Deeper than the Night - By Amanda Ashley Page 0,79

followed him, watched as he closed and locked the door. "Stay close behind me," he warned softly.

He didn't have to tell her twice. She planned to stick closer than his shadow.

Their footsteps seemed as loud as thunder to her ears as they tiptoed down the hallway. They passed three rooms with the doors ajar, small cubicles similar to the one that had imprisoned Alex. A fourth room contained numerous cages filled with rats and mice. She wrinkled her nose at the strong smell of ammonia and disinfectant.

Two corridors opened at the end of the one they had taken. Alex glanced left, then right, then turned left, his steps sure as he glided soundlessly over the black-and-white tiled floor.

Needing the assurance of his touch, Kara reached for his hand. He glanced at her briefly, his teeth gleaming whitely in the dim light of the hallway.

Kara froze at the sound of voices. Familiar voices. Kelsey and Handeland.

"Full house," she heard Handeland say. "Three pretty ladies and a pair of fours."

Kelsey swore. "That's four hands in a row," he complained.

"What can I say? I've always been lucky."

There was the sound of cards being shuffled.

Kara looked up at Alex. What now?

Wait here.He smiled reassuringly, then moved down the hallway. He paused outside an open door and peered cautiously inside. Kelsey had his back to the door; Handeland was studying his cards. Their weapons lay on the table. There was no sign of Barrett.

There was no way to sneak past them without being seen. For a moment, he considered backtracking in search of another exit, but there was not time for that. There was always a chance that Barrett would go to the room to check on them. Or he could show up here at any moment.

Hoping the element of surprise would give him the edge he needed, Alex burst into the room.

"What the . . . ?" Handeland dropped his cards, reached for his gun, and fired.

The bullet struck Alex in the arm.

Kelsey swung around in his chair, his eyes widening as Alex struck him across the jaw. The chain wrapped around Alex's fist made an ugly squishing sound as it tore into flesh. With a strangled cry, Kelsey slipped to the floor, blood gushing from his face and mouth.

Still moving, Alex flung Kelsey's chair aside and reached for Handeland. There was an explosion as Handeland pulled the trigger. Alex staggered back, then lurched forward, one hand locking around Handeland's throat, squeezing, squeezing, until the man's eyes rolled back in his head and he went limp.

Moving quickly, Alex went through Handeland's pockets until he found the key to the collar. Clutching it in one hand, he grabbed Handeland's gun, then hurried out to Kara.

Her eyes widened and all the color drained from her face when she saw the blood dripping down his arm, flowing from his shoulder.

"Come on," Alex said urgently. "We don't have much time."

Kara stared at him, unable to move, unable to speak.

"Don't faint on me, Kara," Alex said. "We've got to go. Now. And I don't think I can carry you."

She nodded. Forcing one foot in front of the other, she followed him down the dimly lit hallway. A door loomed in front of them. She was surprised to find it unlocked.

She glanced at her hospital gown, at Alex's nakedness, at the chain dangling from the collar around his neck, at the blood oozing from the wounds in his arm and shoulder, and none of it seemed real.

Outside, the street was dark and quiet. A full moon hung low in the sky. For the first time, she got a glimpse of the building that had imprisoned them. It was a small square structure built of faded red brick. All the windows were barred; two were boarded up. From the outside, it looked like an abandoned store of some kind.

Like a robot, she followed Alex down the street. They passed a vacant lot, a couple of ramshackle houses, a grocery store that had bars on the door and the windows.

She stood to one side while Alex tried to unlock the door of a battered Chevy pickup. She heard him swear softly as his power failed him. A moment later, there was the tell-tale tinkle of breaking glass; then he reached through the window and unlocked the door. She slid across the seat to the passenger side. The cracked leather was cold and rough against the back of her legs.

"Here, hold this," Alex said. He thrust a large brass key into her hand,