“Aye,” several of the unit members answered.
“Good,” Marshall said. “Tomorrow is going to be one of the most important days of our lives. As Senator Delaney said, we all need to prepare for the worst. If there are any of you who have reservations about what we are about to do tomorrow, I implore you to think about this when you lay your head down on your pillows tonight. Would you rather die as cowards, huddled in the corners of your homes, waiting to die, or would you rather die as martyrs, fighting for your lives and those of the ones you love?”
“With the way we’re living now,” Bruce Vaupel, answered, “we may as well be dead. This is no life for a dog, let alone human beings. If sacrificing our lives means that others may have one, I’m all in.” He turned around to formally address the crowd behind him. “And if any of you disagree, you can get the hell out of here right now because there’s no room for cowardice anymore. I’m going to stand and fight, what say you?”
“I’m going to fight,” a young woman, whose mousy brown hair was parted in two braids that fell neatly on her shoulders, announced proudly.
“Me too,” answered an older gentleman.
Seconds later, the cabin erupted in a chorus of affirmations; a melody that carried over through the trees, and echoed across the country.
*****
“Victor,” the voice on the other end of the phone demanded his response before he could even answer.
“Everything is going off without a hitch,” Victor answered him. “Ms. Stevens and Mr. Grant will arrive at the hotel later on today. Plans have been made to meet you this evening.”
“Good. It’s important that this address goes smoothly. I can’t afford any more negative publicity. Thanks to the whole debacle with the protesters, the people are becoming more defiant. If the public turns on me, it’s going to be a battle for the both of us, and I’m in no mood for a fight.”
“Trust me, Carver, the importance of this event has been pressed upon them.”
“It better have been. Because another slip-up from you will result in your funding being pulled, which would put the kibosh on those human science experiments you love so much.”
“I’m well aware of that,” Victor answered, rubbing his temple with the fingers of his free hand. “Does Delaney know you’re onto him yet?”
“No, the poor bastard has no clue,” he laughed. “He thinks he’s going to have his rebels ambush me, and provoke my men to attack. Although his tenacity is commendable, their whole plan is laughable. Trust me, we already have a plan of our own worked out.”
“You always do.” Victor coughed into his sleeve.
“Why, of course I do. Oh, and Victor, if that Stevens girl fails to impress me, you are to do away with her. I can’t have her being the poster child for insubordination. She won’t be permitted to undo all of the work I’ve done and intend to do in the future.”
“Understood. Plans have already been set in motion to handle her much the same way Liam and Blake were.”
“I’m glad we’re in agreement, then. I’ll look forward to meeting your freaks of nature this evening.”
“They’ll be there, ready for commands.”
“Splendid. Oh, and you may want to get that cough checked out. I can’t have you indisposed, especially not while we’re on the cusp of war.”
President Brooks hung up the phone. Still coughing, Victor covered his mouth with one hand as he stuffed his cell phone into the pocket of his dress pants with the other, making a disturbing discovery when he pulled his hand away from his lips. A small amount of blood coated the saliva he’d coughed into his hand. Disturbed, he pulled the phone back out of his pocket and dialed one of the few numbers he knew by heart.
“Victor?” the voice on the receiving end answered.
“Marty, I need you to swing by right now. It’s happening again.”
Chapter Seventeen
The Park View
I slung my overnight bag over my shoulder and headed out into the hallway where I met Ian. Together, we walked down the hallway, headed to the garage.
“Only one bag?” he asked, surprised. “I’ve never seen a woman travel so lightly.”
“Kara has a suitcase packed for me in the car.” I rolled my eyes at the thought of the frilly disaster awaiting my arrival.
“Oh,” Ian replied sympathetically. “If it makes you feel any better, she apparently has a monkey suit waiting for me at the hotel.”
“As if this evening wasn’t going to be uncomfortable enough already,” I sighed. “Not only do we have to be cordial to Brooks, but we have to look like made-up buffoons in the process.”
We entered the garage, immediately noticing the white roadster with conspicuously tinted windows parked near the doorway. The gasp Ian let out next to me at the sight of the vehicle would have been comical had I not immediately jumped to the conclusion that he must be in the midst of a heart attack.
“Are you all right?” I asked him, prepared to jump to his aid.
“I’ve never been more fine,” he said giddily. “You’re shotgun on this trip because there is nothing that is going to keep me from getting behind the wheel of that beautiful piece of machinery.” He stared at the glistening white exterior, admiring it as though it were a woman and not a car. I could almost see the drool forming at the corner of his mouth.
“All this for a car? Jeez, I thought you were having another cardiac episode. I was readying myself to break out the defibrillator.”
“I almost did,” he laughed.
We both removed our helmets from their clasps around our waists and slid them over our heads. Ian opened the trunk and threw his bag in, motioning for me to hand mine to him. That’s when I glanced inside the roadster and noticed the garment bag hanging from a hook inside the vehicle behind the passenger seat.
“Oh, God, it’s worse than I thought,” I mumbled. “There’s a full-fledged gown in there.”
“It’s Kara,” Ian replied, closing the door to the trunk. “What did you expect?”
I opened the passenger side door. On the seat sat an envelope bearing my name. Picking it up, I climbed into the car and turned the envelope over apprehensively. My gloved fingers picked at the gold sticker that sealed the contents of the envelope in place until I successfully peeled it away. Next to me in the driver’s seat, Ian eyed me as I pulled the paper out to read the message it contained.
“Remember to have fun tonight. Let loose, let yourself enjoy the night, but most importantly, let go.”
“What’s the note?” Ian asked, punching in The Epicenter code to start the vehicle.
“Nothing,” I said, feeling my face grow warm. It was in times such as these I was thankful to have a helmet covering my cheeks. “Just a little pep talk from Kara.”
“Say no more.”
Ian put the car into gear, and we began our journey into the unknown. While on the road, I caught myself glancing at him every now and then while Kara’s words rang annoyingly in my head. ‘Let go.’ And I’m not sure whether it was Kara’s words that put the thoughts in my head or whether they’d secretly been there all along, but I found myself seeing things about Ian Grant that my eyes wouldn’t allow me to see before. The way he carried himself, once boyishly cocky, had evolved into a more mature confidence. Perhaps it had always been that way and I’d been misreading him this whole time. Regardless, Ian had changed, but then again, so had I. Whether my change was for the better, however, remained to be seen. Let go, Celaine. Let go.
“What are you thinking about?” Ian asked me after a measurable amount of silence had passed to the point where the only conversation taking place was between the pavement and the rumble of the tires against it.
“Tonight,” I answered. “There’s just a lot going on, a lot to take in. The expectations are pretty high for us.”
“I wouldn’t worry too much if I were you,” he said without taking his eyes off the road. “Impressions may be everything tonight, but Brooks would be crazy not to
love y…us. I meant to say us.”
“I honestly don’t care if he likes me, Ian. I definitely don’t care if he loves me. The only thing I care about is staying in the position I’m in long enough to find The Man in Black and bring him down.”
“Yes, but until then, we need to play nice with Brooks,” Ian sighed, almost sounding disgusted by the prospect. “So, no getting distracted and letting someone blow his head off.”
“Don’t worry. I highly doubt there’s going to be anyone in that audience who will distract me.”
*****
The afternoon sun glistened off the Potomac River, creating tiny diamonds within the waves. Even though I dreaded the thought of our mission, the utter beauty of our surroundings were captivating enough to help me forget about the uneasiness that was lurking in the depths of my mind. Ahead of us, The Park View hotel stood on the horizon, greeting us with its spectacular beauty. Its regal brownstone exterior seemed almost antiquated next to the more contemporary hotels nearby, making it take on a classical feel; while its liberal use of columns made it both aesthetically beautiful as well as structurally sound. It was everything I remembered it being from the photographs I’d seen as a child and more.
“Wow, this is where we’re staying,” Ian said, sounding impressed. “Too bad it’s only for one night.”
As directed, Ian drove the roadster around to the back of The Park View. Almost instantly after we pulled into the alleyway in the back of the hotel, three people, two men and a woman, came outside to meet us. One of the men and the woman were dressed in business suits, while the other man donned a white uniform with gold trim around the collar and on the cuffs of the button-down shirt.
“They work for Brooks,” I observed.
“Yeah, the identification they’re wearing around their necks makes that pretty obvious.” Ian put the car in park and killed the engine. “Let’s get this party started,” he groaned.
“They look like real party animals.”
We each opened our doors, cautiously keeping tabs on our welcome committee. I reached behind my seat and unhooked the garment bag; Ian opened up the trunk to retrieve our suitcases. Still near the back door of the hotel, the two men and the woman stayed back and observed us, too intimidated, perhaps, to come any closer. Ian shut the door of the trunk, throwing the suitcases over his shoulders, and, together, we walked to the back entrance of the hotel.
“Good afternoon,” the woman spoke first, “I’m Eve, and this is Stanley.” She motioned to the similarly-dressed man next to her, who nodded at his introduction. Eve inspected us curiously, her eyes lingering on Ian a little longer than she likely intended. Our suits, though uncomfortable, were quite a sight to behold and were tight-fitting enough to leave very little to the imagination. Clearly flustered, she spoke again. “Please allow Jason here to take your luggage.” She nodded at the uniformed man. Ian reluctantly relinquished his grasp on the suitcases, handing them to The Park View’s overeager employee. “Now if you’ll follow me, Stanley and I will escort you to your rooms for the night.”
Ian and I followed Eve, Stanley and Jason inside the back entrance of the hotel. As soon as we stepped inside the sparsely-traveled entryway, it became obvious to me that its primary use was to usher in those guests who wanted to keep their anonymity and visits as private as possible. The marble flooring shone brightly beneath our feet in our walk down the narrow hallway to a set of silver elevators. Persian rugs—royal blue in color with various triangular patterns in more muted shades of blue—were spaced out every twenty feet, and provided a much welcome texture under the soles of our boots. Over hidden speakers, Beethoven’s Ode to Joy provided us, almost mockingly, with music to march to. When we reached the end of the hallway, Eve slid a keycard into a card reader next to the elevator. After the light on the card reader switched from red to green, she pushed the button to call the elevators down. Seconds later, both silver doors slid open, as though competing with each other to carry us to our destination.
“We’ve reserved the entire floor for you,” Eve said. “So don’t worry about your identities being discovered.” She winked at Ian. “As soon as you get to your rooms, I would suggest changing out of your suits…uniforms, or whatever you call them. Hair and makeup will be meeting you in your rooms momentarily.”
“Oh, thank God,” Ian said sarcastically. “I could use some rouge. My cheeks have been looking a little pale lately.”
Eve let out a laugh that seemed a tad too hearty given the situation. “Well, don’t fret about them seeing your faces. They have no idea who you are, only that you’re important guests of President Brooks.” The elevator door slid open, revealing an even more exquisite entryway, complete with vaulted ceilings and numerous abstract paintings in complementing shades of green. “You also have connecting suites,” Eve said, taking my attention away from the artwork, “so you don’t have to go out into the hallway if you want to communicate with each other.”
“How thoughtful of you, Eve,” Ian stated. “My partner and I very much appreciate the careful attention to detail you obviously put into your work.” I rolled my eyes behind my mask, stealing a glance at Eve’s reddening profile.
“This is your suite,” she directed me. “I’ll go in with you and show you around. Stanley will take you to yours,” she said, nodding at Ian.
“Are you sure you don’t want to show him, Eve?” I asked, partly out of annoyance, but mostly for my own amusement.
“I...I…why would I want…no, of course not,” she said, clearly flustered. Eve punched in the code to open the door to the suite where I would be spending the night.
“I’ll see you in a couple of hours,” Ian said before following Stanley to his suite.
Jason walked into the foyer of my suite and hung up my garment bag on a hook just inside the door, placing my overnight bag on a small end table and the suitcase on the floor next to it. When he stepped back into the hallway, I nodded my gratitude, and walked inside the suite. The cherry wood flooring in the foyer gave way to plush carpeting as white and as thick as even the heaviest of snowfalls. I looked down at my boots guiltily, hoping there was no residual dirt on them from past missions.
“Over here is your kitchenette,” Eve motioned to the small cooking area. “Through this door is the living area.” We walked into a beige room with an oversized flat screen television mounted to the wall, and a large taupe leather sectional, all centered around a fireplace. “To your left is a more formal dining area.” I glanced through the French doors into the burgundy room with oak table and chairs. “And, finally, your bedroom.” She opened the door to reveal a king size bed with a comforter as white as the carpet and artwork that matched the paintings in the hallway. “Your bathroom adjoins the room, and there’s access to the balcony on the other side of the room.”
“Thanks for the tour. Everything looks…extravagant.”
“Only the best for our resident superheroes,” she proclaimed, her lips pursed as though smiling at me would be a chore for her. “Well, I’ll leave you to get acquainted with your room. Again, I would change out of your suit if I were you. Hair and make-up will be here any minute.” Eve sashayed her way back through the suite in the direction of the door. Before exiting, she paused, turning around to face me. “Good luck,” she said, closing the door behind her.
In her wake, I was left to wonder whether she knew something I didn’t. Was she wishing me good luck with meeting Brooks, a man whose disdain I’d garnered numerous times, or was she wishing me luck at the address tomorrow, knowing that a disaster awaited both Ian and I? Shaking my head, I cleared all pervasive thoughts away. Lack of sleep and nerves had a way of bringing about a host of negative thoughts; thoughts that were only serving to make me miserable. Get a grip, I thought, taking a seat on the sectional where I began stripping away the layers of my suit. After I’d undressed down to a tank top and a pair of shorts I’d thrown in my overnight bag at the last minute, I gathered the suit, folded it, and placed both it a
nd the helmet in the drawer of the suite’s bedroom dresser. Neither the hair nor the makeup people had shown up yet, and a part of me was glad they hadn’t. Though I’d never been much of a tomboy, hair and make-up still weren’t exactly my thing.
I slumped down onto the ultra-comfortable bed, letting my body sink into the mattress. Kara’s words resounded in my head, but instead of deleting them from my memory, I pressed the replay button time after time. Ian. The partner I’d grown attached to. Was he the key to my reluctant happiness? I shook my head at the thought. Trying to envision myself as happy as I’d been with Chase was like trying to envision Christmas without snow. It just didn’t make any sense. But, still, there was a small part of me that wanted to adhere to Kara’s words, a part of me that did want to let go; a part of me that wanted to try. A part of me wanted to experience again what it felt like to be loved. And, though I didn’t want to admit it to myself, I wondered what it would be like to be loved by Ian Grant. After all, if The Man in Black were to be defeated tomorrow, if we were allowed to go back to our old lives, what would we be going back to? Ian already knew the answer as it pertained to him, but what about me? There were so many balls in the air when it came to what would await me if I were to return. Would Chase even want me back, or was I just some terrible memory he kept locked away, never to see the light of day? The thought sickened me, yet it was a strong possibility. In fact, it was a definite probability.
But, Ian? Yes, he was handsome, smart, and charismatic, but what were his thoughts toward me? To him, I was just his partner, wasn’t I? I held my now pounding head as I rolled over on the bed to face the outside. The sun shone through the thin drapes, which facilitated a soothing, dull glow in the bedroom. My eyelids grew heavy; and eventually they won their battle with my will and remained closed until a series of knocks at the door forced them to spring back open.
Vendetta Nation (Enigma Black Trilogy #2) Page 13