The Unmasking

Part 31

Sang POV

My breast was buzzing.

I reached up to touch the area in confusion without opening my eyes, and let out a low whimper. Dashes and beeps and an exponentially annoying woman had kept me up for the better part of the night before Nathan and Kota had crept into bed beside me and the lesson was abruptly cut off. I had been so relieved and had snuggled up to them both, only to feel them both leave again in the early hours of the morning. I moved my legs back and forth between the sheets, feeling how cool the bed had gotten in their absence. I sighed and poked my feet out of the blankets and over the side of the bed, letting them hang there for a minute before throwing them over and sitting on the edge of the bed. I pulled the still buzzing phone out and silenced it, placing it on the bedside table so I could stand and stretch. I swayed, a little groggy still since I had been up so late and rewoken several times. I rubbed at my eyes, fighting a yawn. I needed coffee. I vaguely remembered there was some in the fridge and padded into the kitchen to grab one before I dressed, worried I may muss the expensive outfit if I drank it afterwards.

I tapped the kitchen light on and froze, forced into complete awareness. An immaculate gray suited man was at the table, seated on a chair, his head carefully laid on his folded arms in front of him. Glasses and a cell phone were set out at precise angles, even with the edge of the table. I tiptoed closer, leaning around Mr. Blackbourne to see if he was alright. A puff of air left his lips, followed by a soft snore. I bit my lip. He looked so...so...I didn't dare think it. I took a moment to appreciate the open vulnerability I had never seen on his face before and retreated as quietly as I had left, turning the light off gently. The coffee would have to wait. I was awake enough now anyway without it.

"Miss Sorenson?!"

I startled, freezing right outside the doorway at the panic in his voice. I heard a faint rustle and the light was on again, my shadow and Mr. Blackbourne's melding together on the carpet in front of me. I turned just in time to see Mr. Blackbourne replacing a handgun back into the confines of his jacket. If I thought my heart had ever stopped beating before, that was nothing in comparison to this. He had a gun. A concealed weapon. Somehow the open vulnerability I had been awwing over earlier seemed a work of fiction now. We stared each other down, too long, before he finally cleared his throat.

"Were you, just...did you need something in the kitchen?"

I could not for the life of me utter one syllable. He frowned. I found my heartbeat again, pounding so loudly that I heard the rush in my ears from it. Did, did he have that thing pointed at me? What if I had startled him when he was sleeping? The thoughts of what ifs ran around in my head, each a worse scenario than the last before I realized he had me by the elbow and was leading me into the kitchen. I sat with an ungraceful thump on the chair he had vacated and listened to the sounds of glass tinkling and water running, then I was suddenly drinking water. The cold helped pull me out of the shock and I gasped, choking on the water a little. I grabbed the glass Mr. Blackbourne was holding up to my lips and pulled it away, looking up so I could see him square in the eye.

"You have a gun!"

I had never heard Mr. Blackbourne say, "Umm" before, nor be at a loss for words. This was not helping calm the rising panic that was squeezing my chest. He sighed and placed the glass on the table with a clink, stepping back a pace. I watched wide-eyed as he put his hand back in his jacket and pulled the gun in question from it. He twisted at the bullet chamber, opening it and carefully removing a small needle-like dart with a bright yellow feathery end. He held it up to me and twisted it back and forth between his fingertips, his own eyes locked in fascination on the little sharp fluff ball.

"It's called ketamine. Usually it's used on apes or gorillas, but it can be safely used on humans as well. The dosage in this dart should put a man my size out for..oh, about an hour I should say. Give or take."