"Saw who?"

"I don't know, he didn't look familiar. Sandy brown hair, almost six feet. Medium build. Young. And when the moonlight hit him, he looked like he had light eyes."

Kylie bit down on her lip. Why was Jenny describing Derek? Derek squeezed Kylie's hand a little tighter, silently asking the same question.

The other chameleon materialized beside his partner. "Sounds like one of the guards that dirty FRU put on us. The one that knocked our asses out. I'd love to get another stab at him."

Tension traveled through Derek's grip and up Kylie's arm. The need to protect him stirred in her chest.

The new guard cut his gaze toward Jenny. "Why did you stay out here with a stranger running loose?"

the man asked.

"I didn't. I mean, that's why I came this way. He was between me and my house when I spotted him. He walked toward the north part of the property. I was going to Mr. Summers' home to report it."

"I knew this wouldn't end well," the guard snapped. He pulled a cell phone from his pocket and dialed.

The other moved closer to Jenny. "I'll walk you home."

"I think I can make it."

"Not with strangers running amok."

Kylie saw Jenny cut her eyes toward her and Derek, almost as if she knew where they stood. And in the gaze, she seemed to send a silent message that said once she got the guys away from here, they needed to run.

It was a message Kylie didn't need to receive twice.

The one on his cell started talking to someone about finding Jenny. "She says he was headed north." He paused. "We will." He hung up and looked at the other guard. "Get her back home and join me in the northend to find this guy. Our orders are if we don't find him quickly, we'll have to sound the alarm."

"Twice in twenty-four hours, I think that's a record," the other stated with disgust.

Silence reigned in the dark. "Yeah, that's what happens when we start bringing in strangers. Protector or not, I knew that girl's coming here would stir up shit. And to think they want to keep her."

Kylie's heart pulled at hearing this. It wasn't that she hadn't believed Jenny, but hearing it somehow made it feel more real. And it hurt deeper.

Derek's touch grew warmer and Kylie knew he was attempting to console her.

One of the guys shifted closer to where she kneapped. He pulled a cell phone from his pocket and dialed.

The other moved closer to Jenny. "I'll walk you home."

"I think I can make it."

"Not with strangers running amok."

Kylie saw Jenny cut her eyes toward her and Derek, almost as if she knew where they stood. And in the gaze, she seemed to send a silent message that said once she got the guys away from here, they needed to run.

It was a message Kylie didn't need to receive twice.

The one on his cell started talking to someone about finding Jenny. "She says he was headed north." He paused. "We will." He hung up and looked at the other guard. "Get her back home and join me in the northend to find this guy. Our orders are if we don't find him quickly, we'll have to sound the alarm."

"Twice in twenty-four hours, I think that's a record," the other stated with disgust.

Silence reigned in the dark. "Yeah, that's what happens when we start bringing in strangers. Protector or not, I knew that girl's coming here would stir up shit. And to think they want to keep her."

Kylie's heart pulled at hearing this. It wasn't that she hadn't believed Jenny, but hearing it somehow made it feel more real. And it hurt deeper.

Derek's touch grew warmer and Kylie knew he was attempting to console her.

One of the guys shifted closer to where she knew Derek stood. Derek shifted, obviously freaked out about someone taking up his space, even when he was invisible.

The guard glanced around as if he almost suspected he wasn't alone.

"Should one of us go check and see if she's still in her residence?"

"Yeah, we probably should," bit out the other guard.

And as soon as they discovered her missing, it would make it more difficult to escape, Kylie realized.

The guards and Jenny walked away. Kylie waited until they were out of hearing range to speak. She had words on the tip of her tongue when she heard another pair of footsteps echoing around them. Had one of the guards gone invisible and turned around? Or was this someone new?

Kylie squeezed Derek's hand, hoping to make him aware of the newcomer.

Derek's grip tightened as if he understood.

The footsteps stopped only a few feet from her. She tried to control her breaths in and out, praying the slip of air into her lungs, or Derek's breathing, wouldn't give them away.

* * *

Several very long minutes passed. Finally, whoever hung around let go of a deep, emotion-filled breath and began walking away. The crunch of twigs popping filled the air as he left. The temptation to call out her grandfather's name was strong. For the cadence of those footsteps, as well as that long sigh had sounded familiar. But she couldn't be sure, could she? Maybe it was just wishful thinking.

Wishful thinking that he'd discovered her missing and was worried and came looking for her.

Wishful thinking that he didn't know what the other chameleons were up to.

But wishful thinking could land her and Derek up to their eyebrows in trouble. So she stood frozen in one spot and waited. As soon as the footsteps faded between the shadows of the trees, Kylie said to Derek, "We have to go and go fast."