Eternal Nights Read online

  “There is no concealing the disappearance of the pyramid, but not to worry,” Dr. George said smoothly. “We have the perfect patsy: a snoopy cheerleader who’s been poking her nose into things that don’t concern her.”

  Kendall caught her breath. As far as she knew, George didn’t refer to anyone else as a cheerleader. Then the words sank in. He knew about her investigation? Had he seen something this afternoon, or had she done something earlier that tipped him off?

  “A few token deposits in her bank account,” the jerk continued, “and no one will have any doubt that she sold artifacts to finance her doctorate in anthropology.”

  He was going to pin this on her! Bastard!

  Beyond furious, Kendall lowered herself until she could drop to the floor. She wasn’t going to let him get away with this! Hands fisted, she rounded a curve in the corridor, ready to face off with the thieves. Until she spotted an opening in the wall where she’d never seen one before.

  The sight drove some sense into her head. If she charged into a secret passage to confront them, they’d kill her. And she’d deserve to die for being so stupid. She needed to get the MPs and Sullivan.

  Cautiously, she backed away, but when she turned the corner into the final hallway, her messenger bag scraped loudly against the stone. Damn.

  Kendall stopped being careful. She turned and ran.

  The large door to the temple gaped in front of her, but it seemed a million miles away. She heard them behind her and peeked over her shoulder as she bolted through the exit. Once outside, she saw it was closer to night than dusk and hoped the dimness helped conceal her.

  Heart in her throat, she scurried across the open ground. There was yelling, and though she couldn’t discern the words, the urgent tone made one thing clear—they’d seen her.

  Kendall ran full-out. She knew this sector around the temple better than most—that gave her an advantage, if she could hit the clusters of buildings before they caught her.

  They sounded nearer and she looked back, trying to gauge the distance. The grayness of the sky made it difficult for her to judge accurately, but it was too close for comfort. She faced forward again as she reached the residential area and turned one corner, then another at full speed.

  But what should have been an open walkway, wasn’t.

  The impact drove the air from her lungs and knocked her off balance. Two strong arms wrapped around her, locking her own arms at her sides. Damn it. She’d forgotten about the men who were coming to help the first two stooges pack antiquities.

  Just her luck to run smack dab into another rotten thief.

  Chapter Three

  Though her position gave her very few counterstrike options, Kendall fought anyway. His arms tightened and she couldn’t break loose. Like hell. No way would they get away with looting the Old City. She was going to bring them down. She’d grown up in some rough neighborhoods, and now Kendall fell back on her street-brawler roots. With rage fueling her, she jerked up her knee.

  Her captor got clear in time to avoid the blow to his groin. Angry that she’d missed, she stomped on his foot, but his grip didn’t lessen. She twisted, trying to free herself.

  “Damn it, Bug, settle down. It’s me.”

  “Wyatt?” She immediately went still. Her long hair fell into her face, obstructing her view. “Why the hell are you pinning my arms?”

  “I’m not trying to pin your arms.” His hold changed, became a hug, not restraint. “At first I was trying to keep you from falling, then I was trying to stop you from hitting me.” His voice deepened as he said, “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  Kendall pushed her hair out of the way. Although it was too dark to really see his navy eyes, she felt a clutching in her chest. Now she wasn’t only responsible for herself; she needed to protect Wyatt as well. “We have to get out of here.” She stepped back and took his hand. “Come on!”

  Maybe her urgency got through, because she saw an intensity settle over him. It wasn’t as pronounced as it had been when he’d first arrived on Jarved Nine, but she recognized the look. Warrior mode.

  As they started to run, she didn’t hear anything behind them. She hadn’t had an enormous lead when she’d plowed into Wyatt. Where were her pursuers?

  That question was answered before they reached the next intersection. The two men from the temple stepped in front of them, pistols drawn, and Kendall came to an abrupt stop. Wyatt pulled his hand from her clasp and only then did she realize how much comfort she’d taken from his callused touch.

  She wasn’t sure what to do now. Did they try to run for it? The bad guys only needed to squeeze the trigger to take them down. The Old City had a dampening effect on noise and they were far enough away from the rest of the troops that it was likely no one would hear gunshots.

  Damn it! She hated that now Wyatt was in danger too. What the hell was he doing here anyway?

  “Sometimes simple plans are the best.”

  Dr. George’s voice came from behind her and she took satisfaction in the fact that he sounded winded. Slowly, she turned to face the biggest threat. While the other men might be holding the weapons, she knew who would give the order to fire.

  The jerk wasn’t alone. Somewhere along the way, he’d acquired another pair of enforcers and they flanked him, their pistols also aimed at her and Wyatt. This situation appeared grimmer by the minute. The newcomers shifted their weight from foot to foot, looking unsure of themselves. This might put her and Wyatt at higher risk. She’d read somewhere that amateurs were more dangerous than professionals. That had to apply to soldiers-turned-antiquity thieves too.

  “Montgomery,” George said, still slightly out of breath, “I didn’t realize you were back in the city. Good work holding her until we could arrive in force.”

  Kendall went rigid. She realized immediately the doctor was attempting a divide-and-conquer scheme. If she mistrusted Wyatt, she might not support him if he tried something. Might not run with him if he managed to create an opening for them. She wasn’t falling for it.

  “If you think you can fool me into believing for even a half second that Wyatt has anything to do with your band of looters, you better think again.” Her voice came out low. “He has more honesty and integrity than anyone else I’ve ever met.”

  George studied her. Perhaps gauging how adamant she was in her belief, perhaps looking for something else. “Put your hands where we can see them. Both of you.”

  “Do it,” Wyatt said under his breath when she hesitated.

  “Search them,” the doctor ordered.

  The man who stepped up to frisk her took her bag away, and the way he jerked it over her head left her hissing with pain as the strap caught her chin. He hesitated before the pat-down, though, which made her think he wasn’t well versed in this type of procedure. She wondered what kind of training these guys had, what their normal assignments were. It couldn’t be security, not with this lack of confidence in a routine inspection.

  Since she wasn’t carrying a weapon, it didn’t take long to finish with her, and the guy moved to Wyatt. It didn’t surprise her one bit when, from the corner of her eye, she saw the goon pull a knife from Wyatt’s boot. Her friend remained stoic, but she didn’t know if that meant he had another weapon stashed somewhere or if the unresponsiveness was part of his warrior persona.

  “Well, well, look at that,” Dr. George said with mock dismay. “Mr. All-American is disobeying a direct decree from the post commander. I’m appalled.”

  Wyatt didn’t react. Not so much as a blink.

  “Nothing to say?” When no reply was forthcoming, the doctor shrugged, then folded his arms over his chest. “At least the cheerleader has some intelligence, questionable though it may be; perhaps it’s for the best that you let her do the talking.”

  Kendall snarled and took a step forward.

  “Bug, cool it,” he said just loud enough for her to hear him. “This is the response he wants, don’t give it to him.”

  Sh
e went still at once, and, taking a deep breath, attempted to force aside the temper. As some of the rage ebbed, she noticed the two sidekicks in front of her were rattled by her actions. Damn. That made them unpredictable. Wyatt was right; she needed to keep cool. He was right about George too. The doctor was trying to get Wyatt steamed so that he couldn’t think; it would diminish the threat he posed. Luckily, he’d kept his head, even if she hadn’t.

  And Wyatt was the one they were worried about. His skills had been honed to a sharp edge while she had nothing beyond required training. He’d been in combat situations, while she’d manned a desk. Yeah, the doctor was aware of who was the bigger danger, but he must also know that if she got riled and did something stupid, Wyatt would try to save her. That realization iced over her remaining anger.

  The sky finally darkened enough to activate the lighting in the Old City, and it cast a glow along the streets, giving Kendall her first clear view of the men. It didn’t reassure her. The two stooges in front of her looked more anxious than she’d realized, and sweat beaded their faces. One slip of a finger and the gun could go off. If Wyatt got hurt, it would be her fault.

  “The cheerleader and the quarterback,” George the Jerk said scornfully; it dragged her attention back to him. “Don’t they make a cute couple?”

  Now that she understood the game, Kendall found the comment laughable. She didn’t realize she’d smirked till George unfolded his arms and asked, “You find this amusing, Miss Thomas?”

  This time she opted not to correct him about her title. She did, however, clear the expression off her face and stand a little straighter. “No, of course not.”

  For an endless moment, the doctor did nothing but stare at her, and Kendall’s heart started to pound in double time. He was angry over her perceived disrespect. Very angry. Don’t let him take it out on Wyatt, she pleaded silently, and released a silent sigh when some of his pique appeared to subside.

  “Let’s take this gathering back to the pyramid, shall we?”

  They couldn’t let themselves be moved. As unlikely as it was that anyone would stumble across them here, the odds were even worse if they returned to the temple. She shifted, balancing her weight evenly. When Wyatt took action, she was fighting with him. Kendall wouldn’t run while he battled four armed men.

  She sensed someone approach from behind, but before she guessed what he was up to, he grabbed her. One arm went around her throat, the other over her raised arms, lowering them and pinning them at her waist. His hold was secure, giving her fewer options than Wyatt had left her. She kicked backward anyway.

  Though she was largely ineffectual, the man tightened his grip, cutting off her air. She didn’t stop struggling, not until the roaring in her ears blocked all other sound and blackness encroached on her vision. Passing out wouldn’t help, and Kendall quieted. The hold eased enough for her to breathe, and when her eyes cleared, she saw they’d moved a few steps away from Wyatt.

  Apparently, the stooges weren’t quite as untrained as she’d believed. Though she was far from expert herself, she could identify the wise choices they’d made—separating her from Wyatt for one, and using her for leverage to keep him in line, for another. Then there was the way the two who’d flanked Dr. George stayed out of Wyatt’s reach. He wouldn’t be able to disarm them, not easily and not in time to keep the guy who was holding her from snapping her neck.

  Kendall had the feeling she’d missed a few things while she’d been gasping for oxygen. They seemed to have decided on how they’d proceed to the pyramid. She thought about dragging her feet when they began moving, but didn’t. Wyatt was ahead of her, his hands on the back of his head, and since he was cooperating, she followed his lead.

  The distance between them increased even more as they neared the temple. Dr. George opened the carved door and the man she’d thought of as being the impatient one went in first. Wyatt was held back—she’d bet until the man got into position—then ordered inside. Kendall took a step forward as he disappeared and was jerked back by the arm at her throat.

  “Watch it!” she rasped.

  “I’ll tell you when to move,” her captor growled.

  Wyatt had been out of view for what felt like forever before she was walked inside the pyramid. With the cautions the goon squad was taking, it was a while before she and Wyatt were reunited. This wasn’t a secret passage, she realized, looking around, but a secret room. And there were dozens of alien relics scattered around. Damned thieves.

  She was still about eight feet away from where Wyatt stood in the square stone room when she was released. Though they ordered her to raise her hands again when she was beside him, Kendall only half obeyed. She put one arm in the air, and rubbed her throat with her other hand.

  When she noticed Wyatt had turned his head to study her, she looked up—and caught a glimpse of raw fury in his eyes. She quickly stopped kneading and raised that arm as well. Darn it, she should have followed instructions. Now he was pissed off because she’d been hurt and God knew what he’d do. “Marsh,” she breathed, using the nickname his men had for him, “cool it.”

  Unfortunately, the gray rock walls made her voice carry despite the fact it hadn’t even been a whisper.

  “Yes, Marsh,” George said, disdain in his voice, “cool it. We wouldn’t want you to do anything rash.”

  Wyatt had his blank mask firmly in place again before he faced the doctor. “You realize,” he said, addressing George the Jerk for the first time, “that this is a losing proposition, don’t you? Capturing us is the beginning of the end.”

  “Unlikely,” George disagreed. “Once you’re out of the way, no one will be any wiser.”

  Out of the way? That didn’t sound good. She eyed the only exit from the room, but the five men stood between them and the corridor. Odds were pretty low on overcoming them and escaping. Then there was the ricochet factor if one or more fired their guns. With stone everywhere, bullets would bounce around like pinballs.

  “If Kendall and I turn up missing, someone will notice and investigate,” Wyatt argued calmly.

  “Oh, I’m sure your absences will be remarked upon, but I doubt there will be much investigation. Two lovers going AWOL so they can spend more time together. What is there to look into?”

  The doctor’s plan could possibly work. Maybe. A lot of people who knew them casually assumed her relationship with Wyatt was sexual. The few who were bold enough to say something to her face had been quickly straightened out, but she doubted they’d believed her. This was one of those times that being on a post with a small population was a drawback. Not only did everyone know everyone else’s business, but they gossiped about it too.

  George’s scheme wasn’t a long-term solution, though. Not on a planet that was deserted except for the members of their group. People might believe they were off having sex for a few days, but after that there would be questions. Where could they go? There was only one gate in the walls surrounding the Old City that hadn’t been permanently blocked, and it was always guarded. Even if a member of the security force claimed he’d allowed them to leave, a long absence would raise questions about their well-being. Maybe the doctor hadn’t thought of that.

  “No one who knows us will buy the AWOL story.” Wyatt’s deep drawl almost made her jump.

  “It’s human nature to believe the worst of others.” The confident smile on Dr. George’s face sent a shiver down her spine. “While a few might proclaim your innocence, they won’t sway the masses.” To the guy on his left, he said softly, “Get a popper so we can finish this.”

  With a nod, the stooge disappeared from view. Kendall didn’t know whether to be alarmed or relieved. Poppers had been around about forty years, created to quell war protesters without causing injury. They delivered individual doses of a knockout drug, taking down the person fired at, but leaving bystanders clear. It was used in crowds where not everyone was a dissenter.

  But she didn’t know what amount they’d load in the popper or what
kind of drug they’d use. If it was too heavy, or too toxic, it could still cause death.

  The errand boy was back in almost no time, making Kendall wonder where the thing had been stashed. He didn’t hesitate, not for a split second, before aiming at Wyatt and firing. The popper caught Wyatt midstride and she figured he’d been trying to disarm the guy. In her peripheral vision, she saw Wyatt go down face first and knew it was her turn to act, her turn to protect.

  Kendall dropped and rolled. The popper discharged, but missed her. She came to her feet and made a dive for the goons. The second blast delivered the drug dead on. Trying not to inhale, she kept moving, but it was too late. The floor rushed up to meet her, and as she felt her consciousness fading, she reached out a hand toward Wyatt.

  *** *** ***

  Shit, his head hurt.

  Wyatt would have cursed aloud, but he didn’t have the strength for that. What the hell had hit him? A laser cannon? As he tried to figure it out, he felt himself start to drift.

  He didn’t know how long it took him to regain awareness, but his head didn’t feel any better this time. His thoughts, however, were clearer. Wherever he was, the ground was hard as hell. Without moving, he listened carefully, trying to pick up whether there was any threat present, but it was quiet.

  Good thing. He hadn’t felt this weak since he’d taken a bullet two years ago. His front side ached—probably because of what he was lying on, rather than any injury—and his head throbbed like mad. Everything else, though, seemed to be pain-free and in working order. Slowly, he brought a hand up to his skull, but he didn’t find any blood or other sign of trauma.

  Okay, now he needed to open his eyes and discover what was going on. Simple. But the thought of light made the pounding in his head increase in intensity. Come on, Marsh, he told himself, gotta check out what’s happening. Barely suppressing a groan, he forced his eyelids apart. It was pitch black, and he couldn’t see a damn thing. Where in the hell was he?

  Again he listened, and again he heard nothing that concerned him. As he breathed deeply, trying to work up some interest in moving, he detected the faintest hint of some spicy, sexy scent. Bug, he thought, his lips curving.