“Lead the way,” Daniel said. He had also noticed the change but was more prepared for it.
Alex frowned at Reaper’s back as she followed him down the hall. This shift in his behavior seemed to irritate her as much as it did me.
“This is the third floor,” Reaper said. “Our rooms are up here. This floor wraps all the way around and has more rooms than we could ever possibly need. If you decide to stay, you are welcome to whichever one you want.”
We walked the whole length of the floor then went down to the second floor. People walking back and forth from the common area greeted us with respectful nods toward Reaper and expressions of curiosity toward us.
“This is our entertainment floor. It’s also where we stockpile our riches from our nightly endeavors,” Reaper said.
“Riches?” Spider asked casually.
“Guarded at all times,” Reaper added.
Spider’s face fell. Reaper fought his grin, still in reserved mode.
“This is the common area,” Reaper said as we entered the open area full of sofas and tables.
The room was full of people. The energy they brought to the room was magnetic. People in dark clothes chatted with each other, flirted, and brought a sense of capable alertness to the room I would have never been able to express in words to the others.
At the same table I had first seen him at was King. He smiled when he saw me and waved; I saw Daniel frown out of the corner of my eye as I waved back. King nodded at Reaper in respect then went back to looking at the others around the table. The poker game had grown since the last one. River was next to King, the streaks in her hair blue now, matching her eyes, and the man she had introduced as Preacher was next to her. There were several others, but I didn’t know their names, and they only looked vaguely familiar.
Reaper approached the table. “Who’s winning?” he asked eyeing the large pile of money on the table.
“Who else?” River asked, thumbing over to King.
“I’m just that good, baby, what can I say?” King said.
“I fold,” another girl sitting on Preacher’s opposite side said.
She had warm, golden hair, and a sunny face. Her eyes were a deep coral. Something about her face was familiar, but I couldn’t place the feeling.
“This is Grace,” Reaper said, pointing at the blonde girl.
Grace gave a half wave.
He pointed to another man with sharp dark eyes and short brown hair. “That’s Quinn.”
Quinn acted as if he didn’t hear the introduction.
He pointed to the last person in the group around the table, a man with black, almost blue-black hair that was kept in dreadlocks. He had purple-blue eyes and sharp, pointed features.
“And this is Ghost.”
“You’ve been doing some recruiting?” the girl known as Grace asked.
She eyed Spider, noticing he was a human. Her face transformed into a frown, but she didn’t say anything.
“They’re thinking about hanging around for a little while,” Reaper said in a neutral voice.
Preacher threw a card down and picked up one from the deck. His eyes circled our strange group for a moment. “And what are they called?” he asked. “Or do they prefer not to have names?”
“Daniel, Alex, and Spider,” Reaper said pointing at each of them in turn. “You’ve already met Clare, right?”
“Briefly,” Preacher said.
“Are you the one Reaper fished out of the ocean?” Grace asked me.
“It depends on how many people he’s fished out of the ocean lately,” I said.
Something about my reply irritated her, her expression flickered with annoyance. Her look of annoyance made the feeling in my gut that I had seen her before grow. Reaper answered happily enough.
“You’re the only one,” Reaper said.
“Then, yes,” I said.
Grace nodded, her frown not disappearing. River threw her cards down and stood from the table. Her blue eyes were serious and laced with secrets she wasn’t willing to share with the others.
“Got a minute?” she asked Reaper.
Reaper nodded, eyeing us apologetically. “Back to work. Do you mind?”
Daniel shook his head. “Clare can show us around.”
“My home is your home,” Reaper said extravagantly.
He walked away with River at his side, headed toward the stairs.
“Missed my little workout buddy,” King said to me as he placed his cards on the table face up. The others in the group groaned as he collected the pot. “Are these the friends you were looking for?”
“Some of them, yeah,” I said.
“What’s with the squirt?” he asked eyeing Spider questioningly.
“Squirt?!” Spider was indignant. “I’m not the nickname women give your private parts, dude. Name is Spider. Learn it.”
Daniel was nervous, obviously aware that our crowd wasn’t the sort of people regular people went around making angry, but I knew King better than that. He started laughing, his neon eyes filling up with respect. Not many humans, who knew what a Watcher was, would dare be so bold.
“I’ll have you know that particular nickname is ‘Tiny,’” King said.
“Maybe you shouldn’t admit that to people,” Spider pointed out. “What are you guys playing?”
King’s eyes turned sly. “Five card draw. Want to sit in?”
“I’ve never played…is that okay?” Spider asked.
I hid my smile. Spider was about to con them like they had never been conned before. It wasn’t just from the way his green eyes were suddenly full of sharp knowledge. I knew Spider would never ask to sit in on something he didn’t know how to already do.
“Oh, sure,” King said. “I’ll even give you some money to start your bet with.”
“Thanks, man, that’s super cool of you,” Spider said.
“I’ll finish showing you around, if you like,” Preacher offered, adding his cards to the deck and handing the deck to Ghost.
The one Reaper had introduced as Quinn also got up as Preacher stood, but it wasn’t to lead us around. He shook his head in irritation and walked off, not bothering with an explanation. I watched him go, wondering what his problem was. It felt rather personal.
“Sure,” Alex agreed, also watching Quinn’s exit.
Preacher took us through the school, introducing us to so many people I lost track. Alex had a million questions. She asked him about the generals, learning more about the ten than I had in two weeks – the others we hadn’t met yet were named Elizabeth and Moira – and then she moved on the organization as a whole.
“How do you manage to keep doing what you’re doing and not have the others attack this school? It seems like you have a pretty fluid population, certainly this place is no secret,” Alex said.
“Most people think this is a safe house, that we are a peaceful operation offering safety only. Lorian, Darian, and Marcus think of us as a low ranking criminal organization that is too busy being wild to focus on the war. They think we have no interest in the war, beyond not being involved. Those we allow in to the Saints as members know to keep their mouths shut. Even then, a lot of them stay focused on the activities that keep us financially afloat. And honestly, we’re not much of a threat. The others like to think we’re saving the world, but it’s going to take more than what we have to accomplish what we want to accomplish. Reaper is an able leader, but our resources are limited. If Lorian, Darian or Marcus wanted to come down on us, they would win. Extracting King from Lorian’s was difficult enough…we couldn’t attack directly, only provide a diversion. We were lucky to get him out.”
“Then, why do you fight?” Alex asked. “If you know you can’t accomplish much, why bother?”
“Because I accomplish a little and because I have faith that God will support the righteous. The worst thing a good man can do is nothing, even when you know you’re outnumbered, outgunned, and out classed,” he said.
“All
that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing,” Daniel added from his place next to me.
“One of my favorite quotes,” Preacher approved. “There is another quote: ‘For your ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all your paths. The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them; the cords of their sins hold them fast. For lack of discipline they will die, led astray by their own great folly.’ As long as we stay true to purity, we stay strong.”
“That’s beautiful,” Alex said.
“Good and evil, both, seem to have a sliding scale with our kind,” I said. “Good people doing evil things, evil people doing good things…how is that judged?”
I couldn’t help my skepticism. It was too difficult to imagine God doing anything beyond hating Watchers for the very fact of our existence.
“Not by me,” Preacher said.
Preacher showed off the rest of the building, answering Alex’s questions with patience beyond any I had seen, then left us to wander around and form our own impressions. Alex had already formed several. She started laying it out as we walked the exterior of the school.
“Preacher is aware that not everything they do is exactly morally right, but he also knows they mean what they are trying to do. I don’t think they’re trying to trick us into anything. They need help, sure, and Reaper wants more bodies, more minds, to join his cause, but they also want people who are committed. Without that commitment, they have a lot of people who could leave at any moment. They want strength.”
“They’re a dangerous group, though,” Daniel said as three people peeled out in a car from the barn we had stopped near. “Wild. Many of them are still very young and very eager to take out their feelings of fear and confusion on the world around them.”
“They grow up, though,” Alex said. “And become like Reaper’s ten.”
“Besides, the wild Watchers are part of the illusion, the way Reaper keeps the dangerous eyes away from his true mission,” I said.
“I doubt they are as invisible as they think,” Daniel said.
“Maybe not…Well, what do you think?” I asked him.
“To join or not to join, that is the question,” Alex said.
“What do you think?” Daniel asked back, not wanting the decision to be his alone.
“I want to fight,” I said.
“I’m with Clare,” Alex said.
“We stay,” Daniel said. “And hope…We should still be cautious, however. Trust will be a thing of time. Some secrets should remain secret…”
He looked at Alex purposefully, suggesting we shouldn’t tell anyone about her ability to change or about my ability to change her. Let the others wonder what I was and how Alex tied into our world.
“I agree,” Alex said assuring us she didn’t want her secret told.
I smiled. “It’s about time things started to go right.”
“Just give it time,” Alex said.
Daniel and I shared a sarcastic laugh of agreement. Together, we headed back to the school where our future was perched with a sense of hopeful expectancy.
There would be no turning back.
Chapter 10
Spider was collecting a huge pile of winnings when we found him again. His face was smug, while King’s was twisted in to a sheepish smirk.
“You let him play me, Clare,” King accused, as we approached the table.
“You let him play you,” I said. “Never underestimate your opponent.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” he said, shaking his head. He stood and rolled his shoulders with a dangerous eagerness for violence. “I’m out. Reaper is finally taking me off house duty.”
“Good luck,” I said.
“I’ve got somewhere to be as well,” Grace said.
“Me, too,” Ghost agreed.
The table slowly emptied as the others claimed places they needed to be. They all headed in the same direction, however – the stairs, toward the silver room. Spider started counting his money, carefully smoothing out the bills as he counted them.
“What’s the verdict?” Spider asked around his counting.
“We’re staying,” I said.
“Good. This place is great,” Spider said. “It’s a den of thieves that doesn’t know the king of thieves has just arrived.”
“Like I said, don’t underestimate your opponent,” I replied.
“Yeah, yeah,” he said, waving a hand in dismissal.
“They got any food around this place?” Alex asked, sitting down at the table. “I’m starving.”
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I haven’t checked.”
Daniel eyed me curiously. Perhaps, he had noticed the fact that I hadn’t eaten anything since we had found each other again, or else he had waited for the perfect moment to ask.
“How long has that been going on?” he asked.
I shrugged, embarrassed. “I don’t think I’ve eaten since I was taken. I just haven’t felt the need, you know? No hunger, no weakness…just…”
“A feeling of being full all the time?” he asked.
“Yeah,” I agreed.
“Any other abilities?” he asked.
“Just the hearing thing.”
“It seems like all you’re missing is the strength and regeneration,” he said.
“That’s a pretty big ‘missing,’” I pointed out.
“Just give it time,” Daniel said.
I made a face and picked up the deck of cards. “How do you play this game anyway?” I asked.
Spider’s return grin was wicked.
Jackson and Margaret, along with the kids, arrived the following afternoon. Their arrival generated a lot of curiosity within the Saints. People came to their doors to watch the kids unpack their stuff and get settled in. Their faces were curious and confused. It was obvious no one truly understood why children were taking up rooms normally occupied by Watchers.
Reaper met us in the hall as we carried the kids’ bags to their rooms.
“My people don’t understand why I’ve taken the effort to bring a bunch of kids here,” he said loud enough for the others to hear as he approached.
“Tell them it’s because they are trained children assassins,” I said.
“Sounds plausible,” Reaper said dryly. He hesitated, not able to read my carefully neutral expression. “Are they trained children assassins?” he asked in a whisper.
I blinked at him without answering. “When can I start adding to the mayhem around here?” I asked.
“You are still not fully healed,” Reaper pointed at my shoulder.
“You had a talk with Daniel, didn’t you?” I asked suspiciously.
“We did talk after you went to bed last night, but I simply cannot remember what was said,” Reaper said.
“I won’t be locked away here,” I said. “I’ve spent too long in a cage.”
“It wouldn’t hurt to let your shoulder heal some more,” Reaper pointed out.
“It might,” I said.
He shrugged and didn’t commit to a definite answer.
“I’d consider finding some uses for the kids as well,” I said. “If you don’t, you’re going to have some very bored pickpockets with a penchant for trouble on your hands, and that won’t be good for anybody involved.”
“We have a need for such talented people…I’ll make sure they go out with some people I trust; people who can keep an eye on them,” he added.
“Thanks.”
“I think I would like to focus on Han and Beatrice,” Daniel said as he joined us, having finished unloading the kids’ stuff in their rooms.
“I already have people looking into it. It’s actually why I came up here. You say they are scientists, right?” Reaper asked.
“Yes,” Daniel agreed.
“Do you have any idea why Marcus would want them? What do they work on?” Reaper asked.
Daniel and I exchanged a look. While Reaper was an old friend, the truth was dangerous. Daniel settled for answering
the second question, instead of the first.
“They’re interested in everything. Beatrice has made a name for herself in genetics and Han in engineering, but they can do it all. They’ve both invented more things than I can conveniently count,” Daniel said.
“And Daniel can count to a hundred, at least,” I added.
“I’ve heard reports of Marcus abducting other scientists,” Reaper mused. “But for what reason, I don’t know.”
“He’s been experimenting with Watcher blood to make weapons,” I said.
I had forgotten my conversation with the scientist I had helped escape in New Orleans, but it came rushing back in an instant. It was probably a truth I should have remembered earlier.
Reaper and Daniel stared at me in surprise. Daniel was particularly shocked.
“I talked to one of the scientists. He was a chemist. He told me that he thought they were building a super virus,” I said.
“To what end?” Reaper asked.
“He made mention of a virus that could fight antibiotics; one that could adapt and keep on killing until there was no one left to kill,” I said.
Reaper and Daniel were still staring at me. Some of the people in the hall also stared, understanding the seriousness of what I was saying. Watcher blood as a virus? Would the virus target Watchers or humans? I wasn’t eager for either scenario.
“The only defense, in that case, would be the person managing to fight it off,” Daniel said. “They would have to have a hell of an immune system.”
“Why would Marcus want a drug that deadly?” I asked. “It would put his people at risk, too…depending on what kind of virus it was.”
“Perhaps, he’s not scared of retribution any longer…or he is preparing to take out the nine,” Reaper said to Daniel.
“That would mean he’s preparing for a lot more,” Daniel replied.
“The nine?” I asked.
“They are a group of elders who sort of…police our actions, keep the general public from finding out about the war. They are a powerful group. It is through their efforts we don’t have a repeat of the flood,” Reaper said.
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