Rebel Heart (22 page)

Yet once again she was stumbling, falling behind, her breaths coming now in short, labored gasps.

"I have to rest," she cried out. How could this man continue at such a pace?

"We can't!"

She was suddenly standing nose to chest with her would-be rescuer. He stood above her, breathing deeply, shrouded by the darkness of the forest and the night.

"I can go no farther..." she began. But she was swiftly cautioned, as his black-gloved hand appeared before her in a warning gesture.

"Hush. We are not yet out of danger. We must go on."

"One minute--to catch my..."

Suddenly Tori broke away from him, turning wildly toward the tower and her laboratory. She had lost all sense of direction.

Now she could hear their pursuers in the distance. "Don't let them get away," someone screamed. "Find her, else Morray will vent his anger on us! And The Phantom--kill him. He has stepped in the way of our plans one too many times."

Her eyes widened.

The Phantom--he was truly not one of them.

Relief swept through her, her heart slowing, and she wasn't sure if it was the short rest or the knowledge that he was not going to hurt her. She looked one more time toward the tower then started to move through the forest, but before she could do so on her own, he had swept her up and tossed her over his shoulder.

"I can make it on my..." she began in a soft huff, trying to push up against his back.

"Victoria…" he began politely enough. Then he continued, "Be quiet!" He spoke like a soldier leading a battalion. Then one of his long strides sent his shoulder jutting into her stomach and she gasped for air. She had no other choice.

Rambling berry branches and thorny vines tore at her hair and her clothes as he hurried quickly along the meager trail. She balanced precariously, clinging to him now with a quiet desperation, all her energy bent on keeping her balance as he ran. It came as no surprise to her when he stopped and removed camouflage debris from a vehicle. She struggled on his shoulder, turning just in time to see a silver flash on a sleek black land glider.

She slid down the front of him, the fabric of her shirt hissing against his body suit. She quickly stepped free, her cheeks heating with embarrassment. He didn't notice. In truth, his attention was now concentrated on the glider.

His hand roamed the smooth fuselage, reverently dusting the dirt and needles from its surface. Tori felt a shiver sweep along her spine. What would a woman feel, she wondered, if this dark and dangerous man were to touch her so tenderly?

"Get in, Victoria; we still have a long ways to go tonight." Again, his voice commanded, demanding complete obedience, a compliance she refused to give this mysterious stranger. Tori tensed, seething inwardly at his sudden underhanded tone. Had he truly rescued her? On the other hand, had she escaped the hands of her enemies only to find herself with another?

"No, I think--well, I think I'll go this way." He was not one of Sheridan's or Morray's men. She knew that now, but she still had no reason to trust him. And where did he intend to take her?

Nevertheless, he didn't look pleased. Impatiently, he grabbed her by the wrist and hauled her around to the passenger side. Then opening the door, he gave her a little shove. She landed ungracefully in the front seat. The door closed and the door latch clicked. Yet she had to admit that, at the least, she would not have to fend for herself alone and in the cold this night.

She didn't look his way when he climbed in the other side, yet she couldn't help but hear the steady, strong hum of the engine as it turned over. It lifted from the earth, hovering a moment as he fought to keep it from stalling in his haste to become airborne. Then, expertly piloted, the glider smoothly gained altitude. Suddenly, the glider burst above the tops of the trees, soaring towards the clouds.

"Good Lord!" Tori breathed without a second thought then stuffed her knuckles in her mouth, her eyes crossing with mortification. They would die here. This reckless pilot commanded his vehicle to do impossible things. She gulped back her fear and hung on to the armrests then her seatbelt, but nothing helped steady her racing heart. "Can you fly this thing!"

"I can't let Morray catch us," he reminded her, his voice sounding as if it came from very far away as he sharply banked the glider, and in less than a second executed a ninety-degree turn.

"I'm going to be sick!"

"I thought you had a stronger constitution than that. You've always been so bold, so rebellious--and had your own way with all things. Now faced with a little adversity, you wilt."

"What?"

"I said--"

"Oh, I've had nothing my way," she cried out indignantly, then shrieked with sheer terror, because he'd suddenly put the glider into a fast, steep dive, pulling up mere feet from the ground. The glider settled at this low altitude as he guided it along the path of the river below, the water's reflection flashing in the dawn.

The drone of the engine was quiet--comforting, in a way. But she could, nevertheless, hear the slamming of her heart against her chest. Just when she thought she had her heart under control, he would look at her, his leather mask completely hiding his features--save his lips and eyes--then snatch her throbbing heart from her. She didn't think she could have survived if she had not pushed her horrible fear to the back of her mind. She kept her eyes wide open, preparing herself for every move from this mysterious man. Her reputation for fearlessness was fraudulent.

She had never taken a ride like this one, yet despite her stubborn determination, the wild, maniacal turns they made were overcoming her resolve. She would not give in to the sickness and humiliate herself in front of this man. As they flew over mountains then dove into deep canyons, she began to relax and appreciate the expertise with which he flew.

Now they soared over another forest. Not a great redwood forest but one predominate with ageless cedars.

Then, suddenly, her seat belt harness fiercely pressing against her body, they came to a very rough landing.

"God," she mumbled, part irritated, part relieved. She dared to look around her, swallowing down hard against the emptiness and the desolation that surrounded them.

"We've made it," he said brightly as he climbed from the glider.

So now what...
 

The dawn was just beginning to break over the eastern hills with little beams of sunlight penetrating the thick branches of the cedar trees. They had landed in front of what looked to be a deep cavern, nothing more.

She was weary beyond comprehension. Her hair was an awful mess, swirling around her in disarray. Her clothes were rumpled and torn from the rapid dash through what must have been a briar patch. Her feet were bare and practically numb with cold and scratched and bruised too. She breathed in deeply, bringing to mind all the injustices she'd been through this night and turned on him ready to let loose all her outrage.

"Calm down, please" he popped the door latch and the seat belts in one fluid move. She knew nothing of him except that he could pilot a glider. She wished he'd take the mask off. Even now that he no longer wore the black cape and there was enough light to see his lips, she didn't recognize him. He was unfazed by the swift, wild journey they'd just been on. It seemed also that behind that concealing black mask he wore so arrogantly, he was laughing at her.

"Calm down?" she asked sweetly. She had never felt so furious. "Oh, and you scare the...the...the...out of women every night! You tell me to calm down? Who are you, anyway?"

She knew who he was. He was the man who had rescued her earlier that day. She'd recognized the battle cry, recognized the voice when he let out a whoop just after a near disaster of a right-angle turn. He was a mystery and a miracle all at the same time. He was a man who could single-handily defeat half a dozen men in hand-to-hand combat. He was a myth. A living fantasy, just like her dreams of a knight in shining armor.

The Phantom.

He had come to her aide tonight.

But that told her nothing still. He was only a man, a man who acted the part, rescued a lady in distress but refused to tell her his intentions or even reveal his identify. If she didn't hold tight to her anger, she was going to start swearing.

"What now?" she demanded sharply then winced at the tone of her voice. "We certainly can't stay here," she added softly this time.

"We wait," he said cryptically. "There is too much danger out there to risk detection again. We've been lucky so far."

She stiffened. "I'm Victoria DeMontville, and I demand you show me your face and I demand that you take me to Drake's--"

"You are a rebellious child," he said tenderly. "You are still trying to defy all the rules that protect our civilization. You should have been married to some man who could have controlled your willfulness years ago so you would not tempt treacherous men like Morray. Nonetheless--"

"You're a fool," she warned him, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "And I'm not a child," she added.

But now what? He didn't know her, didn't realize how determined she was. With or without his help, she would find a way to the mountains--to Drake. She had to. It seemed at this moment it would be without his help. Even though he'd pulled her from Morray's trap, she was very much at his mercy. Moreover, if he acted anything like he piloted his glider, he might very well be deranged.

He had walked away from the glider, standing almost at the mouth of the cave now. She could be free of him.

He was The Phantom. A man that legends were made of, she told herself, a man who defied all acceptable codes of behavior doing exactly what he thought right, regardless of what anyone else thought. Yet he had brought her to an isolated part of the 'Ascade range, a section that was wreathed in mystery, and surrounded by folklore. They were alone.

"Victoria--"

"You must know that my experiments in viral technology are vitally important to the City Dwellers as well as the mountain folk. You must be aware of this. Why else would you have been at the center? Thank you for your timely assistance, but now I must, at least for the moment, consider my own situation of the utmost importance, I will say goodbye. Have a nice walk." With every intention of leaving him behind, she jumped into the pilot's seat, slamming the door and firing up the engine.

She smiled as the powerful rig began to accelerate slowly through the trees.

Tori was just congratulating herself on her coup when the glider inexplicably turned slowly. Controlled automatically by The Phantom, it rolled gently on the soft green carpet until it came to rest at its original landing spot. Despite her valiant efforts, she had failed to escape.

This time she was hauled unceremoniously from the glider. She went flying from the seat only to land against the solid wall of his chest. As if to challenge her or to let her know who was in command, he lifted her off her feet until they were at eye level.

"Sorry," she winced, so stunned that she barely let out that one word let alone the barrage of profanities that had easily come to mind.

He brought her even closer, so close she swore her nose touched his, felt the softness of his mask against her cheek. She inhaled sharply, and when she would have pushed away, he tightened the hold he had on her arms.

She stiffened, refusing to give any indication of her fear, fighting the urge to grovel at his feet. She thought she had to touch the earth again, and at the moment, it didn't seem he had any inclination to let her down. She hadn't realized his great size until he lifted her so high, the earth felt as if it were ten feet below her. He was more than a head taller than she, with arms that must be heavily muscled because he was still holding her effortlessly. She knew he had maniacal tendencies, but now, if she wasn't mistaken, his eyes had turned very dark.

He held her now at arms length, a feat she wondered at but didn't have time to digest, because he was addressing her, and she truly didn't like the tone of his voice. "You'd repay the hazards I went through to rescue you by stealing the only means of transportation for miles around?"

He set her on the ground and her slow and very gentle descent to earth left her very shaken and standing unharmed but humbly before him. She could not seem to breathe; her legs began trembling so hard that she lowered herself to the ground. He crouched, resting his elbows on his thighs, eye level once more. She faced him and her fear, her anger too, knowing she was accountable, yet not for one moment was she unaware of the heat, of the fury radiating from him.

"I was only borrowing it. I did plan to return it--well, perhaps I hadn't thought that far."

He stood suddenly, walking toward the glider. He spoke to her over his shoulder. "You were not meant for Morray. You are supposed to marry someone else, someone your father chose for you. At least so it said in his will."

"What?" Tori gulped, stunned. "His will."