I say, "In here!" but it
comes out as a croak. I rise, wobbling. I make my way to the door, Storm dancing around me.
"Careful," I murmur. "I'm a little shaky."
I manage not to trip over her, and I'm about to pull open the door when she jumps on it, reminding me that yanking it open probably isn't wise. I bend and hold her with one arm, as I open the door with the other.
"Eric! I'm in here! The lumber shed!"
Storm barks. A woman yells for Dalton. It's Anders who appears first, running around the back of the shed. Then Dalton shoulders past and throws open the door as I stagger back, saying, "Storm!" when the puppy charges for the open doorway. Anders grabs her and then Dalton's grabbing me as I collapse, everything going dark again.
*
When I open my eyes this time, I'm staring up at Dalton's bedroom ceiling. I sigh and say, "Look, next time I pass out, can you put me somewhere else? Just for a change of scenery?"
Anders chuckles. "You woke up in the lumber shed an hour ago. That was different."
Dalton's face appears over mine. "Or you could just not get yourself into situations where you're likely to pass out." He sits on the edge of the bed. "I'm guessing Benjamin's gone. Did he take Mathias?"
"What?" I blink, trying to orient myself.
"I know you're not up to questions, but they're both missing."
"No, Mathias took..." I bolt upright. "Mathias took Benjamin. I shot Benjamin, and then Mathias came and he said ... he said was going to get Nicole back."
"Well, let's hope he does," Anders says. "Right now, they're both gone. We're just glad you're not. Diana told us what happened--Benjamin luring you out by taking Storm, and you going after him with Mathias."
"Diana...," I say. "I need to speak to Diana."
*
"Did he threaten you?" I ask as Diana walks in.
She slows. "Good to see you, too, Case. Up and questioning already. That's a good sign."
"Mathias threatened you," I say. "Not physically. That isn't his style. He has something on you. Knows something. He threatened to tell if you didn't go along with his scheme. If you didn't take Storm and give her to him."
"Did you get hit on the head or is that just the drugs talking?" she says. "I'm the one who tried to stop you."
"Only because you knew I'd be suspicious if you jumped on my go-after-the-puppy scheme. You played it exactly right. Resist but let me talk you into it. Insist on being backup, knowing I'd worry and leap at the chance to swap you for Mathias."
She watches me, and I can't read her expression. No, I can. It's just not one I usually see on Diana, a careful assessment. She sits on the edge of the bed.
"Yes, Mathias took Storm. It was all his idea. But he doesn't have anything on me. He convinced me."
A shiver slides down my back. "How? Hypnosis?"
She stares at me and then bursts out in a laugh. "You really are well drugged, aren't you? We talked while I was watching Nicole. He doesn't like me much. He thinks I'm weak. I can tell. You fascinate him. Old story, huh?" Her lips tweak in a smile. "Don't worry--I won't harp on that. But we talked about you. Or I did. That's all he needed."
She adjusts her position on the bed. "That's all it takes, isn't it? To get people to do what you want. Understand what they want. He knew I wanted to help after you'd been shot. I wanted to get Nicole back, too. I wanted you to take down that sick bastard. Mathias convinced me he could help you do that, safely. Which he did, right? Mathias rescued you."
"Not exactly."
That same semismile. "I'm kidding. I'm sure you rescued yourself, as always. But he would have, if you hadn't."
"And now?"
She settles back. "Now he'll get Nicole for us."