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Seb’s jaw was still tense. I could feel how tightly he was holding himself together, and knew it was all caving in on him: what had happened at the cathedral, and now being back here. Of its own accord, my arm slipped around the lean warmth of his waist and I pressed close against him. A shiver ran through me. Nothing made sense right then, especially whatever I was feeling – I just knew that I wanted so badly to comfort us both.
Seb looked quickly down at me. Neither of us spoke. I couldn’t sense much from him; my own emotions were in too much turmoil. Everything seemed so surreal, like a dream I’d wake up from any second now: the plastic blue and yellow awnings around us; the bodies on the cathedral floor; the fight with Alex.
Alex. My mind flinched away like I’d jabbed a bruise.
Don’t go there, I thought as we continued through the rustling tunnels of Tepito. Just. . . don’t.
Somehow Sophie battled her rented 4 x 4 truck through the centro – almost a full square mile of riots, cars on fire, howling gangs. Alex scanned non-stop as they drove, searching for Willow’s energy. There was no sign of it anywhere. None.
Finally they reached a street where everything was quiet, apart from a single car that sat smouldering. Sophie pulled over and killed the engine. “What are you doing?” demanded Alex. “We’ve got to get Wesley home. ”
“No, I don’t want to know where you live,” said Sophie. “It’s safest, in case I get caught. ”
“I’m okay,” said Wesley from the back. He sat stiffly against the seat; his voice sounded tense. “It doesn’t really hurt. It’s just numb. ”
“Come on,” said Sophie, opening the truck door. “This is for your ears only, Alex. ”
He started to protest, but she was already striding away up the dark street. He swore under his breath and followed, banging the truck door shut after him. She stood waiting in a nearby doorway. She’d just lit a cigarette; its tip glowed red in the darkness.
“What’s going on?” he demanded, joining her. “How did you find us?”
Sophie blew out a stream of smoke. “Ever since the Second Wave arrived, I’ve been putting out feelers, trying to locate you. A rogue angel down here heard about it, and got in touch with me. ”
Alex leaned against the doorway, watching her. “A rogue? I haven’t seen any signs at all of rogues in this city. ”
Sophie shook her head. “No, most of them have been assassinated by the angels – apparently there was a mass execution just after the Second Wave. But there’s at least one left who they don’t know about; she’s working covertly with the Seraphic Council. Her suspicion was that you might be down here with a new team, because of all the recent angel deaths. ” She offered a tight smile. “Well done. ”
“Yeah, go me,” said Alex shortly. “So why didn’t this rogue get in touch with me herself?”
“She hasn’t been able to find you yet; it’s difficult for her to get away without raising suspicion. But I had a feeling you might be in the Zócalo tonight, with that demonstration going on. ”
That’s not why we were there, he started to say, but Sophie was still talking, her tone urgent. “Alex, listen – it’s vital that the Seraphic Council are killed. If they are—”
“Is this seriously what you came thousands of miles to tell me?” he broke in. “Look, we know all about it – the Council, the reception, everything. That’s why we’re in Mexico City in the first place. ”
Sophie didn’t miss a beat. “Good, that makes things easier. ” She unzipped her bag and pulled out an envelope. “Here,” she said, handing it to him. “There’s a memory stick in there with all the details you need. You’ve also got ten VIP passes to the reception; they’ll get you and your team onto the top floor of the Torre Mayor. ”
Slowly, Alex reached out and took the envelope. He could feel wallet-sized plastic cards inside. “Where did you get this?”
“From my contact. Her name is Charmeine and she used to know Nate; she worked with him back in the US until he joined the CIA. She’ll help you any way she can. ” She nodded at the envelope. “Like I said, all the details you need are in there. ”
All the details they needed. Alex tapped the envelope against his palm, frowning. “So it sounds like Charmeine was pretty confident you’d find us in time,” he said at last. “Was there a backup plan?”
“No one was confident about anything, believe me,” said Sophie. “And no, there’s no backup plan – she’s the only rogue left; if she tried to act on her own she’d be killed before she even put a dent in the Council. A trained team of Angel Killers is our only chance. ”
Alex snorted. Our – yeah, just as if Sophie had been down here helping them out all along. “So what’s the proof that Charmeine’s definitely a rogue, and this isn’t a trap?” he asked.
“She’s legit, I’m sure of it. ” Sophie took another puff of her cigarette; the smoke looked ghostly in the dark. “She knows things about Project Angel that only Nate could have told her. ”
“Angels are psychic,” he reminded her dryly.
“Not that psychic without touching you. Listen, I took some convincing too, but she was definitely friends with Nate – she has all the inside information on how we attacked the gate when the Second Wave arrived. Plans, details, everything. The only way she could know all of that is if Nate told her. And if she wasn’t on our side, then they’d have tried to stop us at the time. ”
“Okay,” said Alex finally, sticking the envelope into his pocket. “We’ll check it out – compare it with what we’ve already got. ” Which wasn’t that much, but at least they had the classified blueprints to double-check things against.
“Yes, do that,” said Sophie. “You’ll find that it’s all accurate. ”
Alex nodded without comment. But Jesus, if this was for real. . . then it was the answer to all their prayers. It also meant that if Willow hadn’t survived, her death had been for nothing. He shoved the thought away before it could drown him.
“And I’ll be there too, Sunday,” added Sophie. She stubbed out her cigarette, grinding it against the concrete wall. “I’ll meet you in the lobby of the Torre Mayor before you go up, and do whatever I can to help. ”
“Wow, really? You mean you’re not going to get whisked off to a safe location this time?”
Sophie’s expression didn’t change. “No, not this time. Here. ” There was a jingling sound as she pulled the 4 x 4’s keys from her bag and handed them to him. “My hotel’s just a few blocks away – you can drop me off in the truck and get your team back home. Keep it until after the attack; I only rented it in case I found you all. ”
Alex accepted the keys; as his fingers closed over them, he thought of something else. “Where’s Willow’s mother? Have you got her someplace where she’s protected?”
Sophie’s brown eyebrows shot up. “Have I what? Alex, didn’t you see on the news? Willow’s mother and aunt were killed in an arson attack, the night of the Second Wave. ”
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