Carpathian 09 - Dark Guardian

off it. Do you understand me?"
    "Yes, sir."
    "You will do so immediately."
    Without replying, the man picked up his jacket and car keys and left the room.
    Lucian turned to the second man. "You have killed many times."
    "Yes, sir."
    "You feel bad about that, do you not? It is a very difficult thing to live with, the taking of innocent lives. I have never done so in all the long centuries of my existence. Those I have condemned to death have always been murderers such as yourself. You are evil. You know that you are, and you no longer wish to continue your pitiful existence. Go to your residence, and end the misery you bring to others. Do you understand?"
    "Yes, sir." The second man picked up his jacket and left the room without a backward glance.
    Lucian studied Bruce. "You have not killed."
    "No, sir."
    "Why would you work for such a man as Barnes?"
    "When I was fifteen I got involved in a car-theft ring. I served time, and once I was out, no one but Mr.
    Barnes would give me a job."
    "You do not like Barnes or the things he does."
    Bruce couldn't look away from those mesmerizing eyes. In any case, the sound of that voice demanded the truth. "He disgusts me. He'd murder his own mother for money. I have a wife to support. We're expecting twins any day now. I have to make enough money for them to live, and no one is going to hire a felon."
    "You will go home and stay there for a few days thinking about your future. You will get rid of the gun, tell your wife you are getting a legitimate job, and you will call this number. The man there will interview you and give you honest work. Do you understand me? You will remember nothing of my presence in Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
    this house, and you will not remember that Miss Montgomery and her partner were ever on a hit list."
    Bruce took the small piece of paper, folded it carefully, and slipped it into his jacket pocket. When he looked up, he was alone in the pool room, and he couldn't remember why he had gone there. He was sick of his job, sick of Barnes. Mary was due any day now. She hated his working for Barnes and begged him all the time to quit. Maybe now was the time. Maybe he should just quit and think things over while they waited for the babies to be born. There had to be something better out there for him.
    Something legitimate. Bruce went upstairs to tell Barnes he was finished. He found him on the floor, his features gray, tinged with blue. Immediately he called 911 and started CPR. All the time he worked, he knew it was too late for Barnes, and he couldn't find it in his heart to be all that sorry.
    Jaxon waited until she was certain Lucian had left his house and was off his property. At once she sought a telephone to call Don Jacobson, her childhood friend.
    "Don, I want you to do some looking for me. Drake called me."
    "Good God, Jaxx, what did you expect? It's all over the news that you got yourself engaged to some big-shot moneybags. That would be like a slap in the face to Drake. What were you thinking? If you were going to run off and get engaged, you could have stayed here and married me."
    "You would have divorced me inside of a week." Jaxon laughed. "I can still kick your butt, and your macho ego would have a hard time with that."
    "What about moneybags? Can you kick his butt?"
    "I wish. Anyway, I need information. Put an ear to the ground, ask some of the guys to look around, and see if there's any sign that Drake has been out on the range somewhere. You know how he is—he haunts those hills. Maybe you'll get lucky."
    "Be careful, Jaxx. Drake's insane. He's just as likely to turn on you."
    "I'm always careful. Unfortunately, I don't think Lucian comprehends the extent of Drake's training. He won't take me seriously when I tell him how dangerous it is to deliberately draw Drake out."
    "Trust you to find an adrenaline junkie worse than you."
    Jaxon made a rude sound and gave him her number. "Call me if anyone so much as finds a sign they think might be his."
    "Sure thing, Jaxx. But you promise me you won't do anything dangerous."
    "Careful is my middle name," she said softly and hung up the telephone. In the upstairs bedroom she found her things. Jaxon dressed carefully, pulling on dark clothes and a dark hood to cover her blond hair.
    She was grateful Lucian had brought her weapons, including her sniper's rifle with the night vision scope.
    She scooped it up to put it over her shoulder and filled