by D. Laine
I glanced at Sadie, and found her staring at me with wide eyes rimmed with tears. Her mouth worked a question she couldn’t voice. Her lip trembled, and my skin prickled with fear at the sight of her.
Finally, she whispered, “What about his partner?”
“Who?”
“Jake’s partner.” Her voice rose with desperation. “Is he—”
“Dylan?”
The trembling intensified as her head bobbed up and down. I watched the emotions twisting her features, and the deep seed of unease in my gut erupted into a vine of panic for Dylan’s well-being. Tangling itself in there somewhere was a bud of awareness. Of familiarity.
“You said your name was Sadie?” How had I missed that earlier? How had I not remembered? How did I not see the physical similarities sooner? “My God, you’re Dylan’s sister.”
23
DYLAN
The blonde tossed me to the ground next to Marcus, Jake, and Maria. Our cooperation was guaranteed by the dozen semi-automatic guns pointed at our heads. I suspected there might be a few more hidden from sight. Fuck, there were a lot of these ninjas.
At least that was what they looked like in their black-from-head-to-toe getups. Similar to us, only with masks covering their faces. Funny how one small piece of clothing could change an entire look.
I wasn’t sure if they were friend or foe yet.
I was leaning toward friend since I was still alive and standing here—not in the tunnel. The screams of the tags drifted up through the ventilation system we had exited from. I still wasn’t exactly sure how they had managed to get us out of there. Or why.
When the blonde finished untangling the cord around my waist and walked away, another ninja approached. He carried an air of superiority with him, much like Spence had.
Spence. Fuck that asshole.
“Is this it?” he demanded.
I looked around, wondering who he was talking to.
A gruff voice answered from behind me. “They’re all that’s left.”
“No, we might still have people down there,” I argued. “We can—”
“They’re gone now,” the same voice answered. “You’re the last, and I’m not going back in there for bodies.”
I started toward the vent. “But the Ringers—”
Marcus’s stiff arm stopped me. “They’re gone, man.”
“It’s not too late if you want to join your buddies.” This guy was really starting to piss me off.
“Who the fuck are you?” I whirled around on the ski mask-wearing know-it-all.
Sharp blue eyes hardened on me. He stepped forward like he was preparing to answer, but stopped at his leader’s commanding voice.
“That’s enough, Ewing. Remember why we need them.” Their commander directed his attention to us. “We watched you fight. The four of you stuck out, so I assume you are among the top teams in the agency. You could be beneficial to our cause—if you agree to cooperate.”
“They’ll cooperate alright,” the guy named Ewing added.
“They’re meatheads,” another voice jeered. “We don’t need them.”
A few others murmured their agreement.
“They’re the other halves of someone you know,” the leader snapped. “Well, except for these two”—he waved the barrel of his gun between Maria and Marcus, causing my stomach to clench—“who are obviously bonded to each other. But we can still use them.”
He lowered his gun without shooting them. Apparently he just liked to use it as a third arm, waving it around like an enthusiastic Italian, unaware that he was risking death to the person he referenced. I might have liked the guy if he didn’t ooze authority. And seemingly had us at his mercy.
The others, I wasn’t so sure about. They stared at the four of us like discarded waste—which I supposed we were. Tossed aside by the agency, but why?
Ewing shouldered his way between Jake and me to speak quietly to his leader. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but they both turned to look at me.
Maria’s head whipped around. “What did you do now?” she whispered harshly.
“I woke up this morning?” I shrugged. “Who the fuck knows?”
The leader stepped forward, edging closer to me. I noticed his gun pointed down, held lazily in his hand. I could swipe it. Attempting it was one way to find out if these guys were as well trained as they seemed.
“Name?” he demanded.
I peered over his shoulder, where Ewing openly gawked at me. I tipped my chin in his direction. “He seems to already know the answer to that.”
“Romero,” Ewing announced.
I nodded and tensed as I waited to find out if being identified was a good thing or a bad thing. I didn’t really find out either way when the leader shifted his attention to Jake. “So that makes you Walker.”
“Yes,” my partner answered stiffly. “And you are?”
“Calvin,” he replied, then turned to glare at me when I snickered.
To Ewing, I jeered, “I guess that makes you Hobbs.”
“It’s Matt, actually, and you might want to watch how you talk to me,” he growled. Three steps put him close enough to punch—which I strongly considered when the next words came out of his mouth. I probably would have done it if I hadn’t been shocked worthless. “I’m the guy who is going to do everything in my power to get your sister back.”
24
DYLAN
They called themselves Doomsday Preppers, and lived like hobbits in the woods. Their primitive hideout wasn’t visible until we were right up on it.
Dozens of men and women milled around a blazing fire built under an overhang jutting out from the steep face of the mountain. Several glanced up as we passed. None looked surprised to see us. Though I didn’t see any visible weapons, I didn’t doubt each and every one of them were lethal.
I wanted to know who these people were, what they knew, and what their angle was. I really wanted to know how they knew my sister. Their promise to tell me was the main factor in coming with them now. Guns or no guns, hearing that my sister and Thea were both likely alive, and held prisoner by the agency, was the reason for my cooperation.
And they seemed to know things. Important things. Things we needed to know to survive this mess called the apocalypse and the knives placed in our backs by the agency.
My gaze met Jake’s when Calvin led us through a narrow hole chiseled into the side of the mountain. All but two of the other ninjas veered off—Ewing and the blonde girl who had lassoed me, who answered to the name Robbie.
We had a slight advantage now—three to four—and they hadn’t unarmed us. I still had two guns and my new favorite blade. My hands flinched to take advantage of the opportunity, but the need for information kept them in check. For now.
We followed the Preppers through a narrow passage lit by torches staked in the ground and emerged into an open room lined by rock. Calvin finally removed the mask covering his face, and I took an involuntary step back. Behind me, Maria gasped.
The fucker was Spence’s brother—identical aside from the jagged scar that ran diagonally across his face. His observant eyes flicked over each of us, one at a time.
“You seem to be a smart enough bunch. I’m sure you’ve figured out by now that your agency”—he practically growled—“isn’t what you thought it was.”
“They set us up.” Jake’s words lifted a little at the end, making his statement sound more like a question.
Calvin nodded. “Which means we’re almost out of time.”
“For what exactly?” I asked.
“Armageddon,” Calvin answered cryptically.
I shook my head, because he still hadn’t answered my question. “But the agency . . .”
“Is controlling it all,” Calving supplied. “Every move my power-hungry brother has made has aligned us all for the ultimate battle.”
Jake grunted beside me. “Why would he do that?”
Calvin’s eyes darted between the four of us
. A look of understanding flickered across his face before he glanced at Ewing and Robbie. Both of them had taken off their ski masks now. They stared at us hard, fingers flexed over the triggers of their weapons as if . . .
We were the enemy.
“You really have no idea?” Calvin wondered, seemingly to himself.
“Someone had better start telling us what’s going on here,” Maria demanded, and I nodded, for once in agreement with her.
“Your boss, the man you have followed loyally for ten years, is not who you thought he was,” Calvin started carefully.
“Obviously,” Marcus muttered beside me.
My gut clenched. I knew what Calvin was preparing to say next. Though I had seen enough proof, I still couldn’t fathom it. The name tumbled off my tongue bitterly. “He’s Lucifer.”
Calvin nodded, confirming what I already knew. Beside me, Jake, Marcus, and Maria grumbled their disbelief.
“That’s not possible,” Jake finally voiced. “He’s in charge of the agency, the organization that has hunted down and eliminated vessels—”
“You’ve hunted down the Watchers,” Calvin cut in. “You’ve been eliminating your own kind all this time. A few minor demonic vessels were likely sacrificed in the process, but for the most part, Lucifer has assured that his enemy was annihilated to a manageable level for him to proceed with his plan. He has fooled many in your ranks who will not cross him now, but you, the assassins who are descendents of the Watchers, are the last to stand in his way. Now that most of you have been eliminated, I fear the time has come for him to see his plan through.”
I had so many questions. So much of what Calvin said made sense—now that I permitted myself to see the truth—but so much more remained unclear. Predominantly one thing.
“Who are the Watchers?” I asked.
“God’s soldiers,” Calvin replied. “They were given the task of maintaining a balance of good and evil on Earth. Throughout the centuries, they have protected humans and helped them to grow and thrive. Over time, the Watchers grew tired of their roles as guard dogs. They envied the humans for their freedom, and want what they have—or had up until a few months ago. The Watchers are not good by any means, and they are preparing to fight Lucifer for what is left of Earth. The unlucky humans who survive Armageddon will be enslaved while the Watchers are free to prosper, out from under God’s hand.”
“You say we’re descendents of them?” I pressed.
Jake side-eyed me. “You really believe this?”
I shrugged to downplay just how strongly I did believe Calvin. Maybe I would be more doubtful if it weren’t for Thea’s words echoing in my head.
“Haven’t you ever wondered how you got your abilities? Where exactly they come from?”
We had never been told why we were chosen, or what made us special. We had been too young to care or question the agency. We had been too trusting to realize we were being played by Lucifer all this time.
Calvin nodded. “As descendants of the Watchers, you are their vessels. You are the last great threat to Lucifer . . . and all of humanity.”
I eyed the weapons in Ewing’s and Robbie’s hands warily. It was clear they considered us a threat.
“Who are you guys? How do you play into all of this?” I questioned.
Calvin waved a hand at Ewing and Robbie. “They were once vessels for the Watchers as well. They’ve found a way to protect themselves and they can no longer be hosts. All we want is to ride out the war and send everyone back to where they came from.”
“And you?” Noticing that Calvin had left himself out of his explanation, I directed my question at him.
“Like my brother, I was once a potential vessel for Lucifer. Needless to say, I have done everything in my power to avoid that destiny.”
“How?”
“Same way they protected themselves from the Watchers. We’ve made ourselves neutral by injecting a small amount of the oppositions’ blood into our bodies,” Calvin explained. “With both Watcher and demon blood in us, we cannot be used as a vessel by either side.”
“They tagged themselves,” I snorted, glancing at Ewing and Robbie.
“If that is the term you use to describe it, then yes. We did what was necessary.” Ewing angled his head to permit us a view of the mark behind his ear. The same mark Thea had.
I should have been relieved to know that Thea was protected, but there was something off about these Preppers. I anticipated that there was more to this that Calvin wasn’t telling us. Of course, Jake had the same suspicion.
“What are the side effects of carrying both blood types?” my partner asked.
Calvin smirked. “What makes you think there are any ill effects?”
“Because it sounds too easy,” I answered.
Calvin slid a calculating grin at his two comrades. “And you all assumed they were thoughtless grunts.” To us, he explained, “The mixture enlightens senses, and increases strength and speed, but the full effect is not completely known yet.”
“Yet?” Jake pressed.
“We suspect our gifts will heighten once Armageddon is imminent and both sides are preparing for battle.” Calvin paused as if deciding how much to tell us. “We have been discovered to be a valuable asset. Whichever side controls us will have a significant advantage in the war.”
“How so?” Jake demanded.
“Because we will have the ability to destroy either side. We will not be limited by the blood that flows through our veins, but empowered. Each side both fears and desires us.”
“They basically want to use you,” I summarized bitterly.
Calvin tipped his chin. “If that’s how you would word it, then yes.”
I shared a worried glance with Jake, and I knew his thoughts were on Thea as well. And my sister? Was she one of these half demon-half Watcher, highly sought after weapons of war?
“And Spence has them right now?” I worried. “Just waiting to be used by Lucifer?”
“He has some of our own, yes,” Calvin confirmed.
I tried to wrap my head around what this guy was telling us, but it wasn’t easy to do with his two goons glaring at me. It was obvious they would rather disembowel us and burn our bodies until there was nothing left. To them, we were the enemy—capable of being taken as a host by a power-seeking Watcher.
The only reason we weren’t charcoal by now was because they needed something. We were “beneficial to their cause.”
“So what exactly do you want from us?” I asked Calvin.
“We need our guys back,” he answered promptly.
“What’s in it for us?” Jake countered. “Other than a bullet to the head once we help you?”
Matt smirked, only confirming my suspicions, but Calvin’s expression didn’t change.
“A promise,” he replied. His arm swept over his less-than-eager comrades. “No one will harm you if you assist us. The two of you”—he pointed his finger between Jake and me—“will get your twins back, and you’re welcome to join our ranks when the deed is done.”
“You’re going to inject us with demon blood?” Jake questioned.
Calvin shrugged. “It’s better than being possessed by a Watcher.”
I eyed the gun in Ewing’s hands. It would be easier to kill us. “Why should we believe you?” I wondered.
“Because you don’t have any other options, and we both want the same thing,” Calvin finished. “We can help each other.”
25
THEA
I paced the floor of the cell, absorbing everything Sadie and Trent and the others I still had no names for had told me.
“They took all of you?” I asked again. “These people called Preppers—they took you?”
“Yes,” Sadie repeated patiently, despite the number of times she had already confirmed everything. “When they could and however they could. They’ve been infiltrating the agency for years.”
“And they are responsible for tagging me? Not . . .” Not my ex-boyf
riend, who I had always suspected to be the one responsible.
“Yes. Your caretakers were members of our group,” Sadie told me.
“Then how did they turn into monsters? I saw them with my own eyes,” I exclaimed.
“They were not vessels,” Sadie explained gently. “Not like we are. Something must have gone wrong, and they infected themselves. They were some of the many humans who chose to take the protection we offered them. But they weren’t a part of this. Not like we are. Not like you are.”
“Ha!” I laughed bitterly. “I’m a potential weapon in this war.”
“Yes,” Sadie repeated with more patience than I would have managed if our roles were reversed. “It is unfair. We believe that is why the Colliers tried to spare you from it. Why they took you from our base and hid you like they did.”
“But they still turned me over to you,” I repeated what I had already been told.
“The end has proven to be inevitable,” Sadie pointed out. “They gave you the best chance you have for survival.”
“By having me tagged!”
“It’s your only chance,” Trent insisted.
“But I don’t feel any different.”
“The transformation will come,” Trent informed me. “When it’s time.”
The giggle that erupted from my mouth made me sound crazy. I supposed I was. Maybe I was even hallucinating this entire conversation, where Dylan and Jake were vessels and I was a vessel until I was tagged to make me something different. Something no one had a solid explanation for yet. Not until “the time came.”
“You’re the last missing piece of our puzzle,” Sadie told me again. “With you, we’re complete. But we need to stick together so we can’t be used by the wrong hands.”
“Right.” I wagged a finger at her, remembering some of what they had already told me. “Because you guys don’t want this war. You just want to survive the apocalypse, for everyone to go back where they came from, and keep this planet from being nothing more than a giant battle zone.”