“Do you really think they’re the bad guys?” Dumpy asked.
Trilby gave her a hard look.
“Anyone who isn’t with the crown is the enemy.”
“But are they?” Dumpy continued. “What about the neutrals who have lived in New York for years? What about those, eh? Maybe they do things slightly different in Europe, but this is America. The land of the free. Don’t they get a choice?”
“You’re only saying that because you’re a recent convert,” a specter with missing teeth and a permanent black eye growled.
Dumpy smirked. “Sure, let’s go with ‘convert.’ That implies I had a choice.”
“The mission is clear,” Camo interjected before anyone else could agree. “Spy on the enemy and build up the recruits. Anyone dead or living should be honored to represent Queen Victoria. Maybe at one time the neutrals were okay, but we’ve seen where that leads now—to rogue factions that think they stand a chance at an upheaval. Well, I, for one, am not having it. Neither is the boss. Neither is the queen.”
“Speaking of Rogues,” Dumpy replied. “Do you think it’s true what they say about her? Is she really as much of a threat as they believe?”
Camo considered that for a moment. When she spoke, it was laced with sarcasm. “The mortal who single-handedly brought down a hundred specters and sent them scattering into the city? The mortal whose legend reached New York years before she graced these lands? Nooo, of course not. She’s a puppy pretending to be a pitbull.”
“All I know,” Trilby replied, “is that the minute I get a whiff of that bitch, she’s going to kiss this.” He held up an assault rifle as though it were a prize trophy.
“Just twenty-four more hours.” Camo smirked. “One more night, and you can put your metaphor for your dick to better use. The Spectral Plane won’t know what hit them.”
“Spectral Plane, two o’clock,” Black Eye muttered.
Camo turned her attention back to the street and followed his finger. Carolyn tried to remember who had been stationed in the northern quarter of Times Square, but her mind was already reeling with information.
Feng Mian patted Carolyn’s shoulder and nodded toward the fire escape.
Carolyn wanted to remain behind longer but knew they were already risking a lot by being there. Her face had only just gotten to the point of recovery, and the last thing she wanted was to be subjected to the business end of that rifle.
As they made their way back to the edge of the building, a voice shouted from behind them. “Hey! You there!”
Carolyn’s eyes widened. She didn’t even stop to turn around and see which one of the crown loyalists was talking. She and Feng Mian leaped down the stairs two at a time and were gone before the alarm was raised.
Lenox Hill, New York City
In the absence of any kind of spectral rope, Jennie had to get creative.
“It’s like a shit-meat kebab.” Jennie grinned, dusting off her hands with several enthusiastic claps.
The two halberds were jammed into the wall, around eight feet or so from the ground. The specters who had attacked them had all been impaled through the chest and were now suspended from the wall, lined up neatly on the long metal spikes, kicking their legs as they grunted in discomfort.
“I wouldn’t eat that,” Baxter cautioned. “Too gristly.”
“Agreed,” Jennie told him.
George and Sally stood nearby and looked at the specters. They had insisted Julian was placed at the front of the procession, on display for any passing specter to see. Maybe someone would be along soon to help them, but maybe they wouldn’t. Whatever happened, it was nice to see him in as much pain as he had put them.
“You’ve got one more chance to tell me what you know,” Jennie offered, looking at the speedy specter.
Julian glared down at her. He made a noise with his throat and sent a glob of spectral spit at her. She disconnected from Baxter just in time for the spit to pass through her mortal body and hit the ground.
“I’ll take that as a ‘no.’” Baxter sighed, shaking his head. “I wish they would learn to make the smart choice.”
“Anyone else?” Jennie asked the other specters. “Anyone fancy being the one to help put an end to all this mess? Anyone? Anyone? Fine, we’ll leave you where you are, shall we? Let the spectral crows pick the meat off your bones while you’re pinned up against that wall.”
Jennie turned and left the alley. Baxter, George, and Sally ran to keep up with her. The specters could be heard shouting for help even after they’d turned down several streets and found their way back to Jennie’s car.
“Why didn’t you push for information?” Sally demanded as they entered the parking lot. “They were right there. If you know they know something, why didn’t you insist?”
Jennie pushed the unlock button on her key fob, and the Mustang’s lights flashed. George stared in stunned awe. When Jennie got to the car, she leaned on the roof and turned to Sally. “You guys are neutrals, right?”
Sally nodded. George began circling the Mustang, drinking in every detail.
Jennie smiled sadly. “Then you won’t have any idea what it’s like to be under oath. You’ve done yourselves a service by not aligning with any particular faction, so you know what it’s like to be free.”
Jennie craned her head toward George. “If you leave fingerprints, we’re going to have a problem.”
George, who had been about to touch the paintwork at the back of the car, flinched and held his hands in the air.
Baxter scoffed.
“Being under oath,” Jennie continued, “is more than just words. As a specter, that shit gets into the very fabric of your being. If you break your oath, the only consequence is death. Every fiber of your being is built for survival, and no matter what the cost you cling to that oath as though it’s your moral compass. It wouldn’t matter if the queen slaughtered a thousand innocents, everyone who remains loyal would need to choose a path between acceptance and support or ultimate death.”
“How do you know so much about this?” Sally asked. “And what about the Spectral Plane?”
Jennie gave a tired smile. “I’ve been in this business for a long time. I’ve learned a thing or two about the loyalties of specters. Those bound to Lupe and the Spectral Plane have yet to have their mettle tested, but it’s all the same. It doesn’t matter who you align yourself with, the power of the oath is still the same.”
“There are no traitors in death,” Baxter muttered.
“Exactly,” Jennie replied.
Jennie climbed in the driver’s seat, and Baxter called shotgun. Jennie wound down the windows and leaned across to call to Sally and George, “You know, if you guys want a lift somewhere, just say. I’m happy to take you where you need to go.”
George looked excitedly at Sally. Clearly, his erection for high-end luxury cars had just grown stiffer.
Sally laughed. “I don’t suppose you were planning on going anywhere near Times Square ?”
Jennie and Baxter grinned at each other. “As a matter of fact, that is exactly where we are going. Hop in.”
Chapter Forty-One
Times Square, New York City
The Square was still a hive of activity. Although it was after midnight, hundreds of civilians wandered the streets of Times Square.
A small bubble of panic rose in the pit of Jennie’s stomach. She had been around specters long enough to know that most of them could not touch or harm humans.
But it was the ones who could who did the most damage.
She navigated around people, doing her best to remain as inconspicuous as possible. Several large men in suits drunkenly stumbled past and wolf-whistled at her. Jennie gave a coy smile, then stuck her middle finger up and made her way to the small pedestrian island in the middle of the road.
Several dozen people met her there. A few she recognized, including Lupe, Carolyn, and Feng Mian, and a few she was less familiar with.
George, Sally, and B
axter followed her.
“Who are they?” Lupe asked.
“They’re neutrals,” Jennie replied. “Specters we rescued from the pointy end of a stick.”
“The crown?” Lupe asked.
“Who else?” Jennie replied. “Although George and Sally are neutrals, they’ve promised to help fight.”
“Like Baxter?” Lupe asked.
Baxter nodded. “Just like me.”
Jennie scoured the square and could make out the tiny spectral shapes of her lookouts. Several were stationed at intervals around the balconies overlooking the square, all prepared to give the signal if they saw any enemies nearby.
“You think they’re going to come?” Jennie asked.
Lupe motioned toward Carolyn.
“They’re already here. Me and Feng Mian saw a group of them not too long ago. Followed them up to the roofs to eavesdrop. They’re onto us.”
Jennie smirked. “They’re not the only ones who can play tricks. If Charles really thinks we’re stupid enough to fall for the same trick twice, then he’s got another thing coming.”
“Won’t they know they’re running into a bear trap?” Baxter asked.
Jennie glanced up at the roofs without tilting her head. She could make out small dots of faint blue light, which she assumed to be specters watching them. “I don’t think so. They’ll think they’ve caught us outnumbered. A small band of Spectral Plane specters gathered in Times Square, searching for the enemy. What they won’t know is…” She turned to Lupe.
“We’ve got our finest fighters ready to take them on,” he finished.
“Exactly.”
They waited patiently in the center of the square. For the mortals around them, Jennie and Lupe looked like nothing more than a man and woman enjoying the scenery. It wouldn’t even cross their minds that there were several dozen specters gathered around them, each one with their hand loosely gripped on a weapon.
The time began to wear on. Jennie kept an eye on the specters on the rooftops, certain they were spies for the crown. If her guess was right, it wouldn’t be long before a swath of enemies arrived, and the whole of Times Square turned into a battlefield.
The giant LED clock ticked over into one AM. Jennie spoke to Lupe in a soft voice, needing a way to distract herself from losing patience. “The other specters—the ones in the subway—have they been moved?”
“As we agreed,” Lupe assured her. He paused before continuing. “If I may give you a little advice? Maybe don’t bring a traitorous specter with you to all the places where your allies are hiding. The Plaza, the subway. If you’re not careful, they’ll know all of your favorite hiding places when they turn their back on you.”
Jennie narrowed her eyes but couldn’t keep a straight face when she saw Lupe’s twisted smile. “How was I supposed to know Worthington was going to stab us in the back? How was I supposed to know any of this?”
Carolyn stepped forward, clearly having eavesdropped from nearby. “Haven’t you been working in the paranormal court for over a hundred years?”
“What’s your point?” Jennie asked.
“Surely there must have been some kind of sign?”
Jennie thought about this. Over the last century, she had fought for queen and country without question. She had fought for justice and stopped the unstoppable. Not at any point in her career had she even considered the possibility she was working for the bad guys.
“My missions were always fighting for justice,” Jennie replied. “Sure, I wondered why Queen Victoria reigned longer than any other paranormal Monarch, but who was I to question? She’s smart—though I had no idea how smart. She kept me separate from her dark dealings and gave me the missions with which I could make a difference in the world.”
Jennie glanced back at the rooftops. “Evil is a complicated matter. No one is ever fully good or fully evil. There’s a spectrum they fall on. Even now there’s a part of me that believes Victoria may think she is doing good in the world. When you sit on your throne and let others do your dirty work, your vision of the world you inhabit becomes quite clouded.”
Carolyn looked doubtful. “You think there’s some good in her?”
“I think there’s some good in everyone,” Jennie told her. “Everyone should have the opportunity to redeem themselves.”
“What about the Messino Brothers?” Baxter instantly regretted his question.
Jennie chewed her lip while she considered her answer, her eyes distant with thought. “Maybe I misspoke. Some people are just pricks.”
Lupe, Baxter, and Carolyn laughed. Feng Mian remained silent with his arms folded.
“But, seriously,” Jennie told them. “I believe there’s some good in everyone until they do their best to prove me wrong. Maybe some people are irredeemable. Maybe some people are so scarred and haunted with blackness that there is no coming back. But if I believe that world to be true, then what are we all fighting for?”
“Hope,” Carolyn stated.
“Freedom,” Baxter added.
Lupe shuffled his feet. “Friendship.”
Feng Mian’s lip twitched. “Honor.”
“Er, okay?” Jennie chuckled. “You know that was a rhetorical question? Still, it’s good to know where you stand.”
She shifted her eyes to the roofs again, and her heart leapt. The specters were gone. “Okay, team. Get yourself ready. They’re on their way.”
The huddle of specters scanned the square, prepared for the arrival of the loyalists. Hands tightened on their weapons as the clock ticked over to one-thirty AM.
The first sighting of the enemy came when a handful of rough-looking specters melted through the walls and sauntered down Broadway.
The group was small, led by a woman in a camo-patterned tank top with black trousers. Carolyn took a small gasp of breath as they approached. “It’s them!”
Cars drove through them. Civilians remained unaware of their presence. As they approached, Jennie could feel her entire entourage of specters tense up.
“Easy,” she murmured, not wanting to be the first to attack. She turned her head around the square, looking for signs of any more specters, but there were none whatsoever.
What are they doing?
The specters stopped when they were a stone’s throw away. Camo planted her feet and stared at them a moment, a smug grin on her face.
Jennie wondered what the hell was going on. “Is this all that’s left to represent the crown?” she called, forgetting to slip into her spectral state.
The passersby turned and gave her strange looks, but Jennie didn’t notice since her attention was fixed on the specters. “I mean, I know I fucked you all up in Brooklyn, but I expected more of you than this.”
Camo’s grin split into a wide smile, white teeth on display. “You don’t deserve more than this,” she told Jennie. “You think we’re stupid enough to fall for your ploys? We all know the only one who falls for trickery is you. How was your visit to Lady Liberty? She can be rather hot at times, don’t you think?”
The specters with Camo chuckled.
Jennie studied the woman. She looked strong, her muscles toned and her body fit. She wondered what her background was, and how she’d gotten caught up in this mess.
“Tell me,” Jennie asked. “What is it like to be a lapdog to a deranged Beefeater who lies on behalf of a dark queen? Is it cozy? Does he toss you treats and tell you you’re a good little girl?”
“He tells us the path to victory,” Camo retorted, the smile slipping from her face. “The paranormal court is the only true power in the world, the oldest and most revered superpower the spectral world has ever known. Do you really think you can conquer us and flush us out of the city?”
“You know, for a while, I was you,” Jennie reminded her. “You talk as if I don’t know the crown and its intentions. I lived and breathed that life for a century, and it took me this long to learn the truth.”
“Worthington told us of your betrayal.” Camo snarl
ed. “He told us about your lies. The great and mighty Rogue’s fall from grace as she’s cast out into the cold world beyond and clings onto anything she possibly can to avoid drowning. That’s all the Spectral Plane is to you—a life raft. A chance for you to hold on to all you’ve known before you drown.”
Jennie became aware of several specters shuffling behind her. She hoped Camo’s words weren’t getting to them. “They are free, which is more than I can say for every specter who has been forced to swear to the crown.”
“The Spectral Plane is everything the crown once was,” Lupe cut in, finding his courage.
Jennie looked at him, impressed.
Lupe wasn’t done. “Everything the crown should be. Do we want to dominate the world and own every specter within? No. Do we want freedom for our people? The right to choose? A world in which choice is not only given but encouraged? Yes. There are no tyrannical leaders here, only those who wish to help other specters live in peace.”
Now several mortals had stopped around Lupe and Jennie, believing the pair were engaged in some kind of performance theater. Several of them had pulled out their camera phones and were elbowing friends to watch.
Shit. It’s going to be harder to turn spectral now if this thing is going to be documented.
Camo sneered. “A cute story to tell yourself, but an impossible dream, nonetheless. The crown owns you. The paranormal court is all there is. All there will be. Just give up now before things get messy.”
Lupe took an angry step forward. Several civilians stepped back, their momentary fear breaking into relieved smiles when Jennie grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back.
“Is that what you’ve come to tell us?” Jennie demanded. “Your masters are too chickenshit to come and face us, so they send a messenger in their place?” She whirled, scanning the roofs and balconies. “Worthington! I know you can hear me! If you want a fight, then come and get it. We’re ready for you! Every neutral and Spectral Plane specter in this city will fight for their freedom, and there’s nothing you can do about it. The free will remain free.”
Rogue, Renegade And Rebel (In Her Paranormal Majesty’s Secret Service Book 1) Page 33