Among the Debris (Son of Rain #2)

by Michelle Irwin

  I reached across the table for Toni’s hand, trying to present a united front. It took a moment before she intertwined her fingers through mine, and when I glanced at her, she was sitting deep in thought. The worry that had been growing in me while I was sitting alone only continued to expand.

  Maybe this is a bad idea. Maybe I should try to do a solo attack later. I shouldn’t have gotten her involved.

  My need to protect Toni clashed with my desire to get my hands on the artifacts that were so close but might as well have been a thousand miles away.

  “So, Jacobs, how have you been finding our corner of the globe?” Charles leaned forward again as he asked the question, his gaze steady and unwavering on my face as he waited for my response.

  “It’s definitely not dull, sir.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “I’ve encountered beasts here that were unknown to me prior to my arrival.”

  “Such as?”

  “The black annis.”

  “Don’t forget the boo hag,” Toni added, somewhat unhelpfully.

  “Ah, yes, the hag. I’ve reviewed your notes on both those cases, Jacobs. Very thorough.”

  “Thorough is my middle name, sir.”

  Toni gave a horrified gasp that caused us both to turn to her. “You told me it was Trouble.”

  I stifled a laugh. “Oh, Trouble’s in there too.”

  “Clay Thorough Trouble Jacobs,” she murmured. “I like it.”

  Charles cleared his throat before excusing himself to get the first course. I took the opportunity to find out what they’d discussed when they disappeared.

  “He’s worried that I’m rushing into something without considering the risks.”

  “That’s not unexpected.” We’d both anticipated resistance.

  “He’s worried I’m going to get my heart broken. Maybe we’re making a mistake letting you take the fall? Maybe there’s a way we can do this another day without him knowing it was you.”

  “I’ll be okay. I’m sure I’ll be able to smooth it out as a misunderstanding once I’ve gotten the information I need.” It was a lie, I had no idea how I was going to smooth anything out with anyone. I risked ostracizing myself from the Rain, particularly the UK operatives, but I had little other choice.

  “I’m sorry about his questions.”

  I shrugged. “It’s not like we didn’t expect to face the Spanish Inquisition.”

  “Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition.”

  “I wouldn’t say that. Honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me if he actually busted out some of their techniques.”

  She gave me an odd look. “You really haven’t seen any British classics have you?”

  I frowned in confusion.

  “What are you two talking about?” Charles asked as he came back into the room.

  “Just Clay’s appalling lack of taste in movies. He has less than zero knowledge of Monty Python, and frankly, I’m starting to question my own judgment.”

  “Well, I’m sure you’ll educate him if he’s sticking around.”

  He distributed plates with what I recognized as toad in the hole as well as an assortment of vegetables on them. Determined not to repeat the mistakes I’d made during my first encounter with the dish of Yorkshire pudding and sausages, back at the Dove, I thanked him rather than asking whether there was actually toad in it.

  “Did Kevin cook this?” Toni asked as she drowned everything on her plate in gravy.

  “I’m not sure I appreciate the insinuation that I can’t cook.” Charles gave Toni a warm smile.

  “Kevin is Granddad’s houseboy,” she explained to me.

  “Personal assistant.”

  “He makes sure the place is clean and that Granddad is well fed.”

  Charles seemed to grow concerned with Toni’s teasing. “I can take care of myself.”

  Toni chuckled. “I know, Granddad. I only ask because Kevin’s toad in the hole is simply magical.”

  “He may have prepared the batter,” Charles conceded. “But I did the actual cooking. It’s been too long since you visited me. I wanted to make it special.” He probably would have denied it if confronted, but I heard the hidden emotions in his voice as he talked about her absence. It was clear to me that even if her visit was only to bring home a less-than-desirable suitor, he appreciated it.

  A vice closed around my chest and stole my appetite as I thought about the fact that my choices could drive an even bigger divide between them. I pushed the food around on my plate, knowing that I should be trying to force as much of it as I dared down my throat because it could be my last meal in a while.

  “Your techniques for dispatching the boo hag were quite novel, Jacobs.”

  The image of the hag writhing and screaming while trying to rid her body of the haint blue forced its way into my mind, and I dropped my fork as the last vestiges of my appetite left me.

  “Some of those were actually Toni’s ideas. She is a master strategist and a damned fine asset to the Rain, if you don’t mind me saying so, sir.”

  He ground his teeth at something I had said. I cast a quick glance to Toni to find out what it might have been, but she was holding in a laugh and shaking her head as she gazed at her lap.

  “Antoinette is indeed a masterful leader.”

  Shit! I was failing to make a good impression. “The best I’ve ever been under.”

  In my periphery, I could see Toni’s chest rising and falling as she bit her lip to restrain her growing laughter. Only when I saw her trying desperately to contain herself did I understand the unintended double entendre in my words and fought back my own smile.

  Charles looked between us and dropped his fork to the table before clearing his throat and excusing himself.

  “Oh my god, Clay!” Toni slapped my shoulder as she burst out laughing the instant Charles had left the room. “Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

  “Me? How about you sitting there laughing and drawing attention to what I said rather than just moving on.”

  “I can’t help it that you’ve enjoyed being under me so much.”

  I swallowed heavily. “He’s going to have me killed long before I even have a chance to do anything, isn’t he?”

  “Killed? Nah, he wouldn’t really do that.” Before I even had a chance to exhale in relief, she continued, “There are, however, a number of oubliettes here in the castle. It would be more his style to drop you down one of those.”

  A shudder raced down my spine, and it felt like my blood had seeped out of my body. Memories clashed: my retraining, Evie’s face of fear as she’d fled from me, the boo hag.

  The thought of being thrown into a darkened place and forgotten about with nothing but those thoughts to keep me company terrified me more than it rightly should considering everything I’d seen and done in my life so far. It was bad enough being in the cell in Bayview where there was at least some light.

  My emotions were heightened to their straining point by the thought of what I would have to do soon—once more betraying the organization that was a second family to me. I already dreaded the consequences of being caught in the act or hunted shortly after. I had thought death was the scariest threat I faced, but I’d been so horribly wrong. Although she hadn’t meant to, Toni had given me something much worse to fear.

  “Are you all right?” Her voice sounded like it was coming at me through a tunnel.

  I shook my head. “I can’t do this.”

  “You can. You will. Even if it means that I have to order you to.”

  Evie invaded my thoughts: the sound of her laughter, the look in her eyes when I brought her to the very edge of exhilaration, the feel of her warm body wrapped around me. I allowed her in, focusing on the happiest times we shared.

  As I did, the weight of expectation and fear lifted away from my chest. My family might have screwed up what we’d shared, but she was alive because of my choices. By doing this, I could ensure her survival. If doing that meant I en
ded up rotting in a dungeon in the ancient bowels of a modern hotel, then so be it. At least I would have some good memories to relive. I nodded as I breathed out my anxiety. “I can do it.”

  “That’s the spirit. Now to ply him with a little more of the good stuff.” She winked as she topped off Charles’s glass.

  The rest of the evening ran somewhat smoothly. Toni took over the conversation and ensured Charles’s glass was always full. We took small sips from our own glasses, enough to convince him that we were drinking too, but not even enough to finish the first serving.

  From time to time, I felt his eyes boring into the side of my head as if he was carefully assessing me once more, but no more sexual innuendos or shorthand versions of Antoinette’s name slipped from me. I was the model guest and the perfect boyfriend.

  By midnight, Charles was snoring loudly on the sofa. The plan had worked better than we could have hoped. With a racing heart, I followed Toni toward the vault. She reached for the electronic keypad to enter the code, but I shot my hand out and stilled her progress. I used the hold I had of her wrist to spin her around so that it looked like I was holding her in my arms.

  “You can’t do that,” I murmured against her neck as I pretended to nuzzle against her hair. “It has to be me from here on in. I need to be the bad guy, remember?”

  Her jaw flexed as she clenched her teeth. “I feel useless just standing around waiting for the shit to hit the fan.”

  “If you want to be helpful, just keep the guards off my back for as long as you can.” I moved my lips as close to hers as I dared, hoping that it looked like we were sharing a kiss if anyone reviewed the security tapes. She’d been right when she said I was going to take the heat regardless, there was no point dragging her down with me. “You need to be here and working to help me spread whatever I find in there. You can’t do that if they don’t trust you.”

  “You’ll be careful?”

  “Of course. Now, how long do I have again?” I knew the answer, but I hoped I might be able to distract her from her obvious concern by bringing the focus back onto the plan.

  “Ten minutes, if you’re lucky.” According to what Toni had told me, after I entered the code to unlock the door, a notification would be sent to Charles’ phone to acknowledge his desire to enter.

  Toni didn’t know the code for the verification. She didn’t even really know the process beyond the basics. All she could tell me was that if the verification wasn’t received by the command center within five minutes, guards would be dispatched to investigate. Even with the time it would take them to arrive, I would be on borrowed time from the five-minute mark and was determined to be gone by then.

  “Okay.” I pressed my lips softly against hers in a chaste farewell kiss that held no passion but was full of my thanks. “Take care.”

  She blinked back tears. “You too. Don’t get yourself killed over this or I’ll perform a séance just so that I can kick your dead arse myself.”

  “I don’t plan on it, now come on.”

  I led her away, crossing to the other side of the room and leaving her at the door as I turned back to the vault. I wiped my hands against my jeans, my palms suddenly sweaty. Before I touched the vault entrance, I enabled the preset alarms on the phone Toni had given me before hovering my fingers over the touchpad while I recalled each of the correct numbers in sequence.

  It’s all on you now, I thought as I drew in one last deep breath. Don’t fuck it up.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  THE FIRST THING that struck me about the vault was how much bigger it was than I’d assumed. It wasn’t another room the same size as Charles’s office behind the door like I had expected. Instead, it stretched back what seemed like an impossible distance and was filled with an inordinate amount of artifacts.

  The collection didn’t consist of only a dozen or so ancient plates and baubles like I’d expected after Zarita’s explanation. Instead, life-sized statues stood on hefty stone plinths. It was like a mini-museum, and I had no idea where to start to ensure I didn’t miss anything.

  “You start by filming.” Toni’s voice sounded in my mind. It was nothing more than a memory of one of our planning session, but it was helpful nonetheless. A newfound sense of gratitude flooded through me that she’d been so anal about all the arrangements.

  Drawing out the small video camera we’d found for the occasion, I performed a couple of slow sweeping passes of the room, trying to get as much on the tape as possible. There was no guarantee I would be able to lift any good images off the footage, but it was better than having nothing to show for the heist.

  A beeping sounded from my pocket as the first of the alarms on my phone warned me that one minute had already passed.

  My throat clenched. One fifth of the time I had in the room had already slipped away, and I had yet to grab anything useful.

  “Get the least fragile things.” Zarita’s voice this time. I recalled the pictures she’d shown me and the description of the particular art style that would help to identify Phoenician artifacts. I reached for the reusable folded shopping bag from my pocket, opened it and began to catalog potential items.

  My heart pounded as I lifted a papyrus from the shelf, certain the antique scroll would disintegrate the instant I held it in my palm. Taking as much care as I could with my limited timeframe, I slipped it into my bag before reaching for the next few items that caught my eye: a book and a handful of necklaces. Each piece of jewelry held a metal plate engraved with symbols that meant little to me but that I hoped would mean something to Zarita. They each looked vaguely similar to the items she’d shown me in France.

  Three plates followed that I hoped would survive the journey. If not, the least I could ask for was that the distinct color of the clay each of them was made from would be enough to piece together the fragments. My phone beeped for the third time, and I my heartrate peaked. I needed to get more of the collection. The bag already sagged under the weight of the ancient treasures, but it might not be enough. Although I wanted to collect everything, I couldn’t take anything more. I was running out of time and space as it was.

  I used the video camera to take a few photos of the larger items in the room—the stone plinths and framed papyrus and rugs around the room. I was certain many of the items weren’t related to Evie, but didn’t want to pass up the opportunite to help more than just her. I wanted to prove that she wasn’t a one-off. There were other intelligent, beautiful, wonderful, warm, sexy . . .

  My heart froze in my chest, refusing to beat even once more, as my eyes fell on an object hidden in one back corner. A bust, mounted on an inscription-covered plinth. It was chipped and worn, but despite its age, the bust was so lifelike and such a perfect replica of the face I’d studied so often.

  It was Evie—or at least a significant likeness.

  I had no clue whether the statue was of her ancestor or from another child of the sunbird, but the resemblence was uncanny.

  For a moment, I was rendered completely motionless while I was transported back to when I had her at my side. I could hear her laugh echo in my mind. Images came to life, memeories of the night we’d met in Salem, when she’d walked out of a Salem hotel bathroom looking every part the embodiment of the ancient goddess that ran through her veins.

  As the girl I missed filled my mind, the stone disappeared to be replaced by her lilac eyes and soft pink smile. I could barely breathe, and my hands tremored as I reached out to cup my hand over the cheek of the woman immortalized in stone. When my fingers found their hold, the cold stone was a harsh reminder of the truth.

  Because of the likeness, I’d almost expected the image to hold some of the residual heat that lived within the source of inspiration. Instead, it was just a bitter reminder of everything I’d lost. Of the chill that had filled my life since Evie had run from me. I closed my eyes as the image of her beauty, of her shining eyes and bright smile, was replaced by the mask of fear she’d worn the last time I had seen her.


  A chiming sound filled the air, yanking me from my thoughts.

  Fuck! It was the fifth and final alarm on my phone. The signal that it was time to make my exit or risk being caught in the act. If I didn’t move, I could possibly even end up locked in the vault as a new addition.

  My camera was poised, ready to take an image of the statue, but I stopped when I saw the risk. Zarita would be the first to review the footage. She’d indicated that she didn’t believe the myths. But would seeing the face of her university friend immortalized in a sculpture change her mind? Unwilling to risk Zarita discovering the truth, I panned the camera down onto the plinth. The once smooth stone was ancient and chipped, the inscriptions worn down in places. There had to be something relevant on there.

  My hands shook as I recorded the information, but I hoped I would get one clean enough shot. After all, the inscriptions might hold the key to the information I needed without revealing the truth to Zarita. Hoping I had what I needed, I snapped the camera shut and placed it into my backpack.

  Holding the full bag as securely as I could against my body, I raced out of the room, leaving the heavy door standing wide open. Within a few minutes, it would be clear to everyone who knew about the vault that someone had broken in and stolen precious artifacts. Taking the time to close and relock the door wouldn’t lessen the impact of my crime or the desire of any potential trackers to follow me. All it would do is give me less time to escape.

  I jostled my way into the hall cradling the artifacts in both arms. A scuffling sound behind me drew my attention. Without slowing, I looked behind me and saw that Charles was no longer passed out in a drunken stupor. Luckily, he didn’t seem to have his wits entirely about him either.

  He stood and gestured for me to return to him. “Hey, you . . . boy! Um, uh, Jacobs.”