The Rising dr-3

by Kelley Armstrong

  “It’s okay,” I said as I tugged his shirt off to get a better look. “You’re okay.”

  He wasn’t. I could tell that by his breathing and his face, ghostly white, his lips trembling.

  Someone knocked into me. I twisted, ready to shove, claw, whatever I had to do. I felt a faint twitch in my hands, and terror shot through me. I couldn’t shift. Not now. But it was only Derek bumping me as he grappled with a guard. They toppled the other way, and that first lick of rage subsided, letting me thankfully focus on Daniel.

  The bullet had gone into his side. The right side, away from his heart. Were there any vital organs there? I should know, but my panicked brain kept throwing up images of animal anatomy instead. My hands shook as I pressed the wadded-up shirt to his wound to stanch the blood.

  “I liked them better when they were using tranq darts,” Daniel whispered, managing a weak smile.

  “Don’t talk.”

  He reached to touch my hand and I looked at his face. There was a smattering of freckles across his nose, usually invisible unless he’d been out in the sun, but I could see them now, his skin so pale, I stared at them, then lifted my gaze to his eyes and felt my heart squeeze so hard my eyes filled with tears.

  I love you. I’m not sure if it’s the way you want me to. I think it might be. But I know that I love you. I absolutely love you.

  “Maya?” He wiped tears from my cheek. “It’s bad, huh?”

  “No,” I said, snapping out of it. “No, it’s not. You’ll be fine.”

  Someone grabbed my arm and yanked me to my feet, and there was a moment where I had no idea where I was, why someone was with us. Then the room snapped back into focus, and I heard the grunts and the smacks, saw the blur of fists and bodies.

  One of the guards had me. He whipped me around, arm going to my neck. I bit him. Didn’t think about it. Just saw that bare arm coming toward my face and chomped down. He yowled. I started to let go. Then I saw Daniel on the floor, and I bit down harder, kicking back at my captor as my mouth filled with blood.

  Let me go or I’ll kill you. I swear I’ll kill you if you keep me from him.

  The guard continued to yowl, but didn’t release his grip. Then someone grabbed him from behind. His arm loosened. I stopped biting and jammed my thumb into the wound, grinding it. He let go then, screaming, as Corey whipped him off me.

  I scrambled down beside Daniel again. I pressed my fingers to the shirt wadded against his wound, closed my eyes, and focused on helping him. On healing him. I imagined the bullet in his chest and imagined the tissues around it sealing off, blood vessels closing, keeping him safe.

  When I opened my eyes, he was even paler, his pupils starting to dilate.

  “No!” I said. “Do you feel that? It’s shock. Don’t go into shock.”

  He nodded and swallowed.

  I clasped his hand with my free one. “Stay with me, okay? Please. Just stay with me.”

  He looked up at me and smiled. “You know I will. Always.”

  His eyelids fluttered, then closed.

  “No!”

  I grabbed his shoulders and his eyes opened.

  “Okay,” he mumbled. “I’m okay. Just give me a sec.”

  He rubbed his face with both hands, and some of the color started to return. Then a hand touched my shoulder.

  I looked to see Chloe kneeling beside me. “Can he move, Maya?”

  I looked around. Three of the guards were unconscious, two with tranquilizer darts sticking out of them. One sat in the corner, cradling his arm, bone sticking from it, his eyes wide with shock. There were two more—presumably the ones who’d been outside, including the one I’d bitten. Corey, Kit, and Derek were subduing them. Dr. Inglis was unconscious on the floor. And Moreno? He was nowhere to be seen.

  “Can he move?” Chloe repeated.

  “He shouldn’t—” I began.

  “I can,” Daniel said. “I’ll just need a little help.”

  Across the room, Derek slammed his opponent’s head against the wall. Kit hit the other with a spell like a lightning bolt and Corey jumped him with a dart.

  Kit looked over. “Can he—?”

  Chloe nodded.

  “I’m not sure he should . . .” I began.

  “I have to,” Daniel said.

  “It won’t be far,” Kit said as he hurried over to help Daniel.

  “I’ve got him,” Derek said. “You’ll need to clear the way with spells.”

  “Liz says we’re clear,” Chloe said. “The parking lot’s empty, but we should go out the back if we can.”

  “And fast,” Corey said. “This guy over here’s starting to stir.”

  We got into the bathroom. The window was big enough for Derek to get through, so we’d all make it. They broke the glass and cleared it. Chloe went out. Derek next, to help lower Daniel, but as soon as we tried to boost him up to the window, blood gushed from his wound.

  “We have to go out the front,” I said. “Everyone else can go out here. Derek? Can you help me take him?”

  Derek nodded. “Dad? Take Chloe and Cor—”

  Chloe cut him off, talking fast, “Liz said reinforcements just arrived. A big black SUV full of big guys in black suits. We need to go this way.”

  “I can do it,” Daniel said. “Just hand me that towel. It’ll stop the bleeding long enough . . .”

  He trailed off as Kit edged past us, through the bathroom door, back into the bedroom. Derek strode after him. One of the guards was stirring. So was Dr. Inglis, groggily pushing her way up.

  “Dad?”

  Kit pulled back a corner of the drape. He peered out, then turned to us. “It’s not reinforcements. Not theirs, anyway. Do you still want to cut a deal?” He looked at me. “I can get us out of here, then we can work on getting my children and your friends back. We can fight. Or we can follow the plan.”

  Fight or surrender. The answer seemed so obvious, didn’t it? If we had an ounce of guts, of inner strength, of pride, we should go down fighting. Never stop. Never surrender.

  Fighting could mean freedom. That had been our goal all along. For the Genesis kids, who’d taken down the Edison Group for their freedom. For us, who’d escaped a fire, helicopter crash, and kidnappings for our freedom. We’d lost friends for that freedom. Friends who were now waiting for us to come back and save them. How could we even consider giving up?

  Because sometimes fighting wasn’t the strong choice or the smart choice. It was just the stubborn, proud choice. We’d decided to negotiate. Just because we’d beaten Dr. Inglis and her goons didn’t change the situation. Kit and his group had done a lot more than that, and they’d still admitted that it hadn’t really gotten them anywhere, hadn’t even gotten them freedom—just the illusion of it, hiding, terrified of capture, all the while being monitored by the St. Clouds.

  Out in the world, we were mice, not just fleeing the cats on our tails, but hawks and owls and weasels and a host of other predators that were just waiting for the opportunity to swoop in and steal us. We weren’t ready to fight back and we weren’t ready to keep ourselves free and enjoy any kind of decent life. We needed to take what the Cabals offered, until they made us ready, in spite of themselves.

  “Negotiate,” I said.

  The others agreed. Kit nodded and pulled open the door, said, “Sir,” and stepped back.

  The man didn’t look like a “sir.” He was probably in his late twenties. His blond hair was pulled back in a small ponytail. His brilliant blue eyes reminded me of Mattias Nast’s but there was no chill in them, just calm. He was dressed in casual pants and a pullover. Guards flanked him, hulking guys bigger than Derek, both wearing shades.

  Someone strolled past them. A familiar figure. Moreno, just sauntering in, smiling, as if quite pleased with himself.

  “Looks like your timing was a little off,” the young man said to Moreno.

  Moreno shrugged. “Close enough. They handled it.”

  “Mr. Nast,” Kit said to the young
man, his chin dipping in a respectful nod.

  “Sean, please,” the young man murmured as he walked into the room, surveying everything. His gaze went straight to Daniel as Derek helped him back into the room. He spun to his guards. “Get a medic in here. Now.”

  Sean Nast. I remembered Antone had been told this would be the man in charge of the operation, not Mattias. Antone had wanted Sean.

  “Sean,” Dr. Inglis said as she pushed to her feet. “This isn’t what it looks like.”

  “You will call me Mr. Nast.” Sean’s eyes chilled as they swung her way. “You’ve attempted to sabotage an operation organized by your employer. That’s treason.”

  She staggered forward, bleating excuses. Sean waved for the remaining guard to take her and called others into the room.

  “Clean this up,” he said, waving at the guards on the floor, as if they were pieces of litter.

  Two medics came in then and rushed to Daniel. They got him onto a stretcher and took him out. When I tried to follow, the female medic stopped me.

  “Let her go with you,” Sean said. He turned to me with a faint smile. “Maya, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  He nodded and waved for me to follow the medics. Outside, two state police cars blocked the motel room entrance. Between them was an ambulance. That startled me . . . until I realized the people in them had to be Cabal employees, pretending to be real emergency personnel, as they waved away onlookers. Commandeering police cars and ambulances? Now I realized why Antone said we couldn’t fight the Cabals.

  I followed the medics to the ambulance and stayed out of their way as they checked Daniel. As I’d hoped, the bullet hadn’t done any serious damage, but they did need to get him to a hospital for a better look and possible surgery. They had a clinic in Philadelphia—a special medical clinic for supernaturals, staffed by supernaturals. He’d go there by private jet. I’d accompany him and the others would follow.

  FORTY-SEVEN

  MORENO WAS ASSIGNED AS our security detail. Sean Nast came in the jet with us, so he could arrive in advance of the others. On the way he explained what had happened. Part of Antone’s plan had been contacting Sean and getting him involved. At the same time, Moreno had gained Dr. Inglis’s trust enough for her to tell him of her plan after the farmhouse raid. He’d then told Antone, who’d gone straight to Sean.

  They hadn’t been able to arrive before Dr. Inglis launched her attack, but they’d been on their way.

  “It would have been nice if you found a way to tell us rescue was coming,” I said to Moreno when Sean paused to take a call. “Or helped out during the fight.”

  He only arched his brows, as if the suggestion was preposterous.

  “After all we’ve been through, you should have trusted me,” he said.

  I snorted a laugh at that. “Yeah, because you’re such a trustworthy guy.”

  “Oh, I am, for the right people, under the right circumstances. It’s a flexible concept.”

  “Don’t expect me to forget you tried to shoot me, with a real gun.”

  “Because you looked like a mountain lion, attacking your daddy, who is one of those ‘right people.’ I’m a damned fine shot. I wouldn’t have hit you if I didn’t need to, and if I did I’d have only winged you. If you’re hoping for an apology, Miss Maya, you won’t get it. Pull that stunt again, and I’ll pull my gun again. And maybe this time, I’ll hit you.”

  I glowered at him. He smiled.

  We got to the clinic and Daniel went in for surgery. He was stable and there was no risk . . . or no more than the usual risk that comes with any surgery, but I tried not to think of that.

  There was a Cabal satellite office next door to the clinic. That’s where Sean took me after Daniel had been prepped for surgery. They’d cleared out the employees for our negotiation meeting, and when we walked in it was eerily silent. Then I heard the quick march of footsteps. Antone rounded a corner. He saw me, picked up his pace, and caught me up in an embrace. I didn’t return the hug, but didn’t push him away, either.

  When I heard more footsteps, I looked up to see Rafe, stepping from a room. He was grinning, with Ash and Corey behind him. Antone waved them back. When I drew closer, I spotted Kit, Sam, Hayley, Chloe, Derek, Tori, and Simon inside what looked like a boardroom.

  “Everyone’s here except Kenjii and Annie, and only because we didn’t want to stress them out with a long plane ride.” Antone patted my back, leaned down to my ear and whispered. “It’s almost over, Maya. Just hang in there.”

  As we walked into the room, there were murmured hellos and a few hugs, but attention quickly shifted to the guy who was with us—for most of them, a stranger.

  Sean introduced himself, then Kit introduced everyone else. When he got to Tori, Sean’s smile widened.

  “Ah, yes,” he said. “The other witch-sorcerer.”

  She frowned. “There’s another one?”

  “Savannah, my little sister.” He paused. “Well, not so little. She turned twenty last month. If everything here works out, you’ll have to meet her someday. Not anytime soon, I’m afraid—too many people know about the experiments already.”

  Kit introduced Derek, and Chloe stiffened, her gaze fixed on Sean’s face, waiting for his reaction. He just smiled and shook Derek’s hand.

  “He’s a werewolf,” Tori said.

  He looked at Derek. “I hear you’re Changing already. How is that going?” A small laugh. “Hellishly painful, I’ve heard, meaning it’s a dumb question. But otherwise? Everything’s all right?”

  Derek nodded.

  Tori moved closer. “I thought Cabals had a problem with werewolves.”

  “They do. An old prejudice. But that sister I mentioned? She grew up spending summers with the werewolf Pack.”

  “The one near Syracuse?” Chloe asked.

  He smiled. “Heard some stories? I can imagine. I certainly wouldn’t want them as enemies, but the Alpha is a good man. Again, I’m in no rush to introduce you all to the rest of the supernatural world. Not until you’re older. But if Derek has werewolf issues, I can get answers from the best source.”

  “So what happens now?” Tori asked.

  “We talk about what comes next. Now that I’ve learned this project exists, I’ve convinced my grandfather—the CEO—to put me in charge. Since most people expect me to succeed him, they tend to listen to me.” He sobered. “I know what you guys really want is freedom. Just reunite you with your parents, let you go and leave you alone. But even if I could convince the Cabals to do that—which I can’t—it wouldn’t take long for you to land on someone else’s radar, as you’ve already seen. What we’re going to try to do today is come up with a compromise. We give you as much freedom as we can and as much support as you need and we hope that in doing so, we’ll eventually convince you that working for a Cabal someday isn’t quite the worst-case scenario you expect.”

  “So this is about grooming future employees,” Tori said.

  Sean nodded. “Very valuable future employees. It’s not charity or civic duty—I’ll be clear about that up front. It’s like any other investment—we’re willing to take the financial risk in hopes of a very nice payoff. But for now, our focus is on reaching a compromise everyone can live with.”

  There were representatives from both Cabals waiting to negotiate. Antone and Kit would speak for us.

  Corey stepped forward. “We’d like Maya to represent Project Phoenix.” He turned to Antone. “You seem to be on our side, but after running from you for a week, I’m not taking that chance.” He looked over at Kit. “And you seem to be on our side, too, but you’ve got your own kids in this. I want Maya to speak for me.”

  Do I sound like a coward if I say I wished Daniel could join me? There was a time when I’d have leaped at the chance to speak for my friends. But now, after all we’d been through, I’d learned a little humility. I won’t say my confidence was shaken, but it was, perhaps, tamped down to a more manageable level. I had doubt
s. I had worries. As uncomfortable as that felt, I think it made me better suited to step into those negotiations than I would have been. My actions and my decisions had consequences for all of us and if I wanted to be a leader, I could never forget that. So I agreed, with trepidation.

  As Antone said, it was almost over. No more running. No more hiding. No more fighting. Just talking. But of everything I’d gone through in the last few weeks, nothing was harder—or more terrifying—than those negotiations. I was bargaining for my future and for the futures of my friends. If they agreed to my deal, and things went wrong later, it would be my fault. If they didn’t agree because of some concession I failed to win, it would be my fault.

  The plan Kit and Antone proposed wasn’t much different than what I had in mind. It was better, actually—Kit had the legal experience to push harder, even if we were unlikely to win those concessions.

  Partway through the meeting, the clinic called to say Daniel was out of surgery and awake. That made it easier for me to focus.

  Finally, we came to an agreement. Was it perfect? No. Did I completely trust the Cabals to abide by it? No. But Kit seemed satisfied and I knew he had his children’s best interests at heart, which meant I had to trust his judgment.

  The next step was to tell the others. Did they pat me on the back and say I’d done an amazing job? Of course not. I had to explain why we’d made certain concessions and what we’d tried—and failed—to win. Corey was most wholeheartedly behind the plan. Rafe knew I’d done my best and seemed satisfied. Hayley and Sam grudgingly agreed it seemed the best solution. The biggest surprise, though, came from Ash, who muttered that he wasn’t promising anything, but he’d stick around and see how it played out. And so, with the most lukewarm response to my endeavors, I got the most satisfying response, the one that truly told me I hadn’t totally screwed up. My brother would stay.

  They took me to Daniel next. He was up already, trying to use his persuasive powers to convince the doctors to let him join us next door. As soon as I heard his voice, my heart jumped and I wanted to break into a run, like I had in the park when I’d seen him by the fire. I’d told myself then that I was just so happy and relieved to see he was okay, and of course that was part of it, but there was more. I always felt something when I saw him, whether we’d been apart for days or hours. My heart jumped and my pulse quickened and I felt myself grinning, the very sound of his voice making me happy and relaxed and centered in a way nothing else did. It was like the universe clicked into place when Daniel was there. It always had.