go down the sloping tunnel to the safe room eventually, with or without light. She couldn’t stay here. But right now, she simply couldn’t move another inch.
“Farrah?”
She jumped at the voice, even as she recognized it as Joshua’s. Opening her eyes, she saw him standing in front of her, a glowing light stick in his hand. With a gasp, she threw herself into his arms.
“Easy, easy there. Are you all right? Damn, Farrah, you’re shaking all over. Calm down, sweetheart. You know you don’t have to do this. You can stay up top. We’ll take care of Kyle.”
She shook her head against his shoulder, not yet ready to let him go. “The terrorists are looking for you very hard. They’re questioning everyone. Someone saw me this morning before I could change out of the coat stained with Kyle’s blood. I couldn’t take the chance on him keeping quiet. If they searched me, they’d find the food I was bringing to you and your men and I don’t think I could really make them believe it was for some poor hungry family, especially if the man who saw me said anything, and I just couldn’t, I couldn’t…”
“Hush, sweetheart, hush.” He held her tighter, stroking one hand over her hair. “It’s all right. You did the right thing.” His tone hardened. “I’m just so sorry I had to drag you into this.”
“No.” Farrah pushed back, easing out of his hold. With Joshua’s presence and the light from his glow stick, she felt her courage returning. Or at least the panic faded to manageable proportions. She wiped at her wet cheeks with the back of her hand, feeling thoroughly embarrassed. “No, don’t be sorry. I’m glad you thought to bring Kyle to me. Even if you hadn’t, those men would still be at the clinic searching for you. There’s no telling what they’ll do to Dr. Couruy and the others. I should be there.”
Joshua gripped her shoulders and shook her slightly. “No, Farrah, don’t ever feel guilty for looking out for yourself. Kyle and I need to know you’re safe, that you don’t take any hurt from this. From what you’ve said, you’re better off down here with us.” He cupped her cheek. “Now come on. Your patient was getting restless when I left. You know Kyle. I wouldn’t put it past him to try and come after you himself.”
Chapter Four
One of Joshua’s men stood at the entrance to the safe room. Farrah pointed to the heavy metal door standing ajar behind him. “That was supposed to be locked.” The man smiled, dipped his head and raised a shoulder in a slight shrug. “I don’t like locked doors, ma’am.”
Joshua chuckled softly. “Don’t let him fool you, Farrah. Laptop here loves locked doors. The harder to unlock, the better.” He focused on the soldier. “Any change?”
The man snorted. “Just a bunch of swearing. Same old Kyle. And it’s Peregrine, ma’am, not Laptop.” He threw Joshua a scowl. “I am not a fu—” He cut himself off and shot her an apologetic glance. “I’m not a blasted computer. That’s Capella’s gig.”
Farrah bit her lip to keep from smiling at his sudden switch of words. Joshua must have warned his men that she didn’t like foul language. “Peregrine, as in the falcon?”
“Partially. Since we’re the NightHawks, it made sense. But it’s more because we travel around a lot. Peregrine means wandering pilgrim.”
Joshua put a hand on her back and urged her past the soldier. “Which is too much of a mouthful when we’re running a mission. We tried shortening it to Grin, but he wouldn’t answer to that either.”
The young soldier winced. “Come on, Cap, Grin? Like I’m a stupid clown or something?”
Joshua chuckled again and slapped him on the shoulder as they entered the safe room. Farrah immediately looked for Kyle. The men had placed his stretcher on top of a couple of storage boxes pushed together. He was looking in her direction when she entered the room, eyes fever bright. He lifted an arm, reaching for her. She
“Farrah?”
She jumped at the voice, even as she recognized it as Joshua’s. Opening her eyes, she saw him standing in front of her, a glowing light stick in his hand. With a gasp, she threw herself into his arms.
“Easy, easy there. Are you all right? Damn, Farrah, you’re shaking all over. Calm down, sweetheart. You know you don’t have to do this. You can stay up top. We’ll take care of Kyle.”
She shook her head against his shoulder, not yet ready to let him go. “The terrorists are looking for you very hard. They’re questioning everyone. Someone saw me this morning before I could change out of the coat stained with Kyle’s blood. I couldn’t take the chance on him keeping quiet. If they searched me, they’d find the food I was bringing to you and your men and I don’t think I could really make them believe it was for some poor hungry family, especially if the man who saw me said anything, and I just couldn’t, I couldn’t…”
“Hush, sweetheart, hush.” He held her tighter, stroking one hand over her hair. “It’s all right. You did the right thing.” His tone hardened. “I’m just so sorry I had to drag you into this.”
“No.” Farrah pushed back, easing out of his hold. With Joshua’s presence and the light from his glow stick, she felt her courage returning. Or at least the panic faded to manageable proportions. She wiped at her wet cheeks with the back of her hand, feeling thoroughly embarrassed. “No, don’t be sorry. I’m glad you thought to bring Kyle to me. Even if you hadn’t, those men would still be at the clinic searching for you. There’s no telling what they’ll do to Dr. Couruy and the others. I should be there.”
Joshua gripped her shoulders and shook her slightly. “No, Farrah, don’t ever feel guilty for looking out for yourself. Kyle and I need to know you’re safe, that you don’t take any hurt from this. From what you’ve said, you’re better off down here with us.” He cupped her cheek. “Now come on. Your patient was getting restless when I left. You know Kyle. I wouldn’t put it past him to try and come after you himself.”
Chapter Four
One of Joshua’s men stood at the entrance to the safe room. Farrah pointed to the heavy metal door standing ajar behind him. “That was supposed to be locked.” The man smiled, dipped his head and raised a shoulder in a slight shrug. “I don’t like locked doors, ma’am.”
Joshua chuckled softly. “Don’t let him fool you, Farrah. Laptop here loves locked doors. The harder to unlock, the better.” He focused on the soldier. “Any change?”
The man snorted. “Just a bunch of swearing. Same old Kyle. And it’s Peregrine, ma’am, not Laptop.” He threw Joshua a scowl. “I am not a fu—” He cut himself off and shot her an apologetic glance. “I’m not a blasted computer. That’s Capella’s gig.”
Farrah bit her lip to keep from smiling at his sudden switch of words. Joshua must have warned his men that she didn’t like foul language. “Peregrine, as in the falcon?”
“Partially. Since we’re the NightHawks, it made sense. But it’s more because we travel around a lot. Peregrine means wandering pilgrim.”
Joshua put a hand on her back and urged her past the soldier. “Which is too much of a mouthful when we’re running a mission. We tried shortening it to Grin, but he wouldn’t answer to that either.”
The young soldier winced. “Come on, Cap, Grin? Like I’m a stupid clown or something?”
Joshua chuckled again and slapped him on the shoulder as they entered the safe room. Farrah immediately looked for Kyle. The men had placed his stretcher on top of a couple of storage boxes pushed together. He was looking in her direction when she entered the room, eyes fever bright. He lifted an arm, reaching for her. She
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