by Trina M. Lee
“It’s that obvious, huh?” I muttered.
Smudge flagged down a passing waitress and ordered another of whatever Jez was drinking. She played it cool when Jez thanked her. Pretty sure I was watching a love connection take place. Or at the very least, a hookup in the making.
“So, a little off topic, but have you seen Falon?” The way Smudge asked indicated she knew damn well I had but asked from politeness. “He didn’t show up for a meeting.”
Falon had skipped out on a meeting of The Circle of the Veil. For me? Huh. Interesting. “He’s taking the night off,” I replied, feeling anxious, not because people from The Circle knew Falon and I were sleeping together but because they were coming to me for his whereabouts. I was hardly his keeper. Most nights I had no idea where he lurked.
Smudge scoffed. “Taking the night off? I didn’t realize we could flake out without giving anyone a heads up. Must be nice to have wings and make your own rules.”
My phone began to vibrate where it sat on the table. I groaned when Briggs’s name popped up on the screen.
“Falon probably needs the break.” Jez laughed. “He’s had a succubus fucking him three ways from Sunday.”
“Hey,” I protested. “Don’t make it sound so sordid.” Damn was I glad it was just us ladies at the table. I grabbed my phone and stared at the screen, contemplating.
“Ok, Lex, say it so it doesn’t sound sordid,” Jez quipped.
At the last moment before the call went to voicemail, I answered. “You better have a damn good reason for calling.”
“I’m at FPA HQ. In the lab. There’s something here I want you to see.” The sinister note to Brigg’s voice echoed the evil entity there. “Is that a good enough reason? Or do I need to bring Sinclair into this?”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“Are you sure you won’t lose your shit in there? That place has made you its bitch before.” Jez peered uncertainly up at the crumbling old hospital.
Having just feasted on Falon, I had little reason to worry. The fallen angel’s blood in my veins and his power in my core gave me an advantage I didn’t always have in the past. During my last visit he had guided me to use his power to beat the entity back.
“Pretty sure it won’t fuck with me too hard today. Not after last time.” Of course that victory had been temporary, and the evil of Lilah’s kingdom once again reigned here.
My trepidation drove each step as we crossed through the barriers set up to prevent trespassing. “I’m more concerned with what it’s doing to Briggs.”
The unrest in the earth created a ripple of disquiet in the energy surrounding the building. Right away the entity began to poke and prod at me, seeking a way in. We hadn’t even reached the front door yet. I resisted, pleased when it reacted with confusion and then a knowingness as it detected Falon’s power mingled with mine.
‘You came back,’ the entity murmured in my ear. ‘You always do. Ready to become all that you are? Are you ready to be my queen?’
“Not a snowball’s chance in hell,” I muttered.
“Huh?” Jez gave me a puzzled look. Then it dawned on her. “Oh, is that damn thing talking to you already? So creepy. Don’t listen to a word it says, Lex.”
An agent met us at the door to escort us to Briggs. The place had always felt devoid of life, but it seemed especially pronounced tonight. Having lost a legion of agents in the last few months, apparently nobody wanted to work for Agent Briggs anymore. Either that or the head office had tired of him killing off their new recruits.
“Seems pretty quiet,” I observed, watching the Fed for a response.
Jittery hand on his gun, a cowed pose meant to be intimidating, he shrugged. “Everyone’s out on assignment.”
Yeah. Sure they were. Jez and I exchanged a knowing look.
Briggs was a fool for inviting me into the FPA in the aftermath of all that had gone down here. Now I could see for myself how meager their manpower was in this city.
Our chaperone led us through the maze of halls to the testing lab. With a swipe of a keycard, the door opened. The agent hung back, motioning for us to go inside.
Jez stiffened as we approached. She’d been caged here, zapped into cat form with an electro-shock device wielded by human maniacs. Thankfully, she hadn’t endured any experimentation.
The large room was empty other than Briggs who stood behind the bulletproof-glass partition. He stared at a bank of screens and various other equipment. Glancing up, he acknowledged our arrival with a head nod before going back to his screen. “Thanks for coming, O’Brien. St. Claire, nice to see you.”
“I’m sure,” Jez mumbled.
Briggs sipped from a thermos, his gaze transfixed on whatever the screen before him held. His eyes were glassy, and his frazzled vibe confirmed that the entity was indeed fucking with him.
“How long have you been here, Briggs?” I asked, sidling up to the partition.
“I don’t know. A night? Two? Does it matter?” So caught up in whatever held his focus, I could’ve pantsed him and he’d never notice.
“Hell yes, it matters. You shouldn’t be in this building at all. That thing is going to fuck you up. This place is not vampire friendly.”
An appraisal of him showed that he was back to playing federal agent, although he’d never really stopped. Clad in a gray suit, tie loosened and shirt open at the collar, Briggs sipped that thermos of blood like it was a genuine coffee. Just another night at work. Gun on his hip and hard set to his jaw, he had a real Gunslinger thing going on.
For the first time in pretty much ever, I saw why my sister might have been attracted to him. Briggs had a bit of badass to him. I’d like to think I brought some of that out. Too bad he was a jackass on a power trip. It had gone to his head, as power often did. Stupid me, I had to go and give him even more.
“It’s fine, O’Brien. I’m too busy to listen to the murmurs. I barely hear it anymore.” He flung a hand toward a couple of stools. “Have a seat. I’ll just be another minute here.”
Did he think this was a social call? He had forced me here by threatening someone I cared too much about. The man had truly lost it.
Neither Jez nor I sat. I edged closer, trying to catch a glimpse of the screen that consumed his attention. It was a blur of letters and colors. Some kind of code.
“You think you’re not listening to it, but you are,” I stated. “It’s getting inside you.”
Briggs slid a side eye my way. “Have you heard from Juliet? She still won’t talk to me.”
My patience with him grew thin. Thinner, I should say. “No. She doesn’t seem to want to talk to me either. I guess I’d be pretty pissed if I were her. “
“Yeah, well, can you talk to her? Get her to come see me.” More of an order than a request, Briggs expected no argument. Because of Kale.
A lock of hair fluttered around my face. My anger and Falon’s power might not be the best combination. “What exactly do you think is going on here? I’m not going to jump every time you blow your own bugle. Go fuck yourself, Briggs.”
“She’s upstairs, in the office,” he continued, unfazed. “Has the whole top floor sealed off. She refuses to let me come up. So I’ve been taking advantage of having the whole lab to myself. But she can’t avoid me forever.”
That tripped me up. “Wait, she’s here? Does that mean you’re not in charge anymore? Seems to me this place is a dead zone. I’m surprised you let me see how bad it’s gotten here. Not that I couldn’t have guessed.”
Jez joined in with a scathing, “How are you even still employed?”
That got his attention. Nostrils flaring, hands clenched into fists, Briggs rounded on us, offended. “I’ll have you know that not only am I one of the top agents in the country but the entire continent as well. My entire life has been dedicated to my profession. I’ve made my share of mistakes, but I’ve proven my worth time and time again.”
Despite knowing the entity fueled his outrage, I laughed anyway. “We’re just
the monsters you’ve built your career on,” I mocked. “Why do you care what we think?”
“And another thing.” He pointed a finger in my face, making me laugh harder. “I outrank Juliet. Her presence here is merely as my partner, as it’s always been. I’m still in charge.”
Delusional. The building was almost empty, and Juliet had him confined to the basement while she took over the upstairs control center of the building. I’d bet Briggs was on some kind of probation and unwilling to admit it.
“Whatever you say, man.” Hands on my hips, I chose not to argue such trivial shit. “Get to the point. Why did you call me here? What do you have to show me?”
A dazzling white smile lit up his face. “Right. Well, as you know, I’ve been trying to find a way to replicate a vampire and werewolf hybrid. Although I still haven’t succeeded, I’ve made some new discoveries.”
A lump formed in my throat. After everything that had gone down just weeks ago, he still hadn’t lost his obsession with recreating me. Something like me but better, with fewer weaknesses and the FPA seal of approval. At least, his lab had previously focused on that obsession. Before Arys had killed Dr. Collins, the head technician.
“You’ve got to be kidding.” Open hostility gave Jez a tangy, tempting vibe. It felt delicious.
Briggs noticed too. His gaze locked on her throat, seeking her pulse.
I tensed, ready to drop him if he went for her.
“No. Not kidding at all.” He still stared at her like he’d been hypnotized. “There’s got to be a way to replicate a hybrid. I’m going to find it.” His pupils dilated, becoming drowning black pools.
I knew that look. The entity was whispering in his ear. It wanted him to go for Jez. Most likely it taunted him with promises of how good she would taste and how amazing it would feel to spill her blood. It had been working on Briggs for a while, an easy target, newly turned and brashly insistent on working in this lab.
As I’d hoped, the voice couldn’t reach me as well it had in the past. Yet I got the sense that it lurked, hoping to find a way in.
“We’ve been over this.” I hoped to draw his gaze to me. “There was magic involved. The woman who performed it is dead. I don’t know how she did it, and even if I did, I’d never tell you.”
He did look at me then. A malevolence had taken hold of him. “I’m going to bring in my most recent test subject. Just to get you up to speed, I’ve abandoned Dr. Collins’s blood transfusion method and opted for something with more magic, less science.”
He shoved by us to close and lock the door to the glass partition. When he paused to check that it was secure, I got nervous. I searched the area for the camera I knew had to be hidden somewhere. Was Juliet watching this from the security room upstairs? I sure as hell hoped so. It was time for her to see the truth about Agent Briggs.
“Magic?” I repeated. “How so?”
“I tried blood bonding a werewolf. I know that’s how it started for you. Obviously the real trick is getting the wolf to keep that element after its death.” Briggs reached to hit the button on an intercom system. “Send in test subject D-1 please.” To Jez and me, he added, “So I tried a spell that I swiped from Gabriel back at Shya’s house.”
Mouth dry, I gaped at him in horror. “You did what? Are you insane? Never mind, you are insane. Are there cameras in here? Is Juliet watching this?”
“I hope she is.” Briggs threw a hand up toward the ceiling. “She needs to see that this is worth pursuing. Eventually I’ll get it right. I will create the most powerful hybrid in existence. Maybe even more powerful than you, O’Brien.”
“Eventually?” Jez was aghast. “So you got it wrong? Again. And that’s what you wanted Alexa to see?”
The sliding door that separated the main floor from an attached room began to rise. Last time I’d witnessed this, a cage housing Jez had been shoved through the opening.
Briggs stared at the ominous doorway expectantly. “O’Brien, I want you to see my current results. So you can help me get it right.”
I shot an imploring glance at the ceiling, hoping the hidden camera was monitored. “Sorry, Briggs, but I won’t be doing that.”
“Oh, you will. Kale’s life relies on it. Also, after you were such a bitch to me, I decided to up the stakes. You need to know how serious I am about this.” He gestured to the opening where a figure stumbled into the room.
What I saw struck me on a level reserved for pure evil. Like Shya.
Skin the pasty white of a corpse, eyes glassy and unfocused, Ash staggered forward. The door slid down behind him. Arms flailing about unguided, moving of their own accord, he paused to scan the room. Ash’s mouth moved but only a low, guttural wail came out. He spied us behind the glass. A few slow, awkward steps toward us and he stopped.
“Oh my God.” Jez’s hand flew to her mouth, as she looked on in horrified shock.
Something horrible had happened to Ash. There was nothing going on behind his eyes. Nothing coherent. Nothing alive. I shook my head, unable to accept what I saw. He was just a kid. I’d wanted to help him. And Briggs had taken that away from him. From me.
“Briggs,” I breathed, almost too shocked to speak. “What did you do?”
All of a sudden Ash launched into motion. Moving fast, he pasted himself against the glass, wailing and snarling. Clawing at the smooth surface, he banged his head against it in a mindless attempt to get through.
Jez clutched my arm, her eyes glistening. “He made a fucking zombie.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Briggs cocked his head to one side and considered the creature on the other side of the glass. “That’s a bit Romero-esque, but I guess that’s as good a term as any. For some reason it lost both the wolf and vampire elements when it came back. So you can see why I need your help.”
The thing that used to be Ash flailed and banged on the partition. Drool ran from its lips, it’s eyes grotesquely rolled back.
“Oh, you need help alright.” Mad science took on a whole new meaning for me right then. “How exactly did you do this?”
“Like I said, I used a spell I snagged from Gabriel’s grimoire. A necromancy spell. Obviously. Rather than let him rise naturally as a vampire after death, I’d hoped a forced resurrection would also resurrect his wolf. Clearly it didn’t work that way.” Hand on his chin in quiet contemplation, Briggs pondered for a moment. “I suppose my lack of magical expertise could be to blame. We’ll need Gabriel’s opinion.”
So he’d blood bonded a new werewolf, killed him, and then tampered with the natural laws of magic to bring him back as a true abomination. This effort screamed of the worst kind of insanity.
Jez and I exchanged yet another nervous glance. Briggs had gone mad, snapped loose from reality. The entity, his own personal obsessions, it didn’t matter why. He had to be stopped.
Also, I needed to have a little discussion with Gabriel as to why he had necromancy spells and what he planned to do with them.
I turned on Briggs with fingertips alight with blue and gold. I hit him with a blast that flung him back, toppling over a stool. He flung out a hand to catch himself and succeeded in dragging down a computer monitor and a stack of notes that fluttered around him like snowflakes.
“You were told in no uncertain terms to stay away from the Doghead wolves.” My shout caused the zombie-like thing to wail louder. “Are you so fucking delusional that you think I’ll work with you after what you did to him? Hanging Kale over my head won’t keep me from protecting people like him.” I pointed at the creature who tried in vain to claw his way inside. “You’re a sick fuck, Briggs. I should have killed you right from the start.”
With a loud shing I drew the Dragon Claw from its sheath on my hip. He had to die now. Whether my sister sat upstairs and watched her lover’s demise or not, I didn’t care.
Briggs wasn’t willing to go down without a fight. He went for the gun at his hip. Jez kicked it out of his hand before he could get off a shot, and the pistol sk
ittered under the long table.
Though not as skilled or as powerful as me, Briggs had no choice left but to try. A psi ball sailed past my head to explode against the glass. The energy spread out across the surface, crackling and popping.
The partitioned area didn’t offer a lot of room for a fight. It had been designed for people in lab coats to sit on their asses in front of a screen while watching their test subjects in the larger area outside the glass. More or less, it was a hallway with a table lining one side and a small kitchenette in a corner.
“Knock it off.” I easily blocked another hit he sent my way. “You’re just embarrassing yourself.”
“Kill me and Kale Sinclair dies too. Have you forgotten about that?” Briggs spat the threat that I’d tired of hearing.
It still had an effect on Jez who grabbed my arm. “Lex, please. Don’t do anything that could get Kale killed.”
I brandished the Dragon Claw. One simple slice, a friggin’ paper cut of a knick, would be enough to turn Briggs to dust and bone. Sure, Kale could take care of himself, yet I kept asking myself, Why take the chance?
Jez’s imploring stare was enough to make me doubt my decision.
Briggs took advantage of my moment of hesitation. He slung a poorly formed psi ball at my head. When I ducked, it smashed against the partition door. A hairline crack marred the supposedly impenetrable material.
“If that thing eats brains, he’s having yours,” I snarled, grabbing Briggs by the jacket.
I shoved him at the door, using him as a shield. Until we knew what exactly Ash had become, I wasn’t taking any chances.
Dead eyes glued to Briggs, Ash brought both fists down on the fractured glass, which shattered beneath the force. The soulless brute fell inside, flailing around on the floor as he tried to get up. A pause, like before, and then he sprang to his feet. Without clear thought or focus, Ash mauled Briggs who shoved him back repeatedly.