Bound By Darkness Part 14

He read it out loud: "Duke, the b.a.s.t.a.r.ds must die."

The body of the e-mail said more of the same, but again there was no signature to identify the sender. Okay, he was down with the idea if this guy was talking about killing those f.u.c.king Others who'd managed to worm their way into living on this side of the barrier. The adults should've been gutted the minute they crossed over and the two kids shoved back into their own world. Neither of those things was going to happen, not with a bunch of the Paladins ready to go down fighting to protect them.

So, yeah, he was ready to sign on to any feasible plan for getting things back to the way they were before that creepy Barak crossed paths with Devlin Bane. The e-mail said to simply send a blank reply if he wanted to know more. He'd do it in a heartbeat if he knew for sure it wasn't a trap.

"Who the h.e.l.l are you?" he asked, wishing he could expect an answer.

His hand hovered over the mouse, his left forefinger itching to click the b.u.t.ton. If he chickened out, he'd have to go on watching his friends fight and die, and for what? Not a d.a.m.ned thing if the Regents and the Paladins started treating the enemy with more respect than they did the guards.

He knew for a fact that part of the Seattle budget had been diverted to pay the three adult Kalith's salaries. Barak was paid to work with his woman. No doubt about how he earned his money. h.e.l.l, Duke would've applied for that job himself, but Lacey Sebastian had never given him a second glance.

The other two were "instructors." Sure, they could teach everyone how to counter the style of fighting the Others used. But in return, the Kalith now knew everything about the human weapons and how they were used.

The question he had was whether the Kalith could duplicate the technology used to produce firearms or stun guns. Who knew what kind of intelligence Barak and Larem had been sent across the barrier to gather?

As Duke considered his options, he wiped his sweaty palms on his pants. On the one hand, he could ignore the e-mail and go on just as he had been: reporting for duty, doing his job, and eating antacids by the handful. Or, he could click the b.u.t.ton and see what happened.

He clicked the mouse before he could convince himself otherwise.

It wasn't until he was well into his six-pack two hours later that he remembered to check his mail. Sure enough, his mysterious contact had responded. Before opening the e-mail, Duke snagged another beer.

Okay, it was now or never. He opened the e-mail and scanned its contents.

"Well, I'll be d.a.m.ned."

He couldn't sit still, so he walked a couple of laps around the room before sitting back down at the computer to read the message again: Friend, from now on we won't use names or at least real ones. This Sunday, take the ferry across to Whidbey Island and drive down to the state park on the south end. Be there at noon and carry a newspaper opened to the sports page so we can recognize each other. I can't tell you how many of us to expect and wouldn't if I could. You have one last chance to back out of the deal by replying with "cancel my subscription" typed in the subject line. Otherwise, you're in this for the long haul. The fight for our world begins now!

The words burned themselves into Duke's brain. After deleting the e-mail, he purged the trash file and then emptied the recycle bin, hoping to destroy all records of the correspondence except a hard copy. Sunday was his day off. Had the mysterious sender known that? It was pretty d.a.m.ned spooky how much the guy seemed to know.

Duke would know more come this weekend. Until then, tomorrow was another workday, and it was time for bed. But as he lay staring up at the ceiling in the darkness, he had to wonder whether he'd just signed his own death warrant.

The money had been approved. Sasha danced around her office whooping it up, grinning from ear to ear and toasting her reflection in the window. Her little celebration didn't last long though. It was no fun when she was the only one tapping her toes.

She dialed Laurel's number but decided against leaving a message when it went to voice mail. She also struck out when she tried Devlin. That was okay. In an hour she was due at Lacey Sebastian's house for a Sat.u.r.day night barbecue. It would be a whole lot more fun to tell Devlin and Laurel in person.

The geologist had called with the invitation right after Sasha had finished up her meeting with Devlin. Lacey had warned Sasha that there was likely to be a mob, but that was okay. It would be nice to get to know the locals in a more informal setting.

Her father had made it a policy not to socialize much with the hired help, as he called anyone other than the Regents themselves. His theory was that maintaining an emotional distance made it easier to make the hard decisions. Maybe that worked for him, but not for her. The choices the Regents made had a direct impact on everyone in the organization. She wanted people to feel that she was approachable and open to their suggestions.

She ducked into the ladies' room to see how she looked. This time of year the weather could change in a matter of minutes, so she'd picked black jeans with a dark gold tank top and matching black jacket. Right now the sun was shining, but clouds were gathering out over the Sound.

Lacey had said they'd move the party inside if necessary. Since she didn't seem bothered by that possibility, Sasha wouldn't worry either. After retrieving the dessert she'd bought as her contribution for the evening, she flagged down a cab and gave the driver Lacey's address.

It wasn't hard to find the right house on the block. The driveway was overflowing with cars, with a few even parked on the lawn. She'd heard the Paladins had drawn straws; those with short ones remained on duty so the rest could party. Sasha paid the fare and climbed out of the cab feeling a bit intimidated by the number of people who'd shown up.

Even from the street she could hear the murmur of voices coming from the backyard-most of them male. She braced herself and headed for the front door. Someone must have been watching for arrivals, because the door swung open before she had a chance to ring the bell.

Her smile faded a bit when she saw who it was. "Larem, I didn't know you'd be here."

Although she should have. It only made sense that Barak and Lacey would invite all the Kalith in the area. Larem didn't look any happier to see her.

"Go on through the kitchen. Lacey is expecting a few more people, so I offered to man the door until they all arrive."

There wasn't much she could say to that, but she wasn't about to let his presence ruin the party for her. Luckily, Laurel spotted Sasha as soon as she stepped out on the deck. The Handler made a beeline for her.

Sasha smiled at the doctor. "I'm so glad to see a familiar face, Laurel, especially because I've got good news!"

After Sasha told her about the funding, the two of them stood together, looking down on the backyard from the deck. There were only a few women mixed in the crowd. Sasha recognized Brenna standing with Trahern. The woman she was talking to had to be Lusahn q'Arc, her pale eyes and dark hair with silver streaks clearly marking her as Kalith.

But it was the men milling around the yard who drew Sasha's attention. Despite having met a fair number of them already, she found seeing them all together was overwhelming. Paladins varied in coloring and build, but each was a prime specimen in his own right. Maybe it was something about the way they moved with such power and confidence. Her companion picked up on the direction Sasha's thoughts had taken.

Laurel leaned her elbows on the railing beside her. "If it weren't for the whole secrecy thing, I've always thought if we could get these guys to pose for a calendar, we could all retire rich."

"You might have something there. I'd volunteer to organize it in a heartbeat. We could even use part of the money to fund some special projects here." She shot Laurel a teasing look. "Think Devlin would pose shirtless? I'm betting D.J. would for sure."

The words were no sooner out of her mouth than she realized they were no longer alone. Please tell her that Larem hadn't heard that last part. One glance at his face told the story. He'd heard all right and wasn't happy about it.

"Here. I thought you two might be thirsty." He shoved a soft drink at each of them and then stalked away.

Laurel grimaced. "Whoops. Something tells me Larem disapproves of the whole calendar idea."

Then she winked at Sasha. "Or maybe he hated the idea of you wanting to see D.J. and Devlin half naked."

"Yeah, right. And here I was going to ask him and Barak to pose for June and July."

Sasha took a long sip of her cola and watched Larem make his way across the yard to stand with a couple. The guy looked vaguely familiar, but not the woman. "Who are they?"

"Hunter Fitzsimon and his fiancee, Tate. They live about seventy miles north of here where he keeps an eye on another stretch of the barrier."

"I thought I recognized him. He's originally from Missouri, right? That's probably where I've seen him. I'd forgotten he'd been transferred out here."

Larem looked much more relaxed now that he was with them. "Is he good friends with Larem?"

Laurel nodded. "Yeah. Larem was part of the crew that brought down Kincade. He and Hunter struck up a friendship right after Hunter moved up north. Everyone was a bit surprised considering what happened to Hunter back in Missouri, but they've been good for each other."

The Handler was obviously referring to when Hunter had been tortured to death by Others. Sasha didn't know all the details, but she'd heard enough to make her skin crawl. It was easy to understand why the friendship between Larem and Hunter would have come as a surprise.

Laurel popped the top on her drink. "But I shouldn't be standing here gossiping. Want to go mingle?"

"Sounds good." Sasha followed her down the steps to the patio. "Can you introduce me to Lacey? We've talked on the phone but haven't actually met."

"Sure thing. She's over there with her brother Penn and Barak."

Larem kept his eyes focused on Hunter and Tate, but he was all too aware of Sasha's movements as she drifted from group to group. Right now she was laughing at something D.J. had said. The jerk! He should- Hunter's gravelly voice interrupted his thoughts. "Is something wrong, Larem?"

"No, why?" he asked, aiming for calm and failing miserably.

His friend smiled and pointed at Larem's hands. One was curled into a tight fist while the other clutched his drink hard enough to dent the sides of the can. "You're looking a bit tense there. Who's p.i.s.sed you off this time?"

"It's nothing. I'm fine."

"Sorry, but I'm not buying that." Tate angled her head to look past him. "Who's the redhead?"

Hunter answered for him. "That's Sasha Willis, the new administrator a.s.signed here. Rumor has it she's hoping to be promoted to Regent status and stay permanently."

Great, and here Larem had been hoping she'd go back to where she came from any day now. Of course, she probably wanted the same for him.

"The one who got herself trapped down in the tunnels?" Tate looked to Larem for confirmation. "The one you rescued?"

And killed his own people in the process, but he kept that to himself as he nodded. "That's her." Then he steered the conversation in a safer direction. "So how is your book coming along?"

Tate blushed. "It's almost done. I'm doing the final polish before I start querying agents to see if they'd like to represent me."

"It's really good, too!" Hunter bragged. "Although I'm still trying to decide if I was the inspiration for the lawman or the gunslinger in the story."

He looked down at his fiancee. "The sheriff doesn't get the woman, but then the gunslinger gets shot."

Tate looked outraged as she punched Hunter. "Hunter Fitzsimon, you promised you wouldn't read it until I was completely finished!"

"Yeah, well, I lied," Hunter said, rubbing his arm. "I wanted to know what it was about those two guys that made your eyes go all dreamy. Besides, you let Mabel read it."

Mabel was one of Tate's neighbors and a close friend. Larem was fond of the elderly woman and her two sisters. He asked, "So what did Mabel say about the book?"

Hunter snickered. "She said it needed more hot s.e.x, but otherwise she liked it."

Tate's face turned rosy. "That's enough, Hunter. Let's talk about something else."

Larem smiled at the exchange. It sounded exactly like something Mabel would've said. She might be old, but she was definitely feisty. He also enjoyed seeing Hunter so happy. It hadn't been that long ago that he had raged out of control and tried to kill Larem with his bare hands just for being Kalith. The Paladin might still have his demons, but their hold on him had faded considerably since Tate had entered his life.

A man could face almost anything with the right woman by his side. Larem automatically sought out the corner of the yard where Lusahn q'Arc stood beside Cullen Finley, his arm draped across her shoulders. For once, the sight of her looking so happy with her human lover didn't send a shaft of pain twisting deep inside Larem's chest. In fact, he was glad for her. She'd created a nice family for herself with the Paladin and the two Kalith orphans she'd adopted.

At that moment, she happened to look in his direction. He smiled at her and nodded. Yes, she'd made decisions that had ripped his life apart. But looking back, he knew she'd done the best she could under difficult circ.u.mstances. The next time he caught her alone, he'd tell her that he was pleased that she'd moved on and built a new life in this world.

Which meant it was time for him to do the same.

Before he could pursue that thought or wonder why he'd been keeping track of Sasha's movements ever since she'd arrived, Lacey announced that dinner was ready. Everyone converged on the tables of food in one big rush, with the usual good-natured pushing and shoving among a few of the Paladins.

A couple of the idiots bounced into Sasha, sending her stumbling backward. Larem stepped out of line and caught her by the arm just in time to keep her from hitting the ground.

"Whoops, sorry, pretty lady," the closest Paladin said as he shoved his friend back out of the way, almost hitting her again. "Jerk, see what you made me do?"

Larem planted himself in front of Sasha and glared at the two fools. "Must you act like children?"

"Hey, I said I was sorry." The young Paladin took a step forward, his buddy moving up beside him. "Mind your own d.a.m.ned business."

"She is my business, so back off." Larem ignored Sasha's gasp of surprise-or maybe it was outrage-at his outlandish claim. Before he could deal with her, he had to do something about the two punks.

"And if we don't want to back off, Other, what are you going to do about it?"

Larem sensed more Paladins approaching, but they were allies, not enemies. Lonzo stood to his right, Hunter to his left. Lacey would not soon forgive him for turning her barbecue into a brawl, but it wasn't in his nature to run from a fight. If anyone gave ground, it wasn't going to be him. His two friends would happily provide backup, but he wouldn't need their help with these two.

Devlin Bane shouldered his way through the crowd. "What the h.e.l.l is going on here?"

Larem kept his eyes focused on his opponents. "These two children almost knocked Ms. Willis down-twice. I was about to teach them some manners."

"Listen, you freaky-eyed alien, I'll-"

Before the youngster could finish, Devlin had him by the throat. "Not one more word, Craig. You hear me? Not one more word."

When the kid managed to nod, Devlin shoved him backward. "I don't know what started this and don't care, but it stops now."

Devlin shot a quick glance in Larem's direction. "You free Monday afternoon?"

"I am."

"Good." He reached over to brush a fleck of dust off the young Paladin's shoulder. "Monday at one, you and your buddy here will report to the gym for some quality practice time with Larem. Just to keep things interesting, if there's anything left of you when your lesson's over, you can each log some additional training with me."

Trahern had joined the group. "Not fair, Dev. How come you and Larem get to have all the fun?"

Devlin's smile was a scary thing indeed. "Fine, we'll take turns."

Lonzo and Hunter both chimed in. "Sounds like a good time. It's been a while since we've seen Larem in action. Who knows, maybe Barak will join us."

By now the two young Paladins were wide-eyed and pale. "But, sir, he's just a . . ."

Devlin got right back in his face. "Just how d.a.m.ned stupid are you, Craig? Larem is a close friend of half the men here-a friend they trust to have their backs. Do you have any idea how rare that kind of friendship is? Shut your mouth and leave now, both of you, while you still can. And on your way out, stop and apologize to Lacey and Barak for s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g up their party. Got that?"

"Yes, sir," they both managed to stammer.

"Good, now get out of my sight."

Devlin waited until they were gone before he walked away, shaking his head in disgust. Larem bit back the urge to tell the Paladin that he could handle his own problems, but he was all too aware of Sasha listening to every word of the heated exchange.

If she'd thought the Kalith were universally accepted by the people stationed in Seattle, she now knew the truth. But for every punk like Craig, there were two like Lonzo and Hunter, men who'd fought and bled beside him.

Gradually, the other guests turned their attention back to the food. Larem braced himself to face Sasha, expecting to see nothing but anger reflected in those big eyes of hers.

"Sasha, I-"

But she cut him off. "Don't sweat it. Jerks are jerks wherever they are. Luckily, those two are still young, so maybe there's hope for them. I am sorry, though, that they were so rude to you."

Okay, so he hadn't seen that one coming. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, although suddenly I'm starving." She looked past him toward the people working their way along the buffet. "I think we'd better get in line before the food is all gone."

Not sure if he was supposed to stick right with her or not, he hung back long enough to let a couple of other people go ahead of him. If Sasha missed him, she gave no indication. Pretending that it didn't bother him, he picked up a plate and started piling on the salads.