by R. D. Brady
Henry’s eyes shifted to Laney and then back to his phone. “She’s not answering. I’ll try Ralph.”
Laney pictured the massive garden Victoria had created in her back yard. She loved it out there. She’s probably just out in the garden and didn’t hear the phone.
Henry held the phone to his ear for a few beats before pulling it away with a frown.
A sinking sensation began to develop in Laney’s stomach. “What’s wrong?”
Henry slowly lowered the phone. “He’s not answering either.”
Jake pushed the gas pedal farther to the floor. Laney’s anxiety grew worse, but she tried to shake it off. It’s nothing. They’re both just away from their phones.
Jake rounded the curve in the road, and Victoria’s gate came into view.
It hung from its hinges, gaping open.
CHAPTER 7
Disbelief flooded Laney as she stared at the destroyed gate. Victoria was beyond security-conscious. There was no chance this was an oversight.
Jake slammed the car to a stop. “You sense anything, Laney?”
Laney shook her head. “No. No Fallen, no nephilim besides Henry.”
“The SUVs or the house?” Jake asked.
Henry opened his door. “I’ll take the house. You head back after the SUVs.”
Henry sprinted away before Laney could reply. Laney watched him go with concern. She hated the idea of Henry going in alone. But splitting up made more sense.
Jake threw the car into a U-turn.
The motion jarred Laney into action. She grabbed the duffel bag from the back and retrieved her P90 and an extra drum. Her knife was already in the sheath at her waist. She pulled on a holster and placed a Beretta in it. Then she grabbed Jake’s weapons and placed them on the console in between, along with Henry’s weapons, which had been specially modified to fit his larger hands.
Jake was on the phone. “Jordan, I need any and all of the video feeds from around Victoria’s and the airport. Call me back.”
Laney nodded understanding; the airport was only a few miles away and it was the most likely destination if someone was trying to get away quickly.
Her gut clenched. We’re not going to make it, she thought. Unless there was some miracle delay, the bad guys would be up in the air before she and Jake could do anything about it—or even find out who they were. And that’s if they’re even headed there.
“I need you to send a medical unit to Maine. One of ours.” Jake rattled off Victoria’s address into his phone. “And I need you there yesterday. Contact Clark at SIA and have him send agents as well.”
Laney glanced over at Jake shock. Victoria’s home was a well-guarded secret. She wouldn’t like—
Laney stopped short. They couldn’t reach Victoria, and she’d warned them that danger was coming. The time for secrets was over.
A tingle ran through her and she glanced behind her as a blur raced for the car. Henry?
Henry leaped onto the roof. Laney opened the sunroof over the back seat, and Henry quickly climbed down, with more than a little difficulty. He sat down heavily on the seat next to her.
“What happened?” Laney asked.
Henry’s face was tight. “She’s not there.”
Laney glanced down at Henry’s hands. Blood was splashed across one of them. “Whose blood is this?”
Henry looked back at her, pain in his eyes. “Ralph’s.”
Laney gasped. Henry’s tone told her all she needed to know. She closed her eyes and said a little prayer for his passing. And she worried even more for Victoria.
She wanted to ask more questions, but something in Henry’s face held her back. So instead she reached over and grabbed the wipes she kept in her bag and silently cleaned the blood off his hand.
When she was done, he clutched her hand tightly. “Thank you.”
She nodded. She reached down and handed Henry his weapons. He took them with a nod but wouldn’t look at her.
Jake’s cell rang and he snatched it up. “Jordan?”
Laney leaned forward to hear as Jordan’s voice came over the car’s speakers. “There’s a plane waiting on the tarmac of the airfield. It’s registered to Glacier Fields.”
“Glacier Fields?” Laney asked, surprised.
Jordan’s voice was grim. “Yeah. It looks like Jorgen Fuld has finally decided to stick his head out.”
CHAPTER 8
Laney sat back. Jorgen Fuld—the Shepherd. He had been behind Grayston’s abduction of the children. He had been the man Victoria had said would grab children just because he was bored. They had been looking for him and had found nothing. He had dropped out of sight.
Now he was here—and Victoria was missing.
“Jake,” Laney said.
Jake managed to coax just a little more speed out of the car.
“We’re heading for the airport now,” Jake said into his phone.
“Jorgen’s plane is at Hangar B.” Jordan described how to get there.
“Warn the local authorities that the group we’re going against is extremely dangerous and that they should stay back,” Jake said.
“Will do.” Jordan paused. “Be careful.”
“We will.” Jake disconnected the call.
His gaze caught Laney’s in the rearview mirror. And she heard the unspoken rest of the statement—If we can.
Laney looked between Henry and Jake. “This doesn’t make any sense. We’ve been looking for Jorgen for six weeks. And now he does this brazen strike on Victoria and uses a plane that’s easily traced back to him? What the hell is going on?”
“Well, if he’s alive after we’re done with him, you can ask him,” Jake said.
Laney sat back, not liking any part of this. Why had Jorgen shown up so suddenly? And leaving such an obvious trail? Something was definitely wrong.
Laney watched the trees blur by through the car window. She closed her eyes and said a little prayer for Ralph. He had been a nice man—and completely loyal to Victoria.
And that loyalty got him killed. Laney shoved the voice away. Here they were yet again rushing into danger equally as heedless of their own safety.
She glanced over at Henry and Jake and promised that she would do whatever was necessary to keep them safe.
They were a mile away from the airfield. Laney tensed as the distance flew by. A half a mile away she felt the first tingles. She gripped Henry’s shoulder.
Henry glanced over at her. “What?”
“There are Fallen.”
“How many?” Henry asked.
“At least seven,” Laney replied. Could they be working with Fuld?
But there was another noise that was a greater surprise as they sped through the airport gates. “Is that gunfire?” Laney asked. The popping could be heard in the distance.
Jake gave a terse nod and slammed the car to a stop behind Hangar B. “Who the hell is shooting?”
“Maybe airport security?” Laney suggested.
Carefully, the three of them made their way to the edge of the hangar, Jake in front. Wooden pallets with tarps over them were set a few feet to the side; Henry stayed at the hangar while Laney and Jake ducked behind a pallet.
Laney peered out. “What the hell…?”
Two groups were exchanging gunfire in front of the running plane. Laney could see Victoria with one group, pushed down to the ground. And shooting at them were the Fallen.
“Jake.” Laney nodded toward the two groups. “The group that has Victoria is human. The Fallen are shooting at them.”
Jake paused, then shook his head. “Okay. Right now that doesn’t matter. Let’s just get Victoria back; we’ll figure out what the hell is going on later.”
“Jorgen,” Henry called out.
A man walked across the tarmac. Dark hair brushed his shoulders, his trademark sunglasses in place. The daylight showed off his olive complexion. His bearing was straight and confident despite the gunfire that raged all around him.
Laney frowned. S
omething was off. What is it?
“No one’s shooting at him,” Jake murmured next to her.
Laney realized Jake was right. None of the shots were coming anywhere near Jorgen. Why the hell not?
The Fallen were almost all in position to easily tackle Jorgen as well. Yet no one moved forward. And no one shot at him. In fact, the gunfire as a whole diminished. Almost as if they’re afraid to shoot him.
Well, I’m not, Laney thought, glaring up at the sky. She couldn’t reach him from here with the weapons she’d brought, but there was another way she could stop him.
Clouds began to swirl and darken in the sky above.
“Laney?” Jake asked.
But Laney didn’t respond. Her focus needed to be above her. She pictured the plane and stood. “Cover me,” she said as she stepped out.
The first lightning strike blasted the ground two feet from the men who held Victoria. More strikes slammed into the ground around the Fallen. They quickly fell back.
“Holy shit,” Jake murmured from behind her.
Jorgen stopped short and stared at Laney before yelling something to his men. They all turned and aimed at Laney. Jake grabbed her, pulling her back behind the pallet. Henry provided cover fire.
Laney slammed into the ground with a grunt, feeling a little lightheaded.
“Are you okay?” Jake asked, rolling off her.
She nodded. “I’m good.” The lightheadedness passed.
Jake once again peered around the side of the pallet. He unloaded at the men.
Laney crawled to the other side of the pallet. She lined Jorgen up in her sights, but Victoria was right next to him—she couldn’t get a clean shot. Move, Victoria, move!
Victoria stepped to her left just as if she’d heard Laney’s mental urging. Laney smiled and lined Jorgen up.
But before she could pull the trigger, a bloom of red appeared on Jorgen’s arm. A Fallen a few feet from him screamed and fell to the ground, writhing as blooms of red appeared on him as well.
Jorgen fell to his side. He reached out and grabbed Victoria. She fell with him, knocking off his sunglasses. Laney lined Jorgen up again—then stopped. Shock had rooted her in place.
Jorgen stared back at her.
The hair on Laney’s arms stood straight up. It can’t be.
Jorgen Fuld’s eyes were pure black, without a single drop of white.
CHAPTER 9
Laney shook off her shock as Jorgen got to his feet, his hand wrapped around Victoria’s arm.
A trick of the light. It has to be. Laney tried to find an angle that wouldn’t also catch Victoria. But her window had closed. “Damn it.”
Jorgen’s black eyes remained etched in her mind’s eye. She shoved the image away.
Jorgen’s men flanked him, offering him and Victoria cover as they ascended the plane’s steps. Laney, Jake, and Henry fired at Jorgen’s men.
And they weren’t the only ones. The Fallen aimed at Jorgen’s men as well.
What the hell is going on? It was almost as if the Fallen were on their side, trying to rescue Victoria.
Jorgen’s men flanked the plane as the door to the cockpit shut.
“No!” Henry yelled, taking off at a run.
“Henry!” Jake shouted. He ran forward, taking cover at a truck.
Laney stepped out, calling on the wind. She pushed a group of three Fallen across the tarmac. She threw another four of Jorgen’s men up in the air. They crashed to the ground with a scream.
Henry blurred toward the plane, but it was already taxiing away.
“Laney, stop him!” Jake yelled. “He’s going to jump on the plane!”
With her heart in her throat, Laney realized Jake was right. Henry could survive a lot of things, but a fall from thousands or even hundreds of feet up was not one of them.
Laney concentrated all her energy on pulling Henry back. She threw a wall of wind up in front of him. The blur that was Henry slowly came into focus. He was pushing against the sudden gale.
The plane took flight. And finally Henry stopped his fighting, allowing the wind to push him back.
Laney lowered her hand, and the winds calmed.
Henry turned and ran back to her. “Why did you stop me? I could have gotten her.” He towered over her.
Laney took a step back from his anger. “No. You would have gotten yourself killed.”
“You don’t know that.” Henry clenched his fists.
Jake stepped in front of her, his tone hard. “You need to calm down.”
Henry glared down at Jake, then walked away.
Laney watched him go, realizing she had actually been afraid of Henry for a moment. He walked to the edge of the tarmac. His shoulders drooped. His anger was gone now, and all that left was sadness. It pierced right through her. Was he right? Should she have let him try?
Sirens wailed in the distance, grabbing her attention. Jorgen’s men lay sprawled across the tarmac, but Laney was pretty sure that most of them were still alive. Jake made his way through them, pushing their weapons out of their reach.
Laney looked around. The Fallen had disappeared. She hadn’t even noticed. She’d been too busy trying to make sure Henry didn’t kill himself.
She shook her head as she made her way to her brother. The Fallen had been fighting Jorgen’s men. And Victoria had been the prize. What was going on?
CHAPTER 10
Laney, Henry, and Jake used their SIA badges to keep their interaction with the police to a minimum, but it still took an hour for them to wrap things up at the airport. They all knew they needed to get back to Victoria’s home. The cops would contain the scene at the airport until the SIA agents arrived.
Once they managed to detangle themselves from the police, Jake once again took the driver’s seat. He kept his speed high the whole ride. With each mile they covered, Laney wondered why they were rushing. Victoria wasn’t there, and Ralph was already dead. No matter how fast they got there, they couldn’t help either of them.
When they reached Victoria’s cottage, the SIA had already arrived. Agents swarmed the place. A tall brunette with a muscular build in a no-frills navy blue suit walked over to Laney as she got out of the car. “Dr. McPhearson?”
Laney nodded.
“Director Clark apologizes for not being here in person. He’s stuck in Washington, DC. I’m Agent Aziz, and I’ll be running the investigation.”
Laney nodded. “Okay. Have you found anything useful?”
Aziz shook her head. “Not yet.”
“What about the body in the kitchen?” Jake asked.
Aziz tilted her head. “Sorry?”
“The body? In the kitchen?” Jake asked.
Aziz frowned and spoke slowly. “There’s no body in the kitchen.”
Laney’s shocked gaze met Henry’s. They brushed past the agent and made their way to the kitchen.
Laney saw the bloody handprint next to the front door but didn’t stop. She glanced down the hall to the left, but nothing looked disturbed. The living room on the right looked equally undamaged. But even from the front foyer, she could see the destruction in the kitchen.
Steeling herself, she followed Henry in. She gasped as she stepped into the room.
Bullet holes dotted the old wooden cabinets. More bullets had chipped away at the brick fireplace and blasted out the windows. And the blood—the blood was everywhere.
“Oh my God.” Laney felt faint. How had Victoria survived this? She glanced around and swallowed hard.
Agents caught sight of them and stopped their inspection, respectfully retreating to the edge of the room.
Laney stared at the blood that dotted the room and the large pool that lay in the middle. No one could survive that much blood loss. She could even see where Ralph had lain. But that was the only sign that he had been there.
His body was gone.
CHAPTER 11
Henry stared at the spot on the floor where he had found Ralph earlier. He pictured Ralph’s face, h
is mouth slightly open, his eyes staring at nothing. Someone must have taken the body. But who?
Agent Aziz stepped forward. “We’ve just begun. I can take you through—”
“How about you show me what you’re doing?” Jake said, stepping in front of the agent and blocking Henry and Laney from her view.
Aziz shifted her eyes to Jake. “Of course, Mr. Rogan. If you’ll follow me.”
From the corner of his eye, Henry saw Jake squeeze Laney’s hand. Laney looked just as shocked as Henry felt. She turned and laced her fingers through Henry’s. “Where is he?”
Henry just stared at the spot where he had seen Ralph. He had been shot multiple times. Henry winced, remembering the bullet hole in Ralph’s forehead. “This makes no sense. He was right here.”
“I believe you. But where is he now?”
Henry looked around the kitchen, his eyes falling on the black and white checkered clock on top of the cabinets. Of course.
He turned to Laney. “Ralph installed security cameras in here.”
Laney’s eyes went wide. “He did? Victoria allowed that?”
Henry shook his head. “He never told her. He knew she wouldn’t agree.”
“Where’s the recording?”
“I’ll get it. You get Jake.”
CHAPTER 12
Laney grabbed Jake from the agent, and they met Henry in Victoria’s study. They closed the door, keeping anyone else out for now. They needed to see the recording before anyone else.
Laney looked around the room. Nothing had been disturbed in here either. Everything looked just as it had the last time she’d been here. The two couches flanked the fireplace on the right, Victoria’s chaise lounge was positioned in front of the window, and her desk was on the left.
Laney shuddered as an image of the kitchen flashed through her mind. All the violence was saved for in there.
Laney stood in front of the desk. Jake stood next to her, his hand wrapped protectively around hers, and Henry stood on her other side. Henry linked the memory card to the monitor on Victoria’s desk. His face was a mask, showing nothing, but Laney knew he must be terrified.