Jaci's Experiment (20 page)

David gave her a hug. “You too.”

With a last look, they left the dream and Jaci woke with a gasp, sitting up in bed, worry hitting her like a sledgehammer.

“What’s wrong?” Bill was in the doorway to the small bedroom, disheveled from sleep but alert.

Tears gathered behind her eyes, but she gathered her courage and faced him. “Grady Prime is nearby.”

“How do you know?” Bill seemed skeptical and she couldn’t blame him. Besides crystallography, Alvians had no special powers. Not like humans.

“He was in our dream. Michael and David said it was because he was near. Michael was going to follow Grady Prime back to his own dreamplane and try to convince him to forget the interlude, but my mates seemed to think he was closer than we realized.”

A soft whistle sounded from over Bill’s shoulder as Sam came into view. “That bastard is tenacious as a leech. We’re going to have to be careful.”

“That’s what Michael and David said. They wanted me to warn everyone and I assume one of them—or maybe Davin—will be in touch as soon as they know anything. Michael seemed to think he might be able to tell us more after he visited Grady’s dreamplane.”

“That’s one freaky talent he’s got,” Sam said with admiration even as his jaw firmed. “I’ll make my way up to the house and let the O’Haras know. It should be dark enough to get there unseen if I’m careful.

Besides, Grady’s dreaming, right? So as of a few minutes ago at least, he was asleep.”

“Good idea,” Bill agreed.

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By dawn, Davin had checked in with the O’Hara family on a secure crystal, filling them in on what Michael had found out. Sam reported back to the inhabitants of the small outbuilding when he came back with breakfast for them all.

“Grady Prime is in the woods near the Northeast perimeter of the ranch. Michael seems to think he’s been there for a few weeks. Ever since the search teams gave up on finding you, Jaci. Looks like our old friend Grady never gave up.”

Jaci couldn’t really describe her feelings at the news. On the one hand, she was resentful that the soldier was still on her trail when all others had given up. Of course, that tenacity was part of what had made him rise to the level of Prime in the first place, so there was also a hint of admiration in her mix of emotion. In with that was a lot of fear, knowing how good at tracking Grady Prime truly was. His reputation was well earned and her mates knew firsthand how tenacious he could be.

Then there was a smidgen of flattery. The fact that he remained, personally, was good for her burgeoning ego. She knew from his own words that he liked her. Perhaps that was why he’d stayed when he sent all his men home.

“He will not give up,” Bill said with a grim expression. “The only thing that would make him leave is an emergency elsewhere. Even then, he is Prime. He decides where he is needed. He probably is ordering his men from here. He has advanced technology not available to most Alvians. His crystals are some of the most complex in the system, allowing him to work from anywhere.”

“Great.” Sam’s disgust was plain, his gaze accusatory. “And you know this how?”

To his credit, Bill held the other man’s gaze as he divulged part of his past of which the human was no doubt unaware. “I was Prime,” Bill said without detectable emotion. The man who had been Sinclair Prime had come a long way in controlling his emotions, Jaci realized with some envy.

Sam and Bill stared at each other for several long moments. “The Prime assassin, I’m guessing.”

Jaci gasped.

Bill only nodded.

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“And they chose you for the emotion experiment? Damn.” Sam whistled between his teeth. “What were they thinking? Give a stone killer emotions so he either turns into psycho who revels in his kills, or a regular guy who now has to live with the remorse of what he’s done. I’m guessing the latter happened to you, Bill.” Sam raised his coffee mug. “For what it’s worth, I’m glad you didn’t turn psycho. And you have my sympathy.”

Bill seemed at a loss for words and the silence stretched as they continued their meal. Finally, Sam sat back and looked at them both.

“So what now? Grady’s in the area. We need to get Jaci out of here. No offense, kid, but you’re a lab tech. You don’t stand a chance against someone with half Grady’s skill.”

“You’ll get no argument from me,” she agreed ruefully. “But where can I go? I dare not stay here. I don’t want to bring down any more trouble on the O’Haras.”

“But if you go anywhere by land, you’ll leave a trail Grady can follow,” Sam said. “We’ll need help from the O’Haras to get you off the ranch. Maybe Davin can send a ship or something. If we take you out by air—”

“Grady Prime undoubtedly has a ship nearby at his disposal. He could easily follow another ship and probably would investigate any irregular flights in or out of this valley or the surrounding areas.” Bill sat back as well, fingering his water glass with a thoughtful expression. “But there might be a way.”

“I’d be interested to hear it.” Sam challenged the other man.

“I can fly her out.”

Silence greeted Bill’s pronouncement as both Jaci and Sam regarded him with surprise.

“Can you carry her weight? I thought you said you were more of a sprinter,” Sam asked.

“In my youth, trainers tested me for various abilities. I can carry her for short hops with periods of rest in between. If we pick our spots well and use the cover of darkness, the trail will be minimal.”

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“No shit.” Sam sounded impressed. Jaci was too. The idea of flying with Bill, without a ship to support them, sent a nervous tingle through her midsection.

Bill sat forward, clearing a space on the small table in front of him. Using various utensils, he made a sort of map of the area. A knife was the ridge line, a fork the opposite mountain and a spoon the third ridge that created the triangular valley. A salt shaker was the ranch house, a small book of matches the outbuilding they were now in.

“If Grady stays along this side of the valley?” Bill pointed to the northeastern ridgeline, “—we can go out through here.” He indicated the path, shielded by several outbuildings and planted fields that led away from Grady’s last known position. “We can take horses this far, and you can return our mounts to the pasture with none the wiser.” Bill nodded toward Sam as he fingered a path out beyond the ranch house and just up to the treeline to the southwest. “Even if Grady moves, we should be far enough from him if we move quickly and target a site directly opposite his last known location for our initial departure. I can probably get her as far as the ridge on the first flight. It’s clear enough up there for me to land safely and the rocky slope won’t hold tracks.”

“If need be, I can lay some false trails elsewhere,” Sam volunteered.

Jaci didn’t like the sound of that. “I don’t want you to put yourself at risk, Sam. Grady wants me back, but he’ll take you in just as quickly. I’d feel terrible if you got caught because of me.”

Sam’s lips quirked up in a half-smile. “Thanks for that, Jaci, but I want you to get away from here safely.”

“I think we can do that, Sam.” Bill ended that train of thought, though Jaci was still troubled. Yet, these men were the experts on this kind of thing. She had to trust their judgment.

“But where will we go?” Jaci was more than curious.

“I’ve been giving that a lot of thought over the past few days,” Bill said. “There is a place you could go.”

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Jaci didn’t dare get her hopes up too high, but she was feeling a strange mix of anxiety, relief and fear.

“Where?” It was the only word she could get out past the lump in her throat, and it wasn’t loud, but Bill seemed to hear her.

“A few days hike from here there’s an old cave complex. It appears to have been a mine at one time and is solidly reinforced, with interior plumbing and even wiring that we might be able to get working again if we can rig some power. Davin or the O’Haras might be willing to get us a power crystal or two.

If we can get that place up and running, we can hide there easily. Even if we can’t restore power right away, it’s a great place to hole up. There are multiple layers of security, which I guess is why some other group hasn’t already taken up residence there. The place is big, with many large underground chambers.

It can be easily defended and is impervious to surveillance of any kind due to the metal that permeates the living rock. I scoped it out months ago as a fall-back position. I think if we can get it up and running, we could perhaps provide a safe haven for ourselves and the O’Haras too—if they ever need it.” His face grew very serious. “We owe them much.”

“I see you’ve given this a great deal of thought,” she said, feeling hope rise to crowd out the other emotions. “And I’m overwhelmed that you would allow me to join you.”

“It is a wise move on many levels,” Bill said, his expression guarded. “I need a base of operations, but the mine is too big to leave unguarded. If there are more of us, we can keep it more secure. One will always be inside and able to monitor for intruders. I didn’t want to use it when it was just me alone for that very reason, but I’d been thinking of it more since Sam joined me. We both would benefit from a safe place to live that is out of the weather. Winter will be here soon.”

“I think it’s a good plan,” Sam agreed.

“But is it safe for Sam to be alone in the woods, making his way on foot, knowing Grady Prime is out there, tracking?” Jaci asked, worried.

Bill nodded. “Far safer for him than you, Jaci. He knows how to hide his tracks and he has the advantage over Grady Prime, knowing where he is right now. It’s a good start. All we need to do is get you out of here without Grady Prime knowing. Right now he 185

may suspect you’re still in the area, but he has no real evidence. It’s key that we keep it that way during our escape.”

“That’s where I come in,” Sam added. “And maybe the O’Haras can help a bit too. Justin could go out game hunting and stumble across Grady’s path.” A mischievous smile lit Sam’s face.

“It’s plausible. Though doubtful that Grady Prime will leave enough of a trail to be easily discovered.

Still, Justin has skills. It wouldn’t be out of character for him to follow any trace of a trail found near his homestead,” Bill allowed. “And while you’re playing in the woods, Jaci and I can begin work on the mine site so when you get there, we’ll be able to hole up against the entire Alvian army, if necessary. It won’t take much. The place is perfect for our use.” Bill sat back once more, after rearranging the table so no evidence of their plans remained.

He stood to leave and Jaci followed suit, going over to give him a hug as she’d seen the O’Haras do countless times. She finally understood the meaning of platonic hugs to show affection and she felt it deeply at the moment for Bill.

“I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done.” She squeezed him gently, feeling his surprise in the rigidity of his muscles. After a short but heartfelt hug, she let him go and moved back. “I may not be any good in the woods, but I do have technical skills. I know I can help get the power up and running. Aside from biotech, I did several courses in power distribution early in my career. I even worked in a grid station for a year while waiting for a spot to open on Mara’s team.”

Bill regarded her with approval. “You’re full of surprises today. We can use those skills, Jaci. Now we just need to get a decent power source. I’ll go over to the ranch house and have a talk with the O’Haras.”

186

The O’Haras were able to supply them with a decent-sized crystal Davin had given Mick to power some medical equipment he’d been running off a generator before. Mick said he didn’t mind using the generator again if they needed the diagnostic equipment during the time it would take for Davin to get them another crystal.

So they had a power source and Jaci had the skill to install it. Now they just had to escape the ranch unseen and make their way to the old mine.

They’d raised a few eyebrows when telling the O’Haras the bare bones of their plan. As far as the human family knew, Jaci and Bill were making their way on foot. The questions they didn’t ask were more telling than those they did. The O’Haras seemed to realize that Bill wasn’t being entirely forthright with them, but for whatever reason, they didn’t pry. The O’Haras—most likely because of Caleb’s abilities—often
knew
things without being told, but neither Jaci nor her companions were volunteering any information about Bill.

Jaci had never ridden a horse before, but Sam was an expert. He gave her a quick lesson and in no time they were trotting off over the ranch landscape, using the outbuildings, trees and fields of tall crops for cover. There was only a sliver of moon that night—not enough light to give them away. Or so they all hoped.

Justin had gone out into the woods earlier that day, ostensibly to go hunting game animals, but in reality he was pursuing prey of a different kind altogether. He’d picked up Grady Prime’s faint trail in the afternoon and had reported back to his brother telepathically. Grady Prime had scouted further afield, but returned to camp on the northeastern edge of the ranch at dusk. He’d likely go out again that night, but he was probably too far away on the opposite side of the big property to catch them in the act.

187

All too soon Jaci’s first horseback ride was over. She slid out of the saddle, surprised to feel her legs were somewhat rubbery, but the most nerve-wracking part was yet to come.

Flying.

She wasn’t looking forward to it.

She’d flown many times in ships, but never without the warm reassurance of steel and circuitry between herself and the elements.

“God willing, I’ll see you both in a few days,” Sam said as he took the reins of all three horses in hand and tethered them to a nearby tree. Jaci knew the men had already discussed how and where Sam could find the old mine and Sam was an experienced woodsman. He’d be able to find it.

Jaci went to him and gave him a hug. “I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done. If we do not meet again, may light shine on your path for all your days.” She didn’t know why the ancient Alvian words came to mind, but they fit. Modern Alvians didn’t believe in such superstitious wishes, but in the far past, there had been many sayings her ancestors had used for both greetings and leave-takings. She thought she understood now why such occasions had inspired both formal and heart-wrenching words.

“Thanks, Jaci,” Sam said, returning her hug then stepping back. His smile didn’t quite reach his eyes and his expression was kind. “You’re a good kid. Wild Bill will take good care of you. Trust him.”

“I do.” She looked from one man to the other, noting that Bill had taken off both his jacket and shirt, rolling them up and storing them in a small sack she would carry. He began to stretch—both his muscles and his wings—and the sight made her speechless. His wings were a tawny golden color shot through with pale ivory and white. Even in the twilight darkness, she could see they were a thing of beauty.

From tip to tip, she’d estimate his wings to be twice as long as he was tall. How he hid them under his baggy clothes, she had no idea, but she’d never even suspected. Of course, now she could see his torso was quite a bit leaner than she’d expected, rippling 188

with ropes of muscle. He was fitter than any man she’d ever seen. A true specimen. His body a work of art. And his wings, a thing of legend.

A low whistle reached her ears and she turned to see Sam watching just as intently.

“You’d better be careful, my friend.” Sam walked up to Bill as he turned to face them. “Any human who sees you will think you’re an angel come to earth.”

“I’m no heavenly being.”

“A fallen angel then.” Sam grinned and Bill begrudgingly smiled in return.

“Just don’t start calling me Lucifer.”

“So you’ve been reading up. Good for you.” Sam stuck out his hand and the two men exchanged a handshake. “I’ll watch the backtrail for a while before I return the horses, just to be certain you made it out unseen.”

“We’ll see you in a few days.”

Bill turned to Jaci and she knew her moment of truth had come. He must have seen her hesitation because his expression softened.

“There’s nothing to be afraid of. I won’t drop you and I can assure you, I’m very skilled at flight.”

Jaci took a deep breath. “I’m sorry I’m such a coward.” She firmed her spine and reached out to take the sack from his hand. She would hold it while they flew. In fact, she would tie it to her arm since it contained not only Bill’s clothing, but also the all-important power crystal. They didn’t want to drop it.

“You’re not a coward, Jaci,” Bill’s voice was soft with understanding. “A coward would never have made it this far.” So saying, he scooped her up into his arms and waited until she was settled comfortably. “All right?” he asked.

She nodded, her arms around his chest, under the soft feathers of his wings and the sack tied to her upper arm, resting on her middle. It would be awkward, but it would work.

“Let’s go before I lose my nerve.”

With a smile and a soft laugh, Bill leapt into the air.

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The rush of air under his wings startled her at first, but the sensation of flight soon overcame the sheer intrigue of his wings. They were high above the trees in a matter of seconds. She dared not look below to see Sam and the horses, for fear they’d be little specks. She closed her eyes and concentrated on being as light and small as possible, though she knew the futility of wishing for things that were impossible.

“Are you all right?” Bill asked and Jaci could feel the humor in his voice.

“Don’t talk. Concentrate on flying!” Her words were a terrified whisper.

“Don’t worry. I won’t drop you, Jaci. I’ve carried people aloft before.”

That idea intrigued her since his mere existence was a closely held secret. “Trainers?”

“And targets,” Bill’s voice dipped into grim tones.

She preferred not to think about those he’d killed. She preferred he didn’t think of them either, actually.

“How long?”

“Before we land?” His breathing was labored. “Momentarily.”

“Really?” She peeked through clenched eyelids and felt tears stream over her temple as the wind blew into her face. The treetops were far below and the rocky ridge of the mountain loomed closer. Bill set them both down gently, landing on his feet as his wings softened the jolt of coming back to earth. She could see he was winded and felt the sweat of his exertions on his skin as he lowered her to her feet.

“I need to walk,” he said, his breath coming in puffs. “Stay here and don’t move around too much. Stick to bare rock if you can. Less tracks.”

Jaci followed his orders to the letter as he stalked off across the bare rock slope at a lazy pace, working the muscles in his arms and stretching his wings. After a few minutes, he came back to her.

“Are you all right?” He was breathing more rhythmically now, but she was still concerned for his welfare.

“I’m fine. The first leg was the most difficult. From here on, we can go from peak to peak. It’s more of a soaring start than a drive to gain altitude. It’s not as tiring.”

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“If you say so.” Jaci was amazed at the freedom his wings gave him, and despite the fact that she was still afraid, she found herself looking forward to the next leg of their journey.

“At this rate, we will be at the mine in a few hours. It’ll be good to approach the site while it’s still dark outside. Less need for our eyes to adjust to the interior gloom and less chance of being spotted in the area should anyone be nearby.”

Jaci trusted his judgment. Bill had been a soldier Prime—one of the elites. He probably had skills she couldn’t even dream of. She’d trust him with her life, and was in fact doing so with every inch they put between themselves and the O’Hara ranch.

“It must be so amazing to be able to fly, but I have no idea how you hid those wings for so long.”

“Not all that difficult really. I was kept mostly in the field and my men…” A tight look came over his face as his words died off.

“What?”

“We’d better get going. We have a lot of sky to cover.”

Jaci understood from his tone that he didn’t want to discuss it further. She felt bad that she’d broken the mood of camaraderie they’d developed. Still, she thought she knew Bill well enough by now that their friendly banter would return.

Bill stepped close to her and she fought against stepping back. He was a handsome man, but he wasn’t either of her mates. Being held in Bill’s arms was no hardship, but it reminded her too much of all she’d never shared with Michael and David.

He lifted her into his arms and waited while she arranged the pack with the crystal and his shirt and coat.

The crystal would be key when they arrived at the mine site.

“This flight will be longer. Can you handle it?”

“It takes getting used to, Bill, but I can do it. I have to.”

“You’re a trooper, Jaci. I never had much use for lab techs, but you’re different.”

Jaci smiled, glad to have his good opinion. “Thanks.”

He leapt from the edge of the ridge and Jaci had to hold back a squeal of fright as they dipped low, plummeting a dozen feet before his wings unfurled completely. After 191

that, it felt like they were sailing through the night sky, buffeted by wind currents that flowed under Bill’s cupped wings.

After a while, Jaci started to notice the way he used his feathers to make the most of the wind and airflows that kept them aloft and going in the right direction. They soared far above the trees, probably indistinguishable from the ground as much more than a very large bird. Given lack of depth perception in a black sky, if anyone was out there in the forest and happened to see them, they’d probably be mistaken for an eagle of some sort. Such birds were often spotted above the forest and made the treetops their home.

It was beautiful in a scary way. Looking outward, Jaci could see the stars, appearing all that much closer given her distance from the ground. The sky was a cloudless black sea with white stars bobbing here and there. She was just starting to get over her fear when Bill brought them in for a landing on another rocky ridge.

On it went, repeating the cycle several more times before they landed for the final time. Each time, Jaci enjoyed the experience more, though Bill seemed to be tiring more with each short flight.

They were deep in the mountains now, in an area far removed from the Alvian city. Nobody lived out here except a few hermits. The small human villages were usually found in more hospitable areas.

Bill was noticeably tired, but still led her in a roundabout way to the mine entrance. It didn’t look like much from the outside, which was part of its charm, but as soon as they’d gone a few yards inside, Bill halted their progress.

“Wait here.” Bill left her sitting against the cave wall to one side of the entrance. She could still see the mouth of the tunnel, but not much else. Bill had scouted ahead far enough to reassure her that they were alone in the cylindrical cave.

He checked their backtrail, erasing the few signs of their passage while leaving an agreed-upon pile of rocks and twigs in a formation he’d discussed with Sam. The terrain was rocky. Jaci didn’t see how Bill could discern any sort of trail, but he apparently did.

“We need to move slowly from here on out,” Bill said as he rejoined her. “There could be animals or even people in here. With all the bare rock, prints are hard to come 192

by and easy to mask, but it is a good sign that my markers were left undisturbed from the last time I was here.”

“I didn’t see any markers.”

Bill only smiled. She saw the gleam of his teeth in the darkness and it sent a chill down her spine. He took the pack from the stone floor at her feet and dressed in his loose shirt and coat, hiding his wings under layers of cloth.

“I’ll take point. You stay close behind me and hold the crystal.” He handed the pack to her, now much less bulky and somewhat lighter. Jaci swung it over her back in a comfortable position as Bill led the way at a slow pace through the tunnel, winding downward for several yards before branching left.

An hour later, it felt like they’d covered every inch of the tunnel complex, but Jaci feared they’d only scratched the surface. They were both tired and in need of rest, assured that at least their immediate area was free from danger and would be long enough for them to rest.

Bill had a light of Alvian design he must’ve scrounged from her ship or some patrol outpost. He lit the area, chasing the shadows away, and Jaci got her first really good look at the rough-hewn tunnels.