by J. M. Davies
Frustrated, Ella wanted to end this journey, and opened her eyes, but when she did, the view wasn’t of her bedroom.
Like a spirit wandering above, her gaze flicked over an enormous bright-white room with row upon row of sealed incubators. Inside lay tiny, doll-size sleeping babies with plastic tubes inserted in their noses and several blue stickers plastered across their naked chests. She didn’t recognize the surroundings. The machines monitored the babies’ every vital, and buttons flashed a bright red. Farther away, there were large open cots with older babies, some crying and some sleeping. Nurses in blue scrubs and gloves recorded the readings, changed diapers, and took blood from the babies’ feet.
The room seemed to go on forever, like a warehouse.
Counting the rows to estimate the numbers made her dizzy. Maybe a hundred. Maybe more. The wails of the babies surrounded her. How would she know hers? She studied the faces, noting a variety of complexions, hair and eye colors. She had never laid eyes on Nate. A well of panic burst and a sob rose inside at the futility of the situation. She scanned the room, the heat making her feel stifled. She darted her gaze at the faces of the nurses, both male and female. No one she recognized, but as she studied their name tags, there was a logo in the corner. A bird. A black bird with its wings spread out wide. The room faded but the cries followed her, and she covered her ears with her hands to drown them out.
Hands shook her shoulders gently.
“Ella, it’s okay. I’ve got you.”
She opened her eyes and wrapped her arms around Marcus’s neck, squishing their bodies together. Her body trembled and for a moment, she couldn’t speak.
He ran his hand over her hair and tucked a section behind her ear. “Talk to me, but could you loosen your hold a little?” He smiled down at her, but his brows dipped severely.
Ella eased herself away. She needed a drink and wet her lips, feeling thirsty.
Marcus clutched her hand and pulled her out of the bedroom. “Come on, I’ll make the coffee and you can spill all the details. I caught the sensations you experienced—the alarm and panic—but I couldn’t see what you were seeing.”
Once they reached the living room, he let go of her hand and marched into the open-plan kitchen. Marcus headed straight for the pale wooden Shaker cupboards and grabbed hold of a bag of rich coffee beans, which he poured into the grinder. Ella carefully relayed what she had seen in her mind of the building as he made the coffee. The rich aroma hit her senses and her stomach growled. She eyed Marcus and he smirked.
“Sweetheart, you’re starving. Will a bacon and cheese omelet suffice?”
“Yes.”
She tiptoed behind him and hugged him around the waist, leaning into his broad back and loving the feel of him.
He peeked at her over his shoulder and twisted around to gather her in his arms. “Ella, we’ll find him. I feel your pain, and I wish I could take it away. I know you’re worried you will not recognize Nate, but I am confident you will. Even if it’s an issue, there will be records. Wherever this place is, there will be files.”
She stared into his dark, confident gaze that begged her to believe him. “It could be anywhere. All I saw was a symbol. Well, an image of a black bird on the name tags. I looked for a sign, but there wasn’t anything.”
Marcus smoothed her cheek with his hand. “Enough. Let me cook. You need to eat before we head over to see the others. We’re bringing him home, Ella.”
****
Ella strolled into the operations room with Marcus, who left her side to head over to Steel at the front. As soon as he left, the apprehension since hearing the professor’s words returned, and she stiffened. She wanted to be out there, searching for Nate, and couldn’t wait any longer. She rubbed her hands along her sides to diffuse her heightened frustration. The muted light in the room helped and it made the television and computer screen stand out, capturing her attention for a moment. She switched her line of vision around. Several people manned stations and observed video feeds. Jake stood by one of the computer stations with his back to her as he focused on the overhead screen. Isabella stood next to his side. She smiled over at Ella and laid her hand on Jake’s arm. Ella stepped over to them.
“It’s okay, Sparkles. You don’t need to explain. I get it,” Jake said without even turning his head to look at her.
Isabella glanced again in her direction and Ella smiled at her.
“Hey, it’s nice to see you’re okay. You gave us a scare yesterday. Who is Roman?”
Isabella opened her mouth, but snapped it shut as Jake butted in before she could speak.
“Morning, Ella. I would like that answer too, but it must wait.” Jake walked over to join Marcus and Steel.
Ella stared after him. “Okay, well, maybe he’ll wait, but I won’t. Who the hell is Roman? He was a piece of artwork, with all his tattoos. I was worried sick, especially when I didn’t get hold of you. I left like a million messages.”
Ella placed her hand on Isabella’s arm as she looked over at Jake.
“I’m sorry, but when I exert my energy the way I did yesterday, helping those spirits pass on, my magic is drained. You know—you must know when you use an excessive amount of magic how weak you feel afterward. Well, I fainted, and I needed to recover. Roman is a nightwalker, and to put it simply, he’s linked to me.” Isabella shifted her gaze to Ella.
“So, Jake’s right? He’s your boyfriend?”
“Is that what he thinks? Of course he does, and it’s why he won’t look at me this morning. Look, I’m not involved with Roman romantically. He saved my life. It’s how we met. It’s a long story, but he’s not my boyfriend.”
Ella smiled at her friend and glanced over at the men who were walking toward them.
“Well, from what I saw, Roman has a different view of things.”
Isabella moved closer and whispered, “It’s complicated.”
“He acted as if he owned you. He said you belonged to him.”
Isabella heaved out a long breath and looked away. “Damn him.”
“Come on, we can talk about this later. It looks like we’re moving.” Ella wanted to discover all she could about this Roman and help her friend, but she needed to find out what news they had of the professor. She walked to meet Marcus, and he nodded at them both.
But Steel stepped in front. “My office, now.” With that, he flashed each one of them a quick glance before he walked out.
Jake and Marcus followed him, and Ella joined them, with Isabella last to close the door. Her friend tugged her sleeve, and Ella stopped.
“I heard the cries yesterday at that horrible place. I know you did too. I know you heard the professor, but he could be setting you up.”
Ella sniffed. She knew her friend’s words were true, and she nodded. “We’ve thought of that, but he doesn’t know we can hear him. Either way, we must follow every lead and see where it takes us. You would if this was your baby.”
Isabella released her. “Yes, I would.”
She wet her lips and said quietly, “Isabella, I need to master blocking Marcus from my thoughts. He has, but I’m struggling.”
Her friend studied her face and nodded before they walked down the corridor to the elevator. Minutes later, they approached Steel’s office.
The door swung open and Marcus faced them. “Inside, now. Ava is here, and we have a lead.”
A knot twisted in Ella’s stomach. She knew Ava was pregnant and there was a sliver of empathy for the woman because of this, but she also knew she didn’t trust her one bit. Walking into the large room that smelled of cigars, her gaze rested on Ava’s pale face.
“Everyone, come in and get settled. There are a few issues I need to discuss.” Steel sat down at his desk, studying papers in front of him. “Firstly, a body was discovered just outside the Mexican border. It’s Philip Jackson.”
Ella shot a glance at Marcus, who stood next to Steel’s desk with his arms folded, not looking at her but studying the pictures on the des
k.
“Next, and this is interesting—look at this picture.” Steel lifted up a color photograph of the professor exiting a restaurant.
A shiver rippled through her body. “It’s the professor, but where?”
“Well, this is the interesting part—it’s right where it all started, in Andover.”
That’s insane. It means that the professor has been in the same area all the time. Why wasn’t his location discovered before now?
“I don’t understand. The man who, by the way, was reported as murdered while I was marked as the prime suspect, has been living in the same place all along? How? It doesn’t make sense.”
Ella stepped closer, trying to piece all the evidence together but also noting that Marcus continued to remain quiet. Steel held up another sheet of paper and immediately, she grabbed it.
“Ava uncovered from the women she interviewed the name Black Hawk, which coincides with your description of the design you saw on the name tags, Ella. I know without a shadow of doubt Black Hawk is the name of a company that has the biggest military contract in the States and their logo is a black hawk. They work for DARPA. For those who don’t know what that stands for, it means Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.”
Steel stared directly at her as she took everything he said in and assembled it together. The professor was working for the government—well, for the military, more precisely. Which meant what he was doing was legal. Ella lifted her gaze toward Marcus and he stared at her with his mouth held in a tight line. He was holding it together, but barely.
She swallowed. “The date stamp on this shows the professor was in Andover yesterday. Do we know where he is now?” She leaned across the desk and looked at Steel but it was Marcus who spoke.
“Black Hawk’s main headquarters are in Andover. He’s still there,” he said.
“Right. Well, we need to go in now,” she said, trying to keep the desperation out of her voice. But as she stared at everyone in turn, she knew she hadn’t.
“You cannot be involved in this mission, Ella,” Steel said. She shot her gaze to him and then at Marcus, whose face was as serious.
“I don’t care what skills you bring to the table. One hothead is enough,” Steel said.
She knew without a doubt that meant Marcus was going, while she was left out in the cold. She couldn’t believe they would do this to her. She needed to be there. Ella slammed her hand down on the table, making the coffee mug wobble.
“No, damn it. I’m the lure. You need to use me as bait. He knows I’m alive. He knows I’m not like the other women. We need to know what he’s doing and not only get my baby back but put an end to this. If you all rush in, God knows what will happen.”
In seconds, Marcus left his position and grabbed her arms, making her face him as if no one else was in the room.
“Don’t you stop for one minute and think what may happen if we both go in and don’t come out? What the hell happens to our son? Are we right back at that moment where you have to choose who is more important?”
No one spoke and the silence lengthened. She pushed away from him as her heart sped up and surged along. Was he right? Should she stay? The bottom line was she wouldn’t die. They had mated, which rendered them immortal. If a bullet hit her, she would go down, bleed out, perhaps lose consciousness, but her body would heal. It was the same for Marcus, even if he didn’t believe it or truly accept it. She had stared death in the face twice and survived. They were immortal. She twisted around and stood in front of her husband. She placed her palm on his cheek.
“It’s time to face who we are. We’re immortal. I won’t die. Neither will you, but I’m not sure about our son. I know for sure that Jake could get hurt and others too. We are Nate’s best hope. Please say we are not still at the point where we must choose. We’re a team. We’re different and we need to use that to our advantage. I’m not and never will be the little woman who is happy to sit at home. That’s not me.”
“Damn right!” Steel spoke and Marcus’s head snapped up.
“We don’t have time to waste and quite frankly, I’m done with this bullshit. You all work for me. I think somewhere along the line that has been forgotten, even by me. I made it a rule that my employees didn’t date or get involved, and for this exact fucking reason, damn it. I’ve changed my mind. I agree with Ella. In view of the immortal shit, we really need to discuss your remarkable skill set. All of you. Drayton, you force me on this and I’ll kick your ass. She’s your other half—your partner. Accept the fact she’s not some delicate little rose. Ella deserves more than anyone to be there. She has more fire and guts than any woman I have ever known—don’t start with me, Drayton. Ella is yours, but mark my words, boy, if you mess this up, I will be there to pick up the pieces.”
A hushed silence descended and Ella gripped the table. Steel deliberately provoked Marcus, but he didn’t respond because as she stared at him, he knew she loved him unequivocally. He sighed in defeat.
You will do everything I say when we go. Understand?
Her heart squeezed and she nodded.
“Now, if you all can pay attention. Jake, dim the lights. I have aerial footage of the enormous Black Hawk facility that confirms that the professor’s there. I have a comprehensive internal map of the building, too, from my sources in the government. This is a secure military factory that has nearly five thousand employees and its square footage is one point seven million. It’s an enormous site. With state-of-the-art security at every step of the way. You can’t just walk in. Black Hawk is a technology and innovation company whose primary focus is defense and cybersecurity solutions. It’s the military’s number one contractor for missile defense, warfare solutions, precision weapons, and specialized training for high-risk areas. It has a global presence and its estimated sales last year was around twenty-six million dollars. The main man, chairman and CEO, is billionaire Mr. Larry Stein. His nickname is the Padre.”
The dimmed lights didn’t take away the enormity of the situation. Before, it was simply the professor and an unknown entity, but now the identity of the man at the center was revealed. Marcus came to stand next to Ella and placed his arm around her shoulder, squeezing it tight as Steel continued.
“Now we have a target.”
She looked at his face, stern and fixed on hers. His pupils wide and alert. He was focused and in total control.
“Is that good, when we know that he’s a man of considerable wealth and power?” she whispered.
“Stop. Jake, stop the video. Lights on. Okay, I need all eyes on the intelligence we’ve gathered, but if you need to talk before we do that, talk. Christ, it’s like being back in school,” Steel shouted.
The lights flashed on and Ella stared at Steel, who scratched his head.
“To answer your question, Ella, it’s good to have a name, but you’re right—getting to that target is not going to be quick or easy. Mr. Larry Stein, we suspect, is the leader of the Elusti. He’s the main target, but to get to him will be virtually impossible. There will be layer upon layer of security, plus his contacts are everywhere. He’s in bed with the military and the government. His power is far-reaching, with contacts in every organization that has influence, including the police and all aspects of the media. It means cover-ups, lost information, and corrupted files. Murder is easy and second nature to them. For this mission, however, we are concerned with the professor. We’re going to bring him and your son in.”
She swiped a look across at Isabella and pressed her lips together. Steel needed to know their collective talents and how they could help by disarming security systems, or influencing the environment to create a distraction. Isabella nodded at her and she stared at Marcus, who gave a quick nod too.
“Okay, sir, we need to discuss a few issues with you. You see, we have certain gifts that could help us in this situation. Marcus and I have heightened senses, especially for hearing and sight. Marcus is exceptionally strong, something you have already witnessed, and I can d
etect other entities such as vampires and ghosts. Isabella…”
“I’m a witch, sir. I can manipulate the weather, cast spells, and generally cause chaos,” Isabella said.
“I can vouch for that,” Jake stated.
Ella smiled over at Jake, who wouldn’t look at Isabella, and it was as clear as day he had feelings for the pretty woman. Relationships were never straightforward and easy.
“Right. Well, I hate to shatter your illusions but you haven’t fooled me. I have been aware from the beginning that the ladies are special. I’m a military man—nothing gets past me. As for you, Drayton, there’s a lot you don’t know about me, but believe me when I say that’s not the case where you’re concerned.”
Marcus pushed away from the desk and confronted the older man. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” He folded his arms.
“It means I’m a patient man, but now is not the time for patience. It’s the time for action. Josephine came to me years ago. She tracked you down and paid me a visit. She opened my eyes to a few details about my life and well, it changed the direction thus. Now, this isn’t the time to catch up, but one day, we will sit down and have a real conversation. Now we need to formulate a plan and make sure there are no fuck-ups.”
Ella watched the interplay between Marcus and Steel. She could feel the mixed emotions he experienced, but it could wait. Steel was right; they needed to talk through all the surveillance footage and plan their execution of the mission with a military precision to make it fail-proof.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The meeting behind closed doors in Steel’s office lasted for over three hours. By the end, Jake needed to stretch his muscles and get some air. This mission wouldn’t be like any other he had faced. They were going up against a global corporation that was renowned for its influential connections everywhere. Only a small covert team was being sent and he agreed this was the best tactic. Marcus slapped his shoulder as he reached the bottom step outside Steel’s house.