The Darkness Beyond Part 12

He watched the path for another couple of minutes. No sign of the two Kalith or Reggie. d.a.m.n it, that couldn't be good. The question now was whether he should risk trying to take these three out himself. Chances were he could, but one might get off a lucky shot. No, he'd leave them for Lonzo and Trahern to deal with.

When they were out of sight, he took off up the hillside at a dead run. A short time later, the visible trail ran out. He lost valuable time when he had to study the rocky ground for what seemed like forever before seeing any sign of where they'd gone from that point.

Finally, after following a narrow, twisting route through some boulders the size of small cars, he found the trail again, which ended in a clearing. Devlin hadn't said anything about there being three different possible caves to choose from. The last thing he wanted to do was waste even more time exploring dead ends.

He studied the ground in front of the first entrance. No sign of entry. He moved on to the second one. Bingo! Someone had knelt in the small patch of dirt right in front of it. Not only that, there was a small X scratched in the dust.

"Well, I'll be d.a.m.ned. She did it again."

He peeked into the third one just to make sure, but the cavern inside went barely eight feet before ending completely.

Okay, door number two it was. Time for one last call to Trahern. It went to voice mail, probably because the Paladin was busy rounding up the bad guys. He left a message anyway.

"I found the cave. There are three openings, but it has to be the middle one. I'm going in."

He hesitated, wondering at the wisdom of what he was about to say. Still, unlike Cullen, he wasn't willing to cross the barrier without anyone knowing that was what he was doing. Maybe they could get a message through to that Sworn Guardian friend of Barak's. Unfortunately, there was no way to know where this stretch of barrier was in Kalithia. It could be on the other side of the world from where Berk lived.

"Devlin's not going to like hearing this," he began, knowing that was why he was telling Trahern instead. "But if they've taken Reggie across, I'm going after her. Ask Hunter to let Sworn Guardian Berk know I might be in his territory."

His decision made, he entered the cave wondering if he'd ever come out again.

The cavern inside reminded him of the one that Hunter Fitzsimon protected north of Seattle. That one warranted a full-time Paladin mainly because of its proximity to civilization. This one, not so much. h.e.l.l, considering how well hidden it was he had to wonder how someone had found it in the first place.

He set down his equipment bag and pulled out the backpack he kept stashed inside. It held extra ammunition, bottled water, granola bars, and a spare gun. Next he pulled out his sword. As prepared as he'd ever be, he shoved the equipment bag off to the side, purposefully leaving it where Trahern and Lonzo would find it.

He closed his eyes briefly before deciding which pa.s.sage to follow to the barrier. Oh, yeah, it was calling to him from the one on the right. He was strongly attuned to the barrier in Seattle as well as the one near Mount St. Helens, but this new stretch hummed softly in the back of his mind.

It was close, too. He turned off his flashlight and moved forward as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. There was a hint of light coming from down the way; that, combined with his Paladin vision, was enough to allow him to walk without hesitation toward where he really, really hoped Reggie was waiting for him.

He stopped to listen just short of the last turn. Nothing except the erratic buzz of the barrier itself. Either they were gone or they were dead. Only one way to find out. Fury burned like acid in his veins, urging him forward.

He slowly coasted to a stop. Nothing. No one.

What now? The barrier was stretched thin in places. Most likely that meant it had recently been down. It clearly wasn't stable yet, but there was no way to know if it would repair itself or go down again.

He studied the floor of the cave, hoping to read some truth about what had happened before his arrival. Reggie had managed to leave clues before. Maybe she had again. The first thing he spotted was a spray of blood, but he figured it belonged to the guy with the injured nose, not Reggie. He ignored it and kept looking. It didn't take him long to find something.

She'd written one word-Jeban-and then an arrow pointing toward the barrier. He didn't know for sure, but Jeban had to be one of the two Kaliths. It sounded right. It also meant his worst fears had come true. Reggie was being held hostage in a world known to be hostile to humans.

No, that wasn't his worst fear-that would have been to find Reggie already dead. As long as she was alive, there was hope. There had to be. He wouldn't have it any other way.

It was time to report in again, not that it would change what he was going to do. Even so, he wouldn't leave Devlin guessing this time about where one of his men had disappeared to. Since cell phones didn't work next to the barrier, he hurried back down the pa.s.sage.

Outside the cave, he'd started to call when he heard someone coming up the trail and cursing a blue streak. He'd recognize that p.i.s.sed-off voice anywhere. What was Trahern doing? Why wasn't he dealing with the three humans involved in this mess? Had they dragged them all the way back up here for some reason?

Only one way to find out.

"Trahern, I'm up here," he shouted and then went to meet him.

He rounded the last boulder and found Trahern, Lonzo, and Cody waiting for him. No sign of the three humans.

"Don't tell me you let them get away."

Lonzo looked thoroughly disgusted. "I don't know who you're dealing with here, but they've definitely got some money behind them. Just as we pulled up, a chopper was disappearing over the horizon."

D.J. closed his eyes and fought for control. Once again the b.a.s.t.a.r.ds had slipped through their fingers. Now how was he supposed to figure out what they wanted with Reggie? He should've shot them when he'd had the chance. He picked up a rock and heaved it at the nearest tree. When that did nothing to relieve the cauldron of fury and frustration burning inside him, he looked around for a more satisfying target and spotted one.

He got right up in his friend's face, both hands clenched in fists. "You said you had my back, Trahern. Fat lot of good that did."

Those cold gray eyes narrowed and Trahern's lips twisted up in a nasty sneer. "Yeah, and if you hadn't gone off half-c.o.c.ked as usual, none of this would have happened."

Lonzo tried to intervene. He yanked D.J. a step back. "Guys, we don't have time for this s.h.i.+t."

D.J. shook Lonzo's hand off his shoulder. "Stay out of it, Lonzo, or you're next."

Trahern simply smiled at him, the glint in his pale eyes just daring D.J. to try it. It wouldn't be the first time a couple of Paladins went at each other just to blow off steam. However, as satisfying as a down-and-dirty mood adjustment might be, they all needed to focus on getting Reggie back. It wasn't his friends' fault that everything had gone to h.e.l.l.

D.J. backed up another step, for the first time really noticing that Cody looked pretty d.a.m.ned worried. "Hey, kid, you doing okay?"

He ignored D.J.'s question to ask one of his own. "Where's Reggie?"

There was no use in hiding the truth. "They took her across the barrier."

The kid charged right at him, grabbing a fistful of D.J.'s s.h.i.+rt. "You were supposed to save her, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d."

"I tried."

Cody got right up in his face. "Not hard enough. It's your fault she's in this mess in the first place, Knightwalker."

Okay, so Cody had obviously gotten the full complement of Paladin traits, including a h.e.l.lacious temper. Cody had done nothing to deserve the situation he was in. Neither had Reggie.

"You're right, Cody. That's why I'm going after her."

"If you go, I'm going, too."

That was the last thing D.J. needed right now. "Sorry, but that's not happening. We've already had this discussion. I can't be responsible for your safety when I don't know what I'll be walking into."

"It's not up to you, D.J. I'm an adult. I make my own decisions."

Trahern rejoined the conversation, breaking the kid's hold on D.J. "Listen, Cody. Trust me on this. You don't want to make this any harder for D.J. to succeed. He'll do better working on his own."

Then he turned to D.J. "Devlin's on his way here with Barak. They're bringing you suitable clothing, and Barak will brief you on a few things before you go across. He'll drop the barrier for you, too."

Okay, that was a big plus. D.J. hadn't been sure how he was going to handle that particular problem on his own. Tradition was one of the two reasons the Paladins fought with blades rather than bullets. The other was that bullets could shred the barrier, making it take longer to repair itself. The longer it was down, the more of those crazy f.u.c.king Others came pouring across.

But right now, he didn't give a d.a.m.n if they destroyed this little patch of h.e.l.l permanently as long as he could get through to the other side. Reggie's safety was the only thing that mattered.

"I'll show you which cave it is, but then I'm going back inside just in case something happens while we're waiting."

The other three followed him around the boulders until they reached the entrance. He pointed to the ground. "Reggie managed to leave her footprints and marked the right one for me."

His friends looked impressed, but Lonzo asked, "Did you check out the other two caves?"

"The far one only goes in about eight feet. I didn't explore the first one."

"I'll take a quick look while Trahern waits for Devlin and Barak. Once they land, we'll catch up with you."

"Sounds good. Cody, you're with me."

D.J. didn't wait to see if the kid followed him. He headed inside and straight back toward the barrier. He paused just before the last turn to wait for his companion to catch up with him.

"Where's that light coming from?"

"You're about to get your first look at the barrier that separates our world from Kalithia. This is just a small stretch. The one that runs under Seattle is much bigger, as is the one in southern Missouri. The d.a.m.n thing is scattered in bits and pieces all along the Pacific Rim and anywhere else there are major fault lines."

"Seriously? No s.h.i.+t?"

For the first time in hours, D.J. grinned and echoed Cody's response. "Seriously. No s.h.i.+t. This will beat any computer game you've been playing to h.e.l.l and back."

Then he stood aside and let Cody get the first glimpse of his new worldview. At least it would give the young Paladin-to-be something to think about other than where the heck Reggie was and if D.J. would be able to pull off a rescue.

The helicopter swooped in low and fast, landing only long enough for them to jump out. Barak hit the ground first, while Devlin followed more slowly, bringing up the rear and carrying the equipment they'd brought with them. It was hard not to laugh at his Kalith friend trying to walk on legs that had turned to rubber.

Although Barak had flown in a chopper before, he'd been badly wounded and hurting at the time. He clearly hadn't enjoyed this experience much more. Judging by the slight greenish tinge to his normally pale coloring, he wouldn't be anxious to try it again soon.

Devlin moved up beside him. "Barak, are you okay?"

The Kalith warrior nodded, although he didn't look convinced. He stumbled slightly, but Devlin caught him before he actually hit the ground. After a few steps, he looked steadier.

He stared up after the retreating chopper. "Even when I lived in my world, I had heard of such things. Back then I never dreamed I would actually have a chance to fly in one. As amazing as it was to see the land from so high in the sky, I would prefer not to do so again."

If the situation wasn't so d.a.m.n serious, Devlin would've laughed. They were almost to where Trahern stood waiting; he immediately asked Barak, "Do you have any idea why two Kalith males would want to steal a human woman?"

Barak accepted the abrupt greeting with his usual calm reserve. "I have no idea, but it cannot be good."

Devlin couldn't agree more. "Where's D.J.?"

All trace of good humor disappeared from Trahern's expression. "He's inside the cave waiting for us. Or at least I hope he's still there. I don't know who this Reggie is, but she's definitely got our boy tied up in knots. Think she's the reason he's been off his feed lately?"

"Let's keep moving. I'm afraid he'll panic and do something crazy if we don't get back to him soon," Devlin suggested. "But to answer your question, yeah, she is. Seems she's been busting his chops online for a couple of months. Somehow she managed to get past the firewalls he and Cullen installed and was messing around in the Regents' server. D.J. said she found the history of the Paladins that Brenna has been working on."

"Well, that sucks, but it explains a lot."

Devlin studied the area, memorizing the layout in case they had to come back. "Where's this Cody D.J. told me about?"

"He went back into the cave with D.J. to get his first look at the barrier. They've been gone about half an hour. There's no telling how stable the barrier is, but our boy is definitely champing at the bit to cross over."

Knowing D.J. as well as he did, Devlin picked up the pace. "Then we'd better haul a.s.s."

"Sounds like Trahern and the others are coming this way."

Cody nodded but couldn't tear his eyes away from the barrier. The hum filled his head like a melody he'd heard before but couldn't quite place. And, oh man, the colors! He'd started to take a picture of the barrier with his cell phone, but D.J. almost knocked it out of his hand.

"If you don't want Devlin to stomp your phone into dust, I wouldn't do that."

D.J. went back to pacing. Whoever this Devlin guy was, he must be big-time scary from the respect both D.J. and Trahern had in their voices when they spoke of him. Guess he'd find out soon enough because several people were definitely hoofing it down the pa.s.sage to the cavern. A few seconds later, they filed in.

Cody reluctantly turned away from the mesmerizing light show to face the newcomers. He nodded at Trahern and Lonzo, but it was the other two men who held his attention.

The one in the middle had to be Devlin. d.a.m.n, he'd thought Trahern was big, and Lonzo and D.J. only slightly less so. This guy was absolutely humongous. Heck, his muscles had muscles.

The big man headed straight for him with his hand held out. "Cody, I'm Devlin Bane. It's nice to meet you, although I wish it were under better circ.u.mstances. You've certainly managed to dive into the deep end of our little version of reality. You hanging in there?"

"More or less." For some reason he felt compelled to add, "Sir."

Devlin nodded with approval and continued with the introductions. "This is Barak q'Young. He's originally from Kalithia, but he lives here now."

Okay, Cody hadn't expected to actually meet someone from the other side of the barrier. Huh, so that's what an alien looks like. So much for all those little green men with big heads and buggy eyes in all the UFO shows on television.

D.J. interrupted. "f.u.c.k the chitchat, Devlin. The longer we delay, the harder it will be for me to find Reggie. Barak, bring the d.a.m.n barrier down now."

Devlin crowded closer to D.J. "You don't give the orders around here. Do I need to remind you that if you'd followed protocols, we might have avoided this bulls.h.i.+t in the first place?"

D.J. held his ground. "Screw that, Devlin. You can keelhaul my a.s.s when this is all over, but right now there's a woman's life on the line. Just let me get on with what needs to be done. Every second you waste jawing at me is one more she's spending in h.e.l.l."

Cody watched the interplay between the two men. He wouldn't have wanted to cross either one of them. Despite the obvious tension in Devlin's stance, his voice was calm when he spoke again.

"I get that, D.J., but you're not going quite yet. Strip off. Barak brought you some of his old clothes to wear so you'll stand a better chance of not getting caught."

Cody watched to see if they'd brought a second set of the alien clothes. Obviously they weren't planning on his going with D.J. To h.e.l.l with that. Reggie was his friend, not theirs. He eased closer to the barrier and leaned against the wall of the cave. As long as he didn't draw unwanted attention to himself, maybe he could figure out some way to follow D.J. when he crossed into the other world.

Yep, wait and watch, that was the name of the game.

Chapter 11.

D.J. peeled off his jeans and s.h.i.+rt and tossed them aside. He yanked the tunic Barak handed him on over his head and then pulled on the black trousers.

Barak held out a pair of boots. "I wasn't sure these would fit you, but it would be better to wear them in my world if you can."

D.J. toed off his running shoes and slipped his feet into the boots. He'd walk on broken gla.s.s if that's what it took to find Reggie. He took several steps to try them out. While he did, Barak transferred D.J.'s supplies from his backpack to a smaller one that was similar in design. Both must have come from Kalithia.

He could live with the boots. "They're a bit snug, but they'll do."