by J. C. Diem
Sensing Loki at her back, she turned to find him standing mere inches away. He was staring over her head at Central Park. They could only see the trees from here, but the view was still breathtaking. She sensed that it was the last time she would ever see it from this vantage point.
“Come,” Loki said. “It is time for us to leave this place.”
She didn’t ask where they were going and merely followed him to the door. After two weeks as his captive, she’d learned it was best to keep her mouth shut most of the time. His moods were unpredictable and he tended to descend into a brooding sulk far too often.
He’d warned her the night before to pack and a small suitcase waited next to the door. She grabbed hold of it and wheeled it behind her as Loki unlocked the door and strode over to the elevator. With his magical ability to change his clothing, he didn’t need a suitcase filled with spare outfits.
They travelled down to the ground floor in silence. When they stepped outside, a small group of Grimgorg soldiers were ready to escort them to a transport ship. Hurrying to keep up with Loki’s far longer stride, Bianca tried to avoid looking at the Grimgorg. Their large yellow eyes were disturbingly sly. She couldn’t shake the sense that they were planning to betray Loki. Only one thing kept her from warning him. If he came under attack, she might be able to escape while he was occupied with quelling their mutiny.
They reached Central Park where a dozen transport ships waited to pick up the few remaining droids and Grimgorg warriors. Striding over to the nearest vessel, Loki gestured for Bianca to enter first. She wheeled the suitcase up the ramp and took in the twenty oversized chairs. They were clearly meant for the far taller Viltarans. Leaving her suitcase on the floor next to a chair, she attempted to climb up onto the seat.
Rolling his eyes at Bianca’s struggle, Loki assisted her by putting a hand on her backside and boosting her up. Squawking in outrage, she spun around and narrowed her eyes at his innocent smirk. Ignoring her glare, he deftly buckled her in, then plonked her suitcase on her lap.
These random acts of near kindness always threw Bianca off balance. At times, she could almost believe he cared about her. Then she would witness him doing something horrible and her fear would come flooding back again.
Taking a seat next to his ward, Loki watched as Grimgorg shamans and soldiers scrambled inside. They immediately began fighting to try to claim a seat. Nearly fifty of them were crammed inside the ship. While they could have used their portals to travel to their next destination, Uldar had insisted they use his mothership. Thanks to its invisibility cloak, no one would know they were coming until after they’d commenced their next attack. Besides, they couldn’t leave any of the portals behind and risk them falling into the wrong hands.
Uldar and his barbarous kin wanted to be part of the first wave this time, which meant they would be unleashing their hordes at night. It was Loki’s nature to be vexing, so he’d deliberately chosen a place where the civilians were most likely to be armed and dangerous. With luck, the humans might be able to wipe a few of the Viltarans out. So far, they hadn’t lost a single member of their small army. Privately, he wanted to see them taken down a few pegs.
Bianca braced herself when the ramp slid shut and the craft took off. They zoomed upwards, but she couldn’t tell how fast they were moving. It seemed that only seconds passed before they slowed down and landed again.
Loki hadn’t bothered to buckle himself in. He slid to the ground and reached for the straps that held Bianca in place. He unbuckled her, then put his hands around her waist and set her down on the ground. Even with the suitcase in her hands, she weighed very little. He’d spent the past fourteen nights with her delightful body in his arms. It was becoming harder and harder to ignore her allure. He knew she feared him, but he also knew how to charm women when he really wanted to.
Fate’s warning to keep Bianca safe from harm was always in the back of his mind. Using her for his own pleasure would give him momentary joy. The aftermath when she realized she meant nothing to him wouldn’t be anywhere near as pleasurable.
When the ramp slid open, Bianca hurried to keep up with Loki as he strode down the short slope and into a gigantic hangar. Hundreds of transport ships were lined up in neat rows. Each one had been piloted by a robot. Grimgorg warriors and shamans emerged and huddled in groups. They’d been instructed to wait here, but Loki had no intention of following that order.
Staying close to her captor, Bianca stared in wonder and trepidation at the black surface of the walls, floor and ceiling. It was oppressive and frightening compared to the dull silver of their transport ships. The wheels of her suitcase rolled almost soundlessly over the smooth metal floor.
They entered a hallway that stretched far into the distance. Rooms were scattered the entire length on both sides. She was far too short to see through the windows, but Loki caught the glances she sent towards each door. He stopped abruptly and she crashed into his back. She cringed as she waited for his reaction.
Loki hated seeing the look of caution on Bianca’s pretty face. “Do you wish to see what is inside the cells?” he asked. She already feared him, but after what she was about to witness, she would probably hate him as well.
Nodding uncertainly, Bianca let go of the handle of her suitcase. She tried not to let out a gasp when Loki’s hands closed around her waist. He lifted her as if she weighed nothing and held her up high enough to look inside the window. Pity and sadness filled her at the sight of her fellow humans being corralled like mindless cattle. Their expressions were blank and emotionless. The silver collars kept them docile, but they couldn’t control their bodily functions. Toilets hadn’t been installed and they stood in their own filth.
“Put me down,” she said in a defeated tone. “I’ve seen enough.”
Loki stepped over to the door and went up onto his toes to peer inside. His upper lip curled at the state the prisoners were in. Even he was disturbed to see the little care that they were being given. “Now you see why it is essential for you to obey me,” he said to Bianca. Her shoulders were slumped and her auburn hair had fallen forward to hide her face. “You would not want to end up like these captives.”
Unable to form a response, she could only nod silently. Torn between bursting into tears and grabbing his sword and attempting to stab him with it, she knew without a doubt that this would be her fate eventually. It was also possible that she would become a clone. Either way, her future was just as bleak as everyone else’s on her world. It was only a matter of time before the entire planet would become subdued.
Feeling a hint of remorse for putting Bianca through that, Loki led the way to the Viltaran elevator. It whisked them upwards to the hallway that would take them to the bridge. A droid stood guard at the door. It looked down at them both, but it didn’t attempt to bar their way.
Although it was daytime, Uldar was awake. He didn’t seem to require as much sleep as the rest of his kin. He stood at the console, squinting at a monitor. Turning, he saw his ally wasn’t alone. “What is this?” he said in his deep, gravelly voice. “Have you brought me a snack?” If Loki hadn’t witnessed the Viltarans dining on humans during their nightly hunting sessions, he might have thought it was a joke. Unfortunately, it was all too possible that Bianca would become a meal if she were to leave his side.
Showing a perverse streak, the Viltaran’s personal droid translated in English so Bianca could understand the conversation. Face going pale, she stepped behind Loki and used him as a shield. Quaking in terror, she was too short to see over his shoulder and snuck a peek around him instead.
At eleven feet tall, ‘hideous’ wasn’t a strong enough word to describe Uldar. He had fangs on his upper and lower jaws that were almost like tusks. His nose was flat like a bat’s and his nostrils were overly large. Long, filthy black hair fell to his waist and clumps of food seemed to be stuck in it. His stench was bad enough to make her eyes water.
He was also maddeningly familiar. Like his army of robots, s
he couldn’t quite shake the idea that she’d seen them before. It was an insane idea. The Viltarans had been unknown to humans until they’d shown up to attack them a couple of weeks ago.
Sending a withering look at Uldar, Loki could feel Bianca shivering in fright behind him. He had to fight down the urge to comfort her and silently damned Fate for lumping him with the fragile human in the first place. “You have your assistant,” he nodded at the translator robot, “and I have mine.” He spoke in English as well and almost flinched when a tiny hand touched his arm in silent appreciation. He didn’t want, or need her thanks. Not when his instincts were telling him things weren’t going to end well for her.
It was obvious he wasn’t going to get a rise out of Loki, so Uldar gestured at the monitor. “Have you decided which city we will target next?” He still had enough fuel to conquer this entire planet before he could become concerned about being stranded here. Once his ship had been converted to run on magic, he would strike the Asgardian and King Rho down. He would then unleash the devastating gas bombs that would wipe out all remaining life on Earth. Not a plant, animal, or insect would remain alive.
He’d already decided to demonstrate his power when they reached their next target. In small doses, the gas was an effective barrier. It would imprison cities in an impenetrable ring. Any being that entered the mist would die.
Ignoring the glee dancing in Uldar’s crimson eyes, Loki didn’t even want to know what his gigantic ally was thinking about. Given his warlike nature, it probably involved dismembering people. “Head to the west,” he said. “I have a hankering to visit Texas. I hear it is lovely at this time of the year.”
Bianca leaned around him and looked up to see him grinning widely. Even Uldar knew the God of Mischief was up to something. He couldn’t know that some parts of Texas were a sweltering desert. Then again, winter was fast approaching, so maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.
Something told Bianca it wasn’t the weather that was amusing Loki. From what she knew about Texans, they were a feisty bunch and they loved their guns. They probably weren’t going to be as easy to capture as the citizens of New York had been.
~~~
Chapter Fourteen
~~~ Lexi’s World ~~~
Mark gestured for everyone to gather around. He wanted to speak to them before Lexi could whisk Violet away to demonstrate her zombie raising skills. “While Loki hasn’t appeared yet, I think we should advise the Board of this new threat.” He could have just called his superior and filled him in over the phone, but it was probably best to deliver this kind of news in person. “I called Cromby and he’s expecting us.”
Lexi wasn’t surprised that Mark was two steps ahead of her. His ability to strategize was one of the reasons why he was their boss. Even when he’d just been a fragile human, he’d earned their respect and admiration. Mark Steel was one of the bravest men she’d ever met. The entire squad would follow him anywhere.
“We might be gone for a while,” Reece said. “Someone should stay behind just in case Natalie wakes up before we return.”
“I will remain here,” Sabine offered. She’d once been held captive by an evil organization and she wasn’t keen on visiting the PIA headquarters. Agent Steel and his team were good people, but she couldn’t say the same about the other agents in their organization. While she didn’t want to be parted from Flynn, she preferred to stay here where she knew it was safe.
Flynn bent down and placed a kiss on Sabine’s forehead. They couldn’t speak telepathically while they were in their human forms, but he knew she felt his love for her. “Call me if you need anything,” he said. Mark had issued the newest members with cell phones since they were all technically Shifter Squad members now.
They trooped outside and even Zeus decided to come along this time. Violet closed her eyes tightly, but it was getting easier each time they travelled beneath the ground. In a way, she was almost glad to face her claustrophobia so often in such a short space of time. Maybe she would eventually become immune to her fear of being in enclosed spaces.
Arriving at the beautifully maintained grounds of their headquarters, Lexi had aimed for a spot right next to the building. At least a couple of centuries old, it was slightly sinister. It was three stories high and had dark gray shingles on the roof that complimented the lighter gray stone walls. A shimmer gave away that it was warded by a warlock. Lexi, and possibly Violet, were the only ones who could see it. If the teen could sense magic, then maybe she could see it as well.
One step ahead of her again, Mark turned to Violet. “Can you see anything strange about this building?”
Squinting at it, Violet detected a strange ripple over the entire structure. “It almost looks like heatwaves are coming off it.”
“It’s a magical barrier,” Lexi informed her. She was glad she wasn’t the only one who could see things that no one else could. “It isn’t harmful,” she added when the teen frowned. “It acts as an alarm to let the people inside know if something dangerous enters the building.” Another barrier surrounded the property, but they’d bypassed it by using the zombie highway.
Considering they were all magical in some way, the alarm should have gone off every time they stepped through the door. The Board members were well aware that Mark’s team were shifters. Their warlock had attuned his spell to the squad so it didn’t react to their presence.
Ava was Cromby’s former assistant and she led the way along a stone path to a side door. It opened before she could place her hand on the scanner to unlock it. A camera mounted on the top of the entrance had alerted the guards to their presence. Nodding respectfully, the guard stepped aside to let them in.
Entering last, Violet stepped onto thick dark blue carpet that made her footsteps almost soundless. An alarm went off even before the door swung shut. Guards raced towards them from deeper inside the mansion at the high-pitched wail that seemed to come from everywhere. Calling on her dagger, Violet transformed it into an axe and prepared to defend herself.
Lexi and Reece stepped in front of the teen to shield her when the guards levelled their weapons at her. She was the only person they didn’t recognize. The rest of the squad copied their actions until Violet was nearly hidden from view.
“Hold your fire!” Philip barked. The guards froze at his stern order. They all knew his reputation of being the best sniper the US Army had ever seen. He could have killed them all with little effort even before he’d become a shifter. Now, he was the deadliest killing machine in existence, right behind Lexi and Reece.
A door halfway down the hall opened and a man in his sixties emerged. He wore a dark suit that was nearly identical to Mark’s. His greying hair was kept short and neat, just like most of his employees. He carried a Colt handgun like the one that was strapped to Kala’s right thigh. The rest of the squad kept their weapons either on their hips, or in holsters beneath their left arms.
Relief flowed over Cromby’s face when he saw Mark and his team. They surrounded a newcomer who peeked at him over their shoulders. She was young, pretty and apparently something the warlock had never encountered before.
“Can you do something about the alarm?” Mark shouted. If it was this loud for him, it had to be agony for the shifters. Apart from slight strain on their faces, they were being stoic about it.
One of the guards handed his radio to Cromby. His boss called the suite deep inside the building where the warlock was located and spoke to the guard. “Shut off the alarm!” he bellowed.
Moments later, the noise cut off and quiet sighs of relief sounded. Instead of dispersing, the guards remained in place. Their weapons were no longer trained on the blond girl, but they weren’t going to leave until their boss told them to.
Cromby spoke into the radio again. “Can you please send the warlock to the Boardroom?”
The guard hesitated before responding. “Uh, I can ask him, sir, but you know he rarely leaves his apartment.” Cromby was well aware of that and he didn’t respond. A few s
econds later, the guard spoke again. “He agreed to meet you, sir. He’ll be there shortly.”
Mark and Ava shared a look of amazement. She’d filled him in on the reclusive warlock. He wasn’t a fan of humans and tended to live apart from them. He was happy enough to perform spells for Cromby and the Board. All he asked for in return was that they kept him fed, clothed and comfortable.
Cromby led the way down the hall to his office. Violet glanced around as they trudged along the corridor. The walls were covered in cream wallpaper. The drapes were the same shade of blue as the carpet. Antique furniture graced the hall every so often. Old paintings of landscapes with ornate gold frames hung on the walls. Heavy oak doors led to unknown rooms to their left. A telltale shimmer warned her that all of the doors were warded.
Cromby entered the Boardroom first and the others filed inside after him. The walls were black rather than cream, making it feel like a large cave. The edges of the room were dark, with a single bright spotlight pointing at the floor in the middle of the room. Eight monitors hung on a wall to the left.
Eight stern-faced people stared down at them from the monitors. Three were women and five were men. All of them were upwards of fifty. Just their faces were displayed, giving away nothing of where they were, or what they were wearing. Identical black walls were displayed behind them. They were probably all sitting in rooms exactly like this one, watching them on their own screens.
A huge oak desk and an executive black leather chair sat to the right. It was situated directly across from the monitors. An expensive Tiffany lamp illuminated the desk. While Violet admired its beauty, she couldn’t hide her nerves. Every member of the mysterious Board was focused on her.
After a short wait, the door opened and a man entered. Average height, he had a slight paunch and was dressed in midnight blue pajamas and a maroon velvet robe. Violet’s lips quirked upwards at his attire, then her expression froze when she looked at his face. Pure white hair framed his ordinary features. Piercing blue eyes stared at her in puzzlement as he tried to figure out what sort of creature she was. “Elijah?” she said in stunned wonder, then she surprised everyone by launching herself at him.