Gabriel's Mate (31 page)

His feet carried him downstairs and out the door. He slammed it shut and headed for the Audi. While concentrating on traffic with one eye, his inner eye kept the connection with Maya’s memories. He recognized the streets and houses she’d passed as the truck she sat on drove further and further west.

She’d gotten away from him, but Gabriel didn’t delude himself for even a second that Ricky wasn’t on her heels already. He had to get to her first and make sure she would be safe.

***

The truck stopped at a red light, and Maya jumped off. They’d reached the east end of Golden Gate Park. She realized the sun would come up soon, and she needed to find shelter before it was too late. While it was tempting to run to the hospital which was only blocks away from the park, Maya knew Ricky would expect her to hide out there and find her. No, she had to go somewhere where he wouldn’t suspect her and hide until she could summon help.

She crossed the meadow and passed the children’s playground with its carousel. The tennis courts lay to her right. While there was a club house where she could find shelter from the sun, it would be swarming with people as soon as the sun came up and the first tennis players arrived for an early morning game. She wouldn’t be safe there for long.

Maya headed deeper into the woods. There was a place she knew of, had heard one of the paramedics talk about when they’d picked up a homeless man. She’d listened to the story of exactly where they’d found him, and knew she would be able to remember the way. She’d been there before. Curiosity had led her there on one of her Sunday walks, partly to check out whether the paramedic had told the truth, and partly because she’d had nothing better to do that afternoon.

She found the path she was looking for and jogged at a fast pace. At every sound, she jerked, ready to speed up if Ricky was coming for her. He’d never give up until he had her; she’d seen it in his eyes. The evil that had rolled off him had been strong, and now that she knew what he was capable of, she was surprised at herself that she hadn’t sensed it the moment Gabriel had introduced him in the kitchen.

How had Ricky been able to mask his true intentions from his friends and colleagues for so long? Did it have something to do with Ricky’s special gift that Gabriel had mentioned? That he could dispel people’s doubts. He’d confessed that he’d done it with hers. She remembered now that her skin had prickled uncomfortably that night she’d met him in the kitchen, but she’d written it off to the approaching fever. Now she knew he’d used his skill on her then.

Even Gabriel had trusted him, enough to send him to talk to Barbara and Paulette. And she’d unwittingly handed her two friends to him on a platter. All he’d had to do was kill them. Maya’s stomach lurched at the thought. No, she couldn’t allow herself to think this way now. She had to remain strong. Ricky was evil, and he would have found them either way, even without her help. And he would have made sure nobody would be able to find a trace of what he’d done.

Maya stopped at the sound behind her. She held her breath and kept still, afraid of making a move and giving her position away. There, another twig snapped. Somebody was walking in her direction. Her heart beat in her throat and perspiration built on her palms and her neck. She felt the moisture run in tiny rivulets down her back and chest. Had he found her already?

The large tree she had hidden behind blocked her view. But she knew he was there. She heard the rustle of the leaves and the sound of his boots on the ground. Searching the ground beneath her feet for anything she could use as a weapon, she discovered a short wooden stick. Without making a sound, she bent down and palmed it. She hoped it would make a good stake.

Maya took in a much needed breath—and froze as the scent filled her lungs.

She stepped around the tree and leapt at the man who stood in front of her. “Gabriel.”

His arms came around her as he pressed her to him and buried his head in her hair. “Oh, Maya… I thought I’d lost you.”

Before she could answer him, his mouth took hers in a fierce kiss, wiping away the memories of Ricky’s touch. When they came up for air, Gabriel stroked his hand over her face.

“Ricky, he’s after me. It’s him. He’s the rogue.” The words came spilling from her lips.

“We know. Amaury and Zane figured it out. They alerted me, but I got to the house too late.”

“I injured him, but I don’t think he’ll give up.”

Gabriel nodded. “I’ll alert the others to where we are. You’ll be safe in a few minutes.”

He pulled out his cell phone and started to dial.

Maya stared at it, instantly recalling Ricky’s own phone. “Shit!” She snatched the cell from his hands before he could react and smashed it against the tree with such force that it splintered into hundreds of tiny pieces.

“What the—”

***

Gabriel stared at her as she destroyed his only means of communicating with his colleagues. What on earth had gotten into her?

“You led him right to us.” There was no accusation in her eyes, only grim horror.

“How?”

“He has a tracker on you. I saw it on his iPhone. He knows where you are. We have to run.”

Gabriel cursed himself. Instead of saving her, he’d put her in more danger. He’d found her because of his unique connection to her and the fact that he could tap into her memories. Ricky didn’t have those skills and had probably followed him all along. And he, idiot that he was, had led him right to her. He couldn’t be far behind them.

“God, I’m sorry.”

“This way. I know a place where we can hide.”

Without hesitation, he followed her as she ran further into the woods. He only hoped that Ricky was far enough behind them that they’d have a chance to get away.

They zigzagged through the forested area before they reached the edge of a small meadow. Instead of crossing it, Maya continued hugging the tree line, staying hidden in their shadows. Gabriel was only steps behind her. But he didn’t speak, despite the many questions he had. If Ricky was close, any sound could lead him their way. While he was certain he could defeat him if confronted, it was too close to sunrise to fight. Even though he hated the idea of hiding, for Maya’s safety’s sake, he knew he had to.

When she turned and locked eyes with him, he knew she wasn’t angry at him, merely scared. And he wished he could wipe that fear off her face, but there was no time for it now. He gave her a reassuring nod and followed her around a bend on the barely recognizable footpath she appeared to know.

As they came to an earthen mound, she stopped.

Gabriel drew up next to her and saw what she was looking at. Notched into the small hill that looked like an oversized mole hill, was a metal door. It was locked with a padlock.

“Can you open this?” she asked him.

“What is this?”

“An old bomb shelter.”

“In San Francisco?”

“Built back during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Can you break the lock?”

He nodded and pulled his knife out of his boot. Luckily, he never left home without it. He held the padlock with one hand, then stuck the knife into it and twisted.

“Quickly. I can feel my skin prickle. He’s close,” she whispered.

Gabriel didn’t question what she sensed. If she felt him close, he wasn’t going to doubt her. He doubled his efforts and twisted harder. A moment later, he heard a click, and the lock sprung open. He unhinged it from the door, and pressed down the handle. The door opened to the inside.

Darkness greeted him. “Are you sure?”

Maya was already behind him and pressed inside. “The sun is coming. Quick!”

He stepped inside, pulling Maya with him before he let the door snap shut. All he could hear was her heavy breathing.

Thirty-one

Yvette heard the dog’s hesitant woof just outside the entrance door. She could sense his confusion as he sniffed, wondering whether it was safe to enter. How she was able to connect with an animal, she had no idea, but she’d had the same strange feelings when she’d wandered through the streets of San Francisco a few nights earlier and had noticed how dogs had suddenly started to follow her. One had even gone so far as to follow her all the way to Samson’s house. Maybe she’d tapped into a gift she didn’t know she had.

“Here, doggie, doggie,” she coaxed from her position at the fireplace, still strung up by her wrists, the silver painfully burning her skin. If she ever got out of this one, she’d string Ricky up by his balls and let him suffer until he fried in the rays of the rising sun.

A look out the window told her she didn’t have more than fifteen minutes until sunrise. This was cutting it close.

The dog’s claws scratched against the wood floor as he entered the house. “Good dog,” she praised. As he rounded the corner, she saw him, a light colored lab with big, brown eyes. His head tilted to the side as if he was trying to figure out what was wrong with her.

“Yes, my boy, come here.”

The good-natured beast approached and wagged its tail. She spotted a collar around its neck. Good. He had an owner, and hopefully that owner wasn’t too far away. “Where’s your daddy?” she asked him in the same crooning voice she’d used before. She only hoped that nobody would ever see her like this. They would all make fun of her, for sure.

“Hey boy, how about you play Lassie for me?” If a TV dog could summon its owner, surely this Labrador could do it too. His eyes looked intelligent, his ears perking up as if listening intently.

“Good doggie, go get you owner,” she ordered. “Go get Daddy.”

The dog wagged its tail again. Did he understand her? Yvette felt sweat build on her forehead. “Come on, doggie, do this for me, and I’ll give you a big meaty bone.” Yes, cutting off a piece of Ricky would be just up her alley.

The dog took a few more steps toward her and nudged at her legs.

“Do it, doggie, go on.”

“What are you going to have him do? Lick the chains off you?”

At the voice from the door, Yvette snapped her head toward it. “Stop joking and untie me, Zane!” She’d never been so happy to see her nasty colleague than at that moment.

Zane stepped into the living area, his gait relaxed, almost bored. “Never thought I’d see you like that. Looks like you’ll have to finally beg me for something.”

Yvette clenched her jaw. “You little shit, untie me now.”

He laughed, and she froze. She’d never heard him laugh. In fact, she had always assumed he was incapable of laughing. But the rumble that tore from his chest was definitely a laugh.

“I guess that’s as close as you’ll ever come to begging me for anything, huh?” he ventured as he approached. He pulled leather gloves out of his pockets and put them on. For a moment, she was reminded of the gloves Ricky had worn and instantly tensed when he reached her.

“Now
that
,” he commented at her indrawn breath, which she knew he recognized as fear, “
that
just made my day.” His grin widened. “Who would have thought that you’d ever be scared of me?”

Yes, and for an instant she had been scared of him, but the moment he loosened the silver chains and freed her, the fear vanished. “You’re such a sick bastard.”

“Ain’t it grand?”

Yvette decided not to comment. Whichever way Zane got his kicks, she didn’t really care. All she cared about was that he’d saved her life. And for that, she owed him. On impulse, she pulled his head to her and kissed him on the cheek.

“Thanks, buddy.”

She laughed when he pulled away, his lips pulled into a snarl. Zane hated any show of affection and even more so when it was directed at him—and Yvette knew it. She smiled.

“Bitch! Let’s go. I have a blackout van outside.”

“First, we’ll have to warn Gabriel. Ricky’s the rogue.”

“We already know. I’ll fill you in on the way. We’re setting up a command post at Thomas’ house.”

By the time they pulled the van into Thomas’ garage, which was located underneath his house, Zane had filled her in on most of the details. Behind them, Yvette heard the garage door roll shut. She gave it another couple of seconds before she opened the door of the van and jumped out. Zane killed the engine and followed her.

Yvette rubbed her chafed wrists. In the blackout van she’d helped herself to the supplies of bottled blood, but it would take several hours for the wounds to heal. The silver had painfully eaten away the outer layers of her skin, exposing the raw, pink flesh underneath. But she could deal with that. The pain inside her however, was harder to push away. One of their own had tried to kill her. Betrayal like that always cut deep.

She glanced behind her as she ascended to the upper level of Thomas’ house. Zane had a grim expression on his face, his lips drawn into a thin line. When he caught her look, he growled. Kissing him on the cheek to thank him for her rescue had clearly rattled him. It made her chuckle.

Hardass.

“One word about what happened back there and I’ll string you up myself.”

She shook her head and turned the door knob as she reached the top of the stairs, not bothering to reply. As she pushed the door open and took a step into the foyer, she recoiled.

“Fuck!”

Yvette slammed the door shut and bumped into Zane behind her.

“What’s wrong?”

“Daylight,” she hissed. “He’s got the shutters open.”

A moment later the door opened, and Thomas’ frame silhouetted against the light from behind him. “It’s all right, come in.”

“You’re fucking kidding me.” Yvette tried to move further back into the shadows.

Thomas reached out his hand. “It’s not natural light. Come, let me show you.”

Hesitantly, she followed him into the open-plan living area. The large room was flooded with light. As her eyes adjusted, she took in the room. Instinctively she hid behind Thomas—the room had floor-to-ceiling windows on two sides, and through them she saw the world outside.

“What the …?”

Thomas beckoned her closer to the windows. He seemed unconcerned. Outside, it was clearly daytime, and the light flooding through the windows should have turned him into toast within seconds, but there he stood, right in front of one of the large windows, admiring the view over the city below.