The Immortal Hunter(21)

Dani paused again and closed her eyes briefly before continuing, "I'm scared. Decker told me he works for CSIS, but there's no way he could. He's crazy. I overheard them talking and he seems to think he's hundreds of years old.

"I don't know what to do," she admitted. "I'm torn between fleeing for my life and sticking with them because they can track the SUV that Stephanie is in. I have to find my sister, but want to get out alive with her. If you're what I think you are, some kind of bounty hunter or private detective or something, please call me."

Dani rattled off her cell phone number, and then waited a minute and repeated it. She said it once more before finishing with "Call me right away if you can, I'm not sure if they'll leave me on my own again, and I need to know just how dangerous these men are. Hopefully you can tell me that."

Much to her amazement, Dani had barely stopped talking when her cell phone began to vibrate in her pocket.

"Dani?" The voice on the phone was a deep growl that Dani didn't recognize.

"Nicholas?" she asked hopefully.

"Yes. They probably won't leave you alone for long. We have to keep this short so listen to me. I don't know the younger kid, but I know Decker and you're safe with him. He would never hurt you, and I don't think the fellow with him would either. All right?" he asked. "You're safe."

"But they're crazy," she protested, and then bit her lip and glanced out the window, afraid she'd spoken too loudly. Justin and Decker appeared not to have heard, however. In fact, they were now walking as they talked, moving away from the van.

"They may seem crazy, but they aren't. You are safe with them. Trust me on this."

"You don't understand," Dani said with frustration. "They stuck branches in the bodies of those men who took us, and-Are they CSIS?" she asked abruptly.

"No, they are in law enforcement, but not any organization you've heard of."

"What organization?" Dani asked anyway, unwilling to accept that explanation this time.

After a hesitation, Nicholas answered. "They're Council enforcers."

"What are Council enforcers?" she asked at once.

"It doesn't matter. What matters is that you know that you are safe with them."

"But my sister-"

"She's alive and well. I'm still following them. Your sister should be all right. He can't hurt her while he's driving, and I don't intend to lose them so he can hurt her."

Dani closed her eyes with relief at his words.

"You haven't called your family on your cell phone, have you?" he asked suddenly.

Dani's eyes popped open as amazement shot through her. She should have called them at once... and the police. "No," she admitted finally, and then added fretfully, "I should have done that right away. I don't know why I didn't."

"They probably put the suggestion in your mind that you shouldn't," he said calmly. "I don't know why they didn't take the phone away at the same time."

She was frowning, wondering whose side the man was on here, and then he said, "Dani, I risked being caught to save your life, so trust me. Stay with them."

"Caught?" she echoed with a frown. "Why are they trying to catch you?"

The pause this time was very long before he said, "I made a mistake a long time ago. I'm afraid I killed someone. They were sent to find me and bring me in for judgment. They are the good guys Dani, I'm the bad seed."

"And you're asking me to trust you?" she asked dryly.

"Yeah" Nicholas said with what sounded like bitter amusement. "So who's the crazy one here, huh?"

Dani didn't say anything. She didn't know what to think now. He'd killed someone?

"I know you're scared, Dani, but you really do need to trust me and stay with Decker. And it would probably be for the best if you didn't try calling your family. At least not until we get your sister back, and I promise I will get her back for you, but in return you have to not contact your family. They'd just worry anyway. It's better they don't know until it's over and you're both safe. All right?"

She bit her lip, not sure what she should do.

"All right?" he repeated.

"All right," Dani responded quietly, though she wasn't sure she would keep her word.

Another moment of silence passed, and she suspected he was worrying that she wouldn't keep it, and then he sighed. "I won't call you again. They'll know we talked."

"No they won't," she assured him, not wanting to lose this connection with her sister. Nicholas was the only one who could reassure her that her sister was still safe and not lying at the bottom of a ditch like one of those women back at the clearing. "They're outside. I can see them. They don't know I'm talking to you."

"It doesn't matter. They'll know," Nicholas assured her solemnly and then added for good measure, "They'll read your mind and know everything you've thought and said and heard."

"Read my mind?" Dani asked uncertainly, beginning to wonder if the whole world had gone mad while she was in that grocery store.

"I know none of this is making sense to you, but you just have to trust me," Nicholas said firmly. "I'll do what I can to get your sister back, but they can do more. Tell them we just passed Georgian Bay on Highway 400. My guess is he's going to take the highway all the way to Toronto and try to get lost in the crowds there."