by E. A. Copen
Angel kicked off the wall and stood in front of me. “Right now, you’ve got nothing, no status here. You might be sleeping with him, but in Istaqua’s eyes, you’re just another hangaround. You want to change that and fast because Istaqua doesn’t like you.”
“Sal wouldn’t let him touch me. I wouldn’t let him touch me.”
“There’s a lot worse things that can happen to you here than getting raped, Judah. You got a boy to think about. Don’t give him the chance to push you.” Angel put a hand on my shoulder. “First chance you get, you need to establish your place here and you’ll have to do more than break Kandie’s nose with a quick pop she never saw coming.”
I smiled to myself at the memory. She’d been all over Sal in Aisling and I’d let my temper get the best of me. There were no regrets there. “How do I do that?”
“I’m sure you’ll get your chance.” She took her hand away and smiled. “So, are we good?”
I nodded. “We’re good.”
“You ever need back-up, don’t be afraid to give me a call, especially if the assholes in the club give you trouble.”
I didn’t know what to say to that. I’d come out there expecting her to pick a fight with me and, instead, she seemed to be mostly on my side. “Thanks, I think.”
“Hey, anyone who beats the shit out of Kandie is a friend to me. I hate that Barbie doll wannabe. Us badass bitches got to stick together. I got your back.” She gave my shoulder what she must have perceived to be a gentle punch, but it actually hurt quite a bit. Then, she pulled open the door and stepped back inside.
I stayed outside, watching the rain fall, considering my life. I wondered if BSI counted on my meeting the Kings and helping them. Probably not, I decided. They seemed good at keeping what they did secret and staying under the radar. With Marcus Kelley backing them, it must have been easier.
That must have put him in a difficult position. Han worked in his lab, heading his research department at the hospital. It didn’t seem like Marcus knew about Han’s little experiment for BSI, which I hoped meant Marcus would fire him once we got the evidence to him. I’d asked Ed to bring the hard drive when he came, which I planned on handing off to Istaqua with the understanding that he’d take it directly to Marcus. At least that would be one less thing for me to do. Marcus would take care of Han while I arrested Hector and got a full confession. Once I had that, we could go public, expose what BSI was up to and maybe even stop them.
Or maybe exposing this would get me and everyone I loved killed.
Is this my future? I wondered. Constantly second guessing every choice I make, wondering who I can and can’t trust because any one of them might be a spy for the government? I can’t live this way. I wish I’d never seen that recording. Maybe the illusion of choice is better than knowing you really have no choice at all.
The door opened and Sal stepped out onto the porch with me. He lit up a cigarette and pocketed his lighter. “You and Angel work things out?”
“You still should have told me.”
Sal shook his head. “You want a list of every girl I ever spent the night with I can draft you one, but it won’t make you feel better.”
“Just warn me whenever I’ve got to be in the same room with one of them.” I turned my head and looked up at him.
He sighed. “Guess that’s fair. To be honest, I didn’t even think about it.”
I closed my eyes and tried not to imagine the two of them together. It was harder than I thought it would be. “I might be out a little later. You think you can handle the kids by yourself? I think I’ll sleep a week once this is all over.”
“Yeah, no problem. Hunter’s got Mia tonight and I asked Shauna to look in on them. Actually, I was thinking about crashing here tonight so I could clean up in the morning. I’ve probably had enough to drink, I shouldn’t drive anyway.” He turned and gave me a serious look. “I don’t want you to think there’s anything between me and Angel or anybody else. That was a long time ago and I was really messed up after Zoe. You going to hold it against me? I told you, I was fucked up.”
I was surprised how hard it was to keep from smiling at the way he shifted uncomfortably. In truth, I wasn’t mad. I wasn’t even upset. Hard to blame him for something that happened before I even knew him, but there was a part of me that enjoyed the apology in a sadistic sort of way. Watching him stutter through an uncomfortable conversation was a welcome change from the cool confidence he normally displayed.
“I don’t know if that apology’s good enough.” I let myself smile and offered a wink. “I think maybe you can apologize better tomorrow night.”
Tires crunching on gravel and wipers squeaking against the windshield of a powder blue Prius drew our attention to the driveway as Ed pulled in behind all the bikes.
Sal let out another frustrated sigh as he turned back to me. “You confuse the shit out of me, you know that?” He leaned in and kissed me. “Get you and Ed home safe and then we’ll see about another apology.”
“Get a room,” said Ed after he’d run up the stairs to stand under the relative dryness of the awning.
Sal gave Ed a gentle shove back into the rain, where Ed unceremoniously flailed and tried to stay upright. Ed caught has balance, but only after getting wet. He yelped at the cold rain and scampered back under the awning against our laughter.
“You ready to hit the road, Ed?” I said once we’d calmed down. “We’re meeting Espinoza outside the compound. Remember, you’re just my ride tonight. This is police business.”
“Uh, yeah. I can hang back as long as you promise not to get into any trouble.” Ed pulled off his glasses and tried to clean the rain off them.
Sal said and leaned down to kiss me again. “Be safe. I love you.”
I flashed him back a smile. “I know.”
Ed and I jogged into the rain to his car and scrambled inside, soaking wet.
“So, what’s your plan if Hector doesn’t come quietly?” Ed asked, breathless from the run.
“I won’t give him a reason to resist. Once the rem plants are gone and he knows we know the truth, he’ll have no choice. BSI will do anything to cover this up, up to and including killing Hector.”
“I thought you said he was immortal?” Ed huffed as he pulled off his glasses, this time to clean the fog from his lenses.
“They can still die if you cut off their heads, bleed them dry, or burn them up. Not immortal, but they don’t age and they’re hard to kill.”
Ed started the car and bobbed his head in agreement. “Like in Highlander.”
“What?” I turned my head to scrutinize him.
He slid his glasses back on and belted out in song, “We’re the princes of the universe!”
I struck my face with the palm of my hand so hard it made my head pound. Only Ed could reduce our current situation to lyrics from a Queen song.
Chapter Twenty-One
About a mile and a half from the compound, red and blue police lights lit up the rear-view mirror. Ed cursed, checked his speedometer, and pulled over. “Seriously?”
I smirked as the car pulled up behind us and Espinoza got out of the driver’s side. He was in uniform with a black bullet proof vest and dark sunglasses. Somehow, the functionality of his attire didn’t detract from the attractiveness.
He walked to the passenger side and rapped two knuckles on my window. When I rolled it down, he tipped the sunglasses down. “Looks like you don’t need a ticket, girl. You’ve got fine written all over you.”
I rolled my eyes and swatted away his hand when he put it on the door. “You can do better.”
He took a half step back to flex his arms. “Careful, ma’am. These guns are loaded.”
Ed put a hand over his mouth to stifle a chuckle.
Espinoza lifted his cap and brushed a hand through his hair. “So, I don’t suppose we’re going in with a warrant or any kind of legal documentation? Or are we just planning to stomp all over this asshole’s constitutional rights?”
<
br /> “In the interest of national security, I can act without regard to that. I’d call this a matter of national security.”
Espinoza pursed his lips and nodded. “Patriot Act it is, then. Well, just remember my ass is on the line. I don’t get a free pass like you feds. You’re absolutely sure you can get a confession out of this guy? That didn’t go so well before.”
“Before, I didn’t know who and what I was dealing with.” I turned my gaze forward, watching as a pair of headlights slid over the horizon and passed us by. “Espinoza, if we don’t get this guy, I’m pretty sure BSI is going to kill him. He has some damning testimony, but he’s going to be reluctant to sell out his employer. We might have to resort to less conventional methods to get that confession. If you’re not okay with that, now’s the time to make that known.”
He thought a long moment, placing his hands on his hips. “I’m game so long as we understand that there are some lines I’m not willing to cross. We’re still the good guys.”
I nodded. “Alright then. Let’s go get him.”
~
Espinoza’s squad car switched on the sirens and lights as soon as we turned down the driveway and swerved into the grass to speed on past us. Ed kept up his leisurely pace and we pulled in behind the squad car, which had blocked off the driveway and parked. The front door opened and Hector Demetrius stepped out in a plain, gray button-down and jeans, too well dressed for this late.
“Stay here,” I said to Ed. “And at the first sign of trouble, you back up and get out. Promise me.”
Ed frowned at me. “Are you sure?”
“Promise me, Ed. Swear it.”
He let out a loud huff. “Fine. I promise.”
I grabbed the bag of gear Ed had brought for me and stepped out to scan the property, stopping when the door to one of the greenhouses opened and Mara stepped out. A cautious glance back at Ed told me he’d seen her to. His fingers tightened around the steering wheel and he lowered his head.
Instead of going forward to address Hector, I turned and walked up to Mara. She bristled and raised her chin as I approached.
“Step aside, Mara. Please.”
Her eyebrows scrunched together. “You don’t know what you’re doing. This isn’t what you think it is.”
“I know that’s rem in there and I know Hector’s not human. I don’t want to hurt you, but I will remove you from my path if you don’t step aside.”
She narrowed her eyes at me. For a long moment, I thought she’d engage me. In a straight-out fight, I was pretty sure I could take Mara, especially since I’d been training with Creven. I still didn’t want to have to test that theory. She may have hated my guts, but I still didn’t want to hurt her.
When I pushed forward, though, Mara moved aside at the last second. I pushed open the door and stepped through.
The greenhouse was warm and humid. Bright lights hung from the ceiling, mimicking sunlight over long troughs of dark soil. Small drains ran down from each trough, directing a trickle of water into slanted drains on the floor. There were a dozen troughs lined up end to end, each one home to five fern-like plants. But these were no ordinary plants. Their leaves were a rainbow of colors from deep indigo to fiery red and snowy white. Each one let off a soft, humming glow.
I stepped forward and reached out to touch one of the leaves. It abruptly changed from a pleasant blue color to a deep shade of crimson. When I touched the fleshy leaf, ripples of neon blue pulsed out from underneath my fingertips.
“What are you doing? You can’t be in here!”
Hector barged through the door behind me with Espinoza on his heels.
One of the worst things anyone can do is surprise an officer at a potential crime scene, especially when that officer is suffering from a concussion. At the sound of Hector’s voice, I pulled my nine millimeter from its holster and pointed it at him. “Stay where you are.”
Espinoza’s arm twitched, but he didn’t draw a gun.
Hector’s face hardened. “Excuse me?”
Behind him, Espinoza whistled. “It’s beautiful.” He wandered forward to touch another plant, this one giving off pulsating ripples of violet at his touch.
“It’s rem,” I said and kept my gun pointed at Hector’s head.
He sneered at me. “This is an illegal search.”
“No, Hector.” I lowered the bag slung over my shoulder and rummaged around in it before pulling out a container of lighter fluid. “This is a crime scene.”
Hector moved to stop me, but Espinoza stopped him, drawing his gun and resting it against Hector’s back. “I wouldn’t.”
Someone else burst into the greenhouse, prompting all of us to turn our heads. It was the boy from before, the one who had been with Mara. He took in the scene, eyes dancing back and forth in panic, and then charged forward. He stopped only when Hector shouted, “Warren, don’t!”
“You can’t do this!” Warren stammered as I walked to the nearest line of plants.
I upended the container and squeezed, walking down the line of plants. The acrid smell of lighter fluid made the lining of my nose burn.
“This is more than just sacred ground you’re defiling,” the young man continued. “This is our home. These are our lives. You have no idea what you’re doing!”
“I know exactly what I’m doing.” I walked to the next line of plants and started down it.
“Since you won’t listen to reason…” Something in Warren’s voice changed, turned darker, rougher. Whatever it was, it made me turn around instead of finishing the work.
Espinoza’s eyes widened and his hand shook. Slowly, the gun shifted away from the back of Hector’s head. Espinoza’s breath came out quick and panicked as the gun traveled to rest against his temple. His eyes met mine, filled with terror.
I opened my mouth and started to step forward, but quickly found my body refusing to obey commands from my brain. Through no effort of will on my part, my fingers tightened around the bottle of lighter fluid in my hand. My arm jerked out, then up, allowing the flammable liquid to pour over my head. When that was done, the unseen power controlling my body forced me to discard the container and draw out the lighter I’d borrowed from Sal. My jaw shook and my breathing became as ragged as Espinoza’s as my thumb rolled across the tiny metal wheel, striking the flame.
“What are you doing?” Hector snapped. “Warren, this isn’t the way.”
“Shut up! I’m so sick of listening to your lies!” Warren swept out a hand, pointing two fingers at Hector.
Hector’s hand went to his throat and he fell to his knees, making a choking sound.
Holy Hell, I realized as thoughts raced through my brain. This is Warren. But how? Why?
Warren marched the few paces to tower over his father, who looked up at his son, eyes wide. “All this time, I’ve had to sit by while you took the credit for everything I’ve done, for the world I’m building.”
“War…ren…” Hector choked his name out as his face changed from beet red to blue.
“Your God is nothing but a fairy tale. We are the real gods. We should be worshipped. I should be worshipped! If you weren’t so pathetic, you’d see that. But you’re not worthy. All you’ve ever cared about is lining your pockets with the government’s blood money.” Warren placed a bare foot on his father’s chest and kicked him over.
Hector fell with his face toward me, eyes locked on mine. His body jerked and twitched. He clawed desperately at his throat, arcing his back in a desperate attempt to be free of Warren’s magick, but it did no good. Just a few seconds after Warren kicked him over, Hector lay still, his eyes glassy.
“Don’t worry. He’s not dead. Takes more than that to kill one of us. But he will wake up with one hell of a headache.” Warren turned to me, a dark smirk on his face. “I bet you’re really confused right now, aren’t you?”
I gritted my teeth, tasting the burn of lighter fluid on my lips. “Just a little, yeah. I didn’t expect a little punk like you.”
Warren threw his head back and laughed. “No one ever does, do they? Gideon Reed certainly didn’t. That spell that made him go berserk? My doing. Father may be gifted, but not like me. You see, I’m what you get if you took my father’s paltry abilities and dialed them to eleven. Not only can I not die, but with mere thought, I can have anything I want. Women.” He held his hand out to Mara, who stood in the doorway. She stepped in to take his hand, smiling. “Drugs.” He gestured to the rem. “And I can have your life if I demand it.”
He sneered down at Hector’s still form. “My father wasted his gift making deals with your government that would make him rich. What’s the point? If I want money, all I have to do is walk into the nearest bank and they’ll fill my pockets with a smile. All I have to do is ask.”
“Are you one of them?” I ground out. “One of these so-called immortals?”
“I’m better than an immortal!” He placed a hand proudly on his chest. “I was made to be better.”
“Made?”
Warren grinned. “That’s right. Your government made me what I am.”
Holy shit. I was looking at the living, breathing incarnation of Han’s research. Warren had to be the result. Yes, now that I was looking, I could see it. His aura was impressively bright, a blinding shade of glittering gold, but it wasn’t right. Barbed wire grew in and out of his skin at seemingly random intervals through bleeding wounds that would never heal. It circled his body from the soles of his feet to end in a crown of barbs pressing into his forehead. Dark tentacles made of shadow wriggled from the bleeding wounds, caressing his skin. The amount of metaphysical pain Warren had to be in was staggering. Someone had infected him with this darkness and then subjected him to unbearable pain to get results.
If I hadn’t been paralyzed, I would have been sick.
“Was it all you?” I asked, fighting for breath. The fumes were making me gag.