Eternal (Shadow Falls: After Dark #2)(105)

Della came out of the vision just in time to see Chase grab his sledgehammer. “Do you hear this?” he screamed as he slammed into the stone wall and knocked a hole in the tomb.

He must have been in the vision, too. And somewhere deep in her soul, she remained just enough in the vision to hear Liam say, “That? Did you hear it?”

“They can hear us!” Della screamed and jumped up. She turned in a complete circle searching in the dark for a door or entrance. None existed. Then her gaze fell to the pile of concrete blocks.

“There,” she said. “Under there.”

Burnett didn’t look convinced, but when she and Chase started tossing the blocks to the other side, he helped.

Ten heavy blocks later, Della saw the metal latch that pulled up a steel door. Her tears of regret that had fallen were now followed by tears of joy.

It took all three of them to pull the door open.

Della jumped down into the small space. But she saw nothing but blackness.

Then she heard it. Breathing. She inhaled and caught the scent of vampires. Two.

“Natasha?” Della said. “Are you here?” Her vision cleared just enough to see another open doorway.

“We’re here,” Natasha said and it sounded as if she’d started crying. “We’re … here. Right here.”

Della ducked down to go through the doorway. A beam of light came behind her. She turned and saw Chase with a flashlight.

“We found them.” She smiled up at him through her teary vision.

“I know.” He handed her the light and came to stand next to her. His shoulder brushed against hers and she let herself savor that touch for one second. “Let’s get them out of here.”

Chapter Forty-three

Dr. Whitman and his family were on vacation, so Burnett had a different doctor meet them at Shadow Falls. He put the doctor and his patients in one of the bedrooms in an extra cabin. Della, Chase, Burnett, Holiday, and Hannah all sat in the living room. Miranda and Kylie had stopped in for support. Miranda hugged Della, Kylie just gave a thumbs-up, and then they went on their way.

Chase sat right beside Della, as if it was his place. She didn’t argue with him. They had made a hell of a team. While her thoughts were mostly on the two behind the door, she couldn’t help but think about Burnett’s message about her and Chase: After this case, if you continue to see Chase, your career with the FRU is over.

Did she really have to make that choice?

She glanced at Chase and wondered what the chances were of him coming to work for the FRU.

From behind the bedroom wall, she could hear the doctor moving around and treating the patients. The first thing he’d asked for was extra blood. He’d brought some, but needed more. Burnett left and returned with four pints from his own reserves.

The doctor was going to let them feed and give it to them via IV while he checked them. Finding Natasha and Liam alive had erased Della’s panic, but seeing them so thin and weak brought some of it back. Both of them had been going in and out of consciousness on the way over here.

They looked like the old pictures of prisoners of war. The mood in the cabin now was cautiously optimistic.

Burnett stood on the front porch to make a few calls. Probably checking in to make sure things had gotten taken care of back at the cemetery.

Holiday, with Hannah in her arms, came over and sat beside Della and Chase. She offered Della a gentle, calming touch and then some words. “I’m proud of you. And you,” she said, looking at Chase.

“Thanks,” Chase said and Della saw a spark of pride in his eyes.

Hannah smiled up at Chase and flapped her arms.

“It appears my little girl already has good taste in men,” Holiday said. “I’m afraid she’s a big flirt.”

After a second, Holiday continued. “And I’m a little disappointed in myself. I had serious doubts because I’ve never seen a case where the spirit was able to connect two live people, but I’m beginning to learn that nothing is impossible.”

“I’m just glad it turned out okay.” Della looked back at the bedroom door. “They’re going to be okay, aren’t they?”

“I’m not a doctor, but I would think so.”

Della inhaled and breathed a little deeper this time.

“Did the spirit pass over?” Holiday asked.

Della looked back at Holiday. “I don’t know.”

“Oh, you’d know,” Holiday said. “You’ll see it. It’s rather beautiful. A reward for all your work. And it’s worth it.” She got a gentle smile on her face.

“Then I guess she hasn’t,” Della said.

“Why would she still be hanging around?” Chase leaned in and asked.

“She might want to make sure they are okay. Or she might want something else.”

Della recalled the bloody vision of her aunt, dead. And she knew from both Holiday and Kylie, that often what ghosts wanted was justice. But how could she offer that on a murder that happened so many years ago? And the thought of even trying to discover the truth when …

Holiday spoke again. “Did you ever find the connection of the ghost to these two?”

“She’s Natasha’s mother,” Della said, but didn’t add the fact that she was also her aunt. She knew that would lead Burnett to discovering too many truths. And before he went digging into her family tree, Della wanted to find the answers herself.