As she stared at the monitor the phone rang, making her jump as she leaned across and picked up the receiver.
“The Phoenix Corporation, how can I help you today?” Alana’s tone was polite and professional.
The end of the line remained silent.
Alana repeated her welcome. “The Phoenix Corporation, how can I help you?”
“Is that you, Alana?” James wanted to make sure it was her.
“Who’s calling?” Alana replied.
“Alana, just let me know if that’s you.”
“Yes, who is this?” Alana was curious to find out who wanted to talk to her.
“It’s James. How are you?” James was glad that she had answered and not anyone else. It would be hard to explain the reason for his call now that he was no longer in the employment of Harvey’s private security.
“Hi, James, it’s been ages. How are you?” Alana was surprised to hear his voice. He was one person she had enjoyed talking to.
“I’m fine. Listen, I was thinking it would be nice for us to catch up. It would be great to finally put a face to the voice. Do you fancy coming out for a drink?” James thought it best to not to go into details about why he was really calling. It may scare her and he would never get the chance to ask for her help.
“I don’t really know, I don’t normally date anyone who works here.” Alana never dated anyone, ever.
“We could just have a quick drink, come on, it’ll be fun.”
Alana thought for a moment. Would one little drink hurt? She had been stuck in the Headquarters for ages and had not gone outside since before the snow had arrived. Maybe a little venture out was just what she needed. After the confrontation with Harvey, the idea of getting as far away from him was enticing, but as for meeting a male? The thought worried her.
“I don’t know, where were you thinking of going?” Alana knew that it would be tricky, but not impossible, to meet someone without Harvey finding out. He would be livid if he knew she’d spent time with another male. Not that she cared how he felt. She just didn’t need the grief.
“Just a little bar in town. I can pick you up and take you home after,” James replied.
Alana’s heart beat rapidly as she glanced around the room. She felt like every pair of eyes was staring at her and that everyone could hear the conversation she was having. She had become so paranoid over the years, but given the situation she was in, that wasn’t really surprising. She considered his offer.
“OK, meet me down the side road, just a little further down from the main security gates.” She knew she could leave the Headquarters without suspicion, had done so before but it wouldn’t look good if she was seen being picked up by another employee.
Harvey wanted her for himself and would be pissed if he thought she was spending time with someone else. It would probably put their lives in danger. It angered her that he felt she belonged to him but he was the one holding all the cards.
James’s voice brought her back to the conversation. “That’s great, I’ll pick you up around five and I’ll be driving a black SUV,” he explained, his voice a little too excited at the thought of finally meeting her.
“OK, see you then.” Alana placed the receiver back down.
She wasn’t really sure why she’d agreed to go out with him. She had no intention of getting close to anyone but it would be nice to get out and spend some time away from the smothering atmosphere Harvey made her endure daily. She just hoped that Harvey would be busy the rest of the day and leave her the hell alone. Hopefully she could get away, have a drink or two, and forget about the pain that plagued her every waking moment.
Chapter 3
Harvey paced his office, located on the top floor of the Phoenix Headquarters, frustrated with the confrontation he’d had with The Order. His plan had not gone quite as he’d expected, and it infuriated him that he’d failed to secure the capture of the King. Events had taken an unexpected turn, and he’d ended up back at the Headquarters empty handed. That was not something he ever intended to happen again.
As he’d misted to the location of the cabin, he hadn’t expected there to be so many of them. He’d been confronted with Elijah and the other males of The Order, and it had shocked him that Elijah had turned out to be the true heir of the Mist. He’d intended to go there, get Tyler to take the King, and then get rid of the female, but Tyler hadn’t been there. It had angered Harvey that he’d given him a second chance to prove his worth. Tyler had failed in his first attempt to capture the King and had experienced first-hand Harvey’s retribution that came with failure. The male had been spineless by disappearing. His guards would find him though, and Harvey knew just how to deal with his disloyalty. Harvey expected commitment from his males and if they couldn’t follow orders, then they would pay with their lives.
Elijah and the other males had formed an Order and believed they were strong enough to fight against him. He felt sure that each of them had powers of their own and one of them had even tried to read his mind. Harvey was an original and stronger than each of them, and only Elijah stood any chance of defending them. That was, until his female had shown her true nature.
Harvey frowned as he considered the Queen’s newly acquired power. As he’d fought Elijah, he’d seen the anger raging from her just before she’d raised her hand to him. The bolt of energy she’d fired in his direction had shocked him, and it was something he’d not thought possible. She’d never shown any signs of kinetic power as a child, at least none that he’d been told about, and wondered if her mating to the King had caused it to. Even so, he’d landed hard, surprised at the sudden attack.
It was at that moment Harvey realized he would have to rethink his plans if he was going to have any chance of succeeding. He still intended to capture the King, but now he had another target, the Queen. If he had her, he knew the King would do everything in his power to save her, even if it meant it cost him his life. It would leave the rest of them weak and that would help with his plans to destroy them.
The Order was growing in strength and he knew he would need a greater force than the human guards that were currently working for him. Humans were weaker than Mist, both physically and emotionally, and Tyler had proved that point perfectly. Their fear guided their actions and made them feeble. That was not what he needed in his security detail. He needed males who would follow orders without question and weren’t afraid to fight. Harvey smiled, knowing his new guards would be a formidable addition to The Phoenix League.
It had taken years of testing by Drake, the lead doctor in the labs, but he’d finally succeeded in creating experimental Mist males. Combining a mixture of Mist and human DNA had proven effective, and Drake had even managed to isolate the markers in their blood that controlled which power each had possessed. The size and facial features of the bred males mirrored full Mists, and they had been created large and muscular. Even the vibrancy of their eyes had been retained. They were cold, stern and each strong and powerful. Harvey knew the males would give him the necessary back up when it came to fighting The Order.
Harvey had also bred them for another purpose. His intention was to try and transfer the power held within each Mist into one host, but each time the test subjects had rejected it in some way. The rejection of the blood transfers had caused severe allergic reactions, but he knew Drake continued to work on it. The prisoners held captive in the cells below the labs were resilient, but with The Order growing stronger each day, he needed results sooner rather than later. He’d have to call and check on Drake, see if there had been any further progress.
Harvey had already placed some of the bred males in the Headquarters’ security detail with two of his best guards at the front entrance. It was a shame that James had decided to join The Order. He suspected that he was Mist, his size and vibrant eyes giving it away but he believed him to be loyal. It still concerned him why he’d joined The Order. He would’ve been a great asset as Head of Security for his new Phoenix League, but now he would
have to fight against him instead of with him.
Harvey walked past his large oak desk toward the couch that lay to the side of the office. Sitting down, he stared at the manila folders on the small table in front of him, which held the Corporation’s business dealings he had to look at. Lifting the folders, he gently took out the piece of paper that had been folded and opened it. He stared at the names that he’d written.
Jasmine’s name had been at the top of the list, and she’d been one of his most important discoveries. It had only been when her parents had taken her to a local hospital, concerned with her bizarre behavior, that he’d finally found the link he’d been searching for. Her apparent ability to sense others close by had begun to develop from an early age, and her attending physician, Drake, had become suspicious. He’d contacted Harvey and described what Harvey knew to be a member of their kind. Harvey had then sent some of his security to watch her house as he’d begun to investigate her family history.
He’d learned of her adoption and that she belonged to the bloodline that the scriptures told would lead to the King. Harvey had known of her bloodline and had fought and destroyed her ancestors. He’d never succeeded in locating her though. Harvey had been elated when Drake had contacted him and given him the opportunity he’d been waiting for. Now Drake was working hard in the labs, attempting to find a way to give Harvey the power he desperately desired.
He had known that the only way to find the King was to track her. When she had moved out of her family home, one of his security teams had managed to plant a tracker in her bag. Harvey had followed her every move until she’d finally led him to the King.
He glanced at the other females on the list. He would have to find them before The Order found out about them. The Order could work out his plans and try and protect them.
Leaning back on the couch, Harvey’s thoughts returned to Alana. Her beauty had always stunned him, but their relationship had been a constant challenge. It made him smile to think about the many times they’d had verbal sparring sessions over the years. He wanted her, no two ways about it, but she was never going to let him near her. He could just take what he wanted, but he didn’t want to force Alana to submit to him, even though the thought of her struggling beneath him excited him. In the beginning he’d wanted her love for his own gain, but over time his heart had softened to her. Now he was in love with her. He felt himself begin to harden as he sighed deeply. She was his little secret, even if he’d had to take drastic action to ensure that she stayed at the Headquarters with him. He knew she would never leave—it would cost her too much.
He folded the piece of paper and stood before walking back to his desk. He placed the list in the top drawer. He needed to check on his Mist guards that had set up the new security desk. Alana would be down in the offices manning the reception area and he might pop in to see her, see if she’d calmed down from their confrontation earlier. The thought made him smile.
As he turned, he spotted Alana walking across the snow covered drive that led to the security gates. She must still be angry at him if she was venturing out. He watched her pull the collar of her black coat tight against her chin. Her dark flowing hair blew wildly around her face as she approached the security exit. She would return. She always did. He pressed a button on his desk to open the security gates before turning and walking out of his office.
* * * *
After grabbing a quick shower, Alana dried her hair and changed her top to a pretty white lace one. Dressing in her jeans, she pulled on her leather boots before taking out her black winter coat from the wardrobe. She was going out with a male and was still a little unsettled with idea, but she’d agreed to meet James at five. She couldn’t back out now. Leaving her room, Alana headed downstairs.
She’d worked until four before shutting down the computer terminal and had then made her way out of the offices into the main reception area. As she’d climbed the stairs, she’d seen one of the guards make a call and hoped they hadn’t informed Harvey of her movements. She’d felt somber enough at not finding the information she was searching for and couldn’t face another round with him. She’d just wanted to get out of the Headquarters, have a little relaxation time, and didn’t need him questioning her.
Gripping her thick wool coat tight around her chin, Alana stepped out into the cool, blustering breeze and down the steps from the Headquarters.
The sun had been bright that morning, but then a slow bank of gray-laced clouds had built, sending a soft flurry of white over the town. She knew that Harvey would be watching her. She could feel his eyes boring into her back as she turned and looked up at the window of his office. He was arrogant enough to know that she would return and that was why he allowed her to leave when she wanted to. It wasn’t about trust. It was about blackmail. He knew he had control and it pissed her off to know that she would have to come back. Her freedom was in his hands and she’d accepted that a long time ago.
She approached the security gate and it opened automatically. Harvey had pressed the button to open them and she knew it. If she could only keep on walking forever she would, but what would happen next? The thought filled her with dread. She walked through the gate and onto the icy path. The dusk was creeping up on the town and the street lamps pulsed an orange glow against the paths. She turned and walked carefully down the street. The last thing she needed was to slip and injure herself. Then she would never get away, and she needed to be free, if only for a short while.
Walking a little further, she looked around for the black SUV that James said he would be driving. She reached a row of parked cars and noticed a vehicle with its headlights shining brightly toward her. She approached the vehicle cautiously, just in case it wasn’t the one that had come to pick her up.
James watched as the small female walked toward him. She was very pretty and her hair shone from the lights that lined the street. It was a beautiful dark color against her pale skin and he gazed at her long, slim legs. He had never imagined she would be so beautiful. He pulled the handle of the driver’s door and stepped out onto the snow-covered road. As she approached he smiled, hoping that she was as pleased to meet him as he was her.
“Hi, Alana?” His deep voice sounded a little too overexcited.
“James?” Alana spoke, hesitantly.
James’s smile spread across his face at the soft tone of her voice. She sounded as lovely as she had on the phone. “Hi, how are you?”
“I’m fine, a bit cold now that it snowed again.” She felt a little awkward. She hadn’t really spoken to any males outside of the offices.
“It’s freezing out here, come on, jump in where it’s warm.” James walked around to the passenger side and opened the door for her.
Alana hesitated, feeling nervous, before stepping forward. She climbed into the passenger seat and stared around at the soft black leather interior. The heated seats were impressive and the dashboard had enough electronic equipment to make it feel more like a military vehicle than an ordinary SUV. Alana wondered what kind of work he did that would entail him using such equipment? She watched James through the front window. He was tall and athletic, and his smile had seemed friendly enough. She still felt anxious though, being in the car alone with a male.
James walked round the front of the vehicle and climbed into the driver’s seat. He pulled on his seatbelt and gazed across at Alana. Her deep-colored eyes matched the color of her silky hair and she was even more stunning close up. He smiled at her as a strange feeling hit the center of his chest. He felt the connection soar through him. Alana was a member of the Mist.
Alana noticed the expression on his face change.
James shifted in his seat, a little uncomfortable that he’d been staring at her. He’d been surprised to find that she’d been one of their kind, but he couldn’t tell if she’d realized his connection to the race. “Don’t forget to buckle up, with this weather it can get a bit dicey out there.”
Alana smiled nervously. She undid the button
s of her coat and reached across to pull at the seatbelt. Pushing it into the holder, she turned and looked at James. She noticed his attractive auburn hair and his eyes were amazing, set against his strong cheekbones. The vibrancy of his eyes made her frown.
James couldn’t help but stare as she unbuttoned her coat. She wore a delicate lace top that was a beautiful contrast against her dark hair. At first he’d thought her hair was black but it was in fact a rich dark brown, the same as her eyes. Her skin was a flawless honey color and he found himself gazing at her soft, pink lips. He turned on the engine and pulled out of the parking space.
He’d called Jonah earlier to say that he’d arrived at the Headquarters and that they were going to a bar in town. Jonah was going to meet them there, but he would have to tell him about the little development before they talked to her.
He wasn’t sure how he was going to approach the subject of her helping them. It seemed a shame that they weren’t just going out on a normal date. It would be fun to spend some time with such a beautiful female. The fact that she was a Mist made the idea even more enticing.
He gazed across at her and stared at the profile of her face. Even from the side she was remarkable. Maybe when this was all over he could take her out properly and get to know her better. The idea made him smile.
Chapter 4
Sitting in the front seat of the SUV, Alana couldn’t think of one good reason she could tell James to make him turn around and take her straight back to the Headquarters. She’d wanted to get as far away from Harvey as she could, but debated now whether going out for a drink with a male had been a good choice. Her life was a hideous excuse for an existence, controlled by a creep that was intent in making her life hell, and even when she left the Headquarters, she knew she would have to return. Harvey could find out and that would rain down untold amounts of grief and pain. She felt like she was tempting fate, and not the good kind. Alana inhaled deeply as she shifted in her seat, gripping her hands tightly to stop them shaking. She stared out of the window.
Jonah's Salvation [The Order of the Mist 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 4