“I know that name,” she said on a breath.
“How?” Jarrett questioned with a scowl.
“There was a nurse that came to see me at the care center. Her name was Ramee. She talked with me for a while about Jenny and the book I read. She said something about the first choice mankind made. Honestly, she spoke in riddles. I had forgotten about it. I’m not even sure I could remember the whole visit even with the reminder. It was strange.”
“So this Ramee we need is in Colorado?” Rederrick questioned.
“No, I don’t think she is. I’m not sure she was even a nurse. She must have come to me for a reason,” Cynda explained. She pinched the bridge of her nose as she tried to remember.
“I agree,” Jonah said. “Selena’s words were strange, but she talked about the beach and the bluebonnets. I think Texas is the right place for this Ramee character.”
Cynda looked up. “Ramee told me about Lancelot, of all people. She kept talking about how selflessness, bravery, and sacrifice are needed for justice. I don’t know. It’s weird. Why would I forget like this?”
“Maybe you weren’t meant to remember it until today because it’s relevant today,” Cade offered.
“You think this Ramee came to her for a reason?” Delphene prodded.
“I don’t know yet. I need some time to work it out, but it seems odd she would forget. It’s too close to Rederrick’s and James’ fuzzy memories of Collett. That is not a coincidence.”
“My dream on the beach,” Jarrett offered and told them the details of his dream with Collett. He turned to Jonah. “Selena talked about the beach?”
“Yeah,” Jonah confirmed.
“Maybe this Ramee will find us again,” Rederrick offered hopefully.
“In the meantime, we have a demon problem,” Jarrett reminded them. “We’ve had a reprieve, but you can bet they’ll be looking for us, and eventually they’ll find us.”
“What are we supposed to do about these new demons? The phase demons,” Ashley questioned. “There’s no way to fight them. They’re shadows with no real form.”
“We’ll figure it out Ash,” Nate assured.
“Actually, I have some ideas on that,” James offered. “I need a place to work and some equipment. I’m certain I can find what I need onsite.”
“We’ll set you up, Sergeant,” said the commander. “We have a couple engineers here, and all are capable. Maybe they could even help”
James stood. “I’ll take whatever I can get. In lieu of last night, I’d like to get started on that right away.”
“I will stay with him,” Del offered and stood. “I think we should not be alone.”
Cade nodded. “Agreed. We stay in pairs for now. I am not sure how the demons find us so fast, but we have to be alert. We’ll need your base on high alert as well.”
“Very well,” the commander said, then lifted his voice louder, “Private Sanders!”
A young man no more than nineteen hurried into the room and stood at attention. “Sir, yes, sir.”
“Take Sergeant Williams to research and development and make sure he has all he needs. Have Specialist Paul and Sergeant Parker join him.”
“Yes, sir,” the young soldier said with a salute.
As James left with Delphene, Cynda said, “I think our first plan should be sleep. Most of us here are two nights down with little to no sleep. We won’t accomplish anything if we’re exhausted.”
Cade nodded. “Take some time to eat and get some sleep. One of you make sure James eats too.”
“What about you?” asked Tracy.
Jarrett answered for him, “Cade and I are going to Matagorda.”
“Because of your dream?” Ashley guessed.
This time Cade answered, “The dream, Selena, and Matagorda was Collett’s earliest memory of her life before she came to us. I need to see it. As Detective Hall reminded me, the best place to start is at the beginning.”
As they adjourned their meeting, Tracy approached Cade and Jarrett. “Uncle Cade?”
“Yeah?”
She hesitated. “I wondered if I could borrow the charm necklace Mom and Jeffery made for you?”
He scowled. “Why?”
“It’s just an idea I had after Jonah said something on the plane. I’d need yours too, Jarrett.”
Jarrett’s brow furrowed. “Mine?”
“I promise I’ll return them, and they won’t be any worse for the wear when I’m done.”
“What are you up to, Tracy?” Cade asked as he reached beneath his shirt to remove the charm with the interlocking circles.
“Nothing as exciting as James, but maybe something that will make your life easier.”
While the twin lycanthropes sought out the beach sands near the ocean, another man stood in the hot, orange sands of the desert more than seven-thousand miles away and contemplated his life. Victor hated it here. A dry heat licked at his skin with cruel efficiency. Heat from the scorched sand beneath him seeped through his shoes and the discomfort forced him to shift his weight from foot to foot. He glanced up and squinted to adjust to the bright desert light that assaulted him. The sun was low in the west, indicating the waning of the late afternoon.
Wiping sweat from his brow again, Victor watched the demons below mine even deeper into the earth. They’d been digging and prodding in the hellish desert for months now. Despite the fact that Victor had scaled this operation back during Bellig’s absence, he knew they were getting closer every day, but still, it was not soon enough to suit him. Bellig was displeased enough already, and every day that passed only angered him more.
Sending Victor to the desert had been a punishment. It wasn’t as if he could add any assistance to the excavation, and Victor understood that Bellig was unhappy with his recent failures. His ability to see possible events had proven less than reliable in the past few weeks. The lycan brothers still lived, and despite taking them on himself with no success, Bellig still blamed Victor for that. Still, Victor also understood his punishment could have been far worse. After all, he’d been present for Cody’s torment.
The only ways to win favor again was to either kill the twin werewolves, an unlikely scenario, or find the hidden oasis his master had spent the better part of three centuries seeking. Victor’s foresight brought him here, and he had every confidence Bellig was close to the long-awaited treasure. However, Victor’s foresight plagued him with other images—images of his own imminent death.
No matter which choices Victor made to change the event, he found no respite. He knew that if he continued this pursuit to success, he would perish via the clawed hand of one of the two lycanthropes. Even more problematic was the risk of failing his master. In that scenario, his life would take a very sharp turn for a fate far worse than death.
As the sun scorched his fair skin, Victor calculated his options, and the outcome was grim no matter how he looked at it.
A fight broke out below, and the mighty creatures he was supposed to control started killing each other again. Victor watched the chaos that erupted almost absently, and wondered, not for the first time, why his pitiful existence even mattered at all.
His limited gift to see future events was the only thing that kept him alive all these years, and that same gift offered him a glimpse of his own demise with no hope to change it.
Before long, the demons below settled. Two archdemon generals stepped in without Victor’s command or influence and controlled the masses. Watching the whole thing during his introspection, Victor had an epiphany. He was unnecessary here. His role in Bellig’s plan to change the world was coming to a close. When Bellig finally found the fabled oasis, and the tree, what use would he have for his pitiful son?
Chapter 32
After being escorted to a workroom in the research and development building, James went straight to work. He hoped to create a device that would affect the energy in a given area and keep the phase demons away from them. He wanted that energy source to be an electrical fi
eld that would not only repel the shadow creatures but would hurt them.
Two men were assigned to assist him with his project. Grateful for the help, James assigned them each tasks, and the three of them worked out equations, collected materials, and began experimenting. Delphene found a corner and settled in for a small nap while he worked.
James figured a device that could bend electrical currents in the air would be all they needed, but creating that type of shield was harder than it sounded. His entire idea was built upon a theory he couldn’t prove, and that weighed on him. Simulating this kind of energy around a person or group without shocking them was challenging, not to mention the continuous power source that it would require. He was cramming months of necessary research into a single day.
Starting with a small-scale model, they measured the energy they could move around it. When he felt confidant with the results, James excused his assistants to grab a bite to eat.
Before he’d even realized it happened, the afternoon turned to evening, and the evening faded into night. James rubbed his eyes to force the sleepiness away. He leaned in to solder two more wires to the electronic board on the prototype.
“James.” Tracy’s voice broke his concentration and James fumbled, dropping his soldering iron.
The noise woke Delphene. She stood and stretching, adjusted her back and neck. “Bonswa.”
“Hey, Del,” Ashley greeted.
Glancing back, James saw his older sisters in the doorway. He bent to gather the iron again. “What are you two doing here?”
Ashley stepped in closer with a tray of food. “You didn’t come for dinner. You need to eat, James.”
He adjusted the magnifying glass again and mumbled, “Yeah, in a minute. I’m almost done.”
“I think I will grab a bite myself,” Delphene said. Do not leave him alone. Oui?”
“I’ll stay with him,” Ashley assured her.
“Del, before you go, I wanted to give you this back to you,” Tracy said, holding up the copper charm her mother made.
Del gratefully accepted the medallion and put it over her head again. “Thanks, Cherie. I have gotten so used to it being there, I did not like to have it missing.”
“Hopefully what I’ve done will make it even better.”
Delphene tilted her head with curiosity. “What did you do?”
Tracy grinned. “I added a charm.” She laughed when Delphene stared at her expectantly. “It’s a surprise. If it works, you’ll know it.”
“Very well, Cherie. I like a good surprise so I'll wait. In the meantime, my belly rumbles. I’ll grab a bite and come back later.”
Tracy moved in and forcefully stole the soldering iron from her brother. “Eat!”
“Tracy,” he scolded.
“Eat. Then you can have it back.”
Ashley set the tray on the desk. “We know you too well, and you can’t neglect your body’s basic needs like you have in the past. We could be attacked at any time, and you’ll need your strength and wits if that happens. You’re two nights down with hardly any sleep, going on three, and I haven’t seen you eat well in that same amount of time.”
“Eat,” Tracy gently repeated.
James straightened and adjusted his neck. “Fine.” He sat at the desk and started shoveling the food in without even tasting it.
“Slow down, Turbo,” Tracy admonished while looking at his notes. “It’s not a race.”
James looked up at her with a mouth full of food. “It is a race.” He swallowed. “I have to finish this before we encounter those demons again.”
Sensing his doubt, Ashley stared at the complicated calculations on the dry erase board and asked, “Will it work?”
His hand stopped as he was about to scoop up more corn, and dropping the spoon to stand, he sighed. “I don’t know.”
“Of course it will work,” Tracy said with resolve. “It’s James, all of his stuff works.”
“Yeah,” he said with disbelief. “I hope so. I still haven’t worked out the power supply, and there are variables I can’t account for until we encounter them again. There are too many unknowns and not much time.”
His self-doubt washed through Ashley in a strong wave this time, and a pang of sympathy entered her heart for him. “James.”
“Huh?” he said absently as he stared at the round silver device on the work table.
“It’ll work,” she assured.
He pulled his attention away from the table and focused on his older sisters. He knew they had faith in his abilities, but he also knew going into this, the possibilities were vast. “Thanks, Ash.”
She smiled. “You need some sleep. Fresh eyes will help.”
“Just another hour. After I figure out this part.”
Tracy rolled her eyes. “Yeah right.”
“I swear, one hour, then I’ll take a short nap.”
“One hour,” Tracy agreed. “And I’ll come back and make sure you keep that promise.”
“I’ll make sure he keeps it,” Ashley said.
Hands on hips, Tracy agreed. “Fine, but don't let him talk you into more.”
“You’re kinda bossy,” he said with a boyish grin.
“That’s why I’m the oldest,” Tracy said proudly and left him to work.
Detective Hall was waiting for her when she came back outside. “Hall,” she greeted.
“Williams,” he said playfully.
“What are you doing here?”
“I was hoping you’d like to take a walk with me. Just around the base.”
“I was heading to bed.”
“I’ll walk with you back to the barracks then. That way neither of us is alone.
Resigned, Tracy sighed. “I suppose we could check the area.”
Jonah grinned. “I’ll take it.”
They started walking together, and for a few minutes, there was nothing but awkward silence.
“Look, Hall, I’m not sure what you’re hoping for here. I just barely finished up with my last boyfriend so—”
“Finished up?” He chuckled. “You must not have liked him much.”
“That’s not the point.”
“What is the point?”
“I’m not looking for a relationship,” Tracy said indignantly.
“Humm.”
Tracy glared at him. “What?”
“I reckon I’ll have to cancel the trip to see my mamma then.” His Texas drawl dripped with sarcasm. “It’s fine, I’m not sure she’d like you anyway.”
“Are you kidding? Your mamma would love me.”
He scratched his chin. “Nah, you're a little too cankerous for her. I suppose I best call the preacher too. Just to let him know the wedding is off.”
Tracy rolled her eyes and Jonah sensed her tension had eased.
“I wasn’t looking to pin you down, Tracy. I only wanted a walk with a pretty lady.” He paused in his walking and turned to face her. “Truth be told, I might’ve been hoping to steal a kiss.”
Thinking he was still playing, she shook her head and kept walking, but grabbing her arm, Jonah pulled her close. Her eyes widened when his strong arms wrapped around her and he held her frozen in his gaze.
“You're serious?” Tracy said in surprise.
He smirked, and there was a mischievous gleam in his eyes as he leaned down to take her lips. Tracy laid her hands against his chest in protest, but as his lips met hers the protest was forgotten. Her hands gripped his shirt instead, and she melted into him. The match was lit and heat spread through them both.
The excitement of the moment took over, and all thought fled. Tracy wasn’t sure how long they were locked together that way, but to her mind, it wasn’t long enough. When Jonah pulled away, he offered her that cocky Texas grin of his, and rubbing her lips with the pad of his thumb, he said, “That was just right then. I’ll have to try it again sometime.”
His voice was thick, his eyes heavy, and it sent shivers down her spine. She mumbled incoherently.
&
nbsp; Jonah laughed. “I’ve never seen you so speechless.”
“Don’t get used to it,” she scolded.
“I’m pleased to find out you know other ways to put that smart mouth of yours to use.”
“You’re not the worst I’ve kissed,” she said casually.
“I’ll bet," he said laughing.
Turning, Tracy was still smiling as they headed toward the barracks.
Rederrick sat on the edge of one of two twin beds that resided in the room Cynda and he had been assigned. “You’re not serious?” he said with surprise.
“I am,” Cynda said. Kneeling behind him, she rubbed out the knots and kinks in his back as she told him her suspicions.
“Tracy? My Tracy?”
“Our Tracy.”
Rederrick grunted as she dug into a particularly tender spot. “She hates him.”
“No, she most certainly does not. I don’t think she ever did. Detective Hall challenges her at every turn. She needs that. Tracy would be bored with anything less.”
Rederrick frowned.
“Oh cheer up. He’s a good man,” Cynda teased. “It could be worse, she could have stayed with that Derek in New York.”
“Yeah, I suppose.”
Smiling, she leaned over him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “What troubles you more, the fact that Jonah is interested in your daughter, or the fact that it’s Tracy?”
“I don’t know. I think my age is what troubles me most these days, and my baby girls are all grown up and finding new men besides me. That only makes me feel older.”
“You’re not old.” Cynda kissed his whiskered cheek and whispered, “You’re experienced.”
“Experience feels old.”
Chuckling, she slid around to sit next to him, and grabbing his arm tightly, she laid a head on his shoulder. “I only want them to be happy.”
“If he makes her happy, then that's what I want too.” He thought about it for a while. “She could do worse. He's steady enough in a fight.”
Cynda grinned. She knew he liked Jonah—otherwise, he would have never tested him as a Brotherhood candidate.
Taking her hand, Rederrick toyed with her wedding ring. “I'm afraid they'll be left with this war.”
The Truth of Victory: A Powers of Influence Novel Page 29