The Darkness Beyond Read online

  Were they using local talent? Most of the Regents and their lackeys were stationed in the Midwest. Who would they have used out here? Definitely not someone from among the Paladins themselves.

  Could this get any more screwed up? God knew who had her or what their plans were. He began a more thorough search through the Regents’ files to determine the most likely culprit.

  It didn’t take long. There were only a handful of people who had that kind of talent. He saved his findings to a flash drive to pass along to Cullen. Maybe he’d have better luck.

  Too restless to stare at the screen any longer, D.J. stepped out onto Reggie’s small balcony for some fresh air. He took a deep breath and looked out at the parking lot, where he spotted Cody. D.J. went back inside to wait for him, figuring it wasn’t smart to spend too much time outside where Reggie’s neighbors might spot him. There was no way of knowing if they were the kind of folks who kept track of her business. Better to err on the side of caution.

  Cody slipped back through the door. “Hope you like your sandwiches loaded, because that’s what I got.”

  “Perfect. After we eat, I’ll show you what I’ve found.”

  As D.J. spread out the food, Cody got out plates and silverware. Before he took a bite, he paused, his expression worried.

  “Think Reggie’s okay?”

  “Yeah, for now.” D.J. concentrated on peeling back the wrapper from his sandwich, mainly to hide his own concern. “Don’t worry, Cody. We’ll find her.”

  “And then kick their asses?”

  “Oh, yeah, we’ll definitely do that, too. Now eat. You need to keep up your strength.”

  “Don’t worry about me. I never get sick. I even have some kind of revved-up metabolism. I also heal faster than anyone I’ve ever met. It used to freak out my foster parents, I can tell you.” Then he dug into his sandwich.

  D.J. studied his companion for several seconds, using his enhanced Paladin senses. Oh, yeah, he picked up on a familiar vibe. Almost immediately Cody frowned and looked around, obviously detecting something odd but unsure of what it could be. D.J. recognized it for what it was: like calling to like. How the heck had he missed picking up on it sooner? The organization would be recruiting Cody, all right, but not for his hacking skills. At least not the computer ones.

  Devlin and the other Paladins would be pleased to meet the kid. Finding one of the lost was always something to celebrate. D.J. should know. He’d been out of step with the whole world until the day a Paladin recognized him for what he was and brought him into the fold.

  The storeroom was only slightly more comfortable than the back of the truck. At least they’d cut Reggie’s hands free before shoving her inside and locking the door. They probably figured she wouldn’t be able to get into much trouble in the cramped, dusty, dirty room.

  She cautiously peered out of the small window in the door. Unfortunately, the room was located off a narrow hallway, so the view was too limited to be of much use. She’d already surveyed the place and had come up with nothing that would enable her to stage a daring escape.

  She upended a cracked plastic bucket and used it to sit on. Studying her surroundings, it was hard not to give in to utter despair. How could she fight back when she had no idea who the enemy was or what they wanted with her? She’d been an absolute fool for answering that damn e-mail. Despite her precautions, she’d badly underestimated the danger.

  She wondered what Cody and D.J. were doing. Probably ransacking her apartment looking for clues. Any other time she would’ve resented the intrusion, but right now they were welcome to root through anything that might help them find her.

  If only she’d been able to keep at least her cell phone hidden on her person. That was probably the first thing they’d taken from her. As long as they kept it turned off, there was no way for D.J. to track her through it.

  Rather than spin in circles over what couldn’t be changed, she concentrated on her captors. She was pretty sure there’d been three in the alley near the café: one to drive, two to make the grab. But on the way to the warehouse, there’d only been two in the truck with her. So what had happened to their cohort?

  Then there were the two men who’d caught her trying to sneak out of the building. They were definitely an odd pair, that was certain. Their clothing was almost identical, perhaps a uniform of some kind although she’d never seen anything like it before. Their hair was an uncommon color as well, sort of iron gray and black mixed in equal amounts. She hadn’t been with them all that long, but if she’d had to guess their ages, she would’ve put them in their late twenties, early thirties at the most.

  Who were they? And why did they think she’d been brought there for them? She rubbed her arms to fight off the chill that swept through her. She’d only heard a small part of what they’d said to the pair who kidnapped her. Their accents were thick and unusual. Where were they from?

  So many frustrating questions.

  From what she could tell, they were all waiting for yet another man to arrive. Maybe he was the one with the answers, but at the moment she wasn’t sure she really wanted to know them.

  The sound of footsteps approached. She cocked her head to the side and closed her eyes to listen. Most likely just one set but definitely coming her way. She stood up, not wanting to greet her captor from a position of weakness.

  The door opened, revealing the guy who’d grabbed her in the alley. He held out a cardboard tray with a soft drink and a bag from a fast-food chain.

  “Here. Eat.”

  She silently accepted the offering, only then realizing how hungry she was.

  “Before I do, can I use the restroom? I’d like to wash my hands.”

  He rolled his eyes, but nodded. “Don’t try anything or I’ll tie your hands again and let you go hungry.”

  Then he stood back and let her pass. “It’s over to the left.”

  She’d secretly been hoping there’d be a window in the cramped bathroom that she could crawl out of, but no such luck. It was on an inside wall with no exit other than the door she’d entered through. Like everything else in the warehouse, it was also filthy. She took care of business and then washed her hands in the grungy sink. No paper towels either. She settled for wiping her hands on her pants.

  On the way out, she deliberately tripped, falling against her escort. He cursed at her clumsiness, but grabbed her arm long enough to keep her from hitting the concrete floor. A few seconds later, he shoved her back into the storeroom and locked her in.

  She all but collapsed in relief because he hadn’t noticed that she’d swiped his cell phone. She didn’t know D.J.’s number, so she prayed that he was with Cody by now. She dialed Cody’s number and hoped he’d answer before her captor came looking for his phone.

  Her friend answered on the second ring.

  “Cody?”

  His voice cracked when he spoke. “Reggie, where the heck are you? We’ve been so worried.”

  One of them had to remain calm, and it looked as if it was going to have to be her. “Listen, Cody, is D.J. there with you? I only have a few seconds.”

  She listened to the sound of the phone being handed off, relieved beyond belief that D.J. had come back. His voice was gruff with worry.

  “Damn it, Reggie, I told you to leave well enough alone.”

  “Yes, you did, but now’s not the time to be saying you told me so. You can yell at me all you want once you break me out of this place. I have no idea where I am, so please tell me you can trace this call. After they grabbed me in an alley in Portland, they drugged me, so I don’t know how far they drove before we stopped.”

  “Whose phone are you using?”

  “I lifted it from one of the bad guys. He might come looking for it any minute, so work your magic fast.”

  “Will do. What else can you tell me?”

  “They brought me here in a black panel truck. I didn’t get the whole license number, but it has an Oregon plate. The three numbers were five-seven-zero.
I know that’s not much to go on.”

  “It’s a lot more than we had five minutes ago. Leave the phone on as long as you think it’s safe. I should get a fix on you in just another couple of minutes. Then I’ll be on my way, armed and loaded. Trust me, Reggie. I will find you.”

  Oddly enough, she did trust him. “I know you will, D.J. Oh, and one more thing. There are two guys here with long black-and-silver hair dressed all in black. They look alike enough to be brothers, right down to their boots. I almost escaped but ran right into them. The older one said something about me being promised to them.”

  D.J. immediately let loose with a furious stream of curse words. Under other circumstances she would’ve been impressed with his creativity, but right now all it did was scare her even more.

  “D.J., stop it. That’s not helping.”

  “Sorry, Reggie. I’ve almost got you pinpointed. Another few seconds and I’ll be on my way. Okay, that’s it. Hang up and hide the phone if you can. Set it on vibrate, though, so they won’t hear it ring if I call you back.”

  “Okay. I’m okay, but they’re obviously waiting for someone else to show up. I don’t know what will happen when he gets here.”

  “I’m coming, Reggie. No matter what, I’ll find you. And no matter where.”

  Before she could ask what he meant, the doorknob rattled. Damn. She stuffed the phone in a box in the corner and hoped for the best.

  Cody planted himself right in front of the door. D.J. knew what he was going to say and couldn’t blame the guy. Reggie was Cody’s friend and that counted for a lot. However, the last thing D.J. needed right now was this kid demanding to play Robin to his Batman. He also knew a losing battle when he saw one.

  The kid had been watching over D.J.’s shoulder while he ran the GPS location on Reggie. If he didn’t let him ride along, Cody would find a way to follow. Far better to control the situation. Besides, if everything went to hell, he’d need someone who could call for backup.

  “Do we need to stop by your place for anything?”

  Not that he wanted to delay another second.

  Cody shook his head and opened the door. “I’ve got my laptop with me, and I don’t own any guns.”

  D.J. grinned at him. The kid knew they were headed into trouble and was doing his best to act like he was down with that. Maybe he was.

  “Don’t worry, I’ve got plenty for both of us out in my truck. My only question is if you’d actually know what to do with a gun if I handed you one.”

  Cody waited until they were outside to answer. “I’ve done some target shooting using an automatic with Reggie. I did all right, but it’s not the same as actually pointing it at a person. Don’t know how I’d do if it came to that.”

  “No one does until the occasion actually arises, but I appreciate the honesty. It’s better to err on the side of caution.”

  He meant it, too, and let it show in his voice. Cocky recruits were always the ones who got killed first. Experience could be a bitch of a teacher, but at least Paladins usually survived the lesson.

  Then the kid surprised him. “I’m a fair hand with blades though. I’ve been taking fencing and sword-fighting lessons at a local martial arts school. I like the discipline required, but it’s not as if people actually fight with swords anymore.”

  Okay, D.J. had to laugh despite the grim circumstances. “You might be surprised about that. I’m partial to blades myself. Here, you drive.”

  He tossed the keys to Cody. “I’m going to need to make some calls.”

  He waited until Cody pulled out into traffic and turned south on the interstate. According to the GPS reading they’d gotten, Reggie was being held prisoner in a town a couple of hours south of Portland. It was her description of the two men who’d caught her trying to run away that had him seriously worried.

  He needed to contact Devlin immediately. This whole fucking mess was escalating, and it was now officially Paladin business. Ordinarily, he would’ve found a way to make the call when Cody was out of hearing, but there was going to be no hiding the truth from him now anyway. Not with two Others in the picture. There was no mistaking them for anything else.

  “Cody, you’re about to hear some serious shit that I’m supposed to keep secret. As long as I’m on the phone, keep your trap shut. I’ll answer your questions after I hang up. Got that?”

  Cody changed lanes and then shot D.J. a quick look. “More serious shit than you being the Knightwalker?”

  He shrugged. “That’s more of a sideline. This other business has to do with why I keep a bag full of guns and swords locked up in the big toolbox in the back of my truck twenty-four/seven.”

  Cody swallowed hard. “I’ll be quiet.”

  “Good.”

  D.J. punched in Devlin’s number and braced himself for a major fight. His friend answered on the second ring.

  “Let’s hear it.”

  Leave it to Dev to get right to the point. “Okay, but save us both time by holding off on yelling until I’m through.”

  “It’s that bad?”

  “Pretty much.”

  Devlin’s sigh came across loud and clear. “Like I said, let’s hear it.”

  D.J. started at the beginning and brought Devlin up to speed. Lives depended on it. At this point, there was no use in trying to cover his ass.

  “Dev, Reggie managed to get a call through to me. I’m heading to the warehouse where they’re holding her.”

  He gave Devlin time to write down the address and directions before continuing.

  “She almost managed to escape on her own, but she ran right into another couple of guys. From her description, they sound like Kaliths. I’m thinking there’s another hot spot that we didn’t know about somewhere in the area.”

  He had to give Devlin credit. Even though he must be about ready to explode, his voice came across as cool, calm, and collected. It wouldn’t last, but D.J. appreciated the effort the man was making.

  “What’s your plan?”

  “I’m going in.”

  “With no backup?”

  “Uh, I’m not exactly alone. I have a civilian with me.”

  “And you’re having this conversation in front of him?”

  There was a definite chill coming over the line. Time to explain the situation. “Yeah, I am, but we’re going to want to recruit him anyway.”

  “He’s one of us?” There was a new note of excitement in Devlin’s voice. “Seriously?”

  “Yeah, but he doesn’t know. Not yet.”

  Several seconds passed before Devlin spoke again. “Assess the situation and report in before you do anything. Fill the recruit in on as much as you think necessary. I’ll send down some backup for you, but they won’t get there right away. The chopper is in use now. If it’s not back soon, they’ll either have to go commercial or drive.”

  This was more than D.J. expected. “Thanks, Dev. I’ll keep you posted.”

  “See that you do.”

  D.J. had lapsed into silence after he ended the call. Despite his promise to answer Cody’s questions, it was pretty clear that he wasn’t in the mood at the moment. Cody would wait another couple of minutes before prodding him. Hell, he didn’t even know what to ask.

  Whoever this Devlin guy was, he had to be a serious badass judging by how D.J. had talked to him. He tried to piece together what he’d understood of the one side of the conversation he’d heard.

  A couple of things had definitely stood out. D.J. had referred to Cody as a civilian and then said something about wanting to recruit him. What was that all about? Was D.J. in some branch of the military? If so, why on earth would they want him? Yeah, he had some serious computer skills, but that was all he had going for him.

  But then there’d been D.J.’s odd reaction to Cody’s fondness for swords. He’d definitely found the idea amusing for some reason, which was irritating when he didn’t share the joke. Another question to ask.

  But right now all that mattered was getting Reggie out
of this mess she’d gotten herself into. Hell, it was already late afternoon. If they didn’t rescue her before morning, he’d have to let Mr. DeLuca know that Reggie wasn’t going to be in. That would lead to all kinds of questions he couldn’t answer.

  Then the solution came to him. “I’ll send him an e-mail!”

  “Send who an e-mail?”

  Oops, he hadn’t realized he’d said that out loud. “I was thinking about our boss, Mr. DeLuca. If he doesn’t hear from Reggie by starting time tomorrow, he’s going to wonder what the heck’s going on with her. If we want to keep him out of this, we’ll have to cover for her. I was thinking I could send him an e-mail from her saying she’s sick or something.”

  “Good thinking.”

  Then D.J. shifted slightly so that he was looking more directly at him. “I didn’t mean to zone out on you. I promised you answers. Ask away. I’ll tell you what I can.”

  Translation: he’d hide as much information as he could. Jerk.

  “Are you in the military?”

  “No.”

  Cody tried again. “But you carry weapons because you need them close at hand.”

  “Yep.”

  Okay, enough was enough. He’d tried to be patient, but this was no game they were playing. His temper, while normally slow to heat up, burned hot when it finally ignited. Frustration had him slamming his fist against the steering wheel.

  “Damn it, D.J., just answer the fucking questions! Reggie’s my best friend and the closest thing to family I have. If you’ve sucked her into some kind of criminal shit, I will come after you.”

  The bastard actually laughed, which just pissed Cody off even more. He cut across three lanes to pull off at the next exit, ignoring the squeal of tires and the blare of horns from other cars. He drove into a service station and parked.

  Climbing out of the cab, he stomped around to the passenger side and waited for D.J. to join him. He had no doubt the man could pound him into dust, but he’d get in a few good licks of his own before he was down and out.

  To his surprise, D.J. held up his hands in surrender.

  “Sorry, you’re right. I shouldn’t have laughed. But, damn, you remind me so much of myself at times. Let’s top off the tank and see if we can get a map of the area. While we’re here, we’ll pick up a couple of drinks and something full of grease and sugar to eat. Once we’re on the road again, I’ll start at the beginning.”