Watchtowers : Water Read online

  “Why not tonight?”

  “You wanted to know the state of your research. Once we resolve where your work stands–” the sound of a breaking piece of glass stopped him mid-sentence.

  “Shh.”

  Fear leapt into her green eyes faster than a horse reared from a threatening animal. “What is it?”

  “Someone is in the Castle. Can you reach the Sentries on your pc link?”

  Keely nodded, her deft fingers already sending the emergency information.

  Zion moved toward the bedroom door. With a whoosh the door slid open. He turned and held her with his gaze. He needed Keely’s assistance to navigate the house. “Stay behind me.”

  She met his stare, her eyes never wavering. Those green eyes, the color of the Irish hills, made him consider the possibility of living permanently on land.

  “I can take care of myself. I have my stun gun. Besides, I alerted the Sentries.”

  “Humor me.” The noise he’d heard set his senses on full-scale alert. He needed to know she was safe. Keeping her with him allowed the luxury of knowing where she was at all times and permitted him to protect her.

  Zion kept close to the hall wall and treaded carefully. He sensed Keely behind him. The floor, cool under his bare feet wouldn’t give him away, not yet. The element of surprise was vastly underrated and he planned to use it if possible. He took a deep breath and readied for the coming confrontation.

  “The elevator is down the next corridor.”

  Zion glanced over his shoulder and gave her a smile. By Poseidon’s trident, she stole his breath with her earthly beauty. He reached out a hand to stroke her cheek and allowed the strands of her red hair to slide between his fingers. Scenes of their lovemaking danced in his mind and his shaft hardened and rubbed against the confines of his black jeans.

  He stifled his groan of desire and shoved back the lust she stirred. Concentrate on making sure the house is safe. His reminder propelled him on. He slid further down the hall and turned right. At the elevator, Zion waited for Keely. Above, an electronic eye stared, unblinking. “The elevator is out. Where are the stairs?”

  Keely stepped around him. He followed the sway of her curvy ass down another hall.

  She paused at the head of the stairs and waited. A smirk lifted her lips. “After you, big guy. I don’t want to disobey your orders.”

  Zion crossed in front of her. The sound of each foot falling on the stairs echoed unnaturally loud in his head. Did their unwanted visitor hear them advance?

  “This is ridiculous, sneaking around my own home.”

  The whisper cut across his skin like a halberd freshly honed blade. She needed to keep those sorts of thoughts to herself until this escapade was resolved. Losing the advantage of surprise could out Keely at risk, something he’d do his utmost to avoid. The thought of a life without her vivacious energy was not to be borne.

  He glared and put his finger to his lips, with hopes the action would quiet her. “Shh.”

  Keely scrunched her face and tossed her head. The curls of her silky red hair bounced. If all she did was make a silly face at him, fine. Her compliance would keep her alive.

  A glance in the main hall revealed no human activity. So far, so good. Zion took a deep breath and peered into the open door of the parlor. Nothing. He kept to the wall and edged back toward the less formal living area. Another empty room. The damage the house sustained from the tsunami might be responsible for the noise.

  Beneath his feet, the synthetic floor seeped cold. His extremities protested at the abuse. The muscles, chilled, refused to respond rapidly. He leaned forward, kept his vision fixed on the rear of the main floor and rubbed his calves.

  “What’s wrong?”

  He gave Keely a wan smile. Pleasure swelled within his breast at her concern. “Floor is cold.”

  “The entire house is. The climate control failed.”

  Zion moved forward. If Keely joined him in Atlantis, she’d never be concerned about climate control again. What would it take to get her to stay with him?

  Another noise. This time, a splash. He spun to see where Keely was. Thank Zeus, she remained behind him. “Where’d that come from?”

  Her eyes widened. “Dungeon.”

  “How do I get to it?”

  She took a deep breath. The action lifted her generous breasts. His hands ached to hold them. Later. Caressing her would have to come later, once the danger passed.

  Keely moved around him. “This way.”

  He shot his arm forward and grasped her hand. He encountered firm yet soft skin. His heart beat in a cadence he found alarming. Just touching her added more fuel to the flame of the arousal he couldn’t quell. He pulled her back. “Stay close.”

  Zion didn’t release her hand. She stood in front of his shoulder where he could jerk her behind him if necessary.

  She flashed him a look of irritation. Her mouth thinned and her jaw twitched. “This isn’t the seventeenth century, you know.”

  With a nudge, he sent her forward. At each doorway, he halted her and waved his hand in front of the sensory beam. Few of the rays worked. Of the minority managing to operate on standby power, the door panels slid silently into their recesses. Closed doors refusing to open provided a sense of safety. The ones opening made him nervous. Adrenaline pumped through his blood.

  Keely led him to the closed door of her dungeon. His breath hitched. He waved his hand in front of the sensor, jerked her behind him, and flattened himself against the wall.

  Nothing.

  Not a swoosh, a click, or a single sound emanated from the door. Shit. He ran his fingers over the edge of the small curve framing the door. Where was the auto release latch?

  High on the far side of the door he touched the trigger. The audible click resounded in the back room. He jumped back to his former position of safety. The door slid open.

  He stole a look around the frame and saw nothing but empty, stone stairs. The sound of splashing water reached his ears. Good, water was his element. The liquid provided him with additional strength and the weapon of itself if needed. With all the noise the intruder made, Zion was certain they hadn’t been heard opening the door.

  He turned his head toward Keely, stared at her and nodded his head back toward the entryway.

  She returned the nod.

  Zion kept to the edge of the steps, placed each foot cautiously on the next step. The chill of the house, more pronounced on the stone, knotted his calf. He stopped and flexed his foot.

  Keely hovered near his back. She held her stun gun, the latest Sig Immobilizer, steady. Zion watched her arm tense. She could get away from the intruder if she shot the powerful weapon. She shouldn’t be here, her usefulness in getting him to the dungeon, ended. Upstairs she could wait in safety for the Sentries and his return. He straightened and leaned toward her ear. “Go back upstairs and wait.”

  She shook her head. “I know you’re strong and all, but it looks to me like you’re having issues.”

  Denial sprung to his lips. He didn’t relish living on dry land. Being topside was as foreign to him as breathing water was to Keely. Admitting a weakness, though, he wouldn’t do. “Please.”

  “No.”

  He frowned. “You’re going to get killed.”

  “I’m being sacrificed to Amidurah anyway. I have no hope whatsoever of defeating this menace. What does it matter?”

  The words slammed into his chest like hurled daggers. It mattered. She mattered. “You’re not being sacrificed, Keely.”

  She shrugged. “Semantics.”

  He glared at her. She glared back. Infuriating, stubborn woman! “Go!”

  Keely pursed her lips together and narrowed her eyes.

  The look combined with a shake of her red tresses alarmed him. The tight lips and rigid stance left no doubt she wasn’t backing down. He spoke in a low voice. “You win, but this isn’t over.”

  He turned away from her and crept down another set of steps. Her breath, hot o
n his neck, told him she’d stayed close.

  Near the bottom of the stairs, Zion risked a quick look. No lights lit the dim room. The cellar of the Castle was decorated to give the impression of a dungeon complete with barred cells.

  The water on the floor, almost level with the lower step, shimmied. Fish. The water in the dungeon came from the tsunami. Nothing else in the room moved.

  Zion sloshed into the area and kept close to the walls. Ahh. Healing energy flowed into him from the seawater. The cold in his legs eased and his eyes adjusted to the dim light. He stepped forward.

  The faintest splash sent water onto his bare leg.

  “Brr.”

  He grinned. “You get used to it.”

  Zion continued on. Their motion should have turned on the recessed lights in the ceiling. The room remained dim, a blessing from Zeus.

  At the far end he spied another door, partially closed. He reached back and placed his hand on Keely’s arm. Waves of sensual awareness flooded him again. Once they dealt with the coming unpleasantness he would love her, release his frustrations, claim her as his, and let her know beyond any qualms, she mattered. Greatly.

  By the seven seas he wanted to make love to her! Take her in every way imaginable. His thick erection pointed to the heavens, uncomfortably tight against the heavy black denim. He shifted his weight, an attempt to prevent Keely from seeing his randiness.

  The erotic thoughts punctured into his heart like a trident pinning a victim to the sea floor. He was no better than his licentious father was.

  He forced the words from his mouth in a hoarse whisper. He had to keep his mind on the intruder and keeping Keely safe. Not bedding her. “What’s behind the door?”

  “All my research.”

  A crash coupled with swearing broke from the room. Zion couldn’t any longer entertain thoughts of a trapped animal, or the reaction of the house to the tsunami. No doubts remained. Someone was in her office.

  Chapter Eight

  The noise of her equipment falling into the water stopped Keely cold. Her breath quickened. The sound reverberated in her ears like the ancient beating of tribal drums. Frigid water soaked the lower legs of her capris and chilled her skin. She clenched a fist in fury. Who the hell was in her office and why were they tossing her stuff about?

  She checked her Sig, flipped the safety off, and set the gun to a mid-intensity stun. She fingered the weapon comfortable with the perfect way it matched her grip. Blasting the bastard would provide some sense of satisfaction.

  She raced around Zion. The aquatic god lurched forward to grab her and missed.

  The looter stood with his back to her. He was tall with broad shoulders and presented a target she couldn’t miss. She fired the Sig, streaks of electric light flying across the room and into the back of the perpetrator.

  His scream rent the air. The buzz of the Sig drowned out his curses. Keely continued firing and ignored the smell of singed flesh. She was furious. She wasn’t about to stop until the man dropped. No one invaded her sanctuary. No one.

  A hand grasped her by the wrist. “Keely, stop. You’ll kill him.”

  She eased up on the trigger. Zion’s forceful grip lessened. Keely watched the man fall forward, grab the edge of her work desk, and then slump over. The rapid pounding of her heart slowed. Her ire fled. Guilt washed over her with the violence of the tsunami and threatened to make her vomit. “Oh my God, what did I do?”

  Shoving the gun in her pocket, Keely leaned over and allowed the queasiness to subside.

  Zion sloshed forward and threw the man over his shoulder, blocking his face from her view.

  With her head nearly between her legs, Keely won the battle over her stomach. “Take him to the parlor.”

  “Are you okay?”

  She allowed herself a moment to stare at Zion. His skin glowed with a healthy, dark tan, his blond hair subtly reflecting the insufficient light of the dungeon. He was glorious in his near nakedness. In her current world, he was the essence of normality. She envied his calm. “Yeah. I’ll be fine.”

  After inhaling several deep breaths, Keely stood and splashed over to the desk. Video chips lay scattered along the top next to her sleeping VDU. “On.”

  The visual display sputtered with eerie buzzes, flickered, and projected a distorted image. Keely’s eyes widened in disbelief. The intruder wasn’t a pure opportunist, looking for easy finances. No, this trespasser purposely targeted Keely, and more specifically her work.

  Spinning around, Keely headed for the parlor. The waters splashed higher on her clothing. The damp material chilled her skin, but not her temper. By the time she arrived at the top of the stone stairs, she was thoroughly steamed.

  Her shoes squished in the hallway and heralded her arrival at the parlor.

  Zion glanced up and shook his head. “He’s still unconscious.”

  Keely narrowed her gaze at the back of the prostrate figure on the couch. The guilt she experienced earlier passed. She wanted to grab the man and shake him senseless, an action currently without purpose. Later. When he woke, she wouldn’t hold back a sliver of her temper. She pointed a shaking finger at him. “That man ransacked my study notes.”

  Zion stood and crossed the room. Taking her into his arms, he crooned. “I’m sorry, Keely. I know how important your studies are to you.”

  His scent, the sound of his steady heartbeat, the solid chest she leaned against, all worked together. His hands stroked her back, her hair, kneaded her shoulders. The powerful combination did more for her peace of mind than any prescription she ever took. Every time Zion pulled her into the conclave of his arms, Keely calmed. “My work is the single most essential thing in my life.”

  Zion stiffened. She leaned more fully against his chest, ran her fingers over the strong ridges of muscle, the odd line of a scar that flawed his chest. She stroked her fingers against his jaw. She hadn’t meant to hurt him. “I don’t know what we have, but, I’m connected to you on the deepest level I’ve ever known.”

  “You spoke of hallucinations and fantasies when we first met. For years, you were an unobtainable dream. I won’t accept second place to your work.”

  She sighed and pushed away from him. Without the warmth of his arms, Keely chilled, goose bumps rising on her skin.

  The men in her life restricted her from solving the mystery of her communication with the dolphins with their conditions and lack of support. First, her father demanded she swap DNA with someone deemed worthy and now Zion insisted he was more important than her studies. Damn them! She had gotten this far without their validation and could continue to do so if need be.

  A low moan from the man on the couch interrupted her thoughts. Zion headed toward the uninvited guest.

  Keely followed. For the first time since they left the bedroom, she gladly focused her attention on something else. The subject of her work and its significance in their burgeoning relationship was one she was loath to deal with right now.

  Zion’s back blocked her view of the interloper. She scooted around him and gazed into the unconscious face of the man she’d shot. She gasped in shock. She knew this man.

  All the fury she quelled moments ago raced through her body. What the hell was he doing in her house?

  Her victim’s eyes flitted open. He looked at Zion’s face, and then into hers. Recognition flickered in his eyes and he tried to sit up.

  “Stephen Doubilet, what are you doing in my house?”

  The lanky man froze trying to get upright. There was a slight tremble to his lower lip.

  “You know this man?” Zion sounded angry.

  Keely pulled the Sig from her pocket, the handle considerably cooler since she’d fired it. Memories of their conversation replayed in her mind, the offers of support, and the flattery of being a unique thinker. She took a deep breath and leveled the weapon at him. “I won’t ask twice.”

  His glance darted from her, to Zion, to the gun in her hand, and back to her face. Beads of sweat appeared on his
brow despite the cool room. “I thought you were dead.” He swallowed several times as if he were trying to force words out of his throat. “I wanted to preserve your work for posterity.”

  Her jaw tensed and she ground her teeth. It took all she had to control her wrath and keep from zapping his sorry ass off the couch. She’d settle for a little less and allow him to stand before she fired her Sig. She’d literally zap his ass, out of her house, out of her life.

  Keely stepped away from the couch and kept the Sig trained on him. “Get up, Doubilet.”

  The man’s eyes bounced back and forth in his head like a perpetual motion toy. Keely felt the fear radiate from his body.

  “You heard the lady.” Zion moved closer, grasped Doubilet by the collar of his shirt, and lifted him from the couch.

  For a suspended moment in time, Stephen acted the part of a boisterous hoodlum. His voice deepened. “You can’t do this to me. I have powerful friends.” He finished with a sneer. “You can’t begin to comprehend how powerful.”

  Then his eyes widened and his bravado deflated like a punctured balloon.

  Keely turned to see what altered his state so rapidly. Sentries stood in the doorway.

  “We heard enough.” The mechanically enhanced men grabbed Doubilet and dragged him from the room.

  Shaking, as violent as a powerful earthquake, rushed through Keely’s body. The tremors started in her fingers, rushed through her arms, and didn’t stop even when her entire body shuddered with visible force.

  Zion clutched her elbow and led her to the couch. “Keely, its over, he’s gone.”

  Not that she was frightened. The discovery of Stephen Doubilet’s duplicity sent additional blasts of adrenaline through her blood. Several deep breaths later, she began to calm. Zion’s deep voice further reassured her.

  “What did he want with your research?”

  A good question. She furrowed her brows in thought, and then shivered. “He thought the dolphins communicated information that could be used to pre-warn people about undersea events.”

  Given what she’d learned from Zion and Thane since making her agreement with Doubilet, a nebulous thought formed.