Deeper than the Night - By Amanda Ashley Page 0,102

him out?"

"Gail, hush!" Kara said.

"You don't know, do you?"

"No. I just know Alex is in there, and we have to get him out."

"I think we should call the police."

"No."

"There's no law against being an alien."

"Gail, for goodness sakes, you of all people should know what will happen to Alex if people find out what he is."

"Oh, yeah, I didn't think of that. Well, what are we gonna do?"

"I wish I knew. I . . . what's that?"

"What?"

"There?"

"Looks like a naked man," Gail said. She stepped around Kara to get a better look. "It is a naked man!"

"It's Alex," Kara said. Here. She called to him with her mind. I'm here.

Kara?

Yes. Hurry.

Can you distract the guard?

Yes."Gail, I want you to go up to the fence and call the guard. Tell him you're lost. Ask if you can use the phone."

"Really? All right!" Hardly able to contain her excitement, Gail ran toward the fence. "Hey, in there!" she called. "Hey, mister, can you help me?"

Alex stood in the shadows, watching as the guard left his shack and ambled toward the gate in the fence.

"What are you doing out here at this time of night, girl?" the guard asked.

"I'm lost. Can I use your phone?"

"Where's your parents?"

"If I knew that, I wouldn't be lost. Please, mister, I'm scared. Can I use your phone?"

Gail clenched her hands together, her heart pounding as she saw Alex creeping up behind the guard. "Can I?" She'd never seen a naked man before and it took every ounce of concentration to keep from staring, to keep her voice even.

"Sure, kid," the guard said. He removed a ring of keys from his belt and unlocked the gate. "Come on . . ."

The air whooshed out of the guard's lungs as Alex struck the man over the head with a beer bottle he'd found lying beside the shack.

"Hi, Gail," Alex said.

"Hi. What happened to your clothes?"

"I lost them."

"You'll be lucky if you're not arrested for indecent exposure," Kara remarked, and then she hurled herself into his arms.

Alex hugged her hard. "We'd better get out of here."

Kara nodded. She wanted to hold him, to run her hands over him, to assure herself that he was all right, but it would have to wait. "Let's go."

"Here," Gail said. She handed Alex an overcoat. "I found it in the shack."

"Thanks." He slipped it on, then grabbed Kara's hand. "Let's get out of here."

"Stop!"

Alex glanced over his shoulder to see Barrett running toward them brandishing a pistol. Dammit! What was he doing back so early?

"Stop, damn you! Stop, or I'll shoot!"

Alex swore as a gunshot ripped through the night. "Run, Kara!" He shoved Gail toward the gate. "Hurry, both of you!"

"Alex "

"I'm right behind you."

The sound of gunfire followed them as they ran out the gate and down the street.

"Where's your car?" Alex shouted to be heard above the staccato bark of gunfire coming from behind them.

"Around the corner."

They were going to make it, he thought. And then he saw Kara falter, heard her gasp of pain, and knew she'd been hit.

Without breaking stride, he scooped her up in one arm, grabbed Gail by the hand, and turned the corner.

There was only one car parked at the curb. "Kara, where are your keys?"

"Coat pocket," she rasped. "Door's . . . not locked."

Flinging the door open, he placed Kara on the seat, shoved Gail in beside her, then went around and slid behind the wheel.

He rammed the key into the ignition, gunned the motor and pulled away from the curb just as Barrett rounded the corner.
Chapter Twenty-eight
"She's bleeding!" Gail cried. "Kara's bleeding!"

"Where's she hit?"

"In the side. Do something!"

"Your scarf, Gail. Fold it into a square and press it over the wound. Kara?" He glanced over at her. "Kara!"

"I don't think she can hear you," Gail said, a distinct quaver in her voice. "She's not dead, is she?"

"No."

Alex glanced repeatedly in the rearview mirror, but as far as he could tell, they weren't being followed.

"What are we going to do?"

"I'm going home and grab some clothes," Alex replied. "Well look after Kara's wound, and then we're going up to Eagle Flats."

"I think we should take Kara to the hospital."

"Not now."

Kara was unconscious by the time they reached the house. Alex carried her inside, switched on the hall light, and told Gail to wait in the den.

Carrying Kara up the stairs to the bedroom, Alex kicked the door closed with his heel, then lowered Kara onto the bed. Lifting her sweater, he removed Gail's blood-soaked scarf and