She glanced at the lightly glowing numbers. Three minutes, forty-five seconds. She sat back on her heels and closed her eyes. There was nothing else she could do now but wait.
And pray.
Chapter Nine
When Sam left the room, Gabriel leaned back and waited for the questions to start. While he hadn't really expected Mary or Martyn to relax in her presence, he certainly hadn't expected the current depth of their hostility, especially from Mary.
No one involved in any sort of law enforcement liked cop killers, but there were mitigating circumstances here, and Mary's attitude made no sense. Not unless she was somehow involved with Kazdan.
Martyn leaned forward, gray eyes intense. "What the hell happened to your face?"
He raised an eyebrow. It wasn't the question he'd expected from Martyn. "I was following a lead and got ambushed by four men."
"How unlike you." Martyn's dry tone was edged with a note of amusement. "Your attention diverted by your little cop killer?"
"Clone killer," he retorted. "Kazdan himself is very much alive. We have a meet tomorrow night."
"Is that wise?" Stephan rested bony arms against the table, his expression one of concern. "Kazdan's already tried to kill Ryan twice. This may be just another set up."
"Maybe. But we have something he wants." He met his brother's eyes and saw the warning there. Don't say too much. "It's also gives us an ideal opportunity to tail him."
Martyn snorted. "If he's a vampire, he'll sense anyone that gets too close."
"It's still worth a chance." Besides, Kazdan wouldn't sense a shapechanger flying high. Nor would he expect it, unless forewarned.
"You realize, of course, that this whole thing with Ryan might be a setup." Martyn leaned back in the chair. "She might be nothing more than a plant, a mean's for Kazdan, and therefore Sethanon, to learn more about the Federation."
"She might." But he personally didn't believe it. He'd seen the need to know, the need to understand what had happened to Kazdan, in her eyes. That couldn't be faked, no matter how good an actress she might be.
"But you believe in her?" Stephan asked softly.
He looked at his brother. "I've bet all our lives on it."
"Why, I do believe you like the girl." Lyssa's voice was gently mocking.
He barely glanced at her. "That has nothing to do with my reasons for trusting her."
"Right. Just remember that she shot her last lover. Don't get too close." Her soft voice held a cynical edge.
"I have no intention of doing so." His cell phone vibrated against his side. He pushed his chair back and rose. "Sorry, I have a call."
Mary walked through the door as he neared, face pale, as if she'd been sick. He waited for her to pass, and then stepped into the semidarkness of the next room. He flipped open the phone. SIU's digital secretary smiled at him. "Yes, Christine?"
"I have a code four-one call from a Samantha Ryan on line. Do you wish to accept it?"
Code four-one. State speak for officer in trouble. His heartbeat accelerated. "Yes."
Sam's image came onto the small screen. "You have to get ... friends ... of here..."
Her image was fading in and out, and her voice was going with it. "Sam, repeat message." Why the hell was she calling him? And why was the transmission fading in and out?
She licked her lips. Even on such a small screen, he could see the fear on her face.
"Bomb ... house. Upstairs.... Cook..."
Her image faded as the connection cut out. He swore and spun around, racing back to the dining room. "Stephan, get everyone out of this house. Now," he added, as his brother opened his mouth to ask why. "We haven't got much time."
Stephan nodded and rose. Gabriel ran for the stairs. 'Cook' had surely meant autocook. Though why the hell would she go in there? He took the stairs two at a time and headed down the upstairs hall. The room holding the autocook was locked. He quickly punched in the code, and the door clicked open.