Hidden Talents

to find him .”
    “We will.” Caleb's voice suddenly lacked any trace of emotion.
    “Where's Blade?” Serenity glanced around anxiously.
    “Right here.” Blade's dark bulk appeared between two trees. “I heard what you said. The infiltrator went to your place, huh? Shit. Should of thought of that possibility. You okay?”
    “Yes.” Serenity realized that her fingers were still clenched around the griffin. Its wings were digging into her palm. “He was trying to choke me from behind. I went for his eye with my necklace. When he let go for a second, I used a flying kick on his kneecap. He went down and I ran.”
    “Thatagirl” Blade said with unmistakable satisfaction and pride. “Knew you could do it.”
    “Where the hell did you learn to fight like that?” Caleb asked.
    “I taught her,” Blade said.
    Caleb looked at him. “You did.”
    “Sure.”
    “I owe you.”
    “You don't owe me a damn thing,” Blade said. “Serenity's family. Everyone in the family had a hand in raisin' her. We all taught her something.”
    “I think we'd better discuss this later,” Serenity interrupted. “I don't know if Kincaid is still in the house. I also don't know if he's armed. I didn't see a gun, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have one.”
    “No, it sure don't,” Blade said. “First thing we got to do is see if he's still in the cottage.” He pulled a small pistol from his web belt and glanced at Caleb. “Meant to ask earlier if you could handle one of these.”
    Caleb glanced at the pistol. “Yes.” He reached out and took the gun from Blade's hand.
    Serenity had a sudden recollection of the marksmanship medals she had seen in the glass-fronted cabinet in the Ventress house. A new kind of fear swept through her. “Caleb, please, I don't know—”
    “Let's go.” Blade motioned to the dogs. Styx and Charon instantly gave him their full attention. He switched off the flashlight and moved silently away through the trees. The dogs fanned out on either side of him.
    Caleb turned off his own flashlight and dropped it into his coat pocket. He touched Serenity's cheek with his gloved hand. His face was unreadable in the darkness, but his voice was still curiously even. “Follow us but stay behind me until we find out what's happening.”
    Serenity nodded, then realized he probably couldn't see the motion of her head. “All right. Caleb, promise me you'll be careful. Kincaid is mentally unbalanced.”
    “Believe it or not, I had already figured that out for myself.”
    Serenity followed Caleb and Blade through the trees to the edge of the clearing that marked her driveway. In the glow of the porch light she could see that the front door was still open, just as she had left it.
    Blade gave a signal to the dogs. Styx and Charon bounded forward, sleek and lethal shadows in the fog. Serenity held her breath as the beasts went up the steps and into the cottage.
    There was no sound for a few minutes. Then Styx appeared in the doorway. Charon was right behind him. The dogs came back down the steps and trotted across the driveway to where Blade waited in the trees.
    “Looks like it's all clear,” Blade said. “Bastard's gone.”
    “He didn't come out this way,” Caleb said. “The dogs would have noticed. Must have gone out the back door.”
    “The caves,” Serenity whispered.
    Blade and Caleb exchanged glances. Then they both looked at her.
    “Why would he go to the caves?” Blade asked.
    Serenity stuffed her hands into her pockets. “Because I told him that was where Zone was hiding. Maybe he actually believed me. The man is crazy.”
    “If he went up that path,” Blade said, “we've got him cornered. There's no way down except the way he went up. Unless he goes over a cliff. Let's check it out, Ventress.”
    “Serenity will have to come with us,” Caleb said. I'm not taking the chance of leaving her alone in the cottage again.”
    “Right.” Blade glanced at Charon and Styx, who were poised to receive his orders. He said something very quietly to them.
    Again the dogs fell in on either side of him. Blade moved off to circle the cottage.
    “I don't like this, but I don't see any help for it,” Caleb muttered to Serenity. “You stay between Blade and me.”
    “I'm not going to dash off ahead and play hero, if that's what's worrying you,” she retorted. “I've already had enough excitement tonight to last me a lifetime.”
    “You and me both. When I get my hands on this jerk, I'm going