Part 28 (2/2)

”Feeling like I want my Dar.” Kerry reached out and fingered the soft cotton of Dar's shorts.

Dar sat down on the edge of the bed and put her hand on Kerry's forehead. It was warm to the touch, and her color was still definitely off. ”Sit up a minute and swallow these.” She helped Kerry sit and handed her the pills, then uncapped the water bottle and held it while Kerry suckled a mouthful, then swallowed.

”Thanks.” Kerry leaned against her. ”Jesus, I feel like hot boiled trash.”

”Hm.” Dar put her arm around her. ”I bet.”

Kerry s.h.i.+vered. ”That was really scary.”

”Oh yeah.” Dar picked up the cup of tea and offered it to her. ”I was scared.”

Kerry cradled the cup in her hands, savoring its warmth. She took a sip of the sweet, hot tea and sighed. ”I know,” she said. ”I think that scared me the most.”

Dar eased off the bed and knelt in front of the dresser, opening the lower drawer and rummaging in it. She found the small case she'd tucked inside when they'd boarded in Miami and picked it up, bringing it with her as she resettled herself on the edge of the bed.

”What's that?” Kerry watched her curiously. Her eyes followed the zipper as Dar unzipped it, then the eyebrows over them lifted sharply as she saw the blood pressure cuff inside. ”Where in the h.e.l.l did that come from?”

”Dr. Steve,” Dar replied quietly. ”Gimme your arm.”

”Dar.”

Ignoring the mild protest, Dar fastened the cuff around her lover's toned arm and started pumping it.

Kerry sighed. ”Do you actually know how to use that?”

”I can manually reprogram the flash bios of an IBM mainframe; I think I can figure it out,” Dar replied, watching the small gauge on the gadget.

Kerry exhaled unhappily and her shoulders drooped.

Dar glanced up and caught the expression. ”He made me bring it,” she explained gently. ”I wasn't gonna use it, but since I had to give you a d.a.m.n bucket of stimulant...”

Kerry peeked at the gauge. ”Hmph.” She tapped it with her other hand. ”d.a.m.n.”

One sixty. Not good. Dar released some of the pressure and checked again. Over one hundred. She unfastened the cuff from Kerry's arm and rubbed it in attempted comfort. ”Probably from the stimulant, sweetheart,” she offered. ”Why don't you lie down?”

Still visibly unhappy, Kerry meekly complied.*171 Dar tossed the device onto the dresser and stretched out next to her partner, gently combing Kerry's disheveled hair with her fingers.

”Bah,” Kerry muttered.

Dar gave her a sympathetic grin. ”I bet when I check it later, it'll be fine.”

Kerry eyed her dourly and then held out a hand. ”Gimme that.”

She pointed to the cuff.

Dar reached over and snagged it, then handed it over, surprised when Kerry wrapped it around her arm and started pumping. ”Um...”

”Ah ah.” Kerry continued her task. ”Fair's fair, Dar. I thought your heart was going to come out of your chest earlier.” She finished pumping and observed the results. ”Hah.” She gave Dar a look. ”Higher than mine, darling. Park your head on the pillow.”

Dar blinked in real surprise, looking down at her arm, then she gave Kerry a sheepish grin and wriggled into a more comfortable position next to her partner. ”I was stressed,” she commented. ”You matter to me.”

Kerry tossed the cuff into the corner and wrapped her arm around Dar as she put her head down on her shoulder. ”I guess we're letting DeSalliers go, huh?” she murmured. ”Are we in this over our heads, Dar?”

Dar had her eyes closed, and she welcomed the easing of the headache throbbing across the back of her skull. She considered Kerry's question for a few minutes. ”I don't know. Maybe.” Her body s.h.i.+fted a little and she pulled Kerry closer. ”Let's take it easy for a while, then head back to St. Johns.” She rubbed Kerry's back.

”I'd like them to check you out, just in case.”

A green eyeball rotated up and fixed on her in faint accusation.

”I know, I know.” Dar sighed. ”I'd be kicking and screaming at the mere suggestion.”

Kerry snorted softly. ”Yes, you certainly would be.”

”Humor me,” the dark-haired woman requested. ”Please?”

Having made her point, Kerry grunted. ”Okay.” She closed her eyes again.

Dar put her arms around Kerry and hugged her. ”Atta girl,”

she said, then paused as she heard the sound of a motor approaching. She exchanged a quick glance with Kerry. ”Let me go see what that is.”

Kerry hitched herself up on an elbow and watched as Dar got up and left. She considered following her, but her body protested, unwilling to move. Instead she fluffed the pillow up behind her and settled back, tucking her feet up and picking up her teacup, inhaling the fragrant steam.

172*

DAR THREADED HER way through the cabin and went to the door, opening it and looking outside. A medium-sized fis.h.i.+ng boat was approaching them, with two men on the flying bridge and several others standing in the stern. For a moment, she stared at them, and then comprehension dawned. Pirates?

Dar didn't see any real fis.h.i.+ng gear on the boat, and the men were cl.u.s.tering together, watching her. Her heart rate started to increase, and for a single brief moment she wished she and Kerry were back in the office dealing with a multiple-layered, international cl.u.s.ter f.u.c.k. With a soft oath, she pulled her head back inside and bolted for the bench seat, yanking it open and pulling out the case. ”Ker!” she yelled. ”Keep your d.a.m.n head down!”

She opened the case and removed the shotgun, loading it hastily as she heard the engines outside throttle down. With a savage motion, she chambered a round, then jumped to the door and threw it open.

Two men were about to jump on board from the fis.h.i.+ng boat's bow. Dar braced herself and threw the gun up to her shoulder, sighting along the barrel as her finger curled around the trigger.

”Hold it!” she barked loudly.

The men in the stern had guns. She could see them from the corner of her eye. But her immediate problem was the men on the bow.

”All right, lady! Take it easy! n.o.body gets hurt!” the man closest yelled at her. ”You got one gun, we got ten. Now put that down, okay?”

”f.u.c.k you,” Dar snarled back. ”Touch the boat and I'll blow your d.a.m.n c.o.c.k off!”

The man lifted his rifle casually. ”I'm telling you, lady, put it down!”

Dar didn't budge. She tightened her finger on the trigger, feeling the cold metal warm to her touch. ”Back off!” she yelled at the man. ”Get your a.s.ses out of here, you pieces of pirate s.h.i.+t!” A hand touched her back and she almost jumped through the bulkhead. ”Grrrr!”

”I'm calling the Coast Guard,” Kerry told her in a low voice.

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