by Jillian Neal
“Oh, uh, thank you,” Rainer stammered, and Vindico smiled again.
“You should take him up on that, trust me.”
Rainer agreed to have lunch with Mr. Buffett the following week.
“You know, Rainer just proposed to Emily Haydenshire,” Vindico smirked.
“I did hear that, and Stephen allowed him to live, much to my shock,” Mr. Buffet laughed as Vindico, Logan, and Rainer joined in.
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, they continued on through the financial planning area of the Senate. Duco Predilects, those gifted with the ability to calculate and plan with ease, made up most of the Senate Bank employees and financial planners.
Will grinned, and stepped out of his office when he saw Logan and Rainer make their way past.
“You showboating your new team, Danny?” Will was the eldest Haydenshire child. He and Vindico had been good friends since elementary school.
“You know it. How’s Brooke doing?” Vindico seemed to suddenly recall that Will and his wife, Brooke, had recently announced their first pregnancy. Will grimaced, though he couldn’t quite hide his pride-filled grin.
“Poor thing, she wakes up at five and pukes, then I try to get her back to sleep, then she goes to work, and when her assistant takes their class out to the playground, she goes and pukes again.”
Brooke was a Scholera Predilect, and she taught kindergarten at McCarron Elementary. As school was still out for the summer, she’d been volunteering with one of the summer school programs for children whose parents had to work.
“Any idea when that’ll stop?” Vindico looked genuinely sorry for Brooke’s plight. “I mean, that seems like a load of crap just to bring one of your kids into the world.”
“No idea, but they keep saying only a few more weeks ‘til she’s in her second trimester, then it should be better. Oh, and by the way, you can kiss my ass,” Will sneered as he and Vindico both began laughing heartily.
They worked their way back towards the Iodex offices, and stopped just short of the designer gym used by both Elite Iodex and the Non-Elite officers. Vindico gestured his head to two heavy metal doors that led to an adjoining corridor.
“This is the Legal department. Stariff’s team is in these offices, he continued to walk and talk as they passed by another door, this one a deep, cherry wood with ‘Jackson W. Stariff ~ Attorney at Law’ engraved on a black marble placard.
Rainer needed to talk with Jack Stariff, regarding his will and his vast inheritance. He knew Emily wouldn’t want to talk about his reasoning for naming Logan his beneficiary, so he decided to make the appointment and not mention it to her.
He tried to hide his slight shiver as he considered the thought that his uncle would consider doing him in, just to get his hands on the Lawson family fortune.
Logan was going to be highly-trained in defensive maneuvers, just like Rainer. If his Uncle Stan should try something and succeed, Logan would make certain that Emily got all of the money, and that Stan never saw a penny.
With that morose thought plaguing his psyche, they ended their tour back at their desks in Iodex.
“All right, I’ve given you both copies of information on every current member of the Interfeci Criminal Organization. They’re in the files on your desk. Look them over. Memorize everything you can. You should know those mug shots and raps like the back of your own hands. We’re running a six mile in a half hour, then lifting, then we’ll shower and grab lunch before heading out to Felsink,” Vindico gave his brusk orders.
“Yes, sir,” Rainer and Logan agreed as Vindico returned to his office and shut the door.
“We’re running six miles, and lifting, and then going to Felsink?” Logan panicked.
“Uh, that was my understanding,” Rainer lamented as he slapped Logan on the back, and sank into his chair to begin going through the files on his desk.
What’s Given…
~Governor Regis Carrington~
“Ya didn’t have to come home, my love-a-boo.” Serena wound her arms around Regis’s waist after she caressed his face, and he clung to her fiercely.
“I had to check on you, angel. I was going crazy at work. I missed you, and I was worried,” Regis let his hands glide up the soft, silky skin of her back. She was wearing a backless fuchsia shirt that tied at her neck and wound its way low along her waist. The enticing top was paired with one of her long, flowing, floral skirts.
He fought the desire to untie it altogether. She looked like the Caribbean sunset over the shadowing waters. Her lush, dark skin, with every color of the rainbow, lit in the mystical fire set in her eyes.
“I chouldn’t hav’ called,” she sighed. “Gallic say ‘no call him, Miss Serena. He jus’ a bizzy mahn.’”
Regis felt fury flood through his rhythms. “Serena, you call me whenever you want to. I don’t care how busy I am. I am never, ever too busy for you, my beautiful Inamorata.”
Her sweet rhythmic waves swam with elation. They matched the coursing waters of her island home. Regis let his eyes close as he began drinking in the heavenly tranquility of his Inamorata.
“Du ya wan’ to come wit me to da Garden, Regis? I wud love for ya to come.”
Regis considered her offer. It was Tuesday, and Serena always went to volunteer at the Garden food pantry downtown. She’d gained them a great deal of attention from the press, which brought donations from her admirers and consideration for their cause. Underfed children generally left Serena in tears, but she cared for each and every one of them as they came through the doors each Tuesday.
She adored the little ones, and it pained Regis that she’d given them up because of his position and the constant scrutiny and danger it would put their children in.
Her sisters all had children, and Serena would insist that being an aunt was enough, but he knew that it wasn’t. Pained regret filled his rhythms, and she picked up on the shift immediately.
“If I go with you, angel, you know all of the security and press will probably prevent you from working at all, and might prevent people who need you from getting inside.”
“What if I just drive you down there, and then I’ll pick you up this evening? I’ll go back to the office once I know you’re safe inside,” he offered softly.
Serena smiled and nodded, but Regis felt her disappointment as it echoed through her satin skin and her tender soul.
“I love you, my precious Inamorata,” he allowed the longing and the deep penetrating love he felt to perforate his tone in an effort to soothe all that he felt he’d taken away. She stepped back, and gave him the sexy grin that only he was privileged enough to receive.
“I know” she assured him with that intoxicating glint in her eyes. “And you are mah everythan’, Regis.”
Get It Over With
~Rainer Lawson~
Garrett was laughing at Rainer and Logan outright as he followed them into a booth at Frye’s, the restaurant that catered to most of the Senate employees. It offered everything from steak and cheeseburgers, to salads, baked potatoes, and pasta dishes.
“Eat,” Garrett commanded. “This isn’t the Academy anymore. You made it to Elite, so now you’re gonna have to suck it up and take it like you two actually have four gnads between you.”
Logan rolled his eyes and glared at his big brother. As he and Rainer had grown up being harassed by the elder Haydenshire brothers, neither was particularly offended. They would have thrown out something equally as insulting if they hadn’t still been gasping for breath.
Vindico hadn’t mentioned that their six-mile run, which they were expected to complete in forty-five minutes, would include wearing weight vests, and an obstacle course, where they would need to throw their shields and dodge mock shots being taken at them.
Rainer was ravenous, and quickly decided that he didn’t care what Garrett or the waiter thought. He went on with his order of two cheeseburgers and a side of macaroni and cheese. If he was going to have to work out like that and then withstand
Felsink prison, then he was going to need calories to burn.
“So, do we do that obstacle course thing every day?” Logan queried after he’d consumed his first cheesesteak.
“No,” Garrett wiped his mouth with his napkin, and shook his head. “He’s trying to make certain you’re equipped to deal with whatever is headed our way. After what happened to Em last night, Dan’s not gonna take any chances. Wretchkinsides is getting richer and more powerful every freaking day, and we’ve got to figure out how to stop him.”
That thought had Rainer’s stomach churning as he reconsidered his pasta choice.
“He stands to make millions with this trumped-up Summation team he’s loaded his fortunes into.”
“What’s Felsink like, really?” Rainer decided he didn’t want to hear any more about Dominic Wretchkinsides. He had to be stopped. He had to be ended, because Rainer would not allow the only person who ever really understood him, the only girl who ever meant anything at all to him, to have to go on living in terror. It didn’t matter what needed to be done; he was going to see that it was taken care of, because he simply would never allow anything to hurt Emily.
Garrett shrugged as he considered the question. He did seem to be taking his part of training Logan and Rainer very seriously.
“This will be the worst trip you make by far. You’re both strong Ioses Preds, so your shields will restore your energy once you’re out of the ore fields for a couple of hours, but you’ll be exhausted, starving, probably run a fever, you might puke, and you won’t be able to get it up for a day or two, so I hope Em and Adeline are ok with that.”
“Shut up, Garrett. You’re so full of shit,” Logan sneered.
“I’m not joking, Lo.”
He seemed sincere, but Rainer joined in Logan’s acrimony. He chose not to recall all of the times growing up when Garrett had answered any question either of them had about most any topic as honestly as he’d been able.
He would always harass them about it, but Logan and Rainer had been going to Garrett for years, because he would always give them a straight answer.
“It’ll get better each time you go out there. The first time is really rough, though. I went and stayed at the farmhouse the first night I went out there. I already had my apartment, but I was too sick to stay by myself,” he added humbly. “Your body kind of gets used to it, as long as you don’t stay out there too long each time you go.”
They finished up their lunch, and begrudgingly walked back to the Pentagon. Rainer quickly called Emily as they waited at a crosswalk.
“Hey,” she soothed sweetly.
“Hey, baby, you okay?”
“I’m fine, how are you? You sound good. I expected you to sound exhausted or something.”
“We haven’t gone out to Culpepper yet. We’re just coming back from lunch, and I wanted to check on you.”
“Oh,” Emily paused thoughtfully. “Are you nervous?”
“A little.” He would never have shared that with anyone but her.
“I’ll take care of you when you get home. Mom and I have been making chili all day, and Dad said to double the meat. Mom was a little tired, so she’s lying down. I brought the twins outside to play.”
“Your mom all right?” It was unlike Mrs. Haydenshire to ever rest, for any reason. Rainer had personally seen the woman, who’d raised him through his adolescence, cook a full dinner for all ten of her children when she had a horrible cold. The Governor was always trying to get her to rest and let him do whatever needed to be done.
“Well, I kind of thought it might’ve been what happened yesterday that sort of got to her,” Emily admitted with a slight choke.
Rainer was certain she was correct.“Yeah, I’m sure.”
“I’m okay, Rainer. I promise. The Iodex security people have checked on me and the twins constantly since we came out to the swing set.”
“Good, that’s what they’re suppoed to do!”
Suddenly, Garrett grabbed Rainer’s phone with a wry grin. “Em, it’s me. Pretend Rainer said all the shit he tells you before you actually let him get off of the phone ‘cause he’s gotta stop calling you so much, or Dan’s gonna chew his ass. I’ll bring him home in a few hours. He’ll feel like hell so don’t expect much tonight. Bye, baby sis!” With that, Garrett ended the call as Rainer glared at him furiously.
“Trust me, let’s just get this over with, okay?” he shoved Rainer and Logan forward by the scruff of their necks.
Felsink Reformatory
Rainer drew deep breaths and tried to steady himself as he followed Vindico to a line of black Expeditions. They were all equipped with enhanced engines, shield casts, and tinted windows. The government tags matched those of the Non-Gifted Realm, save the lower right corner that held the abbreviated Realm crest.
All Gifted police and Iodex cars were unmarked. Marked police and sheriff’s cars meant that the cop was not Gifted. An unmarked squad car or SUV indicated a Realm Iodex officer who was serving in some capacity.
“Hop in,” Vindico gestured to the Expedition nearest them. He climbed into the driver’s seat and backed the car out. “I always feel like I’m driving a freaking school bus,” he lamented to Garrett, who’d joined him in the front.
“Doesn’t handle quite like your Agusta, I’m assuming?” Rainer chided as he tried to relax a little.
Vindico laughed and shook his head. ”Uh, no, not quite. Pay attention to where we’re going. You’ll be bringing prisoners here by yourselves soon.”
Logan and Rainer glanced out the windows. They both knew how to get to Culpepper. Garrett and Vindico began discussing the upcoming football season, and that conversation flowed into the Northeast Summation Exhibition that was in two weeks.
“To bad Em can’t play in that ring. The Angels would kick some serious ass this season,” Garrett laughed.
“I just hope Cascavel didn’t figure out how she threw that shield,” Vindico sighed as they barreled down the interstate.
Rainer swallowed down the bile that flooded his throat every time the memories broke through the dams erected in his mind, Emily lying on the parking lot cement, sobbing, with the shrapnel of her cell phone littered around her.
Cascavel, the name dripped from Vindico’s lips like poison. Rainer had hated him from the moment he and Emily had seen him at the beach weeks before. Emily’s receptors had picked up on his black energy instantly, but Vindico’s wrath-fueled venom whenever he said the man’s name had abject hatred and fear coiling in Rainer’s soul.
If Wretchkinsides realized that Emily’s engagement ring gave her endless supplies of energy via the promethium infused within the large diamond, then she would remain at the top of the list of people who had something Dominic Wretchkinsides wanted.
People on that list very rarely escaped with their lives. Rainer shuddered slightly, and stared out the windows as the city faded into the blurred haze that surrounded the SUV.
Vindico summoned once they were out of D.C. traffic, and the Expedition shot forward. They would make the hour and a half trip in less than forty-five minutes if he kept his current speed.
Signs for the tiny town of Culpepper didn’t do anything to make Rainer feel welcomed. His heart raced, and his mouth felt oddly dry as the parking brake gave its rapid rhythmic clicks.
Vindico’s boots hit the sandy gravel that made up the parking area. It was roped off with barely visible polyester twine. After drawing a deep breath, Rainer and Logan exited onto the sandy ground that seemed to vibrate disconcertingly under their feet.
Garrett slapped Logan consolingly on the back.
“There’s really no way to prepare you for this. It hurts like hell, so my policy has always just been to get in and get out.”
Vindico nodded and offered Rainer and Logan an almost- concerned half-smile. “Your shield will adapt to the iron ore after you’ve been out here a few times. It’ll still hurt like hell, but this time will be the worst.”
“Sort of like getting your
own cherry popped, only no fun at all. It pretty much just sucks,” Garrett chuckled
Logan managed an eye-roll, but Rainer was far more concerned with the faint screeching hum that was developing against his skull as he followed Garrett and Vindico down a shallow embankment. His boots slid on the loose rocks, and Logan reached to steady him.
“Thanks,” Rainer hoped his boss hadn’t noticed his misstep.
They passed several mine entrances, each marked with a different company’s logo. A few men leaned against shovels and offered them nods as they passed. The air swam before Rainer’s eyes. It seemed stagnated with the feeling of impending doom.
As they came to another entrance, Vindico halted abruptly. He wiped the sweat from his brow, and leaned down to lift a fallen piece of plastic caution tape that appeared to have given up the will to live. He reattached it to the thin metal stake in the ground.
Caution signs marked the cloaked entrance. They all declared it to be impassable.
With a quick wave of his badge over a screened keypad, a low metallic groan echoed from a vast metal door that slid to the side in front of the men. It was the same sandy color as the ground, and Rainer had almost missed it altogether. The staked caution tape, warning signs, and a few ragged bushes were the only markers for the entrance.
“Let’s get this done,” Vindico entered the number on his badge into the keypad.
“Hard to summon here, so there’s no other way to get in these locks. You have to have a badge and ID. Magnetic pulses won’t work,” Garrett explained. He was beginning to pale slightly and beads of sweat dripped from his forehead.
Rainer took solace in the fact that Garrett was struggling as well. The screeching drone in his ears grew louder with each passing moment. It was the only discernible sound he could identify.
Another solid steel door lurched to the side, revealing a jagged metal staircase.
Rainer’s lungs seized tightly, and he became aware of the blood pulsing through his veins, as if it were fighting to keep it moving through his body. It felt heavy and sluggish as he followed Vindico onto the stairs.