Dark Siren (25 page)

“Wes,” she called. He stopped and she jogged the distance to catch up. Her words came hesitantly. “Something…has been bothering me.”

His eyes sharpened with concern. “What is it?”

“The other day when you asked if I’d been having bad dreams or trouble remembering things…I lied to you. Something happened Friday, and at first I couldn’t remember what. On Monday, I blacked out again. I lost twenty-four hours. You’re the last person I remember seeing from that night. Did something happen to me in the basement at work?”

Wes’s blue eyes became cold and distant, making him look like a totally different person. “No. You were fine.” Next, he did something strange. Stepping in close, he held her almost desperately. “Keep your eyes open. Be careful.”

He kissed her forehead and smiled like nothing at all was out of the ordinary. It took some effort to return his smile. But she did. Then Wes pulled away and waved goodbye to them all.

Chapter 36

Due to a supposed mix-up with the tickets, Kali ended up in coach while Mack and Shannon flew first class. She sat crammed between a perpetual nose blower and a man who was unfamiliar with the invention of deodorant. The back of the plane felt like a sauna, adding to her misery.

Several hours later, Kali was overheated. Her bladder was in spasm. And the funk of the man next to her had become overwhelming, multiplied by ten in the cramped quarters. Unable to endure it any longer, she excused herself to the restroom and came face to face with “occupied” written in red letters on both bathroom doors. Twenty minutes later, she was still waiting. Her legs clenched together so tightly that her pelvic muscles seized up. Kali squirmed. Beads of sweat trickled from her forehead.

A ten-year-old boy emerged from one of the stalls. “The fish sandwich was killer.” He smiled sheepishly. “I wouldn’t go in there if I were you.”

Kali didn’t have a choice. She dashed in, barely getting her pants down before the dam broke. She breathed a sigh of relief and immediately gagged. The smell was terrible. Covering her mouth and nose, she set a personal record for voiding and practically fell out of the door as she exited, crashing into a man waiting patiently outside. The stranger offered a hand to steady her, catching the door as it swung back.

“Excuse me,” Kali said.

His smile was warm. “That’s alright, miss.” He stepped in the bathroom but came right back out. His face contorted with revulsion.

It wasn’t her fault, but she apologized anyway. Ducking her head in shame, she hurried to her seat. Using a rubber band from her purse, she tied her hair up and felt much cooler with the thick mane off her collar. Waking up so early had taken a heavy toll. Kali longed to sleep, but couldn’t. It was far too hot
. I might suffocate.

She opened her cellphone and began playing a game involving pigs in space. Four levels later, she closed the cell to give her tired eyes a break. Most of the other passengers were fast asleep. Kali stretched and yawned.

A man several rows ahead caught her attention. Something was different about him. It might have been the shock of white hair accompanying his otherwise young profile. But the urge to watch him wouldn’t go away. She was staring so hard that if two holes had magically appeared in the back of his head, it would not have been a surprise.

Kali leaned forward, willing him to turn. When the man actually rose from his seat as if summoned, she jumped. He started down the aisle, giving her a full view of the translucent blue irises that only added to his striking appearance. She averted her eyes but felt his stare as he moved to the back of the plane. She was afraid to look again. It wasn’t like the guy was threatening or creepy. It was because he seemed so familiar.

Hearing the bathroom door shut, she turned around and suffered an inward jolt as she met the man’s icy stare again. A few seconds dragged by. Then he inclined his head in a slight nod and pushed into the restroom. Kali shrank back into the seat and took a deep breath. The feeling that overcame her was faintly reminiscent of the moment she had first met Rhane in the theater. That it was possible to feel such a way twice in one lifetime was unsettling.

One other passenger was not sleeping twelve grueling hours into flight—a boy not much older than her with a red ball cap that partially hid a gorgeous mop of auburn hair. His head nodded back and forth to music from an mp3 player as he travelled to the back of the plane. The man with white hair was returning to his seat. As he passed the younger, red-headed boy, the friction between them was almost tangible. And yet…it seemed as if they were pretending not to know each other. Kali shivered.
Weird
.

The plane landed in Tokyo to refuel and she got her first opportunity for fresh air. One of the last to exit the aircraft, she went straight to the restroom. Then she found a cafeteria to have dinner. Kali checked her watch. Back in the states it was nine o’clock Thursday night, making it Friday morning in Tokyo. Technically, she was having breakfast.

When the flight to Beijing was called, she returned to the plane. Stinky man had been replaced by a passenger with hygiene more attuned to the standards of modern society. Eight and a half hours later, the captain activated the loud speaker and announced they would be landing in Beijing within the hour. Kali sighed in relief. The final destination remained some distance away, but at least the flying part was nearly over.

Because of the initial delay, the last train to Mongolia had already departed the station when their plane arrived. The next one wouldn’t set off until the following morning. Mack checked everyone into a four star hotel for the night. In a stunning display of generosity, he gave Kali the keycard to her own suite. She was too tired to express sufficient gratitude. Up for twenty-six hours straight, the combined effect of the lengthy flight and jet lag from a twelve hour time difference had come crashing down.

She eyed the bed longingly. The mattress and pillows beckoned her to enjoy their comfort. But her body was all sticky and sweaty from the day’s travels. She needed a hot bath before settling in. So she stripped, let her hair down, and slipped into the tub. A hiss escaped her lips as the hot water lapped against her dehydrated skin. She submerged herself completely, resting in the gentle curve of the basin. Aromatherapy oils, complementary from the hotel, floated across the surface of the water and released a pleasant odor. There wasn’t much more she could have wished for.

Five minutes later, there was a knock at the door. She ignored it. The visitor knocked again. “Kali?” a voice called from outside. “Kali, open up! It’s Mack.”

“Unbelievable.” She squeezed her eyes shut and wished him away.

Mack’s persistent knocking turned into urgent pounding. He was going to wake the entire hotel. With a groan, she stood up from the tub, pulling a terry robe around her dripping body as she hurried to the door. “Hold on a sec!”

Each of her footprints left a puddle of lavender scented water. Too exhausted and frustrated to care about the messy trail, Kali threw open the door.

Mack’s fist was raised as if he were about to knock again. “You settled in okay?”

Do I look settled?
Kali wanted to scream but kept her voice calm. “The room is wonderful. Thank you. Matter of fact, I was enjoying hot bath.” She pulled her robe tighter for emphasis.

Mack nodded. He was either oblivious to the hint or blatantly chose to ignore it. “Mind if I come in?”

Kali smiled icily. “Sure, why not?” She left the door open, grabbing a towel before sitting on the couch.

Mack chose a spot in front of paneled doors leading to the balcony. He gazed out at the city lights and began to speak. “This contract is very important to me. The arrangements for this deal may seem odd to you, but it’s imperative that we leave a good impression with the buyer and his…people.” Mack turned to face her. “I’m afraid that I have a confession to make.”

She was busy drying off with the towel, but Mack’s last sentence made her stop. His eyes averted to the floor. But Kali had already seen the anguish in them. He seemed to struggle with what to say next.

“The buyer for The Siren’s Heart specifically requested you to be here for the transaction.”

Wes had cautioned her to feign ignorance of any knowledge of the arrangements between the buyer and Mack. Remembering his counsel, she pretended to be confused. “I don’t understand. Why me? How does he even know I work for you?”

“I won’t lie to you, Kali. I don’t know. Usually, I obtain every shred of information available before making any sort of exchange .You know that. But this time, even I only had access on a need-to-know basis.”

“Then why make the deal? This artifact is extremely rare. I imagine that any number of buyers would have lined up for the chance to acquire it.”

“This…man…” Mack shook his head. “He made it difficult for me to refuse.”

“Threw a lot of money at you, huh?” Kali started pulling a brush through her hair.

“No.”

She looked up at him, surprised he had heard her. She was even more surprised when the color of his face turned as white as the sheets on the hotel bed.

“Are you alright?”

“It wasn’t the money.”

She hesitated, unsure if she should ask any more questions. He looked afraid. But that wasn’t all. Mack was showing signs of having a conscience. “Mr. Richards, what’s going on?” She moved toward him uncertainly. “Mack?”

He ran a trembling hand through his hair, but was quiet.

Kali took a step closer. “Is everything alright?”

Shaking free of whatever had tied him, Mack placed a hand on Kali’s shoulder. “Everything…everything will be fine.” He moved past her. When he reached the door, his complexion had returned to normal. He was Mack again, the confident businessman. But his eyes were someplace else, distant and resolute. “We have a long journey ahead of us tomorrow. Get some rest.”

“That was bizarre,” she mused aloud after he had gone. Everyone kept telling her that everything was fine. But Kali got the feeling things were just the opposite.

She finished her hair and climbed into bed. Her tired mind wanted to drift until sleep came, but Mack’s behavior was a heavy weight, anchoring her in a troubled sea of thoughts. Questions continuously tumbled in on dark, angry waves. Why was Mack afraid? If money wasn’t the motivator, then what was? What would make him risk his business and prison?

Her eyes closed. Wondering what the next day would bring, Kali sank into an uneasy slumber.

Chapter 37

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE’S IN CHINA?!” Rhane was livid. Static in the line seemed to crackle in sync with his fury.

It was late Thursday morning. York had phoned with news of Kalista’s recent departure. Dreading to be the messenger, York hesitated for a long moment before dialing. Things had strayed severely off course. He and Rhane hadn’t gotten the answers they wanted about Kalista’s disappearance. They had no idea if she was truly a danger to herself or others. And then there was the whole business of Gabriel being reawakened. Stack bad on top of terrible. Now he had to be the one to tell Rhane that Kalista was more than seven thousand miles out of reach.

“
York.
” Venom practically poured through the receiver. “What happened?”

“We got it wrong with the file. Those coordinates were not from where the statue was taken. They were meant for where the statue would be sold. The break-in must have spooked the owner. He moved deal up by almost a week.”

Rhane spat a curse. “Who was on the plane?”

“I sent War. He was the only one who could get there in time.”

Rhane was silent. The situation hadn’t entirely gotten out of control. They had eyes on Kalista. And there was time to get a better handle on things.

York waited tensely, listening to the heavy breathing at the other end of the line. He clearly remembered the last time Rhane’s temper went nuclear. Heads had rolled. Literally.

“What did you tell him?” Rhane was calmer, though his anger seethed beneath the surface.

“His orders were not to extract. Shadow until we arrive so we can figure out what the heck is going on.”

“Good. What time does my flight leave?”

York darted a glance at his watch. “In one hour and twenty-two minutes. Are you close?”

“I’ll be there in thirty,” Rhane answered tersely and hung up.

York scratched his head and looked down at the black canine. “He took that better than I expected.”

Bailen watched as he slung two bags over his shoulder, one for him and the other for Rhane. York dropped the bags to the floor again and knelt so his eyes met Bailen’s. “I know you’re hiding something. And I know that whatever it is, it’s huge.”

Bailen uttered a low growl that ended in a soft whine.

“I just hope your secret doesn’t hurt him.” York stood and re-shouldered the bags. Before closing the door, he called back to the canine, “Are you going to stay a midget forever or do you plan on joining the rest of the pack?”

Bailen barked sharply. His tailed swished against the floor.