The Darkness Beyond Part 13

"Good, add this cloak and you're all set." Barak stepped back to check him out. "I know you will adapt to the thinner atmosphere in my world as easily as Lonzo and Trahern did. It would be better if you had Berk to act as a guide, but I know you aren't willing to wait for him. I wouldn't be either.

"Hunter promised to get word through to him to be on the lookout for both you and your woman. If possible, Berk will find you and pa.s.s you off as one of his men. It's normal for the Sworn Guardian to do all the talking. Once you're with him, keep your mouth shut unless you're in private."

Then Barak knelt down and opened the equipment bag Devlin had carried in. He pulled out a scabbard designed to hold a curved blade.

"Strap this on."

D.J. did as he was told. As soon as he had the leather belt settled around his waist, Barak adjusted it a bit and then held out a Kalith blade.

"Larem sent this to you. It was his, and his father's before him. He hopes it will bring you both luck and success in your rescue mission. He greatly regrets not being able to accompany you."

D.J. wouldn't have asked him to. Larem had just found out he was going to be a father, not to mention that there was a death sentence hanging over his head back in Kalithia.

"He has enough on his plate right now. But let him know I will treat his family's sword with the greatest respect. I understand the honor he has paid me."

After a few practice swings, D.J. nodded in approval at the way the sword fit his hand. "This thing is totally sick. I guess all those lessons you guys gave us in your style of fighting are going to come in handy."

Barak nodded, his expression grave. His own woman had been kidnapped by professional killers, and he had called the fury of a mountain down on his own head to end the threat to Lacey. Like Devlin, Barak knew exactly what D.J. was going through.

"I would come with you myself, but legally, Berk would be obligated to arrest me the minute I crossed into Kalithia. I find myself reluctant to test the depths of his friendship for me."

D.J. had to laugh at that. "Not a problem. Besides, I wouldn't want to face Lacey if I managed to get you arrested in Kalithia. She'd be over there in a heartbeat. The b.a.s.t.a.r.ds wouldn't know what hit them."

Barak's smile widened. "True enough. My mate has a fierce heart. But back to business. Devlin and I brought enough supplies for me to remain here in the cave for several days. I will check each day at sunrise and sunset to see if you have returned." He paused. "I just wish you knew more about who you were after."

The comment jarred D.J.'s memory. He slapped his forehead. "I'm an idiot!"

Lonzo cracked up. "Tell us something we don't already know."

D.J. ignored him and pointed. "I found a word scratched in the rock over here. I think Reggie was trying to tell me who had kidnapped her."

Barak studied the marking with a grim expression. "Jeban is definitely a Kalith name. Unfortunately, it is common enough that his first name alone won't identify him, but it's a start. We'll share the information with Berk as soon as possible. This woman of yours is clever."

Yeah, she was. Too clever for her own good, but now wasn't the time to think that way. She'd managed to survive so far. Hopefully her quick thinking would keep her alive long enough for him to find her.

"I need to get going."

Devlin had to have the last word. "Don't get yourself killed, D.J. You might be a pain in the a.s.s, but you're our pain in the a.s.s. Besides, I'd like to meet this Reggie. Anyone smart enough to run you around in circles sounds like my kind of woman."

D.J.'s, too, but he hadn't yet earned the right to be thinking that way.

"Barak, do your thing."

The Kalith warrior stood in front of the barrier and held out his hands as he quietly chanted. Almost immediately, the barrier began to fade. As Barak continued to work, D.J. caught a movement out of the corner of his eye. Cody was creeping forward while everyone's attention was focused on the barrier. No doubt he was hoping to jump across into Kalithia.

It wasn't going to happen, although he respected the guy for trying. He caught Trahern's attention and jerked his head in Cody's direction. The Paladin nodded and immediately positioned himself in front of him. There was no way he'd be able to get past Trahern.

Cody knew it, too. He shot D.J. a furious look, but D.J. kept his eye on the barrier as he made his way around behind Barak to talk to Cody.

"I need you to stay here and help Devlin. They're going to need you to track down the guy who did this to Reggie. If we don't find him, he'll go after her again when we get back."

Cody didn't like it, but at least he was listening. D.J. added his last argument for leaving him behind. "You're the only one who can cover for Reggie with your boss. Besides, she wouldn't want you s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g up your cla.s.ses by missing your finals."

"I'll retake them next quarter if I have to."

"Yeah, but can you afford the extra tuition?" D.J. was grasping at straws, and they both knew it.

Cody could give D.J. a run for his money when it came to sheer cussedness. "That's my problem, not yours."

"Fine, it's your decision, but Reggie will kick both our a.s.ses if you have to drop out because of her."

Then he handed Cody the flash drive he'd saved Reggie's files on and the keys to his truck. "Plus, you know how her mind works. My friend Cullen will stand a better chance of finding the b.a.s.t.a.r.ds behind this with your help."

Devlin had been listening in. "But whether you do this or not, Cody, we'll see that your tuition is covered until you graduate."

Cody's eyes flared wide. "Why would you do that?"

"Because you're one of us now. Now let's get out of the way. Barak's almost done."

Everyone moved back from the barrier except D.J. and Barak. Not knowing who might be waiting on the other side, the Paladins pulled their swords and stood ready to fight.

The swirling energy jerked and twitched as if it were alive. Holes that gradually grew until one blended into the next and the next appeared in the fabric of the energy. Two seconds later the whole thing ripped apart and disappeared. D.J. couldn't afford to hesitate. If he was straddling the line between the two worlds when it popped back up, it would slice him in half.

A voice behind them shouted, "Holy s.h.i.t!"

Cody's reaction didn't come as any surprise. All of them had stood at the barrier at some point in their lives and caught their first glimpse of an alien world. Although the cavern on the other side was a mirror reflection of the one D.J. had just left, there was an opening directly to the outside that revealed a small glimpse of the twin suns in the sky over Kalithia.

D.J. stopped long enough to look back at his friends. There was no way to know what was going to happen as he hunted for Reggie. He'd find her or die trying. With that thought in mind, he made eye contact with each man in turn, hoping that it conveyed how much they all meant to him.

Barak was showing the strain of maintaining control over the barrier. Even so, he leaned forward slightly as if straining to see past the cave and into the world beyond.

"Once you find your lady, come back here if you can. If not, aim for those low hills you see in the distance. There are caves along the back of the second range. One that holds a small stretch of the barrier hides behind a boulder shaped like an old man's face. I will tell Berk that you know of that cave."

D.J. nodded, feeling better to have two possible escape routes. While they talked, Trahern and Devlin tossed a couple of equipment bags across to the other cave.

"What's that?"

Devlin added one more bag. "Food and water. Basic survival gear. Should be enough to keep you both going until we can get you back across."

D.J.'s throat closed tight with emotion. He could barely choke out a simple, "Thanks, guys."

Then Barak released his control of the barrier. Just that quickly all of his friends disappeared behind the surging colors. D.J. hadn't felt quite so alone in a long time. It took him another few seconds to focus.

Once his pulse had returned to normal, he braced himself for the hunt that was about to begin. He stuck his gun into the waistband of his trousers and sheathed Larem's sword as he stepped out of the cave and into the dim light of a Kalith evening.

G.o.d, if he found all of this a bit bewildering, how bad was it for Reggie? He rested his hand on the pommel of his sword, drawing comfort from the familiar feel. Battle fever ran hot in his veins. He'd been at war with this alien world for most of his adult life. The only difference was, this time he was bringing the fight to them.

Reggie stumbled along in between her two captors. Once they'd crossed the barrier, they'd made her put on a set of clothes and a cloak from the cache of supplies they'd left in the cave. At least they'd let her keep her own shoes. Thanks to the oversize pants, her feet barely showed anyway.

Once they started hiking, it was hard to keep up with the pace set by Jeban's partner. Obviously they wanted to put considerable distance between themselves and the barrier. Judging from the way Jeban kept looking back, he was worried about being followed.

The thin air left her lungs burning from the effort to keep up. Despite being physically fit, it was all she could do to keep putting one foot in front of the other. When they'd first started out, she tried to take note of the landscape, but eventually gave up trying to make sense of the endless monotony. The whole freaking world was brown with the occasional streak of gray. Each step they took kicked up a cloud of dust, clogging her nose and throat. Beads of muddy sweat trickled down her face and left her skin itching.

Would D.J. actually cross into this h.e.l.lish place to come after her? There was no way to know for sure that he'd been able to follow their trail back on earth, much less track her in an alien world. Her logical mind might have its doubts, but her heart told her he'd come. Despite having spent only a short time in his company, she felt a powerful connection to the man.

Hunger and exhaustion were making it much harder to make sense of everything that had happened in the past few days, starting with the fight with Big Ed and then D.J. showing up on her doorstep. Not to mention how her whole image of reality had been turned inside out and upside down. For now, she just had to keep trudging along. As long as she focused on the simple things, she didn't think so much about why she was there in the first place.

Obviously Ray had his own plans for her. G.o.d knows what they were, but he seemed to be waiting for her trail to grow cold before pursuing them. Right now it was Jeban and company who scared her right down to her bones.

"Stop."

The alien in front of her abruptly turned off the trail and waded into the high gra.s.s. They'd been walking along a narrow, dusty path that led down a steep hill toward the valley below. Where was he taking her now? She froze where she was, reluctant to go any farther.

Jeban moved up beside her. "Follow him. We're going to stop to rest and have something to eat."

Sure enough, a short distance into the gra.s.s, there was a small stream. The two Kalith immediately knelt down and used their hands to scoop up handfuls of water to drink. Reggie didn't even let herself consider what alien microbes might be lurking in the water and followed their example. If these two guys could function back on earth, she had to a.s.sume there were enough similarities between the two worlds for her to be able to eat and drink in relative safety.

G.o.d, she hoped so anyway. But regardless, she needed to maintain her strength if she was going to escape from these two. How she'd find her way back home on her own was a problem she'd deal with later.

The water was cool and clear and tasted fine. It also felt good to splash it on her face and to rinse the dirt off her hands. When she'd had enough, Jeban motioned for her to have a seat on a nearby rock. Then, to her surprise, he tossed her a couple of granola bars, the same brand she bought for herself.

The little touch of home had her eyes burning with tears that she refused to shed. "So people aren't the only thing you steal from my world."

Jeban's freaky pale eyes narrowed in anger. "I thought you would do better eating your own food."

Darned if she'd feel grateful for anything the guy had done, even if it was thoughtful. She perched on the rock but turned her back on the two men. Neither of them seemed interested in talking to each other much less her. That was fine. She was too tired to maintain a brave front.

She nibbled on the granola bars, hoping to delay their departure as long as she could. Every minute they spent out here on the trail would give D.J. that much more time to track them. Besides, she didn't want to think about what would happen once they reached their final destination.

Footsteps behind her warned that her respite was over. Sure enough, Jeban circled the rock to face her.

"We are leaving soon."

Not knowing when they would stop again, she sipped more of the cool water, enjoying its soothing trickle down her throat. She was about to reach for another handful when the nameless guy stopped her by putting his hand on her shoulder.

"We go now."

She nodded but drank anyway. When she stood up, his expression made it all too clear that he'd noted the small rebellion. The chill in his eyes was scary, but she refused to cower.

Once again the other guy took the lead, Jeban following Reggie. It worried her that she was starting to trust Jeban to look after her. That was nothing but stupidity. If he'd really wanted to help her, he would've left her back in her world. Even so, he was far less scary than his partner.

For now she studied their surroundings, trying to memorize the path back to the cave. If somehow she managed to slip away, she'd need a plan. Of course, the cave would be the first place they'd look for her, but it was the only route home that she knew. Besides, it was the first place D.J. would check.

Just past the next rise, they reached the valley floor. The hills behind them looked much like those she could see in the distance. The terrain in between was flat and dry. Most of the plants were burned brown from the dry heat even though the light from the two stars in the sky was far dimmer than earth's single sun. No wonder Jeban had described his home as the land of the dying suns.

The stream ran parallel to the trail until it abruptly disappeared underground. From that point, the path they were following did a ninety-degree turn and headed straight across the valley floor toward the hills beyond.

"How far do we have to go?" she asked.

She'd addressed the question to Jeban, but it was his friend who answered. "Are you in such a hurry to meet your fate?"

There was nothing to be said to that, so she walked on in silence. Despite her two companions, she'd never felt so alone in her life.

Outside the cave, it didn't take long for D.J. to pick up a trail left behind by Reggie and her captors. They were nowhere in sight. Considering the head start they'd gotten, he hadn't really expected them to be. Rather than go charging down the hillside, he went back inside the cave to rummage through the supplies that Devlin had provided.

It was mostly food and water, but his friend had also stuck in extra clips for D.J.'s Glock as well as a first-aid kit and some s.p.a.ce blankets, the kind that took up little room but provided a surprising amount of warmth. He'd also included matches, two flashlights, a small backpacker's stove, and even some plastic ties that could be used as restraints.

Yeah, like D.J. was going let the b.a.s.t.a.r.ds live long enough to need those. Sworn Guardian Berk might have a different opinion on that subject should their paths cross, but he'd deal with it then. Rather than leave the packs in the cave where one of the Others might find them, D.J. stashed them a short distance away from the cave behind some low bushes.

Time to begin the hunt.

He didn't bother with caution. These guys either knew he was coming or they were fools. Whichever it was, he had to make up time if he'd stand any chance of catching them.

Starting off at a trot, he waited to see how the thinner atmosphere affected his stamina before picking up speed. He slowed occasionally to catch his breath as he looked for tracks to verify that he was still following the right trail.

About an hour later, he came to a stop. The gra.s.s to the side of the trail looked trampled, as if someone had cut across country. He drew his gun and started forward, worried about what he'd find. As soon as he spotted the stream, his tension drained away. It made sense that they would've stopped here for water and maybe a brief rest.

That didn't keep the fear that they'd stopped for much darker reasons from eating at him. He'd feel a whole lot better if he had some inkling of why they'd brought Reggie into Kalithia. It sure as h.e.l.l wasn't because of her b.i.t.c.hin' computer skills, not in this world where such things didn't exist.

He studied the edge of the stream and could see where three different individuals had knelt to drink. Then he spotted something lying in the dirt beside a nearby rock. Granola wrappers. Okay, so they were feeding her. He had no doubt that she'd left the sc.r.a.ps of paper for him to find. G.o.d, he loved the way her mind worked.

Enough time wasted. After a quick drink, he soaked his handkerchief and wrapped it around his neck. Then he returned to the original trail, picking up greater speed as he ran downhill. Based on what he'd been able to learn from the footprints Reggie and her escorts had left in the dust, they were walking. As long as he maintained a faster pace, eventually he'd catch up with them.

When he did, there'd be h.e.l.l to pay.

Cody knew he was sulking, but right then he didn't care. In the past two days, thanks to D.J., his whole life had gone straight to h.e.l.l, starting with his best friend being kidnapped and dragged into an alien world. Not only that, Cody was now surrounded by a bunch of killers armed with swords and guns.

The whole thing read like a bad science fiction movie, the kind where the geeky kid gets swept up in events too big for him to comprehend. Devlin had taken off in a helicopter shortly after they'd left the caves. Lonzo had stayed behind with that Barak guy to wait for D.J.'s return.

Evidently Devlin was going to make contact with someone they knew who still lived in Kalithia. From what they said, this guy Berk was part of some kind of local militia. For Reggie's sake, it was nice to know there were good guys on the other side of that barrier, too.

Devlin was also going to sic D.J.'s friend Cullen on tracking the helicopter that had whisked the human contingent of bad guys off to safety before Trahern and Lonzo could catch up with them. Cody almost wished he'd been invited along for the ride. For one thing, Cullen was the guy D.J. had wanted Cody to work with on the computer stuff.

Right now, though, Trahern was taking Cody back to Portland to pick up a few things before heading up to the Paladins' Seattle headquarters. Rather than think too much about it all, Cody closed his eyes and tried to doze off.

It didn't work. About the time he managed to relax enough, Trahern pulled off the road, jarring Cody back to full alert.

"What's going on?"

"I thought we'd stop and chow down."

Cody wanted to protest. No one seemed to be hurrying enough. Yeah, D.J. was hot on Reggie's trail, but Cody wanted-needed-to be doing something soon.

"But-"

Trahern turned his chilly gaze in Cody's direction. "No buts, Cody. None of us can function well when running on empty, and we have a long way to go tonight. Believe me, the first thing you learn in this world of ours is to eat whenever you get a chance. There'll be enough times ahead when you'd give your left nut for even a handful of granola."

Cody hadn't made up his mind yet about whether to throw in his lot with these guys, but for the moment he had little choice in the matter. Once Reggie was back where she belonged and the Paladins had tracked down the guys who'd kidnapped her in the first place, he'd have time to think about it.