Stealing Shadows - Hiding In The Shadows Part 20

He looked into her big, shadowed green eyes and saw the fear and painshe was determined to deny.

"Faith-"

"I know I should probably call it a day, go to bed and sleep, but ...I'd really rather not do that just yet."

She drew the blanket tighter around herself, the strain showing now inthe tension of her posture, and fixed her gaze on the fire. "I don'twant to be alone right now."

Thinking of her isolated in her limbo of no memory drove him to say,"You aren't alone, Faith. I'm not going anywhere."

"Thank you."

"But my confidence that you'd be safer here with me was obviouslymisplaced. I'm sorry. Noah was right; I should have taken betterprecautions from the beginning."

"You had ... other things on your mind."

"That's no excuse. I made your safety my responsibility, and I shouldhave followed through. But tomorrow I'll take those steps I mentioned toGuy, make it impossible for anyone to get close or to see inside. I'llmake sure we have an escort when we leave here. You'll be safe, Ipromise." She nodded, but said, "if I could only remember.

We'd be ahead of them then. We'd know what it is they want and why theywant it so badly. We'd know who they are. Maybe we'd even know whereDinah is."

"You can't force your memory to return."

"I've been out of the coma now for almost a month.

I should be remembering something. Those dreams are only flashes-I don'tremember them, not really, I just see them happening. And what do I knowabout myself? I play the piano, it seems. I'm nervous about storms." Shedrew a shaky breath. "My mother and sister were horribly murdered, and Ican't remember, can't feel anything about it. I married a man who abusedme, who terrified me, yet I could pa.s.s him tomorrow on the street andnever recognize his face."

"Faith-"

"What's my favorite color? My favorite food? Do I like to read? Do Ilike animals? Flowers? Did I love Tony Ellis before he beat me?"

Kane pulled her into his arms and held her while she cried. He didn'turge her to stop or tell her every- thing would be all right; crying wasobviously some thing she needed to do. Careful of her injury, he wrappedboth arms around her, rested his cheek against her soft hair, and 'justheld her.

It was a long time before she finally quieted, before she said in am.u.f.fled voice against his chest, "Oh, G.o.d, I'm sorry."

"Don't be ridiculous."

she pulled back a little. "I don't usually cry." Then she laughedshakily. "At least, I don't think I do."

"You're ent.i.tled. More than ent.i.tled." Since his handkerchief had been employed earlier, he used a corner of the blanket to wipe her cheeks.

"And I bet you feel better now, don't you?"

"As a matter of fact, I do."

"Then I count it as a good thing." He brushed a strand of her hair awayfrom her face and smiled at her when she finally met his gaze. Hisfingers lingered on her face, and he thought how soft and warm her skin was.

He had never before seen eyes that particular shade of green, likeseawater. It would be so easy to sink into them and lose himself So easyto think of nothing but the ache of loneliness and longing he felt, toforget everything else. ... Kane realized he was staring at hermouth, that his hand had moved to cradle the back of her head and wasdrawing her toward him. And he froze.

Faith blinked as if coming out of a daze, then very slowly pulled awayfrom him and got to her feet. "I think I'll turn in now after all. Goodnight, Kane."

"Good night." His voice sounded normal, he thought.

He sat there for several minutes staring into the fire. Then he pulledout his wallet and opened the section where he kept photographs.

She hated posing for pictures and always had, so this was a candid shot.

He had surprised her at the beach, catching her in a brief yellowtwo-piece that showed her splendid body to advantage. The click of theshutter had just missed her scowl; his own glee at finally capturing her on film after several frustrated attempts had amused her, and she hadlaughed, giving him a wonderful picture.

It was the only picture of Dinah he had.

"Come back to me," he murmured. "Come back before ..

He didn't finish the sentence. Even to himself.

"There's no sign of infection," Dr. Burnett said as he finishedrebandaging Faith's wound, "so the shot's just a precaution. In themeantime-"

Faith smiled at him as she pulled down the loose sleeve of her sweater.

"I know. Don't stand in front of any more windows."

Burnett washed and dried his hands at the small sink in the examination room, then nodded at the nurse, who left silently. When they were alone,he said, "Faith, what's going on? A gunshot wound?"

She wasn't certain how much she should tell him, and with the newtension between her and Kane, she hadn't felt able to seek his advicebefore they had parted just a few minutes before, he to question theremaining staff members, she to check in with Burnett and get her armexamined. Going on the theory that the least said would probably bebest, she replied, "The police are investigating."

"You have no idea why someone shot at you?" Lightly, she said, "It wasthe middle of a storm and at night, and for all I know whoever it wasnever even aimed the gun, much less aimed it at me. It was probably afluke. Just a fluke."

Burnett looked unconvinced, but nodded and changed the subject. "So howare you doing otherwise? I called your apartment over the weekendbut didn't get an answer."

"I'm ... staying somewhere else." Before he could question that, shewent on quickly, "And I'm fine. I get tired a bit too easily, but that'sall."

"No headaches? Dizziness?"

"No, nothing like that." Sometimes I hear the sounds of water rus.h.i.+ng,just inside my head, you understand, but that's probably nothing at allto worry about ...

"Any unusual muscle weakness or numbness any- where?"

"No."

Burnett nodded again and studied her soberly.

"Any memories come back?"

"Not really." Faith shrugged, wincing when she felt a twinge of pain inher arm. "More knowledgee. I found out I play the piano, for instance. I... found out some things about my past, my life before I came toAtlanta, but not through remembering. Sometimes I have dreams that mightbe memory, but it doesn't feel that way."

He frowned. "Faith, I'd like you to talk to Dr. Wilson again."

Wilson was the psychologist on staff.

Faith said, "But she told me last time to expect odd dreams and flashesof knowledgee. She said it could go on for months, even years, until myconscious mind felt more stable and ... grounded in day-to-dayexperiences. Until I built new memories."

'I still think you should talk to her again."

Giving in, at least to all appearances, Faith nodded. "Okay, I'll makean appointment."

"Good." Burnett's frown still lingered. "I was a bit surprised to see youcome in today with Kane Mac- Gregor."

"Oh? Why? Dinah is my friend, after all."

"I know that. And I know you feel you need to hold on to that connectionto the past, but-" Quietly, Faith said, "Dr. Burnett, my friend ismissing. I don't remember my life before the accident, but the one thingI have clear evidence of is Dinah's friends.h.i.+p. If there's anything Ican do to help her- her fiance find her, then I'll do it."

"Without your memory, how can you help?"

Well, Doctor, it seems I'm tapped in to Dinah's mind somehow, hearingher voice-maybe-and sometimes I get to watch her being tortured ...Faith sighed. "There isn't much I can do, granted.

But we ... we think Dinah may have vanished because she wasinvestigating something dangerous, something I got her involved in."

"Something dangerous? Faith, without your memory any useful'information or guidance, to provide don't you realize what a mistakeit would be to probe into a potentially dangerous situation filled withunknowns?"

"That's why I came in today with Kane. I'm in good hands, Dr. Burnett, Ipromise you."

His gaze flicked to her bandaged arm. "Are you?"

"I told you, the shot was a fluke."

"And if it wasn't?"

"If it wasn't ... I'll stay away from windows from now on."

Burnett drew a breath and spoke in a carefully neutral tone of voice.

"Faith, it's quite obvious that Kane Macgregor would do anything andeverything in his power to find Dinah Leighton. After so many weeks withno sign of her, he must be getting desperate. Desperate enough to beless mindful of his methods than the results he might obtain."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that you aren't his priority, Faith. You aren't his firstconcern. Dinah Leighton is."

"I realize that," she said steadily.

"Do you? And do you also realize that he might well be willing tosacrifice your safety or even you if that means finding out whathappened to Dinah?"

"Yes," Faith replied. "Yes, I also realize that."

CHAPTER SEVEN.

"I need to go by the office for a few minutes," Kane said as they leftthe hospital.

Faith thought he kept talking, thought he was explaining something abouta call he'd received about a problem on a job site, but she could nolonger hear him. The sounds of rus.h.i.+ng water drowned out his words. Shestared straight ahead through the wind- s.h.i.+eld, trying not to flinchaway from what she heard even though the force of it was almostoverwhelming.

And it wasn't 'just the sound. Panic was crawling around in her head;the sense of being smothered, of not having enough room, not nearlyenough room, paralyzed her. The musty smell of damp earth was so strongshe kept her breathing shallow, trying desperately not to inhale thatmoldy dampness, and she had the eerie certainty that if she looked downat herself she'd find her clothing wet, her skin dripping.

I am wide awake. So why does this feel like a nightmare?

Gradually, so gradually that at first Faith hardly noticed, darknessclosed around her. She could see nothing. Feel nothing except the senseof heaviness all around her, of walls too close to bear. She wastrapped, helpless. The awful smell grew stronger, so much so that shehad the urge to cough to get it out of her throat. And now there was anew sound added to the rus.h.i.+ng water. A clicking. No-a clinking. Metalon metal? Not rhythmic but erratic, weak, uncertain ... If I can justget this loose ... if I can get my hands free before they come back ...Oh, d.a.m.n, why won't my fingers work? It's so dark. I hate the dark. Ihate this place. Why did they have to put me here? There's no room, noair to breathe. Too close, the walls are too close, the ceiling ... I'vegot to get out of here before I ... before they ... Why is this so hard?

Why can't I- "Faith?"

Why can't I move? If there was just a little light.

just a little more room to move. If I only had more time. If only itdidn't hurt so much- "Faith!

She came back to herself with an ' abruptness.

Light flooded her vision, and the sudden cessation of the sounds ofrus.h.i.+ng water made the quiet of the car seem almost deafening.

And the familiar voice that had been in her head, its vibrantpersonality still incredibly strong despite distance and despair andsuffering, was gone as though it had never been there.

"Faith, for G.o.d's sake-"

She blinked at Kane, realizing that he was holding her shoulders and wa.s.shaking her. Her arm ached dully beneath his grip, but it was nothingcompared to the agony that had been in her mind.

"I'm all right," she murmured.

His fingers tightened painfully, then released her.

"You want to tell me what in h.e.l.l happened? One minute we were talking,and the next you were so far away I couldn't reach you." Faith realizedthat he had stopped the car, that they were in an underground parking garage.

'I ... I'm not quite sure what happened," she said.

"Tell me what you are sure of."

She was still too dazed to attempt any prevarication, so she told him.

"I ... It was Dinah. Her voice in my head. She was trying to get loose,

to escape."

Kane reached out again, this time putting a hand over both of hers where they twisted together in her lap. "Where is she, Faith?"

"I don't know. It's dark and damp and smells musty, like dirt-and all I