Dark Secret

He turned away, took two steps, and turned back. 'What if you're both wrong, Colby? What if he has her?'

'I'm not wrong, Paulo,' she told him. Colby had been reading tracks most of her life; she was certain she could find her sister.

'You know what we are through your link to Nicolas,' Rafael pointed out. 'I am telling you, Ginny is not with the vampire's servant and for that we can all be grateful. I sense his presence in one direction and hers in another. Colby hopes to send me away because I am not at full strength, but I won't leave her until everyone is safe. You have my word of honor.'

Paul hugged Colby, needing to, needing her strength, deriving comfort and reassurance from her the way he'd done most of his life.

Colby watched Paul scramble out of the canyon and begin to make his way back toward the ranch house before she turned back to Rafael. 'You look like you're going to fall over. I'm a good shot, Rafael. If it isn't the vampire, I can take care of it.'

'They eat human flesh, Colby,' he said, gesturing toward the direction they thought Ginny had taken. 'You find your sister and I will destroy the vampire's evil creation.'

'What are you going to do?'

'Let him think you are alone. He will come after you. I do not like using you as bait, but it is the only way when I am so weak, meu amor.'

'I don't mind being bait to get Ginny back. Are you certain Ginny's alive?'

He took a deep breath, scenting the air. 'She's alive.' Rafael's large frame shimmered. 'It will be easier for me to endure the light in the form of mist. I will be close, Colby.'

She knew he would be. Rafael was in excruciating pain, yet he had still come to her when she needed him.

He is taking a terrible risk. Nicolas's voice was harsh in her mind. Soon the lethargy will overtake him and he will be unable to move, and without cover, he will die.

I won't let him. She couldn't change Rafael's mind once it was made up. She could only try to locate Ginny quickly and get them all out of the climbing sun.

Colby began a slow, methodical search of the ground. She kept her eyes glued to the dirt, moving in an ever- widening circle. In a shallow depression behind the boulders she discovered a partial print, the worn left heel, an old rusty shovel. It was one she recognized. She and Paul had discarded it months earlier after the handle had broken.

It took twenty precious minutes to find where the man had lain in wait, his elbows making twin impressions in the grass on the knoll. He had watched the trail long enough to smoke three cigarettes. Conscious of the sun's position, she carefully examined the ground, sure that the vampire's puppet had some method of transportation. Again she used up precious time she knew Rafael didn't have unraveling the trail as she backtracked him. A few hundred yards from his vantage point she found where he had left his horse.

Rafael. I've seen these tracks before. They belong to a man working for Clinton Daniels-his name is Ernie Carter. I ran into him near where I found Pete's body. His eyes were red and swollen and he felt evil. Could he have killed Pete? The idea that this man had been anywhere near Ginny terrified her.

It is likely.

Colby examined the trampled grass, found where the horse had grazed and its droppings, and knew that Ernie had been there for some time. She could see a clear impression where the heavy grain sack had rested against rocks, the weight crushing the grass beneath it. She bit her lip reading the story easily, the short strides taken away from the horse, obviously burdened. Ernie had laid out the scene and had gone back to the knoll to observe his handiwork. She found the telltale tracks, his distinctive heel mark where he'd spotted her tracking him and he'd whirled around, the longer strides indicating he had run to his horse.

He's somewhere close by. He definitely spotted me and could be stalking me now. For a moment her shoulder blades itched, expecting an impact any moment.

He is to your north, on foot now, moving through the brush. Neither Juan nor Julio has a clear shot at him.

Colby flung up her head, an unfamiliar coldness sweeping through her, an iron resolve. The vampire had not only done this to her, he had put Paul through something no one, let alone a child, should have to go through. I can't think about him, Rafael, I have to find Ginny. Please don't let anything happen to Paul. Promise me.

Querida, Paul will not be harmed by this evil creature. I have him now, and I will destroy him. Paul comes now with your rifle.

At once her heart stilled. Rafael was determined to go into battle. He was mortally injured. By all rights he should be dead, not running around hunting for a servant of the undead. She held out her hand for the rifle and Paul tossed it to her. He dropped the mare's reins and swung down, handing her the box of ammunition. 'Have you picked up her trail yet?' he asked.

Colby shook her head. 'This man's a skilled tracker. He's brushed out her tracks for a good quarter mile through the brush. I want you to work out the trail, Paul, but it will be dangerous. You'll have to pretend you're me and you'll be the bait. I'll work my way through the brush to get a bead on him. Rafael's hunting him, but he's badly injured and the sun is already up. I can feel how tired he is and how difficult moving is becoming for him.'

'What if she's…' Paul trailed off.

Colby shook her head as she thumbed shells into the rifle. 'She isn't, Paul. Rafael says he's certain she's alive. What about you?' She paused, her gaze meeting his solidly. 'Can you resist anything the vampire might have programmed into you?'

I am with him. It was all Nicolas said, but it was enough to reassure her.

Paul nodded. 'I won't hurt Ginny. Nothing could make me hurt her.' He put the canteen strap around his neck. 'And Nicolas De La Cruz is in my mind. He's awake, so I guess it will be all right.'

'Take my hat and my long-sleeved shirt. Stay in the brush so he thinks you're me. He has to believe that, Paul, can you do that?'

Paul took the hat and shirt, frowning as he did so. 'You're already burned.'

Colby ignored his comment. 'I'm counting on you, then.' She took off running, her body low to the ground, using as much available ground cover as she could, working her way north. She knew Ernie was working his way toward her in the hopes of killing or capturing her. He was good, but he made mistakes and one of them was his continual need for nicotine. She could smell the cigarette burning as he smoked it somewhere ahead of her.

Without long sleeves to protect her arms, branches scratched her skin and, even with the cloud cover overhead, she could feel blisters forming. Her eyes burned, tearing continuously, and she knew Rafael was suffering even worse. She flattened her body in the midst of brush, crawling along an animal trail through the branches.

What do you think you are doing? There was a distinct snap to Rafael's voice, as if he had bared his teeth.

I'm protecting you. Paul is playing me and he's nearly as good a tracker as I am. This man isn't going to get close to either one of you.

I forbid this.

'Forbid away,' she muttered aloud. He was weak, nearly the walking dead, his body so ravaged and torn, but he was too stubborn to admit it. He needed help whether he knew it or not. She crawled closer to where her quarry had settled into the rocks, waiting for her. Waiting to kill her. A chill went down her spine as she realized that was the man's single goal-to get to her.

Colby… There was a warning note in Rafael's voice, a promise of retaliation.

Just do your thing and let me do mine. This is who I am, Rafael, so if you're thinking about hooking up with me for any length of time, get used to it.

This is who I am, Colby. You put yourself in danger at any time and I will wrap you up in an impenetrable barrier where nothing can touch you. It will take a great deal of my strength when I need it elsewhere.

She muttered an imprecation under her breath, calling him several names, none of which were complimentary. The man was impossible, even when he was on the verge of death.

She had pushed through the bushes a little farther and saw the vampire's puppet. It was definitely the same