Alexander Ranch (20 page)

I had no idea where I was but, from the rhythmic sound of the tires on pavement and the lack of buildings, I had the impression I was on a bridge. Bridges often made a specific whapping sound. I wasn’t sure if I could hear it only because of the base vibration coming through the floor of the van since the radio was so loud.

Jordan, please help me. I don’t know where I am.
I was shouting in my head before I knew it. It had worked before hadn’t it? Daisy said that Jordan had said he’d heard me screaming his name in his head. Please let it work again. And when Daisy had dragged me in to experiment hadn’t they been able to hear the thoughts I’d aimed at them? How close did I have to be for him to hear me? I couldn’t think of that now.

I’m in a van. The windows are blacked out except for the driver, passenger and windshield.
I concentrated on directing my thoughts at him. I lifted myself on my knees and took in as much as I could and concentrated on projecting what images I could see in the dying light.

The whapping sound seemed to end and we appeared to be on a regular road. I could see the tops of trees as we sped by. Suddenly the van turned and, with a jolt, began bouncing around. We were no longer on a regular road. I was thrown against the big chest like thing beside me. We bounced along for a short distance and then the van came to a stop. The driver got out and, a few moments later, I could hear him talking to someone. I had planned to kick the door when it began to open, hoping to hit the driver when he came back and opened it to get me, but he was not alone. And, while I was fairly sure the driver was a regular mere mortal, I didn’t know about the person he was talking to. I lay there listening intently. He would surely notice my bonds were broken and I was bleeding. I had to move. But the voices began to fade into the distance.

I scrambled up onto my knees and dared to peek from behind the driver seat. There were two men walking away towards some sort of barn like structure. I took in as much of what I could see as possible and tried to think them to Jordan. I scanned the building and everything I could see and tried to project the mental images.

The sun was going down now and it was almost dark. There were no side doors to the van only a backdoor and there were no inside handles. The van was facing the driver and the man he was talking to so, if I open
ed the door they would likely notice.

Abruptly the driver turned and headed for the van. My time was up. I would have to act at the first opportunity. I lay back down and clasp my hands behind my back, praying that the overhead light wouldn’t come on when he opened the door. I angled myself as if I’d rolled partially on my back and my hair, which had come loose, was covering my face. I concentrated on slowing my breathing. I could hear someone fumbling with the back door and willed myself to stay relaxed and limp. When the door opened I was unceremoniously scooped up and tossed over a hard shoulder, practically knocking the wind out of me. I loosely held my fingers together while trying to keep my arms limp. It must have worked because the man, who was the driver, didn’t seem to notice my hands or the blood. I ventured to open my eyes and look
around without moving my head. I saw trees, lots of trees. Then, we are on the side of the building and I knew he was getting ready to walk into the barnlike structure. I knew I couldn’t let him take me in this place. Once in, my chances of getting out went down considerably.

When we came to the doorway, I released my hands, grabbed him by the waist and kicked my legs out to each side hitting either side of the doorframe making him jerk backwards.  My left leg caught him around the throat as I kicked out to hit the doorframe. Then, I brought my legs together lifting them to do a flip off of his back like a diver starting from a handstand position, only I had him around the waist. In the process my leg connected with his face again and I felt a searing pain for my troubles where I’d connected with his nose. My only consolation was that I also heard and felt a satisfying crunch and he immediately released me staggering back and holding his face. I fell and rolled barely avoiding his boots as he staggered and cursed. While he was grabbing his face, I delivered a knee strike and a swipe and he was on his ass yowling. Then, I ran.

I could hear people running inside, coming to investigate the commotion I’d caused. There was a searing pain in my leg where I connected with his face, but I ignored it and ran on as fast as I could. I had to get to the trees. If I could get to the trees I might be able to get away. I hit the trees at a dead sprint and kept going.

I didn’t know how far or how long I had run, but I was panting now and out of breath. I slowed, stopped and ducked behind a tree, trying to catch my breath. I didn’t hear anyone, but I was breathing so loudly and the blood was thundering so deafeningly through my ears, I couldn’t hear much of anything. I tried to take in deep, slow breaths through my nose, letting them out just as slowly. As I worked on slowing my breathing, I fumbled with the gag. The driver probably would have noticed my lack of a gag. Luckily it wasn’t tied very tight and after ripping some of my hair out as I fought with the knot, I was able to just yank it down. Removing the gag made breathing considerably easier. After a few moments my breathing calmed.

I sagged against the tree and looked around trying to figure out which way to go when my senses began to prickle and fear flittered down my neck. I could sense someone. I was still being pursued. I had known they would be looking for me, but someone was close. I opened my senses and was almost knocked down by the feeling of excitement from my pursuer. This was no regular human. It was him, Kevin, the same man who’d attacked me before. I was at once paralyzed with fear. I was completely immobilized by my terror. The knowledge that this man’s hearing was so acute he could probably hear me breath did nothing to alleviate my horror. The survival side of me fought through the swirling, debilitating haze of fear to get me to move but, so far, I was unable to budge. I stood there like a deer in headlights.

The sound of a twig being smashed underfoot provoked my body into an automatic reaction of flight even as my mind was still paralyzed with fear at the knowledge that running was futile.

“That’s it. Run for me love. Make it fun,” came a voice close behind me. Though I knew I couldn’t possibly outrun him, my legs took flight of their own accord and continued moving without the command or consent of my brain. I was running through the trees, branches were biting into my face and arms as the underbrush tried to trip me up. I was crying now, sobbing, but I couldn’t stop moving.

Help me, please!
I yelled desperately in my head. Jordan, then Daisy, Ethan, Logan and Grace flashed through my mind before something hurled into me from behind sending me sprawling to the ground face first. My head bounced off of the leaves and debris before I was rapidly flipped over and a shape was leaning over me with a menacing gleam visible from his teeth.  I tried to struggle, my body jerking and flailing in an uncoordinated hysteria, but he had me pinned.

“That’s it, fight!” He whisper
ed in my ear and then took my ear lobe in his mouth and nipped it. I flinched and swallowed my cry of disgust and outrage as hot searing pain exploded in my head. This time I knew what is happening. He was attempting to drain my life force.

“I was going to make it easy for you in the barn that day. You’d have died in the throes of ecstasy. But, you’ve been a bad girl,” He chided lightly as if we were having an easy conversation about the weather or something.

I locked down my senses trying to stay alert. I could not allow this man’s palpable excitement, nor the pain blowing up in my head, to paralyze me. And, I realized I could not cease struggling or I would surely die. I stared at him saying nothing gathering my wits. I must fight! I may lose but I will fight to the end. Miraculously my tears had stopped. He bent down and licked my neck and I couldn’t help the whimper of fear that escaped. I could feel him grinning against my neck as he nuzzled. I squeezed my eyes tight to fight back the scream of terror trying to escape from me. My breathing was beyond control.

“Scream,” he commanded
in my ear. When I did not respond he grabbed a handful of my hair and slammed my head on the ground. “Scream!”

I squeeze
d my eyes shut again, this time at the pain that exploded in my head and unexpectedly his weight abruptly left my body. He was off of me and I was yanked up by the shoulders. I swung out with all of my strength in a feeble attempt to escape.

“Hey!” c
ame a surprised female voice. I froze momentarily as someone grabbed me tightly, pinning my arms to my sides in a bear hug. The voice was familiar. Even as realization dawned, in my wild panic I squirmed and fought. I was swiftly pinned to a tree and realized the familiar voice at my ear was Daisy’s. She was shielding my body with hers.

“Lela! It’s me, Daisy. You’re safe. Stop fighting me.”

My whole body stiffened and then sagged with relief as my brain finally registered that it was indeed Daisy, and my legs gave out. Daisy’s arms were the only thing holding me up. The sounds of struggle could be heard nearby and I realized Jordan was probably fighting with the monster who attacked me. My body stiffened again.

“Lela, are you ok?” I hear
d the deep concern in Daisy’s voice and realized this wasn’t the first time she’d asked this question. She was still holding me up and her warm fingers running over me, assessing my physical wounds. I became aware that there were other people around, people I didn’t recognize but, they are just as fast as Jordan and Kevin. My eyes were wide, trying to see in the dark when Ethan’s face came into view.

“Get her out of here!” Ethan snarl
ed at Daisy. And, just like that, I was whisked away at a dizzying speed. My head was spinning. I felt weak and nauseous.

Chapter 26

“Lela?”
Someone is calling me. Who is calling me? “Lela, can you hear me?”

I recognize Grace’s voice and become aware of the feel of peppermint heat from her touch.

“I have never seen this before,” she says in a low, awed voice.

“What do you mean you’ve never seen this before?” demand
ed Jordan, his voice full of dread and fear, “Seen what?”

“He slammed her head pretty hard on the grou
nd so she has a mild concussion but, there’s something else also going on in there that allowed her to resist his attempts at draining her. That’s why she loses consciousness. It’s like her resistance overloads the part of the brain that controls consciousness,” Grace answered calmly.

What were they saying? I was unconscious? How could that be when I could
hear them talking? How long had they been talking?

“I feel it too. I wonder if it has something to do with her being a telepath,” Daisy mused aloud with a mixture of concern and awe.

“What does that mean?” Jordan was gritting his teeth again. “Is she going to be ok?”

“It means, other than sending her more of a soothing vibration very slowly, I’m not sure what else to do,” Grace explained. “I can’t send her an actual healing vibration because it doesn’t feel like an actual wound to me and I’m not sure what kind of effect that would have.”

“You have different types of healing vibrations?” Jordan asked sounding taken aback.

“Of course we do!” Daisy snapped. She was not as calm as Grace. “I keep telling you Grace is a better healer because she practices and has honed her talent.”

“I just thought there were degrees of strength. You know, like Grace just had stronger healing properties, or whatever, than you,” Jordan replied momentarily distracted.

“Daisy, focus on her actual scrapes. I want to focus just on her head,” Grace ordered.

Someone, Grace I assumed, put both hands gently on each side of my head and I felt my whole body relax. The pain that was throbbing in my head as I returned to consciousness lessened considerably.

“What’s happening? What’s wrong with her?” Jordan’s urgent voice rang out with undisguised panic.

“Relax, Jordan, her body is just relaxing. I think the soothing energy is easing the pain and she relaxed,” Grace’s low voice reassured him.

“You think?” He practically yelled.

“Yes, Jordan! Damnit!” She hissed. “Look, Jordan, I have to remain calm if I am going to give her calming energy. Do you see how she’s tensed back up?”

There was a pause, and I never heard a response, but Daisy continued.

“That’s because you broke my concentration with you incessant worrying. Now, I can’t worry about
you
right now. Lela is my only concern. So either you sit back and shut up or get the hell out of here!”

The pain was coming back and my body was definitely tensing back up. But, it didn’t stop me from being surprised at Grace’s use of curse words and her anger. I vaguely thought that I didn’t want to cross her. As sweet as she was, she could get riled. Jordan did not reply, and I felt the energy touching my head change and the pain receded.

I wanted to open my eyes but, until now, the pain had been too great. The pain was a dull ache now and, after a few more minutes, my eyes fluttered open of their own accord. The first thing I saw was Grace. She smiled a tender smile at me and but didn’t say anything. My eyes rolled to take in the room and I saw Jordan’s eager face and Daisy’s concerned one.

“
Where is everyone
?” I thought to Daisy. She gasped.