“PLAYTIME IS OVER. Playtime is over.” I stalked to my room, muttering the entire way down the hall. Did he really, really, think this was fun for me? I snorted through my nose. Yeah, sure I loved getting thrown around the basement. And turning my brain inside out was just hilarious! Asshat! I should’ve kicked him in the head when I had the chance. I slammed the door and felt better.
A soft knock interrupted my grumbling. The door cracked open and Sean poked his head inside.
“I know you’re not asleep. Can I come in?”
Ungraciously, I grunted and turned my back. He took that as permission and came inside. Instead of coming over to the bed, he walked to the window and gazed out at the fading light. He was absorbed in his own thoughts as the sun set for the night. I had alternated between staring at the ceiling and staring at his back for the last thirty minutes. By the time it was fully dark, I was over my bad mood and wanted to talk. The silence stretched uncomfortably, and I didn’t know how to break it. Just as I was about to go to him, he flopped down on the bed and covered his eyes with the back of his arm.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“I wish I knew.”
“Cryptic.”
“It’s the best I’ve got.” He ran a hand through his hair until it stood up in spikes. I smiled at the sight. He didn’t smile back.
The pattering of rain on the roof filled the silence. A soft rumble of thunder echoed in the trees, and a faint flash of lightning lit up his face. I shivered in the cool air. A storm was coming, but when? Sean reached out, and I slid into the circle of his arms. His mood was grim, and my imagination took great liberties as it tried to figure out the cause. He was still keeping secrets. What did he know that he wasn’t telling me? What did Alex tell him? What was going on?
“Do you want to talk about it?”
He took my hand and kissed it. Peering into my eyes, he traced my jaw with a fingertip, and whispered, “I can’t find the words.” He yawned hugely, and added in a more matter of fact tone, “Maybe I just need some sleep.”
I didn’t really believe that; he was just changing the subject. I let it go for now and curled up with him. Even as his breathing slowed, and he relaxed in sleep, I stared at the ceiling. Something was very wrong. I felt it in my bones. I trusted the feeling, and it scared me to death.
The coming of the new day brought with it only watery sunlight that washed out the hard lines of the room. The effect was a sense of being underwater as the rain poured down the windows. A loud crack of thunder brought Sean springing upright with instant alertness. After scanning the room for intruders with his hand halfway to his gun, he reluctantly relaxed again. His eyes were deep blue, but the shadows under them were purple in the grey light. His face was white with fatigue, and the tiny crease between his eyes was more pronounced this morning.
He gave me a crooked smile, and said, “You look tired, babe. Didn’t you sleep at all?”
“Funny, I was just thinking the same thing.” I kissed the tiny crease and smoothed my fingers over his face until he sighed.
“We’re a mess, aren’t we?” I asked.
He stopped my hands and kissed them one at a time before tucking them behind my head. As I gazed into his unguarded eyes, the truth of his thoughts came crashing into me—as did the heart-wrenching pain and fear that filled his mind—he was barely hanging on. Closing my eyes against the battering force of his emotions, I clutched him to me, desperate to feel something other than fear. We clung together as the full force of the storm broke over the house. The incessant scream of the wind urged us on. Hurry, hurry . . . Time is running out. Rain slammed against the glass, drowning out all other sounds. When the last rumble of thunder was very far away, we fell into a dreamless sleep.
They were grouped around the big dining room table looking at sketches when I finally made an appearance that afternoon.
“I want to talk to you.”
“Can it wait?” Killian asked absently.
“You’re going over the plans for tonight, right?”
He nodded.
“Then no, it can’t wait.” I pulled up a chair and straddled it.
“Fine. What’s on your mind, Mica?”
“I want to go inside with you tonight. I can help.”
Sean protested, “No, you’re not. You’ll stay outside and be our eyes like we planned.”
“You need me to balance the team. I can fight as well as you, and I can shoot a gun now. I’m just as trained as you guys are.”
Killian’s eyebrows went straight up. “You think you’re as trained as we are? Really?”
I backpedalled. “Okay, maybe not, but I have skills you can use. Let me help.”
I appealed to Dec for support, but he bolted to the kitchen to feed Domino. Coward! Sean set his lips together and glowered at Killian in silent conversation.
After an eternity, Killian picked up his wicked boot knife and pointed to a position on the sketch. “You’ll be here. I need you to be eyes and ears outside. Bring the NVGs and check your earpiece and mic. You got that?”
I gritted my teeth and must’ve looked mutinous, because he quickly added, “Or you can stay here with the dog. It’s your choice, princess.”
I glared at both of them before throwing up my hands. “Fine! I’ll do whatever you tell me to do. But I don’t like it! What if something happens to one of you inside? I could help. I—”
Sean stood up so abruptly his chair fell over backwards. His face paled with anger. “Stop it! Do you hear the words that are coming out of your mouth? What if something happens to one of us? What would you do then? If Dec is killed, how will you help him? If I’m killed, how will you help? If Killian is killed, then what? What?! Mica, you’re not thinking! You can’t help. If shit goes sideways, we’ll be dead, and so will you.”
Now it was nearly time to head out, and I was nervous. I checked and double-checked my body armor, cleaned my Sig, loaded it, stuffed extra magazines into my pockets, and strapped on my new Bowie knife. I checked myself in the mirror. I had on black camouflage pants and a thin long-sleeved black shirt. I had black boots on my feet and body armor covering my chest. My gun was tucked into its holster, my knife strapped to my thigh. I was now a mercenary—for God no less. Raphael was right; my life wasn’t mine anymore. I looked out the window and groaned. The rain had come back with a vengeance. Our fearless leader checked the radar and announced we’d have rain all night. The storm was moving to Vermont so we’d have to deal with it for the next six hours. Well, at least we’d have cover . . .
Two hours later, Domino huddled under a bush and shook water out of her ears. My hat kept the water from running into mine, but it still ran down my back. I was already soaked through to my underwear so it was pointless to find shelter. When he dropped me off, Killian reminded me that I wouldn’t melt. Guess he had a point. As long as I could hear and see, I would be able to do my job tonight.
Sean scanned the clearing and reminded me, for the twentieth time, to watch the driveway and the back of the property for latecomers. He had about five more minutes before he had to move into his position. Killian wanted it to be fully dark, and it was nearly there. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and the wind picked up again. It made me uneasy. I shivered. Sean peered through the binoculars at the roofline and mumbled to himself some more. He had gone over the plan twice since we got here. All business now, he didn’t waste any time worrying about me. It was go-time. He was a professional. He’d do what he’d have to do tonight. I understood that, and I—
Cutting off my thoughts, he pinned me against the tree. My head was spinning by the time he released my mouth, and I dragged in a ragged breath of air. The relentless rain sluiced between us like a waterfall. The dense woods surrounded us like a jungle. Lost in the moment, there was only him, only now. He dragged his mouth across my throat, kissing me with an unexpected tenderness.
“God, Mica! You’re ripping my heart out!” Before I could respond, he crushed me against him, ravaging
my mouth with a hunger that set me on fire. His hands dug into my shoulders, bruising, clutching me to his hard body. My skin sizzled as the current ripped through my blood, and I shook with too much energy, too much power to contain. Arching with the pain, I moaned against his mouth until he released me to search my eyes in the darkness. A pale flicker of lightning cast an odd shadow over Sean, and for a moment, just for a moment, I thought I saw a different face. Then the illusion was gone, and I saw only the flickering gold lights in his eyes.
With one last hard kiss, he pulled away, hissing fiercely, “Stay alert!”
And he was gone.
I let the cool rain soak my overheated body, my thoughts ricocheting like a pinball machine, my mouth tingling and tasting of Sean. Everything would be okay, right? Sure. This was a routine mission. Nothing too hairy, right? Everything would be okay. I repeated this positive thought until I was almost convinced, but my instincts still harped at the back of my mind. Nagging, nagging . . . tick tock. The clock was ticking and time was running out.
Mica! I need you to focus. Do you hear me? Killian’s thoughts fairly roared through my mind. You can’t worry about things you can’t control.
I’m sorry. It’s just a bad feeling.
His tone softened. I know. We’ll talk later. Now get to work.
I used my night vision goggles, NVGs, to scan the perimeter. The farmhouse compound was surrounded by an electrified fence with concertino wire running along its top. There was one gate that was monitored with a camera and an electronic keypad. Killian’s intel source said it was the only gate onto the property. I hoped he was right about that. I couldn’t see much on the other side of the building from my position. That made me a little nervous. What if reinforcements could come in from that direction? We’d be screwed. Moving my eyes slowly along the fence line, I was relieved to see it was clear. I focused on the house next. There were sentries posted on each end of the second story porch. As I watched, one of them tossed a cigarette over the side where it fell like a tiny shooting star. A moment later, he slumped over in a quiet pile as Dec took him out. He slid the body out of sight and picked up the man’s rifle. He faced my direction and whispered into his mic, “I’m in.”
I breathed out. One down, two to go. Sean should be next. Endless seconds later, Sean called in too. Just one more. Killian was on the other side of the compound and was supposed to slip into the basement to set the charges. They would set the timers, and then get out of there. Killian should’ve been there by now. Where was he? I peered at the house with the NVGs again. Everything looked quiet. Wait a minute! What’s that?
“Company! Three men . . . no—not men—make that three demons. Shit. They just appeared on the driveway.”
Domino growled under her breath. Not tearing my eyes away from the scene in front of me, I reached down and lay a hand on her head.
Sean’s voice came through the earpiece. “Where now?”
“Heading into the house. Uh-oh, they’re looking up at the second floor. Dec, they see you! Move!”
My vision was blinded as the demon threw a fireball at Dec. I couldn’t see where he was now. Did he vanish? The demon was still there . . .
“Sean! Dec’s gone.”
Domino snarled and backed into my calf.
“Chill, Cujo, before I shoot you.”
I whipped around with my gun in my hand. He aimed his at my head at the same time I leveled mine at his chest. He stood about six feet away. I liked my odds.
The man drawled, “Well, hell, you’re just a chick. Why don’t you put that gun down so we can get to know each other before I bring you to the barn?” He cocked the gun with a click.
Domino bared her teeth. The wind was picking up again and gusts were blowing branches around the two of us. I waited, searching his eyes. They flickered the moment he made his decision. In a split second, I lunged for his gun hand and shoved it to the side, snapping his finger in the trigger, ripping an agonized howl from his throat. I jammed my other hand into his nose. As he lost his balance, I threw myself backwards and came up with the gun pointing at his chest again. Nose dripping, he lunged. I pulled the trigger, and he dropped to his knees with a hole in his chest and a look of surprise on his face. I shot him again. Killian told me to always double-tap. The man listed to the right and slid over in slow motion. The driving rain filled his open brown eyes, and I bent over and threw up.
The rain and wind seemed to muffle everything, so I prayed no one heard the gun shots. Still shaking with adrenaline, I crept back into my position. I didn’t see any new movement on the ground. The demons were gone! No! Where did they go? Frantic, I scanned every inch of the property and came up empty. No demons and no sign of Dec either. Sean and Killian were still out of sight and off the radio. I chewed on my lip. Come on, guys . . . Where are you?
I tried the radio, but no one answered me. Domino nudged me and whined. I stiffened and strained to hear. It was no use. The rain was too loud. I couldn’t hear anything at all. Should I go down there? Hesitantly, I took a couple of steps and stopped. Sean’s words echoed in my memory and I was torn. Go or stay?
After yelling at me in the dining room, he finally threw up his hands, and shouted, “My God, Mica, is it so fucking wrong for me to want to keep you alive? I’m supposed to protect you! I love you! No matter what happens tonight, promise me you’ll stay out of that farmhouse. If it goes well, we’ll all come out. If it doesn’t, well, you can’t help us in there.”
Against my better judgment, I promised him. It was a promise I regretted now as I stood in the pouring rain with a dead guy and a wet dog. I anxiously twisted my locket, as if that would make them magically appear. The locket was my connection to them all. I clutched it like a talisman and prayed they were okay. As the seconds ticked into minutes, I paced, thinking furiously. Finally, an idea started to take shape. Killian expected me to use my abilities or he wouldn’t have agreed to bring me tonight. Maybe I didn’t need to go into the house, because I should be able to see into it from here . . .
Creeped out by the dead guy, I picked my way to another good hiding place. I settled into the spongy wet ground and slowed my breathing. It took a few minutes of concentration, but eventually I could see inside the walls. Well, now, this is cool . . . I can see through the walls. Wow. Methodically, I scanned the second floor. Three dead humans. No Primani and no demons either. The balcony was empty too. Hmm, that was not a good sign. Sean should’ve been up there. I continued my tour down to the first floor. There were five men standing in what probably used to be a living room, but now looked like an office. Three of them carried guns, but the other two didn’t. They had a geeky air about them. Hmm, maybe doctors or scientists; I’ll mention them to Killian later. Two demons were leaning against the desk, talking to the men. From the expressions on their faces, they were getting their butts chewed. No one looked happy, but maybe that’s just the normal effect demons have on people. I didn’t see any dead bodies, nor Sean or Killian.
Okay, now for the basement. I paused for a split second to relax my eyes. This viewing was harder than I thought it would be. My head was aching with the effort and sweat ran in rivers down my back. Rolling my shoulders to loosen the tension, I closed my eyes and then opened them again. After taking a deep breath, I focused on the basement. It was pitch black down there. I strained to see into the darkness. A movement caught my eye. There it was again—a flash of skin. Who was that? The vision wavered and I caught my breath. Focus . . . Focus. Okay, that’s better. Killian and Sean were on opposite sides of the room setting the charges. Moving like wraiths, they attached the timers to each set of explosives and moved on. Dec played lookout by the stairs.
Something startled me, and the vision vanished like smoke. Moving only my eyes, I searched the woods and strained my ears. There it was again! A stealthy shadow moved outside the corner of my eye. The next flash of lightning illuminated them. All of them. Sonofabitch.
I pressed myself deeper into the mud. Do
mino scooted backwards under the brush and pressed herself into the mud too. I was trapped here while they moved toward the house. I had to warn the guys.
Killian! This place is surrounded! Don’t come out here! No response. I tried again and again.
Finally, I heard his voice faintly say, Two minutes. Close your eyes!
Barely breathing, I waited. Two minutes crawled by, but the explosion didn’t come. Another minute went by and still no explosion. Meanwhile, the other men were creeping closer to the house with their weapons raised. Come on, come on, what’s taking so long? I closed my eyes and peered into the basement again. My heart nearly stopped. The basement wasn’t dark now. Two demons were lighting it up with fireballs. Dec and Sean stood back to back to block the demons trying to get to Killian. He was setting the final timer. A fireball flew towards his head, but he just ducked and kept working.
With a muffled pop, the first of the explosions went off. I flinched as the light flared behind my eyes. Dec was thrown off balance and fell into a pallet stacked with guns. One of the demons jumped at him and disappeared in the black smoke. One by one, the timers went off, and the explosions rocked the foundation. Oh, my God! Get out of there! What are you waiting for? Sean turned back to reach for Dec, who was struggling to push the demon off of him. Separated by flames, Killian yelled at them to go. As they fought for their lives, I held my breath. Horrified, I couldn’t look away. After shoving the burning pallet to the side, Sean grabbed at Dec’s arm just as the big demon aimed one of the strange weapons at Sean’s back. He fired just as the barrels of chemicals exploded in a blinding burst of white light.
I screamed, “Sean!”
With a deafening roar, the house blew apart. The blast was so intense it seared my eyes. Stunned beyond thought, I staggered upright as half of my soul was ripped away. Sean! Oh, my God! No! Still screaming his name, I was barely aware of Dec’s arms around me or our flight away from the men with guns.
Back at the house, I stumbled blindly to our room, calling for Sean until Dec finally caught me close and pinned me to his chest.
“He’s not here, Mica.” The anguish in his eyes confirmed what my heart told me was true.
With my eyes streaming bloody tears, I sobbed in his arms until he put me to sleep.
I slept for five days during which I dreamed continuously of the last five minutes of Sean. I replayed everything that happened in that basement. A never ending nightmare, every second played out in slow motion. The demons. The fight. The fire. The massive explosion. My brain wouldn’t let it go, and I cried for hours until Raphael came and put me into a deeper sleep.
Dec and Raphael stayed with me. I heard them whispering but refused to wake up. They were terrified for me because my heart didn’t beat like it should, and my eyes still bled. My skin was bluish and cool. I was too distraught to heal myself and the strange energy that I once shared with Sean was of little use now. I was curled around an icy core of pain and withdrew from the warming energy. I could barely breathe without him.
On day six, Killian returned. The desperation in his voice penetrated the fog of my sleep. He pushed open my door, and froze when our eyes met. He’d obviously been to Hell and back. Covered with soot and blood, he still wore the clothes from the raid. The worst part was the haunted expression in his eyes. He blamed himself, and it was eating him alive. Exhausted, he staggered to the bed and fell to his knees.
“I tried, Mica, I tried. I can’t . . . find him.” His voice broke and he bowed his head against the bed. “Forgive me.”
I lay my hand on the back of his neck. “God, Killian, it’s not your fault,” I rasped through the emotion clogging my throat.
He trailed a filthy finger over the trickle of blood leaking from my eye. “It’s not yours either.”
Choking on a sob, I tugged him forward until he wrapped his arms around me. Clinging like a drowning man, he rocked me as I wept against his neck. After a while, his tears slid down my face, and I started to breathe again.
Epilogue:
Primani (Primani Series Book One) Page 28