Free Catherine Spangler - [Sentinel 02] - Touched By Fire (v5.0) (html) by Unknown Page B

evidence that the Belian had created weapons here.” Luke set their helmets on the bike.
    “How did you know to look here?”
    “I investigated the first crime scene, and I picked up some images of this place. Then I spent hours driving around and checking out all area rentals from the past year, until I got here. I could feel the Belian’s energy. The place was deserted, but I found incriminating evidence inside. So after I worked the energy patterns, I notified the authorities.”
    Marla stared at the shack. It seemed to emit malevolence. “Energy patterns?”
    “All living things put off energy. As I explained earlier, a Sentinel can pick up the residual energy a Belian broadcasts. I don’t want to give you specific details yet, because I want to see what you can pick up. Come on.”
    He urged her toward the structure, and apprehension began churning inside her, although she didn’t know why. The uneasiness grew stronger with each step closer, like a weight pressing down on her. She stopped, not wanting to go any farther.
    Luke slid off his sunglasses, looked at her. “What’s wrong?”
    “I don’t know. Something about that building bothers me.”
    “Belian energy.” Triumph gleamed in his eyes. “You can sense it.”
    She still wasn’t ready to tell him she’d been feeling emotions from those around her, with him being the odd exception, for the past eleven years. Nor did she like him thinking she was a conductor, even if she didn’t fully understand what that was. “It just looks creepy.”
    “It’s all right.” He took her elbow, guided her forward. “The place is completely deserted. The Belian is long gone.”
    Then why did she feel panicky as they approached the sagging porch? Why did it seem as if a horrifying darkness was eclipsing the sun? Out of nowhere, blackness descended on her. Surrounded her, a force so evil, it chilled her to the core.
    Sensations of intense hatred mingled with visual flashes of a knife and blood, bits and pieces of . . . bodies. Oh, God! She struggled against the darkness, but the depravity wrapped around her. Tighter and tighter. Suffocating her, stealing her soul. She tried to scream, but nothing came out. She felt walls closing around her and fought to free herself.
    “Marla! Marla, stop!”
    She flailed wildly, hit something hard.
    “It’s me, Luke. You’re safe. Nothing here can hurt you. Marla . Focus on me .”
    Light illuminated the darkness and she blinked at the sudden sunshine, stared at the long, masculine fingers holding her upper arms. She managed to gulp in air, but when she tried to speak, a low, keening sound rose from her throat. Through the bloody mental images, she saw Luke’s concerned face.
    The sense of horror continued to suffocate her. “It’s here. It’s still here!” she gasped.
    “No. It’s not.”
    Yet evil surrounded her. “I can feel it. I can see it . . . the blood, the bodies.” Spasms clenched her stomach. She struggled against Luke’s grasp. “I’m going to be sick. Let me go!”
    He released her, and she staggered a step away before collapsing to her hands and knees and retching violently in the dirt. She was vaguely aware of his solid presence next to her, of his hand rubbing her back. When the heaving finally stopped, she sagged weakly beside him, mortified, but too spent to even apologize. He murmured something, but she couldn’t hear through the buzzing in her ears.
    She didn’t protest when he swept her into his arms and carried her as if she were a small child to the motorcycle. He lowered her to the ground, eased her into a sitting position against the rear tire. Squatting beside her, he gripped her shoulders. “Take a deep breath.”
    She did, and the buzzing receded.
    “Take another breath.” He waited until she complied. “You okay now?”
    Battling to maintain control, she nodded.
    “Can you still feel it?”
    Oh, yes. The macabre visions were gone, but she still felt pure, unadulterated evil