“No more noise,” the manager warned and hung up.
Jake slammed down the receiver. He was still pissed off at that hacker kid and his cocky attitude. Didn’t he know he was dealing with a criminal mastermind? To top it off, one of his hotel neighbors was making a stink about a little noise.
Jake looked at the clock. 3:00 am. A little late for a midnight snack. He grabbed a quarter off the nightstand and flipped it in the air.
“Heads, right room. Tails, left.”
The quarter flipped swiftly into the air. Jake caught it with his right hand and slapped it onto the back of his left; Washington’s face stared back at him. The couple in the room to his right were about to have a very unpleasant wake up call.
“I’ll give you a noise complaint,” Jake grumbled, poking a few buttons in his cell phone to access Skywalker’s email. “Jessica Whitefield, 3246 East Washington Ave. Chicago, IL”
TWENTY
I was wakened by my cell phone vibrating on the nightstand. It took me a few seconds to get my bearings and open my eyes. I was in what appeared to be a hotel room; a room with a port window? I reached across Kasiah’s naked body to grab my phone, knocking over an empty bottle of wine from the nightstand. Kasiah didn’t stir. She was still sleeping peacefully.
“Hello?” I answered, barely awake.
“I found her!” Jess yelled.
“Found who?” I asked quietly, trying not to wake Kasiah.
“THE STONE!” she shouted. “I found a fallen angel!”
I sat up immediately as images of the past few days flashed through my mind. It all came rushing back.
“Jess, did you just say you found a fallen angel?”
“That, my friend… is correct.”
“What do you have?” I asked, swinging my legs off the bed.
I heard Jess typing rapidly in the background. She was a master multitasker.
“Well,” she continued, still typing, “I started by searching for fallen angels, stones, and a few variations and I came up with the same old dead ends. I tried poking around a few times at that elf site, hitting the same walls as before. I was getting nowhere fast. So, I started asking myself ‘how do you start searching for something that supposedly doesn’t even exist?’ And that’s when it hit me like a freight train. I should be looking for something that doesn’t exist! I don’t know why I didn’t think of this befo—”
“Something that doesn’t exist?” I interrupted.
“Sorry,” she said. “To make a long story short, I started checking birth records against social security numbers and death certificates. I guessed fallen angels must have existed at one time or another. They were real people before they were angels, right?”
“That sounds like logical reasoning,” I said, nodding my head as if Jess could see me.
“I know, right?” Jess said excitedly. “So anyways, if they were real people, then they’d have birth certificates for when they were born and death certificates for when they… umm… passed over? Is that right? Passed over?”
“Yes, Jess. That’ll work for this story. Go on.”
“OK. OK. OK,” she said. “Umm where was I? Oh, so I searched for active social security numbers with birth information that would have made the person, well, made them old, very old, maybe too old. I was looking for numbers where the person, if still alive, would have to be the oldest person on the planet. My whole theory was that fallen angels were people born many years ago. They died and went to heaven, became an angel, and then sent back as fallen angels for one reason or another. I figured that they might have used the same names as their previous lives. I was thinking maybe they’d wanted to make things right or whatever. That’s what I would do.”
Jess paused. I heard more typing.
“Sorry,” she continued. “The past couple hours I’ve had some attacks on my firewall. Don’t worry, I’ve got it under control.”
While Jess was ranting about hackers, I climbed out of bed and found my clothes. Kasiah stirred, rolled over, and replaced me with a large, fluffy pillow. The morning sun reflected off her hips. Her bandage was still nice and white, meaning her wound didn’t reopen through the night.
“Aeron, you there?” Jess asked.
“Yes, go on,” I said, shaking Kasiah’s body from my mind.
“Well,” Jess continued, “I weeded out all illegal immigrants who bought or stole deceased social security numbers. Oh, and for your information, there’s a lot. You wouldn’t believe how many fake or reactivated social security numbers exist. It’s rather ridiculous. Hold on…”
Jess was typing furiously. I almost felt bad for her keyboard. I pictured her at a desk with monitors all around, playing the role of an evil supervillain. In reality, she was probably sitting in a college dorm room with nothing better to do.
“This little bastard is persistent,” Jess scoffed. “Just wait until I give this jackass my full attention. I’ll cook their machine like a marshmallow over a backyard fire on a nice cool fall night.”
If she wasn’t an evil supervillain now, she would be someday.
“OK, Aeron, I’m back. Argh! So, I narrowed my list down to just a few hundred—”
“A few hundred!” I cried out.
“Yes,” she replied, “there are seven hundred and twenty-four to be exact. An hour ago, I narrowed the list down to just two names: Richard and Tamitha Dunham. Two people who perished in a house fire twenty years ago.”
I was still lost. “How does that help us?” I asked.
“Patience, Aeron. Patience,” Jess insisted. “Mr. and Mrs. Dunham were only thirty-five at that time, and yet, they were both born in 1828 and were married in 1844. Tamitha’s maiden name was Jenson, and they were in their early forties when their original death certificates were issued. The cause of death was never recorded.”
“Interesting,” I mumbled, more to myself than to Jess.
“Interesting!” Jess exclaimed. “This is the smoking gun, my friend!”
“Jess, didn’t you just say they both died in a house fire?”
“Yes, but I didn’t tell you the best part,” Jess said, pausing dramatically. “They had a daughter 21 years ago. If they were dead, how did they conceive a child? Only if they weren’t, and if I’m right, this is the first true-blood angel… EVER! See, angels are created in heaven, but this one was born here on earth. She’s the daughter of two fallen angels—two stones. Doesn’t that also make her a stone? She’s like a super stone.”
“Do you have any information on the daughter?” I asked, knowing she would have everything.
“I have everything.”
More keyboard clicking.
“OK, here it is,” she continued. “Her name is Jade Dunham. She turned twenty-one last month, and she’s currently a student at the University of Montana. Did you know it’s considered the most scenic university in the country? I didn’t know that, but then I thought it does have mountain views full of rich dark forests and—”
“Jess!” I exclaimed, keeping her on track.
Kasiah rolled over to her other side, taking the covers and leaving one of her legs exposed. I saw a tiny, multicolored butterfly tattoo on her ankle. Interesting.
“Sorry,” Jess said, calming down. “Richard and Tamitha Dunham perished in a house fire, but their one year old daughter, Jade Dunham, survived. Their neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Harper, adopted Jade. Later that week, they changed their surnames to Dunham. That’s strange, right? Changing names? Well, other than that, Jade has grown up like a typical young woman. This is her third year at Montana, and she has a dual major, Microbiology and Chemistry.”
“What about her social life?” I asked. “Friends, job, or hobbies?”
“That’s the weird part. Her social life is slim to almost non-existent. I couldn’t find any social network pages or even an e-mail address other than her school email. She also doesn’t belong to any local athletic clubs, the library, or the video rental store.”
“Great job, Jess.
This wasn’t an easy task by any means, and like you said, you were searching for something that wasn’t even supposed to exist.”
“Thanks, Aeron. It means a lot coming from you.”
“You’re welcome, Jess. I’m going to wake everyone else and fill them in. I’m not sure of our travel plans yet, but I’m sure we’ll start as soon as possible.”
“I’m so glad I was able to help,” Jess said, breathing a sigh of relief. “I love a good challenge, but this one takes the cake. Let me know if you need anything else. I have to get going and take care of this annoying hacker wannabe messing with my network. Be safe.”
I ended my call with Jess and dialed Aerona’s number. The phone only rang once before she picked up.
“Little brother,” Aerona answered, “if you’re calling to tell me how you scored with Kasiah last night, save it. It was torture being within range of your emotions. I tried everything to turn it off, and none of it worked. You owe me big for this one.”
I felt my cheeks heat up from embarrassment. “Sorry,” I said, “I didn’t think of that. It must have been awkward.”
Aerona’s voice wasn’t as comical as it was before. “Awkward!” she cried. “Awkward isn’t the right word. I had to lie awake in bed while my brother’s dirty thoughts ran through my head. You know you’re a pervert, don’t you? At least, for Kasiah’s sake, you lasted more than five minutes your first time.”
“Nice, Aerona, real nice,” I said, embarrassed. “Let’s keep this between us. I don’t want the rest of the team thinking our heads aren’t in the game.”
“Our little secret,” she mocked. “I kind of like having something to hang over your head anyway.”
Aerona sounded entirely too excited. I wasn’t looking forward to her future blackmailing. “Well,” I said, changing the subject, “we have some good news from Jess. She found a fallen angel, possibly the only one on earth.”
“She did what?” Aerona shrieked. “Wow! When do we leave?”
“As soon as we can. Can you round up Morgan, Ember, and Rain? We’ll meet upstairs in thirty minutes. I’ll fill everyone in so we can make a plan.”
“Copy that,” she agreed. “I’m ready to go, and I bet Morgan is already up, chomping at the bit. We’ll see you in thirty.”
“Thanks, Aerona.”
“No problem. Oh, and one more thing…”
“Yes?” I asked, not really wanting to know.
“Don’t forget to smack Kasiah’s cute little ass while you’re in the shower!”
“You’re so mature,” I sneered.
I heard Aerona laughing as she ended the call.
I sat back down next to Kasiah. I hated having to wake her up; she looked so peaceful. I kissed her cheek. Her breathing paced up. I ran my hand from her thigh up to her hip, and as she rolled over onto her back, I let my hand fall away.
“Good morning,” she said, smiling and rubbing her eyes. “I was wondering if you’d still be here when I woke up.”
“Nothing from this world,” I said, “or mine, could have stopped me from holding you all night. You’re an amazing woman.”
“And you are an amazing man. Thank you for staying.”
“It was all my pleasure,” I said foolishly. “I wish we could lay here as though we were on a wonderful world cruise, but Jess called me. She found a stone.”
Kasiah’s eyes popped open. They were a nice, light chocolate color in the morning.
“Her name is Jade,” I explained, “and she’s in Montana. I’ll give you all the details later. We need to get moving. We have no idea how long it’ll be before Atmoro retrieves the same information. He may already be on his way.”
Kasiah pulled the silk sheet over her body and sat up, resting her back against the headboard. “What makes you think he’d already have this information?” she asked.
“I’m not sure how Atmoro’s been tracking us,” I said, wishing I did, “but somehow he was aware of every move we made. If we have the stone’s location, he’s sure to be right behind us.”
“Have you told anyone else?” Kasiah asked.
“I just got off the phone with Aerona. She’s gathering everyone else, and we’re to meet them upstairs in thirty minutes.”
“Do I have time for a quick shower?” she asked, holding the sheet around her as she got out of bed.
“Yes. I’m going to run to my room and do the same. I’ll be back to get you in twenty.”
“See you in twenty,” she said, letting the sheet fall away as she walked into the bathroom.
TWENTY-ONE
As I finished with my shower, I was surprised to find my backpack on the bed. Everything had happened so quickly after we were attacked at the club, we never had a chance to go back to the hotel and collect our belongings. Ember certainly had something to do with this; it’s amazing what you can accomplish with a bottomless bag of money.
I dressed in a fresh pair of jeans and a vintage t-shirt that purposely appeared much older than it was, then shoved my cell phone in my pocket and grabbed my watch. It was a nice feeling wearing clean clothes again. Unsure of what to do with my dirty clothes, I folded them and kept them at the end of the bed; who knows, maybe someone would wash them and leave a mint of my pillow. I headed to Kasiah’s room.
“Hello, handsome,” Kasiah said, answering her door.
Her fashion tastes were similar to mine: a stylish pair of jeans enhanced by a black leather belt embedded with miniature metal stars fit her curves perfectly. Her black t-shirt had a white star pattern that started at her shoulder, then spiraled down to the opposite side, becoming smaller as it disappeared around her back. The shirt’s neck and edges had the same tiny tears as my own, giving it that same worn-in, vintage look.
“Come in,” Kasiah said, tying back her long hair.
She ran her hand through my hair several times, giving it a natural messy style. Then, she stood back and formed both of her hands into two Ls, like a movie director.
“Much better,” she remarked, peering at me through the frame.
“Thanks,” I said. “I never had an FBI stylist before.”
“Wait until you see the bill,” she smiled.
“I hope you accept fake credit cards,” I said, sitting on the edge of her bed, “since I never carry cash.”
“We accept several forms of payment,” she added, building up the punch line. “One of which you prepaid with last night.”
“Well, if that’s true,” I continued, “then I’ll take two cases of whatever you’re selling. You can expect payment later today.”
“So, you’re a morning person?” she asked, sitting beside me to put her shoes on.
“I am when I wake up next to a beautiful woman,” I said, shoving my foot directly into my mouth.
“Does that occur often?” she asked, questioning me like an FBI agent questions a suspect. “The beautiful woman part, I mean.”
I’m smart enough to know a trap question when I hear one, and that was a trap. This is the same as when a girl asks if her jeans make her look fat—Kasiah’s definitely did not.
I looked at my watch as a way out. “We need to get moving,” I said, grinning. “Everyone else is probably waiting for us.”
Kasiah gazed at me for a long moment. “Nice save,” she said. “Well played.”
The morning sun welcomed us on the main deck at the bow of the yacht. I couldn’t see any other vessels on the horizon. The lake itself was incredibly quiet, and there was no wind, not even a breeze, which made the surface of the lake appear as smooth as a sheet of glass. The sky was scattered with a few puffy, white clouds, and the sun rays cut their way through a thin fog. It was very peaceful. I could get used to mornings like this.
A fairly large swimming pool, especially for one on the deck of a boat, was surrounded by several round tables with woven grass umbrellas perched on bamboo poles through the center of each table. Ember and Rain were seated at one of the tables. Rain, motionless like a statue, had on dark sunglass
es and a long-sleeve black hoodie—hood up. Thin wires dangled from earbuds down to his phone. I found it interesting that he was able to be out in the morning sun; even a strong Shadow Vampire would have issues with today’s sun. Yet, Rain didn’t seem affected at all.
Ember’s khaki shorts and bright blue bikini top enhanced her eyes and the dark blue dress on her fairy tattoo. She was relaxed, sipping a cup of coffee across from Morgan, who looked very nautical in his shorts, sandals, and white button up shirt.
Aerona discreetly flashed me her middle finger as we joined everyone on the deck. She wore a shirt with “Nerd Tossing Champion 1996” stenciled in faded lettering around a humorous logo across the front.
“Wasn’t it a violation of contest rules to toss yourself?” I asked Aerona.
Aerona’s quick wit was second to none. “You’re just upset because you didn’t place that year,” she shot back.
My sister’s playful sarcasm showed me she wasn’t still upset with the flood of emotions from my night with Kasiah; if she didn’t respond at all, then I’d be in trouble.
“Ember,” I started, “thank you for retrieving our bags from the hotel. I hope you didn’t risk too much in doing so.”
“Actually it was Rain,” she explained. “He took the small boat back to Erie and returned before sunrise.”
“Thank you, Rain,” I said, not knowing if he heard me with his earbuds in. “It’s nice to wear a fresh set of clothes.”
“You’re welcome,” he replied without looking up. “The city is swarming with police and pissed off bikers.”
“Any sign of vampires?” Kasiah asked.
Rain took one of his earbuds out. “I didn’t have time to do any scouting,” he continued. “I went straight to the hotel and back. After seeing the police presence, I’d say we shouldn’t go back to Erie for a while.”
“We won’t have to,” I said. “We may be headed to Montana.”
Ember put down her coffee cup. “Montana?”
Kasiah and I sat down at the table with everyone else. A member of the crew, dressed in white shorts and a white polo shirt with “Ember’s Star” embroidered in elegant script over the pocket, rushed up to the table and placed menus in front of us. The menus looked like they belonged in a five-star restaurant. Each had a picture of the yacht and the same Ember’s Star logo on the cover.
The Blood of a Stone Page 14