Children of Sun (Oracle's Legacy)

by R. B. Holbrook

  "'Gustus, how're you?" The man smiled, hiding his insecurities.

  "Let's make this quick," Granger said, taking the chair that Melissa offered him.

  "I've a problem, if you couldn' tell."

  "Since when?" Hooser never aired his grievances. He tried to keep all his problems inside the family.

  Hooser took in a deep breath, and as his smile disappeared, a look of mortification appeared. This was bad. "You know 'bout de witch hun' to find Fire Eye?"

  Ollie. "Yeah."

  Hooser went over to his desk and picked up a piece of paper, bringing it over to Granger. On it was a sketch of Ollie. Her spitting image, wild hair and all, with a number to contact if someone had seen her. The situation grew dire.

  "Have you seen this on the House circuit?" Melissa asked.

  "No," Evidently this was new information.

  "Probably 'cause it jus' posted." Hooser looked sick as he took a seat behind his desk. "You know who dat is, don'tcha?"

  "I've seen her around."

  "I've done business wit' her. A real jewel." Hooser didn't compliment people often, so he must have high respect for Ollie.

  "How did they get an image of her?"

  "Someone paid m'boy ten million for it."

  Whoa. Granger stood up to leave.

  "'Gustus, wait. Please."

  "Your son is marked for death, and you will be too if you help him. And if you ask me to help, you are a fool." Greg had just violated one of the most sacred codes in House business: never interfere with business. By revealing Ollie's face without her permission, she was entitled to react--anyway she wished. And death was the most likely response with this type of offense.

  "Granger, please." Was he begging? Hell, all respect for the man was out the door. "He's m'son."

  "Then you should've had him locked in a closet the first time he got in trouble. Now you will have to bury him. Good night."

  "'Gustus, I need Demon's Wrath. I know you're de only one who can contac' de assassin."

  Granger stood dumbfounded. He wanted Ollie dead. Dead before she could respond. And the only one who could get to a top free agent was a top assassin. Damn. This was beyond bad.

  "I can make contact, but that does not guarantee a response, and the fee may be more than you can afford. I'm sorry." Just thinking about putting in a request for the assassin, gave him goosebumps. The channels he had to go through were thicker than anything he could concoct. The organization that Demon's Wrath had was by far the most secret of all he had encountered. As secret as the eighth House itself.

  "Granger, I jus' ask for an audience, some kinda--"

  "It would be best if you dropped the whole thing. Try to appeal to her. But if you seek out Demon's Wrath, you will have to do it without me. And you and I are done. Never call me again." He cut the ties before leaving the mansion, heading back to his hotel. Granger couldn't consent to Ollie's death. Because of Joc, Geo, Troy, and his own conscience. Ollie was trouble, but he didn't want to see her dead. Not at all. Ever.

  As he lay in bed in his hotel room, Granger realized he was at a crossroads. His business connections were all stirring. Mary Alexander and Hooser were looking for Demon's Wrath. Arthur Clifton was going for Ollie. House of Breath had severed ties with House of Flame, hoping to compete for the position of Oracle. Hell had broken loose, and as bad as things were going, business couldn't be better. Though his highest connections were wavering, new connections were forming faster than he could keep up. Businessmen and officials alike needed his aid, his connections, and his information. One of those officials was Antonio Mason.

  Antonio (or Geo, as Ollie called him) was the oldest sibling of the Mason tribe. He was a high-level official of the House of Sun. He got the job done when few were able to. It was Ollie's expertise that had allowed Geo to advance as he had. The man had become so indispensable that he was now one of the highest-paid Sun officials in the House, making millions. But since his mother and possibly his family were being targeted, Geo couldn't go to Ollie for help.

  Granger had worked with the man on several occasions, but Geo had never called wanting his help. The man had to be in a desperate place to do such a thing. And Granger was still considering the offer--seriously considering it. If he took Geo's offer, more business avenues would open to him.

  Geo had almost as much power and influence as Granger, just in different channels. And the man had offered those channels as a bargaining chip. But it was the assignment he wanted to give Granger that bothered him.

  Keep Ollie out of harm's way.

  The problem with that was if Ollie wanted to find trouble, there was nothing on earth or in heaven that could stop her. He wasn't even sure God was the one who had created such a malevolent creature.

  Granger thought of Joc and that beating she'd given him after finding out he was cheating. The bruises on him and the pain he felt made it seem like she'd done it while he was asleep, unable to defend himself. But Joc swore up and down that he was awake the whole time. If this woman was such a badass, why did he need to help her?

  Clearing his head, Granger tried to relax enough to sleep. But it was unnerving how clear everything was becoming. Everything about the current situation pointed to Ollie. She was the focus of most of the activity, even if the overall outcome was the Oracle. He'd known that woman was a bad omen when she came into his club--knew it down to the bone. Why were seers dying? He'd bet anything the answers could come from her. And she was the last person he wanted to talk to, let alone see. How the hell …?

  Damn, a year ago he thought he had gotten away from her when she broke up with Joc, but now she was back--back in an unavoidable way. If her name didn't pop up, her picture did. That Hooser boy was going to fry. Poor bastard. Joc was already seeing it as an opportunity to win her back. Too bad; he saw her as a prize instead of a time bomb. And now he would not only have to deal with Joc again but deal with her as well. There had to be another way to do this.

  Granger sat up in bed as his phone rang.

  "Granger, listen. I got that information you wanted. It is confirmed. Ollie not only is the target of Houses River, Flame, and Breath, but she is being targeted for assassination. You were right."

  Granger cursed.

  "Granger?"

  "You on your way?" He exhaled a ragged breath of air.

  "Yeah, man. Call her for me. Let her know. I know she wouldn't want to hear it from me."

  She wouldn't want to hear it from anyone.

  ()()()

  Silver Spring, Maryland

  Smoke filled the air of the bar as country music spilled from the speakers. Why did he let Wolfe pick the bar? He had hoped for a sports bar with half-dressed women instead of this hillbilly hangout where peanut shells littered the floor. They did have several large-screen televisions embedded in the walls showing, races, baseball, and rodeos. So it wasn't too bad, and this place did have the best beer in town.

  Troy watched as Ollie threw back more amaretto sours than he could count.

  Wolfe was watching in disbelief. "Damn, girl. You betta than a fish." He laughed.

  When Ollie asked for another one, Troy stopped her by taking her shot and drinking it.

  "You're done," Troy said when she gave him a nasty look. Her attitude was unavoidable due to her condition, but he was far more sober than she was, so he could take her.

  "Do I look done?" she growled.

  "Yeah," he said as his phone rang. "Yeah," he answered it.

  "It's Granger. Is your sister nearby?"

  He had eight sisters, but Granger could only be talking about one. "Yeah."

  "Good, keep it that way. She is on the Structure's most wanted list. It seems she has information certain people want, and they are hot on her trail. Hooser gave a very detailed description of her, and everyone has their eyes open. Joc is on his way from the West Coast, so don't be surprised if you see him soon."

  "Damn." Troy looked over at Ollie, who had ordered another shot. He took it from
her and drank it. "Thanks," he said before hanging up.

  "Troy!" she yelled.

  "We gotta go." He dropped some cash on the bar before grabbing Ollie's hand. Crunching on the sea of peanut shells, he walked past a few patrons that were burlier than Wolfe.

  "What's going on?" she asked, stumbling behind him.

  "Evidently trouble," Wolfe said.

  "Ollie, do you remember the access codes to the Pointe?" Troy asked as they got outside.

  "Yup."

  "Good. We are goin' there tonight. Wolfe, call Cee and tell her where we're headed, and tell her to wake Geo and have him call Granger." Before Ollie could form a protest, he told her, "Get in the car. I'll explain on the way." He looked around, throwing off light in tiny, split-second bursts that would distract anyone in the area, making them lose focus. Hopefully that meant not noticing his sister. "Ollie, you sober enough to throw off an illusion?" he said after getting into the car.

  "No." Her answer was lazy. She was already drifting off. He'd have to explain later, when she was actually coherent.

  The engine of the truck roared as it headed to the south side of the city where her vacant facility sat. It was an old four-story office complex that she had gutted and made her own workspace. The first floor was a garage and workshop for vehicles and weapons. The second floor was filled with nothing but security and computer systems. This was where the bulk of her information was stored and retrieved--her mainframe for the building. The third floor was the training room, and the fourth was living quarters. This was going to have to do until they got her out of town, he thought as he pulled into the garage and closed the door behind them.

  "Ollie?"

  "Tell me in the morning," she said, getting out of the truck and stumbling to the floor. She weaved to the stairs. He went after her to make sure she didn't fall down the steps. It took a while, but once she had made her way to the fourth floor, she shuffled over to a couch and collapsed. He noticed her grimace in pain, which reminded him of something Geo had told him before he left. Once Ollie's breathing deepened, suggesting she was out cold, he went over and lifted the right side of her shirt to peer at her skin. Sure enough, the bruise was right there, covering most of her side to her ribcage. He pulled the shirt back down as heavy footsteps came up behind him.

  "I swear she needs a elevator in this place," Wolfe groaned.

  Troy took the blanket from the back of the sofa and covered her with it. "Come on, help me check out the security system," he said, leaving the area.

  "What? You mean…? Hell, I coulda just met ya downstairs. Arghhhh, I'm too damn fat fer this!" Wolfe grumped as he followed.

  ()()()

  7

  Ollie woke, feeling the triumph of last night's self-destruction parading around in her head. It was a long time before she opened her eyelids, and the first thing she saw brought the events of last night to realization. Damn, he was the last thing she needed to see right now. Geo was sprawled out on the white leather couch across from her, on his cell phone. Looking pissed. No doubt her twin was skulking the perimeter, making sure everything was pinned down.

  Geo hung up the phone and looked over at her.

  "I see you found your keys," Ollie groaned, closing her eyes.

  "There is some aspirin on the coffee table, next to a glass of water. Take it, and rest your head," he said as he dialed his phone.

  "Yes, sir." She reached for the glass coffee table, but quit instead of getting up to reach it. Geo just laughed as he pushed the table closer to her with his foot. She reached for the napkin where the aspirin lay and pulled it to her until the aspirin was near her fingers.

  She looked over at the glass of water and grunted. She'd have to sit up to drink that.

  Damn.

  She put the aspirin in her mouth and began to chew. Though the taste was horrible, it was far better than moving. Moving only made the leather grate on her skin. And usually it was so damn soft.

  "Drink the water. You don't want that stuff eating through your esophagus," he told her. Ollie groaned as she sat up, feeling the weight of her whole body. She would have fought him on the subject, but she was in no condition. She downed the glass with both eyes closed, because she didn't want to see the room spin. Feeling it was bad enough.

  "It's Antonio," He said into his cell. "What did you find out?" His voice was unusually soft, considering. Most of the time it had an edge and was very commanding. Demanding. Who was he talking to? And why did he sound almost reasonable? Maybe a woman that he found attractive.

  Ollie's eyes popped open, but she closed them again right away. She would have to figure it out later. What had possessed her to decorate everything in white? It was hell on the eyes.

  "Okay." There was a click. He had hung up. "VA said hey."

  VA. Holy crap. Did Geo have a thing for his longtime colleague? They had been working together longer than Ollie had known her. Maybe they were just friends. Ahhh, hell--too much thinking. Ollie lay back on the couch and squirmed, feeling the pain of her side.

  "How long has it been bruised?" he asked her.

  She knew he'd ask. She had just been hoping she'd be in fighting form when he did. Lying quietly, she wanted to play dead a little longer.

  "Ollie." His voice was way to gentle for her to handle. He almost sounded like … he did so many years ago. She wasn't going to fall apart, if that's what he was worried about. Of course he was worried--she had slept all of yesterday, she had drunk herself into a stupor, and there was the bruise. Okay, girl, snap out of it … once the room stops spinning. "Have you noticed that Ellis isn't here?"

  "Actually, yeah. What's up with that?" Though she could use a break from her twin, she expected him to be looming.

  "We didn't tell him," he said. We? How many people actually knew? "We need you both level-headed." Ah, so he did think she was falling apart.

  "I'm fine, Geo," she said, even though that wouldn't satisfy him.

  "So it was recent. That means it has nothing to do with Mama. Does it have something to do with those men in Atlanta?"

  If the hammer inside of her head would stop, she would tell him to kiss off. But even the thought hurt. "It just showed up."

  "Your bruises don't just show up, and they don't just disappear, do they?" She could hear him moving, the couch dipped, and just like that, he was right beside her. "Ollie, I told you to limit your power use. You're overdoing it again, and you know what happened last time." His demanding voice was soft but serious.

  "Yeah." Ollie sighed. "Geo, the pain will go away eventually."

  "But the mark won't."

  "You realize there's nothing I can do. I've tried, but when things get intense--"

  "That is how you deal," he grumped, understanding.

  "Then the bruise. I can't explain it. And you know what the alternative is. Angel and Vlad don't know what to do. Cee and Star are stumped. Mama says nothing. The only person who might have an answer is our sperm donor. And that ain't happening. I could go outside the family for answers."

  "Hell, no."

  "Then let me deal with this. There is nothing you can do." She cringed, ready to shoot the little man stomping around in her head.

  "We could put you away like Vlad and Angel."

  "You know I wouldn't last a day in hiding. I'd rather let the seal eat at me."

  "Don't say that." Pain grated his voice for the first time she could remember.

  She opened her eyes and looked at him. That wouldn't be fair, would it? With Mama dying, they didn't need another heartbreak.

  She wrapped her arms around Geo. He was a pain in the ass, but she didn't want to be the cause of that pain. "I'm sorry. But Geo, let's face it. I have no idea what is in store for me. But I plan to stick around and piss you off as long as the good Lord lets me. Now, when can I get the hell out of here?"

  Geo laughed, looking over at her. "Ollie, you dropped your guard." His laughter slowly died.

  "I know, but no one is here but you and me."

/>   "Troy and Wolfe are downstairs. They saw some things that needed to be updated on the security system."

  "Aww, yeah. Free upgrade." Ollie laughed but was quickly reminded of that damn bastard partying in her head. She shrugged down into her neck, hoping to escape from her own brain.

  "VA is out in the field checking around for me. Joc is in town doing the same."

  She groaned. Joc's ass would have to be lurking; she just hoped she wouldn't have to see it. "Cee and Ellis are with the kids and Mama. And …" Oh, so this was leading up to something. "I would like your permission to--"

  Ollie chuckled. "Go, Geo. You're free." She waved him off, dismissing him. "I lift your chains and free you from bondage, as long as you promise to visit at least once a month."

  He began to chuckle. "I promise. Even if it is for a day." He kissed her on the cheek.

  She jerked back, surprised. "Are you getting mushy on me, O Grand Exalted One?" She looked at him in awe.

  "I will call you with updates. And I will see what can be done about getting the attention off your back."

  "Okay, just be careful." Or she would have to kill any jackass who hurt him.

  "Whatever." His cold exterior was back as he stood to leave.

  "So who all knows about my current condition?"

  "Me. Ric. Troy," he said, leaving, as Ollie laid down her head. Right now, house arrest wasn't so bad--considering she was in no shape to go anywhere. But her soul was restless, so unless she planned to get drunk for the next month or more, she'd have to figure something out. An illusion could work, but with the new bruise, there was no telling what the results would be. Sleep first. Then she would figure it out.

  Warming his hand on his mug of Irish coffee, Troy watched as Ollie ate breakfast. He was starting to see why Ellis kept his eyes on her. Worry made him want to know what she'd do next or what would happen to her next. It was easier when she was miles away in another state; then he didn't have to worry. Was that why he had moved away in the first place? Nope, it was because of Mara.