Atone in Darkness Read online

  “Yeah, but he loved her. This woman was part of the bunch that held Chase captive.”

  There was another murmur of voices. Either they were whispering among themselves or his hearing was fading just as his vision had done. Finally, the man who’d been standing beside his might-be sister settled the matter once and for all.

  “I know Devlin doesn’t want Dr. Riggs anywhere near Chase, and neither do I. But if there’s a chance having her would make a difference, we need to get her here now.”

  “Are they back from the compound?”

  The Handler rejoined the conversation. “Dev said they’d be back later this evening. Most of the guys will be coming by car, but I know the helicopter will be making a couple of runs, too. I’ll call him and make sure that Dr. Riggs is on the next flight back.”

  Chase didn’t care how they got her there, only that she would be headed his way soon. Until then, he’d quit fighting his chains and let the darkness come. Maybe the next time his eyes opened, Marisol would tell him what the hell was going on.

  21

  * * *

  Marisol was exhausted. Her newest bunch of captors hadn’t given her a minute’s peace since they’d dragged her back to the compound. The only concession they’d made was to allow her a few minutes to pack up her few personal possessions after she’d given Devlin Bane and his buddies a personal tour of the entire building. Once she had her bag packed, she’d answered every question they’d asked, volunteered any information she thought they might find useful, and finally surrendered the one bargaining chip she had left.

  Right now, they were in her former quarters. The Paladin leader took her laptop and handed it off to DJ. “So that’s the only computer you have?”

  She’d thought Chase was a big man, but Devlin Bane dwarfed everyone around him. His green eyes were jade hard as he stared down at her. She brought her chin up to let him know she wasn’t cowed by his massive size or his bad temper.

  “Yes, Mr. Bane, for the final time. As I already told you when we were in the lab, I used a lot of electronic equipment to run tests on blood samples and to monitor Chase’s vitals when he was working out on the gym equipment. I transferred all of the results to that laptop, which was the only computer I had access to. Chase and I didn’t want to risk sneaking it out of the compound for fear they’d track our movements.”

  He glanced at DJ, who nodded. “Yeah, that makes sense. I would’ve left it behind, too.”

  DJ’s fingers danced over the keyboard. He studied the screen for a few seconds before speaking. “It’s password protected, and the data is probably encrypted. It will take Cullen and me a while to get in.”

  “Unless they’ve locked me out, my password would get you started.”

  It was no surprise that Devlin was already shaking his head. “I don’t want you anywhere near that keyboard.”

  It was all she could do not to roll her eyes. They’d already made it clear they didn’t trust her. Fine, she got that. But did he really think she was stupid enough to try to sabotage whatever data DJ might be able to recover when she was alone in the middle of nowhere with them? They could retaliate with a bullet through her head and then dump her body in the woods, and she’d be helpless to stop them.

  Deciding to ignore the head Paladin for the moment, she turned to DJ. “My user name was Marisol dot Riggs. My most recent password was capitalized Keeper, hashtag, and the numeral five.”

  Despite the seriousness of her situation, she couldn’t help but smile. “That’s what Chase called me, you know—his keeper. He said he felt like he was the latest exhibit at the zoo.”

  Neither man laughed, but there was a slight softening in Devlin’s stance. “Sounds like him. The kid always did have a twisted sense of humor.”

  DJ shut down the laptop. “I don’t want to mess with this too much until Cullen can help me with it. With luck, we can backtrack to see where they were sending the data Dr. Riggs was uploading.”

  Devlin took one more look around her small apartment. “Okay. Let’s round up everyone and get out of here. We’ve been lucky so far that no one else has come poking around this place. I wouldn’t put it past this Cadre bunch to be monitoring the area. Considering they took out their own people to protect the secrets of this place, they won’t hesitate to come after us, too. I also don’t want to put anyone else at risk of being taken prisoner.”

  He started toward the door. “No matter what these guys did, their families deserve to have some closure. DJ, once we’re back at headquarters, send an anonymous notice to the state cops about this place, but make sure they won’t be able to trace it back to us.”

  “Not a problem.”

  Devlin’s cell phone rang just as he stepped out into the hall with Marisol and the other Paladin hot on his heels. “Hey, babe, what’s up?”

  Whatever the woman on the other end of the line had to say had him frowning at Marisol big-time. “Son of a bitch, how many times?”

  They had to be talking about Chase, and it clearly wasn’t good news. Her pulse did a stutter step as she waited for him to finish the conversation. As soon as he disconnected the call, he dragged her down the hall toward the exit. She had to almost run to keep up with their long-legged pace.

  “That was Laurel, my wife. She’s the Handler in charge of Chase’s care, which means she’s his doctor. Personally, I would rather not let you anywhere near him, but when it comes to the medical end of things, what she says goes.”

  “What’s happened? Is he okay?”

  She already knew the answer to that question, but she needed to know how bad it was. Devlin walked on in grim silence until they reached the front door of the building. “He’s having trouble making it all the way back.”

  He ran his hands through his shoulder-length hair in clear frustration. “We’ve learned that sometimes having the right person there can make all the difference. Even though Jarvis and Chase’s sister have been with him, he keeps backsliding. Laurel has tried everything she knows to stabilize him, but it’s not working.”

  Her breath caught in her throat. “What happens if he can’t find his way back?”

  When Devlin didn’t immediately respond, DJ answered her. “They’ll shove a needle full of poison into his veins and end his pain permanently.”

  His wife was a doctor who would do such a thing? She looked at him in horror. “But that’s murder.”

  Both men stared off at the horizon, their shoulders slumped. Finally, Devlin looked at her, his eyes dull. “No, Doctor, that’s mercy. Never doubt that for a minute. No one wants it to come to that, so you’ll be on the first chopper back to headquarters. He’s been asking for you. Whether he’s doing that in the few minutes of clarity he has or when the craziness is taking over isn’t clear. Either way, Laurel wants you there ASAP to see if that will make a difference for him.”

  “I promise I’ll do whatever I can for him. I owe him that much.”

  Actually, she would do it because she loved him. These men wouldn’t believe that, but she didn’t care. All that mattered was getting back to Chase.

  • • •

  MARISOL CLOSED HER eyes and tried to rest. It was hard to shut out all the racket made by the helicopter, but at least the noise prevented conversation. Time had lost all meaning for her. So much had happened since she and Chase had awoken that morning in each other’s arms.

  Scenes played out like a disjointed movie in her head. The guards attacking. Edgar being murdered. The timely arrival of Chase’s friends. The bullet that had ripped through his body. The desperate attempts to save him, including Larem shoving a bloody knife into his chest. The return to the compound, the last place she ever wanted to see again.

  And now, her second helicopter ride in one day. She wasn’t sure if the queasiness in her stomach stemmed from the rough ride or from her worry about Chase.

  “Hey, Doc, wake up. We’re almost there.”

  Even though she hadn’t really been asleep, Devlin’s bellow over the
nose of the chopper startled her. Glancing out the window, she studied the terrain below. Although most cities looked pretty much alike to her, the Space Needle made Seattle pretty distinctive. Evidently she and Chase had guessed right about the compound being located somewhere in the Pacific Northwest.

  Her stomach did an uncomfortable lurch as the helicopter swooped down to land on a rooftop right in the heart of the city. Devlin exited first and then offered her his hand to help her climb out. When her legs remained a bit wobbly, he held on to her with surprising gentleness. The helicopter was already lifting off by the time the two of them reached the door that led inside the building.

  Once they were inside, Devlin released his hold on her. “You okay?”

  “Yes, thanks.”

  A black SUV was waiting for them in the parking garage. Devlin held open the front passenger door for her and then climbed in back.

  The driver glanced at her, his steel-gray eyes studying her. “Dr. Riggs, as usual Devlin has forgotten his manners. I’m Blake Trahern.”

  “Nice to meet you.”

  At least one of the two men in the car wasn’t overtly hostile to her. Maybe he’d answer the only question that mattered. “Any news on how Chase is doing?”

  Trahern’s jaw tightened. “Nothing’s changed, but at least he hasn’t gotten worse. He’s been sedated, but Dr. Young plans to wean him off that once you get there.”

  She glanced back at Devlin. “Everyone has been pretty up front about not wanting me anywhere near your headquarters. For what it’s worth, I promise not to reveal anything about what I see or learn while I’m there.”

  He looked skeptical but didn’t say anything.

  She was getting so tired of his attitude. “You and most of your buddies don’t mean a darn thing to me, but Chase does. No matter what you think, I wouldn’t do anything that would put him at further risk.”

  “She’s tougher than she looks, Devlin.”

  Then Trahern grinned at her. For some reason, she suspected he didn’t do that easily. “Thanks, Mr. Trahern.”

  “Call me Blake or Trahern. Either works just fine.”

  He maneuvered the car through the city traffic with ease. “You’ll need to be tough to deal with what you’ll be facing. Before we were married, my wife talked me back from where Chase is right now. It was hell for her, but she’s a strong woman, too. I wouldn’t be here today if she hadn’t been.”

  He gave her another hard look when they stopped at a red light. “Brenna is waiting at headquarters where they have Chase. I don’t know what advice she might have for you, but we thought it might be helpful for you to talk to someone who’s been there, done that.”

  “Smart thinking.”

  That came from the man in the backseat, which surprised her. Then he let out a big sigh. “Listen, Dr. Riggs, I know we’ve been hard on you. I won’t apologize for that, but anything you can do for Chase will be appreciated.”

  Halfway down the next block, Trahern turned into a parking garage. The three of them left the SUV and walked into a nearby building. Guards waved them through security to where a dark-haired woman stood waiting.

  Trahern performed the introductions. “Dr. Riggs, this is my wife, Brenna.”

  Brenna offered her a small smile. “Sorry we had to meet under these circumstances.”

  She turned back toward her husband. “Why don’t you and Devlin go have a cup a coffee and something to eat? Dr. Riggs will feel freer to ask me questions without the two of you lurking over her shoulder.”

  Neither man looked happy about her request, but they finally disappeared down the hall. When they were out of sight, Brenna led Marisol through a pair of swinging doors into a nearby room. To her surprise, it was a medical ward that looked to be outfitted with all the latest equipment.

  From there, they veered off into a small room that held a machine she’d never seen before, a rolling stool, and a bed. “Have a seat. Just so you know, this room is soundproof, so anything we say will be private. Laurel will join us in a few minutes to update you on Chase’s condition and what the plan is going forward. For now, what can I do to help?”

  The sympathy in the other woman’s voice was almost Marisol’s undoing. “I feel so out of my depth that I can’t even begin to guess what I should be asking. This is all new to me.”

  Brenna looked grim. “Yeah, I got dragged into this world kicking and screaming, too. Long story short, Blake took a bullet meant for me.”

  Marisol shuddered. “Chase got shot this morning. We were talking, and neither of us noticed one of the guards had slipped around behind us.”

  “So we have a lot in common. It’s tough watching the man you love die.”

  “I never said I love him.”

  Brenna slowly smiled. “But you do, so let’s not pretend otherwise.”

  Okay, then. “So what do I need to do to help him?”

  “To be honest, a lot of that time is pretty fuzzy in my mind. I held Blake’s hand. I talked to him. I ignored him when he told me to get away. I sent out for his favorite cookies. In short, I did anything and everything I could to lead him out of the darkness and back to me.”

  “But I don’t even know what kind of cookies he likes.”

  Okay, that sounded pretty pathetic even if it was true.

  Before Brenna could respond, the door opened and another woman walked in. Marisol automatically stood.

  The newcomer held out her hand. “Dr. Riggs, I’m Dr. Laurel Young, Devlin’s wife. I know you’ve had a rough day of it already, and I’m guessing my husband has been part of that. He can be a real jerk when one of his men is hurting.”

  Marisol didn’t argue with her assessment. Instead, she shook Laurel’s hand and said, “He had good reason to worry. It was bad enough that Chase got killed, but watching Larem stab him was horrifying. No one will tell me why he did that or what it did to Chase.”

  The two other women exchanged wary glances. Finally, Laurel said, “I haven’t gotten the okay to explain about that, but he acted out of a sincere desire to help. From what we’ve learned about Chase’s experience while a captive, I’m not sure he would have made it back even this far without Larem intervening.”

  “Then thank him for me.”

  “You can thank him yourself. He hasn’t left Chase’s side since they brought him in.” She held out a clipboard. “For now, take a look at these lab reports and tell me how they compare to the last set that you ran. I need to know if his results are improving or getting worse.”

  It was a relief to be doing something familiar. She quickly scanned the page and read through Laurel’s notes. “The blood count is lower, but that’s to be expected considering how much he bled. The first set of chemistry levels looks about right for the amount of trauma he experienced. The second are almost back to where the last ones I ran . . . let’s see, it’s been about four days ago.”

  Laurel looked relieved. “That’s great. I’ve already cut back on the sedative we were giving him. He should be coming around soon, so we should get out there.”

  It was about time. Marisol needed to see him, to know firsthand that he was alive and breathing. As they filed back out of the small room, Laurel dropped her voice to a near whisper. “I’ve asked his sister and Jarvis to step out for a while. They weren’t happy about that, so I can’t promise you’ll have much time alone with Chase.”

  “That’s fine. He’d want his family there. He told me about Gwen and how she’d raised him.”

  All that mattered was that she would finally be back with Chase. Laurel crossed the room, walking by several stainless steel tables that looked more like they belonged in a morgue than in a patient ward. Marisol stumbled to a halt to stare at the chains that hung down from each corner. “What are those for?”

  Brenna shuddered, and Laurel sighed. “I know this is hard to hear, but Devlin said you saw Chase come back once back at that compound. His eyes flashed orange, and he didn’t act like himself. Is that right?”

&nbs
p; “Yes. He warned me to get out of his cell and lock the door.”

  “That’s because when that happens, they might strike out and hurt someone. These guys are all big enough and strong enough to do some real damage if they aren’t in full control when they wake up.”

  She reached out to touch one of the chains. “Hence the need for these. We take them off as soon as we know the patient is completely back.”

  She led the way toward an area curtained off in the back corner. Marisol braced herself for what she was about to see.

  And then there was Chase, pale and unnaturally still. He was covered with a thin sheet that did little to disguise his nude body and the chains that had cut into his wrists and ankles. God, how he must have struggled attempting to break free of his bonds to have done that much damage.

  “Oh, Chase, I’m so sorry.”

  Then he jerked awake and slowly turned his head in her direction, his orange eyes staring at her with feral intensity. She wanted to run, to hide. But for his sake, she forced herself to keep moving forward, knowing that was the only way she could save him.

  And maybe herself.

  22

  * * *

  Marisol was there. Finally. He wanted her. Craved her touch. Now. Right there on that cold steel table with nothing but a thin curtain walling off the rest of the world. Chase lifted his hand, hoping she’d come close enough for him to make that happen, but the chain prevented him from reaching more than a few inches. He ignored the throb of pain from his wrist that he’d rubbed raw from his efforts to break free of his bonds.

  “Come here.”

  He’d meant to coax, but his words came out in a deep growl, which only succeeded in slowing her approach. His pretty keeper wasn’t a coward, though. She moved carefully, maybe trying not to startle him. More likely, she recognized the need for caution when approaching a wounded predator. He closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. Her scent overrode the medicinal stench of the lab. It was soothing. Familiar.