Page 63 of Ace
‘I really do like working with you,’Isaiah murmured.‘You’re like my sister, Eden Winchester. We’re not really related, but she’s always been there for me.’Was that a note of longing in his tone?
‘You do know I’m in the same zone as you guys,’Eden drawled.
‘I do now,’Isaiah answered cheerily.‘Hush, woman. Savannah’s working.’
Closing her eyes, Savannah took a deep breath and relaxed into her seat. This was her gift, her ability to search the innumerable threads cast out into the universe. To sense the unique vibration, in this case, caused by Keller’s singular sense of honor, pride, and finely-honed rage. Until now, she’d only used her gift of sight to locate endangered dogs, cats, and other animals. Searching out a man—this particularly fierce man—was uniquely stimulating.
The image came slowly. Savannah could almost smell the silk of black ties and starch peculiar to her Secret Agent Man.‘I see him now. He’s on his feet, but he’s not moving.He isn’t breathing, either. He’s tense. Poised…”That was the best word for the aura radiating off Keller.‘He’s inside a trailer, holding his breath as if… Oh dear, he’s got both pistols up and… He’s going to kill someone,’Savannah breathed.‘Keller’s been shot, Isaiah, and now he’s…. he’s defending someone, something. I can’t get a clear reading on—’
‘Do you have his location?’Isaiah asked.
‘He’s outside a long green barn, no, it’s a garage. Fontenette’s antique car collection is stored there.’
‘Narrow it down, Savannah,’Eden snapped. ‘I need more than that before we go in. I need a landmark. Fontenette’s spread is littered with green barns and—’Her tone changed.‘No, Boss. I’m talking to Savannah Church, not you. Hold up a second.’
The images in Savannah’s mind expanded to include Special Agent Tucker Chase as well as several other officers, all armed, all seated inside a large black FBI van idling on the paved road near the mansion. Four other FBI vans were parked near them while an army of SWAT and special agents executed the warrant. Several more agents patrolled all the exits. The entire group moved like precision clockwork, as if this were simply a drill they were practicing.
Just as quickly as the picture expanded, Savannah narrowed it down on Keller.‘I’m seeing a dirt road,’she told Eden.‘It’s just ahead of you behind the mansion. In a mile or so, it branches off the paved road. There’s a long green garage behind the cluster of sand pine trees along the road. The garage is hidden behind those trees, so it’ll be easy to miss. Once you clear the trees, turn right, then take another sharp right.’
‘How many men, Savannah? I need to know who and what we’re facing.’
She got the impression of Eden snapping her fingers.‘Three big guys, all armed and wearing overalls. They don’t look American, though. They’re wearing Carhartts. Seven, no, eight other guys, not so big, not in overalls, sneaking around and under the trailer. I count four semi-trucks with trailers attached, but Eden, these eleven guys are armed.’
‘And Keller is in…?’Again with the snapping fingers.
‘The open trailer on the end, nearest the garage,’Savannah nearly shouted back at her.
‘What kind of weapons? ARs, pistols, shoulder cannons, or—’
Savannah cut her off.She wasn’t some prissy little girl from charm school.‘Yes, automatic rifles, and a shoulder cannon if that’s what you want to call it. Personally, I call it a portable one-shot 66mm unguided Light Anti-tank Weapon, also known as a LAW. Folks, I think the guys in Carhartts are Russian. I’m seeing lots of tats on their bald skulls, some Russian lettering.’
‘Good job, Savannah. Okay boys, we’re going in hot,’Eden purred as she relayed the intel to the agents with her.‘Let’s do this and do it right. Yeah, Tuck. I know. The warrant includes all outbuildings. We’re covered. Go! Go! Go!’
Eden and Tucker’s van roared past the house to the dirt road. Executing a sharp right turn, then another, they kicked up a cloud of red dust on their way to the rescue. Shots rang out. All the way from Louisiana, Savannah heard the round that struck Keller’s chest. She felt him grunt at the impact. She smelled the rage in his sweat. She watched him go down.
No, no, no!
Flustered now, Savannah shut Eden out of her mind and cast her most fervent spell to Keller. Out loud. “For thine is the kingdom.”Deep breath.“The power.”Then let it go....“And the glory.” She spoke sharper now, her heart pounding with zeal and enough fear to power The Big Easy during Mardi Gras. “I command you, Keller. Listen up and talk to me!”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Son of a bitch, that fucking hurt!Keller damned near slapped both hands over his ears as Savannah’s voice exploded inside his head. He didn’t know what hurt worse, the bullet that had just ripped through his chest just short of his collarbone, or the angry woman suddenly shrieking inside his head. That was new. But out of the blue, he now had Savannah’s fear coiled inside his mind like a living, breathing snake, filled with worry and rattling with love for him. WTF?
“I hear you, baby,” he said out loud, not exactly sure where she was or if he were hearing things. He shook his head. This might be that singular moment when a man’s life passed before his eyes, and he got to revisit all the wicked things he’d done, right before he dropped dead. That scenario actually made more sense.
Until she breathed a tremulous,‘Thank heavens, Keller. Honey, I saw you go down. How bad are youhurt? Can you breathe? Are you going to die? What can I do?’
Yup, that was Savannah all right, scared and worried for him. But man, was any of this real? It couldn’t be. He’d built strong psychic barriers. They hadn’t been breached before.
“Where are you?” he asked, looking around and mad as hell she might’ve put herself in danger by coming after him. How’d she expect him to protect both her and the birds from all these guys with guns? “Speak to me, damn it.”Tell me you’re not going to jump up and run to me and get shot and die, too.
‘No, honey, I’m not going to get shot and die. I’m still in Louisiana, and for the first time in your life, you’re speaking psychically. Do you understand what that means? You’re telepathic, you’d just built so many walls, no one’s been able to get through to you until now. Until me. But listen—’
Bullshit.“No, you listen! Wherever you are, stay down!” This nonsense had to be the gas talking. Couldn’t be Savannah. “These guys will kill you if they catch you, and they won’t be nice about it.”
‘I know but Keller—'
“Stay down! Damnit, keep that pretty ass of yours down on the ground, and—where are you?”
