In Darkness Reborn (6 page)

He was just finishing up when his lunch arrived. He accepted the sandwich and cold drink after offering his thanks and a ten-dollar bill to cover the cost.

When Ben tried to give back part of the money, Penn shook his head. “Don't sweat it. This is a far better lunch than I would have had. I appreciate it.”

“Okay, if you're sure.” Ben checked his watch. “I'd better get going. I want to finish this morning's crossword puzzle before I have to go back to work.”

Penn grinned at him. “Let me know if you figure out what eight across is. I must have some wrong letters in there because I can't make any sense out of that part.”

Ben disappeared down the alley as Penn took a bite out of his sandwich. After washing it down with a long drink from his pop, he studied the crossword puzzle again, hoping for inspiration to hit while he finished his lunch.

A
sense of unease had plagued Barak all morning and afternoon because of the faint scent that might or might not have been out of place. He hadn't been in this world long enough to develop a feel for how things should have been. Until he did, he could only rely on his senses to keep him safe.

And his nose was telling him that it was no coincidence that the man whose scent he'd caught near the alley entrance that morning had also been the one who had rifled through his notes, leaving them slightly out of order. Had he done so on purpose, as a warning? He could have just been waiting to talk to Lacey and picked up the papers out of curiosity.

Barak didn't think so. Or why would the intruder have gone to such lengths to avoid being seen by Lacey? No, someone was checking to see what Barak was doing in the geology lab—perhaps someone who thought he might be a threat.

There had been no trace of the blue stones in the man's scent, but that didn't mean much. Unless the stones came into direct contact with someone with the talent for working them, they acted just as any other jewel might, reflecting available light and not much else.

The Regents weren't about to allow a manhunt through the underground offices, so he'd have to rely on luck to find his elusive quarry.

“Why don't you break for lunch, Barak?”

Lacey walked out of her office, bending from side to side to stretch out her back. The action emphasized her soft curves and narrow waist and his body flashed hot and hard with need. Ever since meeting her, his nights had been plagued with dreams of her in his bed, her bright blue eyes filled with smoky desire and those long legs riding high around his hips. He glanced back at his notes to keep her from seeing the heat in his gaze.

He about fell off his chair when she put her hand on his shoulder as she reached past him to flip his book closed. “Come on, Barak, you've been reading those manuals for almost four hours without a break. Not even I could stand to study them for that long without giving myself a headache.”

“I have to admit my attention has wandered a bit the past few minutes.”

“I can see why. I'm surprised you can keep your eyes open.” Lacey stepped back, giving him room to stand up.

“I believe I will go out for a bite. Would you care to join me?” The invitation slipped out before he could help himself.

For a long second, he thought she considered accepting, but then she frowned and shook her head. “No thanks, but I appreciate the offer. I brought something from home.”

The idea of going out just lost its appeal, but he couldn't very well change his mind without making her suspicious. That he would also have to contend with Penn Sebastian going and coming increased his reluctance to leave the building.

He headed for the door, wishing that he could come up with a legitimate excuse to stay. At the doorway, he paused for one last look in Lacey's direction. To his surprise, she was watching him walk away. She blushed when he gave her a parting nod before stepping out into the corridor. For the first time in hours, he felt like smiling.

That lasted as long as it took him to reach the door that led to the alley. He'd rather not fight with Penn Sebastian, but the alley was the only way in and out of the Center that he'd been shown. It was unlikely that anyone would allow him free access through the rest of the complex to find another way out.

But that wasn't all that was bothering him. That elusive scent was back. He slowly turned in a circle, testing the air in each direction. The sickening sweet smell of cheap aftershave combined with male sweat came from the direction opposite the geology lab, reinforcing Barak's conviction that the man had been snooping around rather than having been here on legitimate business.

The real question was why.

To his surprise, the scent was strong in the alley as well. It would be a simple matter to ask Penn who had recently passed by him; the hard part would be to get the irascible Paladin to give him a straight answer. Even if Penn liked Barak, which he didn't, the Paladin would wonder why Barak wanted to know. No, until he had more concrete evidence that something was amiss, he would have to keep his concerns to himself.

Not even Dr. Young or Devlin Bane knew what Barak was capable of when it came to the five senses, or that he had one or two extras thrown in for good measure. He planned on keeping it that way.

He made sure to make enough noise walking down the alley to alert the quick-tempered Paladin that he was coming. However, he had almost reached the street end of the alley before Penn Sebastian even noticed, because he was too busy eating a sandwich.

Barak walked by him without saying a word, thinking it was the first time he'd have managed to get by Penn without a fight. Barak's luck ran out at the sound of a gun being cocked. He froze between one step and the next. Careful to make no sudden moves, he slowly turned back around.

“Thought that might get your attention.” Penn's teeth gleamed whitely. “No one said anything about you leaving the building alone.”

“I'm on my lunch break.”

“You're still leaving alone.”

Barak grew weary of having his every action watched. “So?”

“So, I don't like the idea of you contaminating any of the local restaurants. You'll just have to go back to work hungry.” Penn nodded back in the direction of the alley. “As much as I'd love to shoot you right where you stand, I'd rather not have to fill out all the paperwork to explain why you deserved to die.”

That did it. He had to take orders from Devlin and even Trahern, but damned if he'd listen to the likes of Penn Sebastian. The man might have the right to be bitter over the injury to his hand, but he didn't have to wallow in his misery, let alone take it out on everyone around him.

For Lacey's sake, he wouldn't kill the obnoxious bastard, but he'd sure enjoy leaving him bruised and battered.

“Who's going to stop me from leaving?”

“We are.” Penn aimed dead center at Barak's chest. “One shot from this little baby, and we'll be hosing your blood off this sidewalk.” And liking it, too, if the smile on Penn's face was any indication.

“Do you use this same charm on everyone who passes by, or do you save it just for me?” Barak held his breath, hoping to get the answer he needed.

“Just you, freak. When one of the IT guys walked by a while ago, I was the picture of charm. Now get back inside or bleed. Your choice.”

No way that was going to happen. Barak took a couple of reluctant steps back toward the alley, all while sensing Penn following his every movement, his gun aimed straight at him.

At the last possible second, Barak charged Penn directly. Just as he thought, the Paladin was reluctant to use the gun in such a public place. Instead, he came boiling up from his blankets to meet Barak head-on, both ready to beat each other senseless.

Barak had no intentions of coming out the loser. He used every step of the ha'kai he could to keep Penn off balance while at the same time avoiding Penn's down and dirty street fighting tactics.

Barak slammed a fist into Penn's stomach at the same time Penn managed to land a thundering blow to Barak's jaw. The coppery taste of his own blood filled Barak's mouth. He spit as he wrapped his hands around Penn's throat and squeezed. Only the realization that Lacey would hate him forever kept him from shutting off Penn's breathing permanently, and he settled for rendering the man speechless long enough to make him listen.

“If you want to draw another breath, Paladin, you'd better listen. I'm the stuff your nightmares are made of. Keep messing with me, and I'll make that hand wound feel like a paper cut.” He eased off the pressure.

The embarrassed fury in the man's eyes spoke volumes. “Get…off…me…now!” His words were as ragged as his breathing.

Barak eased back enough to let Penn regain some of his dignity, but he stayed close enough to keep Penn under control. When Penn didn't immediately start swinging punches, Barak backed away completely. They glared at each other, neither one wanting to be the first to blink. Penn lost. Barak's smile showed lots of teeth and no humor.

“Paladin, you have every reason to hate me, but I don't give a damn. I plan on building myself a life here. Interfere with those plans and you'll die. Again. Permanently.” He bit out each word with as much venom as he could.

Penn's nostrils flared, and his eyes narrowed in cold fury. “Your kind has already tried and failed. Come after me, and we'll see which one of us walks away.”

Barak stood up. “Right now,
I'm
walking away. Then I'm going to be coming right back.” He held up Penn's gun. “And I'll have this. You even look at me wrong, you dumb bastard, and I won't hesitate to pull the trigger.”

Penn wasn't about to cower. “I've got more where that one came from.”

“A bullet is a cheap way to kill. A blade shows the true test of a warrior. Anytime you want to face me, let me know.

Then he walked away, wondering each step of the way if a bullet would tear through his back to explode in his chest. Even so, he maintained a steady pace, refusing to show weakness in front of his sworn enemy. By the time he turned the corner down the street, it felt as if he'd been running for hours rather than strolling the length of a city block.

He slipped the gun in the back of his belt and tugged his jacket down to cover it. For the time being, his only problem was deciding where to have lunch. Then he caught a look at himself in a nearby window. He had dark red splotches of dried blood on both his face and shirt. If anyone saw him, they'd be more likely to call the police than take his order.

He scrubbed at his chin with his hand, hoping he'd gotten the worst of it off. Lacey would have a fit if he showed up looking like this. The last thing he wanted was for her to have to choose between him and her brother, especially when he knew whose side she'd take.

He headed for his apartment to change clothes. Luckily, most of his clothing was black, which meant it was unlikely that Lacey would notice if he'd changed shirts. If she did ask any questions, he would tell her part of the truth—he'd spilled something on his shirt.

Several blocks later, he pulled his keys from his pocket before heading up the stairway to his small apartment. He preferred not to linger in the hallway any longer than necessary. To date, none of his neighbors had objected to his living in the building. The increasing immigrant population in the country had been making headlines lately, but he made a point to be polite and quiet, having no desire to draw attention to himself.

The dim interior of his apartment soothed his eyes. He was slowly adjusting to the brightness of this world, but too much of it gave him headaches. Because of his alien physiology, Dr. Young was leery of giving him any of the normal human painkillers until she had more time to figure out what effects they might have on him.

Although her intentions were good, he feared any information she accumulated might find its way into the Regents' database. That was the last thing he wanted. Worldwide, the Paladins would exploit any weaknesses she might uncover, using them as weapons against his people. As much as he respected Laurel, he didn't trust her with his secrets.

It made for a lonely way to live. After splashing blessedly cool water on his face, he dried off and grabbed another black shirt out of his closet. If he hurried, he might just be able to get something to go at the small grocery store down the street. A salad coupled with a power drink should hold him for the rest of the afternoon.

At the grocery, at the last minute, he grabbed a second bottle. He had serious doubts that Penn would accept the peace offering, but he felt an unexpected need to try.

Trahern stretched his long legs out in front of Devlin's desk. “So did your pet have anything interesting to say about the bags?”

Devlin glared at his friend. He was getting sick and tired of his buddies yanking his chain about Barak. But if they were teasing him now, it was nothing compared to what they'd do if he rose to the bait. “No,” he said calmly. “Barak did admit they were made in his world and that they were used to carry small personal items.”