“Yep,” he muttered, looking back out of the window. “I’ve taken a leap all right.”
When we passed through security at the FBI office, an agent whirled us into the office of our S.A.C.
Closing the door behind us, the agent disappeared, and I turned to see Dan chatting away on the phone.
To disguise his Elven appearance, Dan wore a magical glamor. One that bore an image of a man in his early fifties. Black hair tinged with gray and crows feet and laughter lines allowed him to fit in with the humans. He’d adopted a Hispanic heritage and name while over here. It allowed his glamor to be a refinement of his high cheekbones and wide eyes—a quick image change rather than a complete overhaul. He looked very much like a Special Agent in Charge, and less like the kind, understanding elf who’d found me rotting in an abusive psychiatric hospital. He’d become my hero, my mentor, and the one I turned to aside from my stepdad when I needed help. Now, he just looked like he meant business.
Snapping at someone to clarify data on the other end, Dan nodded in welcome and grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair. He put it on.
“Yes,” he said through the handset. “Do it now. I’ll be heading out with Agent Vane and Agent Grady in five minutes. You have until then.”
He slammed down the phone.
“You okay?” I frowned.
“No.” He looked at us in apology. “I’m sorry. I wish I had time to explain things further, but circumstances have escalated. We have to move out now, and I need you to contact the others and give them our location to meet us there.”
“Why? What’s happened?”
He ignored me. “Grady, do you have your contract?”
Grady handed him the paperwork he’d brought along. “All there and signed.”
“Good. You’ve read through it?”
“Yes. And I’ve understood it to the best of my abilities. But there’re words in there I don’t—”
“We’ll explain further to you.” Dan cut him off, glancing over the papers. “Welcome to the team. Now, I can give you these.” After reaching into his safe, he handed over to him two badges, and a weapon I recognized to be a Pulsar from Portiside. “Your IET badge. Only flash it when Terra gives you leave to do so while you find your feet. You also have a temporary citizen badge to Portiside. Keep both with you should the IET need a quick escape through the portal. Also, don’t use the weapon until the team has trained you. It shoots a blue laser stream.”
Grady tried to keep up. “It shoots a what?”
“Terra will explain further. We need to head out to Kirkland. There’s been what I can only classify as a zombie attack. Dead people are attacking members of the public. Both the military and CDC are on sight at the main location. I’ve pulled a few strings to give us temporary jurisdiction and according to my contact they believe they’ve contained the threat for now.”
Confused, I said, “Did you just say ‘zombies?’”
“Yes. As in the risen dead. A necromancer mage was among the escapees, remember?”
“Ah shit.” Shivers crept down my spine. “Those kinds of zombies.”
He tried to give me a stern look of reproach, but it didn’t wash, and he knew it. “Yes. That kind. All I’m aware of so far is they’ve tracked them to an abandoned shopping mall in Kirkland. But they can only get so close. They can’t break through what they describe as an invisible force.” He sighed. “This will be one hell of a PR headache.”
“But if the military is already there…”
“You will use what little diplomatic skills you have. Use Grady on this one. He can give you the lead on who not to piss off.”
“Funny.”
“I’m serious, kid. We must handle this one with care. You need to go in as FBI on a dedicated assignment that’s taken a lot of string pulling my end to get you in there. Play nice. You and the IET need to keep a low profile regarding your capabilities.”
“So what should we do? Break the magical wards with a ‘please’ and a ‘thank you,’ and tickle the zombies to death?”
Dan glanced over at Grady. “I’m trusting you to guide them on this.”
“Yes, Sir,” he replied.
My mouth fell open. “Hang on a minute—”
“Terra,” Dan pleaded. “Not only do we have zombies running around Seattle, but now we have the humans trying to intervene with a supernatural creature. If the mage, Dreven Asorin is behind this, then Earthside is in serious trouble. You’re still the leader of the IET, but Grady is your second for now. Listen to him.” He grabbed his weapon and badge. “Come on. We’ll discuss the rest on the way.”
“You said I need to keep a low profile,” I told him through gritted teeth. “I’ve already riled things up with Theodulf. Now you want me to work alongside a human army?”
“Yes. I do. You can update me on what happened in shifter lands on the way.” He rested a hand on my shoulder. “If anyone can do this, kid, it’s you. We have more at stake than an escaped prisoner. Understand?”
Looking over his shoulder at Grady, and seeing no help from that quarter, I nodded.
“Good,” Dan continued. “I’ll update Chief Cipher on my return. But first, let’s assess what we’re dealing with.”
5
Grady offered to drive the black, shiny, FBI-owned vehicle. Dan and I climbed into the back.
Dan studied me. Gone was the professional facade he’d held in the office, and in came the elf I love like family. “What happened on the last case, kid?”
“We spoke to Agent Faraway, as you know, seeing as you got the call from him on your Portiside line.”
“Was it about the escaped prisoners?”
“It was about something attacking wolves on shifter lands.”
He frowned. “I won’t like this, will I?”
“How far away are we from our destination?”
“We have time for you to tell me what happened, so spill.”
“Fine.” I rolled my eyes, not knowing where to begin, so I laid it all out. I told him about how we investigated the attacks on the shifter lands—even though the shifters had closed their borders and tried to deal with it themselves. How we used the connection of Kaleb’s old friendship with the Alpha, and how the Alpha’s mate accepted us, making things easier. He listened intently as I spoke about the wolves’ prejudice. And how we hunted for Torroro of the Dark Hills based on a tooth found in the lake. And how when we called in Mayra to help an injured shifter, another made trouble because she was a witch. Torroro, in his blind hunger, had killed his kin, and the boy had wanted vengeance. Because of that, he brought Theodore Cipher into it—Kaleb and Cole’s father—and the neighboring Alpha had brought his slime of a son with him. But after I told Dan about Theodore wanting the reptile shifter’s body, and how Eli had crossed a line, he stopped me.
“What do you mean? Eli attacked you?”
“It’s nothing,” I explained, not liking the look on his face. “The arrogant bastard stole my Pulsar and shot Torroro. Even though the reptile shifter had given himself up and let us subdue him in chains. And then Eli tried to…”
“Tried to what?” he growled.
“He and two of his buddies attacked me when I was on my own. Kaleb got pissed. They wanted more than a fight.”
His eyes darkened. “Meaning?”
“Jeez, Dan. You know what I mean. But they didn’t succeed. I got a bump on the head, and a torn shirt. That’s all. Kaleb arrived before anything else happened.”
He inhaled deeply to calm himself. “Why did Eli attack you?”
“I don’t know. I bruised his ego, I guess. When Cole turned up with his father, he explained that a young shifter had outed the fact me and Kaleb were dating. And Cole confessed that anything Kaleb has Eli seeks to destroy.”
“You’re dating Kaleb?”
“Yes.” My cheeks reddened. “Will that be a problem?”
Torn between being my boss and a protective father figure, he replied, “Not long as you keep
things professional.” He shifted in his seat. “Tell me more about Theodulf.”
I did, explaining all about Theodulf the Dick. The alpha had made the banded wolf packs believe the attacks were down to rogue shifters. Meaning they were happy to close their borders to outsiders investigating. Recent events showed something deeper was going on, and it didn’t take Dan long to read between the lines.
“This is bad,” he whispered.
“Tell me about it. Theodulf ordered his wolves to hunt on the grounds for Torroro, making Brent—the Alpha of Caladonia Moor—feel inferior because he was new to the role. They went behind the back of the IET when I stood my ground and held jurisdiction, but we found out in time and caught Torroro ourselves. Even with the reptile shifter dead, Theodulf still wanted the body. We caught on to that and made sure we burned the body on shifter lands. Cole helped push that through, even though he jumps through Theodulf’s hoops.” I hesitated, not wanting to say the next bit, but I had to—I had no choice. “Cole said Theodulf has a file on me and will try to go after Chris and Rosie’s jobs should he want to hinder me. Kaleb has given them the heads up.”
The thought of anyone hurting my stepdad or one of my best friends made me rage inside. But my stepdad is a griffin with a high security clearance in the labs of Portiside, and Rosie is an air Fey. Not only are they both badass when they have to be, but they’re Evolvers who report into the Consilium.
Dan said nothing, but the rigidity of his jaw defied his calm appearance.
“Dan, we stopped him from getting his hands on Torroro. And we stood against him when he tried to have us questioned in front of the Consilium—for trespassing—after Kaleb won the challenge against Eli. It dented his ego. But not only that, we’ve compromised whatever he was planning, too. We’ve brought some time.”
“If Theodulf Cipher ever strikes out against you, he is mine,” was all he said, his crystalline eyes breaking through his magical glamor. “But Eli Cipher will pay for daring to touch you in such a way.”
Unsettled by his reaction, I put a hand on his arm. “He didn’t hurt me aside from a few bruises. Others intervened. Kaleb challenged his brother, but I didn’t want him to kill in cold blood so we found a loophole that stopped him. Don’t make me do the same with you. You’re too important.”
He drew in air, his eyes returning to normal. He blinked a few times and focused on me. “Something is going on in the Consilium. We’ve figured that much after what happened with you and Rudolf River. And I’ve told you before now that those high up show too much interest when your name arises. Add Theodulf into the mix and you have to wonder why he went to such great lengths to get his hands on an escaped prisoner. Torroro couldn’t shift, or think as a human. He has no important family affiliations, and wolf and reptile shifters don’t get on. It makes me wonder why Torroro ended up there in the first place if they left him to go it alone.”
“We wondered the same thing,” I replied. “But it’s another prisoner down. Only another six to go. And here we are. Ready to face off with one of the worst.” I took out my cell to message the others to meet us at the location, then thought it might be quicker if Grady did it. “Grady, will you call Kaleb and the others and get them to meet us at…?” I looked to Dan. He reeled off the co-ordinates. “Yep. There.”
Grady, used to taking orders, snapped into action and made the call. I turned to Dan, and he didn’t look happy.
“I’ve got a few more things to tell you,” I confessed. “But now isn’t the time. However, if we get a window, I need to tell you all of it.”
“What is it concerning?” he asked, his brow furrowed.
“My gift.”
“Terra…” he warned.
“Not now, okay? We have to know what we’re facing the other end. Dreven Asorin is one of the most dangerous prisoners on the list. If it’s him raising the dead we need a strategy. You’ve read his file?”
He nodded. “Yes, I have. And the Evolver reports. He’s an old mage, almost reaching one thousand years in age.”
“Almost as old as you then.”
“Yes. And even though I lived deep in the Fey Lands back in those days, we felt the ripples of his magic when he tried to take over Portiside.”
“You did?”
“Yes,” he replied, “but he was foolish. Mages, witches, wizards and shamans all united in taking him down. In Portiside, he didn’t stand a chance. But he did enough damage.”
“All his prison files claim is he tried to raise a dead army but failed. He’s also a sociopath with a bad history from what I can gather. His past isn’t a great one. I’ll run that through with the team when we get together and assess for any angles. What happened with the dead who attacked the humans in Kirkland?”
“The local authorities got a call about people acting strange, many of them looking unwell. Panic ensued when they got aggressive and started attacking people. There were reports of their skin peeling off, holes in their faces, body parts detaching. Yet they still kept walking in one direction. Those who attacked pulled back and followed the line. That’s why they called in the CDC and the military. They will aim straight toward a virus or chemical attack theory. It’s good that we let them keep thinking that.”
“I take it the direction they were walking was the abandoned mall?”
“That’s right. It’s stumped the military why they can’t get passed the land about a quarter mile away from the mall parking lot. They’re saying there is a force field around the place. I’m claiming jurisdiction as part of the FBI Counterterrorism Unit, and because I have the leverage to make it so. But that won’t be the case for long if we can’t break through the magical wards Dreven has put around the place. We’ve got to take him down and fast.”
“Anything else to report?”
“Military have set up. Lieutenant General Hanley is in charge. And I’ve called in a few favors to ensure he’s the one overseeing this mission. I’ve also managed to swing it so he only brings in a small force while we assess the situation and keep it contained. My contacts are keeping it at his level for now, creating smoke and mirrors so Hanley believes this has come down from his chain of command. He’s a good man. Has a fluid mind. And keeps cool under pressure. Be thankful for him locking down the scene and evacuating any residents who have a view of the mall and its surroundings. We’ve also declared it a dead zone for anything flying over with visibility of the site. You must strategize on this one, kid.”
“And what will you be doing?”
“I’ll introduce you, stay for a while, but I have to meet with Cole sooner than I thought. I also have work to do in the background. I plan to give you as much time as possible to sort this out before it becomes a clusterfuck of a problem.”
My eyes widened. “Did you just say clusterfuck?”
“Yes,” he snapped. I laughed. I couldn’t help it. Dan didn’t curse, or if he did, it was never that kind of cursing.
“Will you pull yourself together? This is a serious matter.”
Tears streamed down my face as I cackled even louder.
He sighed. “Grady, you will deserve a medal by the end of his.”
“Tell me about,” he muttered the front.
I smiled, composing myself. “Grady knows you’re an elf by the way. We’ve filled him in. On everything.”
Dan cringed. “I’m sorry for lying to you, Grady. I wanted to explain but—”
“It’s fine,” he replied. “I understand why you didn’t. And I’m sure I’ll thank you for it one day.”
“You’re playing in the big leagues now," I told him. “You’ll be as crazy as the rest of us soon enough.”
He mumbled something inaudible.
Dan frowned. “This is bad, kid. There’s so much going on at once. So much coming at you. I’m worried the hidden agenda is something poised to swallow us whole.”
“That’s your elf-side talking. You always said I was trouble. And you’re about to set me upon the human government, a bunch of sold
iers, and a twisted mage. Let me do you proud.”
He smiled, his warm hazel eyes looking upon me with love. “And to think I almost feel sorry for them.”
Part I
The First 24 Hours
6
When we arrived on scene, reality hit. The military had wasted no time in setting up their base.
Soldiers guarding the perimeter were thorough when we showed them our ID. They radioed through to someone, checked our clearance, and even then remained uncertain about letting us through.
Grady navigated the car to the section they’d set up away from the abandoned shopping mall.
Forest green tents blew in the subtle breeze, settled among the trees on the surrounding land. They’d parked army trucks beside the tents while soldiers protected the outskirts. The soldiers watched our approach but didn’t move from their posts.
My skin turned cold when I saw what lay beyond them.
Still forms, clusters of human shapes, stood together, unmoving. We weren’t close enough for me to make out the details, but the severity of the situation grew at the sheer number of them. Groups of the undead gathered outside the mall. Others spread out across the parking lot and grassy borders to where I assumed the invisible shield to be. Soldiers monitored the perimeter, brave to put their backs to the waiting humans behind them—humans who were no longer part of the living.
I shuddered. “They’re just standing there.”
“It’s clear Dreven is keeping them for something,” Dan said, focused on the view outside the window.
“Like what?”
“That’s for you to find out, kid.”
I said nothing to that. When we profiled the average killer, it might turn up a pattern, help find clues they may have left behind in their wake. But profiling Dreven told me only one thing. He wasn’t here to hide. He was here to cause a catastrophe of epic proportions.
Grady parked up near the largest tent, and we got out the vehicle.
Death Be Rising (The Terra Vane Series Book 7) Page 3