“He is. But apparently where the tranquilizers simply help get others through the pain of healing and the nanos ignore it until they have finished their work, with Scotty the nanos turn all their efforts to removing the drug from his system first and then return to the healing. So the tranquilizer just slows his healing.”
“I think he must be allergic to the tranquilizer,” Rachel announced, approaching from the stairs. “And highly allergic at that. The nanos in him react as if they’re removing a life-threatening poison and turn all their attention to getting it out of him. Thus slowing his healing.”
Beth nodded solemnly, and then turned her hand in his to clasp it gently.
“He can stay with me if it makes him feel better,” she announced and tugged him into her room.
Beth wasn’t surprised when Magnus and Rachel followed, but she simply led Scotty to the bed, urged him into it and tucked him in. She noticed the wide-eyed way he was looking at her as she did it, but ignored that and simply walked around the bed to climb in next to him. She didn’t lie down, however, but sat up against the headboard and pulled the blankets up to cover the pale blue hospital gown she wore. Beth then peered from Rachel to Magnus expectantly. “So, you think it was another attack directed at me?”
The pair exchanged a glance, and then Magnus asked, “Do you disagree?”
Beth considered it briefly. “It was definitely a trap, and a well-thought-out one. If I hadn’t noticed the new nails sticking out of the wood of the barn as we approached, I might have walked straight in to take a look around when I saw that it appeared empty. We probably all would have.”
Magnus nodded solemnly.
“But I don’t see how it could have been directed at me specifically,” she continued. “I’m not the only Rogue Hunter working for Mortimer. In fact, he has more people to call on right now than he did before you and the others came from England. Any one of us could have walked into that trap.”
There was silence for a minute, and then Kira said from the door, “Except it appeared to be a joke job. That is what you call it, da? The joke job?”
“Da,” Beth admitted reluctantly, watching the other woman enter. It was the first time the Russian had visited since she’d woken up, although she’d been told Kira had refused to leave her bedside the first night, insisting on staying to watch over her.
“So,” Kira continued, “if this person knows you are stuck with me, going only to the joke job, then they know is likely you will be assigned barn.”
“She’s right,” Scotty said grimly. “Yer team is the only one that would’ve been sent to that barn.”
“But who could have known that?” Beth asked with a frown.
“Pretty much every Enforcer working for me right now knows that,” Mortimer said, entering the room as well. Pausing, he glanced around at the people in the room, and raised his eyebrows. “You could have let me know there was going to be a meeting about this.”
“It was not planned,” Magnus assured him.
Mortimer grunted at that, and then rubbed the back of his neck before saying, “So, here is our problem. That accident on the highway appears to have been deliberate. The driver had been controlled. However, we do not think it can be connected to the attack in Vancouver, because whoever set up the car accident could not have followed you to Vancouver, and none of the Enforcers—who were the only people who could know you were out there—were in Vancouver, except for you three. However, now there has been another attack here, a very well-planned attack. But the only people who could know you would be the one sent to the barn are our people.” He raised his eyebrows at her. “Do you have any idea what the hell is going on?”
Beth shook her head solemnly. “Sorry. No.”
Mortimer grimaced, but nodded. “I did not think so, but was hoping.”
“Each attack was pre-planned,” Scotty said now, the words coming through clenched teeth.
Beth was aware that she wasn’t the only one to look at him. Everyone was watching him now, waiting for him to continue, and probably noticing—like her—that he was obviously suffering. The man was extremely pale. He was also sweating as he struggled with the pain of healing. And there wasn’t a damned thing they could do to help him if he was allergic to the tranquilizers.
“At least somewhat,” he added with a frown. “The first one could have been a case of opportunity. The immortal behind this could ha’e been followin’ Beth, spotted the truck pullin’ girders as it drove onto the highway and then simply took control o’ the driver and caused the accident. But the second one . . .” He glanced to Beth. “The mortal was taken control of and sent into the ladies’ room to lure ye out to the alley where the immortal was waitin’ with a sword. That took a little more plannin’.”
“And the last one was all plan,” Beth continued for him. “The barn was set with traps, the call was made to bring someone out, presumably me, and then . . .” She shrugged and raised her eyebrows. “What does that mean?”
Scotty closed his eyes. His hands and jaw were clenched, and Beth was sure she could see a difference in him. To her it looked like there was less black on his head and face, and more red, wet, raw skin.
“I do no’ ken,” he said at last on an expelled breath and shook his head on the pillow. “I think it means something, but I can no’ think just now.”
Everyone was silent for a moment, and then Magnus said, “Well, perhaps we should all take some time and think about it. In the meantime, you need to rest and heal, Scotty.”
“What we need to do is place guards on Beth,” Scotty countered, his voice rough with pain. “She is never to be alone. She is to go on no more hunts. In fact, she should no’ leave this house until we sort out who is after her and catch them.”
Beth had to bite her tongue to keep from protesting. She really, really wanted to, and if Scotty were his normal strong, healthy self, she would. But he wasn’t. Scotty was in no shape to argue. He was in a bad way, and it was all thanks to her. To his trying to save her. Beth shook her head slightly, still finding it hard to believe he’d done that. She truly didn’t understand the man. Nothing he did made sense to her. He didn’t want her, but he risked himself to save her. Because there was nothing riskier to an immortal than fire. It was like putting a match to pure alcohol. Whoosh, up they went. It was amazing they were both still alive.
“My bodyguards and I will help guard Beth,” Kira offered, although the word offered was something of a misnomer. The Russian’s offer was actually more of an announcement . . . as usual, Beth thought with amusement, and smiled at the woman as she commented, “You don’t appear angry about being sent on joke jobs.”
Kira shrugged. “I am new one. New always starts at bottom. Is how you learn . . . and I am learning,” she added solemnly.
Magnus smiled faintly. “And what have you learned . . . besides not to throw yourself on a burning immortal?” he added dryly.
“A lot,” Kira assured him, and then glanced at Beth and praised her. “You are good teacher. At barn I learn never to rush in. To be patient, like you. And to be cautious, and see everything. You saw both traps before they were sprung.”
“Not soon enough,” Beth said unhappily. “I should have considered that there might be a second lever where Oksana fell that acted as a secondary trip for another trap once her weight was taken off. As Liliya said, everyone would rush in to help the downed person, and that is when the second trap could do the most damage.”
Kira shook her head. “You cannot know everything.”
“Still, I’m sorry about Oksana,” Beth said solemnly. The first thing she’d asked about on waking the first time was how the Russian had fared. She already knew that Liliya had dropped the Russian Amazon’s upper body when the explosion knocked her to the ground, and that she was dazed and confused when Rickart reached her and carried her out. Liliya hadn’t recalled about Oksana’s upper body until it was too late. Only the woman’s lower body and lower arms had survived the fire, and her lower body had got pretty charred along with Beth . . . and Scotty, she added silently, glancing to the man in bed next to her. His eyes were tightly closed, his face a rictus of agony.