Trapped In Shadow (Shadow Walker Romance Series Book 4) (15 page)

Hugh stood in front of the door and quickly opened an entrance into Shadow. Black mist occasionally floated into view.

“Height is relative in Shadow. You’ll be high above the ground, as if you’re really in the plane. When I get the plane low enough, you’ll have to jump. Pull the chute as soon as you’re in Shadow. Then start to visualize. You can’t hesitate. Do you hear me? When I say jump, you go.” Hugh’s voice was insistent.

Stacey nodded, making her head ache. She forced herself to concentrate on what Hugh said. “As soon as you get the plane headed out to sea, you’ll put it on autopilot and jump? What’s going to happen to you?”

“I’m hoping that visualizing the clinic will work for me too. Now, I’ve got to get into the cockpit. Get in front of the door.”

“Hugh!” Stacey grabbed him and kissed him hard. “I love you. Come back to me.”

“Stacey, I love you. I always will.”

Hugh dragged her to the door. He hugged her tightly. “Stand right here. Listen for my yell.”

Stacey frowned and watched Hugh fumble into the cockpit. Something wasn’t right. If only her mind wasn’t so muddled.

Hugh sat and started flipping switches before taking the stick in his hand. The nose of the plane dipped. Stacey braced herself against the wall. He took them down quickly. The engines moaned. The plane evened off.

“Now!” Hugh yelled. He looked back at her, all the love in the world in his gaze.

Stacey nodded. She jumped.

Shadow quickly surrounded her. She fell and couldn’t see as the mist enveloped her. Her teeth began to chatter as the biting cold seeped into her bones. She pulled the string to activate the chute even as she began to visualize the clinic. Her descent slowed and she gripped the straps.

She pictured the color of the walls, the linoleum floor, the hospital bed and the electronics, the cabinets, and the door.

The strap fell apart under her fingers. The chute disintegrated. She fell through the darkness.

Stacey couldn’t lose focus or she’d be lost in this dimension. She continued to visualize the clinic. She could see it in her mind’s eye as if she actually stood in the middle of the hall. That curious shifting sensation came over her.

The clinic came into view as she fell the last few feet and hit the ground hard. She let herself go with the impact and ended up prone on the ground covered with writhing black mist. All the while she kept her gaze locked on the clinic room. Lifting her hands, she pulled open a portal and dragged her body out of Shadow. She moaned as the light hit her eyes and a wave of heat enveloped her.

“I’ve got you. Lie still.” Warm hands checked her for injuries. Stacey recognized the voice of Dr. Rick.

She opened her eyes. “Hugh?”

“He hasn’t come in yet. Okay, you can roll onto your back. I’m going to lift you and get you into a bed. Ready?” Dr. Rick asked.

“Anastacia!” her sister called from the door. Nadezhda rushed in the room, followed by Dasan. “What happened?”

Stacey settled in the bed. The doctor began checking her vital signs. “We were taken by Zenith. Have you heard anything about Hugh?”

“We’re tracking the plane. Hugh contacted Raven telepathically when he regained consciousness. The plane is headed out to sea,” Dasan said. “Stacey, there was only one parachute onboard.”

Hugh struggled to control the plane. The straps holding him into the pilot’s seat bit into his wounded shoulder. The bomb permanently attached to the hull in the back wasn’t going anywhere.

The plane turned east toward the Atlantic. If he could make it out to the ocean, he’d ditch the plane and jump into Shadow. Every time he started to relax, someone tried to take control of the plane remotely. He kept changing the settings back to manual control.

“You have a clear shot to the ocean, charlie delta 864. Stay on this course and heading. ETA 6.4 minutes.”

“Roger, control,” Hugh answered.

Six minutes to get out to sea. He was cutting it close. He couldn’t see the timer from where he sat, but with dropping Stacey off and making the turn east, he couldn’t have much more than that before the bomb exploded.

“Hugh, Stacey is fine. What is your plan?”
Raven’s voice telepathically filled his mind.

Hugh smiled. The chief was the strongest telepath he knew.

“There were blueprints in Knox’s house. Check out Manhattan, New York. Lot numbers 236 and 423. Whatever Zenith is planning, it affects those buildings. I took pictures of the blue prints, but my camera is gone. Does Dr. Rick know what they drugged us with?”

“He’s running tests, now. Hugh, how are you getting back?”

“I’m going to ditch the plane and jump into Shadow. If I don’t make it, watch over Stacey.”

“If you don’t make it, your new bride will probably kill me. I’m going to be a father soon. You don’t want my children to grow up without a father, do you?”

Hugh chuckled and then sobered. Raven tried to lighten the mood, but they both knew it would be close.
“I’ll do my best to come home, Raven. Tell Stacey I love her.”

“Roger that. See you in ten minutes.”

Ten minutes. Hugh sighed. They’d almost died twice today already. The guards loading them into the plane complained and suggested they be shot in the head. Hugh had been starting to come out of his drugged daze and mentally cringed while playing dead. He wasn’t recovered enough to save them.

Luckily, a woman Hugh assumed to be Stacey’s neighbor, Mrs. Knox laughed and told the man not to waste his ammunition. The plane blowing up near Washington DC would kill two birds with one stone. Cause a diversion and get rid of the famous assassin, Stinger.

Why did Zenith need to cause a diversion? Maybe it had something to do with the blueprints they saw at the house. Well, he’d either make it or he wouldn’t. Right now, he didn’t have time to worry about it.

He looked into the darkness and noticed the first band of light making its way across the Earth’s surface. A new day dawned, maybe his last. If he made it home, he would grab Stacey, find a safe place, and stay there. Below, a sparkle on the water’s surface gave him hope. He was almost far enough away that any damage would be mitigated, except possibly to him. Great Spirit, he felt old all of a sudden.

An alarm started ringing and the plane jerked. Blinking red lights lit the console. He looked to the side and saw smoke coming from the left engine. Hugh quickly shut it down and compensated for the loss of power. The ocean came up fast. He just needed to hold the plane to her course a few more moments.

He set the plane to autopilot and waited a couple of seconds to make sure no one tried to take control remotely. It was too late anyway and everyone in Zenith would know it. Nothing happened and he made his way to the door.

Hugh gripped the sides of the plane as his feet slipped, his weak hip twisted and pain made him wince. He continued to grip the walls. He pressed his hands through the portal into Shadow before glancing at the timer on the bomb. It clicked to zero.

§

“I don’t see any lasting effects from the gas. The toxicology screen is clear. You’re free to leave the clinic, Mrs. Thunder Hoof.”

“Thanks, Dr. Rick. Please, call me Stacey.”

The doctor glanced at the clock on the wall of the clinic and his jaw hardened. Stacey looked to her sister sitting in a chair under the clock, and her husband, Dasan, who stood next to her. They all knew what time it was. They all knew that something had happened. Hugh should have been back by now.

“I never should’ve left him.”

“Don’t say that, Stacey. You were hardly functioning. It’s a miracle you traveled here through Shadow like you did.” Nadezhda walked over as Stacey swung her legs over the side of the hospital bed.

“Hugh wouldn’t have left me. I didn’t know there was only one parachute. Dammit, I should have waited. We could have parachuted together.”

“Would’ve, should’ve, could’ve won’t change the fact that Hugh isn’t here. We need to find him,” Nadezhda said.

“Hugh could be dead. He might not have made it out of the plane before it blew up.” Dasan said what they all feared, but Stacey wasn’t going to accept it. She shook her head.

“Hugh is still alive. I’d know if he died. I’d feel it.” Stacey looked to her sister for confirmation.

“Raven can’t connect with him. If Hugh is alive, he’s unconscious. We have men scouting the wreckage. There is no sign of survivors.” Dasan sighed.

“So if he’s not in the wreckage, perhaps he made it into Shadow,” Nadezhda said.

“Then he is lost. He cannot visualize where he wants to be if he’s unconscious.” Dasan squeezed Stacey’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, Stacey.”

“How do you find someone lost in Shadow?” Stacey asked.

Dasan looked away. “You don’t.”

“I won’t believe that. Hugh is alive. We need to find him.”

A soft knock at the door made them all turn to find Isanti Quiet Thunder, the old tribal shaman. “You must follow your love to find Hugh. It’s a shame you’re not a lycan. They can follow their mating bond even through Shadow. During the ceremony, you bonded with Hugh. Use your magic, Anastacia. It will lead you to your love.”

“My magic. What do I need to do?” Stacey asked.

Quiet Thunder smiled and shrugged his shoulders. “You will need to consult with your elders. I am not learned in your ways. When you find him, he will need to drink this healing potion. Take it with you on your journey.” The old man handed the small glass bottle to Dasan and then left the room.

“We can ask Alyona,” Nadezhda said. “She might know what to do. She and Radu are upstairs in their room.” Nadezhda helped steady Stacey as she jumped from the bed.

“Let’s go then. I’m not losing Hugh.” Stacey wanted to run.

“You might want to get dressed first,” Nadezhda said, motioning at the hospital gown Stacey wore and handing over her pants.

Stacey sighed. “Close your eyes, Dasan.” She smiled when he was quick to turn around.

She pulled at the straps on the gown and slipped into her pants, going commando instead of taking the time to find underwear. In moments, she dressed and strode from the room.

Down the hall, she punched the button to call the elevator and began to pace as she waited for it to arrive. Dasan and Nadezhda followed her and stood back to give her room. When the door opened she flung herself inside.

“Hurry up,” she snarled. Dasan and Nadezhda stepped inside.

“Honey, you need to calm down. You can’t do magic in this frame of mind. It would backfire on you. Find your balance.” Nadezhda gazed at her with concern.

Stacey nodded as guilt crept inside her belly. She didn’t want to be this way. Taking a long, deep breath, she counted to five, then held it, and slowly exhaled. She did one more repetition before the elevator doors opened on the fourth floor. Holding the feeling of the air filling her lungs, she walked to Alyona’s room and knocked.

Radu opened the door and immediately stepped back to let them enter. Alyona sat at the table.

“I need a magical way to track Hugh and I need it now.”

§

Stacey tried again to bring the golden string of light into focus. It attached to her heart and led eastward. Hopefully, the other end would be attached to Hugh’s heart. During the ceremony they had been linked psychically and the golden trail of light was the physical manifestation of that bond.

Lycans used it to find their destined mates. Stacey wanted it to find Hugh. Her aunt helped create a spell that brought the cord of light into her sight. They had just finished the ceremony and the scent of incense still filled the air.

“Can you see it clearly?” Nadezhda asked from the chair next to the window.

“It comes and goes. I can see it leading off to the east.” Stacey continued to squint. Was Hugh still alive or would the cord lead her to his body. God, she must stop thinking like that or she’d never survive this mission.

“We should go. Put on the heavy coats I brought you. We don’t know how long we’ll be in Shadow,” Dasan said.

“Please be careful, girls. Your work as a Baba Yaga hasn’t even started. I can’t lose you.” Alyona gave them each a hug before returning to stand next to Radu.

Even as Stacey hugged her aunt, she knew losing Hugh would break her. So many emotions wanted to rise and take over —loss, grief, sorrow. Her stomach clenched and she was hard pressed not to keel over. She wrapped her arms around her middle. Hugh. He must be alive. She had to find him. She pushed the feelings back, calling on her training. Locating him was her mission. She needed to get her act together.

“Guard them well, Shadow Walker,” Radu said.

“I will,” Dasan answered. “When we find Hugh we will return to the clinic. Wait there for news.”

Radu nodded while Alyona wrung her hands.

“Come on, let’s get this done,” Stacey said, walking over to Dasan. Time was now her enemy. He handed her the vial from the shaman and she put it in her coat pocket.

He found a shadow near the door and pushed his hands in before pulling them apart to open a portal into the Shadow Dimension. He reached back for Stacey’s hand and she took Nadezhda’s before they walked into the writhing darkness.

Stacey held her breath, willing her body to adjust to the freezing cold. Her magic couldn’t hold her temperature steady and the cold began to seep into her bones. The black mist brushed against her skin. Dasan closed the portal.

“Can you see the cord of light?”
he asked telepathically.

Stacey took a shallow breath. The golden light glowed in the darkness. She pointed to the east. Dasan started walking and they followed. Soon they were walking next to each other, holding hands, Stacey in the middle. She wanted to rush, but with the writhing mist flowing over the ground, wasn’t sure of her footing.

“Wait. Let me transport us to your house in Alexandria. That will make our journey shorter. I’m not sure how distance works in this dimension, but it might save us time.”
Dasan’s voice flowed into their heads.

Stacey nodded. She’d do anything to find Hugh as quickly as possible. It had already been an hour since he should have arrived at the clinic. The darkness that made up Shadow seemed to move and her feet flowed over the ground, or whatever the surface of this dimension covered by the writhing black mist. The empty lot of her last residence came into view. It was hard to believe everything started just last night, her wedding night. Damn, Zenith and Knox. They couldn’t give her one night to enjoy wedded bliss.

Dasan turned to her. She found the cord of light still leading to the east and slightly south and pointed in that direction. They began to walk again, taking up the same positions. Stacey began to silently pray to whatever higher power resided in this dimension.
Let Hugh be all right, let him be all right.

She picked up the pace, marching to the words in her mind.
Let him be all right, let him be all right.
Always following the cord of light. The darkness around them never seemed to change. Stacey soon realized there were tonal differences in the blackness, with some shades slightly lighter than others giving her a sense of distance. The black mist always covered their feet. Occasionally a swirl of mist would rise from the ground and brush against their faces before dissipating into nothingness again.

Time slipped away and soon Stacey didn’t know if minutes or hours had passed. She began to shiver, her teeth making clicking sounds. She recognized the signs of hypothermia. They needed to hurry. She hunched her shoulders and pushed forward always keeping the golden cord of light in sight. On she trudged, pulling at the hands of her companions.

Stacey felt achy and stiff. She began to pant. Her nose ran while the skin felt tender.
Follow the cord. Let him be all right.
Walking forward she paused when Nadezhda tripped and fell to her knees.

“We need to go back to the clinic. The cold is becoming too much,”
Dasan sent telepathically into her fuzzy mind.

“You go back. I’ve got to find Hugh,” Stacey said, uncaring of the black mist that wanted to slip inside her mouth when she spoke. She released their hands and started again. Dasan grabbed her arm and swung her around.

“Hugh would not want you to kill yourself.”
Dasan pulled Nadezhda up and held her close to his side.
“We must go back now.”