fog, hovering on the brink of unconsciousness, when he heard Lainey's voice calling his name.
Ah, Lainey, he thought groggily.If only you were really here .
He winced as someone removed the needle from his arm.
"Micah! Micah, please, wake up!"
"Lainey?" Slowly, he opened his eyes to see a blurred shape hovering over him.
"Micah! We've got to get you out of here." She was unfastening the metal cuffs that bound his hands and feet as she spoke. "Can you sit up?"
"Don't... know."
"I'll help you," Lainey said, slipping her arm under his shoulders. "Come on, we've got to go."
Micah sat up, then slid his legs over the side of the table. The room tilted crazily, and he stumbled against Lainey, who grabbed him and held on tight.
"Are you okay?" she asked, staggering under his weight.
"No. They..." He rested his head on her shoulder and closed his eyes. "Needle... drugged me..."
"Well, hang on, we've got to get out of here before the other two come back."
And before the red-haired man in the other room regained consciousness. She wasn't normally given to violence, and hitting the man over the head with a tire iron while his back was turned hadn't been easy. At the time, she'd worried about hitting him too hard; now, seeing what they had done to Micah, she wished she had hit the man harder.
It was all she could do to get Micah out of the building. He was so weak, he had to stop several times on the short walk to her car. Once, he dropped to his knees and began to retch violently.
Helpless, Lainey could only stand there, watching, her gaze darting constantly toward the street, always afraid the other two men would return, or that someone would pass by and call the police. That was all she needed, she thought wryly, wondering how she'd explain a naked man who was obviously under the influence of drugs.
She was a bundle of nerves by the time she managed to get Micah safely inside the car. Removing her coat, she draped it over his shivering form, threw the car in drive, and got the hell out of there.
Micah was unconscious when they reached home. Parking the car in the garage, she hurried into the house, threw several changes of clothes for the two of them into a bag, grabbed her toothbrush, a couple of pillows, her laptop computer, some sheets and blankets. She checked her first-aid kit to be sure it was fully supplied, then ran back out to the car.
Micah was as she had left him, his head propped against the door, his eyes closed. His naturally dark skin seemed pale, the blue aura darker than usual.
"Lainey?"
"I'm here."
"Transmitter... must get... transmitter."
With a sigh of exasperation, she ran back into the house, fished the little black box out from under the sofa, and hurried back to the car.
She was praying earnestly as she started the engine and pulled out of the driveway, praying for help, praying that Micah would be all right, wondering where they would be safe.
She drove slowly down the darkened streets, the same prayer repeating itself in her heart.Help me, please help me. Please don't let him die. I don't know what to do. I don't know where to go .
And then it came to her, as loud and clear as if a voice had spoken to her mind.
The mountains. Take him to the cabin in Chadds Creek.
Of course, she thought. Grandma St. John's cabin. It had been vacant for over five years, ever since Grandpa died. Her folks were always talking about going up there and restoring the place, but they'd never done it.
Murmuring a fervent prayer of thanks, she pulled onto the freeway and headed north, toward the small mountain community of Chadds Creek.
It was almost dawn when Lainey parked the car in the ramshackle garage behind the cabin. She had made one stop on the way up the mountain, stopping at a market to buy enough canned and dry food to last for at least a month.
"Micah?" She shook his shoulder gently. "Micah?"
Slowly, his eyelids fluttered open. "Lainey?" A faint smile touched his lips. "Thought... I had... dreamed you."
"No, I'm here." She brushed her fingers across his cheek, noticing that his skin felt hot and dry.
"Transmitter... ?"
"I've got it. Come on, I want to get you into bed."
"Don't think... I'd be... much good... right now."
In spite of the seriousness of their situation, she burst out laughing. "Micah! You made a joke."