by B N Miles
Wade stared at him with a frown on his face, like he wasn’t sure if it was a trick. He looked over at Izzy, then at Lumi, and just shook his head helplessly.
“She’s my cousin,” he said. “If she’s in trouble, I want to help. Just like she was going to help me.”
Jared accepted that then looked at Izzy. “And you? Still want to stick around? Things might get rough from here on out. We could really use you, but I’m not going to ask you to go any further if you want to back out. No hard feelings at all.”
“I’m sure I’ll love Arizona,” she said. “I look good in turquoise.”
Jared smiled, just a little, like he was unsure he even could without Cassie around.
“I bet you do,” he said. “Okay then, it’s settled. We’re going to Scottsdale, Arizona, and we’re going to break into a Medlar facility.”
“Fun,” Lumi said. “Maybe I’ll get to break some necks.”
Jared turned toward Jessalene. “Let me hop out. I’ll go call Wyatt and report in.”
She nodded. “Okay. I’m going to call Nikki and update her. I think she might want to come along, but I’m not sure.”
Jared hesitated, halfway out the booth. “Should we force her to make that choice?” he asked. “I mean, I’m not sure she can afford to just leave the city. But I think she’d do anything for Cassie. I don’t want her to give something up she doesn’t want to lose, even if she’s willing.”
Jessalene sighed and shook her head. “She’s a big girl. She can make her own decisions.”
“Fair enough,” Jared said and stood up.
As they walked between the tables, he looked back and saw Wade take a few bites of bacon.
Lumi said something that made Izzy smile.
29
Jared stepped outside and stood beneath an overhang in front of the diner’s large windows with the OPEN sign glowing a faint red behind him. Jessalene nodded to herself and walked off across the parking lot, her phone in her hand, the glow of the screen illuminating her pretty face.
He took a deep breath and let out it before he made the call.
Wyatt was going to be pissed.
His Captain answered on the first ring.
“Jared,” he said. “Where the hell have you been?”
“Sorry, sir, I just—”
Wyatt interrupted him. “My guys on site say you’re missing, and that the motel is smashed to fucking bits. They found the body of Taavi Plains at the bottom of some crater. What the hell happened?”
Jared took a deep breath and shut his eyes. “My family,” he said. “My uncle came, killed Taavi, took the sphere. My sister came and kidnapped Cassie. Wyatt, they’re working with the Medlar.”
He opened his eyes again and stared across the parking lot toward the traffic on the street beyond.
Silence on the other end of the phone, thick as tar.
“Are you sure about that?” he asked.
“I’m sure,” Jared said. “I talked to Rolf, even fought him off. And the woman Izzy described matches my sister.”
“Izzy?” Wyatt asked.
“An Independent we have working with us,” Jared said. “Izzy Read, specializes in healing.”
“I don’t know what you’ve gotten yourself into again Jared, but you need to get back to that scene. Tell the locals what happened to Cassie and Taavi. We’ll put out warrants for your uncle and your sister and get this figured out.”
“No,” Jared said. “I can’t do that.”
“Why the hell not?”
“Listen, sir, the Medlar have Cassie now. I don’t know what they want with her, but it can’t be good. Before Taavi died, he told me about a facility where they’ve been sending those spheres he stole. I think they’re going to send Cassie there, or at least we might be able to find out more.”
“So you’re going to storm some Medlar research base?” Wyatt asked. “What the hell are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking they kidnapped my girlfriend,” Jared said. “And I’m going to burn them to ash for it.”
Wyatt took a deep breath, let it out as static into the mouthpiece.
“Listen, Jared. Go back to the crime scene, tell the locals what happened. We’ll put out a warrant for your sister and your uncle and I’ll put pressure on the Medlar to release information about what happened to Cassie. We’ll put all the power we have behind it. Just don’t do something impulsive.”
“I’m sorry,” Jared said. “I don’t want to put you in that position, and I don’t even think it’ll be enough. Even if you do manage to arrest them, the investigation will drag on forever, and they’ll never see justice. We both know it.”
“Jared,” Wyatt said, his voice low. “You can’t go rogue on this. You can’t just run off.”
“They took Cassie,” Jared said.
“Son—”
“I’m sorry,” Jared said. “If you can still issue those warrants, it might help a little bit. But I’m not coming back. We’re hitting the road tonight.”
Wyatt’s side was silent again. Jared knew what he was doing. He knew he was breaking Wyatt’s heart, making things difficult for his Captain.
After everything Wyatt had done for him, Jared was finally walking away and throwing it all back in the man’s face.
At least, that was probably how it felt to Wyatt. But Jared knew there was nothing Wyatt could do, not really, not with the Medlar breathing down his throat and looking over his shoulder. If Jared was going to go up against them, then he had to give Wyatt some distance.
It had to be like this, for Wyatt’s sake. It was Jared’s turn to protect his Captain.
“I want you to think about what you’re doing,” Wyatt said. “You take this plunge, you’re not a Marshal anymore.”
“I know,” Jared said. “And I hope you can understand why I’m going to do it anyway.”
“Yeah,” Wyatt said. “I can understand. I just can’t agree.”
“Take care of yourself, sir. I hope I get through this”
“I hope you do too,” Wyatt said. “Good luck.”
Jared tensed his jaw as a stab of guilt rocketed through his chest.
Wyatt was a good man and didn’t deserve all the shit Jared put him through.
Jared lowered the phone and hung up. He slipped it back into his pocket and stood there, staring out at the parking lot again. He saw Jessalene standing next to the car, the phone still against her face. He smiled a little bit and wondered what Nikki was saying.
And just like that, he felt untethered. The realization of what he had done came to him in a rush.
For years, ever since he’d left his family, he turned to the Marshals. They had become his surrogate family, they were the group he identified with, poured his energy into, used to define himself. He was a Marshal before he was a Magi for a long time.
And now, he was giving that up. If he went through with this, if he walked away from a crime scene and went off to Arizona on some wild goose chase, he knew he couldn’t call himself a Marshal anymore.
But he had a new family. He had Jessalene, Lumi, Nikki, Cassie.
And maybe even Izzy, maybe one day at least.
That was his real family. And he would give up anything to save any one of them.
He leaned back against the glass and crossed his arms over his chest. He watched Jessa, saw the strain on her face, saw her nod then pull the phone from her ear. She hung up the phone and looked down at it before putting it into her back pocket.
She walked toward him, her dark hair damp and pushed back, her bright green eyes shining. She smiled a little, and Jared let his gaze run down the length of her beautiful body.
She was gorgeous in a tight pair of black jeans and a low-cut black shirt, showing off just a hint of her breasts. His Need roared in his ear, wanted him to take her right then and there, and he was tempted to listen.
He reached out for her and she came to him. She pressed herself against his chest and he kissed her forehead, then her cheek, then her neck, then
her lips. He lingered, tasting her, tasting earth and soil and crisp mountain air.
She pressed her hands to his chest and looked up at him when he pulled away.
They didn’t speak for a moment. He could see the worry in her eyes, in the lines around her mouth.
“What did Nikki say?” he asked.
“She wants to come,” she said.
“Of course.” He smiled a little and shook his head. “That Vampire’s trouble, you know.”
Jessalene grinned. “You like it, though.”
“A little bit. Can’t deny it.”
“She’s exciting.”
“She’s insane.”
“True,” Jessalene said, and tilted her head. “And it’s kind of hot.”
He laughed and kissed her again. He felt stupid and giddy as he realized he was giving up a piece of his life, but embracing another piece, committing to it in a way he hadn’t committed to something before.
He was willing to sacrifice. That meant more than he really knew.
“Will she be okay?” he asked.
“She said she can leave for a few weeks without any issues,” Jessalene said. “She’s calling it a business trip. Putting her second in command in charge. She said she won’t have any problems from any rivals, for a little while at least.”
“Good.” He hugged Jessalene tight against him. “I think we’re going to need her.”
“I think you’re right.” She blinked up into his face and tilted her head. “How are you holding up?”
“Fine,” he said. “Dealing with it.”
She touched his cheek. “The Need?”
“Driving me insane,” he said. “Especially with you this close.”
She smiled a little and he saw his own desire reflected back in her eyes.
“Good,” she said. “I’ll take care of you as soon as I can.”
He released her but slipped his fingers through her own. “Come on, let’s go get the others. We’ll find a place to stay tonight and Nikki can meet up with us in the morning.”
“Sounds good.”
Jared tugged Jessalene along and they headed back into the diner together. He wove his way through the tables, Jessalene’s hand tight in his own, and he stopped at the end of the table.
The plate of bacon was empty except for three strips lounging in their own grease.
Jared gaped at it then looked at Izzy, Wade, and Lumi.
“What the hell?” he said.
Lumi grinned. “We got bored,” she said.
“It was her fault,” Wade said, pointing at Lumi. “She made me do it.”
“Narc,” Lumi said.
Izzy rolled her eyes. “We can order more if you want,” she said.
“No,” Jared said, and felt a stupid smile blossom from deep inside his chest.
He probably looked insane, grinning down at them, especially right now, especially with Cassie missing.
But he couldn’t help it. His stupid little family had eaten an absurd amount of bacon.
“What?” Lumi asked.
“Nothing,” Jared said, shaking his head. “Come on. Let’s pay the bill and find somewhere to sleep tonight. Nikki’s going to meet up with us soon.”
“Really?” Lumi hopped up, sounding hopeful.
“Really,” Jessalene said. “You know she wouldn’t miss this for the world.”
Izzy and Wade got out next, and together the group headed back to the front door. Jared paid at the register, returned to the table to leave a nice tip, then followed the others out into the night.
30
They slept in a motel down the road from the diner. Jared dragged Jessalene and Lumi into the bathroom the minute they closed the door and told Izzy and Wade to cover their ears if they didn’t want to listen.
Jared and the girls took care of each other, wet and wonderful and desperate.
There was something strange, something empty about having them without Cassie. They all felt it, he could see it in their eyes, and yet they touched each other, kissed each other, brought each other to climax in an attempt to forget about the world, at least for a little while.
They fucked like it might have been the last time.
When they finished, everyone got ready for bed. Jared caught Izzy giving him strange looks, like she wasn’t sure if she wanted to get closer to him, or if she thought she should run away.
Wade passed out curled up in a ball on the floor, wrapped in a comforter.
In the morning, they drove to Pittsburgh International Airport and got a flight to Phoenix.
Nikki met them at the terminal. She sauntered in just before they got on the plane, wearing a pair of tight, dark slacks, expensive looking heels, and a gray shimmering blouse. Her blonde hair was swooped up into a bun on her head and a fancy designer bag was slung over one shoulder.
“Missed me?” she asked.
“Of course,” Jared said and she kissed him like nobody was around.
The flight was boring and long. Jared felt anxious the whole time, his head swimming with plans and fears. He got a window seat with Nikki in the middle next and Jessalene in the aisle. Lumi and Wade sat behind them with a fat man who fell asleep the second the plane took off and snored louder than the engine.
Nikki spent most of the flight on her phone and laptop, texting and sending emails. He was tempted to look over her shoulder, but figured if the Underlord of Philadelphia wanted him to know about her business, she’d just talk to him.
When the plane dipped down to land, Jared felt a hollow slosh in his stomach, like he might get sick. The feeling came over him hard, and he put a hand on Nikki’s thigh to steady him. She gave him an odd, frowning look, but the feeling passed, and he just shook his head like nothing had happened.
They disembarked into an oppressive dry heat. Nikki went with Lumi and Jessalene to get their bags as Jared and Wade rented a car. He settled on a big, black van with plenty of seating for everyone, and once they were piled inside, the bags dumped in the trunk, they hit the road.
“I have a contact we’re supposed to meet,” Nikki said, sitting in the passenger side next to Jared as they rolled onto a highway that snaked around the outskirts of the city.
He tilted his head. “Is that what you were doing on the plane?” he asked.
“Of course,” she said, looking at her nails. “You think I’d just let us come into this blind?”
“I should have known,” he said.
“Scottsdale isn’t far from here,” she said. “About a half hour or so, according to my contact. It’s built right up against the edge of the desert, and who knows what’s out there in the scrub and the cactus, but he’ll have some idea, I’m sure.”
“Who are we meeting, exactly?” Lumi asked from the back.
“His name is Ewald Charnock,” she said. “He’s a Bottomlord in charge of Phoenix’s surrounding suburbs.”
Jared snorted. “Couldn’t get the full Underlord of Phoenix, huh.”
She shot him a flat glare. “I thought we’d want to be discreet,” she said.
He nodded his head with a grin. “Fair enough.”
“Can we trust this guy?” Lumi asked.
“As far as we can trust anyone,” Nikki said. “I’ve known Ewald for a long time now and he owes me some favors.”
“What are the chances he knows about this facility?” Jared asked.
“Pretty good,” Nikki said. “There’s no way a Magi family could build in this region without at least informing the local Vampire hierarchy.”
“Even super-secret research installations?” Lumi asked.
“Especially those,” Nikki said. She slipped her phone from the central console and typed an address into the GPS. “Take us here, driver,” she said.
Jared glanced down at the phone and glided along with traffic.
Phoenix was a strange city. Jared could see the rolling desert mountains in the far distance, occluded by clouds and haze. Sheets of heat rolled up from the pavement and birds c
ircled in the blue sky. The sun was merciless, heating up the light brown and red roofs of the buildings around them, turning tiles into tar and scorching anything that resembled green.
It was a new city, with wide streets, more like a suburb than anything else. By contrast, Philly was packed into thin avenues, with ancient, crumbling rowhomes that had been standing for the last hundred years or so, and its infrastructure was just as dated. It was built around horse and buggies, and the idea of a modern car society hadn’t occurred to whoever designed the place.
But Phoenix looked like it was made for the car. All streets had two lanes, and parking lots were scattered all over. Most houses looked like they took the form of single family units, though crammed close together. It was a sprawl, a city that crawled outward, expanded into the empty land around it. Some cities had to grow upward, had to find creative ways to expand.
But Phoenix only had to slowly sink out into the desert.
Jared took 202 and turned onto 101, heading north, skirting along the edge of Scottsdale itself. Desert scrub and fields covered the land to their right, and the town was barely kept at bay on the left. Trees sprouted up, greener than Jared would have guessed, though the green ended where the houses stopped. They got off 101 at Indian School Road and took that into town, passing strip malls and houses hiding behind thin-trunked trees and low sandstone walls.
The houses tended to be squat, with reddish brown roofs and neutral outer colors. A few two-story houses loomed above the rest. They drove past row after row of neighborhoods, packed together side by side, and saw palms looming in the distance.
The GPS took them down a side street and into the parking lot of a generic looking strip mall. There was a CVS, a drycleaners, and a little bagel place called True New York.
Jared parked and killed the engine. Nikki pointed at the bagel shop.
“Here we are,” she said.
“We come all the way out to Arizona, and the guy wants to meet in a bagel place,” Jessalene said. “You have got to be kidding me.”
Nikki looked back at her and rested her chin on her hands. “What did you expect?” she asked. “Authentic Native American cuisine?”