Beth held up her hand, palm out. “Don’t say it,” she said to me, sniffing. She wiped her nose and took a step toward me. “I love you, but please don’t tell me how you did all of that. I honestly don’t want to know.”
“Well, I do,” Chad said.
“It’s better that you don’t,” Jared said, shouldering past Chad. He reached for me and I fell into him. “Every last one of them shelled. It took forever to get out the door.”
“It’s a shame, but we’re not going to that pub again,” Chad said, shaking his head. “It’s been taken over by misfits and criminals.”
“Where’s Claire and Ryan?” I asked.
Chad rolled his eyes. “Cleaning up. I think they’re enjoying themselves.”
We walked around the corner to find Claire standing alone, her arms crossed. Ryan grabbed a man twice his size and head-butted him.
“The PD will be here any minute,” Jared said.
“I know,” Claire said. “But I find him strangely attractive right now.”
Jared rolled his eyes and led me to the street, and Beth and Chad followed. When we reached the parking lot, Chad took a deep breath. His hands were trembling, as were Beth’s. I felt so sorry for them. They didn’t deserve to be dragged into our mess.
“Beth,” I said. I licked the blood from my bottom lip. “We’re going away.”
Her eyes shot up. “Again? But you just got back.”
“I need you to cover for me at Titan. Work under Grant. We’ll be gone for the summer.”
Beth left Chad and wrapped her arms around my neck, squeezing me tight. “I just need to know one thing: are you going to be okay?”
I smiled. “Yes.”
She nodded, taking a deep, cleansing breath, and straightened her shoulders. “I’ll take care of it.”
“I know you will.”
16. Direct Flight to Hell
My hands shook. The seat belt clanged as I tried to buckle it for the fourth time. Claire was two feet away, stuffing her carry-on in the overhead bin. Jared was outside, directing baggage and making doubly sure the preflight check had been carried out at least three times. Bex’s deep voice hummed from the back as he joked with Ryan. His nervous energy was evident in his tone, and even though he was trying to play it off, it was there.
The sun had set, and because of an earlier light summer rain, the tarmac glistened. Jared was pointing in every direction, answering questions, his expression severe. I was glad that he was able to burn off some of his anxiety by choreographing our departure.
“Oh, for Pete’s sake, Nina, here,” Claire said, snapping my seat belt closed.
I sighed and nodded in thanks, and she left me for Bex and Ryan. I rested my head against the seat and took a deep breath. My nerves seemed to take a back seat when I watched Jared work outside, so I tried to keep my concentration on the window.
A dark figure approached Jared. Kim. She was unhappy, and when I realized she would ride with us for the duration of the trip to Jerusalem, my anxiety level doubled. We had all abandoned her. She was left to fight alone, even after she was promised some relief. She had helped us, and we turned a blind eye while she lost sleep and her uncle. I was afraid of what she would have to say to me. And she had plenty of time to either let me squirm or call me out.
She held out her hand. With the abilities Bean had given me, I could hear her dry voice.
“The book.”
Jared put the Naissance de Demoniac in her grasp. “I know you don’t believe me, but I am sorry.”
“I believe you.” Her voice was tired. Any sign of the Kim we once knew was as nonexistent as our former life. She took the book and held it to her chest and then pulled a cell phone from her pocket. As she walked to the steps of the plane, I heard her sigh.
“Dad, I have it. We depart in ten minutes.” She clicked the phone shut.
I wiped my moist brow.
“What’s your deal?” Bex said, tapping my shoulder. “You sick? You look sick.”
“I don’t feel well.”
His eyebrows turned in, deepening the same line that gave away Jared. Bex sat in Jared’s seat and patted my hand. “You have Kim, the human demon repellant, three hybrids, and a cop/ex-special forces guy on this plane. Not to mention you’re kind of a badass yourself these days.”
“Bex,” I warned.
“Sorry. Don’t tell Mom.”
Kim boarded the plane. Her clothes were stained and wrinkled, hanging from her gaunt body. The dark circles under her once-soft brown eyes appeared like purple bruises on her ashen skin. She only carried the book in her hand and the phone in her pocket. No luggage, no carry-on. She had one mission and one mission only. Nothing else mattered.
Her eyes met mine and she froze. Ryan passed my seat and approached her. They traded glances, but no words were spoken. Ryan kissed her bony cheek, and she let her body weight lean against him. He supported her weight for a moment and then squeezed her tight before letting go. She used the seats to support her weight as she approached me.
“Hi,” she rasped.
My eyes filled with tears. Nothing I would say would be adequate. I didn’t deserve to talk to her.
Bex stood and then helped Kim into the seat he occupied. She turned to face me, and her chin lowered. “I don’t blame you.”
I pressed my lips together in a hard line. An apology seemed insulting; I could barely look her in the eye.
“I don’t,” she continued. “I just wanted you to know that . . . you know . . . in case we crash and burn in a few minutes.”
I stared at her in disbelief, and then the corners of her mouth turned up, and she winked and left.
Settling back into my seat, I took a deep, not-so-relaxing breath. The small crowd loading the plane had dissipated, and Jared made one last sweep of the plane before boarding.
“This is it,” Jared said to us all. “From the moment we depart until we land, it’s out of our hands.”
I reached out to him, and he grabbed my hand, sitting in the seat beside me. He kissed my fingers and closed his eyes. I waited for several moments, but he stayed still and silent. I turned to see Bex and Claire, eyes closed. Bex’s lips moved in prayer.
Guilt washed over me. They didn’t need to be on the plane. Ryan didn’t, either. If Hell pulled a fast one and the plane went down, we were helpless to stop it. I knew they didn’t question their presence, though, but that only made me feel worse. It was all of us or none of us, and the display of the lengths our mismatched family would go to for each other brought tears to my eyes.
Jared wiped the tear that raced down my cheek. “Ready?”
I nodded, forcing a smile. “I was born for this, right?”
“We all were.”
The engines whined, and the plane wheels began to roll. The wing lights blinked against the fuselage, casting a red glare at half the time of my heartbeat.
“Try to relax,” Jared whispered. His voice held no conviction. He knew they were just words.
We all waited for our impending death, knowing our chances plummeted the second the plane was in the air. The flight to Jerusalem was long—too long to cope with the constant fear that every jostle or noise would signal our fall from the sky.
I turned to look at my family. Claire and Ryan were in deep, quiet conversation. Bex sat next to Kim, chewing his pinky nail, and Kim stared blankly ahead. The engines whined as the wheels rolled forward. The pilot taxied on the runway, and after a short pause, the plane surged forward. The sudden acceleration of the aircraft pressed my back into the seat. I closed my eyes, trying not to feel every flaw in the runway or the wind resistance against the wings. My new abilities were exciting and at times had saved my life, but for the first time, I wished for the aptitude to turn them off.
As we raced faster and farther down the runway, I imagined the tiny wheels and how on earth at that speed the plane didn’t veer off into the grass or a building. At that point, everything that could possibly go wrong before we even got off the ground flas
hed through my mind. My heart pounded so hard against my chest wall that I thought I would die of a heart attack before we left Providence.
“Nina,” Jared said in smooth tone. He leaned into my ear, and his lips brushed against my skin. He pulled my arm across him and kissed my neck. I gripped his shirt, my knuckles white. I was relieved to be in the arms of my husband, but for all the wrong reasons.
“I’m afraid,” I said, stuttering.
“I know.” He gently held my jaw with both of his hands and lowered his chin. His dark blue eyes met mine. “We’re going to make it. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“Don’t start making promises you can’t keep now.”
He kissed me, hard and purposeful. Once, I could have become lost in a kiss like that, but the wheels were leaving the ground, and we were now a large and easy target.
“Nina, you have to have faith.”
My eyebrows pulled together. “Someone is going to have to give me a reason. I’m all out of faith.” The plane dipped a bit before making a sharp turn.
“Look at how far we’ve come,” he said, smiling. He meant to be comforting, but I could see the fear behind his eyes.
I buried my face in the crook of his neck and squeezed him to me. My eyes shut tight, trying to push away the overwhelming feeling that we had been deceived, corralled into this deathtrap—the one place Jared couldn’t control.
The plane righted itself and then climbed effortlessly into the night sky. The lights below appeared to shrink, until they seemed like glowing clusters of fireflies. Everything else on the ground was black and ominous.
Jared was unfolding a map of the old city, sprawling it across his lap. He used his finger to trace different routes to the Sepulchre then sighed. “I wish we’d had enough time to send someone ahead to shape the battle space.”
I touched his free hand. “I don’t know what that means, but we’ll figure it out.”
He paused. “I apologize for the military jargon. I’m just in that mode at the moment.”
“I understand,” I said. The stress he suffered was nearly visible. The pressure was crushing him.
His eyes slowly fell to where my fingers touched his skin, and then closed. He took a deep, faltering breath and exhaled. “I am terrified of losing you. The routes, the possibility of a last minute change of plan, everything that could possibly go wrong has run through my mind so many times that I doubt I’ll ever forget. I love you so much, Nina. I love our child. The fear of failing you weighs so heavily on my mind. I feel as if I’m going crazy.”
I turned in my seat to face him. My eyes bore into his, filling with tears fueled by every emotion. “If I’ve ever believed in you, Jared, it’s now. Whatever happens, whatever crosses our path, I know you’ll make the right choice.” I pulled his hand to my round belly. “We both believe in you.”
“Claire has spent quite a bit of time there.” He turned and gestured at her to join them.
“We’re setting down in Ben-Gurion airport,” he said, pointing to the map.
Claire nodded. “It’s about forty-one kilometers from the center of Jerusalem. We head west here, toward Nesher, and then take this right, here, to Route 4503.”
With his finger, Jared followed the road and shook his head. “But this is a main road. Shouldn’t we try some back roads?”
Claire shrugged. “I say get there, Jared. We’re going to get the shit kicked out of us on any road we take.”
I frowned. “That doesn’t make me feel better.”
Claire raised her brows. “Nina, you should prepare yourself. Think of every war movie you’ve ever seen on TV: loud noises, yelling, guns, and things blowing up around us. We’re going to be shot at, chased, and running for our lives the second we touch the tarmac. You’re going to have to listen, stay focused, and follow orders, or we’re not going to make it. Get it?”
My head bobbled, trying to process the war zone she described.
Her eyes left mine to return to the map. “That tunnel could be a problem. We could detour here”—she pointed—“and skip across to rejoin the main road here, skipping the toll.”
“If we can just get into the Old City, we’ll be home free. The Sepulchre is just there,” Jared said. He pushed his lips back and forth with his fingers, a million decisions flipping through his mind.
They pored over the map, discussing different roads, buildings, and blind spots. Even though they were kind enough to speak in English this time, as much as half of their discussion was lost on me with phrases like Black Swan, Belay, and Schwerpunkt.
Claire shook her head. “I brought the new rifle. Ryan and I could stay behind. I could cover you.”
Jared thought for a moment but shook his head. “Too risky. What if you get trapped?”
Claire frowned. “That’s insulting.”
“It’s not just you, Claire. You have two of you to watch out for.”
“I know that, but he—”
“Claire?” Jared said.
Claire’s shoulders dropped in resignation.
“We’re not leaving anyone behind,” he continued. “We stay together.”
“Copy that.”
They spent another hour coming up with Plan B’s and C’s and Z’s. If something went wrong at this corner, we would take that alley, duck into that building, or cut across that roof. Areas of concentrated population were to be avoided at all costs, but the Sepulchre was in the center of the Old City and a popular pilgrimage destination. Our fight wouldn’t end until we were safe inside the tomb.
I shivered. How anyone could feel safe in a tomb was beyond me, but it was the one place Hell wouldn’t go. The book was proof. I turned to see Kim staring at the book in her hands.
She sensed me looking at her, and her eyes jumped up. I was immediately embarrassed, but she showed a glimpse of my friend, letting the corners of her mouth turn up. The action seemed unnatural for her, and it only lasted a moment before she was blank-faced and once again staring at the book.
Claire stood and crossed her arms. “Six hours ’til arrival. I’m going to ready the weapons.”
She didn’t get halfway down the aisle before the plane trembled and then shook. Jared looked at me and then behind him. Claire held onto the tops of two seats on each side of her.
“Probably just some choppy air,” Ryan said.
In that moment, the plane bounced violently, sending objects from the overhead bins the floor. The lights flickered, and I held my belly with one hand and gripped Jared’s arm with the other. Claire’s outline flashed by as she made her way to the cockpit.
“Is it turbulence?” I shouted. The engines whined in a way I’d never heard before, and I could feel the plane descending rapidly. The plane took another dive and then leveled out slightly. “Jared?” I cried.
“Claire will handle it,” he said, covering my hand with his.
The cabin went dark, and red emergency lights cast frightening shadows. After another dip, the emergency oxygen masks fell from above.
“Doesn’t that mean we’ve lost pressure?” I said in a panic.
Jared leaned over to look out the window, and I did the same. Blackness covered the ground below: no glowing fireflies, no tiny lines of traffic. We were over the ocean, with no hope of making an emergency landing.
The plane leaned to the left, pushing me against the window. It was then that I saw it: moonlight flickering against the waves below. We were just a few thousand feet from crashing into the water.
“Nina!” Jared said, unbuckling my seat belt. “Come with me. I’m going to open the emergency exit door, and when I tell you, we’re going to jump.”
“What?” I said. “Jump from the plane? Are you crazy?” I could see real fear in his eyes, and for the first time, I knew Jared had made a decision out of desperation.
Claire burst out of the cockpit and looked Jared, shaking her head.
Jared gripped my hand and pulled me to my feet. Before I could speak, we were at the emergency e
xit. Jared grabbed the lever with both hands, but I stopped him.
“We need to do this now!” he yelled.
I shook my head. “I can’t.”
“You can!”
I looked around me to the frightened faces of Bex, Kim, and Ryan, and then Claire.
“Why are you just sitting there?” she cried. “Help us, dammit!”
Jared’s arms tensed against my strength, but I refused to let him pull the handle.
I closed my eyes, trying to block out the noise. “Help us,” I whispered. “We need your help.”
17. Departure
The plane trembled like an earthquake. The engines whined, and the emergency oxygen masks leaned forward as the plane plummeted toward black water.
Claire shrieked. I was afraid to open my eyes, hesitant to see what unimaginable horror had caused her to scream. I popped one eye open and then the other. Even in the dim red light, I could easily make out Claire’s tiny arms wrapped around a large, dark figure. The lights returned to normal, and the shaking immediately stopped. The plane leveled out as the high-pitched cry of the engines quieted to a smooth, low hum.
Jared stopped trying to open the door, and he stood, moving slightly when every muscle in his body relaxed at once.
Bex hopped to his feet. “It’s about freakin’ time!” he said, slapping the top of the seat in front of him. After collecting himself, he turned to Kim.
“You okay?”
Kim’s expression remained blank. “Why?”
She winked at me, and an uncontrollable grin stretched across my face. I was beginning to see traces of my friend again.
Samuel stood at the front of the aisle, a large white smile a contrast against his black face. “I apologize. The best way to describe it is that I had to wade through some red tape.”
Claire released Samuel and playfully punched his arm.
Jared raced up the aisle and then paused. Samuel opened his arms wide, and Jared fell into his chest, hugging him as well. Samuel laughed, his voice bellowing, filling every space in the cabin. I didn’t realize that I was still tense until Ryan spoke into my ear, causing me to jump.
“He wasn’t on the plane before, was he?”
The Providence Trilogy Bundle: Providence; Requiem; Eden Page 81