Part 19 (1/2)

Talon rolled out of bed when someone pounded on the door. It was a good thing he had familiarized himself with the layout of the room yesterday. ”Who is it?” He asked.

”Room service, sir, with your breakfast. May I come in?”

”Yeah, come on in.” He opened the door, uncaring that he was totally naked. ”Blue, food's here. You better hurry that bath along before it gets cold.” Talon signed the ticket and the man left.

”Blue? Did you fall asleep in the tub?” He grinned remembering how little sleep they got last night. He wouldn't mind spending the next several nights like that. Maybe even a lifetime? He didn't want to disturb her but the continued silence bothered him. ”Come on, baby. Time to eat.” He pushed open the door and it took several seconds before he realized the bathroom was empty. Where the h.e.l.l was she?

A second knock at the door got his attention. This time he slipped into his pants before opening the door.

”This was left at the desk for you, sir. I apologize for not leaving it when I brought your meal.”

Talon was grateful he could see colors so clearly this morning. He saw the man's extended arm and a vague image of...something. It felt like paper when he took it from the man. ”I don't know anyone here. Why would a stranger leave me a message? Do you know who left this?”

”I believe it was your companion, sir.”

Talon closed the door in the man's face and stumbled to the bed. Why would Shadow leave him a note? Maybe she went shopping or sightseeing.

Did you see anything resembling a tourist attraction? Read the note.

Even that didn't make sense. Shadow knew he had trouble reading before the problems with his eyes developed. He found the flap of the envelope and pulled out a single sheet of paper. He almost smiled at her solution. The note was written with a child's pencil. Heavy black lines made it possible for him to feel the words. It was short.

Talon, it's time to end this contract. I sent my final report to Dak back on Cyperia. You've got a good life ahead of you at the academy and they think you're special. I've contracted a new a.s.signment. Be safe, mister famous bounty hunter. Blue. P.S. I think you're pretty special, too.

Talon folded the note and slipped it back in the envelope. He couldn't believe she would just leave without saying good-bye. Dammit! He deserved more than a brief note delivered with breakfast. She didn't think of him as a contract, she couldn't, not when she made love with him.

You know nothing about her. Maybe she slept with all her clients?

”Dammit! She's not like that!” He roared his hurt and anger into the empty room. When he fell over the serving cart his anger melted into despair. He didn't know how long he lay amid the shattered dishes and ruined food. He needed a drink worse than he ever did in his life. Every time he thought about getting up and ordering room service to bring him a bottle, he heard her voice giving him h.e.l.l and he couldn't do it.

Why, Blue? I can't trust anyone else with what I need. Did I just imagine the connection between us? We were supposed to do this together.

He finally calmed down enough for his brain to start working again. He pushed himself off the floor and grimaced when his knee squished congealed eggs. ”s.h.i.+t, I'm back to paying for breakage.”

After a quick shower, he called for housekeeping and another breakfast. He used the time to reevaluate his options. Any excursions outside the hotel were best forgotten. For all the elegance surrounding him, out there was still a raw, lawless mining town with no one to protect the unwary.

There was enough of the reward money to cover his expenses for a couple of weeks. Maybe longer if he quit destroying things. He could ask for a smaller room but this one was perfect-especially in light of his new limitations. The balcony wrapped around the corner with access through a door on each wall. He could watch the people on the street until he figured out which one was Draagon. The b.a.s.t.a.r.d owned this building so it made sense that he would check up on the management. h.e.l.l, he might even live here.

He had binoculars, a crossbow, and patience. The only thing missing from his world was Shadow. Wherever she went, he would find her. He wanted her to look him in the eye and tell him why she left. Draagon first.

Talon watched the street activity for over a week and wasn't any closer to finding Draagon. He'd seen plenty of criminal activity and as soon as he got back to civilization, he was going to push for a heavily manned bounty station up here.

The sun was already dropping below the mountain crest, leaving the town in shadows. d.a.m.n. There was that word again. He just couldn't get Shadow out of his mind. Earlier he actually thought he saw her distinctive blue silhouette but when he looked again, it was gone. He missed her quick wit and sa.s.sy mouth. Yeah, you really miss that mouth but not for the sa.s.s. The cold was good for keeping certain body parts under control.

He started making a game of the watching after dark. The frigid temperatures meant every part of their bodies was covered except a small portion of the face. Everyone was rus.h.i.+ng to get someplace warm. To him they looked like multicolored b.a.l.l.s bouncing over the snow. He could recognize a few who pa.s.sed by around the same time every night.

Talon extinguished the lights and slipped out onto the balcony. He created a cozy, little, camouflage nest between the windows where he could stay warm and catch snippets of conversation from the street as well as the balconies below him. If his search for Draagon lasted longer than his funds, he had enough dirt on the hotel manager to get this room for free, indefinitely.

The room next to his was being used for a party from the sounds of the laughter and the loud music. He wished someone would give the woman singing a drink or pour the bottle down her throat. She was almost as off-key as Shadow.

Two men walked over to the railing and looked down at the street. If they looked in his direction, all they would see was a snowdrift some lazy housekeeper didn't shovel away.

”Look at him fawning over that b.i.t.c.h.” Man One spit over the rail.

”She's a lot older than his usual piece o' tail but she ain't bad lookin'. Jud said she ain't put out yet an' the boss is losin' patience.” Man Two was puffing on a cigarette that didn't smell like tobacco.

”I say we go find a couple of women willin' to put out.” Man One grabbed his crotch.

”That singer has got a powerful set of lungs. Wonder how long she can hold her breath around my c.o.c.k?”

Both men left laughing and Talon was happy to know the entertainment was about to go voiceless. He focused the binoculars on the people below trying to determine who this boss was and why he was held in such low esteem by his employees. All he saw were the same bouncing b.a.l.l.s. He thought one of them flashed blue but they pa.s.sed out of sight.

He kept his vigil until the bars and taverns closed. No one lingered in the streets. Talon made his way out of his 'snow drift' and into the warm room. He never slept more than a few hours since Shadow left; but tonight he knew he wouldn't get that much. She was on his mind more than usual today. When that happened, sleep was impossible.

Chapter Thirty-Eight.

The sound of boots pounding down the hallway drew Talon away from the window. When he opened the door to see why the rush to leave he was almost trampled. ”Hey, what's happening? Is the hotel on fire?” He even managed to sound like a frightened traveler while keeping a tight hold on the stranger's coat.

”If ya don' wanna lose that hand, mister, let go of me. Lord Draagon has summoned the guards and he don' like ta be kept waitin'.”

Talon released the man with just enough of a push that he stumbled into two other guards and they all three went rolling around the floor. Was this the beginning of Draagon's fall? He took extra time to slide the security bolt into place on the door. According to the little slip of paper attached to the door, nothing could destroy the lock. He didn't expect anyone to rush in and arrest him but he wanted a little warning if things went wrong and Draagon sent the guards to kill him.

When he was an active a.s.sa.s.sin/bounty hunter he learned early in his career to block out all unnecessary influences and focus solely on the objective. Those lessons were just as important today. His breaths were slow and measured while he c.o.c.ked the crossbow. The modifications he made to the crossbow during his training period were minor but significant. As deadly as Shadow's weapon was initially, this one, with a longer set of arms, could send a bolt completely through a tree trunk at fifty yards. His accuracy at twice that distance would bring down an eldorak or a boar.

The key to the extra power was using ultra-light composition material for the shafts and attaching smaller, sharper arrowheads. The metallurgical equipment left by Draagon only needed a few minor repairs before being ready for him to begin experimenting with different alloys. His shop cla.s.ses were a long time ago, but he remembered enough to stumble his way through the creative process-once he found enough sc.r.a.p metal to work with.

With his weapon c.o.c.ked and waiting for a bolt, Talon grabbed his gear and moved to the balcony. He carefully laid the bow where he could get to it in a hurry and reached for the binoculars. The guards running from the building would lead him straight to Draagon. There was a growing crowd about two hundred yards up the mountain. The sounds of an angry mob filled the early morning air. With all the pus.h.i.+ng and shoving, the knot of humanity was slowly moving in his direction.

A flash of bright blue caught his attention. This time it didn't disappear. It was Shadow! She was standing beside someone with the darkest shade of green he'd ever seen. Wherever that person went, Shadow's blue aura went with him. Understanding slammed into him! She didn't just walk out on him! She was showing him which man was Draagon!

”Bless you, Blue.” He whispered, watching as the volume of the yelling continued to escalate as more and more people joined. An out-of-control mob was a dangerous beast with a life of its own and this one was rapidly approaching that state. The flas.h.i.+ng colors from the heightened emotions blurred into an indistinguishable cloud. The only constant-the only one he could clearly see-was Shadow. In another few seconds, they would be in range.

Talon stretched out on his stomach on the floor of the balcony and positioned the crossbow between the rails. He could see Shadow without using the binoculars. ”That's right, you son of a b.i.t.c.h. Just one more yard and your a.s.s is mine.” He loaded the bolt.

His finger hovered near the trigger ready to take the shot. Shadow suddenly moved behind Draagon. ”No, no, no, Blue. Come on, baby. I've got him now. Move, Shadow.”

His pleading didn't work. She was plastered to Draagon's back. He tried again and again to take the shot that would put an end to his nightmare, but he couldn't. He wouldn't risk Shadow's life or any innocents caught in his sights. The changes he made to the crossbow would send the bolt through Draagon and anyone behind him for an easy twenty yards. In that crowd, he was looking at forty or fifty collateral damage deaths. Talon wouldn't lose a single minute of sleep at taking out that many Phantom Riders; but he couldn't tell them from those caught up in the mob mentality and just along for the excitement.

What the h.e.l.l was I thinking? All along, I pictured me and Draagon, face-to-face. Alone. Never with anyone else around.

”I'm a d.a.m.n fool.” He muttered to himself. Shadow tried to tell him this wasn't the way to do things. He just blew her off-accused her of not having faith in him. Today set a new record for stupid. Not only did he run her off, he sent her right into the clutches of that walking, breathing embodiment of evil.