by T. G. Ayer
“Vissar-”
“Neither will I use a young woman in such a manner, regardless of her value to our country.”
Furious, he would have flung the phone over the edge of the cliff if he didn’t know how expensive the damned thing was. And of course, government property.
Max switched it off, listening to the sound of high-pitched voices and soft barking.
It would be no great personal sacrifice to get close to Allegra. In fact, he’d known all along that he’d wanted to.
She was smart, intelligent, beautiful and tough. His men had given him a detailed report on how she’d taken down two of the thugs all by herself. They’d been impressed and so was Maximus.
But as much as he’d love to draw her closer, woo her heart, now that General Aulus had made it part of his mission, any closer relationship with her would feel tainted.
Acting on his feelings for her on his superior’s orders would be wrong, dirty.
Max tightened his jaw, deciding there and then that he would maintain a strictly professional relationship with Allegra, much as he’d done with Aurelia.
Even if his heart didn’t like it.
Chapter 24
Allegra had thought that a new day would bring a clearer head.
How naive she was.
Max was making breakfast when Xenia had arrived on her doorstep, waving the Las Suertes Tribune morning edition in her face. Pepper rushed in, racing around and around Allegra’s legs until she bent and patted his head fondly.
Her fingers stilled as she glanced at the headline.
New Pythia discovered in Fornia
“Bloody reporters make you sound like oil or gold, or something.” Xenia scrunched up her face and stared up at the ceiling. “To be honest, you’re the only one in existence, and most people believe that the line had died out long ago. So the furor is understandable.”
“Are you validating this insanity?” Allegra snapped as she turned the page.
The front page article was surrounded by a number of smaller articles scattered throughout the pages of the edition, detailing Allegra’s life, her education and career and even her economic status. They had managed to omit only two crucial details; her name and her face.
Small mercies.
Max had left the stove and come to stand at Allegra’s shoulder, scanning the paper as she herself read through the details of her own life.
“Damn it. We were supposed to keep you safe from discovery. This just puts you in the international spotlight. Not to mention making you a target.”
Max was halfway to his strange cordless phone when it rang so stridently it managed to shut Pepper’s incessant yapping up.
A few minutes passed with Max’s responses limited to yes, no and I’m sorry, Sir. When he shut off the device, Max’s face looked gray.
“I have to return to the Capital urgently. My superiors are furious and I’ve been assigned to find the leak or else.”
Allegra hurried to his side, worried now. “Are they blaming you?”
Max shook his head, but his expression remained closed.
“When do you leave?” she asked softly.
“You mean, when do we leave.”
That brought Xenia to her feet, her eyes watching the interplay between Max and Allegra closely.
Allegra ignored her. “What do you mean?” she stared at Max.
“They feel it’s safest for you.”
Max reached for her, holding her upper arm. She shook him off. “No, I’m not going.” As she spoke her vision shifted, her eyes opening to a scene she least expected.
Allegra stood in the middle of a room, bars on the doors and windows, bright fluorescent light stripping the scene bare of all color. Was this what awaited her, if she went to the capital with him?
Allegra wanted no part of that prison.
The vision vanished and Allegra let out a soft breath, glad her shock could be so easily suppressed. Clearing her throat, she said firmly, “I’m not coming with you.”
Max stared at her and for a moment, his annoyance was clear in his eyes. But then he tilted his head and watched her face. “Very well,” he said slowly, still studying her features.
Hopefully she’d given nothing away. Smiling softly, she said, “You’ve allocated eight guards to the house, Max. Surely that’s enough. And I have Xales in case things go sideways.”
“And she has me,” piped Xenia from beside the sofa. Even Pepper felt the need to add a yip, though Allegra doubted he’d be of any use against determined attackers.
Allegra rested her palm on Max’s arm, feeling the muscles bunching beneath her fingers. “I'll be fine, Max. Go and do what you need to do. Find out who leaked the story and if it's going to jeopardize my safety and the safety of our mission.”
The mention of the mission seemed to steady Max and he gave her a firm nod. “Fine. I’ll come back on the earliest flight.”
He took a step toward her, hesitated for a moment as though on the verge of kissing her, then only gave her a small smile.
He turned on his heel and headed for the table where he gathered his files and case and phone. He left within minutes, saying little else, but instructing her to be careful and giving the guards a morale-boosting talking to.
They seemed to respect him, which gave Allegra both a sense of safety and a sense of pride in him - which was ridiculous, because she wasn’t anyone special to Max.
Soon after he left, Xenia decided that they needed fresh air. “They didn’t release your identity, Allegra, so a walk along the Claudian Boulevard will be safe enough.”
“Just because they didn’t reveal my name doesn’t mean someone out there doesn’t already know who I am.” Allegra was thinking more in terms of the safety of her guard unit, but they took her field trip in their stride, got themselves ready and followed the girls as they trundled down the mountain to the town in Xenia’s new automobile.
As they headed for Khan’s Koffee and the girls chose a table and made their order, Ignacio took a seat beside Allegra. He had a small notepad and an auto-quill ready on his knee.
Allegra gave him and his stationery a pointed glare. “What is that for?”
“Commander Vissarion said if anything happened I needed to make notes. Your prophecies are too important to go by unrecorded.”
“Will you shut up,” growled Xenia, leaning forward with her eyes flashing. “Do you want the whole bloody world finding out what we are trying to keep under wraps?”
The man had the grace to look a little abashed. He apologized and took his leave once Xenia assured him that she was very capable with pen and paper if the need arose.
Allegra watched as he crossed the street and leaned against a streetlight, from where he continued to keep a close eye on them.
“If he thinks he’s going unnoticed then he’s dreaming.”
“If you keep glaring at him like that, anyone watching will know immediately that he’s there.” Allegra’s voice was soft as she sipped her milk coffee. “Besides, do you see any paparazzi? They’d be here already if they’d gotten our scent.”
Xenia merely rolled her eyes and sipped her latte. Pepper sat beside Allegra, his head on her lap, and she let him be. The warmth from his chin gave her comfort, something she hadn’t known she’d needed.
Everything was spinning out of control around her and she was powerless to stop it.
The sun in Fornia was warm this time of year and it beat down on the top of her blonde head. Soon her strawberry blonde locks would be bleached white, a color she hated with a particular passion.
She promised herself that if it got any whiter she’d have it colored. Something dramatic would be good. A deep purple sounded just about right.
But the thought of that color brought her mind back to the giant purple flower she’d seen in her vision of Xenia.
Allegra stared at her friend and sent prayers to every god she knew to keep Xenia safe. Allegra would do everything in her power to help avert the pa
ndemic, if only to save the life of one person.
Xenia.
Then she smiled to herself. And maybe also to save Max.
She had to admit that the commander had gotten under her skin with his sexy baritone and his impressive body.
No. His body wasn’t truly the deciding factor. It was that look in his eyes. The one he had when he thought she wasn't looking.
Allegra realized that she missed Max. Which was ridiculous considering they’d only met a few days ago, and barely knew each other. And besides he was merely doing his job under the orders of his superiors.
But Allegra had gotten used to having the sexy fed around. Not only was he good to look at, he certainly made a mean chicken-and-mushroom risotto.
Her heart thudded.
Both her body, and that strange intuition of hers, told her he was a keeper. He certainly wasn’t the wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am type of guy.
Maybe what Xenia had said on the yacht made sense, and she should enjoy his attentions while she could. Allegra wondered if he’d rebuff her if she came onto him.
What did she have to lose anyway, when they were all staring death in the face?
Chapter 25
After coffee Xenia headed off to meet her parents for lunch and Allegra had the guards take her to the Nike clinic for a while.
She had some paperwork to complete and she’d also decided it was time to tender her resignation. Fully and finally. There really was no point to waiting and hesitating - no amount of time would change her mind.
Physical therapy was no longer something she was capable of performing, not when every time she touched someone’s bare skin she saw visions of their demise.
She had a terrible fear that she’d always see visions of death when she touched someone, even if she and Max somehow managed to prevent the coming plague. Her fear was probably completely irrational, but Allegra felt it all the same.
Three guards took up watch at the entrance while three of them entered to check the place out before Allegra went inside. Two of the agents stayed with her in the car.
It seemed a little like overkill, but Allegra left them to it. Better safe than sorry.
The recon team returned, happily reporting the clinic premises were all clear. Allegra left them in the car and went inside, escaping the heat and enjoying the cool conditioned air of the facility.
She was in her tiny office - more of a cubicle than anything - retrieving the printout of her resignation from her printer when someone walked into the room.
With her back to the door, Allegra felt immediately threatened. As she spun on her heel, she held up the single sheet of paper as if it was a deadly dagger.
“Tox,” she snapped. “You scared me.”
Allegra’s ex, Doctor Toxinius Cassian, smiled, his professionally-whitened teeth gleaming like one of those billboard posters for toothpaste. He was the last person that Allegra wanted to see.
“You’ve been scarce, Allegra.” He grinned, his tone condescending. “Moping around at home isn’t a good look, you know.”
“Moping?” His words brought her head up.
He heaved a long sigh. “Allegra, it's pretty obvious to everyone here that you’re taking our breakup badly.” When she shook her head, stunned by the accusation, he smiled sadly. “I know it must have been a shock to you to see Vanessa and me at the Gala dinner this weekend.”
“Huh?” she frowned.
Vanessa? Allegra hadn’t kept up with Tox’s women simply because he usually had a long line of them waiting. It was hard to remember who he was dating, or whose heart he’d recently broken.
Their breakup some weeks earlier had been more a blow to her ego than a knife to her heart, and yet Tox had never accepted that she’d gotten over him so fast. His oversized ego wouldn’t let him.
“I’m sorry you have to find out about our engagement in the society pages, but it couldn’t be helped. Vanessa is a Brookfield and her parents are old money. The press is always waiting for juicy details.”
Allegra smiled. “I’m happy for you, Tox. If you are happy, that's all I need to hear.”
In fact, Allegra was more than glad to hand Tox and his enlarged sense of self over to Vanessa-from-old-money. Let the socialite deal with Dr Toxinius.
She stuck out her hand, smiling happily at him. He looked at her hand perplexed as she waited, forcing him to shake it and accept her good wishes.
As soon as his palm touched hers, the vision slammed into Allegra’s mind.
Tox lay on pink satin sheets, struggling to breathe.
Raw, open pustules around his mouth and eyes leaked yellowish-pink liquid while Tox’s body convulsed.
His eyes bulged as his torso lifted off the bed. Then he stilled, the life draining from his eyes as she watched. Allegra blinked, looking around the room, almost gasping as she caught sight of a woman sitting on the floor beside the bed.
She was strawberry blonde, much like Allegra, and wore a pale pink babydoll nightie, the delicate color marred by the profuse stains of blood covering the front of the negligee.
Her hand lay in her lap, one finger curled around the trigger of a gun. Her arms were covered in open sores and Allegra’s eyes traveled up her hands, her gaze drawn toward a horror she knew she’d see.
Only the left half of the woman’s face remained, ragged pieces of flesh pressed inside her skull, bits of brain and bone plastered against the wall behind her. Her single remaining eye stared sightlessly at her dead fiancé.
As blue as the sky, as dead as night.
The shock sent Allegra back to consciousness and she had to force herself to remain calm and control her reaction.
She gave Tox’s hand one final shake, recognizing the knowing look in his eyes. He’d assumed she’d held onto his hand that much longer because she couldn’t bear to drag herself from him.
Self-centered asshole.
“It was nice seeing you, Tox. Congratulations.” She extracted her hand from his grip and waved her document in front of him. “I’ve got work to do, so don’t let me keep you.”
He stared at her for a long moment, and Allegra smiled pleasantly and waited him out. Tox liked stretching things out.
He’d learned a long time ago that making people uncomfortable forced them into action, whether to agree with him, or to get away from him. He’d been proud of that technique.
Allegra had called it bullying.
So, she waited him out, keeping her shaking hands as still as she could. At last his lips twisted.
He’d lost the game. He gave her a cursory scan, head to toe, his lip curling as if in distaste.
Then he turned and left without a word. He hadn’t asked her how she was, hadn’t inquired as to the reason for her absence. Not that she’d expected it, but the fact was glaring.
She sighed and headed over to the director's office to hand in her resignation.
She’d meant to complete all her paperwork, but right now she didn’t give a damn.
She just wanted to get out of there.
Now.
Chapter 26
Allegra and her retinue—that’s what she’d taken to calling them because it sounded less depressing than bodyguards—had to pass through the town on the way back home.
Reason enough to stop off at Sweet Passion, her favorite bakery, for a batch of muffins. Allegra had never been any good at baking, often creating brownies and muffins that could double as deadly missiles. The carbon content in them would be enough to supply a pencil factory, or so her mom Julia had always said.
The guards followed her inside. They’d all dressed in different garb, workman’s coveralls, a suit, golf attire, a toga. From looking at them, you’d never tell they were part of the same team, so perfectly did they blend in with passersby and tourists.
The coffee shop was so full she could barely find a place to stand. The guards were forced to lag behind, with only one of them—Ignacio—remaining at her side.
Allegra had been waiting patiently
in the line for the selection of the day’s muffins when a shot went off, sending the patrons and the staff into a mass panic.
The smartest of them hit the ground, no doubt hoping to keep clear of any bullets.
Allegra followed suit, touching down beside Ignacio. When she glanced over her shoulder at the entrance, her heart sank. The doors were shut, guarded by two large men in masks, sub-machine guns in hand. The rest of her team was still outside, staring into the shop looking helpless and angry.
Panic simmered within Allegra’s chest and she shifted to scan the rest of the shop.
A dark-haired, pinch-faced woman lay beside her, staring straight at Allegra’s face, a strange look in her eyes. “It’s going be okay. Don’t be afraid,” she said, hoping to allay the woman’s fears.
But the brunette just stared at her, a hard expression furrowing her brow. Allegra felt the jab in her thigh just as the woman’s lips curved into a cold smile.
“What?” Allegra gasped.
She reached for her thigh, touched the spot that now throbbed. Panic sent her heartbeat thrumming. When Allegra heard the loud screams, she knew that Xales had arrived.
The crowd scrambled away from the giant boar, although some still had the presence of mind to stay down. People screamed and bumped into Allegra as they stampeded toward the back of the store, sending racks of fresh-baked breads and croissants tumbling every which way.
Their fear of the men with guns was no doubt compounded by their terror at a gigantic creature making a sudden appearance.
Allegra twisted around, the movement oddly difficult, as if she were swimming through molasses. Her lids were heavy and she forced herself to open her eyes, only to see Xales charge one of the men with guns.
Two of them fired, but the bullets sank inside the boar’s hide and had no effect on him.
Xales ran one of the gunmen down and was turning to deliver the same treatment to the second masked thug, when a man walked in from the back room behind the counter.