The Immortal Hunter(12)

Decker glanced to Dani. It would probably be less upsetting for her to continue sleeping, but he didn't want that. He wanted her awake so that he could talk to her, and hopefully redeem himself in her eyes. Right now the woman thought he was an inept oaf, and he'd dearly like to rectify that impression. But he also just wanted to get to know her better. She was his life mate, or could be if she agreed. After two hundred and fifty-nine years alone, he was ready for her. He just had to change her opinion of him and woo her into seeing him as something other than the Austin Powers she'd accused him of being.

Decker shook his head. He was usually the epitome of intelligence and competency, but he'd been set aback by realizing he couldn't read her and what that might mean.

"She might be able to tell us something about the man who took her sister that could help us catch him," Decker said finally, but knew it was a lame excuse. Justin had already read her mind and probably got any and everything from her that they could use. When the younger immortal didn't call him on it, though, he handed him one of the sticks and said, "Come on. Let's get this over with and get going."

"Shouldn't we sharpen them or something?" Justin asked, accepting the makeshift stake.

"No time," Decker said. "Just put some muscle into it."

Justin moved toward one of the men, then glanced back to ask, "What about the bodies in the ravine?"

Decker glanced toward the edge of the clearing overlooking the shallow ditch. He considered the matter and then shook his head. "We leave them. Lucian will arrange for someone to find them so their families can give them a proper burial."

Dani woke up abruptly, almost unnaturally so, she thought with confusion as she sat up on the hard, vibrating bed and glanced around. It took her a moment to sort out that she wasn't on a bed at all, but lying on the hard metal floor of a van. Memory rushed in then, and for one moment she feared she'd dreamed the rescue in the clearing and was still being held by the men who had kidnapped her and her sister, but then Dani glanced to the seats she lay behind and saw the man presently smiling at her from the front passenger seat. Not Decker-Maybe-Argeneau-Maybe-Pimms, but another man she didn't recognize.

"The name's Justin," he introduced himself cheerfully, and then pointed to their driver and added, "I'm with Decker-Maybe-Argeneau-Maybe-Pimms."

Dani let her breath out slowly, but didn't relax. Worry for her sister was now crowding her brain.

"How are you feeling?"

The question made Dani glare at the man with disbelief. How was she feeling? She'd been kidnapped, knocked about by a bunch of brutes, caught in the middle of a Shootout, and-worst of all-her sister was missing, still in the clutches of one of those brutes. How did he think she felt? Shaking her head with disgust, she muttered, "This is the best CSIS could come up with? This is the Few and the Proud?"

"The Few and the Proud are the U.S. Marines," Justin informed her, seeming rather amused. "We CSIS men-" For some reason, he paused to cast a taunting glance toward Decker, and then continued, "We CSIS guys are the Cute, Strong, Intelligent, and Sexy."

"I'm sure," Dani said dryly, and then ignored him as she tried to sort out how she'd ended up in the van again. The last thing she recalled was hurrying toward the road, determined to find a house with a phone and a car so that she could call her family and do what she could to help find her sister. Dani had no idea at all how she might have ended up back in the van and sleeping.

"It's nothing to concern yourself with," Justin said, as if she'd spoken the worries aloud. "Everything's fine. We're on the road and, hopefully, soon we'll be able to get a cell signal to call in backup."

Dani found herself caught by the intensity of his eyes and, oddly enough, how she had gotten where she was suddenly didn't seem that important anymore. As the worry slipped away, she pulled herself to her knees between the seats and peered curiously out the window to see that they were just coming to the end of the grassy trail and bumping onto the gravel lane. She hadn't slept long then, Dani thought, and turned to peer at Decker. For some reason they were driving with the interior lights on. She had no idea why, but it allowed her to get a better look at the man who had so annoyed her earlier. He appeared to be extremely good-looking, with dark hair, fine features, and eyes that appeared an arresting silver-blue in this light. As she recalled, he'd been tall and well built too. In the looks department the man fit the James Bond image of a spy, she thought. It was just a shame that he was missing the "intelligent" from the Cute, Strong, Intelligent, and Sexy quota.

"Don't be too hard on Decker," Justin said suddenly, obviously reading her expression and guessing where her thoughts had led her. "After all, the man was in shock."

"Shut up, Justin," Decker snapped.

Dani ignored the driver and glanced to the other man in question. "Why would he have been in shock?"

Justin hesitated, and when he spoke she suspected it wasn't what he'd intended to say. "He was shot when he ran out into the line of fire to pull you back onto the cliff."

"Ah hell," Decker muttered as Dani's head swiveled sharply back to him. She noted absently that he sounded annoyed and embarrassed, but ignored that as she leaned farther forward to peer at his chest. Her eyes widened when she saw that there was, indeed, a bullet hole in the shoulder of his shirt.