Lightning Game (GhostWalkers #17) -Christine Feehan Page 0,95

to change to match the background of the rocks and grass. His clothing reflected the terrain around him, blending perfectly. He stretched his senses, looking for eyes in the sky, on the rocks, on the ground, anywhere at all. He inhaled and used the hairs on his body to try to find his enemy. If there was one close, they were excellent at blending in and staying downwind.

Using his toes and fingers, he began to drag himself over the ground to a better spot where he could visually see a larger area, including the one the vultures were interested in. He didn’t hurry. There was always that one small whisper in the mind that urged one to do so when a friend might be in trouble, but getting killed wouldn’t help. He inched his way to the position he knew would be safe and backed into cover before lifting his head until only his eyes showed.

The wind touched his face and brought with it the scent of death. For a moment, his heart reacted with a lurch. There was a body. He could see part of it, one side, arm, leg and rib cage. Definitely male in combat gear. He let himself breathe a sigh of relief. That wasn’t Luther. If this man was dead, Luther had to have killed him. So where was Luther? He had no doubt that Luther had more than one dead body buried deep on his property. Why not this one? No time? Was Luther hurt? Why hadn’t he answered when Rubin had sent out a bird call?

That Luther? There was tightness in Diego’s voice.

No. One of the soldiers. I put out a call for Luther, but he didn’t answer. This one isn’t buried, and you know Luther would have buried him deep if he could have.

Without warning the little lightning strikes were back, pulses of energy beating at the edges of his mind. Fiery flicks, faint jabs, that same precise sequence, over and over and then gone again. Rubin knew it was Jonquille. It wasn’t one of the others trying to trip him up. It was definitely her and she was trying to convey something to him.

Did you get that, Diego? That’s Jonquille. She’s afraid they’ll catch her communicating with us.

Yeah, I’m getting that. She’s letting us know to keep it light and very short. No more than that precise time or under. Not words. So, code of some sort.

Rubin took a deep breath, let it out. He was merged with Diego. The two of them held a strong bond. They always had. He was a fairly capable telepath and Diego was immensely strong. He’d been known to build bridges for the entire team, even members who weren’t strong telepaths.

We have to follow her trail now, while it’s fresh, or we’ll lose it, Rubin said.

You’re lying out in the open, Rubin. If I … Diego broke off.

Rubin wasn’t about to argue with him. He was going to at least let Jonquille know they heard her and they would be waiting to take her back. More, they’d figure out that she was sending a code, and once they had a key, they would be able to talk to her. Diego didn’t want to stretch his mind that far when he was trying to cover his brother. Rubin got it, but Jonquille mattered too much to him.

She needed reassurance that she wasn’t going to be left to another madman to be experimented on. He’d made a commitment to her. He meant that commitment. He wasn’t a man who went back on his word. He knew she would have walked through the fires of hell to come after him. He wouldn’t do less for her.

They kept a strong merge and followed that faint trace to Jonquille’s mind. It wasn’t a way to find her location on the mountain; rather, the pathway would direct them to reach straight into only her mind. She hadn’t wanted to take a chance that one of the other squirrel men implanted with some strand of her DNA might overhear them communicate with her. His woman was so brilliant.

I think we’re as close as we’re going to get without giving ourselves away, Rubin. Do whatever you’re planning to do.

Rubin replayed the sequence in his mind. Very, very softly, he repeated the first half of the strikes as gently as possible, sending them directly into Jonquille’s mind, letting her know he heard her. They were there, and they would be waiting for her. He