m ready for the briefing if you are.”
“Yes, come in and pull up a chair. Cara is going to listen as well.” Rolf nodded in her direction.
Sean gave her an appraising glance as he settled in a chair beside Rolf’s, but made no comment. Great. She must look like a beat up mess. But she dared him to fight a BD and come off any better. She was lucky to be alive, and she knew it.
“Here are reports on a few of the most important files I found.” Sean extracted some papers from one of his folders and handed them to Rolf.
“Give me the short version of what you think is going on,” Rolf said without inspecting the papers.
Sean swallowed and wiped his brow with one hand. “From what I can make out, they are planning an event that will be coordinated with Takers in all the other cities at the same time. They have positions targeted in government, police, and military. Apparently, Desmond has been in a process of bribing these officials over the last five years. They are going to initiate a net of Light-taking that will weaken the populace by draining their Light to a certain level. It won’t be noticeable, but in this state they’re supposed to be very susceptible to subliminal messages.”
He paused and pulled out another piece of paper. “This is a list of TV stations they have successfully hacked into. They’ll insert subliminal messages into the daily broadcast of every major station in the areas of the cities targeted. With their control of the government and law enforcement, they’ll begin a process of taking over the country one area at a time.”
“What do you mean? What kind of subliminal messages?” Cara asked.
Sean turned to her, brow furrowed. “Anything is possible. For instance, to support their insertion of the Takers into the high-leve
l positions they have targeted—keep people from protesting anything that happens.”
“They could get people to empty their bank accounts…really, the opportunities are endless. “ Rolf shook his head. “I’ve lived a long time. Mind control and propaganda are not so different from Nazi Germany. People can be led to think even atrocities are okay.”
“But how will they be able to drain such a large number of people at one time?” Cara frowned. “There aren’t enough Takers to touch each person individually.”
“Right.” Sean flipped through his folders. “It’s something they call a Net. Seems they’ve come up with a way to connect their consciousness at a specific time, and anyone within a certain radius will be affected.”
“But that means us,” she exclaimed. “If Desmond’s the mastermind then we’re right smack in the center of the Net. We’re going to turn into some kind of slaves to the Takers?”
“More importantly, Desmond will find us very quickly if he controls the government and law enforcement. He could make a fake report that we’re a group of terrorists or something.” Sean smacked the folders against his knee.
“If we knew when it was to occur, we’d be able to leave before it happened.” Rolf stood and paced to the fireplace, rubbing his chin.
“Yes, well, that’s the problem, isn’t it?” Sean sat forward in his chair.
Cara turned to him with a frown. “You don’t know when?”
“No, there’s no mention of a date.”
Silence hung heavy in the air for several minutes. Rolf lowered his head and rubbed his temples as he paced. Sean sat calmly waiting—impressive composure given the circumstances. Cara had the urge to run screaming from the room and hop on the first plane leaving Norfolk.
Rolf’s men must have a healthy respect for his abilities, but this might be too much for even him to deal with.
“Actually, that’s not entirely true.” Rolf stopped in front of them.
“What?” Sean’s brows went up.
“The date. I know when it will be.”
