Moon - New Moon Part 32

Falcone kept up the invisible dagger of agony for several more seconds, then abruptly stopped, leaving the man rolling on the floor.

He waited until Haig was capable of listening again. "There's more where that came from," he said.

"What do you want?" the man croaked. "Why did you... compel me here?"

"You know what I want. I want Rinna. And as you can see, I'm willing to use any method available to get her back."

Haig raised his head. "If you compelled me here, you killed an innocent."

"So what."

"You have no regard for the law."

"I am the law! And you will find Rinna for me."

"If she wasn't in the cave, I don't know where she is."

Falcone gave him a knowing look. "But the bond between you is strong; you can surely find her for me."

"Noooooooo," the denial ended on a wail of pain as Falcone sent Haig another jolt of mental energy.

Falcone looked up, seeking out one of the guards whose features had turned to a mask of fear.

Good. It was an advantage to have men quaking before your power. The guards didn't have to know that the drug in the wine gave Falcone that extra edge.

He leaned back, looking down at the man on the floor. "You can go back to your cell for a while," he said. "And think about your best course of action. I'll have you brought in a while so we can talk again."

He gave a signal with a flick of his hand, and the guards rushed forward to haul the prisoner to his feet, then drag him from the room. The mental thunderbolts would leave him weak for a while, but he'd recover.

Of course, too many sessions would lead to permanent brain damage. But Falcone hoped they wouldn't have to go that far. He wanted the old man awake and aware of his betrayal.

"CAN you finish cleaning up while I try to figure out the best route back to my camp?" Logan asked Rinna.

She looked at the dishes in the sink. "Wash these in the soapy water. Then rinse them with the clean water?"

"Yes. And dry them with a dish towel."

He grinned as he watched her turning the lever on the faucet from hot to cold and back again. He could have showed her the dishwasher, but it already had dishes in it. If he washed the whole load, the homeowners would wonder who did it. While she was playing with the water, he went searching for a phone book. He got the address of the house they'd broken into by looking at some of the mail piled up in the mailbox.

He would have liked to use the household computer. But he figured it was better not to turn it on. So he rummaged through the den and found a map of the area, which showed the address in relations.h.i.+p to the campsite.

"Good news," he called out as he came back down the hall.

When he entered the kitchen, he found Rinna standing at the counter, contemplating the toaster oven. She had pulled the plug from the socket and was examining the p.r.o.ngs.

Before he could stop her, she dropped the cord and picked up a fork. His heart leaped into his throat as she poked the tines at the socket from which she'd pulled the plug.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

"NO!".

Logan leaped across the room, but he was too late. She had already poked the fork into the electrical socket.

He saw a blue spark arc toward her. Screaming, she dropped the implement. And he thanked G.o.d for that, because he didn't know what would have happened if she'd managed to hold on to it.

He reached for her, folding her into his arms, feeling her tremble as she laid her head on his shoulder. His arms went around her, and he held her close.

"What was that? What happened?" she gasped, looking dazed.

"You got an electric shock." He reached for her hand and turned it over, finding her fingers were reddened where she'd gripped the fork.

"That's going to blister unless we treat it right away," he growled, turning on the cold water, then thrusting her hand under.

"Can you stand up okay?"

"Yes," she answered, but she leaned against the sink, her head bowed.

"I'll be right back."

He eased away, opened the freezer, and took out some ice, which he wrapped in a dish towel and pressed against her fingers.

"I'm sorry. I was trying to see how it worked."

"Never poke anything into an electric socket. It could kill you, especially if you're standing in water. Or if you're wet." The advice came out more sharply than he'd intended.

She gave him a wounded look. "Why do they have it, if it's dangerous?"

"Because they want the convenience. And children are taught never to do what you just did."

"I guess I'm stupid," she said in a small voice.

He turned her toward him, his fingers digging into her shoulders. "Of course not. You're inquisitive. Which means you're smart, in case you haven't figured that out. But you don't know enough about this place. Just like I didn't know enough about your world to stay out of danger. Ten minutes out of the cave, and I almost got caught by slavers."

She pulled away from him, and he wished he had stayed in the room with her. But he hadn't realized the kind of trouble she could get into.

"We should rest for a while, and then leave around four in the morning. We'll travel as wolves. I'll set the timer on the stove, so we can get up in time. Hopefully my car and money are still where I left them."

"You drive one of those things... a car?"

"Most people do. You'll learn."

She looked doubtful, but he was sure that she'd change her mind. Getting a driver's license would be more of a problem. They'd have to get a false ident.i.ty for her. But maybe Ross could help with that.

He knew he was getting ahead of himself once again. They had to make sure Falcone wasn't a threat before they could settle down to any kind of normal life. But he couldn't stop himself from making plans for the future.

"Let me see your hand."

She unwrapped the towel, and he saw that he'd prevented her fingers from blistering. "It looks pretty good. But keep the ice on it for a while."