30
Jessie may as well have punched him in the chest.
Eden took a step back, the sincerity in her eyes as disturbing as the words coming out of her mouth.
‘Pummel has them caged. He’s planning to sell them on,’ she explained. ‘Those that he’s not keeping back for some kind of sick dog fight when the new moon arrives in a few days’ time. He’s starving them of their meds. You must know what that means. If he leaves them in there long enough, they’ll end up killing each other. And, if word gets out about this, how long do you think it will take for Jask and his pack to get here? How long do you think it’ll take, once they arrive, for this entire row to be wiped out? Which I don’t think the rest of the cons in the south are going to take too kindly to. And I don’t think the authorities are going to take too kindly to the third species allying together to overthrow any sense of humans in this district as a result. It could be the excuse the authorities have been waiting for.’
Eden exhaled tersely with disbelief, fury burning his chest at the prospect of what Pummel had planned for the lycan kids, let alone the implications from the potential outbreak. ‘What the fuck does Pummel think he’s playing at? How long have you known about this?’
‘A couple of days. That’s why I needed you to help me with the padlocks. They’re down in the cellar. I didn’t know what to expect but– ’
‘But Jask’s compound is like a fortress. Everyone knows that. How the fuck did Pummel get them out of there?’
‘He didn’t take them – someone else did. They were delivered here.’
The caskets. The caskets taken from the van. ‘The night I arrived,’ Eden said. ‘I was watching the van.’
‘So was I.’
‘Who delivered them?’
‘I don’t know. All I know is what the lycan young told me. They said an army turned up.’
‘An army? Whose army?’
‘Again, I don’t know.’
‘Well, they’d have to be a fucking amazing one to take on Jask’s pack.’
‘They broke in while he wasn’t there. They shot their way in there and out again, taking a selection of young with them.’
‘To hand to a con to sell on the black market? That doesn’t make any sense.’
Because it didn’t. It made no sense at all. Just as the fact Jask and his pack weren’t already ripping Blackthorn apart to find them didn’t make sense.
‘I know. Something is wrong here. Really wrong.’
‘The only people in this locale powerful enough to create an army like that are the TSCD, the Higher Order or the Global Council themselves.’
‘None of whom have any benefit for instigating a war – not yet.’
It added to the unease he’d been feeling the minute he’d seen what she was. ‘Then why does Pummel suddenly feel like a pawn?’
‘A pawn that will kick-start a series of events that could spiral out of control. If this erupts beyond Blackthorn, it’ll be chaos.’
‘We have to get them out of here.’
‘That was my first instinct too, but if we let them out, if they get home, they’re going to tell Jask. Letting them go could be the thing to kick-start all of this.’
‘As opposed to what? A bunch of murdered, abused and mutilated kids? Fuck that.’
‘That’s not what I’m saying, but we can’t just open the floodgates without thinking this through. You can see the implications of what just one decision can lead to,’ she said, pointing back towards the drawings.
‘Then what do you suggest?’
‘That you get your hands on that necklace and then I get those young back to Jask. If I tell him the implications, I might be able to prevent him retaliating.’
Eden laughed fleetingly at the naivety of her statement, his hands resting on his hips again. ‘When he finds out about this, he will have this entire row on its knees in minutes. You can’t stop that happening.’
‘I’ll give it a damn good try.’
He held her gaze pensively for a moment. ‘That’s why you agreed to the deal with me, isn’t it?’
‘In part.’
‘Does Pummel know you know he has them?’
‘No. I snuck down there. That’s why I couldn’t rip the padlocks off. I couldn’t risk him suspecting.’
‘And that’s why you only gave me a couple of days to find the necklace. You know he’s going to pass them on in time for the new moon.’
‘I have to get across Blackthorn, with those kids alive, by then. I have to persuade Jask not to wage a full-scale retaliation.’
Eden exhaled a slow and steady breath as he ran his fingers back through his hair. He might have Jessie on side now, but with less than forty-eight hours, he still had a hell of a struggle ahead, not least because his own time there ran out twenty-four hours before that.
Convincing Jessie to confide in him, to work with him, had been challenge enough. Convincing Sirius Throme to give him another day was a whole other challenge. He’d been insistent on only three days, but if he told Sirius he’d found out how to get her out, he’d surely give him longer. He’d come too far not to.
He’d have to get back to the flat in the next twelve hours or so. Somehow he’d have to give enough information away to convince them, but not too much to give them enough of an upper hand. Because the nagging doubt of Sirius’s intentions was still there. If he disclosed it was all down to a necklace, they could burst in there with the best equipment known, to track it down. They could take Jessie right out of the place and deliver her straight to The Facility, as they no doubt intended.
But handing Jessie over had never been his intention – and he was going to waver on that less than ever now.
Jessie stepped up to him and coiled her hand in his with a familiarity that was as captivating as the gentleness of her touch. ‘Can you not see why I want you out of this place? Why you need to get as far away from here as you can? If Jask has already followed a trail here, they could arrive at any time. They won’t see beyond those numbers on your arm.’
He dragged his gaze from hers to stare back at the wall – from the entwined figures to the Dog Star. ‘You said it all fades like a dream.’
‘Yes.’
‘But angels third species?’
‘According to your kind’s classification, yes.’
‘So you have a shadow instead of a soul?’
She hesitated for a moment as if trying to second-guess him. ‘Yes.’
He looked back into her pensive eyes. ‘So you can be shadow-read?’
She frowned. Her nod was hesitant. He could tell she was catching up.
‘So if you were shadow-read, a shadow reader might be able access those faces? Could pull them from your subconscious?’
‘The only shadow readers left work for the Third Species Control Division. Eden, I’m not going to hand myself over. Nor am I going to let them in on all this.’
‘I’m asking you in theory.’
‘In theory, yes.’
‘And if you were read and we knew who this vampire leader was and who this instigator was – whether it be Jask or someone else – we could potentially stop this happening?’
‘Eden, trying to get Jask to back down is one thing. Trying to persuade the vampire leader is completely another. Look around. This has been coming for a long time. They have more reason than ever to overthrow this system. Whether we like it or not, it has already started.’
‘Then what’s the point of talking to Jask, if you truly believe that?’
‘Because the delay could maybe cause another shift. It could stop the imminent snowball. It might not stop the destined outcome, but it could offer us an alternative that wasn’t there before. An alternative without the devastating loss of lives.’
‘You’re trying to rewind, aren’t you? You’re trying to take it back to the original predictions – when vampires, the third species, ruled.’
‘I am trying to do what I can to stop this global devastation,�
� she said, her eyes narrowing in indignation at what he was implying.
He pulled away, resumed his seat on the sofa. He rested his head in his hands.
She was still a third species. She would still instinctively have her own kind at the forefront of her mind.
And there was a piece of the puzzle missing – something about his timely arrival that seemed just a little too timely.
She knelt down in front of him. ‘Those drawings,’ she said, ‘the ones you found in my room.’ She hesitated for a moment. ‘I didn’t draw them after I saw you – I drew them before.’
His pulse picked up a notch as he searched her eyes, as she seemed to be struggling with what to say next.
‘Eden, what if you’ve been the intended recipient of this message all along?’
‘I’d say someone somewhere along the line should have put more time into their shortlisting.’
She caught his hands in hers. ‘What if you’re supposed to help me get out of here so that we can stop Jask and delay this? What if you’re here to prevent it from happening? What if that’s our part in this?’
‘Is that why you decided to trust me?’
‘It’s about more than that and you know it. I don’t know what we’re supposed to do, but I know those kids can’t die.’
‘And what if both our instincts are wrong? What if they were meant to disappear without a trace? What if us taking them back there instigates it, like you said? What of you fail to persuade Jask otherwise?’
‘Why do you think this has been so difficult a decision for me? This is about all of us, Eden. The decision we make could affect everything.’
He sighed heavily as he looked up at the ceiling for a few moments. He looked back at Jessie. The only thing that made the decision easy was that he wasn’t going anywhere without her.
‘Yeah, well,’ he said, standing, pulling her up with him. ‘I’m not risking sitting on my arse when all hell could be about to break loose. I need to know more about that army – who the fuck’s got a God complex in all this. Take me to those kids, Jessie. Now.’
31
Jessie just about prevented herself slamming into the back of Eden as he stopped abruptly the second he opened the kitchen door.
‘It’s good to see you’re taking your new responsibility seriously, Eden,’ Pummel said as he glanced up from the kitchen table.
They’d checked the lounge and had seen only Chemist and Tatum in there. They’d hoped the coast was clear. Instead, around the kitchen table, mid card game, Pummel was sat opposite Homer, Dice at the far end.
Pummel threw down one of his cards before taking a mouthful from the glass beside him. ‘It’s reassuring that you’re keeping her so close,’ he added as he scanned his cards. ‘And Dice here tells me she’s being very obedient. I’m pleased about that.’ He kicked out the chair next to Homer – an indication for them to join them.
She could feel the tension ricochet from Eden’s body to hers but, from what she could feel from the others, seemingly none of them had picked up on it, thankfully.
Neither the chair Pummel had offered nor the empty chair with its back to the door were preferable options but, strategically closing the door behind them, Jessie opted for the seat next to Homer, Eden taking the seat adjacent to her. Both knew that Eden needed to keep his focus on Pummel, whereas Jessie, with her quicker reactions, would be able to signal Eden soon enough should she detect an ambush from behind.
Eden brushed her leg with his beneath the table, no doubt to let her know he appreciated her move – a reminder they were in it together.
‘So you’re getting along?’ Pummel asked, throwing down another card before sliding Eden the bottle.
Dice took a clean glass from the cupboard and placed it in front of him.
Eden poured himself a drink with impressively steady hands before reclining back in his chair in an equally composed move. ‘If that’s your intention, I’ll try a little harder. Though the conversation so far is a little dry. She’s not much of a talker, is she?’
Pummel smiled, cast his winning card down before piling all the cards back together for a reshuffle. This time he dealt Eden in too.
Eden swept up his hand. As he scanned his cards, not even Jessie could tell if it had been a good deal or not.
‘She’s not much of a talker because I’ve trained her to be that way,’ Pummel declared. ‘She used to have a lot to say for herself, but she learns quickly.’
Jessie snatched her glare to Pummel – his look triumphant, mocking, and one that dared her to contradict him. More than ever, she could feel the hatred consume her. Just looking him in the eye again after hearing of his intentions as the young had cowered and shook in the hellhole beneath them made her want to lash out there and then, no matter what pain it caused her. He’d most definitely finally gone one step too far.
But retaliation wasn’t an option.
If he even attempted to hurt Eden though, despite being helpless to turn her anger on him, she’d rip everything else apart – and then he’d know what defiance was.
She slid her foot forward beneath the table to feel the reassurance of Eden’s jeans against her shin – a reminder to ignore the provocation.
Eden’s attention didn’t flinch from his cards, but his response was instant as he rested his knee against hers before straightening his leg again.
‘She’s got real issues about being told what to do,’ Pummel added. ‘Which is why I have to challenge her defiance. I can’t have what happened earlier happening again.’
‘It won’t; not for as long as I’m around,’ Eden said, taking a card from the pile in front of him.
‘No,’ Pummel said, his gaze lingering. ‘I believe you. Or I wouldn’t have put you in charge.’
Jessie clenched her hands together beneath the table as she waited to find out the real reason Pummel had pulled Eden into the game. She could think only of getting rid of them, of getting through the larder door as she and Eden had planned. Then they could forge a plan – work out what the hell they were going to do from there.
But they still needed the necklace and, to do that, Eden needed to keep playing Pummel.
‘You certainly seem to slot right in here,’ Pummel declared as he threw another card into the pile.
‘I didn’t think you’d give me responsibility for this one if you didn’t,’ Eden said, with a tilt of his head towards Jessie.
‘You’ve not been tempted?’
Eden looked up at him. ‘With what?’
‘She’s not bad-looking. You know she’s got a few extra skills.’
Eden exhaled tersely as he resumed his attention on his cards. ‘A tattoo with “fucking stupid” written on it is one I’ve yet to add to my collection. No offence, but looks and skills aside,’ he let his knee drop against hers again, ‘she’s not worth it. Whereas, in case you’ve failed to notice, my loyalty to you is.’
Pummel threw down his winning hand. ‘Pleased to hear it. So, for refraining from that perk of the job, maybe it’s time you had a few others. You’ve watched her for long enough. You deserve a break.’ He looked across at Dice. ‘Do you want to take our friend a little deeper into the row? Make sure he really relaxes?’
Dice’s smile unnerved her as much as Pummel’s suggestion, their conspiratorial exchange of glances making her stomach clench.
Eden hadn’t been numb to it either, his knee rubbing against hers once more. They both knew he had no choice. They both knew their plan would have to be delayed. ‘You’re not going to join us?’ he asked Pummel.
Pummel smiled. ‘No, no. You go and enjoy yourself. You and Dice can tell me all about it when you get back.’
32
Eden followed Dice through the succession of arches, deeper into the depths of the row. But more disturbing than the darkness around him, the stench of illicit substances, of sex, the bass from the rooms above overwhelming his senses, was the spring in Dice’s step as he led him onwards like an overenthusiastic to
ur guide.
They turned left up the stairs, passing the threesome that hadn’t quite made it as far as the rooms above. Dice chuckled as he glanced in their direction, stopped to watch for a moment before adjusting himself in his trousers with a grin.
‘Whatever you want, buddy,’ he said, slapping Eden on the back as he led him down the hallway, ‘this row can provide. And that’s what tonight is all about.’
Dice stopped at a couple more open doorways along the way, taking his time over the sex acts being performed within. To Eden’s repulsion, Dice licked his lips, his eyes focused and glazed hypnotically on the writhing, seemingly absorbing the groans and the gasps as his hand slipped down to readjust himself again.
‘Watching helps me get in the mood,’ he said, glancing across his shoulder at Eden. ‘Does it you?’
Eden placed a mint in his mouth, the dryness nothing to do with arousal. ‘Depends what it is.’
Dice smirked and elbowed him, cocking his head back towards the hallway. ‘From what Tatum was telling me, there’s not a lot you’re not into.’
He stopped at the third room along the left, unlocked the door and opened it, indicating for Eden to enter first.
In the dim and musty room, on the double beds directly opposite, two women were sat facing each other under the dull lamplight. They weren’t that dissimilar in appearance – both fair-haired, both medium build, though the one to the left was the skinny side of slim, the frown lines on her forehead and dark circles under her eyes telling him she didn’t sleep much anymore. The way her hands gripped the duvet added to the escalating seediness his and Dice’s entry had created.
But it was the one who kept her eyes downturned that disturbed him more, the fact she didn’t even look up at who had entered.
His stomach curdled and no more so at the cheap lace and faux-leather skimpy attire they were wearing. He looked left at the sex toys on the sideboard, the shabbiness of the thin curtains that shielded the window behind them, the sheets that had probably seen more action than washes.
Blood Deep (Blackthorn Book 4) Page 34