Empath's Angel - M J Marlow (easy readers .TXT) 📗

closely. Mitchell was fairly bristling, his hand resting on the butt of his gun. So her uneasiness around these men was not her imagination, Sammy noted. Something about that only unnerved her more. “You can be on your way, gentlemen,” Sammy told them. “There are other people in need of transport.” She saw them glancing at her squad car. “Don’t worry about the girl. I’ll see she gets to the hospital.” There was nothing either man could do. They had standing orders about involving the authorities in their work – it just was not done. So they got into the ambulanceand drove off. Sammy turned to Mitchelland nodded. The man hurried towards the mineand a few minutes later, his excited voice was coming over the walkie-talkie. Jason was there, with two bullet wounds. He was alive,and he was as mad as hell. Unfortunately, when heand Mitchell came back to the squad, he could not tell them who had attacked him. He had never seen their faces. Sammy made a judgment calland took the pair back to Glenville, to the town doctor’s office. Carsen put Emilia upstairs in his guest room; the men in the ambulance, he told Sammy, had done a good job of patching her up. He was just tending Jason’s wounds, both throughand through, when Daniel arrived. He scowled as he listened to the reports. “There is no evidence linking the men driving the ambulance to this attack,” Sammy finished up. She saw Jason’s lookand almost glared at him. “You didn’t see the face of the man or men who shot you, Jase. Only Emi can put those men at the scene,and she’s out cold.” “You have your suspicions, however,” Daniel noted. “I have a feeling,” Sammy corrected him, “that we are going to find that no one matching their descriptions works for the ambulance company.” She closed her eyes a moment to still the reaction that was just setting in. “Whoever those men were, they were professionals. If they shot Jason, they did it when Emi couldn’t witness it.” She had a very uncomfortable feeling that they hadn’t seen the last of those two men. “They’re going to come back for her, aren’t they?” “We can bet on it,” Daniel nodded. “Stay close to her, Sammy.” He pulled out his cell phoneand dialed the number he’d been given as Antoni left. “They failed in their first two attempts on the girl,” he said simply. “You might want to arrange a safe house.” “That won’t be necessary, Lieutenant,” Stephen said as he arrived. “My name is Doctor Stephen Winslow. My fatherand I are friends of Dominik Sobieski. I came here to offer my assistance to his daughter.” * While Emilia was being rescued from her team of abductors, Dominik arrived at the private airfield west of town. He was shoved aboard the waiting jetand was not in the least surprised to see Professor Samuel Winslowand his sons waiting for him. The three men were almost cast from the same mold, tall, lean, dark-haired, green eyed. Silver streaked the darkness at Samuel’s temples,and his maturity was quite evident from the lines around his eyes. Of the three of them, only Stephen’s eyes held a momentary regret. Dominik saw him clamp it down before the others could catch it. “Welcome back, Dom,” Samuel smiled coldly as Dominik was shoved into a seat. He looked at Petersand Murphy. “Sloppy work, gentlemen. The girl should be here with us.” “The Glenville police were more efficient than we’d been led to believe,” Peters told his employer tightly. “Seems one of them lives right in the neighborhood.” “Indeed,” Samuel replied, glancing briefly at his son. “Stephen will have to keep that in mind before he makes the next attempt.” “Leave her out of this, Samuel.” Dominik pleaded. “Emilia doesn’t know anything…” “I have no interest in your daughter for what she might know, Dom,” Samuel broke in coldly. “I merely wish to keep her close as an incentive for you to do as you are told.” He looked over at his son. “Stephen, you know what to do.” Stephen noddedand left the jet. A moment later, the hatch was closedand the engines started firing. “Now, Dom. Let’s talk about the microdots.” He leaned back, enjoying the worry on his old friend’s face. “If you give them to me, I might just tell my son to leave your daughter alone.” “Martin used my daughter to draw me out,” Dominik told his abductor. “He snuck into the orphanage where Karen left her before she died,and made her his hostage!” He tightened his grip on her hand, frowning as he remembered the night in question. “Then he called meand told me what he’d done. He ordered me to meet him at the orphanage; told me he’d leave my daughter alone if I hid the microdots for himand stood ready to assist him again, if he needed it.” Samuel remembered Martin. That man had been almost as cold-hearted a bastard as the he was. He had disappeared one night six years ago with some very vital information. His men had caught up with him six years laterand he eventually told them that he had passed the microdots on to Sobieski. Peters wondered how the man could have left his daughter unaware of the danger of what Martin had given her all those years ago simply to protect the information those microdots contained. He hadn’t thought Sobieski was capable of being that cold. “You left your daughter vulnerable, Doc,” Peters snapped at the man. “For what? You could have sent the microdots on to the FBI or something.” “I didn’t know whom to trust,” Dominik told him. He looked at the professor. “Samuel has connections everywhere.” “You should have remembered that before you made a run for it, Dom,” Samuel replied. “You’ve made us waste six years of valuable research time looking for you.” His eyes were hardand cold with anger. “Tell me where the information is,and your daughter is safe.” “All right,” Dominik nodded. He knew he had no choice, but he wasn’t about to give this monster back the research. He was the only one who knew he was lying. “The microdots are in my safe deposit box at the bank in Glenville.” “That wasn’t so hard, was it?” He looked over at his men. “We are going to have to fake his death so no one comes after him. Stephenand the girl will retrieve the microdots when he helps her settle her ‘late’ father’s estate.” Two men turned from the observation room window, both frowning darkly. Winslow had his pet mad scientist back, but he had left a witness behind. The man was getting sloppier all the time,and he was jeopardizing everything. Hamilton Snow, tall, silver-haired, with cold blue eyes, turned to his companion, Hawke Thornton, a recently barred attorney,and his nephew by marriage. The younger man was eager to be about his first task on behalf of the organization. “I want you to keep an eye on this situation, Hawke,” Hamilton told him. “Don’t insert yourself into it unless you believe it the only way to keep the organization safe.” “Yes, sir,” Hawke nodded. “Perhaps Zachary would be the best route to take.” He looked at his uncle. “He is going to be involved in whatever the Professor is planning for the girl sooner or later,and,” his smiled was cold as he made his plans, “he is always in need of a good attorney.” “Smart boy,” Hamilton smiled briefly,and nodded. “Just remember to keep us apprised of the situation.” He laid his hand on his nephew’s armand Hawke waited. “The doctor’s daughter is to be protected, if at all possible. We owe it to the man.” Hawke noddedand left the complex. He waited until he was back across town, in his own apartment. He knew there were no bugs in this place; he had a team sweep it while they ‘cleaned’ it for him. He nodded to the pretty brunette, Sofia, as she was leaving. Then he went to his officeand dialed a number, his expression grim. “This is the Hunter,” he said to the person on the other line. “He has the doctor backand plans to go after the girl.” He frowned as the other person spoke. “I am in no position to go for her myself. I’ve been tasked with observation only. He’s sent son number one after the girl. I suggest you move quickly.” He hung up as the door opened. “Is that sufficient?” “It will have to be,” Stephen nodded as he stepped into the room. He sank down on the couch with a frown. “I’ve taken a position at the Glenville Hospital. My father will expect me to move on Emilia as soon as I arrive in town.” He looked at his old friend. “I’m counting on you, Hawke. If it’s a call between me or the girl; save the girl.” “No problem, my friend,” Hawke nodded. He saw Stephen’s frownand he grinned. “You,” he held up one hand, “or a pretty girl,” he held up the other hand. “No contest.” “You’d better tread carefully, Hawke.” Stephen smiled briefly,and shook his head as he got to his feet. “My brother may give off the air of ennui, but he is every bit as deadly as my father is.” He thought about some of the contests he had with his younger siblingand his frown returned. “Deadlier. He has absolutely no conscience.” * Emilia woke upand found herself lying in a large bedroom. She sat up in shock as she looked around the unfamiliar space. What kind of kidnapper lived in such a palace? She got upand looked down at the peach silk negligee she was wearing. She pulled on the matching robeand put the slippers resting beside the bed on. She caught herself on the bedpost a moment as the room spun around her. Her ankle was throbbing only slightly now. Someone had done an expert job of wrapping it for her, Emilia noted. She hobbled slowly over to the windows to the left of the headboardand looked out. The gardens outside were well tended. The door openedand she turned to see a short, gray-haired woman come in with a tray. “Good morning, Miss Sobieski,” the woman smiled pleasantly as she set the tray down on the table by the wall of windows in the smaller room to the left. “My name is Martha.” “Where am I, Martha?” Emilia asked as she joined the woman in the other room. “I was in an ambulance…” “Doctor Winslow will tell you everything, Miss,” Martha told her as she set the platesand silverware out. She finished clearing the trayand put it under her arm. “I don’t know a Doctor Winslow,” Emilia frowned. What was going on here, she wondered. Was this the man who had abducted her father,and sent more men after her? But why would she be treated like an honored guest in that case. She was so confused. “Why am I here?” “His father was an old friend of your father’s.” Sadness crossed her face as she looked at the girl. “He thought it would be better if you were among those who knewand cared for your father…” She bit her lip. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t supposed to say anything.” The door openedand Stephen stepped into the room. “Doctor Winslow.” “Thank you, Martha,” Stephen smiled at the woman. “I think Miss Sobieskiand I can handle things from here.” He saw the woman to the doorand closed it. Then he came to the tableand sat down. “Please, Emilia,” he smiled as he nodded for her to join him. “I may call you Emilia, may I not?” She hesitated before nodding. “And you must call me Stephen.” “Why am I here?” Emilia repeated her earlier question as she joined him at the table. “Your doctor thought it would be better if you were somewhere that didn’t remind you of the kidnapping,” Stephen told her.