by Unknown
“Shit. Shitshitshit!” Tony said after a few long moments. He took a few long pulls of air into his lungs and tried to get his eyes to focus. After a few blinks and shakes of his head, he looked up at them. “Not good, people. Really, really not good.” He pulled a cell phone from his pocket and swore at the lack of bars on the lighted display. “Bet they took out the towers.”
He stood up and moved toward the building. “We need to move this conversation inside, and quick.”
Eric followed the others down the stairs and finally got his first look at Lucas and Charles. They were laying on the floor, nearly naked and definitely unconscious. Tatya had done her best, but they’d nearly been ripped to shreds. Fang marks mottled their skin with poison, and talon punctures laid open their rib cages. Part of Charles’s ear was missing, which should have healed itself by now. It was a small miracle that Tony had been able to keep them from being taken if the tear marks were any indication. They were breathing on their own, but he could see why Tatya had said it was touch and go.
Tony plopped down on a stool and motioned for Ivan to shut the door to the stairwell. “That was Nikoli contacting me through the pack link. Chicago was also attacked, and it seems like it was at nearly the same time as us. From the coordination I saw here, I’m betting it happened everywhere. We need to figure out a way to contact all the packs, prides, and nests, and find out how many people are left. Nikoli reported the same things I saw—snakes and raptors with a few spiders.”
Ivan went pale and he stared at Charles’s still form. “He foresaw this nearly fifty years ago, and I remember every detail he revealed. He told me a little of what he saw—a new Ravaging, like what happened long ago. But this time, from within.”
“Sazi upon Sazi?” Tatya’s voice was horrified, and for good reason. There’d never been a true war among their kind.
Tony shook his head and sighed. “I’d like to say I’m surprised, but I’m not. The whole world’s like this right now—everybody right on the edge of something massive. A war to end all wars. I hate it . . . but I also don’t know how to stop it.” He slammed his fist down on the desk and the monitor shuddered and blinked out for a second. He swore and hit the same spot again and the image on the screen returned. “Damned crappy equipment. I’ll fix it later . . . if there is a later.”
Ivan squatted down next to the Chief Justice. “Charles and Lucas have been making plans for a very long time. But they wouldn’t bring anyone in to their confidence, so now we know nothing of what they’ve set in place to correct this.”
A phone rang just then and they looked around frantically, seeking the source of the noise. It was coming from the corner of the room and sounded like it was behind a wall. No, not a wall. A safe.
He reached for the handle and twisted. For some reason, it wasn’t locked. Inside was a cell phone that was of an odd design. It was larger than one on the shelf, and much heavier. Eric couldn’t tell if it was an old phone, or a really new one. He flipped it open and put it to his ear cautiously. “Hello?”
“This is Cat Turner, Alpha Female of the Albuquerque pack. Who is this?” The voice was female and snappish, each syllable beating a staccato rhythm on his frazzled nerves.
“Eric Thompson,” he replied. “Alpha of Four Corners. If there’s a pack left.”
“Is Ivan there? I was told to call him.”
Eric passed over the phone. Instead of plastering it to his ear, Ivan held it out so everyone could hear. “Good to hear your voice, Cathy, but I’m afraid I have bad news.”
She interrupted him, sounding sad, angry, and frustrated all at once. “At this point, I probably know more than you do. Charles contacted me mentally when he was being attacked, and gave me very explicit instructions. I’m calling at the very second he said to call, when he knew you’d be in the building and able to find the satellite phone he had me order for them.”
She let out a little choking sound that nearly ripped out Eric’s heart. “Here’s all I’m allowed to tell you at this stage, and please don’t try to get everything out of me until it’s time to tell you. I’d probably say the wrong thing and then everything would get screwed up. Anyway, you’re to instruct Tony Giodone, if he’s still there with you, to do a hindsight on Charles. He said to be really careful, because it’ll be hard to tell what is the past and what is a potential future—which will look like the past, but isn’t.”
“Oh, fuck,” muttered Tony. His annoyance mingled with fear and rode through the room on air-conditioned comfort. “Like I need that kind of pressure.”
“Uncle Chuck said that both Holly Sanchez and Eric are supposed to attend the hindsight.”
“You mean literally?” Tony asked the question with astonishment on his face. “I’ve never taken two people on a ride, and certainly not into a seer’s mind.”
“It’s not negotiable. That part I was told to tell you,” she said with a finality that made Tony shut up and just shake his head with a frown, eyes glittering with pent-up anger.
“I’ve arranged for Holly to be there tomorrow at his request, and Charles said that Asri Kho is on her way to you too.”
“Any idea what I’m looking for in the big guy’s mind?”
“Yes,” she said with confidence. “You’re looking for a location. He said his conscious mind has been blocking the information so he needed to be unconscious for it to reveal itself. He let himself be attacked and apparently refused to fight back.” She sighed loud enough it came over the wires. “Seers really confuse me, so I don’t know how literal he was being, but I got the impression that it was him that kicked Lucas’s butt so he’d stay out of the way.” She paused. “Tatya? Are you there?”
“I’m here.” Her voice was dull with fatigue and probably shock at the news. “What am I supposed to do?”
Another pause, so long that Ivan had to prompt to be sure she was still there. “Cat?”
Her words chilled Eric’s blood. “I know you and I have never gotten along, and I didn’t want to be the one to tell you this. But Charles insisted. There’s a chance . . . just a chance, mind you, that Lucas won’t make it through this. Charles said if it’s a choice between you and Lucas, you have to pick you. He said both he and Lucas are expendable.”
The healer’s voice was flat and cold. “Charles can go to hell.” She didn’t look down at him when she said it, as though not even acknowledging he was there with them. “I plan to make sure both of us make it through whatever this is.”
That made Cat laugh. “I’d say the same, so you go, girl! I just hope we both wind up with husbands. Because Raphael never came back from rounding up the pack members and I can’t find him in my head. I don’t know whether to go look for him or not. Who’ll protect the babies?” Her voice cracked just a bit, and Eric felt a pang of sympathy. He’d heard Ivan updating Lucas on the Albuquerque pack when they were driving him here from the airport. Who’d have ever thought a jaguar and a wolf would be double-mated? And with newborn twins . . . he didn’t know what he’d decide either.
Tatya stared at the phone for a long moment. Her face moved through a dozen emotions and the conflicting scents made his nostrils twitch. Finally she settled on careful blankness. “He’s alive. I’d know if he wasn’t. And so would you, if you could think straight right now. And Catherine, you have to think straight. For him, for your babies, and for your pack. This isn’t just about your own family. You’re the Alpha, whether or not you want to be. So be the alpha. The job’s not all rainbows and sunshine.”
Cat’s voice was cold and dark. “I am aware of that, thank you. I’m not exactly hiding in a closet with the kids, you know. The whole pack is here with me. But Carly’s injured and Betty’s nearly exhausted from treating snake bites. There’s only a dozen of us against more than fifty of them and not a rainbow in sight. I do, however, have twenty-plus dead bodies scattered around a quiet cul-de-sac and no way to remove them. I can only pray nobody’s called the cops yet, or we’re all screwed.” She paused and Ivan op
ened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off. “My nerves are just a bit frazzled. So, if you have something helpful to add, Tatya, feel free. Otherwise, zip it.”
The doctor glared at the phone and opened her mouth as if to speak. But Ivan gave her a warning look and she shut it again.
“Cat, the pack leader in Chicago mentioned there were raptors and spiders there. Have you seen anything other than snakes?”
“Uh . . . no.” Her voice took on a peculiar, concerned tone. “Should I be watching for birds and spiders?”
“Couldn’t hurt,” Eric said with a nod. “You’re a cat, so you should be able to smell the birds. I’ve never smelled a spider, though.”
Tony cut in. “Gotta watch out for those spiders. They’re nasty bitches. They don’t smell strong on their own, but they can emit some sort of knockout gas from their glands. It stinks bad, but it makes you loopy too, sort of drugged. And they may make a sound, this weird trilling noise like crickets on crack. You can’t miss it. If you hear the noise, find something to plug your noses with or you’ll wind up down for the count.” He shrugged. “Been there, done that. Watch out for their webs too. They’re strong enough to hold a Sazi and big. Oh, and listen for wind chimes. That’s what they use as alarms to tell them they caught something.”
“Eww.” Cat sounded disgusted and Eric couldn’t help but agree. Still, maybe it was meant to be that Tony was here with them, since he’d encountered a spider before and had lived to tell about it. “That’s disgusting.”
Tony let out a little snort of derision. “Don’t worry about the disgusting part. Just concentrate on the dangerous part. They eat Sazi like we eat coconuts. Drill a hole and suck out the juice. Nasty business, spiders. All that works on them, according to Lucas, is cutting off their heads at the same time as taking out their hearts. A sword or several clips of bullets will do the job. If you don’t have either, find them. They’re a bitch to take out. It took both me and Lucas last time, and four clips.”
A sword? Is that why they’d offered Eric his own pack? “I trained with swords in college. Foils, saber, and dagger. Are there any in the armory?”
Tony nodded. “Several. Take your pick. I brought the ones I used in Atlantic City and Lucas had a few already here.” He pointed toward what looked like a walk-in refrigerator at the back of the room. “Right through there. But don’t be long. We’ve got a hindsight to do.”
“Is there anything else, Cathy?” Ivan’s voice held a weird combination of concern and cold determination.
“No. I—” She cut herself off. “Wait. There is one other thing that I’m supposed to tell you. Charles said that when Holly arrives, Eric’s supposed to take her around the perimeter before you do the hindsight. I don’t know why. But it sounded really important that you wait for her to arrive. I think she’s supposed to notice something nobody else does, but that’s just my own guess.” She let out an audible sigh. “Anyway, that’s the state of the union. I’ve got to make other calls now. Keep this phone handy. I’ll be checking back with more information later.”
She ended the call and they were left staring at each other. Tony finally broke the silence. “Well, I guess if we’re supposed to wait for Holly to get here, we might as well get some sleep. It sounds like we’re going to need it. Nobody goes outside alone, and we take turns keeping watch—two per shift. We have no idea if or when they’ll be back. There’s food in the kitchen, and plenty of bottled water.”
Tatya glared at nobody in particular. “I can’t imagine for the life of me what Holly Sanchez has to do with anything.”
Ivan just shook his head and put the satellite phone back in the safe, being careful to shut the door but not lock it. “If Charles believes she’s necessary, she is. Perhaps she brings objectivity, which you seem to be lacking lately.”
They stared at each other for a long moment, neither giving an inch. “I was going to start to call the other packs to check on them. But maybe I’m only objective enough to make dinner. I’ll leave you to do the important work, Councilman.” With that parting shot, Tatya flounced up the stairs with Tony following at her heels.
Eric didn’t know whether Holly would bring objectivity, but he couldn’t deny he was looking forward to her arrival.
Perhaps a little too much for his own good.
Chapter Seven
HOW IN THE hell did she get away? Nasil turned in a full circle, watching every movement on the tarmac at Denver International Airport. But there was no sign of the small dark-haired woman. Holly Sanchez.
The last thing he remembered was exiting the private corporate jet that had been sent to bring her home, and then getting into a limo that was to take them to where another helicopter was waiting.
Then . . . nothing. He’d woken just now, nearly fifteen minutes after they’d left the plane, alone in the back of the plush car. Of course, the driver hadn’t seen him, so he hadn’t known to wake him. That was both the benefit and downfall of the powder he’d made from the ancient feathers of the original Marduc. It had been Sargon who’d discovered the carefully wrapped pile of feathers in the red pyramid in Honduras—a package that had thickness and weight, but was empty when they opened it.
Invisibility. It was a dream that crossed time, race, and species. The only Sazi known to possess it was the brother of Tahira Kuric, the new leader of the Hayalet Kabile. But his was a magical ability, and couldn’t be transferred at will.
The feathers, on the other hand, could be ground into a dust to coat the user.
Except she could see me. That spoke of a unique ability, but he didn’t know how unique. There was no way to put it to the test. Maybe all healers could see him. He’d have to be careful around those he knew. Still, for most purposes, the powder did what he required.
His ears detected a noise that wasn’t the blast of jet engines, but with all the other sounds it took a moment to place it. Then he spotted it—a helicopter just taking off, and he could just make out the dark-haired female passenger. Damn her to hell!
This operation must be costing a fortune. Two helicopters and a private jet for one passenger? The Council didn’t throw around money like this for no reason. He would know, after spending more than a decade in the employ of the cat councilman, Antoine Monier—spying for Sargon. Few things had annoyed Antoine more than the constant refusal to reimburse expenses. The girl must be far more important than he’d given her credit for.
And far more clever. That made her dangerous. Yet she could still be useful. He just had to plan carefully. He’d had many centuries to perfect the art of patience and caution. This was no different than any other crisis he’d had to find a way out of.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone which had also been carefully coated with dust and glanced at the display. Finally, a decent signal. He moved to a quiet spot near the outer edge of the terminal, where there were no people to hear, and dialed a number.
“¿Sí? Who is this?”
Nasil made his voice intentionally soft and warm. It had disgusted him to no end to give the command to Paolo when he left Australia, but he was worth more alive than dead. A smitten minion was far better than a bitter enemy or a dead body that someone might eventually discover. He just hoped Bruce would understand the necessity. Paolo hadn’t been insane yet and probably wasn’t poisoned enough to die anytime soon. The knife had gotten stuck in a crack in the cave floor a few feet away from him. Since he was still under the control of the compliance drug, Nasil had decided to take advantage. “Paolo, it is I. Your paramour.”
The voice on the line lilted with pleasure. “Nasil! I have missed you. When will you return? We have much to discuss . . . and much to do together.”
A shudder of revulsion overtook Nasil and he narrowly avoided vomiting all over the concrete. He had to swallow a few times and take a deep breath before he replied in that same nauseating tone. “Soon. I will return soon. But until I make it back, I hope you can do a small favor for me.”
“Of
course. What do you require? I will warn you that I seem to be a little forgetful today. I can’t for the life of me remember why I came to this horrible little town.”
Nasil sidestepped so a luggage tram wouldn’t hit him. Paolo wasn’t stupid. For a thug, he was annoyingly thoughtful. If Nasil didn’t come up with a good reason why he might be in an opal mining town on another continent, he’d worry on it like a bone until he finally remembered. No, it was far better to keep his mind fuzzy and occupied. Still, just in case Paolo had managed to get past the drug and was pumping him for information, he didn’t dare reveal what he’d learned about NSA17. “We were there searching for a new seer. Don’t you remember? There was supposedly a very powerful snake with foresight down there somewhere. You decided to stay and search, while I came back to check on the Goddess.”
Now there was a long pause on Paolo’s end. Did I go too far by mentioning Marduc? Hiding her from Nasil had been Paolo’s primary focus for months. Would Paolo believe he’d changed his mind so drastically and teamed up with Nasil willingly? He needed to add to the lie. “It was one of the last things Sargon asked of us.”
“Ah! Sí, sí . . . I remember now.” That last part was absolutely true, and it solidified the false memory. Sargon had wanted to find the seer, and he had tasked them with the assignment. But when their lord failed to return from Germany, where he’d planned to capture and enslave the power well Tahira Kuric, all discipline had fallen apart. “You are correct. It makes sense for me to stay. I know people in many of the snake nests here.” Another pause, and now his words were more careful, bordering on suspicious. “You will have to give the password to the priest to be admitted to the lair, of course.”
Everything hinged on this. If Nasil didn’t answer just right, everything would be lost and the illusion would shatter. He flipped through the possible intonations. Angry? Defensive? Confident? What would Paolo be expecting from him? He settled for offhand and casual. “Naturally. And you were brilliant to set it up that way. The first words out of my mouth must be ‘serpent moon.’ Then I greet the head priest and tell him you sent me. Isn’t that what you said? Because otherwise one priest will attack me while the other runs with the egg to take it to the secondary location.” That part was supposition, but it sounded like something Paolo would plan.