Z took his readings and determined the frequency he needed to jam your system came from within the missing half-mile square.
Jake could easily see why this particular small bit of land had been completely ignored before now. He wondered why and how Candy had found it. If they’d hurt her in any way…
They’d all discussed it. Candy’s safety was the most important thing. Taking out an enemy remained secondary. They just all hoped they got a shot at secondary.
“Okay, let’s move.” Jake made up his mind.
The agents all pulled their hoods up and worked their way through the harsh conditions back to the place of interest. Z kept their ace in the hole under his coat, and after some digging at the snow with their hands, he activated it and let it loose. They all moved back a safe distance and crouched down to wait.
****
“What was that?” Huxley felt a strange disturbance in the force, and he was pretty sure it wasn’t Princess Leia’s Alderaan.
“Shit. I don’t know.” Marduk jumped to his feet, but didn’t get anywhere before Lahar burst into the room.
“The barrier is down.” The surveillance god’s face held a panic that Hux had never seen.
“Outside. Fast. And cut the storm,” Marduk told Enten and Enlil. “Lahar, see what you can do to reinstate the barrier.”
“This is beyond me,” Lahar answered. “Fuck. We need Shamash.”
Marduk wasted no time. Hux heard him yell out. Shamash. He called down to the Underworld. Code red.
The gods quickly followed Marduk to the weapons room and armed up, but Candy spit fire. “Marduk.” She grabbed him by the arm. “Let me go out first. If they see I’m okay, I can reason with them.”
“Bullshit,” Enlil yelled, packing a holstered knife under each arm. “Once you’re out there, you’ll gladly help them try to kill us.” He turned to the boss. “And don’t forget, Marduk.” The wind god looked grim. “She knows our weakness.”
“Shit.”
In retrospect, the thunder god probably kicked himself for letting Candy attend the amulet ceremony.
“Candy. You can move out with us, but you are right in the middle of our pack. Do I make myself clear?” he ordered.
His glare brooked no argument, and Candy gave a succinct nod. In the middle of all this, Lenore misted in and grabbed for some throwing stars in the nearly empty cabinet.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Anshar confronted his wife. His eyes turned as black as the deepest ocean. “Pregnant, sssweetheart, remember?”
“Little tadpole wants to see a battle.” Lenore pouted. “I’m tired of sitting around looking decorative,” she added. One wouldn’t know it, Huxley nearly chuckled. With the seriously hot-pink, leather, one-piece jumpsuit she wore? If the front zipper slipped another two inches…
Anshar clearly knew how much his wife enjoyed a good fight, but it was also a given he didn’t want her in the thick of things. “You stay glued to Candy’s side,” he relented. “That should be the safest spot since they won’t be targeting her.”
Thirty feet from the house, warned Lahar. Get your asses moving.
“Where are the other goddesses?” Marduk showed concern for his very pregnant wife.
“They poofed over to the witches’ cottage and are hunkering down with them and Kate.” Lenore informed him after giving her husband a quick, but thorough kiss for not giving her too much shit.
“Good.” Marduk nodded. “On my count, invisible gods mist out and surround the group from behind.”
Six gods disappeared.
“The rest of you stay corporeal. No need to give them any more information they can use against us. Let’s move.”
Ishkur, where are they now? Marduk asked one of the gods with feet outside the house.
Lined up shoulder to shoulder with some big-ass guns pointed right at the front door.
Shit. Marduk huffed. That could hurt, but at least they don’t know about osmium. We’ll face them head on.
Hux stood with the bunch.
“Activating the outdoor flood lights,” Marduk cried, then threw open the double front doors. Marduk, Enlil, Anshar, Dagon, and Huxley strode out confidently to stand firm on the stone portico, arms crossed over their chests. Hux felt like an avenging god. Behind them, flanking Candy and Lenore, were Enten and Lahar.
Huxley felt Candy duck down to have a peek around his hip. “Hey, boss,” she called. “I’m here. I’m okay.”
The one she’d called Jake ignored her and addressed the front row. “Let her come out, and we’ll talk.”
Marduk stepped forward and seven guns trained directly on him. “Drop your weapons, and we’ll talk,” he reiterated coolly. “You’ve trespassed into our territory without an invitation. We consider that an act of aggression.”
“You have one of our agents.” Jake stepped forward too, and knives slipped from god’s sheaths. “We consider that an act of aggression.”
“You have no idea what kind of trouble you’re in if you don’t comply.” Hux could hear the impatience in Marduk’s voice.
“Ditto, buddy.” Jake’s tone stayed as even as Marduk’s. “Put down your weapons, and have Candy step out.”
Marduk’s lip quirked up. The boss god liked nothing better than a human who didn’t back down. “Not going to happen. We were just enjoying a movie when you invited yourselves in. I don’t take orders on my own doorstep.”
“Oh for fuck sake,” Candy’s voice rang out from behind him. “Will you two stop with the pissing contest?”
She shoved her way past Huxley, then Enlil and Marduk, with Lenore glued to her side. Lenore held Candy back and didn’t let her move beyond the bottom step.
“Enough of this crap,” Candy yelled. “I’m obviously fine, and you guys need to bank the testosterone.”
Hux coughed to clear his amusement. The testosterone from her team took a whole new direction as they got a load of Lenore in her jumpsuit and six-inch heels. The goddess’s abundant breasts nearly spilled out of their confines, and the frigid cold did wonders for her nipples even through the leather. Not one of them could take their eyes off the platinum-blonde, comic-book-superheroine come-to-life.
Candy must have noticed they all remained silent and drooling. “Guys. This is Lenore,” She indicated with a jerk of her head. “And that guy over there, who looks like he’s about to rip your hearts out, is her husband, Anshar.”
Eyes reluctantly darted back to the group at large when Anshar gave a hissing growl.
Jake eased forward another step. Hux figured he’d been trained to use negotiating skills. “So what do you suggest, Agent Lane?”
“Lower the weapons, and talk to Marduk.” Candy turned to bring the thunder god forward. “He’s in charge.”
“In charge of what?” Jake’s eyes roamed up and over the opulent mansion.
To everyone’s surprise, Enlil elbowed his way past the women and stalked down the snowy steps. “Let me fight him.” Enlil seemed oblivious to all the weapons trained at his head. He snarled and bared his teeth at the one who had wronged Candy.
“Dunsky?” Jake looked momentarily flummoxed. “You’re glaring at Dunce? What do you want with him?”
“Hey, asshole.” Enlil ignored the DEA boss and beckoned to the agent in the spotlight.
“Oh, no you don’t, Enlil. He’s mine,” Candy growled.
Hux groaned. Candy wasn’t about to let Enlil steal her fight.
Enlil’s darkening eyes warned her back, and he addressed Jake. “This one wronged your Agent Lane, and he should pay for his stupidity.” Enlil growled with his gaze fixed on the agent at fault. Jake turned to his man.
“Do you know what he’s talking about, Dunsky?”
“I…um…it wasn’t…I thought…” The agent lowered his gun and handed it butt first to his boss. “I got Agent Lane into this, sir.” He straightened his shoulders. “I’ll waive a disciplinary hearing and tender my resignation now.”
Enlil
acted so fast that no one could stop him. Shit. Half of those present didn’t even see him move. He extricated the now weaponless man from the midst of his team and dragged him to a midpoint between the two factions.
Tension lay in the air at the prospect of a good fight. A tension that had been building on both sides.
Marduk sighed, but used Enlil’s move to his advantage. “Let them settle things,” he suggested to the head man. “We all put our weapons down and watch them battle. The winner’s team gets to determine how the rest of our night goes down.”
Jake looked intrigued. He didn’t know what Dunsky had done, and he clearly recognized that Candy could be a bit hotheaded with perceived slights. However, this scenario seemed to amuse him.
He eyeballed the pair. Dunsky and Enlil stood roughly the same size. Dunsky had the advantage in lower body mass, but Enlil was all chest. Jake finally shrugged. “I know how well trained my agent is, so there’s only one way to find out.”
“Done,” Marduk agreed.
Jake signaled for his men to drop their guns and Marduk did the same with the gods and their knives. The agents looked on in awe as weapons, more weapons than they probably could have imagined, fell like rain from the immortals. The agents didn’t know that all the armed, invisible gods still prowled around the back of them, just in case things took a turn for the worse.
Hux viewed Jake shake his head as they all circled around the combatants. He positioned himself next to Marduk.
“Does this happen often?” he asked, clearly wanting to know if the secret compound had ever been breached before.
“Not in four hundred years,” Marduk shot back, with eyes sparkling.
Jake jerked his head back. “Care to explain?”
“Nope.”
Huxley didn’t do anything to hide a chuckle as they both turned back to watch the impromptu arena. Jake’s mind probably pinged around right now, wondering if the government could have had this place hidden from civilians going as far back as colonial days. It probably blew his well-ordered brain.
Marduk took a turn, posing a question, “So how did you get in?”
Jake turned to look to Marduk with a grin. “Small robot.” He smirked. “Found the conduit where your electrical service goes in and sent the little peanut down for a ride. It was simple enough to have it programmed with a jamming signal to take out your shields.”
Marduk’s next comment had the agent choking back a laugh, along with all the other guys there. “So that’s how the rats have been getting in.”
The tension was broken. The mood turned festive, except for the two combatants.
Dunsky peeled down by removing his heavy coat and flak jacket. He sized Enlil up. Hux pondered if the guy knew how to fight, he’d be an interesting opponent. The two commenced circling.
Anshar insinuated himself into the group of agents. “Anyone care to place a bet?”
There was a chorus of “hell, yeahs,” and the money flew. Dani held him back, so Huxley didn’t bet, but he sure wanted some money on Enlil.
Dunsky led out with a foot first, catching Enlil behind one ankle and sending him down. But he hadn’t planned for Enlil’s speed. Before he could withdraw his foot, Enlil grabbed on and yanked the agent down too.
There was a lot of back and forth over the next five minutes, and the crowd was getting bored. During this lull, Tess and the others came out of the cottage to join the spectators. Tess wiggled her way in between Marduk and Jake. The agent tried to hide his astonishment at the highly advanced pregnant belly that brushed against his arm.
“Hi,” the woman said, sticking out her hand. “I’m Tess. Marduk’s wife.”
Jake recovered nicely and was able to give her a smile that looked genuine, while taking her proffered hand. “Jake Marsthall. Nice to meet you.”
“Candy’s said some wonderful things about you.” Tess talked while they all took in the action. “She thinks you’re a great boss.”
“She thinks I’m an assh…a hard ass,” he amended and grinned at the laugh he got over that one.
“I’m sure she said asshole,” Tess agreed.
The action heated up. Dunsky had yet to land a punch, but Enlil sent two good roundhouses into the guy’s head, and they all cringed as they heard his latest punch connect with Dunsky’s nose. Blood ran freely on the snow-covered ground.
“Shall I stop him?” Marduk asked Jake conversationally.
“Depends.” Jake grew thoughtful. “Did he really screw Candy over?”
“Yup.” Marduk nodded.
“Then let them have at it.” Jake’s decision came instantaneously. Hux figured the guy wasn’t allowed to beat the shit out of Dunsky for an infraction, but as long as he had someone to do it for him…
Enlil now held the agent down on the ground. He leaned into him, one knee in the guys’ gut. His hand drew back for one good punch that would knock him out, but suddenly a big hum sounded and a loud pop filled the air. Enlil held back.
“What the fuck was that?” Jake asked.
Marduk looked pleased. “Shamash succeeded in bringing our barriers back up.”
“Should I finish him off?” Enlil’s face rucked into a snarl. Hux knew he wanted permission from Marduk.
Dunsky lay on the ground, his face messed up, waiting stoically for the final blow.
Candy spoke into the silence. “I think we’re good, Enlil.” She looked at the big, blond god. “Thanks. I appreciate you stepping up for me.”
Enlil blinked. Hux knew why. It was probably the only time Candy had spoken to him without biting sarcasm. Enlil nodded. He bent his knee to get up when a voice came from the front step.
“Guys?”
Everybody turned in unison. Hux’s mouth hung open.
The agents saw nothing but another big guy, this one with a curly mop of brown hair. They’d think nothing of it. The gods, on the other hand, all stood as if frozen. They took a collective breath in. There was no way this should be happening.
“Shamash?” Marduk’s voice came out with an uncustomary squeak. “You’re visible?” He shouldn’t have said it, but it sprang to his lips inadvertently.
“I know.” The god walked down the steps and scooped up a handful of snow. He looked to be marveling at the cold for the first time in centuries. “What the hell?”
Epilogue
Miranda Worthington sat at her desk and slid open the top drawer where she kept the credit card she used online.
“Huh?” she said out loud, although she was alone in the room. She’d taken to talking to herself quite a bit lately. “What’s this?”
She lifted the already stamped and addressed envelope out of the drawer and turned it over in her hands. She couldn’t remember addressing it, but it was in her handwriting. She shrugged and placed it on top of the bills she would have the maid mail for her. She dismissed it from her mind immediately.
The screen in front of her demanded her card number and she punched it in. Thank god for online shopping. If she had to go to a store, she’d never be making this purchase.
She actually tittered to herself. She didn’t know exactly why she was doing this. She’d just suddenly had an uncontrollable urge. Miranda looked down at the two items on her invoice—the Shake-Spearette and the Thorgasm.
She’d never purchased one before, but it just went to show that you were never too old. She pushed the final confirmation and rubbed her hands. She couldn’t wait for her vibrators to arrive.
About the Author
LJ Vickery began writing when the muses in her antique farmhouse wouldn’t let her be. She found success writing historical fiction before creating the band of immortals who led her into paranormal romance. When she’s not writing she practices Chinese medicine, keeps books for a contracting firm, and grows organic vegetables. LJ lives in a charming seacoast town, south of Boston, with her husband, two children, a dog, two cats and one intrepid fish who keeps the fish-tank from being retired.
~*~
Vi
sit LJ at
www.ljvickery.com
~*~
To chat with LJ Vickery and other Wild Rose Press authors of erotic romance, join us at www.groups.yahoo.com/group/thewilderroses.
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Royally Screwed Page 29