by R. D. Brady
“Yes, sir.” She scurried into the back to fill his drink order. Jorgen shrugged out of his overcoat and hung it over one of the leather chairs. He sat in another chair, noting that the file he’d requested had been placed on his desk.
The stewardess returned with his drink and placed it next to the folder. “Is there anything else you need, sir?”
“Nothing. I’ll ring if I need you.”
She nodded and disappeared once again to the back, taking his jacket with her.
Jorgen pulled the file over to him and flipped it open. He pulled out the four-by-six picture. Delaney McPhearson’s red hair blew back past her shoulders. Her eyes were determined—focused on something in front of her.
He smiled. She is magnificent, he admitted grudgingly. He slid the photo back into the file and took a sip of his drink. But if she gets in my way, she’ll die just like all the rest.
CHAPTER 25
Baltimore, Maryland
Laney walked along the path from her cottage to the main building. They had spent all last night trying to get more details on the house in Arkansas. It was very late when she and Jake finally left Dom’s bunker and crashed back at their cottage. But Laney’s sleep had been plagued by nightmares.
When Laney had awoken, Jake had already gone to Henry’s office to try and track down the Fallen’s movements. Laney had lain in their bed, staring at the ceiling, questions looping through her mind, over and over again. Gerard Thompson had—what? “Rescued” Victoria from Jorgen? Why? Why would they take Victoria? What did they want from her? Was Victoria on the Fallen’s side—or theirs?
Laney looked back toward Sharecropper Lane. She’d stopped in at Kati’s last night, but Max was already asleep.
His mood the other day still bothered her. It was as if he had been trying to tell her something. They all knew he was psychic, and Max saying goodbye had made her nervous.
Maybe she was just reading too much into it.
The bushes near Laney rattled, and her heart raced. Her gaze whipped back to the trees as Cleo emerged.
Laney let out a breath and smiled. “There you are. I was beginning to wonder.”
Cleo slunk closer, and Laney lowered her head to the big cat’s.
Laney remembered the deferential treatment that Cleo had always demonstrated around Victoria. She pulled her head back and looked into Cleo’s eyes. “You know who she is, don’t you?”
Yes.
Laney went still. Her communication with Cleo was an offshoot of the ring. But sometimes the interpretation could be a little off. It wasn’t really words that Laney heard—it was more of a feeling. Although in her own mind she translated the feelings into words.
“Who is she?” Laney whispered.
Mother.
Laney watched Cleo. “You mean my mother?”
Mother all.
Cleo gave Laney a lick, then walked back into the bush, her tail swishing behind her.
Laney stood still, staring after her. Mother all?
“Eve?” she whispered.
CHAPTER 26
Laney spent the rest of the morning looking for something, anything that would link the Fallen to a physical location. She uncovered a few possibilities, but those had quickly been checked and crossed off the list.
So she was hopeful when Agent Matthew Clark of the SIA called. Matt had sent them his list of all known Fallen and their locations earlier. He’d even dispatched his own agents to check out every site they could manage.
“Any luck?” Laney asked.
Exasperation tinged Matt’s words. “No. It’s like they all decided to close up shop.”
Laney closed her eyes and leaned back heavily in her chair. Damn it.
“But there is some other news,” Matt said.
His tone was not uplifting. Laney opened her eyes, steeling herself. “Okay. Tell me.”
“There’s been an increase in Fallen incidents around the world.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you know the SIA tracks and records any events that may involve the Fallen?”
“Yes.” An offshoot of the Department of Defense, the SIA was the government agency in charge of monitoring the activities of the Fallen and nephilim around the world. Very few people knew of the agency’s existence, however; and few of those that knew it existed knew what it actually did. “So what’s changed?”
Matt’s frustration came through loud and clear. “The frequency. There are more of them. We’re running a little thin trying to investigate them all.”
“What does that mean?”
“I don’t know. But I’m willing to bet it bodes something ominous. And that’s not the worst.” He paused just long enough for Laney’s stomach to drop a little. “Some circles in the government are beginning to take notice. And there’s been talk.”
Dread washed over Laney. The last thing they needed was the government getting involved in all this. “What kind of ‘talk’?”
“Talk about concerns for the public at large.”
Laney closed her eyes. “Oh, that can’t be good.”
All she could picture were the other times that governments had labeled groups of people as troublemakers—and those times had usually involved some type of internment camps. Throughout history, governmental methods of dealing with troublesome populations had not been morally uplifting.
In addition, government interest was liable to get them all get dragged into congressional hearings to discuss what they did. Besides the complete waste of time that would be, it would shove the world of the Fallen into the spotlight. And that was a horrible idea. Part of the reason that they had been able to keep this quiet was because the Fallen also seemed to want to keep their existence under the radar.
If that changes? She shivered. All hell will literally break loose.
“Is anyone making any moves to do something, or is it just talk?” Laney asked.
“Right now, it’s just talk. But I’m monitoring it. I’ll let you know if it gets more serious.”
Laney slunk down lower in her seat. “Oh good, more to worry about.”
The two fell into silence. Laney’s mind was filled with worries for Victoria. It occurred to her that Victoria had probably seen ugly government reactions to troubled populations live and in person in at least one of her past lives.
“Matt,” Laney began slowly, “do you know who Victoria is?”
Matt didn’t respond right away. “No. We had already suspected that she may have lived many lives, but we’ve never been able to pin down a firm identity.”
“But you have some theories.”
Matt hesitated again, then sighed. “Laney, they’re just guesses—probably no better than your own guesses.”
“Our running favorite right now is that she’s Eve.”
“That’s one of our guesses as well.”
Laney closed her eyes. “Do you think she’s part of the other triad?”
Laney, Jake, and Henry made up one triad, but they knew there was another one. They just weren’t sure who exactly was in it, except for Samyaza.
Matt didn’t speak for a moment. “You know, you could come down here and ask some of the ones we’re holding where the Fallen might have taken Victoria.”
Laney knew he was right. As the ring bearer, she had the ability to compel the Fallen to do her bidding. But she had been resistant to the idea. She didn’t like the feeling of breaking someone’s will. It didn’t feel right. But desperate circumstances…
“If I don’t learn anything new, I may have to.”
Clark went silent for a moment. “I know you don’t enjoy that particular ability. But it could help you find her.”
“I know, I know.” Laney paused. “Could you figure out who amongst your guests might have the most relevant information? If I’m coming down there, I don’t want to waste any time.”
“I’ll have them ready. Just let me know.”
“Will do.”
“And let me know if yo
u find anything. The SIA will help in any way possible.”
“Thanks, Matt. Take care.”
“You too, Laney.”
Laney disconnected the call and placed her phone on the coffee table. She curled her feet under her and gazed out the windows. Who was Victoria? Was she part of the other triad? Laney knew Samyaza was one member, and it was a safe bet that Jorgen was another. That left only one other member. And if the other triad was consistent with her own, then that third member was a human.
But Victoria wasn’t exactly a normal human. Did that discount her from the triad? Or just guarantee her membership?
Laney pulled her knees to her chest and rested her head on them. She’ll be okay. She’s lived lifetime after lifetime. She can take care of herself.
But her mind wouldn’t shut down. Because if Victoria had lived lifetime after lifetime, going from young to old, there was only one thing they could be sure Victoria had done in each of those lifetimes.
She had died.
CHAPTER 27
Laney stayed in the office for another thirty minutes, after getting off the phone with Matt trying to figure out a new angle. But she couldn’t seem to focus. She needed a break.
Maybe I’ll go see if Patrick and Dom have discovered anything. She was heading for the doors when they opened.
Jake walked in, and for a moment, hope flared in Laney.
But he shook his head, and the hope died again. “Nothing. We’re still looking.”
Weariness fell over Laney and she dropped back onto the couch. “How can she have just disappeared without a trace? I mean, that’s not possible, right?”
Jake ran his hands through his hair. “I don’t know what to tell you. We’ve checked every form of transport out of the Little Rock area. Danny’s grabbed every video and satellite feed, and we still can’t find a trace.”
Laney nodded. “If it’s Samyaza behind this, she’ll be good at hiding her footsteps.”
“I know.” He reached down to pull Laney up. “Come on. Let’s get some fresh air. I think we both need it.”
Laney let herself be led outside. They walked down the path toward Sharecropper Lane, crossed it, and headed toward the outer fence. Cleo loped over and joined them.
Laney ran her hand over Cleo’s back. “Hey, girl.”
Together the three of them walked to the field that lay behind the cottages. Jake stopped. Laney knew why they were there. Practice time. She took the ring from the chain around her neck and put it on her finger.
“Ready?” Jake asked.
Laney nodded. “What will it be today?”
Jake rubbed his chin. “I think we should play with hail.”
“Hail? Seriously?”
He nodded. “It could come in handy if you can make them large enough.”
Laney let out a breath and turned to Cleo. “Stay out of the field.”
Cleo took a step back and sat. Laney glanced at the sky. Right. Hail. She focused, feeling the energy fill her. Within moments, hail began to fall. It bounced along the entire length of the field.
Jake stepped up behind her, leaning down to whisper in her ear. “Concentrate. Make the focus smaller.”
“Okay.” Laney made the cloud above them shrink until it was only a few feet wide. Hail began to pile up on the ground directly underneath it.
“Now try to make the hailstones bigger,” Jake urged.
Laney could do no more than nod—her concentration was entirely on the cloud. In her mind’s eye, she pictured hail the size of softballs. Soon they were slamming into the ground and rolling along the grass.
Laney grinned and cut the storm off. She turned back to Jake.
He smiled at her. “Good. How do you feel?”
“Good. I’m not lightheaded. It’s getting easier.”
“I think it’s probably like any other muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it becomes.”
Laney and Jake had been focused on finding Victoria, but they had still made sure to practice twice a day ever since the incident at the airport. The last thing Laney wanted to worry about was that her powers would scare the people she was with.
“I think you’re right,” Laney said.
Cleo walked up and nudged Laney. Laney reached down to pet her. “What do you think?”
Good. Run.
Laney nodded. “All right.” Cleo often liked to roam the estate by herself, but she enjoyed it more when Laney and Jake ran with her. Laney raised an eyebrow at Jake. “Race you to the north fence?”
“You got it,” Jake said, and took off running.
“Cheater!” Laney called, running after him with a laugh. Cleo loped along beside her before sprinting ahead.
“Go get him, Cleo,” Laney cheered, sprinting after them. And for just a small moment, she let herself focus on the here and now—and not on everything that was swirling around them.
CHAPTER 28
Gerard drove along winding roads. It was pretty out here. He could see why Chandler had chosen this spot for his headquarters.
He pulled to the side of the road, then took out his phone and dialed, feeling a tingle of pride.
Elisabeta answered quickly. “Are you there?”
“Yes.”
Gerard could hear the smile through the phone. “Excellent. You have done well, Gerard.”
Gerard stilled. “Thank you.”
“How long?” she asked.
Gerard glanced at his watch. “Ten minutes.”
“Good. And she is safe?”
Gerard nodded. “I have four men on her. We’ll meet up with them when we’re finished here. And then I’ll bring them both to you.”
“Good.”
The silence stretched out, and Gerard wasn’t sure if he was supposed to hang up, say something, or just wait. He decided on the cautious route.
Finally, Elisabeta spoke. “Gerard, did we lose any men in Arkansas?”
“No. Not a one.”
“Was Jorgen there?”
Doubt began to creep into Gerard’s mind. Elisabeta rarely wanted the details of his missions. She just wanted to know that he had succeeded. “Um, no. He wasn’t. We timed it perfectly.”
“He left her alone?” Incredulity laced Elisabeta’s words.
“Not alone. There were a dozen men there at least.”
Elisabeta was silent.
“Is something wrong?”
“No. I’m just surprised. But maybe he’s getting sloppy after all these years.”
Gerard tried not to bristle at the insult.
“Well, call me when you’re done.”
“Yes, Elisabeta,” Gerard said, but she had already disconnected the call.
He put his phone back in his pocket and leaned against the steering wheel. What had that been all about?
His phone beeped. A text.
We’re in position.
Gerard put the car in drive and pulled back onto the street. Elisabeta’s words were irrelevant. She just liked to keep them all uncertain—a rather annoying trait of hers. And an effective one.
That’s all it is. She doesn’t want me feeling too much pride in what I’ve accomplished. He nodded and straightened his back. But after my next success, my accomplishment will be too great for her to deny.
CHAPTER 29
Laney sprinted along Sharecropper Lane behind Jake and Cleo, then burst out into the small field that led to the fence. Ahead of her, Cleo loped along easily next to Jake. Obviously the panther was just teasing him; she could outrun him any time she wanted.
And a dozen feet shy of the fence, she did just that. Cleo darted forward, stopped short of the fence, and then, just before Jake reached it, tapped it with her paw.
Laney laughed.
Jake grumbled good-naturedly. “No fair. You’re running on four legs.”
Cleo rubbed her head against his chest with a purr.
Jake scratched behind her ears. “Fine, fine. You win.” He glanced up as Laney reached them. “Hey, did you stop for cof
fee?”
Laney whacked him on the shoulder. “You’re a sore winner.”
Jake draped his arm around her, and they headed back to Sharecropper Lane. “Well, you might be the ring bearer, but it’s nice to know I can still beat you in a foot race.”
Next to Laney, Cleo suddenly went still. Then she stepped behind Laney and began to push her forward, her fur standing on end.
Laney glanced back at her. “Cleo?”
Danger.
Laney grabbed Jake’s hand. “Run!”
The three of them sprinted toward Sharecropper Lane. They were two hundred yards from the fence when it exploded.
CHAPTER 30
Laney and Jake hit the ground and rolled. Laney lay still for a moment, taking stock to make sure everything was where it was supposed to be. Then with a groan, she sat up to a sitting position, her ears ringing.
Cleo walked over to Laney and nudged her back.
Laney patted her paw. I’m okay.
Jake stumbled to his knees and pulled out his phone.
Laney stared back at the fence. A twenty-foot-wide hole gaped right in the middle of it, and heavily armed men were now pouring through.
Pinpricks of electricity danced over her. Fallen. They must have held back so as not to warn her.
Laney reached for her waist and cursed. She glanced at Jake. He was unarmed as well. Damn it.
Bits of brick and metal bars from the fence were strewn around them, the result of the massive explosion. Those will do.
Cleo attempted to run for the intruders. “No! You stay with me!” Laney commanded, not willing to let Cleo get shot.
She called on the wind. Using its power, she lifted metal bars like javelins and tossed them at the men. The first three men to come through the hole in the fence were impaled. The rest quickly ducked back behind the fence. Laney rained chunks of brick and shards of metal on them from above.
From the corner of her eye she saw the first of the security details arrive. They took cover behind their Jeeps and opened fire on the intruders.