Targeted Read online

  “Khalla” that’s what he called me. What does that mean? And why should it make me so precious—someone to protect rather than kill? Unless he really did want to kill her after all and was just trying to trick her into coming with him.

  But then, how had he known about her eyes? And about the other inside her? Why had he thought she was from Rageron instead of Earth? Most of all, why had touching him affected her so strangely? She could still feel the tingle of his hand on hers, could still remember the way her body had reacted so strongly to that simple touch—how he had awakened a part of her she’d thought was dead and buried.

  Emily sighed and turned over. There were a lot of questions she was probably never going to get the answers to. At least, if she was lucky. Because she certainly didn’t want the big Kindred coming after her again.

  She had almost fallen asleep completely when she heard a soft, high-pitched whining sound right outside her bedroom window.

  “What in the world?” She sat up at once, heart pounding as the sound came again. What was it? It sounded for all the world like a lost puppy but could it be some kind of a trick?

  Sliding out of bed, she dropped to all fours and crawled across the darkened floor to the bedroom window, where she twitched the shade to one side so she could see out. She felt ridiculous acting like a character in a spy movie but she didn’t want to take any chances.

  The window opened onto her small back yard which was currently bathed in shadows. At first she couldn’t see anything but then the soft, pitiful whining came again and she thought she saw the glint of moonlight off a pair of big, sad eyes. Was there a puppy out there? And was it hurt? It certainly sounded hurt.

  Emily knew she shouldn’t let herself be affected but she couldn’t help it—the noise tore at her heart. She was a confirmed dog lover herself and her ancient Lab, Chewy, had just died a few months back. Emily had owned him for years and it had hurt her dreadfully to lose him. Still, in the back of her mind she had known she would eventually get another dog. Probably not a puppy—they were a lot of work. She’d been intending to go to the shelter when she was ready and find a young rescue dog that needed a home and some love.

  The whining sounded again and Emily sighed. Okay, maybe a puppy was in the cards after all. Chewy had come to her the same way—showing up in her yard with scruffy, matted fur and a huge laceration along one side that left a scar. It looked like some asshole had simply tossed the dog out of a moving car and left him on the side of the road to die. Emily had taken him to the vet and cleaned him up and they had been inseparable after that. Maybe fate was taking a hand again—sending her a new puppy to care for to make up for the generally all around crappy day she’d had.

  Emily hoped so anyway.

  As she went around to the back door, she heard the Kindred’s voice in her head again. “Have you not heard a word I said to you? Someone wants you dead. Every minute you’re out here alone in this unprotected place you’re in danger.”

  But I’m not unprotected—there’s a policeman right outside in my driveway! That nice Officer Lawry. He’d introduced himself personally and Emily had made him a cup of coffee to keep off the chill of the cold night. He was out there right now, sitting in his squad car making sure no one and nothing could hurt her.

  Still, the big Kindred’s words gave her pause. Danger, whispered a voice in her head—the voice of the other.

  Leave me alone, Emily told it. I’m fine—I’ll be fine if you’ll just go away and leave me alone!

  Danger! insisted the other again.

  Emily hesitated with her hand on the door knob but then the whining sounded again. This time it was closer and there was definitely a note of pain in it. She couldn’t help seeing a puppy in her mind’s eye—a soft little bundle of fur maybe with cuts and bruises like Chewy had had or maybe even with a broken paw…people were so cruel to animals. He might have been thrown from a car or just left to die. She couldn’t ignore that kind of pain—she couldn’t.

  Pushing the other’s warning to the back of her mind, she opened the door just a crack and peered out into the dark, chilly night.

  “Here, boy,” she called softly, shivering as a gust of cold air whirled around her bare ankles. Wrapping her robe more closely around her, she stared hard into the shadows that filled her back yard, looking for where the sound was coming from.

  Under the robe she had on a short, silky nighty that was pale blue with a lace hem. Also, another gust of cold air reminded her she was barefoot. She wished she would have taken the time to put on her fuzzy slippers and was just about to go get them but just then the whining sounded again, this time from her right. Well, it was too late now—she’d just have to get cold feet.

  “Here, boy. Come here, it’s all right now—it’s all right…” Emily risked stepping outside her door. The whining stopped for a moment and then intensified. Once again she thought she saw the gleam of eyes in the darkness. She had the definite feeling that the puppy wanted to come to her but it was afraid.

  “It’s okay, little guy,” she whispered soothingly walking out into the dark yard. The grass was damp and cold under her feet and a chilly breeze was sliding through the leaves, making an eerie whispering sound. Emily barely heard it. She was completely focused on finding the puppy now—not thinking at all of any kind of danger that might be waiting.

  In her mind’s eye she could see it—a fuzzy, matted little bundle of fur with big brown eyes and a long, taffy-pink tongue. She still had a can of Chewy’s favorite soft food in the cupboard. She would coax the puppy inside and warm the little guy up and feed him. She might have to try and give him a bath if he was really dirty or hurt but—

  She stopped—her thoughts going blank. Her half frozen toes had brushed against something slippery and warm.

  What in the world…?

  Emily looked down and the moon, which had been hiding behind a cloud, chose that moment to appear. A scream rose in her throat as she saw what she’d stepped on. Or maybe stepped in would be a better way to describe it, whispered a hysterical little voice in her head.

  Lying on the ground, face up and half hidden in the too-long grass she should have had cut ages ago, was Officer Lawry. It was his eyes Emily had seen glinting in the darkness—they were wide open and staring sightlessly into the night sky. And it was his blood she’d stepped in. Looking more closely, she saw in horror that there was a huge, jagged wound in his throat—a gaping hole where his windpipe should have been. Someone or something had ripped his throat out and Emily had just stepped in what remained of it.

  The scream that was building in her throat suddenly burst out, shrill and breathless and not nearly as loud as she’d thought it would be. At the same time the whining sounded again but this time it was different. It started out in a high, pitiful tone and then slid down into a much lower, more ominous register. Soon it had become a growl.

  Danger—I told you—danger! The other was suddenly back.

  Yeah, right. Not that you’re being very helpful, just saying “I told you so” Emily thought at it wildly. Thanks a lot! Why don’t you just—

  Her thoughts were cut off abruptly by what she saw.

  Out of the shadows of the tropical plants surrounding her yard stepped a beast.

  Emily didn’t need the other to tell her she was in trouble. She wanted to run but she felt frozen to the spot.

  Still growling, the thing came towards her. It was clearly an animal but like none she had ever seen before. It had silver skin for one thing and glowing red eyes which were completely focused on her. She would have thought it was some kind of robot but it moved so smoothly, so naturally…it seemed hard to believe anything mechanical could move like that.

  It most reminded her of a Doberman Pincer but it was huge—Emily had never seen anything like it. There was a dark stain on its silver muzzle that let her know what had happened to poor Officer Lawry.

  “Please,” she whispered, trying to back away slowly. “Please, just stay back, sta