Just around the next turn, he noticed something odd-a heel mark in the dust. It looked too fresh to have been from the day before. He might be wrong, but he didn't think so.

Kneeling down, he studied the print, looking for others. They weren't hard to find, and they were definitely headed in the same direction as he and Reggie. He backtracked a short distance until he found where they'd started. Someone had climbed up to the trail from right below where he stood. He stood at the far edge and looked down at the ridge. No sign of anyone now, but he could see where a few rocks had been disturbed, marking the Other's route to where D.J. now stood.

Great. As far as he knew, the only thing of note located along that trail was the cave and the barrier inside. This couldn't be good. Not at all.

It appeared the prints belonged to one individual, which didn't particularly worry him. In this world, no one was armed with anything other than blades. That he could deal with. The real question was what the guy was up to. Was he hoping to make contact with someone from Earth?

That didn't feel right. No, it had to be another trap. Not all Kalith had the healing capabilities the Paladins had inherited but some had it in spades. If this was the guy who had plummeted off the cliff the previous night, he'd had plenty of time to recover from the experience, provided he'd survived at all. For sure, he'd be carrying one heck of a grudge against D.J. for d.a.m.n near killing him. If the Kalith had found out that D.J. was responsible for the death of his partner, that would only compound the problem.

Should he and Reggie continue onward and upward? s.h.i.+t, what choice did they have? No matter what, it was still their best option. The straightest route to back home was through that cave. If nothing else, their supplies were stashed only a short distance from the entrance.

G.o.d forbid they'd have to hike their a.s.ses back down the trail and across the valley to their fallback position on the other side. But if that's what they had to do, they'd need the food and supplies in that pack. He hustled back to where Reggie was waiting. She looked relieved to see him but then frowned.

"D.J., what's wrong?"

There was no use lying to her. "I think someone has been up here today. It might be the guy I fought last night."

"Kolar? The one you thought died when he fell off the cliff?"

"Yeah, but it almost has to be him. No one else has pa.s.sed by us, and this trail comes to a dead end just past the cave."

Reggie backed away a few steps. "How is that even possible? Even if Kolar survived the fall, he'd be injured too badly to hike this far."

Now wasn't the time to discuss the full capabilities of the Paladins or their alien counterparts. She'd already learned more than she should have about his world. Okay, that was a lie. It wasn't his world he was trying to protect. He didn't want her to find out how much of a freak he really was.

"Trust me, with these guys almost anything is possible." He shouldered his own pack, but drew Larem's sword. "Keep your gun aimed down and to the side. Stay behind me as much as possible."

He made sure she was following his directions before starting up the hillside. They had less than half a mile to go. Once they drew closer to the entrance, he'd find somewhere to stash Reggie while he investigated. When they reached the cave safely, he should be able to defend them both until Barak opened up the way home.

Home. He couldn't wait. No doubt Reggie felt the same way to the power of ten. Had she stopped to think that getting back across the barrier was only the first step in returning her life to normal? Until he and the Paladins managed to track down the b.a.s.t.a.r.d who had ordered the kidnapping in the first place, she'd have to be under armed guard.

She'd hate that, but one step at a time. Right now he needed to concentrate on the immediate problem of getting them both safely inside the cave.

There was another cl.u.s.ter of trees and rocks just ahead, the perfect place for Reggie to wait while he scouted. In the time it took for her to catch up, he'd dropped his cloak and pack on the ground. He'd move more easily without them.

She came puffing her way up the trail a few seconds later. "Why are we stopping here? Isn't that the cave entrance just ahead?"

"It is, which is why you're going to stay here. If someone has laid a trap for us, I'll need room to maneuver. I can't do that and protect you at the same time."

Reggie took a deep breath and then planted herself right in front of him, blocking the trail. "Hold up just a second."

He tried to get around her but ended up just slide-stepping as she kept pace with him. Short of mowing her down, he'd get nowhere.

"Come on, Reggie, no arguments. If this turns violent, I don't want you caught in the middle."

For such a tiny thing, she sure was stubborn. "Hold still, for Pete's sake. I'm not trying to stop you from going, just stop you from going yet."

Her smile was a bit ragged as she reached up to capture his face in her hands. "I'm scared, and I want to give you a kiss for luck before you go up there."

He stared down into those eyes that read him like an open book. She was worried, but mainly about him, even though they were both at risk. For a brief second he knew what it was like to be Devlin and Trahern, having women in their lives who sent them off to battle knowing that they were loved.

He kissed her with everything he had. It might've been a bit awkward, holding her close with his hands full of weapons, but that didn't detract one bit from the sweetness of the moment. Standing there on the hillside in full view of the whole world was insanity, but he desperately needed this little bit of craziness in his life.

A trickle of gravel slipping down the hillside was his only warning. D.J. managed to shove Reggie out of the way just in time to block the charging Other's blow with his own weapon.

"Reggie, get back!" he bellowed as he forced the enemy to retreat one step, then a second.

He could hear Reggie scrambling for cover. The previous night he'd never gotten a clear look at his opponent, shrouded as he'd been in his cloak, but the Other's fighting style was unmistakable. The b.a.s.t.a.r.d was good, but then desperation often took a fighter to a new level.

They were going at it too fast, too up close and personal for D.J. to get off a clean shot with his gun, especially when he wasn't quite sure where Reggie had gone to ground. He tossed the gun aside, freeing up his second hand to grasp the pommel of Larem's sword. The two-handed grip gave him that much more control and power.

"You have any last wishes, Other?" D.J. taunted as he charged the b.a.s.t.a.r.d, forcing him to give more ground. Their blades clanged together, the two men ending up pommel to pommel and smelling each other's breath.

The Kalith smiled, sweat and dust streaks on his pale face only emphasizing the insanity in his eyes. "Human, I'm not the only one who will die this day. You and your woman both will breathe your last here in Kalithia."

D.J. didn't waste precious energy responding to the smug b.a.s.t.a.r.d. He jumped back, only to rebound with a series of fast and furious blows intended to wear the Other down. Maybe the previous night's injuries had yet to heal completely, because the man's defense was rapidly weakening.

D.J. finally caught the Other on the upper leg, the curve of his blade slicing straight through flesh until it hit bone. D.J. jerked the sword free and danced back a few steps. Blood gushed from the wound as the Other screamed in agony, retreating back uphill toward the cavern entrance.

D.J. followed slowly. Given the rate the guy was leaking oil, he'd be dead within three minutes, maybe less. And D.J. planned on making sure there'd be no coming back this time. Back home, he'd shoved his share of wounded Others back into their own world, seeing no need to finish them off as long as they stayed on their side of the barrier.

Not this time. Not after what this pale-eyed b.a.s.t.a.r.d had done to his woman.

d.a.m.n it, he'd forgotten all about her. The last thing Reggie needed was to witness another bloodbath. He looked around for her. Smart woman that she was, she'd found a good-size boulder to hide behind. She still held the gun in her hand, but she was shaking so hard he hoped like h.e.l.l that she had the safety on.

A soft moan snapped his attention back to the matter at hand. By now, the trail of blood left by the Other had almost reached the cave. He had collapsed in the dirt, the stream of blood flowing more slowly than it had been a few seconds before. Death had its hooks in the male and wouldn't be letting go.

Still, the wounded man kept dragging himself closer to the cave. He'd abandoned his sword, using his one hand in a futile attempt to staunch the bleeding as he limped along leaning against the rocky wall with the other. Finally, he slumped down to sit in the dirt right outside the entrance and reached for something on the ground.

What the h.e.l.l was he up to now?

D.J. ran forward, ready to end it once and for all. But then he saw what the Other had clutched in his b.l.o.o.d.y hands. Two wires. What the f.u.c.k?

Oh, h.e.l.l, no! He backed away, slowly at first but then faster.

"Run, Reggie, run!" he shouted, knowing they'd never get far enough away in time.

Kolar looked up at D.J., the fading light in his eyes triumphant as he touched the wires together. The two pieces of metal sparked and sizzled. Turning his back on the dying man, D.J. hauled a.s.s down the trail, hoping like h.e.l.l Reggie made it out of the blast zone.

A deep rumble shook the ground beneath his feet, almost sending him skidding to his knees. He managed to keep his balance right up until the hillside erupted in a blast of heat and fire. Rocks and burning ash rained down. Ahead, the shock wave sent Reggie pitching headfirst to the ground. D.J. dove to cover her body with his, ignoring the pain as the rocks and dirt pelted him.

He wrapped his arms around her and held on with all his strength, waiting for the world to right itself. As bad as it was, at least they were both still breathing.

With luck, maybe they'd both survive this.

Chapter 17.

Devlin's door slammed open. Cody jumped about a mile as the big man stormed out of his office looking royally p.i.s.sed off. What had happened? Everyone in the area froze in midmotion, no doubt wondering the same thing.

For several seconds, all Devlin did was curse as he abused the furniture in the area. A wastebasket bounced off the wall. A second one followed the first, throwing up a cloud of trash and sending it fluttering through the air. When Devlin picked up the nearest desk chair, Trahern and Cullen bolted across the room to gang-tackle him. They might have knocked the wind out of him, but it didn't last. Within a heartbeat, he'd almost succeeded in bucking them off, screaming threats at the top of his lungs.

"Let me the f.u.c.k go!"

Trahern bellowed, "Help, you idiots!"

Larem and a couple of young Paladins immediately joined the party, aiming for Devlin's arms and legs. It took all of their combined efforts to pin the man down, a tribute to his strength and fury. Even then, the ma.s.s of big bodies writhed across the floor.

Trahern gripped his friend's face with one of his big hands. "d.a.m.n it, Devlin, quit this s.h.i.+t."

Cody stood up, and was considering adding his weight to the pile when Trahern rose up long enough to belt his friend. Abruptly all the fight went out of Devlin.

One by one, the combatants peeled off the heap until only Trahern and Cullen remained kneeling beside their friend. From where Cody stood, it was impossible to see how much damage Trahern had done with his fist. After a few seconds, the two men helped Devlin sit up.

The Paladin leader shook his head as if to clear it and rubbed his jaw with his hand.

"d.a.m.n it, Blake, I forgot just how hard you can hit."

Trahern flexed his hand and laughed as he got back up to his feet. He and Cullen pulled Devlin upright before shoving him into the same chair he'd threatened to demolish. He happened to look in Cody's direction and cursed under his breath.

"Sorry, Cody. Didn't mean to go ballistic in front of you. Normally, I have better control."

"No problem."

Then Cody asked the question he knew they were all wanting answered. "How bad is it?"

Devlin pushed himself to his feet and looked around the room. "Barak just called. He and Lonzo were still camped out and waiting to bring the barrier down for D.J. and Reggie. About half an hour ago, all h.e.l.l broke loose. One second the barrier was at full strength, and the next it basically imploded. They only got a brief glimpse through to the cave on the other side, but it appears that someone blew it all to h.e.l.l and back."

His already grim expression worsened. "They couldn't tell if anyone was inside the cavern on the other side. Lonzo and Barak had to take off running before the aftershocks rolled through to our side. The whole f.u.c.king place collapsed only seconds after they got out. That's all we know for now."

The walls started closing in on Cody, and the temperature bounced from hot to cold and back again. Maybe it was the waves of tension coming off every man in the room.

"How soon can Barak find out what's going on?"

Devlin s.h.i.+fted his gaze to a spot on the wall behind Cody's head. "They can't go back in, even through one of the other caves. The whole area is too d.a.m.n unstable now. Not that it matters. With that part of the barrier destroyed, no one will be coming through there anytime soon. All we can do is wait until D.J. and Reggie find another way home."

The Paladin leader looked straight across to where Cody stood. As the man's words sank in, Cody's lungs forgot how to work and his pulse raced out of control.

"I've told Barak and Lonzo to head on back. There's nothing more to be done there."

Cody needed to sit down. Now. Evidently someone else thought so, too, because a chair hit him in the back of his legs and a hand shoved his head between his knees.

"Breathe, d.a.m.n it."

Even through the dizziness, Cody felt the rough concern in Trahern's voice, reminding him that he wasn't alone in this. Reggie was his friend, but D.J. was theirs. Well, maybe his, too.

A minute or two pa.s.sed before the spots in front of his eyes faded. He stood slowly once the fog started lifting. As soon as he was upright, Cullen stuck a bottle of water in his face.

"Drink this and then we'll go eat. Don't want you to starve to death before we have a chance to nail the b.a.s.t.a.r.ds."

Although the water helped, Cullen's barely controlled anger was what actually made Cody feel better. At the very least their cyberhunt would give them something to concentrate on other than worrying.

Devlin was back to snapping out orders. "Larem, get Hunter on the horn and have him send a follow-up message to Berk. Tell him what's happened. Maybe he can send someone to check out the cave and see if they're . . ."

He stopped talking and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Look, just tell him we need to know one way or the other. Maybe he can split up his men and have some check out this area and send the rest to watch for D.J. and Reggie heading toward their secondary target."

Larem was already dialing the phone. While he talked, his dog ignored everyone else in the room and headed straight for Cody. Scratching the dog's head, he smiled a little when the dog groaned and closed his big brown eyes. For a moment, Cody concentrated on making the dog happy, the only thing in his control.

Cullen walked over to where he was sitting, twirling his key ring on his forefinger. "You ready?"

"Yeah, sure." Reluctantly, Cody nodded and pushed the dog back so he could stand up. He wasn't particularly hungry, but right now getting out of there for a while sounded d.a.m.n good. His own mood was bleak enough, but being surrounded by a bunch of guys whose moods were even darker wasn't helping. He waited until he and Cullen had put some distance between themselves and the rest of the crew.

Keeping his voice low, he asked, "Devlin thinks they're already dead, doesn't he?"

Before Cullen could answer, Devlin's voice rang out over the distance. "h.e.l.l, no, I don't think that! Never underestimate D.J. He's one tough son of a b.i.t.c.h, and no f.u.c.king Other is going to get the better of him. You just watch. He and Reggie will come strolling back across the barrier in a day or so. When he does, I'm going to kick his a.s.s just for worrying you this much."

Cody looked at Cullen. "I thought I whispered that."

The Paladin smiled at him. "We all have exceptional hearing, but his is better than most."

Evidently Devlin wasn't done horning in on their conversation. "It comes from years of riding herd on this bunch of idiots. Now, go eat and then get your a.s.ses back here. There's work to be done."

Then Devlin walked back into his office, abusing his door once again as he slammed it behind him. Once he was out of sight, everyone else scattered. Cullen gave Cody a slight push toward the door at the end of the hall.

"So what sounds good for lunch?"

"I'm not picky, but I could go for Italian."

Before they reached the door, an obnoxious horn blasted up and down the hallway. The racket was unbelievable. What the heck was that? Obviously something bad because Paladins came pouring out of nearby offices and hallways at a dead run, most carrying swords.

"Cullen, what's going on?"

The Paladin was already walking back the way they'd come. He had the same fierce expression on his face as the others. Gone was the affable hacker and in his place a stone-cold killer, his expression hard and brittle.

"Listen, Cody, that alarm tells us the barrier below has gone down. Chances are there are a bunch of crazies from Kalithia foaming at the mouth to escape into our world. I'm going to have to join the rest of the guys to make sure that doesn't happen. Go with Larem. He'll stay with you until we get back."

"How long will that be?"

"There's no telling. Could be fifteen minutes or two days."

Larem stood in the middle of the desks watching the Paladins rush by. Cody waited for a break in the crowd to join him. If he'd thought the Kalith's face had been difficult to read before, it was impossible now. When the last of the Paladins disappeared from sight, Larem finally acknowledged Cody's presence.

"Did you need something?"