Circle Of Fire

Chapter Six

Maddie frowned and glanced at her watch. Jon was nearly an hour late. Why she was surprised she wasn't entirely sure.

She picked up her milk shake and idly pushed the straw back and forth across the caramel froth. She'd been an idiot yet again. She'd stared into Jon's bright blue eyes and believed the truth she saw there.

Only the truth always hid deceit. She'd learned that lesson the hard way during the six long years of her marriage. What on Earth made her think Jon would keep his promise when it was so obvious he didn't want her around?

A waitress brushed past her, bumping against her arm. As the woman apologized, Maddie glanced up and felt her heart almost jump into her mouth. Hank stood in the cafe's entrance, looking around.

Had he followed her, or was it just coincidence that led them to the same place? She had no way of knowing and no way of finding out, short of asking him. Something told her that wouldn't be a wise move.

He stepped forward. She ducked her head, praying he didn't see her. After this morning, she wanted as little as possible to do with the night manager. The man was spooky.

His footsteps moved away from her. She sipped on her milk shake and glanced furtively sideways, trying to see where he went.

He stopped in front of a table on the far side of the small restaurant. She wished she could see whom he was meeting, but the width of his body blocked her view. It might be just a friend or a relation, but the way his shoulders were hunched and his head bowed told her this wasn't so.

She could remember standing that way herself over the years. He spoke to someone he loved, and yet feared.

Maddie frowned at the thought. Why did she keep thinking back to her marriage? The past was coming up too much lately; she was seeing reminders everywhere. Why couldn't she just forget it and get on with her life?

Because the past has shaped my present, and given me no life at all. She closed her eyes against the sudden insight. While her life might hold no excitement, it was safe. It was all she could ask for these days. And all she deserved.

Hank looked like he was arguing with the person in the booth. He made a short, sharp gesture with his hand that spoke of denial, and then he shifted slightly. For an instant, Maddie found herself staring into a woman's eyes—eye's that where as dark as the sky at midnight.

Relief surged through her. For some odd reason, she'd half-expected the woman to have the same chilling green gaze as the cat.

The woman rose, and Hank stepped back. Maddie was surprised to see that the woman was short.

Somehow, Hank's manner had made her expect someone much taller, someone with more commanding presence. The woman walked toward the exit, and the provocative sway of her hips turned the head of every man in the café.

Would it have turned Jon's? Maddie smiled at the thought. He might be a loner emotionally, but she didn't see him as a loner physically. The man was too comfortable around women.

Hank followed the woman towards the door. Maddie ducked her head, hoping he would walk right on by.

But the sound of his footsteps hesitated, then headed in her direction. She took a deep, calming breath and glanced up.

Straight into Hank's suspicious brown gaze.

Jon shifted shape as he neared the ground, but his legs were trembling with exhaustion and wouldn't hold his weight. He stumbled forward, then collapsed, landing on his hands and knees. He stayed there, gulping in great gasps of air as sweat dripped from his forehead and pooled in the dirt near his fingers.

Maybe this was why he couldn't remember much about last night. He'd blocked out the fact that it damn well hurt to shapeshift.

It was a good ten minutes before he felt strong enough to move. He climbed slowly to his feet and wiped the sweat from his face. Despite the morning's late hour, the small park was quiet. From beyond the line of trees came the steady sound of traffic—it had to be the freeway that bypassed most of Taurin Bay.

The traffic was too steady to be anything else. His destination lay to the left—Taurin Bay's quiet heart.

He brushed the dirt from his hands and jeans, then walked through the cedars. Shops came into view, and outside one, a phone booth. It reminded him that he'd yet to call his boss. He dug several coins out of his pocket and crossed the road, heading towards it.

The phone was answered on the second ring. "About time you checked in, cowboy."

The edge in her usually gentle voice told him she'd been worried. "Sorry Seline. Someone in this town knew why I was here—they tried to get rid of me."

"I did warn that they might," she replied, almost crossly.

So she had. He just hadn't expected the attack to come within the first two hours of his arrival. "I need you to do some checking for me."

"What?"

He heard the soft rustle of paper and could imagine her ferreting through the huge mound of documents on her desk, searching for a pencil to make notes—which she really didn't need. Despite her years, Seline had an incredible memory.

"The Hank Stewart we have on file is not the same man that's currently working at the inn. Might be worth checking whether any unidentified bodies have been found in the area recently. You might also check to see if he's purchased any other properties in the area."

"You think this Hank is responsible for the attack on you?"

"Bit of a coincidence, otherwise. I never actually met him the day I checked in, so how he knew I was here for anything more than a vacation is beyond me. He's not the brains behind the operation, I know that much."

"Old magic is the key, cowboy. And old magic has ways and means of finding out information."

"Gee, doesn't that make everything so much clearer," he said sarcastically.

"If you're not careful, boy, I'll come down there and slap that smartness from your mouth."

He grinned. Seline was half his height, and twig-slender, but she could be a fearsome old bird when she wanted. And he had no doubt that she'd do as she threatened.

"Anything else?" she continued.

"Shapeshifters. I need to know if there are any known to be in this area. I've seen one, at least, but I need to know her human identity."

"Will do." She hesitated, then added, "You okay? I had this feeling you were in trouble."

"I was, but I found help." Help he didn't really want. He glanced at his watch. If he didn't hurry, he'd be late for his meeting with her.

"Well, be careful, cowboy. You could lose more than you bargained for on this one."

Alarms rang in his mind. He had an odd feeling Seline wasn't talking about the job, but something more personal. "I'm always careful, Seline."

Her laugh was a high-sounding cackle. "I know. That's what will make your fall all the more delicious. I'll be in touch."

She hung up before he could question her further. He swore and slammed the receiver back into place.

Sometimes the old witch's tendency to speak in riddles was more than a little annoying.

It took him ten minutes to walk up to where he'd left his truck, only to discover it had indeed been towed away. He wasted nearly another hour finding the police station, filling in forms and paying the fine.

He glanced at his watch as he climbed into the driver's seat and swore again. He still had to buy a jacket and some other clothes, and it was already well past the time he'd said he'd meet Maddie.

He just had to hope she didn't get sick of waiting and go off alone. There was a lot of strength in Maddie, despite her fears.

When he finally pulled into the café's small parking lot, he was relieved to see her truck was still parked there. But sitting right next to it, in an unfamiliar dark blue Ford, was a man he recognized. Terry Mackerel.

He'd known the FBI agent was involved with the investigation into the sixteen disappearances, but he was the last person Jon had expected or wanted to see in Taurin Bay.

He slowed, but at that instant the man looked up. Jon smiled grimly. Some days you just couldn't win.

He parked the truck and climbed out, approaching the car cautiously. While Jon had worked on several of the same cases as the agent over the last ten years, their relationship was neither professional nor personal. Jon trusted the man with his life, but not his secrets.

The car door opened, and the big man levered himself out with an awkwardness Jon knew was highly deceptive. Mack might look overweight, but he was fast when it mattered.

"Well, well." The big man's hard gray eyes watched him carefully, as if ready to pounce given the slightest provocation. "Fancy meeting you here."

"About to say the same thing myself." Jon crossed his arms and leaned his shoulder against the outside wall of the restaurant. He knew there was nothing casual about this meeting. Never was with Mack.

Mack unhurriedly opened a pack of cigarettes and pulled one out. "Weren't you in Atlanta last week?"

He nodded. Another missing child had turned up. Another murder yet to be solved. "Met your partner there."

"So I heard." Mack lit his cigarette and puffed on it thoughtfully. "Find any clues yourself?"

"No." As usual, the only sign of injury had been the small wound on the kid's wrist—a cut so small it might have been missed. Only there wasn't a drop of blood left in the child's veins. But Mack knew that—he would have seen the same coroner's reports that Jon had.

"Then why are you here?"

Why was Mack here? There was no such thing as a coincidence where the FBI agent was concerned "Maybe I'm just taking a break."

Mack exhaled a long plume of smoke. "Yeah. And I just might sprout wings and fly."

His gaze narrowed. Had Mack been digging around? Though where he would look for such information, Jon couldn't even begin to guess. It wasn't the sort of thing kept in any official records he knew of.

"What can I do for you, Mack?"

"You know another kid went missing a week ago."

Jon nodded. He wasn't about to tell the big man about Maddie's nephew. He had a feeling she didn't want to get involved with cops—of any variety.

"Well, this time they've taken two." Mack reached inside his jacket and pulled out a photo. "Seen this woman around?"

It was Maddie standing beside a lanky kid who could have easily been her son. Evan, obviously. She looked different, he thought, staring at the photo. It was Maddie as she should be. Happy and laughing.

He studied it a moment longer then handed the photo back to Mack. "Why do you expect me to know every pretty lady in the district?"

Mack smiled. A shark with a dental problem, Jon thought.

"The woman went missing several hours after her nephew disappeared. The kid's father is the local detective, and he's raising a hell of a stink. Seems to think she knows more than she was telling. It just might be the break we're looking for."

Maddie was only a few steps away from being in deep trouble. And though it would have been easy to let Mack grab her and haul her in for questioning, it wasn't fair. Not when she'd saved his life. He owed her more respect than that.

"What has all this got to do with me?" he asked casually.

Mack took a final puff on the cigarette, then threw it on the ground and crushed it under his heel. "I want to know what you know, Barnett." His cold gaze fixed onto Jon's. "We know you're working on this case for the parents of several missing kids. We know you work for the Damask Circle, a supposedly charitable, worldwide organization. Yet you, and others, curiously turn up to investigate the more bizarre police cases—and often get there before the police do. I want to know why you're in Taurin Bay, and what you know about the kids that have gone missing."

Jon smiled grimly. Mack had obviously been doing some research into the Circle. Professional or personal curiosity? "I don't know much." And wasn't that the damn truth.

"Ante up what you do have, then."

He had nothing to lose by doing so. Besides, it was always better to keep on the FBI agent's good side.

Things got dangerous when you didn't.

"Whoever is taking these kids is using them for some sort of ritual that's performed on the night of the new moon. If we don't find them before then, we won't find them alive."

"Why Taurin Bay?"

Because an old witch told me the evil was centered on this area—for now.But Mack was not likely to believe that Seline, the president of the Damask Circle, was anything more than the harmless old lady she appeared.

"The bodies of four of the kids currently missing have turned up in nearby areas. The nick on the wrist, the lack of blood—it's all exactly the same as the five that have been found along the West Coast." He shrugged lightly. "Taurin Bay is the one thing all the recent disappearances have in common—they were all at school camps here sometime within the last year."

"Interesting," Mack drawled softly. "We've just found another body."

He stood up straight. "One of the missing kids?"

The big man nodded. "Found him up on Saddle Mountain."

The same area where he'd been shot down. "Which kid?"

"Samuels. The kid was only missing a month."

"They're getting careless," Jon commented softly.

"Or getting ready to leave the area and just don't care any more."

So Mack thought the people behind all this were in Taurin Bay, too. "Any suspects?"

The agent just gave him a toothy smile. "I want you to keep in contact with me. I want to know if you see this woman, or find any information. I want the people who did this alive and unharmed and in prison.

Clear?"

Jon wondered if the man knew he was parked next to Maddie's truck. Probably, he thought, returning Mack's hard gaze. "Very. Anything else?"

Mack's gaze narrowed. "Don't mess with me, Barnett. Not on this."

Jon nodded, not moving until the agent had climbed into his car and driven away. Then he turned and made his way to the café's entrance.

A woman opened the door as he approached, and a familiar tingle ran across his skin. He stopped at the base of the steps and studied the woman's dark eyes. A brief flash of confusion, even fear, ran through her gaze. He didn't think its origin was something as simple as being confronted by another shapeshifter in her territory.

Then she smiled. He couldn't help responding.

"I do believe we've met before." She tossed back her mane of golden hair, her voice as smooth as a fine malt whiskey.

Designed for seduction, he thought. There was something about her that seemed oddly familiar, yet her eyes were dark, not the green of the cat he'd seen in the forest.

"Surely not," he replied lightly. "I'd never forget such a beautiful face."

Maddie, he thought with amusement, would probably have made a face at such an obvious line. Or gone into fits of laughter. This woman merely smiled, though he felt a wariness in her that matched his own.

And it wasn't the usual wariness of two shapeshifters meeting for the first time.

"Eleanor Dumaresq," she said. "Perhaps you have time for a cup of coffee?"

He took her offered hand. Her fingers were warm and pliant against his, yet he felt an inner core of strength in them. The woman was more than simply a shapeshifter. Old magic swirled about her, a sense so strong he could almost taste it.

He let his touch linger a little longer than was necessary and studied her eyes. Her gaze called to the wildness in him.

Old magic was the key—and the danger—Seline had warned of when she'd sent him to Taurin Bay. It was an image that seemed to fit Eleanor well. Yet there was nothing more than a gut feeling and the words of an old witch tying Eleanor to the disappearances.

But as much as he would have loved to accept Eleanor's invitation and pursue the mystery she presented, he couldn't. Not with Maddie waiting for him in the café. He didn't want to endanger her by introducing her to someone who might well be involved in the attempt on his life.

"I'm afraid I can't just now," he said, glancing past her to study the restaurant's interior. Why did he suddenly feel Maddie needed his help?

"A shame," Eleanor replied warmly. "But I'm sure we'll meet again. Taurin Bay is such a small town, after all."

He glanced at her sharply. There was definitely an edge of warning in her mellow tones. "I'm sure we will."

In fact, he'd make damn sure they did. Eleanor might not be the cat he'd seen in the forest, or even the one in the inn, but something told him she was involved in the disappearances. The brief flash of confusion in her eyes the moment they'd met told as much. As did the shimmer of hate that shone through her aura.

He watched her walk away, then quickly entered the restaurant.

"Mr. Stewart, what a surprise to see you here." Maddie forced a smile, and hoped she didn't look as nervous as she felt.

"I was about to say the same thing." He dragged out a chair and sat down opposite her. "This restaurant is not the usual tourist stop."

"My sister recommended it," she said quickly, then silently cursed her own stupidity. Any mention of Jayne and Evan was plain suicidal if this man was involved with her nephew's disappearance.

"Really? Does she come here often?"

Though Hank's question was casual, she couldn't miss the edge of tension around his thin mouth. She nodded, lowering her gaze as she took a quick sip of her drink.

"What's her name? Maybe I know her."

"Jayne Smith," she replied, knowing her sister had only visited Taurin Bay under her married name of Gaskell.

The dangerous light in Hank's eyes faded. He sat back in the chair and lightly toyed with a knife. She suddenly felt like a mouse facing a large and hungry cat.

"The only Smith I know is the lovely young lady now sitting opposite me."

He meant to flatter her, but he only succeeded in making her feel ill. She pushed the rest of her milk shake away and gathered her bag. She'd be damned if she'd wait any longer for Jon—especially if Hank intended to keep her company.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Stewart, but I really must go."

"No time for another drink? It would give me a chance to apologize for my abrupt behavior this morning.

You might even find yourself enjoying my company."

She forced another smile and shook her head as she stood. "I'm sorry, but I really have to leave."

"Why? Are you meeting someone?"

Her gaze jerked to his at the question. He knows, she thought, studying his eyes. He knows I'm involved with Jon somehow. I should have stayed home, stayed safe.

But being safe wouldn't find Evan.

"What business is it of yours?" she retorted tightly, her fingers clenched against the strap of her handbag.

"Do you usually take this much interest in the inn's guests?"

He smiled lazily. "No. Just the exceptionally pretty ones."

The man was a sleaze, whether or not he was involved with Evan's disappearance. "I'm sure the inn's owners will be pleased to discover you take such an interest."

He laughed, white teeth flashing. Her stomach turned. Evil haunted the depths of his laughter. Maddie swallowed and looked away. What on Earth made her think that? God, she needed a drink.

She licked her lips and tried to ignore the thought as she watched Hank warily.

"I'm only kidding, my dear," he said with a lazy smile. "No need to get nasty."

Despite his conciliatory manner, the amused light in his eyes told her he wasn't worried by her threat.

Why? Did he have some kind of hold over the owner? Or was the owner somehow involved in Evan's disappearance?

"Madeline Smith? Maddie? Is that really you?"

She jerked around at the sound of Jon's voice. He was threading his way through the tables, wearing a black leather jacket that emphasized the lean strength of his shoulders and the brightness of his golden hair. His gaze met hers for a moment, and fear ran briefly through her heart. Despite his easy smile, there was a light in his eyes that made him look very dangerous. But she'd never been more relieved to see anyone in her life.

"Fancy meeting you here." He stopped beside her. His eyes held a warning as he lightly kissed her cheek.

She cleared her throat and tried to ignore the warm tingle his lips left on her skin.

"It's been a while," he continued. "What, six, seven years?"

She nodded, going along with his game. "You're lucky you caught me here at all. I was just leaving."

A hint of a smile tugged at his lips, but she sensed his attention was on Hank, not her.

"Surely you can stay for a cup of coffee?" He pulled out the chair she'd just vacated. "Don't believe we've met," he added, holding his hand out to Hank. "Jon Barnett."

"Hank Stewart."

"Really?" Jon said, the surprise in his voice at odds with the slight narrowing of his gaze. "You've changed. You look nothing like the photo that appeared in the Gazette ad a year ago."

"Ah," Hank's smile was easy despite the wariness in his eyes. "That was my younger brother, Tim. He fills in for me quite often, and happened to be on duty the day the photographer came. Just as well, too.

He's more photogenic than me."

The tension levels rose a notch. She touched Jon's arm, felt the tautness in his muscles. "Look, I really have to get going."

Jon took her hand from his arm and squeezed her fingers gently before letting them go. "Really?" he said to Hank. "Odd that we haven't seen him around much lately then, isn't it?"

Hank shrugged and rose to his feet. "It's been a delight, Miss Smith. Maybe we can do this again another day."

The predatory light in his gaze belied the blandness of his smile. She edged a little closer to Jon. "Sure."

When hell freezes over.

"See you back at the inn, then," Jon said.

"That you can be assured of," Hank murmured. He nodded to Maddie and walked away.

She waited until he'd left the restaurant then grabbed Jon's arm, pulling him around to face her.

"What the hell was that all about?"

"You needed help, didn't you?" he replied mildly. He sat down at the table and reached across to her half-finished milk shake. "May I?"

She nodded. "What made you think I needed help? And why show yourself to Hank? He might be involved with the attempt on your life."

"He might. He might not." Jon shrugged and took a long drink.

She frowned. "Why on Earth were you going on about that Gazette photo?"

Again he shrugged. "Just stirring the pot, so to speak."

Jeez, he could be so damn infuriating sometimes… "Will you just answer my questions?"

"No." He pushed the empty shake container away and sat up straight. "Why didn't you tell me your brother-in-law was a cop?"

She blinked in surprise. "What has that got to do with anything?"

"Plenty. He's reported you missing and claims that you may know more about Evan's disappearance than what you're admitting. The cops, as well as the FBI, are sniffing around Taurin Bay looking for you."

Trust Steve to do something like that. The man was a pain. And obviously, Jayne hadn't mentioned the fact that she'd asked Maddie to search for Evan. "Why is everyone in Taurin Bay? Why are you?"

"Because the bodies of several missing teenagers have been found nearby." He hesitated, his gaze searching her face. "And you didn't answer my question."

"I didn't think it was important enough to mention." Didn't think Steve's hate for her would blind his common sense. Damn it, it wasn't as if this was the first time she'd had a vision concerning Evan. Steve certainly knew about them, even if he didn't acknowledge them—or her. He'd even seen them hit her a couple of times.

But he also knew about her shady history with sudden disappearances. Maybe in his fear for Evan he was grabbing at straws. Maybe it was easier to believe she might have been involved in taking his son, simply because the chances of Evan coming back alive were greater.

She rubbed her eyes wearily. How was she going to avoid the police and still find Evan? Lord, another round of questioning was not what she needed right now. She'd had more than her fair share when Brian had disappeared. Nor had the questioning stopped when they found his remains among the smoking ruins of their house. She knew some of the investigators still suspected she'd killed him, even though his death had eventually been classed as accidental. And they weren't far wrong in their accusations, either.

"I'll go call him right now." Or at least, she'd call Jayne, and see if her sister could convince Steve to get his police buddies off her tail.

"I wouldn't." Jon caught her hand, his fingers warm and gentle against hers. "Your brother-in-law might know you're not directly involved in Evan's absence, but the fact of the matter is you did warn them of the disappearance before it happened. They'll want to know how and why, and they will question you until you tell them."

She closed her eyes. "And waste everyone's time in doing so."

"Exactly. We're all caught in a no win situation."

And Jon was going to use it to keep her out of the way of his investigations. A flicker of anger curled through her stomach. Doing what other people thought was best for her had never worked. She'd only married Brian because Jayne had convinced her he was the safe harbor she'd needed. How wrong they'd been. And Brian had died because of their foolishness.

Oh yeah? Didn't his ruthlessness have something to do with that as well?

She ignored the thought and pulled her hand from Jon's. "I'm not going back to the inn."

"Maddie—" She held up her hand, cutting him off angrily. "No. I'm staying with you. I'm going to find Evan, even if I have to avoid every cop in the country to do so."

He raised an eyebrow, and leaned back in his chair, a grin twitching the corners of his generous mouth.

"Can I finish now?"

She glared at him and didn't reply.

His smile broke loose, doing odd things to her stomach. Yet his bright eyes held a thoughtful note that calmed her rising anger. He was taking her seriously, despite his outward appearance.

"I can't let you go back to the inn. Not after I've just confronted Hank. And I don't want the cops to get hold of you, either, simply because interviewing you will take them away from tracking the real criminals.

So like it or not, I'm stuck with you."

Stuck with you. What a great way to put it. She held out her hand. "A partnership, then? No more trying to get rid of me?"

"A partnership could be dangerous. The less you know, the better off you'll be. I'm only trying to protect you."

"Protect me from what? Death?" She laughed bitterly. "Believe me, I've faced death, and it doesn't scare me. Not half as much as I…"

She broke off. Heat crept through her cheeks as she stared at him. She'd done it again. Confused his words with past pain, and in the process, had almost revealed entirely too much.

She had to get a grip on herself. She couldn't let her emotions run loose. People died when she did.

She took a deep breath and met his narrowed gaze.

His eyes were vivid, powerful. The same color and yet so different from her husband's. Brian's eyes had been cold and calculating, his gaze that of a man who liked to control. The blue of Jon's eyes was warm and inviting, even if the man himself appeared somewhat remote.

"You're right," he said, his voice lacking the hint of warmth it had held a moment earlier. "I have no right to try to protect you. A partnership, then. Together we'll track the bad guys and find the kids." He hesitated, then shrugged. "But that's all I'm offering, Maddie."

She saw the warning deep within the depths of his eyes. Don't expect anything more than tolerance, it said. Don't expect anything more than friendship.

As if she wanted anything more. "Fine," she replied stiffly, and tore her hand from his. "Are we going to start looking at cabins today?"

He nodded and patted his coat pocket. "I brought a detailed map of the area. We'll start looking at the old logging huts first and hope we get lucky."

The cabin in her dream had been old and made of wood. It took a long leap of faith to say it was a logger's hut, but they had to start somewhere.

"What about the police?"

"I'm hoping they're watching your truck, not mine." He tossed his keys in his hands, then gave her a somewhat grim smile. "Go out the back way. You'll find a small alley. Follow it. I'll meet you at the third cross street."

She raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Is that really necessary?"

He shrugged. "I have no idea if they're watching your truck, but we can't afford to have them tailing us. If I'm followed, I'll dump my truck and get rid of them before I come back for you."

"Just make sure that you do come back." She shoved her hands into her jacket pockets and glared at him.

He returned her gaze evenly, giving nothing away. "A partnership won't work without trust."

Yeah, right. But he didn't really need her, did he? She nodded and spun away, heading for the back of the café. His gaze warmed the middle of her shoulder blades, but she didn't turn around.

The sun came out from behind a cloud as she pushed open the back door. She stopped and peered up at the mountains high above her.

Evan was up there somewhere. And so was the woman with the cat green eyes. She shivered and walked towards the street.

Her brave words to Jon only moments before were nothing more than a lie. She feared death, all right.

She'd seen its specter twice, now, and somehow had escaped its touch. And she'd seen it again through her visions, in the woman's odd gaze.

Something told her if she met Death a third time, she would not be so lucky. But she had to save Evan, no matter what the cost. She owed that much to the ghosts of the past.