by Olsen, Lisa
“I’ll give you cute.” Cady straddled his lap, capturing his complete attention. Hunger flashed over his features and his arm snaked around her waist, drawing her closer, but he didn’t take any more than that.
“I thought you wanted to get moving like we had a purpose?” he said, lips tilting up to meet hers, but not quite touching.
“I do,” she replied, enjoying the electric current of desire that crackled between them. His shoulders were broad and strong, the thin t-shirt enhanced rather than hid the bulge of muscles beneath her hands. “But this is okay too.”
“Well, if it’s only okay…” Without pausing a beat, he stood with her still clinging to his shoulders, one hand supporting her as if she weighed nothing at all. Cady wrapped her legs around his waist just the same, afraid she might fall as he took her to the bed. Unfortunately, he didn’t lay her back on the lumpy mattress and ravish her the way she’d been hoping. Instead, he dipped to pick up the duffel bag, carrying them both to the kitchen counter with no trace of a limp.
“I don’t like you going out there alone.”
“It’ll be fine, it’s broad daylight. We need groceries, and I need a few things,” she started to object, but he held up a hand.
“I’m not saying don’t go, I’m saying I don’t like it. So, if you’re going out, I want to give you some protection to take with you.” Setting her firmly on the counter, he let go to dig through the bag.
“Do you mean like a gun? I don’t think that’s such a good idea. I don’t want to draw any attention to myself.”
“No, not a gun,” he murmured. “Here, hold this.”
Cady’s eyes goggled as he handed her a fat brick of cash, swaddled in plastic wrap. Turning it on end, she saw it was comprised of twenties on one end, hundreds on the other. “Christ, you weren’t kidding when you said you had money, were you?”
“Always be prepared, that’s my motto,” he grinned, coming up with a small pouch from the bottom of the bag. “Now this is the protection I had in mind.” Ethan shook out a small disc suspended on a black leather thong. The pendant was a shiny silver-gray with a rusty red vein running through. Cady couldn’t tell what it was made of. It felt cold to the touch, and when she turned it over, she found a series of tiny symbols etched into the back.
“What is this?”
“It’s hematite bound with shielding magic. It should mask you from him for a short period of time.”
“How come you didn’t give this to me before?”
“Because we wanted to flush him out, not keep him away.”
“Oh, right,” Cady nodded, smoothing her fingers over the hard surface until she realized they’d started to sting uncomfortably. “It burns.” She let go of the disc to let it swing on the leather cord. Her fingers were pink where she’d been touching it, but the sensation quickly faded. “How can it be cold and burn at the same time?”
“It does? That’s strange.”
“It’s not supposed to do that?”
Ethan picked up the disc, placing it on the flat of his hand, the skin underneath immediately reddening. “It burns me, but I’ve never seen it do that to anyone who wasn’t…”
“Who wasn’t what? All demony inside?” The corners of her mouth twisted into a grimace. “That’s it, isn’t it? You said I was tainted by demon blood, and now I’m not a normal human anymore, am I? That’s why I can see your stupid tattoos and that’s why he wants me so bad. I’m like him.”
“Cady, you’re not like him. You were only exposed a little bit.”
“You don’t know that. For all we know this is going to get worse. I could start turning evil at any moment.”
“I think you’re overreacting a bit.”
“Easy for you to say, you chose this. You let them do this to you. All I did was try to stop a friend from being flesh for fantasy and now I’m turning into a monster.”
“You’re not a monster.” He shook his head, but didn’t offer any other words of encouragement. Maybe there weren’t any.
“Could your bosses get it out of me?” she asked suddenly. “Can they do that?”
“We can’t involve the Company.”
“But they could, couldn’t they?” Cady pressed. “If anyone would know how to put me back to normal, it’d be your Company.”
Ethan met her gaze, his blue eyes blazing intently. “You need to get that idea out of your head right now. They don’t try and pull the darkness out of people, they try to put it in.”
“That’s sick,” Cady recoiled from the idea.
“It has to be done. There are things in this world… things most people don’t want to know about. The only way you can keep your ignorance is for us to keep the lines of battle hidden. That means fighting darkness with darkness.”
“I never thought I’d wish for ignorance.” Her whole upbringing had been spent in the pursuit of knowledge, but Cady didn’t want this kind of information in her head. “I wish I’d never heard about any of this before.”
Ethan’s face went blank, his emotions shuttering away. “When this is over, you never need to be touched by it again. I can make arrangements so that you don’t remember any of it. It’s probably safer that way in the end.” Picking up the duffel, he started laying weapons out on the bed, his movements short and methodical.
“What? No, that’s not what I meant.” She hopped off the counter, chasing after him, but he ignored her. “I didn’t mean I want to forget about you. I meant it was easier before I knew about this stuff.”
“I shouldn’t have told you about any of it, I should have left well enough alone. I shouldn’t have involved you. It was a stupid, selfish mistake.”
“Ethan, look at me. It wasn’t selfish, I’m the one who demanded answers in the first place. Hell, I practically forced it all out of you. Besides, I already had the demon blood in me before you told me a single thing.”
That brought him up short, his hands stilled and Cady grabbed hold of his shoulders to turn him towards her.
“You are the only thing that makes any of this worthwhile. I’m glad I was there to bandage you up and take care of you that night. I do wish we weren’t wrapped up in this stupid set of circumstances, but I’m glad this brought us together.” She tipped her lips up to his in a brief kiss. “Glad.”
“Your life will be different now. I don’t know if it’ll ever be over for you, even after we defeat him.”
“You said we,” she brightened at the realization. “That’s good enough for me.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
It was hard not to head for a trendier neighborhood to shop in with the wad of cash burning a hole in her pocket and the car at her disposal, but practicality won out in the end. Cady stuck close to the apartment, doing most of the shopping on foot at a mom and pop store. She picked up no frills undergarments and a pack of socks that would fit them both. Cheap jeans and tops from the Salvation Army store, clothes that wouldn’t stand out in the meager neighborhood. Enough to last for a few days; possessions she didn’t have to worry about leaving behind.
She’d worn her hair wrapped up in a tight bun, donning sunglasses to keep from being recognized should the police circulate her picture as well. But no one seemed to give her a second glance as she hustled down the street. If anything, the shopping bags drew more attention, and Cady locked them in the trunk of the Jetta before heading to the drugstore, deciding to pick up a few first aid supplies, just in case.
The phone booth outside the drugstore caught her eye. It was near three p.m. now, and Cady knew Ian would be awake and worried sick about her after seeing Ethan’s picture on every news source. Surely she could risk a brief call to let him know she was alright. Even if they eventually traced it to the drugstore, that wouldn’t give them the location of the safe house, blocks away.
The phone went straight to voicemail though, and Cady’s heart sank. Leaving a brief message that she was safe, she promised to call him again soon and told him not to worry, she had it all under cont
rol. The drugstore was very well equipped, and she spent more there on everything she might possibly need to doctor him up than she had on clothes. As an impulse buy, she also picked up a San Francisco Giants ballcap for Ethan to wear, the better to hide his face in case he had to go out.
Purchases stowed away in plastic bags, Cady left the store only to be approached by a man in jeans and a Rolling Stones t-shirt. He was blonde and in good shape, a genial smile on his face as he blocked her path.
“Miss Garrett?”
Stunned at being recognized, it took her only seconds to recover. “No, you have the wrong person.” Dodging to the side, he stepped with her, tugging up the edge of his shirt to reveal a badge clipped to his belt.
“No, I don’t think I do. Detective Lucas, SFPD. I wonder if I could have a few minutes of your time.”
Shit. “Now’s not a good time,” she mumbled, looking down the street for any signs of back up. If she ran flat out she might get away, but he looked pretty fit. And where could she go? The car was several blocks away, and she couldn’t lead him back to the studio apartment.
“I’m afraid I really must insist.” He smiled engagingly. “Listen, we can do this back at the station if you want. Me, I’d rather go get a cup of coffee.” Lucas gestured to a diner sandwiched between a twenty-four hour dry cleaners and a Korean grocery store. “I’m even buying, what do you say?”
“Sure, I could go for a cup of coffee right now,” she agreed with a tight smile, figuring she’d pick her moment and run like hell.
“What’s in the bags?” he asked, sticking close to her side as they crossed the street.
“Just a few supplies.”
“Looks like you’re getting ready to mop up after a war.”
“Chance favors the well prepared.”
“That’s chance favors the prepared mind. Almost the same, but not quite,” Lucas grinned, holding the door open for her. He didn’t speak again until they were seated in front of the grimy window. “What are you preparing for, Miss Garrett?”
“Prepare for the worst, hope for the best,” she shrugged, not entirely sure why she kept speaking in stupid platitudes. The detective made her nervous, even though she’d done nothing wrong. “What is it you want to talk to me about?”
“Don’t tell me you haven’t seen your boyfriend’s pictures in all the papers.”
“I’ve been a little busy lately.”
“And yet, your first instinct was to try and blow me off today. That seems unusual for a cop’s daughter.”
“Did you know my father?”
“No, I didn’t. He was before my time.
At least he wasn’t trying to pull that card with her. “Okay, let’s cut through the bullshit. Yes, I am Cady Garrett, and yes, I have seen the news. You’ve got it all ass-wrong of course, and he didn’t do it, but here’s me cooperating. I’ll answer any question you want.”
“Thanks, I appreciate that,” he smiled, waving over the lone waitress who poured them each a cup of coffee. Cady added two creamers and two packets of sugar, surprised when he didn’t immediately start firing questions at her. She kept mum, stirring her coffee without actually taking a sip.
“Where is he?” Lucas asked finally.
“He’s hiding out.”
“Where?”
“In a safe place.”
“You’re not giving me anything to go on here.”
“I said I’d answer your questions, I didn’t say you’d like my answers. You don’t really expect me to lead you right to him, do you?”
“No, I guess not. You know he’s a dangerous man, right?”
“I do, but not in the way you’re thinking.”
“What if I told you there’s more to David than meets the eye?”
Cady let out a long breath, adding ice cubes from her water to the coffee. “I’d say… I’m fairly sure there’s nothing you can tell me that I don’t already know about him.”
“What about the fact that David isn’t his real name?”
She stared at him stonily.
“Oh, you knew that one already. What about these?” He pulled a series of prints from his back pocket, sliding them across the table to her. Snapshots of drivers license photos in California, Texas and Florida. “Did you know he’s also known as John Ford, Henry Jones and Thomas White?”
Barely glancing at the ID’s, Cady shrugged back at him. “So? There’s nothing wrong with changing your name. It doesn’t make him a criminal.”
“But this does.” He waved another piece of paper at her, unfolding the copied sheet of text. “He’s got arrests for three counts of assault over in Truckee, felony theft and aggravated assault in Sacramento, and a laundry list of charges in San Rafael. In Texas he’s been linked to a string of murders down in Laredo. He’s also wanted for questioning in the deaths of two men in Tallahassee. This is only a summary, the file I’ve got on him back at the office is an inch thick and those are just the crimes we know about.”
Cady stared at the words on the page, trying to justify them in her mind. It wasn’t him, obviously, it was the demons he chased after, but what could she say? “He’s not a killer.”
“No? Then why is this girl dead?” He slid across another picture, this one in lurid color, the girl lying broken on a dirty mattress.
“It’s not him, you don’t understand,” she shoved the picture back at him, but he slid it right back in her face, not letting her escape the sight.
“I’ve seen video footage, Cady. If you come back with me you can see it for yourself. We have a mountain of evidence piling up. DNA evidence linking him to multiple deaths. This guy is one bad dude, definitely not someone to place your trust in.”
“I’d like to go now.” She rose from the table and he clapped his hand around her wrist.
“I can’t let you go back to him, it’d be like handing you a loaded gun.”
Cady refused to be cowed, meeting his gaze squarely. “You can’t charge me with anything, I haven’t done anything wrong.”
“I can hold you for twenty-four hours though,” he grinned. “Do you think your boyfriend might punch through the walls down at the precinct to come and get you out? That might be interesting to watch.”
“He didn’t do that, I told Ian…”
“Oh, right. You told your brother that your boss, Dylan Walsh, was the one to do that. Funny, no one can find Mr. Walsh to corroborate that, but I do have some accounts of a man matching David’s description chasing a man who looks an awful lot like your boss down the street late last night.”
“That’s because he’s crazy. He took off after David showed up to save me. Look, I don’t know anything about the girl that was killed last night or why your witness put David at the scene. He was with me the entire time, that’s all I have to say.”
“And you’re willing to testify to that.”
“Of course.”
“Of course you are.” He let go of her wrist. “I’m trying to help you, Cady, but you’re not making it very easy.”
“I don’t need your help, Detective. The safest place for me right now is by his side. You’re looking in the wrong direction. Listen, I know you think I’m just a naïve girl who’s letting this guy feed me a bunch of lines, but I know what I’m talking about. Trust me, he’s one of the good guys.”
“I hope for your sake I’m wrong, I really do.”
The detective made no move to pursue her, but Cady didn’t trust that she wasn’t being followed. That meant she couldn’t go back to the car, and she couldn’t go back to the safe house. It wouldn’t do her any good to buy a pre-paid phone because she had no idea what Ethan’s new number was. At least she had plenty of walking around money, and she was familiar with the bus lines.
In times of trouble, as she often did, she headed for a strip of green, finding solace in the feel of grass under her feet. Things always seemed so much more peaceful at the park -- the sounds of the city fading, replaced by squeals of laughter and the smell of cut grass. Fi
nding a spot where she could see the playground, Cady squatted under a tree, waiting for inspiration to strike.
“Oh man, things are fucked up,” she groaned, falling back in the shade as she watched the kids play nearby. She only got up from her spot twice. Once to buy a hot dog and a diet soda from a vendor and once to go to the bathroom, each time returning to the shade. There was no sign of anyone watching her, but she knew a good cop wouldn’t be seen unless he wanted to be.
A plan started to form in the back of her mind, a loose one, but it was best to play things by ear, she thought. She’d have to wait for dark, which was still a few hours away, but it was her best bet.
She should have been back a long time ago and Ethan had to be worried about her by now. Ian too; she imagined him stewing at home, Kelli trying to distract him with something to eat.
Everybody worried about poor Cady.
“You know what?” she said to a squirrel who ventured out of the tree, his tail twitching manically. “I’m a little worried too.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Ethan had long passed worried and had worked himself up into a state of panic. Cady should have been home hours ago, and he couldn’t imagine her being so irresponsible as to spend the entire day shopping, not when she knew what was out there. Something had to have intercepted her, and with each passing hour, a more disturbing scenario popped into his head.
Twice he’d tried to use his vision to track her down, but all he got was static. The protection amulet he’d tucked into her pocket obscured his vision and he tried to take some solace in the thought that she’d be hidden from Q as well. As the sun dipped out of the sky, he decided to risk going out after her, even though he had no way to track her. Strapping on his knives and guns, Ethan girded himself for battle.
Maybe he could stop by and see Gobi. Why hadn’t he thought of that before? He might be able to help him get a line on not only Cady, but also the subject. It was at least a place to start. Ethan threw open the door, nearly colliding with Cady in the hallway, arms full of a half dozen shopping bags. “Where the hell have you been?” he demanded, dragging her bodily into the apartment. After slamming the door shut, he pulled her into his embrace, heedless of the bags that fell around their feet, still half in a panic even at feeling her warm and alive in his arms.