Deeper than the Night - By Amanda Ashley Page 0,22

accepted the lie. The unknown antibody in her blood seemed to possess remarkable healing powers. If what he suspected was true, if he was able to reproduce that antibody in quantity, he would be able to save countless lives. It was something he had dreamed of all his life. "Henry, roll up her sleeve."

Barrett pulled a vial of alcohol and a cotton swab from his pocket, then prepared her arm.

Kara flinched as Barrett inserted the needle into her vein. Watched, in morbid fascination, as the syringe filled with blood. "I don't understand. I've had blood tests before, and they've never found anything unusual," she said, her voice betraying her panic. "Maybe one of the donors is the one with the unusual blood type. Why don't you examine them?"

"We have. Nothing irregular about any of them."

"But there has to be!" She stared at the blood. Her blood. Would they take more and more until there was nothing left?

The room began to spin. Barrett's face began to blur. "Alexander." His name was a moan on her lips, a plea, a prayer. "Alexander, help me."

She was afraid, so afraid. "No, don't," she begged, butit was too late. Barrett had pulled another syringe from his pocket. The needle pricked her arm, and the world spun faster.

"Alexander!" She tried to scream his name, but no sound emerged from her lips . . . .

Alex paused as he entered the hospital, all his senses suddenly alert.

And then he heard Kara's voice, screaming in his mind, calling his name.

The lobby was crowded with people. Stifling the urge to run, he made his way down the hallway to the staircase, then took the stairs two at a time until he reached the Isolation Unit.

He peered through the glass on one of the doors. There was no one in sight.

Thanking Fate for his good fortune, he stepped through the door. Kara's scent was stronger now, tinged with fear. He followed it to a green door located at the end of the hall.

He listened a moment to ascertain that she was alone; then he opened the door and stepped inside. The room was dark, but he saw her clearly. She was lying on a narrow bed, breathing deeply.

Silently, he crossed the floor and drew back the covers. He noted absently that she was wearing a pale green hospital gown, but it was the heavy straps confining her arms and legs that held his attention. He swore under his breath as he unfastened the cruel restraints. She stirred slightly, but didn't awaken.

The sound of footsteps alerted him that someone was coming. A moment later, the door opened and a slender man in a white lab coat stepped inside and flicked on the light switch.

"Damn, you gave me a start!" the man exclaimed. "Who are you, anyway?"

Alexander stared at the tray in the man's hands, at the number of syringes it held. A line from a movie sprang quickly to mind. He uttered it with a wry smile. "Your worst nightmare."

"Yeah, well get the hell out of here. I've got work to do."

"Indeed?"

For the first time, the man seemed to realize he was in danger. "I . . . uh, I can come back later."

"I don't think so. What kind of tests are you doing on the girl?"

"Just blood tests," the man said, taking a wary step backward. "One of the doctors seems to think her blood has some sort of unusual healing agent."

"Indeed? Tell me more."

"I can't. I'm not a doctor or a scientist. I just take samples of blood and urine, that's all."

"You're lying."

The man swallowed noisily. "I . . . uh, overheard them saying they'd injected a diseased rabbit with a little of her blood and the animal recovered completely in a matter of hours."

Alexander swore softly. He knew his blood had saved Kara's life; it had not occurred to him that her blood might now have the same ability to heal. He glanced past the man, closing the door with the power of his mind.

The man glanced over his shoulder, his expression one of panic as he watched his only means of escape slam shut. Before he could scream, Alexander choked him into unconsciousness.

With a sardonic grin, Alexander filled the empty vials with the man's blood, then carefully replaced the glass tubes in the tray. He stared at the vials for several moments, feeling his mouth water with the ancient urge to drink his enemy's blood. He was reaching for one of the vials when Kara moaned. Muttering