power locks and windows. Envisioning a
memory from auto shop about standard wiring, Nathan severed the
connections. The result was lots of pounding and rocking. He
reveled in another small measure of success.
"Good one. Thanks!"
Kelly! He wanted to believe, but he didn't
let down his guard. Kristoff was capable of most anything.
"You've done great, Nathan. Now let’s get you
out of here."
Her voice sounded close, but he didn't want
to hope for the impossible. He was scared it was another affect of
Kristoff's drug.
Then he felt her small hands working him free
of the body bag and the straps holding him to the gurney. "Hurry,"
he thought. Then he realized things had gone too quiet. "Where's
Kristoff?" he wondered.
"Indisposed. We have a little time."
How did she do that? Wait. "You can hear
me?"
"You've been in my head for months,
Nathan."
Of course that was true, but she'd been so
quiet in these last hours. Resuming the easy telepathic
communication with Kelly went a long way to restoring his
confidence.
If they got out of this, he'd unravel how she
kept him out so effectively. At the moment he just appreciated how
she spoke aloud, treating him like the man he hoped to be again.
Soon.
"It's Paracuron."
I figured as much. I'm going to give you
something that should help counter the effect."
"How do you know about Paracuron?"
"Give me some credit." He felt her fingers
opening his mouth, felt something cool dissolve on his tongue. It
was minty – and very bizarre to notice that detail. "I learned a
lot when your sister was attacked by Kristoff last spring."
Panic lanced his chest like a bolt of
lightning. Fear and dread swamped him in waves and he was helpless
to express any of it. He felt like he was choking.
"Relax, Nate." Her warm hand stroked gently
across his forehead, then down around his face, to soothe tension
in his neck. "Relax. You know she’s fine."
Nathan wanted to cheer, but the moment was
broken by Kristoff’s fury pouring from the cab in a string of vile
threats.
So much for the Mr. Helpful routine.
Above him, he felt Kelly scrambling. He heard
equipment scrape against the gurney, and then a loud hiss drowned
out Kristoff. Finally the cab window slid shut again.
"I used the sedative vapor. Unfortunately
he’ll be just as mad after his nap. You know what they say about
the nature of the beast."
Actually, he didn’t, but he didn't care
either. "I still can’t move."
"I got that, Nate. Give that powder another
minute?"
"Where's Simon?"
"Indisposed. By this time he might be
Leavenworth's newest resident."
"They'll know he's not me."
"Wouldn't count on that. I looked into their
records. Corrupt doesn't begin to cover it. If having Simon means
they have the right head count, and don't have to report a
successful escape, they might go with it."
It sounded absurd to him, but she was so
confident.
"You know you're not holding up your end of
the bargain," she said with serious irritation.
"Wait for daybreak."
"I’m kidding. Mostly. Hang tight one second
while I move the car."
He desperately wanted to see her after all
this time communicating only telepathically. He blinked, then
blinked again when his eyelids actually cooperated, revealing the
ambulance roof in its messy reality. So much better than his
memories!
"Kelly!" What he'd intended as a shout came
out more like an asthmatic rasp.
No answer. He tried to quell the dread of
being alone again. Though his major muscle groups were still
offline, working eyelids and vocal chords were awesome. He
struggled to see his fingers, determined to make them wiggle, but
nothing happened. How the hell was she going to get him out of
here?
"You should leave me," he said, hearing her
climb back into the ambulance. Of course, he regretted the
gallantry the instant he saw her.
She was beautiful. Her eyes, nearly black,
were absolutely captivating. He could ignore the dark smudges of
grime on her face and dust in her hair –
"You'd better stop
memory from auto shop about standard wiring, Nathan severed the
connections. The result was lots of pounding and rocking. He
reveled in another small measure of success.
"Good one. Thanks!"
Kelly! He wanted to believe, but he didn't
let down his guard. Kristoff was capable of most anything.
"You've done great, Nathan. Now let’s get you
out of here."
Her voice sounded close, but he didn't want
to hope for the impossible. He was scared it was another affect of
Kristoff's drug.
Then he felt her small hands working him free
of the body bag and the straps holding him to the gurney. "Hurry,"
he thought. Then he realized things had gone too quiet. "Where's
Kristoff?" he wondered.
"Indisposed. We have a little time."
How did she do that? Wait. "You can hear
me?"
"You've been in my head for months,
Nathan."
Of course that was true, but she'd been so
quiet in these last hours. Resuming the easy telepathic
communication with Kelly went a long way to restoring his
confidence.
If they got out of this, he'd unravel how she
kept him out so effectively. At the moment he just appreciated how
she spoke aloud, treating him like the man he hoped to be again.
Soon.
"It's Paracuron."
I figured as much. I'm going to give you
something that should help counter the effect."
"How do you know about Paracuron?"
"Give me some credit." He felt her fingers
opening his mouth, felt something cool dissolve on his tongue. It
was minty – and very bizarre to notice that detail. "I learned a
lot when your sister was attacked by Kristoff last spring."
Panic lanced his chest like a bolt of
lightning. Fear and dread swamped him in waves and he was helpless
to express any of it. He felt like he was choking.
"Relax, Nate." Her warm hand stroked gently
across his forehead, then down around his face, to soothe tension
in his neck. "Relax. You know she’s fine."
Nathan wanted to cheer, but the moment was
broken by Kristoff’s fury pouring from the cab in a string of vile
threats.
So much for the Mr. Helpful routine.
Above him, he felt Kelly scrambling. He heard
equipment scrape against the gurney, and then a loud hiss drowned
out Kristoff. Finally the cab window slid shut again.
"I used the sedative vapor. Unfortunately
he’ll be just as mad after his nap. You know what they say about
the nature of the beast."
Actually, he didn’t, but he didn't care
either. "I still can’t move."
"I got that, Nate. Give that powder another
minute?"
"Where's Simon?"
"Indisposed. By this time he might be
Leavenworth's newest resident."
"They'll know he's not me."
"Wouldn't count on that. I looked into their
records. Corrupt doesn't begin to cover it. If having Simon means
they have the right head count, and don't have to report a
successful escape, they might go with it."
It sounded absurd to him, but she was so
confident.
"You know you're not holding up your end of
the bargain," she said with serious irritation.
"Wait for daybreak."
"I’m kidding. Mostly. Hang tight one second
while I move the car."
He desperately wanted to see her after all
this time communicating only telepathically. He blinked, then
blinked again when his eyelids actually cooperated, revealing the
ambulance roof in its messy reality. So much better than his
memories!
"Kelly!" What he'd intended as a shout came
out more like an asthmatic rasp.
No answer. He tried to quell the dread of
being alone again. Though his major muscle groups were still
offline, working eyelids and vocal chords were awesome. He
struggled to see his fingers, determined to make them wiggle, but
nothing happened. How the hell was she going to get him out of
here?
"You should leave me," he said, hearing her
climb back into the ambulance. Of course, he regretted the
gallantry the instant he saw her.
She was beautiful. Her eyes, nearly black,
were absolutely captivating. He could ignore the dark smudges of
grime on her face and dust in her hair –
"You'd better stop
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