Deeper than the Night - By Amanda Ashley Page 0,41

and minding her own business

"Hello?"

"Mrs. Zimmermann, this is Kara."

"Kara! Where are you, child? Your grandmother is frantic with worry."

"I know. Would you do something for me? Wouldyou go get Gail for me? Don't tell her why, just get her over to your house. And don't say anything to Nana."

"But she'll want to know "

"I'll tell her everything as soon as I can. Please, Mrs. Zimmermann, this is urgent."

"All right, Kara. Hang on."

A few minutes later, Gail's voice came over the wire.

"Kara? Kara, where are you? A doctor was here looking for you. He said you ran away from the hospital, and your life is in danger. I don't remember his name."

"Dale Barrett?"

"Yeah, that was it."

"Don't trust him, Gail, and don'tbelieve anything he says. I'm fine. How are you? How's Nana?"

"We're okay. Don't worry. We saw your picture on TV."

"Yeah, me, too. When was Barrett there?"

"He comes by every day, asking questions. Where are you, Kara? When are you coming home?"

"I don't know." She couldn't go home, not now, not if Barrett was sniffing around. "Listen, Gail, don't tell anyone I called."

"But "

"Promise me, Gail. You can't tell anyone. Not even Nana."

"She's worried, Kara."

"I know. I'll call you again when I get a chance."

"Okay."

"I love you, sis."

"I love you,too."

"Let me talk to Mrs. Zimmermann. And remember, you can't tell anyone I called."

"All right. Bye."

Moments later, Mrs. Zimmermann was on the phone again. "Kara?"

"Yes. I know this must seem strange, but you can't tell anyone I called. Not even Nana."

"I don't like the sound of this, Kara."

"I don't like it, either, but you've got to believe me when I say this is a matter of life and death. I don't want Nana or Gail to be in danger because of me."

"Are you in some kind of trouble, Kara?"

"Not the way you mean. I've got to go now, Mrs. Zimmermann. Please keep an eye on Gail and Nana for me."

"I will, child. God bless you."

"Thank you."

Kara stared at the phone after she replaced the receiver in the cradle. She had hoped Barrett would give up, but he seemed to have the tenacity of a bulldog. So, where did that leave her? She hated to think what would happen if Barrett got hold of her again. No doubt he would lock her away where she'd never be found, and then he would start selling her blood to the highest bidder. And people with terminal diseases would pay for it, she thought. Oh, yes, they would pay any amount the good doctor asked if they thought it would cure them. And maybe it would. Did she have the right to refuse to help the sick, the dying, if it was within her power to do so? But what about her rights? She would never have a life of her own again.

A life of her own . . . She stared into the mirror over the dresser. Alex had given her his blood. It had saved her life. Would it also extend her life? Would she become sensitive to the sun? She tried to imagine what it would be like to live for two hundred years, to have to spend the rest of her life avoiding the sun, but it was beyond her comprehension.

She pressed her hands to her temples. Her head was throbbing, her eyes felt red and raw, and there was a terrible pain in the region of her heart.

She missed Alex. Just thinking of him stilled the throbbing in her head. She remembered asking him how he'd lit the fire, asking him what other tricks he could do. And his cryptic response, More than you want to know.

In the space between one heartbeat and another, she knew she had to go back. She would be safe with Alex. But it was more than that. Her life seemed empty without him, dull and meaningless, as though someone had leeched all the joy, all the zest, out of living.

Moving quickly, she took a shower, put on a pair of clean slacks and a sweater, then went to the restaurant across the street, where she ordered a turkey sandwich and a malt to go. She had found a pair of sunglasses in her purse, and she kept them on, hoping no one would recognize her.

Minutes later, she was back in the car. She drove to a shady place to eat, hardly tasting a bite. All she could think of was seeing Alex again. The fact that he was an alien no longer seemed as important, or