Shadow of My Heart (Shadow-Walker Tribe Series) (8 page)

“Sit a minute,” Joe said. “You need to recover before you can act.”

“They have her, Joe,” Raven said in a cold fury. “Adar hit her.”

“Derek?” Joe asked.

Raven reached out to Derek. He could feel his brother’s pain as his own, but Derek was alive. “Knife wound in the back, bullet wound to the shoulder.”

Sorry, Bro,
Derek sent telepathically.
There were too many for me to stop them from taking her, but I am following in Shadow.

Raven started barking orders. “I want five men, armed, and in my office in ten minutes. Have Rick ready the infirmary. Derek is losing a lot of blood, and I don’t know what they’ve done to Cara. I can sense her, but she is unconscious, and I can’t connect. Get everybody ready to walk Shadow. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Raven rushed down the hall to his private suite. He pulled on a black-leather pants and top. The pants had places to hold the knives, mini cross bow, twelve bolts, and other supplies that Raven quickly grabbed. The knives and bolts had obsidian blades and tips with handles made of bone. Raven tied his hair back with another leather tie and rushed back to his office.

He was glad to see Joe and the men waiting for him when he walked in. He reached out to Derek.
Where?

They are heading north on the Pacific Coast Highway. If you come in at LAX, you can get cars and follow from there
.

How are you holding up?
Raven asked.

Hurts like hell. Losing a lot of blood. Better hurry
, sent Derek

Raven, Joe, and the five warriors Shadow-walked onto LAX property. They had flown ops out of LAX before and knew the best places to Shadow-walk in and out. Raven had arranged to have two SUV’s waiting for them. Two cars driven by Counter Terrorism Los Angeles pulled up as the group walked out of the hanger. They all climbed in.

Derek?
called Raven.

They just pulled into a warehouse on 96th street. It’s set back from the street. I’ll meet you at the side door.

Cara woke, lying on a cold cement floor. Her body ached in too many places to count. How long had she been here? Her hands and feet were tied with what felt like wire wraps that were cutting into her skin. Someone had placed a black cloth bag over her head.

Her head hurt terribly, and she could feel a split in her lip. Her one eye seemed to be swelling shut. She couldn’t get it to open all the way. She hurt so badly that a moan escaped her lips.

“So the Bitch awakes,” said a voice.  

A swift kick was delivered to her ribs. She cried out in pain and anger. What kind of person would kick a bound woman?

“Azeem, get the camera ready,” said the voice.

Then, rough hands grabbed her and held her up. She was having a hard time keeping her feet under her. She must have lost her shoes in the struggle because her stocking feet slipped on the cold cement. The smell of unwashed bodies and cigarettes made her stomach roll and nausea threatened to overtake her.

“Put her down on the table,” said the voice again.

Then, she was lying on a metal table with her knees hanging off. Hands were holding her still, and suddenly the bag was ripped off her head. She blinked, looking up into the face of her captor. He looked at her once, then turned to a man holding a video camera.

“Are you ready, Azeem?”

The man nodded in reply. “Excellent.” 

Her captor turned back to her.

“I am Faheed Adar, and the men of Isanti, Inc., are my enemies. I am going to show them that they are no longer safe from my wrath, that their women and children are not safe, and I’m going to start with you.”

He pulled a knife from his belt and studied her for a moment. Cara stiffened in dread. Was she about to die?

“Now, beg for your life,” he said, running his thumb along the blade of the knife.

Cara had to stall for time. Raven was close. She could somehow feel him nearby.

“You’re a monster,” she answered.

“You American women display yourselves like whores in the market place,” he said, using his knife to push her dress up. “In my country, women can be punished for this. Should I punish you?”

Cara started to struggle. She had to get away. This man was a lunatic.

“Hold her you fools. Doran,” Adar shouted at one of his men.

The man with the scar ran up to help the first. They had pulled her hands above her head, and each man had grabbed one of her legs, pulling her thighs apart with bruising force. Then, Adar grabbed at the rip in her dress and pulled it apart up to her armpits. Cara whimpered. She couldn’t help it. Biting her lip, she tried to quiet her terror.

 “What?” Adar said. “No, begging? You Americans are so arrogant.” He reached out and cut through first one side of her panties and then the other. “Of course, begging will not save you.” He continued dragging the knife down the inside of her thigh, cutting her on the way down. Her breath hissed with the sting and feel of warm blood running down her skin.

“But Allah will forgive me for falling under your spell,” he said as he put the knife back into its sheath. He reached for his pants and started to lower his zipper. He pushed his pants down and held his shaft up for her to admire.

“See what Allah has blessed me with, and think what a pleasure it will be to take me into your body. The last pleasure of your life.”

Adar laughed and nodded to his men.

Cara continued to struggle. She would not accept this as her fate. She watched in horror as Adar grabbed her thighs and pulled her close to the end of the table.

Just then, Raven appeared from out of Shadow behind Adar. He grabbed him around the neck and
twisted. The sound of breaking bones was loud in the room. Then, he threw Adar to the side.

“Nobody touches my mate.”

Before Cara could blink, more men appeared out of the shadows. A knife flew through the air and into the heart of the man on her right and then Raven shot the man holding her on the left side with his crossbow before he scooped her off the table and headed for a door.

“Finish up here,” he said to Joe.

Everything went dark and cold. Raven had Shadow-walked. They came out into the infirmary in New Mexico. Cara recognized it from the last time she had been here.

Raven’s heart had almost stopped when he had seen what Adar was up to. He struggled with having Cara’s terror in his head. But his rage helped him put that aside. What did Cara think of him now that she knew he was a killer?

Cara arrived naked in his arms at the infirmary. Her clothes had not been made with all-natural fibers. She was shivering, and Raven feared it was from shock.

Dr. Rick walked in, wiping blood off his hands from working on Derek’s shoulder. So Raven grabbed a sheet and wrapped it around Cara. He sat down, holding her in his lap.

She hadn’t spoken yet, and Raven felt a stab of fear. Had he lost her? Was she now sorry to have ever met him?

Tears were coursing down her face. He held her gently. He could feel the pain in her face and ribs coming through their telepathic bond. The cut on her thigh was throbbing.

Rage at being powerless to help her overwhelmed him. But he pushed it away. That’s not what she needed from him.

He rocked her gently, kissing her lightly on the face and eye. Just then, Dr. Rick came over.

“Put her on one of the beds, Raven,” he said.

“Oh, Raven,” Cara cried out and grabbed his shirt.

He looked at Rick and continued to hold Cara, still soothing her.
She’s in shock, Rick,
Raven sent mentally.

“Hush, love,” he whispered to her. “I am here, darling. You are safe now.”

Cara just held onto him and cried, burying her face in his shirt.

“You’re breaking my heart, Cara,” Raven said. “Please,
tehila
, I have you now.”

Rick came up with a syringe in his hand. He patted Cara on the shoulder, trying to get her attention.

“Miss Hamilton,” he said. “I’m Dr. Rick, and I’m going to give you a shot. It’s going to make you sleepy. But don’t worry. You’ll feel better when you wake up.”

“No!” Cara cried out. “Raven.”

“Listen to me, Cara,” Raven said, pushing all his love telepathically into her mind. “I want you to let Rick help you.”

“Don’t leave me,” she whimpered.

“I’ll be right here. Now, Dr. Rick is going to give you the shot. Are you ready?” he asked softly, still sending her love and encouragement through their link.

Cara nodded her head. She felt the needle go into her arm. How she hated that! Then, she felt herself getting sleepy. She fought it. Dark was a scary place. She could hear Raven telling her it was all right. His voice kept getting fainter.

Finally, she was asleep. Raven very reluctantly placed Cara on the bed. Rick was already bringing in equipment and bandages. Cara wasn’t letting go of Raven even in her sleep. Raven kissed her hands and gently untangled them from his shirt. He continued to hold her right hand. Touching him seemed to comfort her, and if he would admit it, her touch helped him too.

Dr. Rick began his examination. He rolled in a portable x-ray machine. Taking pictures of her ribs, he reported they were bruised but not broken. Next, he cleaned her cuts and put butterfly stitches on them. When he was finally done, he turned to Raven.

“You should go get some rest. She should feel much better in the morning.”

“I’m not leaving her. I don’t want her to wake up and be alone.”

“You aren’t going to do her any good exhausted,” Rick started to argue. But seeing the look on Raven’s face must have convinced him it was a lost cause. “Very well. I’ll have a cot brought in.”

“Don’t bother, Rick. I won’t be using it. How’s my brother doing?”

“He’ll survive with some rest. No gallivanting around or going on missions until I clear him for duty.”

“I’m sure he’ll enjoy the nurses fawning on him.”

“How is she?” Joe asked from the door. “All the men are back, and except for a few bruises, everyone is fine. Here is your father’s knife. I destroyed the video camera, and except for the outside guard, all of Adar’s men were taken out. I was tempted to keep the footage of Adar dying with his pants down. But I figured you would want all the images destroyed.”

“You figured right. Cara is sleeping, and both she and Derek will mend with some rest,” Raven said, standing and grabbing his friend by the forearm. “I need you to hold down the fort until Cara is well. I’ll be glued to her side for now. Order a cleaning crew to take care of her apartment, and can you fetch my coat and some clothes for her? I want her to be comfortable when she wakes up.”

“You got it, Boss. Are you all right? You look like shit.”

“I almost lost her, and I still might. She was terrified. I felt it. I don’t know how she’s going to react.”

“You came for her,” Joe said. “She can feel us even when in Shadow. She knew you were going to save her.”

“Gentlemen, Cara needs to rest. I suggest you finish this discussion another time or in another place,” Dr. Rick chimed in.

“We hear you, Rick. Give her time, Raven. I’ll see you later,” Joe said, heading out the door. Dr. Rick followed him and shut the door behind them.

Raven got up and shut off the lights, before stripping off his shirt and pants. Then, he pulled down the sheet and climbed into the bed, slowly drawing Cara into his arms. She snuggled closer and sighed contentedly as he covered them both.

“I’m not letting you go,
tehila
,” he whispered to her.

Chapter Eight

“Really, this is unprecedented. What are you doing in this patient’s bed?” a haughty voice asked.

Raven opened one eye and looked up at the irate nurse standing over him. “Be quiet, you’ll wake her up,” he growled.

“Hmph,” the nurse said, stalking out the door and calling for Dr. Rick. She must be new, Raven mused as he looked down at Cara sleeping soundly in his arms. The swelling in her one eye looked like it was going down, but the bruises had turned a dark purple. He better keep her away from a mirror.

Just then, Dr. Rick walked into the room followed by the indignant nurse.

“Good morning, Raven. I can see that Cara slept well last night. Nurse Eschbach, this is Raven Darkwood, CEO of Isanti, Inc. Your boss, by the way. Raven, Cara is going to wake up anytime now and need more pain medication. Let the nurse take her vital signs, and you might want to get clothes on.”

“I’m sure Nurse Eschbach has seen it before, Rick,” Raven said, smugly pleased when the nurse blushed.

“Yes, but Quiet Thunder and Gwen came to visit. They’re waiting down the hall.”

“Well, Gwen definitely has seen it before,” Raven said.

“Well, really,” Nurse Eschbach exclaimed. “Shameless.”

“Raven, must you act this way?” Dr. Rick complained. “Nurse Eschbach came highly recommended.”

I don’t like her bedside manner,
Raven sent on the tribal telepathic link,
and I’m not sure I like her.

“Nurse Eschbach, perhaps if you start with Derek Red Hawk in the next room,” Dr. Rick said with a sigh.

“As you wish, Doctor,” she said with disdain and left the room.

“She is entirely too haughty. Fire her,” Raven said in a voice that brooked no exceptions.

“Raven, I need nurses. With tribal members Shadow-walking in and out, I need people who will sign confidentiality forms and have top-secret clearances.”

“If you want her to stay, have her work on someone else. I don’t want to hear any remarks that will upset Cara.”

“Not to worry. I can take Cara’s vitals while I’m here.”

Whether it was the raised voices or the pain medicine wearing off, Cara started to wake up. Both Dr. Rick and Raven fell quiet as her eyes fluttered and slowly opened.

“Hello, Beautiful. How are you feeling?” Raven asked gently.

“Sore. My face hurts, and my ribs ache.”

“I have medicine right here for you, Miss Hamilton,” Dr. Rick said, approaching the side of the bed with a small paper cup in his hand. “Let me get you a glass of water. Then, I need to take your blood pressure and check your temperature. We need to know if you are running any kind of fever.”

“Thank you, Doctor. How long do I need to stay in the hospital?” Cara asked, taking the cup of water and dutifully swallowing the pills.

“This is the private clinic of Isanti, Inc. You can stay here in the clinic, or you can stay in Raven’s apartment upstairs if you wish. Your ribs and bruises are going to be sore for a while. Good, no fever. Let me put the cuff on you. Quiet please. Good. Now, there is no reason you need to stay here if you feel well enough to get up and move around. Time and rest is all you require. If you feel you need help handling your emotions, I have the phone number of a brilliant counselor.”

“I want to take a shower,” Cara said, shuddering.
Wash off the feeling of being dirty
.

Raven caught Cara’s uncensored thought and frowned. Her mind seemed to be verging on panic with her thoughts and feelings swirling around in a cyclone. He automatically sent reassurance and love into her mind.

“Of course, Cara. I will help you.”

“No, that is. I think I can do this myself,” Cara said.

“The bathroom is over there. Let Raven help you until you feel steady on your feet. There is a bench in the shower and a call button if you need help,” Dr. Rick explained.

“Derek. Did they kill him? I saw them shoot him,” Cara began, as the fear of the previous night slammed into her, and she began to tremble. Raven’s arms automatically tightened around her, and she let him comfort her if only for a moment.

“Cara, Derek is fine. He is right next door enjoying the attention of Nurse Eschbach.”
Calm down, tehila. You are safe and so is my brother.

Cara bit her lip and tried to hold in the tears that still wanted to pour out. What was wrong with her? She had become a frightened rabbit, but she wasn’t going to let fear win.

I’m sorry, Raven,
Cara answered telepathically.

“Do not ever apologize to me about this. You did nothing wrong. You were strong and resilient. You saved Derek’s life. I am sorry this happened to you. If you need to place blame, place it on the terrorists who attacked you.”

“All right. I know you are right, Raven. Can you loosen your hold? You’re crushing me.”

“I’m so sorry, Cara,” Raven said, loosening his hold but not releasing her. ”The thought of what might have happened terrifies me. I almost lost you.”

“I’m right here, a little worse for wear maybe, but here. Did you think to bring me some clothes to wear? Shadow destroyed my outfit from last night. How do you ever stay warm in there?” Cara asked, trying to lighten the mood. Not that she would have wanted to wear that dress again. Adar ruined it before Shadow disintegrated the man-made fibers.

“As a matter of fact, clothes are being fetched for you. Until then, perhaps Dr. Rick has some scrubs you can wear. Or I can fetch you a terrycloth robe.”

“Whichever is quickest. I just want to wash up.”

“I will help Cara with getting her shower. Can you tell Quiet Thunder and Gwen to give us a half hour or so?” Raven asked.

“Of course,” Dr. Rick said. “I’ll have a robe brought down for her. Raven insists that each guest room has two of these blue robes with the Isanti logo embroidered on them. They are very comfortable. I’m sure housekeeping has a few extras on hand.”

Cara nodded and waited for everyone to stop fussing. All she wanted was for them to get out. She felt so dirty. Those men, touching her, wanting to rape her, all because she was dating a Shadow-walker. Could she be a part of this world?

Dr. Rick pulled the curtains around the bed and left. Raven slipped from the bed and walked around it to help Cara get up.

“Raven, you aren’t wearing any clothes.”

“Neither are you,
tehila
.”

“Yes, but   . . .”

“I will dress after I get you settled in the shower. Besides, no one should be walking in on us. Careful, you mustn’t pull the sutures on your thigh. Let me hold you a minute,” Raven said, helping Cara stand and then steadying her.

“That pain medicine must be really good. I feel a little woozy.”

“Let’s see if it passes. I don’t want you injuring yourself trying to shower.”

“Raven, I need to shower. I need to wash them off,” Cara said, her tone of voice going up an octave.

“All right, Cara. We’ll get you washed up, baby.”

“I just feel so awful,” Cara said, bursting into tears.

Raven swore as he lifted Cara into his arms and carried her into the bathroom. He set her carefully on the bench inside the shower and turned the taps on to warm. He took off the showerhead and handed it to Cara before picking her up and setting her on his lap.

He just held her and let her cry as she rinsed her hair. Then, he handed her a washcloth and soap, and she scrubbed her skin. When she would have continued to rub her skin, he took the cloth from her hands and washed her gently, while murmuring how much he adored each part of her body that he washed.

Finally, he soaped her hair with shampoo and rinsed it out.

“All right,
tehila
. All clean. Let me get some towels.”

Cara rubbed her eyes and tried for a watery smile. “I’m being such a baby.”

“You are my baby, and you can be any way you want. I love you, Cara.”

“I love you, too. Thank you for saving me last night.”

“I will always come for you, Cara. No one will keep us apart for long.”

Raven dried Cara off gently before squeezing the water from her hair and wrapping a towel around it. Then, he picked her up and carried her back to the hospital bed. Sitting on the end of the bed were two terrycloth robes still wrapped in plastic. Raven opened one and helped Cara into it before tying the sash around her waist. He slipped on the second one just as there was a knock at the door.

Raven walked over and opened the curtain. Nurse Eschback stood on the other side of the glass door with a tray of food in her hands. Sighing, he opened the door.

“Dr. Rick thought Miss Hamilton might need something to eat,” she said defensively.

“I’ll take it. Can you ask Mr. Quiet Thunder and his daughter to come down now?”

“Of course . . . Sir,” she said, adding the honorific as an afterthought.

Raven watched the nurse walk down the hall. Why did she have such animosity toward him when they had just met? He’d have to call Joe and have him check into Nurse Eschbach.

§

Isanti Quiet Thunder walked into the room just as Raven finished moving a table over to hold the food tray he held in one hand. Cara was struck anew at the quiet dignity of the older man. His long, silver braids made her think about how he must have looked as a young brave. He removed his hat and walked over to the side of the bed, taking Cara’s hand in his.

“You have suffered much, Little Mother. I have brought you one of my special tonics. Please drink this. It will help with the healing of your injuries.”

“Thank you, Sir. You are very kind,” Cara said, taking the bottle.

“Isanti, please. I am not sure my foster children would agree with you, but I do my best for them.
”

“Everyone loves you, Dad, and you know it,” Gwen said, carrying a vase of flowers into the room and setting them on a counter by the door. “How are you feeling, Cara? Well enough to come out to the ranch?”

“Well, I don’t really know. Maybe in a few days,” Cara stammered.

“Drink the tonic. Gwen, give her a moment,” Quiet Thunder insisted.

Cara looked at the glass in her hand, then at Raven. He nodded his head, encouraging her. So, afraid of the taste, she swallowed the tonic quickly. She was finishing it when she realized it didn’t taste bad at all. She was about to ask what was in the concoction, when the room started spinning. Cara cried out, reaching for Raven. But when the room came to a standstill everything went dark.

“What have you given her?” Raven demanded.

“A much-needed healing draught. When she wakes up, her wounds will be completely healed, and her thoughts will be distanced from the trauma.”

“Couldn’t you at least let her eat first? She hasn’t eaten anything since yesterday afternoon. Isanti, if I didn’t respect you so much, I would be tempted to punch you.”

“See, just as I said. Not all my foster children think I am kind.”

“Oh, Dad,” Gwen said, shaking her head and sighing.

§

Cara woke up to find herself in a large mahogany sleigh bed. Sunlight from the windows shone brightly on her face. Feeling groggy, she wiped her eyes. Where was she? Her mouth felt like it was full of cotton, and her stomach ached. Sitting up, she rubbed it, then glanced around the room. A picture of her taken at the Isanti awards banquet sat on the table next to the bed. On the warm-beige walls were pictures of horses running across the plains. Was this Raven’s apartment?

“Hey, Beautiful. How are you feeling?” Raven asked, coming into the room and sitting on the side of the bed. He looked relaxed in his blue jeans and Western shirt, the sleeves rolled up to show his arms. His hair hung down around his shoulders.

“Confused. Where are we?”

“This is my apartment in the Isanti, Inc., building. We are on the top floor. My office and the conference room are down the hall and to the right. I ordered some food for you. It should be arriving any minute. You must be starving.”