Chapter Twenty-six
Caitlyn stiffened just as gunshots were fired behind them.
Carlos pulled her down, using the car as a shield. He glanced over his shoulder. "I've been shot. Some kind of dart."
She yanked it out. "What is this?"
"Tranquilizer." He drew his pistol. "When I start shooting, run for the trail. Don't stop. Don't look back."
A chill skittered down her spine. "I'm not leaving you."
"Hurry!" a voice yelled behind them. "Get him!"
The shout had been in Thai, Caitlyn realized. And it sounded like the professor, Pat, from Chula. She eased up a few inches to peer through the car windows.
Ten men armed with rifles charged from the jungle. One of them was the professor. An old army truck crashed through the underbrush onto the road, and three more armed men jumped out.
"Run!" Carlos yelled at Caitlyn, then aimed his weapon over the car trunk. With rapid fire he took down four armed men before the others began shooting back.
"Careful!" Pat shouted. "We have to take him alive!"
Carlos ducked down and glared at Caitlyn. "I told you to run."
She shook her head and pulled the knife from her belt. Her hand was trembling, so she gripped the handle harder.
Three armed men came around the end of the car. Carlos shot the first one, and the other two leaped back out of range.
"Look at his arm," Caitlyn whispered. The dead man had the same tattoo as Tanit and the professor.
Gunfire rang out, and she jerked at the sudden pain in her rump.
Carlos winced, then rose to his knees. "They shot darts under the car." He pulled darts from her bottom.
She yanked three darts from his rump. He suddenly pushed her head down and fired his weapon. She glanced toward the hood of the car and saw another man fall. How many were left now? Seven? She and Carlos were still badly outnumbered.
More shots were fired, and Carlos jerked. She gasped at the sight of five more darts in his back. One of the thugs had rounded the end of the car while Carlos was busy killing the one by the front.
"Stop that!" She threw her knife.
It hit the man in his gut and he fell back.
"Bitch." He pulled a gun. "We don't need you alive."
"No!" Carlos threw himself in front of Caitlyn just as the shots were fired.
Caitlyn screamed as his body jerked with the impact of real bullets.
"Dammit!" Pat ran toward them. "I told you we needed him alive!"
The man writhed in pain, his hands gripping the knife in his gut. "I was aiming at the bitch. She deserves to die."
"You deserve to die. You failed the Master." Pat drew a weapon and shot the man in the head.
Caitlyn gasped and held onto Carlos tight. Blood oozed from two bullet holes in his chest. His breathing was shallow, but she wasn't sure if it was because he was dying or just tranquilized.
Pat and the remaining five men fanned out, their rifles aimed at her.
"Hurry, load them into the truck," Pat ordered. "Maybe we can still save him."
The men advanced toward her.
"No!" She pulled a knife from Carlos's belt.
Gunshots rang out as they sprayed her with a dozen tranquilizer darts.
With a huge roar, a tiger sprang from the jungle and leaped on the nearest man. Lethal claws ripped the screaming man apart.
Caitlyn pulled darts out of her arms, but she couldn't reach those that had hit her on the back. Her sight blurred as she watched the tiger attack another man. Her ears rang with the din of multiple gunshots, all aimed at the tiger.
"No," she moaned as the tiger slumped onto the ground, drugged by too many darts.
The tiger shimmered, then shifted into human form.
"Rajiv," she whispered.
The men gasped, then shouted with victory.
"Another cat shifter!" Pat exclaimed. "The Master will be pleased."
Dots swirled before her eyes and their voices sounded very far away.
"Load them up," Pat ordered.
She collapsed on top of Carlos as everything went black.
Caitlyn slowly came to, her mind in a fuzzy haze. Memories of the ambush flitted through her head, and she sat up with a gasp. Where was she? A single lightbulb on the ceiling dimly illuminated the small room. The one window had been boarded up from the outside. There was a table against a wall. She was sitting on a hard pallet covered with a white sheet.
Her heart lurched. Where was Carlos?
A noise across the room made her jump. She peered into the dark corner.
"Miss Cait?" Rajiv pulled some of the white sheet covering his pallet into his lap to cover his nudity. "I apologize for my appearance."
"It's not your fault," she answered in his language. "I'm sorry you were dragged into this."
He shrugged his broad shoulders. "I was considering leaving my tribe, so I could experience the world and have interesting adventures. I thought I might find that with you and Carlos. I suppose I have."
She winced, hoping his search for adventure didn't get him killed. "Do you know what happened to Carlos?"
"No. I just woke up a few minutes ago, and he was gone. Who are those people?"
"They're working for a chiang-shih called Master Han."
"A chiang-shih?" Rajiv repeated. "I didn't know they were real."
"Apparently, they didn't know until recently that cat shifters are real." She stiffened when she heard the metallic scrape of a bolt sliding and a lock being turned.
The door cracked open and the muzzle of a rifle appeared. Rajiv growled and started to shimmer.
"Don't even think about shifting." A man swung the door farther open and shot tranquilizer darts into Rajiv. When Rajiv started pulling them out, the man drew a handgun from a holster. "Stop it. This one has real bullets."
Rajiv glared at him, then slowly slumped to the side. Two men hauled him from the room.
Meanwhile, the man pointed his gun at Caitlyn. "Don't move."
Her heart raced. "What have you done with Carlos?"
The man looked surprised. "You speak Thai?" He glanced out the door. "They're bringing your husband now."
Two men entered the room, carrying Carlos. She winced at the sight of his blood-soaked chest. They shuffled over to where she sat and dumped him on the pallet.
"Careful," she muttered.
"Why bother?" The man with the gun smirked. "The bastard is dead."
She flinched.
"That's enough, Sawat." The professor, Pat, entered the room. "Carlos's death is a tragedy."
The man with the gun scoffed. "He deserved to die. He killed a lot of our men."
"They died in the service of our Master," Pat argued. He turned to Caitlyn with an annoyed look. "You neglected to tell us you spoke Thai. We removed the bullets and tried to save your husband. We were too late."
Tears filled her eyes. She knew Carlos should revive in a few hours, but it still grieved her to think how much he had suffered. She brushed the hair back from his pale face, and a tear ran down her cheek. "Why are you doing this? Carlos considered you a friend."
"Master Han is in need of a powerful cat," Pat explained. "Once I realized cat shifters might truly exist, I knew they would be the most powerful cats in the world. I thought Carlos could lead us to a cat shifter. It didn't occur to me that he was one until Tanit told me."
Caitlyn sniffed as more tears streamed down her face. "Tanit is dead. We left him in the Temple of Death."
Pat inclined his head. "It is an honor to die in service to the Master."
She snorted. Then that was an honor she wished on the professor and the rest of his crew. "What are you doing to Rajiv?"
"We need him alive, so he will not be harmed. We are fitting a silver collar around his neck. I believe that will keep him from shifting. If not, we will have to keep him tranquilized until we can bring him to the Master."
"What will the Master do to him?"
"The real question is what will the cat shifter do to the Master?" Pat headed out the door, then paused. "We must keep you locked up until this evening. I may be able to release you at that time, but I do not know. The decision will not be mine."
She swallowed hard. "Who makes the decision?"
"Guardians of higher rank than I. I am merely a mortal, but they are chiang-shih. They will awaken in a few hours."
Pat and Sawat left the room, and she heard the scrape of a bolt sliding into place.
With a sigh, she touched Carlos's face. "I hope you wake up before the vampires do."
She wandered about the room, looking for a way to escape or something that could be used as a weapon. The window was covered with bars and boarded up. She found a clay pot under the table and figured it was the toilet. On top of the table was a bowl and pitcher full of water. She might be able to whack someone with the pitcher, but first she would put the water to good use.
She took the sheet off Rajiv's pallet and tore it into strips. Then she poured a little water into the bowl and set it next to Carlos. She washed the blood off his bare chest. He was still wearing his khaki pants and hiking boots.
She stretched him out on the pallet. Even though he couldn't feel anything, she wanted him to look comfortable. She emptied the bloodied water into the chamber pot, then washed her own face and hands. With nothing else to do, she lay down beside Carlos and waited for him to come back.
She must have dozed, for she awakened when she felt Carlos's body jerk. Yes! He was going to revive again. She sat up, her heart expanding in her chest.
His body jerked again and his eyes opened.
She grinned. "Carlos. Thank God." She smoothed a hand over his chest and abdomen. The wounds were gone.
"I died again," he whispered.
"You're all right now." She caressed his face.
He glanced around the room. "We're prisoners?"
"Yes."
He sat up, his eyes wide with alarm. "Is there another room where you can go?"
"No. We're locked up together."
"Merda." He pulled off his hiking boots and socks. "The Surge is coming. I can feel it."
"It's okay."
"No, it's not!" He unbuckled his belt. "Each time it happens, the panther is more powerful. I don't know if I can control it. Caitlyn, you can't let me bite you."
She drew a quick breath. If he bit her, she might become a were-panther. Or she might die.
He pulled down his pants and underwear. "Caitlyn, promise me you won't let me bite you."
She hesitated.
He grabbed her by the upper arms. "Don't even consider it. I will not be responsible for your death."
Tears filled her eyes. "You've died twice for me. Why shouldn't I risk it once for you?"
"Because you don't come back like I do!" He jumped up and paced across the room. His gaze landed on the window. He punched a fist through the bars and shattered the glass.
"What are you doing?" She grimaced at the blood on his hand.
He pulled a jagged shard of glass from the window and dropped it on the pallet beside her. "If I try to bite you, stab me. It won't kill me, but it'll help me come to my senses."
She shook her head. "I don't want to hurt you."
"You have to." He stepped back as his body started to shimmer. "Sometimes it hurts to do the right thing."
With a roar, his body shifted. He came down on all fours and arched his back. She winced at the sound of his bones crackling and elongating. He was by far the largest cat she'd ever seen. Larger than a male lion. She suspected he was larger than a saber-tooth tiger.
He turned his head toward her and growled low in his throat. She picked up the shard of glass.
He lifted a massive paw and set it down in her direction. His golden eyes gleamed, focused intently on her. His body lowered to a few inches off the floor.
She held her breath. She'd seen this move before with her kitten, Mr. Foofikins. It was the classic crouch stance before the pounce.
"Carlos?" Her heart stuttered when his eyes turned red and began to glow. How much of him was a beast? How much control would Carlos have? If he pounced on her, would he maul her to death? Or was he simply driven to bite her and make her his mate?
A growl rumbled low in his throat. His tail twitched. Then he pounced.
His paws hit her shoulders and knocked her back. He stood over her, his legs straddling her. He lowered his head with a grumbling sound in his throat.
She gazed into his red glowing eyes, searching for Carlos. His body trembled, and she realized he was there. He was fighting the beast.
She flung the shard of glass away. "Go ahead," she whispered. "Bite me."
He threw back his head and roared. She winced at the sight of his fangs. When he lowered his head, she turned her face away and squeezed her eyes shut. A wet, raspy tongue licked her neck, and she shivered.
Pop. She gasped. His fangs had broken her skin. He licked her once again, then backed away.
She touched her neck, then drew away her hand. There was blood on her fingers.
His body shimmered and shifted back. He wiped the back of his hand against his mouth and stared at the bloodstain. He looked at her, his eyes amber once again. They widened at the sight of her neck. "No, no."
"It's okay."
He jumped to his feet. "No!" He clenched his fists and pressed them against his temples. "The beast was too strong. I tried to fight it."
"Carlos, it's all right."
He fell onto his knees. "Oh God, what have I done?"
"It wasn't your fault! It was my decision. I threw away the shard of glass. I told you to bite me."
He gave her an incredulous look. "Why?"
Tears filled her eyes. "Because I love you. And like you said, sometimes it hurts to do the right thing."
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "The next part of the Surge is coming. I can feel it."
"What part is that?"
His eyes opened, and they were red once again. "I need sex."
Her breath caught. Now she remembered the Surge he'd gone through in the cave. After shifting into a panther and back, he'd wanted sex. And she had refused.
He stood slowly, and her gaze went instantly to his erection. No way was she going to refuse him this time.
She pulled off her hiking boots as he walked toward her. The intensity of his red glowing eyes made her tremble with anticipation. She undid her belt and unzipped her pants.
He leaned over, grasped the hem of her khaki pants, and yanked them off so roughly she fell onto her back. He ripped off her panties, then shoved her legs apart and knelt between them.
He inserted a finger inside her and growled. "You're already wet."
"Yes." She wrapped her legs around his back and lifted her hips.
He grasped her butt cheeks and pulled her toward him. She gasped when his erection slammed into her. He ground her against him so her clitoris was tickled by his crisp pubic hair.
He thrust into her, hard and deep. Tension rose inside her higher and higher. He leaned his head back and roared. He pumped into her wildly, and she screamed her release.
Then he fell onto the pallet beside her and gathered her into his arms. Her body throbbed with aftershocks.
He stiffened suddenly and sat up, looking at the door. She heard it a few seconds later. Footsteps running toward the door.
"Get dressed," he whispered.
She pulled her underwear back on and reached for her pants. Carlos jumped up and pulled on his pants.
"I heard strange noises," someone shouted in the hallway. "It sounded like the roar of a cat."
"Impossible," another voice said. "The panther is dead."
"Open the door," the professor ordered.
Caitlyn fastened her pants. Carlos ran barefoot to the side of the door and pressed himself against the wall.
The bolt scraped, then the door cracked open. The muzzle of a rifle slid through the opening. Carlos waited, then grasped the muzzle and yanked the man into the room. As the man fell forward, Carlos karate-chopped him on the back of the neck and wrenched the rifle from his hand.
As the next armed man ran into the room, Carlos spun around and swung the rifle like a bat. The man fell on the floor.
Another armed man ran into the room, but Carlos flipped his rifle over and shot three darts into the man's chest.
Gunshots rang out and several tranquilizer darts hit Carlos in the chest. He ripped them out as more armed men ran into the room. They tried to shoot at him, but he ignored the darts and charged after them.
"Magnificent." Pat slipped inside the room. "So incredibly strong, he can defy death."
Carlos leaped at another armed man, knocking the rifle out of his hand, then punching him in the face. More darts were shot at him but he kept fighting. Caitlyn realized he was a level five were-panther now. He possessed superhuman strength and speed. He'd taken down several men in just a few seconds.
The click of pistol hammer drew her attention, and she gasped. Pat had a revolver aimed at her head.
"I suggest you stop," Pat told Carlos. "Or I will be forced to shoot your wife."
Carlos stopped, and was instantly bombarded with dozens of tranquilizer darts.
"The woman, too," Pat ordered.
Caitlyn winced as several darts pierced her skin. Her vision grew fuzzy. She saw Carlos crumble to the floor.
"What an amazing specimen!" Pat exclaimed. "He must be the strongest cat in the world. The Master will be so pleased."
Caitlyn collapsed on the pallet as everything went black.