Forever The World of Nightwalkers - By Jacquelyn Frank Page 0,40
I fight it the more strength I lose and the longer I will need to recover. I have to … I have to …”
Trust you. He didn’t speak the words aloud; thereby making it known how are you talking about?”an better difficult a concept it was for him. And all he could do was hope that she understood it had nothing to do with her and everything to do with being that vulnerable.
“But I saw you in sunlight just yesterday …”
“It was the last day before Menes and I finished the Blending process. And believe me, forcing myself to keep mobile in the sunlight was getting harder and harder every damn day. Fighting it now … it’s deadly. If I don’t sleep it can be deadly, Marissa. And I haven’t slept in …”
“Oh my god!” she cried. “Why would you risk yourself like this?” she demanded.
He looked at her as if she had lost her mind.
“Marissa, there’s a child missing.”
He said it as though it was entirely self-explanatory and Marissa supposed that it was. And how could she have forgotten what had brought them out there in the first place?
Well, getting attacked by supernatural beings could easily make that happen. And she saw by the expression on his face that Jackson was torn up about that fact. He didn’t want to quit. He didn’t want to leave. He wanted to keep going until that child was found. She watched him hoist Sargent higher onto his chest, the dog’s tongue lolling happily, the shepherd perfectly comfortable being held by his master and probably much in need of a good rest himself. Jackson started making his way toward the base of operations where he had left his car, his long legs devouring ground as if he were walking over a manicured lawn, rather than through the tough, uneven bracken of the forest floor. They met Officers Hampton and Reese very shortly after they began.
“What’s going on? Where’s your radio and cell?” Hampton demanded. “We’ve been trying to reach you.”
“The radio is at the bottom of Ranger’s Cliff,” Jackson lied easily. “Sue me for butterfingers. Cell must be dead.”
Oh it was dead all right, Marissa thought. It was burned to dust along with the radio and his original uniform.
“Sargent’s hurt. He tumbled ten feet down Ranger’s Cliff. It’s a damn lucky thing I had a good hold on his leash at the time.” It was also lucky that most cops wouldn’t think it was odd that his dog was in search mode with his leash on. In woods like this the likelihood of the leash getting tangled up on trees or brush made it more efficient to remove the leash and give the animal his head.
“Is he okay?” Hampton asked, reaching to tentatively ruffle the dog’s fur. Jackson didn’t blame him. The entire precinct knew exactly how hard Sargent could bite. They’d all watched him in action these past weeks. But they should also know he was extremely obedient and well trained.
“Just a sprain I’m sure. I’m going to take the little bugger home and get us both some rest. Sawyer’s here now, right?”
“As well as two dog teams from Albany,” Hampton agreed with a nod. “You guys get out of here. Get some sleep. You’ve both been at it way too long. I’ll tell the captain.”
“I’m sure we’ll see him on the way out,” Jackson said, unable to help looking over his shoulder toward the breaking dawn.
“Oh and hey,” Hampton afraid of ag. said, nodding his head toward Marissa. “Doc, I couldn’t have said it better myself.”
That distracted Jackson just enough to look at her questioningly. She muttered a thank-you before reaching to touch his arm and urge him forward. Oh, now he knew he’d missed something. He was going to have to pursue the question at a later time. A much later time. He could feel it … the sun … all along the skin of his back and legs, a tightening in anticipation of his unprotected position in the open.
They weren’t going to make it. If he fell in front of everyone … it would be really goddamn bad.
That was the moment he realized it was time for him to quit this job and go on about the business of becoming the Bodywalker he was meant to be. Becoming Menes, the pharaoh and ruler of the Bodywalkers. Living and behaving like a Bodywalker, aware of his strength and weaknesses, and leaving the world of his humanity behind him.