Guardian Angel (Psionic Pentalogy Book 5)

by Adrian Howell

  “I didn’t say that,” I insisted. “I was just curious why you didn’t.”

  “I never thought I’d hesitate,” Terry said with a sigh, and then let out a hollow little laugh. “Maybe I’m just getting old.”

  I smiled sympathetically. “I think you’re only human, Terry.”

  “It won’t happen again. I swear it won’t.”

  “Hey,” Ed Regis called sleepily from the back. “What’s going on? Why are we stopped?”

  “Nothing,” I replied. “We’re just making sure that we’re both still cold-blooded murderers. Go back to sleep.”

  As Terry pulled our vehicle back onto the road, I looked down at my hands and sighed heavily. I wondered if I could ever look at my hands again without remembering the people I had killed with them. I wondered how many more lives I had yet to take.

  By daybreak, we had arrived back on the outskirts of Wood-claw’s city. It was much too early to check in at a hotel and we weren’t sure we would need one anyway. Terry parked the SUV on the roadside and swapped places with Ed Regis so that she could sleep a little as we waited for our Wood-claw escorts. I didn’t feel particularly sleepy myself until I heard Terry snoring in the back.

  When I woke, it was past noon and we were still parked.

  “They haven’t come yet, Adrian,” said Ed Regis, still sitting next to me in the driver’s seat.

  Terry, Alia and I had stopped draining ourselves as soon as we entered the city, so Scott should have found us by now.

  “Well, that’s Harding for you,” I muttered as I stretched my arms and legs a little. Then I let out a loud, deliberate and annoyed yawn. We had driven all night so that we could deliver our warning to the Resistance as soon as possible, but now we were at the mercy of Mrs. Harding’s excruciatingly unhurried security protocols.

  We ate lunch in the car, and then Ed Regis drove us to a nearby hotel.

  The layout was basically the same as the last time: Ed Regis got us two twin rooms, and like before, they were side by side on the second floor with balconies that looked down onto the parking lot.

  “We’re out of cash,” announced Ed Regis as we inspected our rooms. “We won’t be able to stay two nights here.”

  “Don’t worry,” Terry said confidently. “They’ll come today. Who knows? We might even be in Wood-claw in time for dinner tonight.”

  Terry had said something similar last night about breakfast. “What makes you such an optimist?” I asked her.

  Terry smirked. “Because Scott and the others won’t leave us out here no matter what Harding says.”

  The hotel staff had provided a cot for Marion in the girls’ room, but even if we ended up staying the night, I knew it wouldn’t be used. Marion and Alia would share a bed again, which was probably a good thing for Alia too, since she so liked being needed.

  Once we were settled, we passed the time with a deck of cards and a few bags of chips. Even Marion joined us, and though she still spoke mostly in whispers, just occasionally, she smiled a little.

  Though I would never mourn her father’s passing, I still felt horrible every time I looked at Marion. Terry was far better at guilt management than me. If Terry felt at all sorry for leaving Marion fatherless, she didn’t show it. She could talk to Marion and treat her like a friend. I still couldn’t meet Marion’s eyes. And though I knew that I still had a much harder (and more likely impossible) mission ahead of me, my current primary objective was to see Marion safely delivered back to her Angel mother. That much I felt I owed to her, and to her father. I hoped that Mrs. Harding would agree.

  “They’re here,” announced Alia, who had been peeking down from the balcony every time she heard a car pull into the parking lot.

  It was still early evening, so it looked like we really would make it back to Wood-claw in time for dinner. That is, assuming we were all going to be taken in together this time. However, my hopes for that were dampened the moment I saw who had arrived to guide us in. Neither Scott nor Rachael, nor any of our former combat students were part of the welcoming party. Instead, Wood-claw had sent four serious-looking men, and to top it all off, they were once again led by the ill-tempered Knight, Hammer.

  “Back without warning, I see,” said Hammer as he and his buddies entered our room.

  “You haven’t heard anything about the Resistance?” I asked.

  “Nothing recent,” replied Hammer.

  I wasn’t too surprised about that considering how long it usually took for Wood-claw to communicate with the Resistance. Besides, with the command center down, most of the Resistance fighters were probably still hiding in their safe houses.

  Hammer added brusquely, “Whatever your news is, it can wait till we get you back to Wood-claw and you can tell Mrs. Harding yourself.”

  “Well, let’s get going, then,” said Terry.

  “You two first,” said Hammer, pointing at Terry and me. “The others can wait.”

  I shook my head. “If only two are going, I want Marion to go first. She can go with Terry.”

  “Don’t you contradict me, young man,” said Hammer, bristling. “I said you and Terry first, and that’s the way it’s going to be.”

  I wasn’t worried about leaving Alia behind, but the sooner we got Marion to safety, the sooner I would feel comfortable about this whole nasty mess. Besides, I didn’t like Hammer’s tone any more than he liked mine.

  “Might I remind you that we are guests of Mrs. Harding,” I said coldly. “We are not under her command. Nor yours, Hammer.”

  Hammer’s scowl deepened for a moment. Then he let out a dismissive little grunt. “Suit yourself, kid. Terry and… who the hell is Marion?”

  I pointed her out, saying, “It’s a long story.”

  Hammer turned to one of his teammates, a hider I knew by the call sign Jerky. “You’ll stay here with me, Jerk,” said Hammer. Then he said to his two other Knights, “You guys get these girls to Wood-claw and come right back. I don’t want to stay here all night if we can help it.”

  Marion was hesitant to leave Alia’s side, but Alia said something into her head and then Terry took her hand and escorted her from the hotel room. I followed them out to the parking lot. Marion refused to get into the Wood-claw van, anxiously looking up at Alia, who was waving to her from the balcony.

  “Don’t worry, Marion,” I said as Terry pushed her into the car. “Alia will be right behind you.”

  “Thank you, Richard,” whispered Marion, giving me a faint smile. “I mean Addy.”

  I nodded and said dully, “We’ll see you soon.”

  Then I turned to Terry, but before I could say anything, she said, “Trust me. I’ll talk to Harding as soon as I get there. We’ll get the message out to the Resistance if I have to deliver it myself.”

  “See you later tonight,” I said, and watched them go.

  “Come on,” I heard Hammer call from the balcony. “Get back up here.”

  Back in our room, I asked Hammer, “How long do you think it’ll take?”

  “As long as it takes,” he replied gruffly.

  “Probably not before midnight,” added Jerky.

  I didn’t want to judge Hammer too harshly. I could only guess that Wood-claw, like all the other independent factions out there that were still free of Angel control, was having to take increasingly serious measures to ensure its security.

  We didn’t even have any cash left for dinner, but Hammer sent Jerky off to get some takeout, and the five of us resumed our card game after burgers and fries.

  I figured that, by now, the advance team would have reached the Wood-claw building. Marion was probably already in Candace’s capable hands while Terry spoke to Mrs. Harding about the possible threat to the Resistance from Raider’s mapping mission.

  But once that issue was dealt with, what next? Though I still couldn’t be entirely sure that Terry wasn’t joking about asking the God-slayers for help, I had to agree that the Guardian Council probably couldn’t help us find the Royal G
ate. Nor, for that matter, was there any guarantee that the Slayers could help. Were we back to square one, doomed to randomly travel around the country looking for lost clues and hoping for lucky breaks?

  Raider had been driving us straight to the Royal Gate, which was exactly where I would have ended up had I remained on the Wolf plane. Twice now I had narrowly avoided the reunion that could have brought this mission to a close. The easiest way – and perhaps the only way – to meet my first sister was to simply get caught by the Angels. But that negated the possibility of killing her and getting away with it.

  But what if I didn’t need to get away with it?

  I immediately shook the thought from my mind. No, that wasn’t an option I was prepared to entertain. Assuming that I could somehow resolve my conflicting mission rules about killing and not killing Cat, I also had to come back alive. Despite the awful request that I had once made of my team, surviving this mission was one of my rules too. For Cindy and for Alia, and of course for myself, I had to restore the only real family I had left.

  “Adrian?” said Ed Regis. “You in or out?”

  “Huh?” I said. I looked down at the cards in my hand and mumbled, “Out, I think.”

  “You okay? You look a little dazed.”

  “Oh, I guess I’m just sleepy.”

  I had stayed up with Terry all through the previous night, and though I had slept in the car seat during the morning, I still felt worn out. It was only about 8pm but I bid the crowd goodnight and headed to the room next door.

  Alia followed me. My sister probably wasn’t that sleepy, but she looked like she was tired of the card game and wanted a little quiet time.

  We didn’t bother changing. As we slipped into our beds, Alia said nervously into my head, “I hope Terry doesn’t tell Mrs. Harding that Marion is Raider’s daughter.”

  “You don’t trust Harding?” I yawned.

  Alia shook her head. “I don’t trust anybody when it comes to how we treat our enemies.”

  I bit my lip. “Well, like Raider once said, she trusts us so we should trust her in return.”

  “I suppose.”

  “At least she’s not a Guardian,” I added as I telekinetically flipped off the lights. “I’m sure she’ll do what’s right for Marion.”

  And with that last, comforting thought, I closed my eyes.

  When I woke, the room was still dark, and I heard Alia’s quiet snores over her telepathic murmuring. The bedside clock read a little past 1am.

  I stretched my arms and legs a little, and then rested my head back onto my pillow, wondering if Ed Regis and the Wood-claw Knights were still playing cards next door. Perhaps I would join them.

  Turning my head, I looked over at Alia’s bed and listened to her quiet telepathic gibberish. I had become so accustomed to my sister’s nighttime telepathy that I knew I would miss it horribly when she someday outgrew it.

  “Danger…”

  I wondered for a moment if I had just imagined it. Alia didn’t usually say anything coherent in her sleep.

  “Danger… Out…”

  “Alia,” I said quietly. “Wake up.”

  “Out!”

  I telekinetically shook her body a little. “Wake up, Ali! You’re having a nightmare.”

  Alia sat up on her bed and looked over at me. “Addy?”

  “It’s okay,” I said soothingly. “You were just having a nightmare.”

  Alia blinked twice. “No I wasn’t.”

  I stared at her, listening to the silence for a minute more.

  “Come with me,” I said to her as I got out of my bed and put my shoes on. “Something’s wrong.”

  I made my way back toward the other room with Alia on my heels. I knocked loudly on the door, and it was opened by Ed Regis. The lights were still on inside, as was, by the look of the table, the card game.

  “They’re not here yet,” Jerky informed me from the table.

  “How much longer?” I asked, stepping into the room.

  “Like I said before,” growled Hammer, “they’ll get here when they do.”

  “What’s the matter?” asked Ed Regis.

  “I’m not sure,” I replied honestly, still listening to the ever-so-faint sounds in my head, “but I think we’re in some kind of trouble.”

  “What kind of trouble?” Hammer asked sharply, standing up from the table.

  “Like I said, I don’t know.” I walked over to one of the beds where Hammer had carelessly left his pistol. “I think you might need this,” I said, picking it up and checking the safety.

  “Danger… Claw… Out… Coming…”

  “Well, hand it here, then,” said Hammer, reaching out to take the gun from my hand.

  I was about to give it to him, but just then the message finally became clear in my head.

  “Hey!” said Hammer, entirely unamused as he watched me level the pistol on him. “Never point a gun at someone unless you–”

  I shot him twice in the chest.

  Jerky drew his gun from his side holster. But before he could even flip off the safety, Ed Regis slammed his fist into Jerky’s face, knocking him down onto the floor and sending the gun flying.

  Ed Regis had acted on instinct, but he was just as surprised as Hammer had been at my treachery. “What the hell is going on?” he yelled at me.

  “Danger, Adrian!” said Candace’s frantic voice in my head. “Get out now! Wood-claw has fallen! They’re coming for you!”

  I didn’t need to relay the message. We heard tires screeching outside.

  Ed Regis checked the balcony as I fired a single round into each of Jerky’s legs. Alia was screaming a protest into my head but I wasn’t listening.

  “We can’t use the car,” reported Ed Regis. “They’ve blocked off the exits.”

  I tucked Hammer’s pistol under my belt. Ed Regis led Alia and me out of our room and down the corridor. As we got to the stairs, we heard shouts and many rushing footsteps from below.

  “Back! Back!” yelled Ed Regis, pulling us in the opposite direction. “Adrian, make an exit!”

  He meant the window at the end of the corridor, and I telekinetically blasted it out without stretching my arms forward.

  “Go!” shouted Ed Regis as we got to the shattered window.

  He turned around and, pointing his pistol down the corridor, fired several times at the Wood-claw Knights that had just reached the top of the stairs.

  I grabbed Alia’s hand and we jumped from the window together. It was only one floor down and I didn’t bother using my telekinesis to soften our landing.

  “Come on!” I shouted up at Ed Regis.

  After releasing a few more covering rounds, Ed Regis jumped down too, landing heavily but without injury.

  We were on the left side of the hotel, opposite the parking lot, and we sprinted toward the road as two fireballs from the pyroid Knights at the window smacked into the concrete. Another fireball grazed my left arm, setting my sleeve alight, but I quickly slapped it out with my right palm and kept running.

  There were only a few cars on the road, which was good because otherwise there might have been a major accident when Ed Regis boldly stepped in front of the first one that came our way. It was a junky beige pickup truck.

  As the pickup came to a screeching halt just inches from Ed Regis, the driver stuck his head out his door window and bellowed, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”

  “Get out,” commanded Ed Regis, pointing his pistol at the driver. “Leave the keys.”

  “Over my dead body!” the man yelled back.

  Before Ed Regis could call the man’s bluff, I telekinetically unlocked the pickup’s passenger-side door, opened it, undid the driver’s seatbelt, and yanked the very surprised man out onto the side of the road.

  “Give me your gun,” Ed Regis said to me. “You drive.”

  I pulled Hammer’s pistol from my belt and tossed it to Ed Regis, who caught it in his left hand. Ed Regis climbed onto the pickup’s carg
o bed, which was empty. Alia followed me into the front and pulled the door closed as I floored the accelerator.

  I had been expecting the Knights to jump out the window and chase us on foot, but they had doubled back to their vehicles. In the rearview mirror, I saw a dark green van and a hefty black SUV pull out of the hotel’s parking lot and join the pursuit. Our pickup truck wouldn’t be able to outrun them.

  We were on a wide, open road that ran around the edge of the city, and there wasn’t enough traffic at this time of night to dissuade the Knights from coming at us full force.

  “Seatbelts, Alia!” I shouted, keeping my hands firmly on the wheel. “Mine first!”

  As Alia reached around my body to pull my seatbelt, I caught sight of something metallic in her hand. “Where’d you get the gun?!”

  “It’s Jerky’s,” Alia replied aloud, drained by the pistol she was holding.

  I snatched it from her.

  “You drive!” I said, opening the rear window and crawling out onto the cargo bed.

  Ed Regis gave me a disbelieving look as I sat down next to him, but now wasn’t the time to argue tactics. Alia knew how to drive, and she could probably even reach the accelerator.

  Ed Regis and I watched from the cargo bed as the SUV and van closed their distance. I couldn’t tell in the darkness how many people were on board, but they weren’t firing at us. They wanted me alive, which meant they were probably trying to drive us off the road.

  “I’ll take the van,” said Ed Regis.

  I pointed my pistol at the driver of the SUV, who was now close enough to identify. It was Wood-claw’s Head of Security, Isabel “Tigress” Ferris.

  “Addy!”

  My pistol was knocked from my hands as we were engulfed in the deafening sound of shattering glass and twisting metal. Alia had run a red light, and a small sedan had slammed into us from the left side. Our pickup’s rear swung wildly from side to side as Alia fought to regain control.

  I felt my power drain slightly and discovered that I had a little cut on my left hand. Ed Regis was also injured. He had hit his head against something, and blood was trickling down the side of his face.