by Hazel Hunter
Though he hadn’t seen Phoenix’s key, he remembered how she’d jiggled the lock. He looked at his own set and selected the most likely candidate, something worn. Like the flickering lights and hallway carpets, and everything else in the building, the doorknobs were old. More than likely the tumblers were loose.
He slid his key into the knob without much effort, and turned it. Though it only rotated about a quarter of the way around, he shook it. Another twist and a few more shakes, and the entire knob turned. He quickly opened the door and stepped inside.
“Phoenix?” he said. He closed the door behind him and flipped on the light switch. “Phoenix?”
He strode to the bedroom, his stomach knotting with every step. For a moment, his gaze lingered on the small bed. He quickly checked the bathroom, turning on the single bulb. It was empty. He returned to the living room sweeping the cages and animals with a searching gaze. As he spun in the small space, the anxiety that had been building all day bunched in his shoulders and back.
Phoenix hadn’t been here. Something was wrong.
* * *
• • • • •
* * *
Never moving his head, only his eyes, Ramon stared at the rearview mirror. That had to be the Professor. The black BMW had been following him ever since the hospital. But it was always too far back for him to see the driver. But every time he made a turn, the BMW would show up––and he turned a lot. Agitated, Noobie dodged from side-to-side in the back seat. He glanced at Phoenix slumped against the passenger door. He had to get her someplace that–
The world exploded and lurched sideways. As Ramon’s arm and leg crushed against the door, the airbag from the steering wheel shoved his head back. A cacophony of shattering glass, tortured metal, and squealing brakes filled his ears. Darkness filled his vision. Pain shot through the side of his head. The world turned in a sickening, sliding spin that came to a sudden stop. For several long moments, Ramon was suspended outside of time. In a remote part of his mind he was conscious. But his brain wasn’t connected to his body. He had just begun to wonder if he’d died, when sight and sound returned.
The airbag deflated, light poured in, and the sound of yelling replaced the silence. As his head fell forward, he moaned. Pain lanced through his ear as though a needle was sticking through it. For a bizarre moment, he thought it might. He reached up to feel it, or at least he tried. His left arm wouldn’t obey. He looked down at it and saw it bent at a strange angle. He was injured. The thought jarred a memory.
“Oh my god,” he muttered, turning to Phoenix. “Phoenix!”
But she was…gone.
The passenger airbag hung limp from the dashboard, and her door was open. Had she been thrown?
“No,” he muttered. He craned his painful neck and caught a glimpse of something moving past the back window. Someone was carrying her. Noobie was following them.
“Are you all right?” said a voice from the driver’s side window.
Had she been injured? Where was that person taking her?
“His ear is bleeding,” said someone else.
Ramon blinked, trying to clear his hazy vision. He recognized that man…that man who was putting her in the black BMW.
“Oh no,” he said. It was the Professor.
Ramon’s hand found the ignition. He turned the key. The starter cranked but the engine wouldn’t turn over. He managed to get his right foot on the brake.
“Hey!” said someone from the left, though he heard them more from his right ear. “What are you doing? Don’t start the car.”
A hand reached in, between his face and the steering wheel. Ramon tried to bite it.
“Hey!”
As the engine flared to life, Ramon finally saw an older woman and young man leap back from his window. Behind them was a silver compact car whose front end had crumpled. Steam was pouring from it. He was in the middle of an intersection. Another two cars had collided off to the right. There was a crowd of people standing around those cars.
“You can’t leave!” said the young man who had backed away. “You have to wait for the police.”
Ramon looked in the driver’s mirror, only to find there wasn’t one. His window was gone too. The door bowed inward, as did his left arm. But in the rearview mirror, he saw the BMW begin to pull away. In the next instant it pulled through the intersection, past the open passenger door, and made a right.
Using his one good arm, the one Noobie had bitten, Ramon cranked the wheel as hard as he could and stomped on the gas. People all around screamed. The tires gave a short screech, but they moved. The car still ran. Now it was his turn to follow. He couldn’t lose sight of that car.
Chapter 19
The longer Hugh searched, the more his dread grew. He’d waited at the apartment as long as he’d been able to sit still, which hadn’t been long. She had to be either there or at the hospital. But no one had seen her. At the apartment, all he’d managed to do was worry Mrs. M. Here at the hospital, all he did was raise eyebrows. The problem with Cedars-Sinai was that it was huge, more like a small campus. If she was here, she could be anywhere. All he could do was search the places that made sense, the places he’d already been twice.
“Where are you?” he said, returning again to the ER, the place he’d first seen her.
As he approached the nurse station, he felt the cellphone in his pants pocket. Had it not been for the directive to terminate her, he’d have called someone at the Magus Corps. He wasn’t a field operative, but surely they’d have a way to–
“Dr. Colmain,” someone gasped.
Hugh spun toward the voice. He almost recognized it. The pastor was lurching through the entrance to the ER exam rooms, but only the man’s blood-spattered white collar identified him. His face was a mess. He shambled along, arms hanging at his sides, dragging one foot. A deep gash on the side of his head had poured blood but now looked clotted. The orange flow of his chi was dim, fading as Hugh watched.
The pastor crashed to his knees, his eyes glazed. “Phoenix,” he rasped, and pitched forward.
Before he slammed into the ground, Hugh darted forward and caught him.
“Where is she?” Hugh asked, as he rolled the man over and laid him on the floor.
The pastor winced and moaned. Hugh could see from the fractured chi in his left arm that it was broken.
The pastor stared up at him. “Ware…house,” he said, barely audible.
Hugh leaned down. The man’s pupils were drastically different sizes. He had a concussion.
A nurse came to their side.
“Find the ER doctor,” Hugh said. She jumped to her feet. “He needs head x-rays. I want a cold pack on that contusion.” She dashed away.
The pastor’s eyes had half closed. His mouth hung open.
“I need an address,” Hugh said, shaking him. “What warehouse?”
Though the man’s eyes stretched wide open, they stared past Hugh to the ceiling. His pupils were beginning to dilate.
“Ala…m…eda,” he said. His chi was fading.
“Alameda,” Hugh said.
He put his palm to the side of the pastor’s head. His brain was swelling inside the confines of his skull. It was going to kill him. Hugh concentrated on that part of his head, and brought the swelling down slowly. Too fast and there could be other complications.
“Oh,” the pastor breathed, as his eyelids closed.
“Stay with me,” Hugh said, shaking him slightly. “Alameda and what?”
He brought the swelling down more. From the chi he could see that the skull was fractured but not depressed
“Ramon,” Hugh said. “Where is Phoenix? Alameda and what?”
And what was she doing there? Was she all right?
Ramon finally looked at him. His eyes watered up. “I’m sorry,” he said, his lower lip trembling. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know they would send him.”
Hugh stared down at him. “Who?” he asked, then caught himself. “Just tell me where s
he is.”
Ramon clutched Hugh’s arm with a shaky hand. “He followed me. There was nothing I could do. He–”
Hugh took Ramon’s hand. “Ramon, concentrate. Where is the warehouse on Alameda?”
Hugh could hear a gurney coming. There were footsteps and voices.
“If you want to help Phoenix,” Hugh said, taking hold of Ramon’s face with both his hands, “you have to tell me where she is.”
“What do we have?” said a voice that could only be the ER doctor.
“Skull fracture on the left side,” Hugh said, though he never took his eyes from Ramon’s. “Compound fracture of the left arm.”
A stretcher was placed on the floor next to him.
“Okay to move him?” said an orderly.
Hugh nodded.
“Oh my god,” the young man said. “It’s the pastor. What happened?”
Whether it was the manipulation of Ramon’s chi, or the new voice Hugh didn’t know, but Ramon looked at him and then back at Hugh.
“Excuse me, doctor,” said another orderly, shouldering him aside. “On three,” he said. “One, two, three.”
Smoothly and with a minimum of movement, they rolled Ramon to his right side, slid the stretcher under him, then rolled him back onto it.
“On three,” the orderly said again.
“Ramon,” Hugh said. “Where?”
The orderlies, nurse, and ER doctor lifted the stretcher to the gurney.
“Blood pressure,” the doctor said to the nurse.
The gurney started moving. The ER doctor put his stethoscope to Ramon’s chest.
As the gurney picked up speed, the doctor, nurse and orderlies walking briskly beside it, Ramon raised his head and his eyes met Hugh’s.
“Figueroa,” he said, then his eyes closed and his head fell back.
Chapter 20
Nix woke with a throbbing in her head and a rank odor in her nose. The smell burned. She jerked her head back, coughing, and opened her eyes.
Noobie barked.
“Noob,” she said, or at least she tried.
Her mouth was like cotton balls. She squinted against the bright light and tried to focus. Only after several moments did she realize she was sitting against something. She sat up straighter and shaded her eyes. Why was it so bright?
“Noobie,” she said, the word squeaking in her dry throat.
Again he barked, agitated and angry. As her eyes adjusted, she finally saw him, just a few feet away. But he wore a big, leather collar that was chained to a thick metal loop attached to the cement floor.
“What the…” she muttered, moving towards him.
The last thing she remembered was the pastor outside the morgue. She got up on her knees, but felt something around her throat. Head still throbbing, she looked down, but couldn’t see it. Her fingers, however, could feel it. As she stared at Noobie, straining against the collar and chain, she realized she was wearing the same. She turned. From behind her neck, a chain led to the cement wall.
“Hey…”
The sound of metal scraping across the floor brought her head around. Someone was dragging a chair into the bright circle of light where she and Noobie were chained. Beyond it there was only darkness. But whoever was dragging the chair wore cuffed gray pants and shiny leather shoes. He swiveled the chair around, took a seat, and crossed his legs.
“So young necromancer,” said a nasally voice. “You are not what I expected.”
Still squinting, Nix managed to raise her gaze to the man’s face. The round lenses of his spectacles glinted so brightly, she couldn’t see his eyes. His bald head gleamed, and his face was at ease. He seemed to sit comfortably on the simple chair. In fact, there was a casual air to him. But as Nix continued to stare at him, she realized his face never moved, as though it were cast in wax. He wasn’t casual, he was detached. There was no emotion to his voice. A shiver ran down her spine.
“I’m not a necromancer,” she said, her voice too loud and echoing. It matched the pounding in her temples.
“We get immediately to the crux,” he said, nodding. “I appreciate that. The hypothesis is that you are a necromancer. Therefore, there must be a test.”
Her fingers found the top edge of her collar. “I’m not a necro-anything,” she said, as she felt around the side. Something that could be a lock dangled there. “I don’t care what–”
He held up a hand to her and with the other pointed at Noobie.
Nix froze.
Slowly the man rose.
“Leave him alone,” Nix said.
Noobie’s ears pricked up.
The man produced a hypodermic needle from somewhere.
“No–” she choked out as she flung herself forward, reaching the end of the chain. The collar pressed into the front of her throat.
“Noobie, bite him!” she yelled, pointing.
But Noobie only cocked his head at her. The only time he’d ever attacked anyone was Ramon. Though Noobie rolled his eyes between her and the man, he didn’t make an effort to get away.
“No!’ Nix said. “No, please!”
As Noobie watched, the man placed a large hand lightly over the dog’s eyes. Then he jabbed the needle into Noobie’s back thigh.
“No!” Nix yelled, reaching out, as Noobie yelped and tried to jump away.
The man stood and took a few steps back.
“Noobie!” she cried. She held out her arms, straining against the collar. “Come, boy!”
Noobie immediately rushed forward. Nix knelt at the end of her tether. But as Noobie came those last few steps, he stumbled. By the time he reached her, his front legs had collapsed. As she gathered him into her arms, the chain to his collar became taut. The two tethers were stretched to their limits.
“Noobie?” Nix said, raising his head to look at his eyes. Her chest constricted. “Noobie?” His eyes were closed. Tears welled in her own. “Gods, no,” she whispered. “No.”
Noobie’s head was like a lead weight. His legs splayed out. Nix hugged him to her chest, rocking a little. “Oh Noobie,” she whispered into the top of his head, as tears fell into his hair. But there was no response. He was completely still.
Though Nix didn’t look at the man, she was keenly aware of his gaze. He’d seated himself in the chair again. In her peripheral vision, he crossed his legs. Silence settled around her until the only thing she heard was her own heartbeat. She stroked Noobie’s neck. She knew what the man wanted—the Templar—what the Templar wanted. And she knew she shouldn’t do it. She clenched her jaw and hugged her lost companion fiercely.
But this was Noobie. She couldn’t just sit by. It’d be like losing a part of herself. From the moment she’d woken in that alley, they’d never been apart. He was her wing man, her… She began to cry. Though the collar she wore threatened to choke her, she buried her face in his soft fur.
Without thinking, her hand smoothed through the gentle curls and found its way to the side of his chest. She pressed down. Though she didn’t see it, she felt the glow begin. As the energy flowed, it was warm and silky under her hand. No doubt the fireflies would be starting soon, because she could feel the drain. Through her closed lids, she sensed the air brightening around them. Heat swept over her in a rush, and a bead of sweat trickled from her forehead. She sucked in a lungful of air.
“Noobie,” she whispered harshly, as her heart began to race.
Come on, she thought. Come on, boy. We can do it.
The energy was flowing freely now. For a second she wondered what Noobie would think if he could see her. Would he be barking? The image made her smile.
He jerked in her hands, and her eyes flew open. She had just enough time to see the dancing points of light wink out, and the orange glow around her fingers faded away. Exhaustion flooded through her, just as Noobie’s head butted up under her chin. She rocked back on her heels.
In the next instant, she was being dragged. Her eyes fluttered open long enough to see the man towering over her.
He had her by the front of her jacket. Noobie barked. The energy in his voice made her heart leap. He was okay.
The man threw her to the ground. A knife was in his hand. She tried to sit up, but she had no energy. She’d used too much with Noobie. The glinting blade flashed in front of her eyes.
“Hypothesis confirmed,” the man said. “We must prepare for the next experiment.”
Chapter 21
Hugh’s Mercedes screeched to a halt just below the steps of the warehouse. Although Ramon had only been able to give him the cross streets, this part of downtown L.A. had whole blocks that were abandoned. At Alameda and Figueroa, only one warehouse had a light on. Hugh turned off the engine and jumped out. The light from the small window in the metal door was dim, but he bounded up the short flight of steps to it.
From inside there came a blood-chilling scream. Hugh stumbled but caught himself as his hand landed on the knob. That was Phoenix. He yanked the door open. At the far end of the hangar like warehouse, he saw her. He broke into a run.
“Phoenix!”
Tunnel vision took over.
Her white skin shone in the spotlight. She lay on the floor, on her side. Noobie was barking in the opposite direction, straining against a chain. Phoenix wasn’t moving. Hugh charged forward.
“Phoenix!”
Except for her underwear, she was naked. Ugly red blotches covered her midsection. Someone hovered just beyond the light.
“Phoenix!”
Why didn’t she move?
Suddenly the ground erupted in light, and a jolt of electricity shot upward.
Hugh’s entire body convulsed and he fell forward. In the next instant the light and electricity disappeared. He lay on some type of thick, wire mesh. Had it been electrified?
Though Hugh tried to push up, his arms and legs were lethargic. Someone rushed at him from the shadows and landed a kick in his side. As the air rushed from his lungs, he rolled sideways. Another kick, kept him rolling. Someone grabbed his hair. Though his arms tingled, Hugh managed to grab their wrists. Something metal was clamped around his own. Then he was thrown to the ground. He landed with a grunt, but the use of his legs was returning. He kicked out, but only caught air. Despite the pain in his ribs, he sat up. Phoenix was only a few feet away. He scrambled to his feet, and was immediately brought up short. As he twisted against his will, he realized one arm was behind him. His wrist had been handcuffed to a chain bolted to the floor. He looked back to Phoenix. She wore a leather collar, also with a chain. Noobie’s frantic scrabbling on the cement floor finally got his attention. Noobie wore a collar too. But it was Phoenix that Hugh stared at.