by R. D. Brady
So now she stood at the window in the rec room, trying to think of some other avenue to get back home, but she was distracted by her view of the courtyard below. A group of children were running around Drake, who had a handkerchief tied over his face. He walked with arms outstretched, trying to tag as many children as possible. He was being intentionally horrible at catching them. Children squealed and ducked out of the way. Laney smiled, watching the scene. Who knew Drake was so good with kids?
For a moment, she pictured the two of them with their own little one. She started at the image. Ever since she’d learned she was the ring bearer, she had not spent much time thinking about her future. It wasn’t a conscious decision, but somewhere along the way, she had just stopped. Her life was duty. She was sure she would be defending people against the Fallen for the rest of her life. And she didn’t need to picture that because she lived that. But Drake, he made her want things that she wasn’t sure she could ever have. And at the same time, he made her feel like they were completely possible.
Drake pulled off the handkerchief, his gaze going straight to Laney. He smiled. She felt the warmth of that smile all the way to her toes. She placed a hand on the glass in front of her, returning the smile. God, she loved that man. He was infuriating, arrogant, obnoxious, loyal, funny, irreverent, tender, and everything she never knew she needed.
Drake whirled around as a little boy snuck up on him. With a cry, he lifted the boy into the air. Three other kids charged him. Drake’s face crumpled in mock agony as he sank to his knees. The kids piled on him, and soon Drake was hidden under a pile of small laughing bodies.
A laugh burst out of Laney. Her hand flew to her mouth. And this was why she loved him. The world was falling down around them, and he still gave her these small moments of joy.
“He is good with children.”
Laney turned to David, who appeared beside her. “You move awfully quietly.”
He smiled. “A trick of the trade.”
“Hm.” She turned back to the window.
“So he’s the Las Vegas magician.”
“Illusionist,” Laney said automatically.
“Of course. But he is so much more than that.”
She felt his eyes on her. “What do you know about him?”
“Quite a bit. He’s mentioned in the Tome.”
Laney frowned. Drake was in the Tome? Of course, he was one of the guardians of the tree, so she supposed he could be mentioned in reference to that duty. Or maybe his time as Achilles. She was sure that time was rather well documented. “What does it say about him?”
“You haven’t read it?”
“I’ve been a little busy.”
David gave a soft chuckle. “I’m sure you have. Well, I read what I could when I was in college. And I was taught more by Sister Sophia. She ran the orphanage when I first arrived. I remember thinking she was the oldest person I had ever seen. I knew she had to be at least ninety.”
David’s smile was contagious, despite her concerns about the man. “And how old was she?”
“Fifty-two. She passed away three years ago. That’s when Angelica took over. I still miss her.”
Laney studied the man. He was not easy to figure out. He clearly cared deeply for Bas, Angelica, and everyone associated with the orphanage. And yet his day job. . .
He raised an eyebrow. “Trying to figure me out?”
“You are a bit of a riddle.”
“Really? I think you and I are quite a bit alike.”
Laney wasn’t sure she liked being compared to a contract killer.
“I see I’ve offended you. That was not my intent. I realize what I do, it is not everyone’s taste. But everyone I killed was someone who did massive damage. And who the world could not and would not restrain. I do not regret what I did, much like I do not think you regret taking Samyaza’s life.”
“I do not regret taking her life. But I do regret that there was no other way.”
“See? Another thing we have in common.”
Outside, Drake had the children line up in two rows facing each other on either side of the courtyard. Laney frowned, trying to figure out what game he was teaching them. Then she realized it Red Rover. Where on earth had Drake learned that?
David followed her gaze. “I must admit, he is not what I expected.”
“What did you expect?”
“Someone focused, militant, serious.”
An image of Remiel and Ralph flitted through her mind. “There are some archangels like that. But Drake, he’s a little different from the rest.”
Now it was David’s turn to frown. “You know he is very different from the rest, don’t you?”
Laney studied his face, the crease in between his eyes. “What do you mean?”
Bas hustled into the room. “Laney, the TV. You need to come.”
Laney met David’s gaze for a moment before hurrying toward Bas. Bas didn’t wait for her. He just sprinted out of the room. Laney held her breath.
Oh God, now what?
CHAPTER 55
Inez, Kentucky
Lou lay staring at the ceiling. They had made it to the safe house. She had helped get all the kids settled in and done a shift at guard duty. Now she was supposed to get some sleep.
She was in one of the bedrooms on the second floor. There were four bedrooms up here, along with an office. All were filled with kids. Lou had had to step over three bodies sprawled on sleeping bags on the floor to reach her spot by the window. Everyone was sleeping. The only sound in the room was the deep, even breaths of the other six kids. Lou knew she should sleep too. She should be able to. Her whole body ached with fatigue.
But she couldn’t. Every time she closed her eyes she saw a member of the McAdams family and the devastated looks on their faces. Joe had a concussion and a broken nose. The other three members weren’t hurt, but you would never know that by looking at them. Mary Jane and Jake had arrived an hour ago. Molly’s mom couldn’t seem to stop shaking. Jen had finally given her a sedative to help her sleep. Shaun and Joe sat by her bed, holding her hands, barely able to form sentences. Even Susie was more subdued than usual. Cain was keeping her with Nyssa.
Then there was Molly. Lou’s gut tightened as she pictured her.
She was good kid. A really good kid. She was quieter than her brothers and even a little shy. But it was obvious how much her brothers adored her. Even Lou had started to look at her as a little sister. It was hard not to feel protective of her, even though Lou knew she had the same abilities that Lou had.
An image of a robed figure standing over Lou shot through her brain. Lou’s pulse raced, and she took a shaky breath. What she had experienced at the hands of the Katzes in their bid to rid the world of anything associated with the Fallen had left her scarred. It had taken months for the nightmares to not be a daily occurrence. And it had taken even longer for her to stop jumping at shadows.
Then Zach’s death had brought all those nightmares back to the forefront. He’d been another good kid, like Molly. But unlike Molly, he’d had a horrible family, and he had always felt like he had to prove he was worthy. But he had been worthy, more than worthy—worthy of kindness, worthy of friendship, worthy of love. And Lou prayed each night that he had understood at least that much before he died.
A tear slipped from the corner of her eye, and she wiped it away. She couldn’t take another death. Zach had been hard. Jen’s baby had been hard. But Molly? Sweet, innocent Molly? No, she couldn’t handle that. She knew herself, and if Molly died while she lay here doing nothing, it would send her to a really dark place. And she didn’t think she’d ever be able to crawl her way out of that.
The dark was always a part of Lou’s not-so-easy life. Losing her mother, her grandmother, her sister. Truthfully, drugs had taken her sister long before death had. She’d seen a lot of horrible stuff, experienced a lot of horrible stuff. All those experiences should have toughened her up for what happened with the Katzes. She should have been able t
o, if not shrug it off, shove it into a corner and ignore it. God knew, she had enough practice shoving other horrors into the corners of her mind, never to be visited again. But she was still struggling.
And if she was still struggling with what had happened to her, how was a sweet kid like Molly going to be able to cope? Molly was one of those kids who laughed when a puppy licked her and still picked flowers. She was good. And Lou knew just being ripped away from her family would be traumatic for her. But she also knew that the government was not going to simply throw Molly in a cell and leave her. They were going to see what her abilities allowed her to do. They were going to push Molly to the breaking point and probably past it.
Lou could not just sit here and wait until they tracked Molly down. She needed to do something.
Lou sat up quietly, trying not to wake any of the other kids in the room. She grabbed her boots and crept across the floor, stepping over bodies in sleeping bags. Nearest the door, she stepped over Theresa, who lay with her younger sister wrapped in her arms, tears dried onto her cheeks.
Lou quietly slid out the door, pulling it gently shut behind her. Quickly donning her boots, she crept down the hall to where the boys were sleeping. The door was ajar. She peeked her head in but didn’t see Rolly or Danny.
Frowning, she headed down the stairs. Henry and Jen were talking quietly in the kitchen. Lou avoided them by slipping down the hall. She jolted at the sight of Rolly, who stood silently by the front door. He put his finger to his lips, then pointed outside.
Lou nodded, following him as he silently opened the front door. They made it only a few steps from the door when a flashlight speared them.
“Where are you two going?” Mustafa asked.
“Uh,” Lou said, scrambling for an explanation.
But Rolly pulled a can of soda and a protein bar from his pocket. “Nutritional supplies for Danny. He’s pulling an all-nighter trying to track down where they took Molly.”
Mustafa’s voice softened. “Okay. Just try to convince him to get some sleep.”
“Will do.” Rolly took off toward the large shed Danny had set up his computers in. Lou hustled behind him.
A space heater working in the corner had warmed the place up nicely, but there was nothing that could be done for the smell of old grease.
Danny looked up from his monitors as Lou and Rolly stepped in. “About time.” He pushed away from the desk and rolled over to a metal box behind him. Opening the lid, he began to rummage inside.
Lou stepped forward. “About time? What are you two up to?”
Rolly sighed. “Well, I’ve been spending the last hour standing by the front door trying not to look weird, not an easy task.”
“But why?”
“Waiting for you. We knew you’d come looking for us,” Rolly said.
“Why?”
Danny turned around. “Because you want to get Molly back as much as we do.” He held his hands out. There was a disc no larger than the end of a pencil and small syringe.
“What’s that?” Lou asked.
Danny smiled. “These are part of the plan.”
The door to the shed slid open. Jake stepped in. “And what exactly are you three up to?”
Danny shoved his hands in his pockets, hiding the objects from view. “Uh, just talking. I’ve pinpointed possible locations to within fifty miles of the estate.”
“That’s good.” Jake strolled over. “Now why don’t you tell me what you plan on doing about getting Molly back?”
Rolly let out a nervous laugh. “What? That would be crazy. We’d—”
Jake put up a hand. “I’m not here to stop you. I’m here to help you. So tell me what the plan is.”
CHAPTER 56
Rome, Italy
The kitchen, which still smelled of the delicious pesto and pasta dinner Sylvia had created, now stood silent. And yet there were six adults crowded around the large metal island. No one said a word. While Bas had been running for Laney, Angelica had retrieved Drake from the courtyard. Sylvia and her husband Rosario took his place, keeping an eye on the children outside, and more importantly making sure they did not come inside.
Now Laney sat with her hand wrapped in Patrick’s. Drake sat on her other side, his arm warm around her shoulder, but still she felt cold. Angelica, David, and Bas all sat near them, their gazes all fixed on the old TV that Rosario had dragged over to the island with the aid of an extension cord.
The TV was tuned to CNN International, and they had been covering only one topic for the last hour: the raid of Chandler Headquarters by the CEI. The recording hadn’t been made by the government. No, this recording had been made by Henry. Laney recognized the camera angles.
Laney gasped as the attack on the McAdams family replayed on the screen. She closed her eyes. No, she couldn’t watch this again. She stood up. “I think I need some air.”
Without waiting for a reply from anyone, she headed for the front door, not wanting to go through the door at the back of the kitchen and run into all the children.
She stepped outside, breathing in the fresh air. The children’s laughter sounded in the background. They sounded so happy, so full of life, so carefree. Meanwhile, the Chandler kids were running for their lives.
The broadcaster said only that Jake, Molly, and Mary Jane had been taken into custody. Which meant Molly was the “dangerous Fallen” the government had apprehended. What little dinner Laney had eaten threatened to reappear as she pictured the bullets crashing into Molly’s chest. She was just a child.
Everyone else had escaped. No mention was made of the cats. Laney prayed they were all right. Although with the information David had shared, she knew that the government would not hesitate to grab one of them or kill one of them. She closed her eyes.
Please, God, not Cleo.
And what about Cain? If they saw him, saw his eyes . . . She put her hand to her mouth. Then there was Nyssa, Henry, Jen, Lou—the list of people she was worried about went on and on. And here she was thousands of miles away. She felt so useless.
She felt him before she heard him. “What do you need?”
She turned. “We need to get home. I can’t help them from here.”
“That might be a little difficult. Right after you left, a new report came in. The U.S. government has closed all small private airports. All planes must land at a major airport and are subject to inspection.”
“Why?”
“They are saying it’s just a new counter-terrorism approach. But I think we both know what they are really looking for or trying to prevent.”
“They don’t want me back there.” The truth of it was staggering. She had risked her life for the United States. She had just saved them and the rest of the world, and now this. “How can this be happening? I . . . I no longer have a home.”
Drake opened his arms. “You always have a home.”
She fled to the safety of his arms. “Thank you.”
He leaned his chin on the top of her head. “You never have to thank me for loving you.”
She closed her eyes. For this one little moment, she felt at peace. She felt safe. But what about the people who weren’t? Her heart ached for Mary Jane, for Molly, for all the McAdamses. To do that to a child. She shook her head. How could the United States sink so low?
“I never should have left. I knew something was wrong. Why did I leave?”
Drake tightened his arms around her. “You can’t be everywhere, Laney. None of this is your fault.” He paused. “What do you want to do about the Brotherhood?”
She closed her eyes in frustration. Honestly, right now they were a small pesky annoyance. She knew that they had somehow managed to get her out of the country. David had mentioned seeing the leader with the President. But that was a problem for another day.
“They’ll have to wait. They are low on my list of priorities right now, even though I’m high up on theirs.”
“They’ve demonstrated quite a bit of power, being they were
able to maneuver you out of the country.”
“I know. But I can only face one problem at a time. Or, at least, problems on one continent at a time. And right now, North America wins. The Brotherhood we’ll deal with once we get everyone safe.”
“So what do you want to do?”
“I want to go home.”
A throat cleared behind them.
“Go away,” Drake growled.
David chuckled. “I would be happy to, but I think you may need my help.”
Laney released Drake, and as soon as she stepped away from his embrace, she felt cold. She wanted to tell David to go away too, but she also wanted to know what he was talking about.
“How can you help?”
“Part of my job allows me access to certain technology that is beyond the range of most individuals.”
Laney wanted to tear out her hair. “English, David. Pretend I’m stupid.”
“There’s a plane. It’s a Lockheed SR-72.”
Laney frowned. “A 72? I thought it was an SR-71.”
David smiled. “As far as the public knows, the SR-71 was the last reconnaissance jet used by the U.S. The 72 is the replacement, and I’m violating quite a few laws by admitting it even exists. But it will suit our purposes. It cannot be seen by radar as it incorporates stealth technology, and it flies really, really high.”
“Can’t we just take a regular stealth jet?” Drake asked.
David shook his head. “Too small for what we need and not as fast.”
Laney frowned. “You said it flies really high. How high exactly is really high?”
“Ninety thousand miles.” David smiled. “So, exactly how indestructible do you two think you are?”
CHAPTER 57
Somewhere in Virginia
The air was cold as if the air conditioner was up too high. Molly shivered, her eyes still closed, but it was no use. She was no longer asleep. God, she wanted to sleep. She wanted to pretend none of this was happening.