Read Online The Merzetti Effect (A Vampire Romance) by Norah Wilson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Norah Wilson
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in the drywall.
“You can run off to bed now. We’re done here.” With that, he left the room, samples in hand.
Ainsley watched him thoughtfully, wondering when it would strike him that the samples had to come back to this lab.
Chapter 6
A INSLEY WOKE TO a violent thunderstorm.
She lay there a moment, wondering if she’d imagined the ear-splitting crack of thunder that still echoed in her head. Then another boom sounded, shaking the house and rattling the windows. She jack-knifed up in bed, heart pounding. Holy Mother of God, that had to have been close!
She reached for the lamp at her bedside, turning the switch. Nothing. That’s when she noticed the clock radio that usually glowed at her bedside had been extinguished. Great. No power. The electrical storm must have knocked the electricity out.
Or, oh shit, had lightning struck the house itself? It sure sounded close enough. Was the house already on fire?
She swung her legs over the edge of the bed, grabbed her clothes and began to struggle into them. She was poking her bare feet into her athletic shoes when her door burst open.
“Ainsley? Thank God you’re all right.”
The voice was Delano’s, but she couldn’t see him.
“Del? What’s happening? Has the house been hit?”
“We have to leave. Now.”
Another boom and a flash rocked the house and briefly revealed Delano, closer now than his voice had suggested just second ago.
“Are you sure we should go out there in that? I mean, unless the house is on fire, wouldn’t we be safer in here?”
“That’s mortar fire,” he clipped. “The house is under attack.”
Under attack? “But who … why—?”
“Just come.” He grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the door.
“My purse!”
“Quickly.”
She dashed back to grab her bag from her bedside, then Delano was tugging her forward again. Within seconds, they were racing through the halls at a dead run.
“We’re going too fast. I can’t see anything!”
“I can see. Just stay close.”
“Where are we going?”
“There are tunnels below. But save your breath. We have to get clear before they get close enough to get a lock on our infrared signatures.”
He was worried about their infrared-freaking-signatures ? That had to mean they were dealing with attackers who had heat-seeking weapons…
She stumbled, but he righted her before she could fall, then tugged her onward at a pace even faster than before. Which was way faster than she was capable of running. It was his speed and strength that impelled her. She forgot to worry about slamming into unseen objects and merely concentrated on keeping her feet churning beneath her fast enough to avoid stumbling again.
They ran for what seemed like forever, but was probably a matter of minutes. Delano quickly learned to announce corners before they negotiated them. “In five seconds, we’ve got a left turn, 90 degrees. Left again in five. Right. Steps. Left. More steps. Five, four, three, two, one … ramp.”
By the time they reached the ramp, her leaden legs could no longer respond fast enough to keep up. He’d merely slid an arm around her and lifted her clear of the ground, pelting down the ramp without losing a fraction of his speed.
Before she could marvel at his endurance, he stopped and set her back on her feet.
“We’re here.”
“Where is here?”
As though in response to her question, a very dim light came on. She was standing in a cavern of some sort. And in the center of the cavern, resting like a great sleeping beast on the rock floor, sat the strangest looking aircraft she’d ever seen. A helicopter, she realized. Well, maybe a helicopter. It had rotors, anyway. That’s about where the resemblance ended.
“What’s that?”
“That’s our ticket out of here.”
Out of here? Reflexively, she glanced up, straining to see the roof of the cavern. Though she could not discern it through the inky darkness, she felt its looming, containing presence, heard it
“You can run off to bed now. We’re done here.” With that, he left the room, samples in hand.
Ainsley watched him thoughtfully, wondering when it would strike him that the samples had to come back to this lab.
Chapter 6
A INSLEY WOKE TO a violent thunderstorm.
She lay there a moment, wondering if she’d imagined the ear-splitting crack of thunder that still echoed in her head. Then another boom sounded, shaking the house and rattling the windows. She jack-knifed up in bed, heart pounding. Holy Mother of God, that had to have been close!
She reached for the lamp at her bedside, turning the switch. Nothing. That’s when she noticed the clock radio that usually glowed at her bedside had been extinguished. Great. No power. The electrical storm must have knocked the electricity out.
Or, oh shit, had lightning struck the house itself? It sure sounded close enough. Was the house already on fire?
She swung her legs over the edge of the bed, grabbed her clothes and began to struggle into them. She was poking her bare feet into her athletic shoes when her door burst open.
“Ainsley? Thank God you’re all right.”
The voice was Delano’s, but she couldn’t see him.
“Del? What’s happening? Has the house been hit?”
“We have to leave. Now.”
Another boom and a flash rocked the house and briefly revealed Delano, closer now than his voice had suggested just second ago.
“Are you sure we should go out there in that? I mean, unless the house is on fire, wouldn’t we be safer in here?”
“That’s mortar fire,” he clipped. “The house is under attack.”
Under attack? “But who … why—?”
“Just come.” He grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the door.
“My purse!”
“Quickly.”
She dashed back to grab her bag from her bedside, then Delano was tugging her forward again. Within seconds, they were racing through the halls at a dead run.
“We’re going too fast. I can’t see anything!”
“I can see. Just stay close.”
“Where are we going?”
“There are tunnels below. But save your breath. We have to get clear before they get close enough to get a lock on our infrared signatures.”
He was worried about their infrared-freaking-signatures ? That had to mean they were dealing with attackers who had heat-seeking weapons…
She stumbled, but he righted her before she could fall, then tugged her onward at a pace even faster than before. Which was way faster than she was capable of running. It was his speed and strength that impelled her. She forgot to worry about slamming into unseen objects and merely concentrated on keeping her feet churning beneath her fast enough to avoid stumbling again.
They ran for what seemed like forever, but was probably a matter of minutes. Delano quickly learned to announce corners before they negotiated them. “In five seconds, we’ve got a left turn, 90 degrees. Left again in five. Right. Steps. Left. More steps. Five, four, three, two, one … ramp.”
By the time they reached the ramp, her leaden legs could no longer respond fast enough to keep up. He’d merely slid an arm around her and lifted her clear of the ground, pelting down the ramp without losing a fraction of his speed.
Before she could marvel at his endurance, he stopped and set her back on her feet.
“We’re here.”
“Where is here?”
As though in response to her question, a very dim light came on. She was standing in a cavern of some sort. And in the center of the cavern, resting like a great sleeping beast on the rock floor, sat the strangest looking aircraft she’d ever seen. A helicopter, she realized. Well, maybe a helicopter. It had rotors, anyway. That’s about where the resemblance ended.
“What’s that?”
“That’s our ticket out of here.”
Out of here? Reflexively, she glanced up, straining to see the roof of the cavern. Though she could not discern it through the inky darkness, she felt its looming, containing presence, heard it
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